365 Days of Astronomy - Weekly Edition

Ep. 484: Transfer Orbits and Gravitational Assists

26 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

If you want to get around in the Solar System, you'll want to take advantage of natural gravitational speed boosts and transfer orbits. Whether you'r...

Ep 483: Stopping in Space

19 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's one thing to get from Earth to space, but sometimes you want to do the opposite. You want to get into orbit or touch down gently on the surface o...

Ep 482: Alternative Ways to Space

12 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Getting to space is all about rockets, but people are trying to figure out other methods that could carry payloads to orbit and beyond. Railguns, airp...

Ep 481: Rockets pt. 3 - Going Faster, Higher, Farther after Fairing Separation

05 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We've seen rockets blast off from here on Earth. But that's only half the story. Rockets have additional stages to push them into trajectories, like t...

Astronomy Cast Special: Q & A with Dr. Pamela Gay

05 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pamela will be on to answer your space and astronomy questions live, as Fraser enjoys auroras in Iceland this week!

Ep 480: Rockets pt. 2- Multi-stage Boosters

27 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The vast majority of rockets are multi-staged affairs. Why is this? What makes this kind of rocket so successful? Today we look at the ins and outs of...

Ep. 479: Rockets pt. 1- What Does “Single Stage To Orbit” Really Mean?

20 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

To celebrate the launch of the Falcon Heavy, we figured it was time for an all new series, this time on the rockets that carry us to space. Today we'r...

Ep. 478: Apollo 8 with Paul Hildebrandt

13 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On Christmas Day, 1968 Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders became the first human being to see the far side of the Moon. Their mission, of c...

Ep. 477: The State of Exploration: Return to the Moon

05 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's been decades since humans set foot on the Moon. Well, it's time to go back, in theory. Of course, we've heard this all before. What are the plans...

Ep. 476: The Overview Effect

29 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

After they’ve been to space, many astronauts report that seeing the world from above has given them a totally new perspective on humanity and the st...

Ep. 475: Fast Radio Bursts

23 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

You know what’s fun? Mysteries. Here’s one: fast radio bursts. Astronomers have been detecting mysterious one-time signals from across the sky. Wh...

Ep. 474: Predictions for 2018

15 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Phew, 2018, time to press the reset button and enjoy a whole new year of space exploration and space science. What’s coming up this year? What shoul...

Ep. 473: Remembering the Best Space Science of 2017

08 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

2017 was a crazy year for, well, you know. But, it was a great year for space science, a kilonova, extrasolar planets, reusable rockets and more. Let'...

Ep. 472: Best Modern Sci Fi for the Science Lover - Part 4: Bioscience

01 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when the future meets biology? Bioscience science fiction, of course. And that's our focus today as we continue our journey though scien...

Ep. 471: Best Modern Sci Fi for the Science Lover - Part 3: Human Computer Relations

27 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to talk computers, and how we're going to be dealing with them in the future. In our next segment on modern sci-fi, we talk about the future...

Ep. 470: Best Modern Sci Fi for the Science Lover – Part 2: 3D Printing

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our journey through interesting science fiction, this time we talk about speculative fiction dealing with materials science, nanotechnology and 3D pri...

Ep. 469: Best Modern Sci Fi for the Science Lover - Part 1 Space Exploration

11 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We've always been fans of science fiction, but we really like our science. Today we'll talk about some books we've been reading recently that do a goo...

Ep. 468: Simulations for Science and Fun

04 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Astronomers depend on simulations to study the Universe. From relatively straightforward orbital simulations to vast simulations that try to recreate ...

Ep. 467: Resonance

27 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Many of the moons and planets across the Universe are in resonance with each other and their star. What causes this resonance, and how can it help us ...

Ep. 466: Origins of Zero (0)

20 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We depend on zero for our math to work right, but this number was actually invented in fairly recent times. Why do we need zero? Was it inevitable?

Ep. 465: Exploiting Interfering Light

10 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Electromagnetic radiation, also known as "light" is pretty handy for astronomers. They can use it to directly and indirectly observe stars, nebula, pl...

Ep. 464: Why the Hype over an Exorock?

06 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Astronomers this week announced that they had discovered an asteroid or comet on a trajectory that brought it from outside the Solar System? Is this t...

