Download Episode! What to look out, and up, for in July. July is here and the summer solstice is just behind us, meaning we’re on the glide slope to every lengthening nights. So the team’s here to pick their highlights for this month’s skies; starting with the planets on offer to observers and imagers: Ralph – Saturn shows off its moons and favourably tilted rings Jeni – Mercury is low in the sky but nicely placed to observe this July Paul – Comets C/2015 er61 Panstarrs and C/2015 V2 Johnson Nex...
Jun 28, 2017•9 min
Download Episode! The Interview: On the discovery of only humanity’s third black hole merger by the incredible Laser Interferometry Gravitational wave Observatory (LIGO), Jeni’s speaks with Professor Patrick Sutton, Head of Cardiff University’s Gravitational Physics Group and member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration who develops new strategies to detect gravitational wave bursts and creates techniques for locating these sources on the sky for modelling and simulations. In this interview Jeni ...
Jun 11, 2017•54 min
The Discussion: Jeni’s returns from her South African research using the Infrared Survey Facility telescope, Paul calls time on the Principia Mission and we go through a couple of readers emails to discuss Caroline Herschel, the Woomera Test Range and Australian space funding. The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: Is there any evidence for other universes in the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation? An update on Tabby's Star (It's NOT an alien megastructure). Ar...
Jun 01, 2017•1 hr 11 min
What to look out, and up, for in June. Jeni returns from astronomy research in South Africa so the gang’s back together to pick their highlights for this month’s skies; starting with the planets on offer to observers and imagers: Ralph – Saturn reaches opposition this month and coincides with a nearby meteor shower Jeni – Jupiter in prime viewing conditions with some lovely Galilean transits Paul – We still have comet C/2015 V2 Johnson in the skies for a nice alternative distraction Next up, we ...
May 28, 2017•9 min
This podcast extra episode comes from this year's Big Bang Fair and Jeni & Paul grabbed an interview with a Gaia mission data scientist to talk data and the efforts taken in the less-glamorous, but absolutely critical, background to provide us with the discoveries and refinements we crave from the European Space Agency's latest space-based astrometry mission. So while Paul and Jeni were there as the Sirius Space Agency explaining the science behind a mission into space on the Star Stage, the...
May 11, 2017•7 min
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 ha...
May 01, 2017•52 min
Download Episode! 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 ti...
Apr 27, 2017•6 min
A teaser for the weekend stargazing under the über dark skies of the Brecon Beacons International Dark Sky Reserve at this spring’s AstroCamp. We’ll take you through the events and activities which turn beginners into experts and fill up the eyepiece of those who are already experts – and, of course, whet your appetite for this friendliest of starparties! Whether you’re joining us in the Welsh village of Cwmdu on the weekend of 22-25th April or not, we’ve included a seasonal sky guide of our fav...
Apr 17, 2017•23 min
The Discussion: Paul and Jen packed out the Star Stage at this year’s Big Bang Fair in Birmingham as Sirius Astronomy ran experiments to explain how rockets and space suits work and how space capsules protect astronauts from the heat of re-entry. Jen updates us on her astronomy research trip to South Africa next month and Ralph reviews the latest space-based sci-fi thriller, Life. The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: A schoolboy who spotted an error in NASA data...
Apr 01, 2017•1 hr 27 min
What to look out, and up, for in April. Our highlights of this month’s skies with the planets on offer to observers and imagers: A pair of comets to observe with amateur telescopes or binoculars The planets Mercury and Jupiter in the evening The Lyrid meteor shower Next up, we each take a deep sky pick from our list of favourites for this time of year: Ralph – Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major Paul – The Black Eye Galaxy in Coma Berenices Jen – The Ring Nebula in Lyra And we finish this sky guide wi...
Mar 29, 2017•11 min
Following a recent NASA press conference – a regular event that fills us with dread as we anticipate an anticlimax – this time NASA really get us excited with the announcement of seven rocky Earth sized planets around a star 40 light years away. Three of these planets are in that star system’s habitable zone. Luckily our own resident exoplanet researcher, Jeni, is on hand to take us through the hunt and explain the science! In this podcast extra we discuss: The NASA announcement The internationa...
