Stay ConnectedAwesome Astronomy explores the frontiers of science, space and our evolving understanding of the universe.
Join Ralph, Paul & Jeni for informative and fun astronomy programmes dedicated to space and astronomy news and monthly podcast extras covering hot topics and special interviews in the world of science and astronomy.
Copyright: © Ralph, Paul, Jen
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:
Q&A: 'How and where did the Awesome Astronomy team first meet?' From our good friend Paul Weiler in Pennsylvania USA.
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:
Main News story: That intriguing radio signal found coming from the vicinity of Proxima Centauri.
The Sky Guide: This month we're taking a look at the great winter constellation of Auriga 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 January.
Q&A: We know there is a lower temperature limit (absolute zero), but is there an upper temperature limit? From Matt in California.
A jolly romp around viruses and tasers!
We look back at the astronomy and space exploration highlights of 2020:
The lows of 2020 in astronomy and space exploration:
We look forward to the anticipated events of 2021:
And we run through our own predictions for next year before signing off with our customary end-of-year outtakes.
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:
Main News story: The Hayabusa 2 mission and the imminent return of samples from asteroid Ryugu
The Sky Guide: This month we're taking a look at the great winter constellation of Orion 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 December.
Guide to the Electromagnetic Spectrum: In November we concluded our look at the electromagnetic spectrum. But as we now have a new method of detecting events beyond the electromagnetic spectrum, this month we explain gravitational wave 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:
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:
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 important to astronomers. This month we explain the gamma-ray part of the spectrum and its relevance to astronomy.
Q&A: How do you tell the difference between a star that is nearer to the end of its lifecycle, and a younger star that is actually travelling away from us at a faster speed? From Tony Horton in Herefordshire, England.
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:
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:
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:
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 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 x-ray part of the spectrum and its relevance to astronomy.
The Discussion: No time for discussions, we've important news to discuss!
The News: Rounding up the space exploration news we have:
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.
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