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: Professor Michelle Dougherty talking Enceladus at the annual Schrodinger lecture, the proficiency (or otherwise) of making science accessible to the layman and emails about inspiring anyone to do the job they want.
The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have:
Main news story: New Horizons at Ultima Thule
The Debate: We want you to influence the next few debates. We want you to email us with what you think is the greatest space mission of all time (crewed or robotic). We'll compile a Top Ten and advocate for your choices, court-style, on the coming shows.
Q&A: Listeners' questions via email, Facebook & Twitter take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month we take a look at something we discussed in a recent show, commercialization of space:
Isn't commercial branding at NASA already here and wouldn't increased spacecraft branding diminish the science?? Andy Burns, UK.
The Discussion: A worthless victory for the Welsh, Earthling slave John on the BBC's Sky at Night, Jen's preparations for A Pint of Science, imaging the sun with a beer can and emails about timestamping & sibilance.
The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have:
Main news story: 1) Due to modern data processing techniques Hubble discovers a new moon around Neptune.
The Sky Guide: Covering the solar system and deep sky objects on offer to amateur astronomers in March.
Ralph: The Galilean Moons, magnitude 8 asteroid Pallas and Messier 67 in Cancer
Jeni: a quadruple planetary Conjunction, Mars and the vernal equinox.
Paul: Mercury visible at the beginning of the month at sunset and the galaxies in Ursa Major.
Main Deep Sky Object: Messier 44, The Beehive Cluster.
Q&A: Listeners' questions via email, Facebook & Twitter take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month we take a look at the bewildering array of theories for one of the greatest spectacles in the night sky:
Will we get any advance warning of Betelgeuse going supernova? Peter Coates, UK.
The Discussion: The film Moon, boring lectures & seminars, the age before mobile telephony, AweAst live shows & drinks with listeners, and listeners' suggestions for NASA spacecraft branding.
The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have:
Main news story: New Horizons at Ultima Thule
The Debate: Ralph poses his own question for Jen & Paul to do battle: what spacecraft would you like to see commissioned if money were no object?
Q&A: Listeners' questions via email, Facebook & Twitter take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month we take a look at SpaceX' next big push:
What's going on at SpaceX's Boca Chica facility in Texas?? Gavin Price, UK.
The Discussion: Jeni's off to La Palma to gather data on dust & gas in the Crab Nebula, did a meteor or two strike the moon during the January eclipse? And what do Europeans think (or know) about the European Space Agency?
The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have:
Main news story: CERN's plans for the monster successor to the Large Hadron Collider and what the hell that has to do with astronomy
The Sky Guide: Covering the solar system and deep sky objects on offer to amateur astronomers in February.
Paul: Mercury at greatest eastern elongation, a conjunction of Uranus and Mars.
Ralph: Asteroid 532 Herculina at opposition and a brand new(ly discovered) comet to view in telescopes
Jen: Venus and Jupiter on show in the early morning and a conjunction of Saturn and Venus
Main Deep Sky Object: Messier 1, the Crab Nebula
Q&A: Listeners' questions via email, Facebook & Twitter take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month we take a look at the bewildering array of theories for one of the greatest spectacles in the night sky:
How did Saturn's rings form? Scott Jorgensen, Michigan.
The Discussion: As 2019 marches forth we discuss a wasted year of practical astronomy due to bad weather, a comet in our skies to enjoy and Jeni begins her first paper on gas masses in redshift galaxies.
The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have:
Main news story: Chinese exploration of the far side of the moon.
Q&A: Listeners' questions via email, Facebook & Twitter take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month we take a look at how to get a 450 ton space ship out of orbit:
How will the International Space Station be decommissioned? Andy Burns, UK.
The Debate: Lt Col Dave from Florida suggests a debate on which option is better for astronomy: space or Earth based telescopes? Paul & Ralph do battle.
The Discussion: Festive cheer, academic hiatuses, magnificent cheeses, a surfeit of meat, space themed presents and listeners' emails.
The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have:
Main news story: 1) The ALMA telescope helps to understand how solar systems form and why newly forming planets don't spiral into their host star. 2) The International Astronomical Union has its 100th anniversary in 2019 and there will be a series of events (probably near you) to celebrate a century of astronomy.
The Sky Guide: Covering the solar system and deep sky objects on offer to amateur astronomers in the first month of the New Year.
Ralph: The Quadrantids peak on 3rd/4th January, a total lunar eclipse on 21st January, and Comet 46P Wirtanen still in our skies.
Jeni: Mars and Uranus in Pisces, a glimpse of Neptune in Aquarius, Venus blazing away before dawn, and Jupiter in Ophiuchus.
Paul: The Christmas Tree Cluster, Snowflake Cluster, Cone Nebula and the Fox Fur Nebula in Monoceros.
Main Deep Sky Object: M45, the Pleiades Cluster.
Q&A: Listeners' questions via email, Facebook & Twitter take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month we take a look USAF's rocket funding decision:
Could you explain light year, parsec, universal galactic unit and warp one, and how they relate to one another? Steve Parry, Wales.
The Discussion: Arthur Eddington, the Caldwell catalogue and a round-up of emails to the show.
The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have:
Main news story: The discovery of an exoplanet around Barnard's Star just 6 light year away.
The Sky Guide: Covering the solar system and deep sky objects on offer to amateur astronomers in December:
Ralph: Mars & Neptune conjunction, The Geminds meteor shower & Comet 46P Wirtanen at perihelion
Paul: Venus, Uranus, Mercury & Jupiter
Jeni: The Hyades in Taurus
Q&A: Listeners' questions via email, Facebook & Twitter take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month we take a look USAF's rocket funding decision:
What makes a galaxy? When is it a galaxy rather than just a cluster of stars? Wullie Mitchell, Scotland.
The Discussion: Jeni talking exoplanets and aliens at Cardiff Museum and we take a no spoiler look at the Neil Armstrong biopic, First Man.
The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have:
Main news story: Europe and Japan's Bepicolumbo mission to Mercury.
The Interview: Jeni interviews Bethan James, astronomer & astrophysicist currently working as an ESA/AURA Astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) on the Hubble instrument team.
Q&A: Listeners' questions via email, Facebook & Twitter take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month we take a look USAF's rocket funding decision:
Why wasn't SpaceX funded in the latest US military space funding round while Blue Origin was? Mark De Vrij, UK.
In this podcast extra episode we're talking to Libby Jackson, physicist and engineer, who's the Manager of Human Spaceflight and Microgravity at the UK Space Agency and was a European ISS flight controller and the spokesperson for Tim Peake's spaceflight.
The Discussion: Jeni's tells us about her gig at the Cardiff Book Talk and an upcoming talk at Usk Astronomical Society, Paul had a hairy moment giving a talk on the Herschels only to find their descendants in the room and we run through listeners' emails
The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have:
Sky Guide: Taking a look at the astronomical objects above our heads this month that you can enjoy with a small telescope or binoculars.
Paul: Saturn, Mars, Uranus, Neptune & a risky greatest elongation of Mercury on 6th November. And Comets 46P Wirtanen and 38P Stephan-Oterma may well provide some distractions too.
Ralph: Northern Taurids meteor shower peaks on 12th November and the Leonids peak on the 17th.
Jen: Mirach's Ghost in Andromeda and two galactic members of the Local Group NGC147 & NGC185.
And we finish off with a spotlight on Venus which will be its brightest all year at the end of the month.
Q&A: Listeners' questions via email, Facebook & Twitter take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month we take a look at accepted wisdom vs the evidence:
Did a collision with the Earth create the moon? Is it fact or still a hypothesis? Andrew Osborn in London.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
