Awesome Astronomy

The Discussion: The ongoing saga of Jeni’s PhD thesis and a couple of listener emails. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news we have: More destruction to the giant Arecibo radio telescope Keeping in touch with our intergalactic emissaries More information from the Rosettta mission. A new exoplanet characterising spacecraft gets the go ahead form ESA NASA’s Mars sample return mission plans China picks its Mars landing zone for February’s arrival Lockheed propose a new space launch facility in Scotland Main news story: Congratulations to OSIRIS-REx at asteroid Bennu. The Electromagnetic Spectrum: The gamma ray end of the spectrum. How these telescopes were developed and became ever more powerful. Christmas gift ideas: We replace the Q&A section this episode as the holidays are getting closer and we thought you might appreciate some suggestions for the young, new or amateur astronomer in your life.  

The Discussion: Beginning the show droning on about us for bit, we cover Jen presenting her latest paper at the dust conference (yes, there is such a thing) in Marseilles, and filming in the wilds of Wales at night for the BBC’s Weatherman Walking TV programme. The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have: A return to the phosphine on Venus story for an update Earth gets a litterbug mini-moon Water abundance on The Moon The nearest black hole to Earth might not be a black hole after all Citizen science project finds the coolest stars of all in our galactic backyard Main News story: Did humanity narrowly escape extinction in 1908? The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation of Cassiopeia with a guide to its history, how to find it, a couple of deep sky objects and a round-up of the solar system views on offer in November. Guide to the Electromagnetic Spectrum: In November we conclude our look at the electromagnetic spectrum, what, it is, what is shows us and why it’s so

As the exciting news of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus turns into a point of contention in the astronomy world, we caught up with the study’s lead scientist Professor Jane Greaves for the inside track. In this interview we discuss: Getting time on a range of professional telescopes time for a risky hypothesis How life could survive in the extreme environment of Venus’ highly acidic atmosphere Floating graphite balloons in Venus’ atmosphere Scientific challenges to this discovery being helpful rather than unwanted Blinding NASA pilots in the name of science

The Discussion: The publication of Jeni’s new research paper, a review of Netflix shows Challenger and Away (sublime and ridiculous). The News: Rounding up the space exploration news we have: ESA and JAXA’s future infrared space telescope cancelled Mercury-bound Bepi-Colombo is passing Venus – with sensors… Get ready for next month’s launch of China’s epic Chang’e 5 moon mission. A change in crew for Boeing’s creed Starliner test flight to the ISS NASA’s shiny new plan for Artemis and human exploration of the moon A gallop through SpaceX’s achievements Main news story: Astrophysicists scoop up Nobel Prizes again this year. The Electromagnetic Spectrum: The ultraviolet and X-ray parts of the spectrum. How these telescopes were developed and became ever more powerful. Q&A: If you had to choose just one mission or big science experiment to proceed in your remaining lifetimes, what would you choose and why? Victor Carroon, London, UK via email.

The Discussion: Helping us celebrate our 100th(ish) episode, we have a live(ish) audience to join in with us. Anna Lanteri from Gröningen University discusses a new Zooniverse citizen science project, called Space Fluff where you can soon classify dwarf galaxies. And Tom Bridgman from the Goddard Space Flight Centre tells us about NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio. The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have: Astronomers find an exoplanet in another galaxy using x-rays A group of underground liquid water reservoirs found on Mars The first exoplanet observed around a white dwarf star Asteroid Vesta litters other asteroids Main News story: We are finally out of solar minimum and the sun will get more active again. The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation of Cetus with a guide to its history, how to find it, a couple of deep sky objects and a round-up of the solar system views on offer in October. Guide to the Electromagnetic Spectrum: In this series we take a loo

The Discussion: No time for discussions, we’ve important news to discuss! The News: Rounding up the space exploration news we have: Rocket Lab lowering the cost of small launches SpaceX accelerating development of super heavy lift Vera Rubin Telescope takes a step closer Main news story: A new detection raises the distinct possibility of life in Venus’ upper atmosphere. The Interview: Jeni talks to Dr Emily Drabek Maunder, a co-author on the paper that demonstrates phosphine in concentrations that we can only currently attribute to microbial life in the atmosphere of Venus.

At your suggestion we did something we should have done years ago and reached out to @universetoday and @AstronomyCast’s Fraser Cain (@fcain) to wax and yarn about all things space and astronomy. We think you'll enjoy!

The Discussion: This month Jeni’s latest paper has a journal reviewer prior to publishing, we take a look at the critical science of cow-cats and a listener brightens our day   The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have: Damage to the Arecibo observatory and the prognosis Hubble Helps Uncover the Mystery of the Dimming of Betelgeuse Mars’ water deluge during its habitable phase The search for the missing matter in the Milky Way Main News story: The US National Science Foundation report on the impact of satellite constellations on astronomical science.   The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation of Cygnus with a guide to its history, how to find it, a couple of deep sky objects and a round-up of the solar system views on offer in August.   Guide to the Electromagnetic Spectrum: In this series we take a look at the electromagnetic spectrum, what, it is, what is shows us and why it’s so important to astronomers. This month we explain the ultraviolet part of the spectru

The Discussion: Jen on the radio discussing the Perseids Starlink satellites flaring over our heads TV shows From the Earth to the Moon and For All Mankind Sputnik V Jeni’s latest paper is submitted for journal review Submit your experiences of how diversity is perceived in the amateur astronomy community at tinyurl.com/y28ebdu2   The News: Rounding up the space exploration news we have: Protecting other worlds from our germs and bugs Space Force’s Star Trek-esque logo The Curiosity rover celebrates its 8th year on Mars New Zealand’s Rocketlab pursue reusability Skyrora begin rocket testing in Iceland SpaceX’s Starship prototyping and testing continues Main news story: America gets back to launching people into space Q&A: Will the James Webb Space Telescope actually launch and will it still be worth launching? Lana Visser from Heerenveen in the Netherlands.

The Discussion: This month astrologers are getting upset about their tattoos; why the Babylonians are at fault for ruining the majesty of astrology; Jeni spreads the astronomy word on the BBC; her latest research paper nears peer review; Paul continues promoting space education in schools and we have a chat about sparking science interest in kids. The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have: - ESO image two gas giants orbiting their star - Have we solved the mystery of why the sun’s atmosphere is hotter than the surface? - Using old methods as new measures of the age of the universe - Another way to measure the Hubble constant suggests there may be something a bit strange with our part of the universe or we need new physics to explain it - Unravelling how supermassive black holes form. Main News story: The latest on Comet NEOWISE and how to see it for yourself The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation of Aquarius with a guide to its history, how to find it, a couple of

The Discussion: What Einstein would have made of an iPhone The goods and ills of social media Free teaching for teachers to teach space and astronomy Jeni talking Pluto on the BBC A trip down technology Memory Lane And get out and look at Comet Neowise!   The News: Rounding up the space exploration news we have a Mars launch window and NASA storming ahead with Artemis plans so this month is all about the moon and Mars: The Kennedy Space Centre takes delivery of rocket engines for their SLS rocket Funding for more SLS moon rockets A new lunar rover to help plan human missions New modules for the lunar orbiter NASA innovation funding for new long duration mission capabilities United Arab Emirates’ Mars orbiter launching this month China’s Tianwen-1 Mars mission with an orbiter, lander and rover Main news story: Getting ready to launch the biggest ever rover to Mars   The Electromagnetic Spectrum: The visible light part of the spectrum. How telescopes were developed and became ever more powerful.   Q&A:

The Discussion: This month Jeni’s getting frustrated with the politics of peer review, Paul’s seen an uptick in noctilucent cloud hunting and public interest in astronomy in general during lockdown. We ask ‘Is Starlink actually a good thing for astronomy outreach and public engagement?’, while Paul wonders if Elon Musk is aware of the fate of the Duke of Buckingham. And we delve into listeners’ emails about the future of AstroCamp in a pandemic and collaborations with other podcasts. The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have: Have gravitational waves revealed the first ‘Black Neutron Star’? Jen sees the error of her ways about Betelgeuse’s recent dimming Odd white spots on Saturn’s moon Titan could be dried up methane lake beds Hunting for the first ever stars in the universe CERN’s next generation supercollider Main News story: Has NASA discovered parallel universes? The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation of Sagittarius with a guide to its history, how to fin

The Discussion: Struggling to get the media excited about astronomy How history will record the clusterf**k that is 2020 Skyrora looking to join the smallsat launch market SpaceX’ Teletubby costumes The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have: Starship prototype goes Kablooey Britain returns to rocketry Goodbye to Japan’s ISS resupply spacecraft The European Space Agency look to ‘natural resources’ for moonbases Virgin Orbit attempt to slash the cost of launching to Low Earth Orbit NASA chooses 3 commercial consortia to develop lunar landers Main news story: American commercial crewed launches have finally arrived Q&A: Will the Lunar Gateway be visible from Earth? From Alex Bell @BLT_Astro on Twitter. The Electromagnetic Spectrum: The near and mid-infrared part of the spectrum. How it became so important for astronomy and by whom.

