The 365 Days of Astronomy

The Discussion: Jeni’s missing this month as she collects transiting exoplanet data in South Africa using the SIRIUS camera on the Japanese 1.4 metre Infrared Survey Facility telescope.

So Paul & Ralph take the helm and record from the AstroCamp starparty in the Welsh Brecon Beacons, discussing light pollution, the wonder of starparties and take a look at the countries which only have a solitary Awesome Astronomy downloader.

The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have:

Astronomers use gravitational lensing to calculate intergalactic distances The Event Horizon Telescope gathers its data for an image of our supermassive black hole Space X demonstrates the first relaunch of previously used rocket Cassini begins its swan song in glorious style

The Interview: This month we speak to Dr. Dave Abergel at the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics to discuss the merit (or otherwise) of the recent creation of a substance with negative mass. 

Q&A: Listeners’ questions via email, Facebook & Twitter take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month we take a look at radio telescopes:

"I‘d like to know how a radio telescope comes up with an image." Samuel Wertz, Pennsylvania, USA.

Enter the code for this week into this site: https://cosmoquest.org/achievements/code for a chance to win.

This week's code is JgkuYt

Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

While you're at it, do support our Learning Space educator training program by going to this site:

https://www.patreon.com/LearningSpace

Please help us keep training the trainers! Learning Space is a weekly G+ Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach and other ways to share science both in the school setting and outside it. We bring you interviews, hands-on demonstrations, lists of our favorite educational resources and more!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIVn-uirYIQ

When you think of a robot you're probably imagining some kind of human-shaped machine, and until now the robot spacecraft we've sent out into space to help us explore the solar system look nothing like that. But that vision of robots is coming back thanks to a few new robots in development by NASA and some other groups.

Enter the code for this week into this site: https://cosmoquest.org/achievements/code for a chance to win.

This week's code is JgkuYt

Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

While you're at it, do support our Learning Space educator training program by going to this site:

https://www.patreon.com/LearningSpace

Please help us keep training the trainers! Learning Space is a weekly G+ Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach and other ways to share science both in the school setting and outside it. We bring you interviews, hands-on demonstrations, lists of our favorite educational resources and more!

Dr. Al Grauer hosts. Dr. Albert D. Grauer ( @Nmcanopus ) is an observational asteroid hunting astronomer. Dr. Grauer retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006.

Today's 2 topics:

- Youngmin JeongAhn and Dr. Renu Malhotra of the Univ. of Arizona's LPL have published their paper on Mars impactors. Mars has a 3 times greater chance of being hit by a half mile-wide impactor when it's farthest from the Sun in its slightly elliptical orbit.

https://arxiv.org/pdf/1701.03096.pdf

- ESO astronomers have discovered a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri. Proxima B is about 1.3 Earth masses and has an 11 day orbit around its red dwarf star.

Enter the code for this week into this site: https://cosmoquest.org/achievements/code for a chance to win.

This week's code is syjNbi

Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

While you're at it, do support our Learning Space educator training program by going to this site:

https://www.patreon.com/LearningSpace

Please help us keep training the trainers! Learning Space is a weekly G+ Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach and other ways to share science both in the school setting and outside it. We bring you interviews, hands-on demonstrations, lists of our favorite educational resources and more!

Welcome to Observing With Webb, where the armchair astronomer figures out what they’re looking at, why it’s so cool, and what they should check out next.  Don’t forget to check out my Podbean page, YouTube Channel, and Twitter feed.

May is looking like a month to get back to basics, with 4 visible planets, and not much else, other than an eclipse on Jupiter.

Actually it's a number of Jovian shadow passes, which would be eclipses if you were on Jupiter. Several of the Galilean moons are participating.

Enter the code for this week into this site: https://cosmoquest.org/achievements/code for a chance to win.

This week's code is syjNbi

Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

While you're at it, do support our Learning Space educator training program by going to this site:

https://www.patreon.com/LearningSpace

Please help us keep training the trainers! Learning Space is a weekly G+ Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach and other ways to share science both in the school setting and outside it. We bring you interviews, hands-on demonstrations, lists of our favorite educational resources and more!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_wdtcQ1vFw

We apologize for the background noise in portions of today's show.

Host: Fraser Cain ( @fcain )
Special Guest: This week's special guest Tim Blais is the founder of A Capella Science, an "educational and utterly nerdy online video project." You can find his videos online on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/acapellascience

Regular Guests: Jolene Creighton ( https://futurism.com/ / @sciencejolene )

This week's stories:

- The next New Horizons-like mission to Pluto.

- Proposed Europa lander mission.

- Cassini did the first ring dive!

Enter the code for this week into this site: https://cosmoquest.org/achievements/code for a chance to win.

This week's code is syjNbi

Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

While you're at it, do support our Learning Space educator training program by going to this site:

https://www.patreon.com/LearningSpace

Please help us keep training the trainers! Learning Space is a weekly G+ Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach and other ways to share science both in the school setting and outside it. We bring you interviews, hands-on demonstrations, lists of our favorite educational resources and more!

