Backyard Astronomer - Delta College Public Radio

Latest Episodes:

7/15/24 - The Moon’s Southern Seas Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Now is a good time to see the dark round plains called “maria,” and bright splashes of lighter material called “rays.” The southern maria offer some interesting sights in a small telescope.

7/8/24 - Globular Cluster in Hercules Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

Hercules, the strong man of ancient mythology, rides high overhead in early summer. While its stars are not particularly bright, its most distinctive shape are the four stars in its center known as the Keystone. Within its borders lies one of the most famous globular star clusters of the entire night sky.

7/1/24 - Heart of the Scorpion Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

As twilight ends around 10:30 pm, look low in the southeast for a bright reddish star – this is Antares, the heart of the Scorpion.

6/24/24 - The Summer Triangle Jun 24, 2024

Show notes

Now that summer has arrived, the famous “Summer Triangle” of stars has returned to guide us around the evening sky.

6/17/24 - The Sea of Rains Jun 17, 2024

Show notes

Even to the unaided eye, the moon reveals round dark regions called "maria." Before the age of telescopes, people imagined these dark stretches as oceans of water. In reality, they are vast lava plains left behind by asteroid impacts.

6/10/24 - The Moon Waxes Jun 10, 2024

Show notes

At the beginning of the week of June 10, the moon appears as a crescent in the west after sunset. But each night, the moon will appear to slip a little farther back or eastward among the stars.

5/27/24 - Spike to Spica May 29, 2024

Show notes

If you follow the arc to Arcturus and keep the curve going even farther down into the south, you’ll come to a fainter bluish star, Spica.

5/20/24 - Are UFOs Real? May 20, 2024

Show notes

Observe the night sky long enough and you’re bound to see something strange that’s hard to identify. It’s easy to think of a UFO, but that doesn’t automatically mean it’s an alien spaceship.

5/13/24 - Size of Lunar Craters May 14, 2024

Show notes

In binoculars, look near the very center of the lunar disk for a large crater that seems to have a dark, smooth floor. This is Ptolemaeus, named for Claudius Ptolemy, an astronomer of ancient Greece. Two more large craters in a line below Ptolemaeus, Aphonsus and Arzachel, complete the chain.

5/6/24 - Corvus the Crow May 07, 2024

Show notes

The moon is "new" this week, which keeps the night sky dark enough to see more stars and deep sky wonders. One distinctive little springtime constellation to look for in the south is called Corvus, the Crow.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Backyard Astronomer – Delta College Public Radio

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected