The Discussion: A new audio anomaly to get your investigative teeth into Jeni moving from TV interviewee to presenter on the BBC A look back at this month’s solar eclipse Listeners’ emails about our sound quality and night time radio propagation The News: Blue Origin’s space tourism auction New experiments launched to the ISS NASA looking for extra cash for another lunar lander 3 new missions to explore Venus US DoD look at reusable rockets for military logistics ESA’s large mission planning for...
Jun 15, 2021•1 hr 19 min
The Discussion: Buying and selling astronomy kit A possible resolution to the Wiltshire Audio Anomaly The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in February, we have: Heavy metal vapours detected around comets A weird supernova Seafloor volcanoes on Europa The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation of Ophiuchus 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. Q&A: What’s the difference b...
May 31, 2021•45 min
The Discussion: Farewell to Michael Collins Jeni back on the radio, other podcasts and TV - cc/crhxtz Listeners’ emails The News: Blue Origin prepares to take space tourists The launch of China’s new Space Station & falling space debris Can you help the Royal Astronomical Society find the UK’s moon trees? cc/rrhxtz SpaceX reaches a production/economic milestone with a 10th reuse of a Falcon 9 booster The big news story: NASA awards and then pauses the contract to develop the next lunar lande...
May 15, 2021•1 hr 9 min
The Discussion: Binocular observing Do you want Ralph’s 115 triplet refractor & goto mount? The Wiltshire Audio Anomaly Listeners emails on historical images and refractor rivalry The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in February, we have: An update on that life on Venus story Life around Proxima Centauri is in for a blast More data to add to the universe’s expansion rate conundrum Was Oumuamua really an interstellar comet? Main News story: The US’ Fermi National Accelerator follows CERN ...
May 01, 2021•1 hr 12 min
This week we saw the first ever powered flight on another planet. So this is a podcast extra episode to mark this remarkable achievement, explain what happened and why this is such a paradigm shift for future space exploration.
Apr 26, 2021•23 min
The Discussion: The ‘Wiltshire Audio Anomaly’ 20% off the book Vera Rubin – A Life for US listeners using url: hup.harvard.edu/exhibits/HX7578 @StargazerRob’s alternative astrophotographer of the year award Listeners’ emails The News: April Fools research papers Commemorating 60 years since Yuri Gagarin’s 1st Spaceflight An update on @NASA’s Mars Ingenuity copter Rounding up @SpaceX’s metal toilet roll tube developments & explosions NASA’s Artemis program update and presidential priorities f...
Apr 15, 2021•1 hr 9 min
The Discussion: Jen finally becomes Dr Jen – bow down pitiful Earthlings! Binocular astronomy Get the book Vera Rubin - A Life by Jacqueline and Simon Mitton with 25% off by emailing cs-books@wiley.com, and quoting the discount code H0350 (mentioning Awesome Astronomy probably wouldn’t go amiss too) Emails from listeners correcting a possible error and posing a teasing question about US refractors. The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in February, we have: UCL researchers unravel the mystery...
Mar 31, 2021•1 hr 4 min
The Discussion: Vaccination cometh to Awesome Astronomy The UK’s unorthodox meteor sample return mission A listener’s email follow up to last month’s Q&A The News: Rounding up the space exploration news we have: SpaceX launch and land a 13 storey Starship Japan joins NASA’s moon programme NASA releases its science goals for Project Artemis Northrop Grumman begins work on NASA’s Mars sample return The OSIRIS-REx mission prepares for May asteroid departure Moons of the Solar System: Our show s...
Mar 15, 2021•1 hr 10 min
The Discussion: Paul becomes the new Vice President of Wycombe Astronomical Society Jen gets a date for her PhD viva Jen promoting NASA’s Perseverance rover on the BBC Get ready for Teentech Live on 5th March Emails from listeners highlighting the good and bad in Awesome Astronomy The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in February, we have: The Cygnus X-1 black hole must be much bigger than we thought A single neutrino detection reveals a super-supermassive blackhole Was the impact that killed...
