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Ep. 170: Coordinate Systems ----------------------------- This is going to be one of those weeks where we tackle something you're mentally avoiding. You know all those astronomical terms, like alt-azimuth, right ascension and declination, arc seconds and arc minutes? Of course not, your mind has blocked them out. Today we're going explain them, so you don't need to avoid them any more. Soon, you'll be ready to find anything in the cosmos. 12/27/2009 07:00 PM |
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Ep. 169: Fermi Mission ----------------------------- Last week we talked about Fermi the man, now we're going to talk about Fermi the space telescope. That's right, Enrico Fermi made such an impact in the astronomy and physics community that he got a space telescope named after him. Let's take a look at what this mission will do, and its discoveries so far. 12/20/2009 07:00 PM |
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Ep. 168: Enrico Fermi ----------------------------- Today's episode of Astronomy Cast is about another famous physicist: Enrico Fermi. We've already taken a look at one of Fermi's most famous ideas, the Fermi Paradox - or, where are all the aliens? But let's meet the man behind the ideas, the namesake for the new Fermi mission. 12/13/2009 07:00 PM |
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Ep. 167: Future Civilizations ----------------------------- Let's assume that humans survive the next few hundred years without destroying ourselves, or the planet, and we actually become a space faring civilization. What kinds of challenges will we face, and what projects will we build to expand ourselves out into the Solar System and eventually the galaxy. You just need to think big. 12/06/2009 07:00 PM |
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Ep. 166: Multiverses ----------------------------- What if our universe was just one in an infinite number of parallel universes; a possible outcome from the specific predictions of quantum mechanics. The idea of multiple universes is common in science fiction, but is there any actual science to back this theory up? 11/29/2009 07:00 PM |
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Ep. 165: Doppler Effect ----------------------------- You know how a police siren changes sound when it passes by you? That's the doppler effect. It works for sound waves and it works for light waves. Astronomers use the doppler effect to study the motion of objects across the Universe, from nearby extrasolar planets to the expansion of distant galaxies. 11/22/2009 07:00 PM |
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Ep. 164: Inside the Atom ----------------------------- We've talked about the biggest of the big, now let's focus in on the smallest of the small. Let's see what's inside that basic building block of matter: the atom. You probably know the basics, but with ever more powerful particle accelerators, physicists are revealing particles within particles, announcing new discoveries all the time. 11/15/2009 07:00 PM |
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Ep. 163: Auroras ----------------------------- When the Sun's solar winds crash into the Earth's magnetosphere, we get to enjoy an incredible light show called auroras, or the Northern and Southern Lights. Let's learn about what causes these incredible phenomena, and the best times and places that you can see them with your own eyes. 11/08/2009 07:00 PM |
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Ep. 162: Edwin Hubble ----------------------------- You might know the name "Hubble" because of the Hubble Space Telescope. But this phenomenal observatory was named after one of the most influential astronomers in modern history. Hubble discovered that galaxies are speeding away from us in all directions, leading to our current understanding of an expanding Universe. Let's learn about the man behind the telescope. 11/01/2009 07:00 PM |
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Ep. 161: Launch Facilities ----------------------------- Launching a rocket into space requires a big effort on the ground. Space agencies have built up huge infrastructures to store, prepare and launch rockets. Let's take a look at what's involved on the ground at a place like Cape Canaveral. What happens before, during and after a launch. 10/25/2009 08:00 PM |