Hosted on Facebook Live by Anderw Fazekis, Communications Manager for Astronomers Without Borders. Global Astronomy Month is April, and Andrew gives a roundup of the worldwide activities for GAM.

Enter the code for this week into this site: https://cosmoquest.org/achievements/code for a chance to win.

This week's code is syjNbi

Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

While you're at it, do support our Learning Space educator training program by going to this site:

https://www.patreon.com/LearningSpace

Please help us keep training the trainers! Learning Space is a weekly G+ Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach and other ways to share science both in the school setting and outside it. We bring you interviews, hands-on demonstrations, lists of our favorite educational resources and more!

Summary of content: What to look out, and up, for in May.

Jeni's abandoned us this month in favour of research-grade instrumentation so only Paul and Ralph pick their highlights for this month’s skies; starting with the planets on offer to observers and imagers:

The planets Jupiter in the evening and Saturn in the morning

Three meteor showers peaking this month

A pair of comets to observe with amateur telescopes or binoculars

Next up, we take a deep sky pick from our list of favourites for this time of year:

Ralph – The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Paul – The Globular Cluster Messier 5 in the constellation Serpens

And we finish this sky guide with May's moon phases.

http://www.awesomeastronomy.com

Enter the code for this week into this site: https://cosmoquest.org/achievements/code for a chance to win.

This week's code is syjNbi

Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

While you're at it, do support our Learning Space educator training program by going to this site:

https://www.patreon.com/LearningSpace

Please help us keep training the trainers! Learning Space is a weekly G+ Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach and other ways to share science both in the school setting and outside it. We bring you interviews, hands-on demonstrations, lists of our favorite educational resources and more!

How do we measure the expansion history of the universe? Why are supernovae so dang useful? Come on, what’s with this “dark energy” business? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!

Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/pmsutter
All episodes: http://www.AskASpaceman.com

Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PaulMattSutter
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Keep those questions about space, science, astronomy, astrophysics, physics, and cosmology coming to #AskASpaceman for COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF TIME AND SPACE!

Big thanks to my top Patreon supporters this month: Mathieu B., Justin G., Tim F., Helge B., Alan M., Tim R., Ray S., Michael C., Bill S., Lars H., David C., Silvan W., David B., Kevin O.,  Justin R., Jessica K., James L., and Michael Z.!

Music by Jason Grady and Nick Bain. Thanks to WCBE Radio for hosting the recording session, Greg Mobius for producing, and Cathy Rinella for editing.

Hosted by Paul M. Sutter, astrophysicist at The Ohio State University, Chief Scientist at COSI Science Center, and the one and only Agent to the Stars (http://www.pmsutter.com).

Enter the code for this week into this site: https://cosmoquest.org/achievements/code for a chance to win.

This week's code is syjNbi

Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

While you're at it, do support our Learning Space educator training program by going to this site:

https://www.patreon.com/LearningSpace

Please help us keep training the trainers! Learning Space is a weekly G+ Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach and other ways to share science both in the school setting and outside it. We bring you interviews, hands-on demonstrations, lists of our favorite educational resources and more!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_yx6Y1i9Mg

On Monday, August 21st, 2017, there's gonna be a total eclipse of the Sun. Visible to many in the United States. You should be making plans to see this and we're here to help you know where to go and what to do!

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/interactive_map/index.html

https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/

https://eclipsemega.movie/

http://eclipse2017.nso.edu/citizen-cate/

Enter the code for this week into this site: https://cosmoquest.org/achievements/code for a chance to win.

This week's code is syjNbi

Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

While you're at it, do support our Learning Space educator training program by going to this site:

https://www.patreon.com/LearningSpace

Please help us keep training the trainers! Learning Space is a weekly G+ Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach and other ways to share science both in the school setting and outside it. We bring you interviews, hands-on demonstrations, lists of our favorite educational resources and more!

Dr. Al Grauer hosts. Dr. Albert D. Grauer ( @Nmcanopus ) is an observational asteroid hunting astronomer. Dr. Grauer retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006.

Today's 2 topics:

- A single crystal of magnetite from a meteorite was examined by Dr. Tom Zega of the University of Arizona. The oxygen atoms they found came from the solar wind of another star than our Sun. It must have been part of the original star forming cloud that our solar system formed from.

- NASA's Dr. Mark Fries (of the Planetary Science Institute) uses doppler radar to track the trails of meteorites and has led searchers to several fresh meteorite falls.

Enter the code for this week into this site: https://cosmoquest.org/achievements/code for a chance to win.

This week's code is GcNqmd

Do go visit http://astrogear.spreadshirt.com/ for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astrosphere New Media. http://www.astrosphere.org/

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

While you're at it, do support our Learning Space educator training program by going to this site:

https://www.patreon.com/LearningSpace

Please help us keep training the trainers! Learning Space is a weekly G+ Hangout on Air about topics in astronomy education, outreach and other ways to share science both in the school setting and outside it. We bring you interviews, hands-on demonstrations, lists of our favorite educational resources and more!