Mar 01, 2021•1 hr 7 min
As the European Space Agency gears up to opening its next recruitment campaign from 31 March to 28 May 2021, we take you through: The entry requirements The selection process The missions successful candidates are expected to fly The first astronaut recruitment trawl for candidates with physical disabilities If you want to take a look and see if being an astronaut suits you, go to www.esa.int/YourWayToSpace . If you want to apply, applications should be submitted to the ESA Careers website, from...
Feb 18, 2021•18 min
The Discussion: Correcting the orbits of Jupiter’s moons Welcoming Galaxy Rise’s Dustin Ruoff onto the Podcast Crew Causing terrorism scares with telescopes The News: Rounding up the space exploration news we have: NASA provides more details for its lunar space station plans China’s space station plans Turkey look to become a spacefaring nation The European Space Agency looks for more astronauts The UAE’s Hope Mission & China’s Tianwen-1 make it into Mars orbit Moons of the Solar System: Our...
Feb 14, 2021•1 hr 14 min
The Discussion: Jeni on the Highbrow Drivel podcast More astronomy goodness at Sky Guide The amateur astronomy/dogging connection A review of George Clooney’s The Midnight Sky Listener emails about the birth of amateur astroimaging & ‘Arecedos’ The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in February, we have: A hot Jupiter world with a totally transparent atmosphere New research suggest the most abundant stars can fuel photosynthesis Elliptical galaxies forming new stars hundreds of times faste...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 1 min
The Discussion: If you like your introductions rambling, you’re in for a real treat! We discuss the Jeni’s PhD thesis submission, The Real Right Stuff documentary on Disney+, Jeni’s foray into book writing and read some listeners questions, which devolves into discussions of whether Queen Elizabeth is Elizabeth I in Canada, the colonisation of the New World, the entertainer Nosmo King and insurance fraud. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news we have: Puerto Rico stumps up funds to de...
Jan 15, 2021•1 hr
The Discussion: As we welcome in the New Year, we discuss the holiday season and your suggestions to replace the Guide to the Electromagnetic Spectrum section of the show. The News: Rounding up the astronomy news at the beginning of 2021, we have: Finding exoplanets that have a good chance of being able to see us The 'Missing Lithium Problem’ Chasing down the Hubble Constant A new method for detecting exoplanets Was there another dwarf planet in the inner solar system? Main News story: That intr...
Jan 01, 2021•1 hr 3 min
A jolly romp around viruses and tasers! We look back at the astronomy and space exploration highlights of 2020: Phosphine in Venus atmosphere The saga of SpaceX Chang’e 5 at the Moon Comets Atlas & Neowise 3 missions to Mars The lows of 2020 in astronomy and space exploration: Cancellation of SPICA The loss of the Arecibo radio telescope We look forward to the anticipated events of 2021: Luna 25, Chandrayaan-3 & Artemis 1 to the Moon 3 Mars arrivals Vera C Rubin telescope & Maybe JWS...
Dec 18, 2020•1 hr 26 min
The Discussion: We discuss National Geographic’s The Right Stuff series on Disney+, get a little bit ranty about the use of jokey titles in research papers and read out a few of your emails. The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have: An update to the Geysers on Jupiter’s moon Europa Another asteroid flies scarily close to Earth The latest developments in Muskworld China’s ambitious chang’e-5 mission en-route to the moon Main News story: The Hayabusa 2 mission and the imminent r...
Dec 01, 2020•1 hr 2 min
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 faci...
Nov 14, 2020•1 hr 4 min
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 aft...
Nov 01, 2020•53 min
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 help...
Oct 26, 2020•30 min
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 expl...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 3 min
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 gro...
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr 18 min
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 th...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 5 min
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!
Sep 10, 2020•1 hr 28 min
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 r...
Aug 31, 2020•1 hr 18 min
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 celebrat...
Aug 14, 2020•57 min
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 su...
Aug 01, 2020•1 hr 5 min
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 ...
Jul 14, 2020•1 hr 11 min
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: R...
Jul 01, 2020•1 hr 20 min
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 E...
Jun 15, 2020•1 hr 10 min
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...
Jun 01, 2020•1 hr 8 min
