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  • Shows Index
    • Aliens (1)
    • Amateur Astronomy (5)
      • Observing (5)
    • Astronomy (113)
      • Cosmology (17)
      • Galaxies (10)
      • Nebulae (2)
      • Observing (11)
      • Planets (39)
        • Extrasolar Planets (5)
        • Our Solar System (32)
      • Stars (17)
        • Compact Objects (3)
        • Stellar Evolution (8)
    • Listeners (24)
      • Questions Shows (19)
      • Student Questions (4)
    • People (9)
      • Doing Astronomy (2)
      • Interviews (6)
      • Meetings (5)
    • Physics (29)
      • Forces (9)
      • Particles (8)
      • Relativity (5)
    • Space Flight (6)
    • The Show (3)
      • Meetups (1)


  • Collaborators
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    Past Shows
    • Ep. 115: The Moon, Part 3: Return to the Moon
    • Questions Show: Spiral Arms, Seismic Waves on the Sun, and our Favorite Gear
    • Ep. 114: The Moon, Part 2 - Exploration of the Moon
    • Questions Show: Ice in Space, Expansion of the Universe, and Death from the Skies
    • Ep. 113: The Moon, Part 1
    • Questions Show: Orbit of the Planets, Green Stars, and Oort Cloud Contamination
    • Ep. 112: Death From the Skies, Interview with Phil Plait
    • Questions Show: Relativity, Relativity and More Relativity
    • Ep. 111: Nebulae
    • Questions Show: Galactic Dust, the Speed of Photons, and the Big Bang Calculations
    • Ep. 110: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
    • Questions Show: Alignment with the Galactic Plane, Destruction from Venus, and the Death of the Solar System
    • Ep. 109: The Life of Other Stars
    • Questions Show - Running Out of Gravitons and Hitting the Brakes at Light Speed
    • Ep. 108: The Life of the Sun
    • Questions Show - light speed, Andromeda galaxy, dark matter and black holes
    • Ep. 107: Nucleosynthesis: Elements from Stars
    • Questions Show - Black Hole Surfaces, Magnetic Field Strengths, and the Speed of Gravitons
    • Ep. 106: The Search for the Theory of Everything
    • Student Questions Show: Leelanau School
    • Ep. 105: The Strong and Weak Nuclear Forces
    • Ep 104: Science Fiction at Dragon*Con with Plait and Grazier
    • Ep. 103: Electromagnetism
    • Ep 102: Gravity
    • Ep. 101: Advanced Propulsion Systems
    • Ep. 100: Rockets
    • Ep. 99: The Milky Way
    • Ep. 98: Quasars
    • Ep. 97: Galaxies
    • Ep. 96: Humans to Mars, Part 3 - Terraforming Mars
    • Student Questions: Collinsville High School
    • Ep. 95: Humans to Mars, Part 2 - Colonists
    • Ep 94: Humans to Mars, Part 1 - Scientists
    • Ep. 93: Missions to Mars, Part 2
    • Ep. 92: Missions to Mars, Part 1
    • Ep. 91: The Search for Water on Mars
    • Ep. 90: The Scientific Method
    • Ep. 89: Adaptive Optics
    • Ep. 88: The Hubble Space Telescope
    • Ep. 87: The End of the Universe Part 2: The End of Everything
    • Ep. 86: The End of the Universe Part 1: The End of the Solar System
    • Ep. 85: Detectors
    • Ep. 84: Getting Around the Solar System
    • Ep. 83: Wave Particle Duality
    • Ep. 82: Space Junk
    • Ep. 81: Questions on the Shape, Size and Centre of the Universe
    • Ep. 80: Craters
    • Ep. 79: How Big is the Universe?
    • Ep. 78: What is the Shape of the Universe?
    • Ep. 77: Where is the Centre of the Universe?
    • Ep. 76: Lagrange Points
    • Student Questions: Curtis High School
    • Ep. 75: Stellar Populations
    • Ep. 74: Antimatter
    • Ep. 73: Questions Show #8
    • Ep. 72: Cosmic Rays
    • Ep. 71: Gravitational Waves
    • Ep. 70: How To Win a Nobel Prize
    • Student Questions: Farmersburg
    • Ep. 69: The Large Hadron Collider and the Search for the Higgs-Boson