Ep. 463: Pareidolia and the Moon

30 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The man in the moon, the pyramids on Mars. Every cloud, ever. Humans have a tendency to pattern match when they're looking around the Universe - it's ...

Ep. 462: Modeling the Weather

24 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Have you noticed that weather forecasting has gotten much better in the last few years? Thanks to weather satellites, weather stations, and better for...

Ep. 461: Measuring the Weather with Satellites

16 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

What's the weather doing? Is it going to rain today? How much? What about temperatures? We depend on modern weather forecasting, thanks, in part to th...

Ep. 460: Earth from Afar: Remote Sensing

09 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The space age has given us the ability to look at every corner of the globe in every wavelength. It's revolutionized our ability to predict the weathe...

Ep. 459: Arecibo Observatory

02 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The iconic Arecibo Radio Observatory has been a mainstay in science and science fiction. This Puerto Rico-based radio telescope was already in an unce...

Ep. 458: The Science of Cassini

25 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

And now Cassini’s gone. Smashed up in the atmosphere of Saturn. But planetary scientists are going to be picking through all those pictures and data...

Ep. 457: Why Did Cassini Have To Die? In Memoriam

18 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It's time to say goodbye to an old friend, NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which has been orbiting within the Saturnian system since 2004. But why does a s...

Ep. 456: Pluto Revisited

11 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we return to our starting point, where Astronomy Cast began: Pluto. 11 years on, we have a whole new appreciate for the dwarf planet Pluto....

Ep. 455: Your Practical Guide to Colonizing the Milky Way!

29 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was recorded live in St. Louis, MO at the Astronomy Cast Solar Eclipse Escape 2017. Listen as we discuss how humans might be able to colo...

Ep. 454: Things We're Looking Forward To

19 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As we wrap up season 10 of Astronomy Cast, we look forward to all the instruments, missions and science results on the distant horizon. Think astronom...

Ep. 453: Favorite Things We've Done These 10 Years

11 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

10 years of Astronomy Cast... wow. It's been a long, fun journey. What are some of our favorite episodes and adventures over the decade we've been doi...

Ep. 452: Summer Observing Challenges

06 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Summer is almost here, and for the northern hemisphere, that means warm nights for observing. But what to observe? We're here with a list of events a...

Ep. 451: When Can I Buy My Ticket To Space?

30 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Like most of us, you probably want to know what it would be like to travel to space. Maybe not to live, but just to visit. You want to be a space tour...

Astronomy Cast Ep. 450: Inflatable Habitats

23 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In order to live in space, we'll need to live in a habitat that simulates the temperature, pressure and atmosphere of Earth. And one of the most inter...

Astronomy Cast Ep. 449: Robots in Space!

08 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When you think of a robot, you're probably imagining some kind of human-shaped machine. And until now, the robotic spacecraft we've sent out into spac...

Astronomy Cast Ep. 448: Prepping for the Eclipse

01 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

On Monday, August 21, 2017, there's going to be a total eclipse of the Sun, visible to path that goes right through the middle of the United States. Y...

Ep. 447: Animals in Space Pt. 3: Dogs, Monkeys and More

24 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

For the final episode in our 3-part episode about animals in space, we look at the largest animals to go to orbit. And I'll just warn you now, this is...

Ep. 446: Animals in Space Pt. 2: Mice and Other Small Animals

17 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Last week we talked about how the smallest creatures behave in space, but now we move up in size a little to small animals, like mice. What missions h...

Ep. 445: Animals in Space Pt. 1: Insects and Arachnids

10 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We've talked about animals traveling to space in the past, but it's time to take another look, with many other creatures making the trip to the void....

Ep. 444: Fractals

03 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

For this historic 444th episode of Astronomy Cast, we talk about fractals. Those amazing mathematical visualizations of recursive algorithms. What are...

Ep. 441: Destroy and Rebuild, Pt. 5: Continental Drift

24 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Want to travel the world but you don't have a lot of money? No problem, your continent is drifting across the surface of the Earth right now. In a fe...

Ep. 440: Destroy and Rebuild, Pt. 4: Supervolcanoes!

24 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

There are regular volcanoes, and then there are the supervolcanoes. Massive calderas of hot magma of incomprehensible size. Bad news, these things ex...

Ep. 439: Destroy and Rebuild, Pt. 3: How Do We Terraform Earth?

24 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We always want to talk about how we can make Mars more Earth like, but the reality is that we're making Earth more Venus-Like. We're Venusforming Ear...

Ep. 438: Destroy and Rebuild, Pt. 2: Geoengineering

24 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We know humans are having an impact on planet Earth, but what if we really put our backs into it, and intentionally tried to change the entire planet...

Ep. 437: Destroy and Rebuild, Pt. 1: The Torino Scale

24 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We love to destroy the universe, and also rebuild it. Today we begin a new series where we destroy and rebuild. Let's talk about some existential thr...

Ep. 443: Destroy and Rebuild Pt. 7: Tsunamis

24 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Surf's up! Today we're going to be talking about one of the most devastating natural disasters out there: tsunamis. We're talking huge waves that wrec...

Ep. 442: Destroy and Rebuild Pt. 6: Magnetic Pole Reversal

07 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

If we look back into the geologic record of the Earth, it appears that our planet’s magnetic field flips polarity every few hundred thousand years o...

Astronomical Night Before Christmas, pt. 3, by Pamela Gay

28 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

Astronomical Night Before Christmas, pt. 3, by Pamela Gay

Week 154 (Dec 08 - Dec 14)

14 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Dec 08: A New Look at the Drake Equation by David Black; Dec 09: Mercury’s Volcanoes by Bob Hirshon, AAAS; Dec 10: Arya...

Week 153 (Dec 01 - Dec 07)

13 Dec 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Dec 01: Familiarity Breeds Apathy by Manoharan Karthigasu; Dec 02: Naming Stars by Walden School; Dec 03: The Yerkes Tele...

Week 152 (Nov 24 - Nov 30)

30 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Nov 24: Mars Science Laboratory by Tony Rice; Nov 25: Encore: Seeing the Universe in a Whole New Light by Nicole Gugliucc...

Week 151 (Nov 17 - Nov 23)

29 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Nov 17: Solar Cycles by NOAO; Nov 18: Indigenous Australian Astronomy by Steve Nerlich; Nov 19: Under a Story Sky by Davi...

Week 150 (Nov 10 - Nov 16)

24 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Nov 10: Galaxy Hunting by Carolyn Collins Petersen; Nov 11: MESSENGER Overturns Origin of Mercury by Bob Hirshon, AAAS; N...

Week 149 (Nov 03 - Nov 09)

16 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Nov 03: ALMA: The building blocks of something great by Adam Avison; Nov 04: The Role of Spruce Pine Quartz in Astronomy ...

Week 148 (Oct 27 - Nov 02)

08 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Oct 27: Space Dust by Jackie Villadsen; Oct 28: Introduction to Astrophotography by Adam Pender; Oct 29: Bang! A Comic Ab...

Week 147 (Oct 20 - Oct 26)

03 Nov 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Oct 20: Plan for a Sustainable Lunar Base by The NASA Lunar Science Institute; Oct 21: Stargazing 101: Help Topics for Be...

Week 146 (Oct 13 - Oct 19)

23 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Oct 13: Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief Color Views of the Sun by George Cooper and Mike Edwards; Oct 14: Hollows on Me...

Week 145 (Oct 06 - Oct 12)

17 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Oct 06: Encore: Looking for a reason. Why Astronomy? by Richard Saunders; Oct 07: What's up in Planetary Exploration in O...

Week 144 (Sep 29 - Oct 05)

07 Oct 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Sep 29: Science Fiction and Science Fact by Katie Peterson/Adler Planetarium; Sep 30: Observing With Webb in October 2011...

Week 143 (Sep 22 - Sep 28)

29 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Sep 22: Carnival of Space #215 -- the podcast by Steve Nerlich; Sep 23: A Star Party With A Noisy Astronomer – An Inter...

Week 142 (Sep 15 - Sep 21)

25 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Sep 15: Encore: New World Ordered by Daniel Raffaele; Sep 16: Can Habitable Planets Be Found Orbiting White Dwarf Stars: ...

