Spacepod

Latest Episodes:

41: The last of the "great observatories" with Dr. Storrie-Lombardi Apr 17, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Lisa Storrie-Lombardi talks about the Spitzer Space Telescope. She tells us how Spitzer made the first observation of light from a planet outside our solar system. She also describes how engineers are constantly innovating, letting Spitzer make better and more sensitive observations.

40: Keeping an eye on asteroids with Dr. Yeomans Apr 10, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Don Yeomans, head of JPL's Near-Earth Object office until his recent retirement, describes how the field of asteroid discovery has changed over the decades. He recalls when early data indicated that asteroid Apophis had a small chance of hitting the Earth (spoiler alert: today, with more data, we know that Apophis will not hit the Earth).

39: A day in the life of a Mars rover with Dr. Litchtenberg Apr 03, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Kimberly Litchtenburg explains what it is like to explore Mars with the Curiosity rover. It involves daily discussions with scientists, careful programming, and sometimes, fantastic discoveries, like the discovery of a stream bed that once had enough

38: Mysterious icy travelers with Dr. Fernández Mar 27, 2016

Show notes

Professor Yan Fernández tells us about several baffling comets, including one comet that has a nearly circular path around the sun. He also talks about comet Hale Bopp, which we've got to study now, because it won't return to our part of the solar system until 7000 AD.

37: Exploring Pluto with Dr. Singer Mar 20, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Kelsi Singer and I drink an unusual beverage while she shares some of the incredible discoveries that she and the New Horizons team are making. We also discuss a contentious issue— should Pluto be called a planet?

36: Using artwork to explain the Universe with Dr. Hurt Mar 13, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Robert Hurt stops by the podcast to talk about his job making visuals to explain complicated astronomical concepts. We chat about multiverses, gravitational waves, and Cameron Diaz's love for NASA.

35: Geology at a distance with Dr. Rivkin Mar 06, 2016

Show notes

Dr Andy Rivkin and I drink gin and tonics, and Andy explains what spectroscopy is and what it can teach us about minerals on asteroids. He also describes what it's like to use some of the world's most powerful telescopes.

34: Keeping track of asteroids with Dr. Sphar Feb 28, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Tim Sphar, CEO of NEO Sciences and former director of the Minor Planet Center, stops by the show to talk about how asteroids are cataloged and monitored. He also talks about his experience the day tiny asteroid 2008 TC3 impacted Earth.

33: Why do we look for water when we look for life? With Dr. Cable Feb 21, 2016

Show notes

Dr Cable returns to the show to talk about why scientists often assume that water is needed to sustain life. She explains why most life, like us, likely is carbon-based, and talks about where she'd look for lifeforms beyond our planet.

32: How to build a planet with Dr. Kretke Feb 14, 2016

Show notes

Dr. Katherine Kretke investigates how planets are formed with computer models. Her new research had a surprising result— that pebbles play a key role in forming terrestrial planets like Earth and Mars.

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