The Discussion: The wonderful generosity of amateur astronomers trying to get the name Pair Instability Supernova changed to your suggestions Jen’s talk for Café Scientific, which you can watch here Jeni talking about SpaceX’ historic crewed flight with the BBC History 101 and looking forward to Space Force on Netflix What beginners should and shouldn’t do to get started in stargazing The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have: The first galaxies seemed to form in about half the time we originally thought Finding the nearest stellar mass black hole to Earth How normal or unusual is our sun? A star orbiting a black hole like Mercury does to the sun More gravitational waves from a black hole merger Main News story: Capturing a huge exoplanet – or a low mass star - forming in Auriga. The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation of Serpens with a guide to its history, how to find it, a couple of deep sky objects and a round up of the solar system views on offer in June

The Discussion: Ralph channels his inner Churchill, while Jen goes on about Tiger King and her upcoming Cafe Scientifique talk. And we hear from listener Mark Grundy about the Welsh Room in the Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburg. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have: China’s mission to Mars and the patch that suggests further ambitions Musings on Starlink visibility and what is being done to help astronomers. Commercial Crew Launch 27th May News about disaster and success at SpaceX with Starship Main news story: NASAs proposals for how Artemis Moon missions will work and go much further than Apollo The Electromagnetic Spectrum: The Far IR and Sub millimeter part of the spectrum. How it became so important for astronomy and by whom. Q&A: A brief return for the Hat of woo dispelling the 5G coronavirus conspiracy From @LynchSeanP  on Twitter.

The Discussion: The live recording of our monthly astronomy show to provide a bit of extra entertainment and interactivity while people are cooped up at home sitting out the coronavirus. We discuss a burgeoning love-hate relationship with Starlink, Jeni being the BBC’s go to person for Starlink and meteor showers, and Apollo 13 filling up Twitter timelines and giving us a bit of a respite from coronavirus The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have: A round up of astronomy-based April fools gags found in research papers Hubble marks its 30th birthday Fomalhaut b might not be a planet after all Centaurs might well be asteroids from other star systems And Pluto looks to have had a ‘hot start’ Main News story: Earth 2.0 found in old ignored data. The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation of Ursa Major with a guide to its history, how to find it, a couple of deep sky objects and a round up of the solar system views on offer in May. Guide to the Electromagn

You can watch the video of this recording (and our live Episode 95 recording on 27th April) at https://www.youtube.com/user/AwesomeAstroPod/videos (midday PST, 3pm EST, 8pm UK, 9pm Central Europe)   This show is a response to the many requests we get to do an episode dedicated to answering listeners’ space & astronomy questions. Producer John thought lockdown would be the perfect time to do it, when we can try and help ease the stress, boredom and isolation.   The Guests: We invited some of our friends from the astronomy world to answer your questions too: University of Oxford Professor of Astronomy, Creator of the Zooniverse and BBC’s The Sky at Night Presenter, Chris Lintott. We asked him: Are there ways for an amateur astrophotographer to get involved in contributing to actual science? From David Schlaudt Square Kilometre Array or JWST. Which is going to generate the most exciting science? And if each one could answer just 1 question about the Universe, what would you like it to be?  From Mark De Vr

Don’t forget to join us for our live shows on 16th and 27th April at https://www.youtube.com/user/AwesomeAstroPod/videos (midday PST, 3pm EST, 8pm UK, 9pm Central Europe) The Discussion: Jen fangirling on The British Interplanetary Society and acing the Soyuz ISS docking simulator at the Student Space Conference; a ramble about Wales; the TV show For All Mankind, our live Q&A show, our poor etiquette and listener shout-outs. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have: The impact of coronavirus on current and future NASA missions Some research showing the impact of satellite constellations on astronomy The UK’s space spiders to explore the moon’s lava craters Lockheed Martin developing helicopters to catch spent rocket boosters Main news story: Is Europe’s ExoMars Rover on borrowed time? The Electromagnetic Spectrum: The microwave part of the spectrum. How it became so important for astronomy and by whom. Q&A: Where’s the Tesla Roadster? From @TJRobinson

We're hosting a live Q&A on Thurs 16th April. Go to awesomeastronomy.com to see how to watch & get involved! The Discussion: Jeni’s sent the final proofs off for her research paper which is now on archive at https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.01727 and will soon be in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Sadly, we have to say goodbye to Apollo 15 command module pilot Al Worden. The Cradle of Aviation Museum cancel their Apollo 13 anniversary event, but you can relive Apollo 13 (recreating the launch from 11th April) as if you were in mission control with https://apolloinrealtime.org/13/. A shout out to Galaxy Zoo at a time when there are fewer thing more productive you could be doing with your time than adding to science and human knowledge: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects. A round up of listeners’ reviews and comments. A couple of Awesome Astronomy live-stream shows at 8pm on Thursday 16th and Monday 27th Because, let’s face it, you’re not going to be busy! The News: Rounding

(Warning: please skip this episode if you're offended by occasional Tesla-based puerile humour) The Discussion: Balancing the argument between love and hate of SpaceX and drawing a line under the argument over when the current decade starts and what constitutes a decade. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have: SpaceX is cleared for a crewed launch in April Further problems for Boeing Christina Koch takes the female spaceflight record. The dullest space news story ever (involving biscuits/cookies) A Japanese mission to return samples from Phobos! ESA’s launch & deployment of the Solar Orbiter. Main news story: The import of NASA’s 2021 FY Budget. The Electromagnetic Spectrum: The radio part of the spectrum. How it became so important for astronomy and by whom. Q&A: What do you think was the greatest astronomical/scientific advancement that came about due to a dubious past, and do you think it was worth it? By email from Alan Beech in the UK.