Mar 12, 2017•38 min
The Discussion: Jeni’s been teaching the teachers of Wales how to include astronomy in their classroom exercises as part of the school curriculum. Ralph takes us on a historical tour of the King’s Observatory in Richmond which was the original Prime Meridian before it found its home in Greenwich. While Paul and Jen have a date this month at the Big Bang Fair in Birmingham. The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: Hubble spies a comet breaking up around a distant whi...
Mar 01, 2017•1 hr 20 min
What to look out, and up, for in March. Our highlights of this month’s skies with the planets on offer to observers and imagers: The moon, Mercury and Mars close together on the 29th The King of Planets returns to our skies 4 comets to observe with amateur telescopes or the naked eye Next up, we each take a deep sky pick from our list of favourites for this time of year: Jen – The Owl Nebula in Ursa Major Paul – The Virgo Supercluster and Markarian’s Chain of galaxies Ralph – Messier 67 and the ...
Feb 27, 2017•10 min
This podcast extra takes a look back at the extraordinary life of navy aviator, test pilot and astronaut Gene Cernan who tragically died last month at the age of 82. In this memoriam we discuss: Gene's stellar career Pioneering rendezvous and spacewalking techniques on Gemini 9A The final test run for a moon landing on Apollo 10 Commanding the last ever moon landing mission on Apollo 17 The last footprints on the moon...
Feb 13, 2017•10 min
The Discussion: Paul continues his herculean travels around the UK promoting the European Space Agency and teaching people about the science of spaceflight. Ralph’s waxing lyrical about a waxing moon and Venus, while Jen has a big announcement regarding her PhD research. The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: Another asteroid hits the news as NASA look elsewhere for future missions ESO’s ALMA array turns its attention to the Sun Making refinements on the age of th...
Feb 01, 2017•57 min
What to look out, and up, for in February. Our highlights of this month’s skies with the planets on offer to observers and imagers: A last chance look at Mercury in the morning sky Mars a few degrees from Venus Jupiter in Virgo Saturn in the early morning sky Next up is the return of a couple of comets to our observing tick list: Comet 45P at its best on the 11th February in Hercules Comet 2P Encke returns to our skies in the constellation Pisces Then we each take a deep sky pick from our list o...
Jan 28, 2017•11 min
This podcast extra takes a look at the proposals from Boeing and Lockheed Martin to develop a lunar space station for NASA. In this discussion we cover: NASA’s current plans for deep space exploration Lunar and Martian exploration What exploration can be done from orbit Human vs robotic exploration The likelihood of contaminating other worlds with Earth organisms
Jan 17, 2017•25 min
The Discussion: As we welcome in the New Year Paul’s been mixing science with art, Jeni’s professional astronomy looks to be taking her to South Africa or Mexico and we read out some of our listeners’ emails The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: The death of John Glenn – a true pioneer and legend ESO’s Very Large Telescopes glimpses something from nothing And we take a look at NASA latest release list of its spin-out technologies Hat of Woo: In our latest and fin...
Jan 01, 2017•1 hr 12 min
What to look out, and up, for in January. Our highlights of this month’s skies with the planets on offer to observers and imagers: Venus at greatest eastern elongation Mars a few degrees from Venus Jupiter in Virgo Saturn & Mercury in the morning sky Next up is the other solar system wonders of note in January: The Quadrantids meteor shower peaking on 3-4th January with a ZHR of around 40 The largest asteroid, Vesta, at opposition passing through Cancer into Gemini Then we each take a deep s...
Dec 29, 2016•7 min
Awesome Astronomy’s 2016 Christmas Panto. Think: HG Wells’ War of the Worlds meets Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator. The Eve of the War: Plans for our latest invasion of Earth are discussed over a nice, friendly and relaxed Christmas dinner. In London: A rousing and inspiring speech to the defeated peoples of Earth. The Earth Under the Martians: Jeni’s excited about her new taser and we all have a jolly Christmas wager. The Days of Imprisonment: Another speech to the assembled and compliant ...
Dec 25, 2016•33 min
The Discussion: This month we take a look at the recent supermoon and what it takes to make the moon ‘super’; Jeni goes teaching kids about space and hones her exoplanet hunting skills; while Paul’s been hosting events with British astronaut Tim Peake. The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: An update on Blue Origin’s spaceflight ambitions More on Shiaparelli and Exomars part 1 A NASA Director’s worries about science in a Trump administration An Ocean like the Dead...