    • Ep. 68: Globular Clusters
    • Ep. 67: Building a Career in Astronomy
    • Ep. 66: How Amateurs Can Contribute to Astronomy
    • Ep. 65: The End of Our Tour Through the Solar System
    • Ep. 64: Pluto and the Icy Outer Solar System
    • Ep. 63: Neptune
    • Ep. 62: Uranus
    • Ep. 61: Saturn's Moons
    • Ep. 60: Questions Show #7
    • Ep. 59: Saturn
    • Ep. 58: Inflation
    • Ep. 57: Jupiter's Moons
    • Ep. 56: Jupiter
    • Ep. 55: The Asteroid Belt
    • Ep. 54: Questions Show #6
    • Ep. 53: Astronomy in Science Fiction
    • Special Episode: Panspermia
    • Ep. 52: Mars
    • Ep. 51: Earth
    • Ep. 50: Venus
    • Ep. 49: Mercury
    • Ep. 48: Tidal Forces Across the Universe
    • Ep. 47: Tidal Forces
    • Ep. 46: Stellar Nurseries
    • Ep. 45: The Important Numbers in the Universe
    • Listener Survey
    • Ep. 44: Einstein's Theory of General Relativity
    • Ep. 43: Questions Show #5
    • Ep. 42: Magnetism Everywhere
    • Ep. 41: The Rise of the Supertelescopes
    • Ep. 40: American Astronomical Society Meeting, May 2007
    • Ep. 39: Astrology and UFOs
    • Ep. 38: Neutron Stars and their Exotic Cousins
    • Ep. 37: Gravitational Lensing
    • Ep. 36: Gamma-Ray Bursts
    • Ep. 35: Questions Show #4
    • Ep. 34: Discovering Another Earth
    • Ep. 33: Choosing and Using a Telescope
    • Ep. 32: The Search for Neutrinos
    • Ep. 31: String Theory, Time Travel, White Holes, Warp Speed, Multiple Dimensions, and Before the Big Bang
    • Ep. 30: The Sun, Spots and All
    • Ep. 29: Asteroids Make Bad Neighbors
    • Ep. 28: What is the universe expanding into?
    • Ep. 27: Questions Show #3
    • Ep. 26: The Largest Structures in the Universe
    • Ep. 25: The Story of Galaxy Evolution
    • Ep. 24: The Fermi Paradox: Where Are All the Aliens?
    • Ep. 23: Counting Aliens With the Drake Equation
    • Ep. 22: Variable Stars
    • Ep. 21: Questions Show #2
    • Ep. 20: What We Learned from the American Astronomical Society
    • Ep. 19: Comets, Our Icy Friends from the Outer Solar System
    • Special Alert: Go See Comet McNaught
    • Ep. 18: Black Holes Big and Small
    • Ep. 17: Where does the Moon Come From?
    • Ep. 16: Across the Electromagnetic Spectrum
    • Ep. 15: Questions Show #1
    • Ep. 14: We're all Made of Supernovae
    • Ep. 13: Where Do Stars Go When They Die?
    • Ep. 12: Where Do Baby Stars Come From?
    • Ep. 11: A Universe of Dark Energy
    • iPod Issues Fix
    • Ep. 10: Measuring Distance in the Universe
    • Ep. 9: Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity
    • Ep. 8: Meteor Showers. Yes, the sky is falling.
    • Ep. 7: Getting Started in Amateur Astronomy
    • Ep. 6: More Evidence for the Big Bang
    • Ep. 5: The Big Bang and Cosmic Microwave Background
    • Ep. 4: The Search for Dark Matter
    • Ep. 3: Hot Jupiters and Pulsar Planets
    • Ep. 2: In Search of Other Worlds
    • Ep. 1: Pluto's Planetary Identity Crisis
    • Welcome to Astronomy Cast!


Ep. 115: The Moon, Part 3: Return to the Moon

  • November 18th, 2008
  • Show Notes
  • Comments(0)
  • Like it? Digg-it | Reddit | del.icio.us

Welcome to Astronomy Cast, the most popular astronomy-related podcast. Just look at what listeners have to say about it:

Astronomy Cast is out of this world! It's hard to believe that it's free! This is an absolute must for any amateur astronomer or anyone interested in astronomy or cosmology. The hosts, Pamela and Fraser, are fun to listen to, extremely knowledgeable, and are able to explain difficult subject matter with great analogies. Bravo!
"Very interesting and almost "easy" for amateurs to listen and understand"

To subscribe to the show in iTunes, click here.

