PODCAST

SkyCaramba

Podcast about astronomy and the joys of watching the skies at night--and sometimes during the day

science astronomy

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00:04:10

Planets exiting the stage; a hidden conjunction

SkyCaramba ·

2024/02/18

An evening planet is heading into the sunset. Three morning planets are heading into the sunrise. And there will soon be a conjunction of two planets with each other and with the sun!

00:04:03

Moon over Elnath

SkyCaramba ·

2024/02/11

The moon will pass in front of Elnath for viewers in part of Australia and Indonesia next week. Scientists can learn a lot about a star that's hidden that way. And several planets are on their way out of the night sky.

00:05:07

Dual meteor shower challenge

SkyCaramba ·

2024/02/04

Southern hemisphere observers can take a double challenge--try to see some meteors and then figure out which of two overlapping showers they came from. It's not easy. Both radiate from the same constellation and neither shower produces a lot of meteors.Learn about the Centaur constellation. Three planets are on the way out of the morning sky. One planet is hanging on before exiting the evening sky.

00:05:37

The sun at its latest--clock time versus sun time

SkyCaramba ·

2024/01/28

You may have noticed that the sun rarely crosses the meridian when the clock says it's 12pm. High noon is about as late as it gets this time of year. Some planets are leaving the morning sky. Some are leaving the evening sky.

00:04:39

Why applause is appropriate for this week's morning show

SkyCaramba ·

2024/01/21

Saturn's disappearing from the evening sky. The moon's approaching full phase and northern lunistice. It's Venus's turn to apparently pass by a very distant star. And the morning planetary action lately deserves applause, because it's associated with a figure said to have started the tradition of hand-clapping to show appreciation.

00:05:08

Mercury and a very distant star

SkyCaramba ·

2024/01/14

The moon goes through first quarter. Orion and Gemini are becoming prominent. Three planets are in the morning sky. Mercury is about to (appear to) pass by a star nearly 30,000 light years away.

00:03:33

The moon gets in on the morning action

SkyCaramba ·

2024/01/07

As three planets move in the morning sky this week, the moon passes them by.

00:07:52

Events to watch for in 2024

SkyCaramba ·

2023/12/31

In 2024, the moon will pass in front of bright stars several times, there'll be a total solar eclipse, increasing solar activity could mean more aurorae, and the moon will reach its farthest north and south since 2006. In just the next few weeks, three planets will cross the Sagittarius teapot in the morning sky. And Saturn is heading into the sunset.

00:05:17

A very old star

SkyCaramba ·

2023/12/24

There's planet watching in the evening and morning. Venus passes through Libra. And there's a star, not very far away as cosmic distances go, that might be almost as old as the universe. You can actually see it with binoculars.

00:05:16

Remembering the Pioneer plaque designer

SkyCaramba ·

2023/12/17

Linda Salzman Sagan, who designed the plaque on the Pioneer 10 and 11 probes, died last month. Her art sure got people talking. The asteroid Vesta is at opposition this week.

00:04:59

Halley's Comet Heads Back

SkyCaramba ·

2023/12/10

It's been 38 years since the solar system's most famous comet was closest to the sun. It'll be 38 more before it's back. Comet Halley was farthest from the sun this month.

00:07:00

Halves and quarters; two bright stars are about to...

SkyCaramba ·

2023/12/03

Mercury's at greatest elongation this week. Saturn's still up in the evening. Jupiter's about to turn around. Venus and the moon pair with a dragon star. Mars is still missing. English speakers say the moon is at first quarter or last quarter. People who come from non-English speaking cultures have another view. It's not often that an asteroid passes in front of one bright star. But it will happen twice next week!

00:05:13

Pioneer 10's prominent anniversary

SkyCaramba ·

2023/11/26

It's been a half-century since Pioneer 10 went by Jupiter. And it's been 20 years since anyone last heard from the probe. Whatever's next for it will probably be in almost 40,000 years.

00:04:56

How the first successful Mars mission ultimately failed

SkyCaramba ·

2023/11/19

Mars just went through solar conjunction. Not only can ordinary observers not see the red planet, scientists can't stay in touch with the space probes there either. That's not a small concern. Missions to Mars have been hard. Here's the story of the first successful Mars probe to report back and what finally did shut it down.

00:04:51

Why certain stars are so often left out

SkyCaramba ·

2023/11/12

Mercury's slowly making it into the evening sky. Saturn rules the evening. Jupiter's still up all night. So is Uranus as it's at opposition this week. Venus dominates the morning. Mars is hidden in the sun's glare. A listener wants to know why the moon always seems to pass or over certain stars but not others. The answer goes back billions of years.

00:04:59

Look for the Leonids

SkyCaramba ·

2023/11/05

The first known crowdsourced scientific study began one morning 190 years ago when it looked like the stars were falling from the sky. Nobody knew yet just what meteors are. A professor's letter asking people to tell him what they saw set scientists on the path to figuring it out.

00:07:20

Jupiter almost as good as it gets

SkyCaramba ·

2023/10/29

Jupiter will be up all night this week. This opposition isn't as close as last year's, but it'll be the closest for about a dozen years.

00:07:50

Full speed ahead

SkyCaramba ·

2023/10/22

Stars zoom by the spacecraft in sci-fi movies and TV shows. Just how fast would you have to go for that to happen? Even light doesn't go anywhere near fast enough for it to look like the stars are barely moving.

00:05:26

How Neptune finally got noticed

SkyCaramba ·

2023/10/15

For about two centuries, astronomers made mistakes and missed the chance to be credited for discovering Neptune. Finally, some mistakes led to someone discovering it.

00:04:02

Annular solar eclipse almost here

SkyCaramba ·

2023/10/08

This is the week of the annular solar eclipse that crosses the Americas. You don't have much time to get ready to see it. Find the times for your location with the eclipse visibility map. Mars and Mercury disappear, the moon makes it to 28.3° south, and this week's moon-Venus pairing gets a little more sparkle than usual in the heart of Leo.

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