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51: When Mars was the "Pink Planet" with Dr. Smith Jun 26, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Issac Smith visits the show to talk about one of Mars' past ice ages; a time when most of the planet was covered in ice. He talks about how he made this discovery by looking at the layers of ice deposited on the planet's North pole.

50: Ganymede and Iapetus with Dr. Singer Jun 19, 2016

Show notes

Returning guest Dr. Kelsi Singer talks about two of the icy moons of our solar system, Ganymede and Iapetus. She talks about the types of craters we see on their surfaces, and what they can teach us about the moons themselves.

49: Every known object in the Solar System with Jon Giorgini Jun 12, 2016

Show notes

Jon talks about JPL's Horizons, an amazing, publicly available system that keeps track of every known object in the solar system. Planets, moons, asteroids, spacecraft, you name it: over 715,000 in total. We discuss how this system is used by engineers, scientists, lawyers, art fans, and marine biologists.

48: Threading an asteroid through the eye of a keyhole with Dr. Chodas Jun 05, 2016

Show notes

This week's guest is Dr Paul Chodas, who directs JPL's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. He explains how predicting where an asteroid is going can get complicated when the asteroid gets close to a planet. He also talks about an app that lets you explore how a hypothetical asteroid could be deflected.

47: Punching an asteroid with Dr. Walsh May 29, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Kevin Walsh visits the show to talk about a new NASA mission that will launch later this year: OSIRIS REx! This spacecraft will visit an asteroid, grab a bit of surface material, and return the material to Earth for further study. Dr. Walsh talks about the mission and explains how you can help scientists pick the best place on the asteroid for the spacecraft to grab a sample.

46: Spacecraft no bigger than a breadbox with Dr. Asphaug May 22, 2016

Show notes

Professor Erik Asphaug stops by the show to discuss AOSAT-1, a tiny spacecraft that will contain experiments to study the surface of asteroids. AOSAT-1 will rotate once every minute, creating a force inside that exactly mimics gravity on an asteroid. We discuss how AOSAT-1, a cubesat, is being designed and built, and how it may launched from the space station in a "cubesat cannon".

45: A glimpse of the Pluto system with Dr. Ennico Smith May 15, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Kimberly Ennico Smith, New Horizons deputy project scientist, stops by the show to talk about the new data currently being transmitted to Earth, what it's like to work on this mission, and the violent past of Pluto's moon Charon.

44: Atmospheres in our solar system with Dr. Soto May 08, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Alejandro Soto visits the show to talk about the different atmospheres found on planets and moons in our solar system. We talk about wind on Mars, the opening scene of The Martian, Pluto's thin atmosphere, and what it is like on Saturn's moon Titan.

43: The Ice Giants with Dr. Soderlund May 01, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Krista Soderlund talks about the ice giants, Uranus and Neptune. She tells us about their unusual rings and moons, and how studying them can teach us about exoplanets.

42: Finding exoplanets with Dr. Christiansen Apr 24, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Christiansen stops by the show to talk about exoplanets and the Kepler Space Telescope. We share an Australian beverage and she explains how astronomers look for exoplanets, and how the discovery of "hot Jupiters" was a huge surprise to astronomers.

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