Week 141 (Sep 08 - Sep 14)

16 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Sep 08: Astronomy Outreach by Steve Nerlich; Sep 09: Menu for Mars by Bob Hirshon, AAAS; Sep 10: Measure the Sun by Sandy...

Week 140 (Sep 01 - Sep 07)

08 Sep 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Sep 01: The Moon Does not Spin on its Axis by Steve Nerlich; Sep 02: The Dark Energy Survey Project: Q & A with David Ger...

Week 139 (Aug 25 - Aug 31)

31 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Aug 25: Henrietta Swan Leavitt by Steve Arnold; Aug 26: The Conditions Needed for the Inception by Life by Liminility; Au...

Week 138 (Aug 18 - Aug 24)

29 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Aug 18: Wonders from Class, Pt. 1 by Diane Turnshek; Aug 19: Wonders from Class, Part 2 by Diane Turnshek; Aug 20: David ...

Week 137 (Aug 11 - Aug 17)

29 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Aug 11: Apollo 11: Coming Home by Thomas Hofstätter and Leon Dumbroski; Aug 12: Orbiting Between the Fire and Frying Pan...

Week 136 (Aug 04 - Aug 10)

29 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Aug 04: Juno, New Frontiers to Jupiter by Tony Rice; Aug 05: A Look at NASA's Future Through an Astronaut's Eyes by The N...

Week 135 (Jul 28 - Aug 03)

29 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jul 28: Tumble Into Darkness by Jeff Wood; Jul 29: Encore: Location, Location, Location! by Sue Ann Heatherly, of NRAO; J...

Week 134 (Jul 21 - Jul 27)

09 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jul 21: Apollo11: Part 2 - The Landing by Steve Nerlich; Jul 22: Auroras and the Solar Storm of 1859 by Liminality; Jul 2...

Week 133 (Jul 14 - Jul 20)

09 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jul 14: Iridium Flares by Kyle Kneisl; Jul 15: Discovery of Neptune's Thirteen Moons, Part 1 by Diane Turnshek; Jul 16: A...

Week 132 (Jul 07 - Jul 13)

08 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jul 07: What's up in Planetary Exploration in July 2011 by Emily Lakdawalla; Jul 08: Prize Winning Planetary Research by ...

Week 131 (Jun 30 - Jul 06)

08 Aug 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jun 30: The Dark Side by Steve Nerlich; Jul 01: The Making of Makemake by Brains Matter; Jul 02: Holst's Planets by Micha...

Week 130 (Jun 23 - Jun 29)

06 Jul 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jun 23: How to see the Last Space Shuttle Launch by Daniel Elbert Herron; Jun 24: One Giant Leap For Mission Design by Bo...

Week 129 (Jun 16 - Jun 22)

27 Jun 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jun 16: Space Travel or Health and Safety by Maurizo Moribito; Jun 17: The Data from the LSST by NOAO; Jun 18: Rememberin...

Week 128 (Jun 09 - Jun 15)

20 Jun 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jun 09: June Observing List by Telescope Man; Jun 10: Encore: Learning about Seasons in a Planetarium by Chuck Dibbs; Jun...

Week 127 (Jun 02 - Jun 08)

08 Jun 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jun 02: Has Saturn Swallowed His Children? by Michael Vagg; Jun 03: Herschel Space Observatory Science Update by Haley an...

Week 126 (May 26 - Jun 01)

05 Jun 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: May 26: Gravitational Waves by Rob Knop; May 27: Pan-STARRS1 by Niall Deacon; May 28: The Universe in your Phone by Pam G...

Week 125 (May 19 - May 25)

25 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: May 19: Encore: Pulsars by Stuart Lowe; May 20: Big Bang Pt. 1 - One Crowded Second by Steve Nerlich; May 21: Big Bang Pt...

Week 124 (May 12 - May 18)

22 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: May 12: How we Measure Distances to Stars and Galaxies by Damian Lima; May 13: Planetary Portraits and Spacescapes by Bob...

Week 123 (May 05 - May 11)

14 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: May 05: Alan Shepard: Astronaut and Moonwalker by The NASA Lunar Science Institute; May 06: The Science of Sunshine by Ro...

Week 122 (Apr 28 - May 04)

14 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Apr 28: A Thermal Tour of the Universe by L. Cate Kendal; Apr 29: The NASA Radio Jove Project by Steve Arnold; Apr 30: If...

Week 121 (Apr 21 - Apr 27)

04 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Apr 21: The Trans-en-Provence UFO Case by Michel Abrassart; Apr 22: Seeing With the Lens of Gravity by Matthew Francis; A...

Week 120 (Apr 14 - Apr 20)

02 May 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Apr 14: Central Florida for the Space Buff by Tony Rice; Apr 15: Our Sun by Brittani Taylor and Timothy Reilly; Apr 16: A...

Week 119 (Apr 07 - Apr 13)

25 Apr 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Apr 07: Unmanned Space Exploration in 2011, Pt. 2 by Emily Lakdawalla; Apr 08: The Venera Missions by Steve Nerlich; Apr ...

Week 118 (Mar 31 - Apr 06)

13 Apr 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Mar 31: The life of Stars – A View of Orion by L. Cate Kendal; Apr 01: The Great Moon Hoax by Rob Knop; Apr 02: Explori...

Week 117 (Mar 24 - Mar 30)

13 Apr 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Mar 24: Project Icarus: Aiming for the Stars by Maurizo Moribito; Mar 25: Lunar Origins and Evolution with CLOE by The NA...

Week 116 (Mar 17 - Mar 23)

30 Mar 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Mar 17: The New Mosaic Imager at Kitt Peak by National Optical Astronomy Observatory; Mar 18: Sun-Earth Day 2011: Ancient...

Week 115 (Mar 10 - Mar 16)

21 Mar 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Mar 10: Continuing Astronomy, pt. 2 by Stephen Uitti; Mar 11: MESSENGER Meets Mercury by Bob Hirshon, AAAS; Mar 12: Sunri...

Week 114 (Mar 03 - Mar 09)

13 Mar 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Mar 03: Meteorites in Antarctica by Brains Matter; Mar 04: The Origin of the Oceans by Steve Nerlich; Mar 05: The Lunar L...

Week 113 (Feb 24 - Mar 02)

03 Mar 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Feb 24: A Journey to the Centre of the Sun by L. Cate Kendal; Feb 25: Exploring the Solar System: Mercury by Thomas Hofst...

Week 112 (Feb 17 - Feb 23)

27 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Feb 17: Buckyballs in Space! by NOAO; Feb 18: Finding Exoplanets, Pt. 4 by Thomas Hofstätter; Feb 19: ARES: sleep, str...

Week 111 (Feb 10 - Feb 16)

17 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Feb 10: Observing Galaxies from Radio Waves to Gamma-rays by Melanie Gendre; Feb 11: Super Sun Day by Bob Hirshon, AAAS; ...

Week 110 (Feb 03 - Feb 09)

14 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Feb 03: Backyard Astronomy in Leo by Martin Fanning; Feb 04: Junk Telescopes by Stephen Uitti; Feb 05: Drive a Rover with...

Week 109 (Jan 27 - Feb 02)

03 Feb 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jan 27: Astroimaging Under Light-Polluted Skies by Robert J. Vanderbei; Jan 28: StardustNeXT's Valentine's Day Date by Ja...

Week 108 (Jan 20 - Jan 26)

29 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jan 20: The Legacy of Apollo, with Andrew Chaikin by The NASA Lunar Science Institute; Jan 21: Finding Exoplanets, Pt. 2 ...

Week 107 (Jan 13 - Jan 19)

24 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jan 13: Encore: The End of the Universe in 10 Minutes by AstronomyCast; Jan 14: Celebrate Your Favorite Solar System by B...

Week 106 (Jan 06 - Jan 12)

15 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Jan 06: Shooting Stars Are Not Stars by Rob Berthiaume; Jan 07: Finding Exoplanets, Part 1 by Thomas Hofstätter; Jan 08:...

Week 105 (Dec 30 - Jan 05)

08 Jan 2011

Contributed by Lukas

This week the shows include: Dec 30: Earth-like Planet Hunters by The Tecnocasters; Dec 31: So You Got a Telescope? Part 1 by Jeff Gortatowsky; Jan 01...