Dec 01, 2016•1 hr 28 min
What to look out, and up, for in December. Our highlights of this month’s skies with the planet on offer to observers and imagers: Venus shining brilliantly in the evening sky Mercury at greatest elongation on 11th December Jupiter returns to our late night skies Next up is the meteor showers and December brings us the greatest of them all: The Geminids peaking on the night of 13/14th December Then we each take a deep sky pick from our list of favourites for this time of year: Jeni – IC 1396 - T...
Nov 27, 2016•8 min
Perhaps the most frequently asked question to the show (and apologies to Terry Dunlin who asked this question about 2 years ago!) is what you need to consider when buying a telescope or what makes the right telescope for you. So, in this podcast extra, we pool our collective brainpower to bring you a 20 minute discussion of telescope types, apertures, portability and capabilities to help you get the perfect telescope for you. If you’re thinking of buying your first telescope – or thinking of get...
Nov 15, 2016•21 min
The Discussion: In a month when the European Space Agency succeeded and failed in the first part of their Exomars saga, we go through the glory and the debris of Mars exploration, hanging out with astronauts Tim Peake and Tim Kopra, conducting exoplanet research, provide some advice about studying astrophysics and explain why the effects of dark matter aren’t witnessed in our own solar system. The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: Exomars, round one Another look ...
Nov 01, 2016•1 hr 32 min
What to look out, and up, for in November. Our highlights of this month’s skies with the planet on offers to observers and imagers: A last chance to enjoy views of Mars for 2016 The return of the King of Planets: Jupiter A Saturn and Venus conjunction And we each take a deep sky pick from our list of favourites for this time of year: Ralph – Colourful binary star Almaak in Andromeda Jeni – The magnificent constellation of Orion and the Orion Nebula Paul – NGC 404, Mirach’s Ghost in Andromeda And...
Oct 27, 2016•8 min
This podcast extra features the talk given by Nick Howes at Spring 2015's AstroCamp about life and death in space. Nick takes us on a fascinating tour of our universe and explains: Dangerous phenomena in the galaxy Martian meteorites The places in the solar system where life may exist Exploring comets The marvel of the Rosetta spacecraft How comets are discovered and named The Oort Cloud - home to a trillion comets The potential for asteroid impacts Comet Shoemaker Levy striking Jupiter How can ...
Oct 15, 2016•1 hr 14 min
The Discussion: If you enjoy our attention to scripting, our professional quality audio and our stringent editing, then you’re bang out of luck! This show comes from our AstroCamp stargazing event in Wales and we’re making it up as we go along. This month we take you through the delights of dark sky stargazing among friends, Jeni becomes a paid scientist and we get the reactions of the gang as we reveal signed movie poster mock ups that we’re emailing to listeners. The News: Rounding up the spac...
Oct 01, 2016•1 hr 21 min
What to look out, and up, for in October. Our highlights of this month’s skies with the planet on offer to observers and imagers: Venus & Saturn in the late evening with a nice conjunction of the pair. Uranus as it reaches opposition on the 16th. Next up is the meteor showers and October brings us: The Draconids peaking on 7th October The Orionids peaking on 20th/21st October Then we each take a deep sky pick from our list of favourites for this time of year: Ralph – Algol, the Demon Star &a...
Sep 27, 2016•10 min
In this month’s AstroCamp podcast extra episode: The Discussion: An introduction to star parties and enjoying practical astronomy under pristine dark skies away from the city. As the podcast crew run the AstroCamp star party, which many listeners attend, in the Brecon Beacon’s international dark sky reserve twice a year, we take you through the events, tutorials and workshops we run to help you hone your stargazing skills and win astronomy prizes from the Tring Astronomy Centre. The Sky guides: ...
Sep 19, 2016•16 min
The Discussion: Jeni’s astronomy research yields its first results in the hunt for exoplanet phase variation and we revisit our Star Wars podcast extras with a listener’s book review. The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: An ‘Earthlike planet detected by ESO around our nearest stellar neighbour The upcoming launch of OSIRIS Rex to sample an asteroid That bump in the data at CERN turns out to be a false hope That alien megastructure story just won’t foxtrot oscar ...
Sep 01, 2016•58 min
