SETI Live

Naked Eye Comets? October May Yield a Bounty


Listen Later

Comets are small objects in our solar system made of ice and dust. As they get closer to the Sun in their orbits, the ices turn into gas and give off a glow that can be seen in telescopes. With luck, that glow brightens to the point where a comet can be seen with the unaided eye. Some, like Halley's Comet, return on a regular schedule. Others are more one and done, breaking apart as they near the Sun or getting a gravity assist to leave our solar system. And every year, astronomers hope for the "comet of the century" -- a rare but visible comet that provides a show with a glorious coma and tail. This October, the observing community hopes that not just one but TWO recently discovered comets will put on that show. This week, Beth Johnson is joined by Dr. Ariel Graykowski, the Cometary Activity Lead for the SETI Institute and Unistellar citizen science project, to chat about the search for comets and the hope that either Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS or C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) will soon be visible to the unaided eye. (Recorded 3 October 2024.)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

SETI LiveBy SETI Institute

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

6 ratings


More shows like SETI Live

View all
StarTalk Radio by Neil deGrasse Tyson

StarTalk Radio

14,318 Listeners

Big Picture Science by Big Picture Science

Big Picture Science

942 Listeners

The 365 Days of Astronomy by 365DaysOfAstronomy.org

The 365 Days of Astronomy

352 Listeners

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science by The Planetary Society

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

1,357 Listeners

SpaceTime with Stuart Gary by Stuart Gary

SpaceTime with Stuart Gary

323 Listeners

Astronomy Cast by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay

Astronomy Cast

2,864 Listeners

Universe Today Podcast by Fraser Cain

Universe Today Podcast

560 Listeners

Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries by Professor Fred Watson and Andrew Dunkley

Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries

231 Listeners

Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,407 Listeners

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe by iHeartPodcasts

Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

2,343 Listeners

The Supermassive Podcast by The Royal Astronomical Society

The Supermassive Podcast

331 Listeners

The world, the universe and us by New Scientist

The world, the universe and us

111 Listeners

Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

Why This Universe?

392 Listeners

This Week in Space (Audio) by TWiT

This Week in Space (Audio)

155 Listeners

The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu by theliuniverse

The LIUniverse with Dr. Charles Liu

70 Listeners