Or copy paste the following into your podcatching software: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml

Check out the iTunes review page with hundreds of 5 star reviews.

Artist impression of the Altair Lander. Image credit: NASA

Artist impression of the Altair Lander. Image credit: NASA

It's time for a third lunar chapter. We've talked about the physical characteristics of the Moon, and the exploration. Now we're going to talk about the plans to return to the Moon. From the upcoming lunar reconnaissance orbiter to the plans to have humans set foot on the Moon again, for the first time in more than 50 years.

Ep. 115: The Moon, Part 3: Return to the Moon
(more…)


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Questions Show: Spiral Arms, Seismic Waves on the Sun, and our Favorite Gear

  • November 18th, 2008
  • Show Notes
  • Comments(0)
  • Like it? Digg-it | Reddit | del.icio.us
Artist illustration of the Milky Way

Artist illustration of the Milky Way

This week we explore galactic spiral arms, seismic quakes on the Sun, and our picks for astronomy gear. If you've got a question for the Astronomy Cast team, please email it in to info@astronomycast.com and we'll try to tackle it for a future show. Please include your location and a way to pronounce your name.

Spiral Arms, Seismic Waves on the Sun, and our Favorite Gear
(more…)


Click here for Shownotes and Transcripts...

Ep. 114: The Moon, Part 2 - Exploration of the Moon

  • November 12th, 2008
  • Show Notes
  • Comments(2)
  • Like it? Digg-it | Reddit | del.icio.us
Surveyor Lander. Image credit: NASA

Surveyor Lander. Image credit: NASA

Let's continue on our journey to the Moon. Last week we talked about the physical characteristics of the Moon, its appearance in the sky and how it interacts with the Earth. This week we're going to take a look at how scientists have expanded our understanding of the Moon. From ancient astronomers using nothing more than their eyes and the first telescope observations of Galileo to the exploration by robotic spacecraft. And of course, the first tentative steps by the human explorers of the Apollo program.

Ep. 114: The Moon, Part 2 - Exploration of the Moon
(more…)


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Questions Show: Ice in Space, Expansion of the Universe, and Death from the Skies

  • November 10th, 2008
  • Show Notes
  • Comments(5)
  • Like it? Digg-it | Reddit | del.icio.us

Saturn\'s icy moon Iapetus. Image credit: NASA
Another week, another batch of questions. If ice disappears in your freezer, how can it last in space? How can the Universe be expanding faster than the speed of light? And what is the risk from a coronal mass ejection in an airplane? All this and even more questions. If you've got a question for the Astronomy Cast team, please email it in to info@astronomycast.com and we'll try to tackle it for a future show. Please include your location and a way to pronounce your name.

Ice in Space, Expansion of the Universe, and Death from the Skies
(more…)


Click here for Shownotes and Transcripts...

Ep. 113: The Moon, Part 1

  • November 4th, 2008
  • Show Notes
  • Comments(5)
  • Like it? Digg-it | Reddit | del.icio.us

The Full Moon. Image credit: NASA
Hey, here's a topic we haven't really gotten around to yet… the Moon. Today we look at our closest astronomical companion: the Moon. What impact does the Moon have on our lives, where did it come from, who walked on it, and are we ever going to walk on it again? We're going to learn about the phases, the tides, and even a little bit about NASA's plans to send humans back to the Moon.

Ep. 113: The Moon, Part 1
(more…)


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Questions Show: Orbit of the Planets, Green Stars, and Oort Cloud Contamination

  • October 30th, 2008
  • Show Notes
  • Comments(3)
  • Like it? Digg-it | Reddit | del.icio.us

Orbit of Earth and Mars
We're back to a themeless questions show. We're right across the Universe this time. Why are the planets lined up in a nice flat plane? Why are there no green stars? And is the Oort Cloud contaminating our understanding of the cosmic microwave background radiation? If you've got a question for the Astronomy Cast team, please email it in to info@astronomycast.com and we'll try to tackle it for a future show. Please include your location and a way to pronounce your name.

Orbit of the Planets, Green Stars, and Oort Cloud Contamination
(more…)


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Ep. 112: Death From the Skies, Interview with Phil Plait

  • October 27th, 2008
  • Show Notes
  • Comments(3)
  • Like it? Digg-it | Reddit | del.icio.us

Death from the Skies
We say it all the time here on Astronomy Cast: the Universe is trying to kill us. This week, Pamela is joined by Dr. Phil Plait to discuss his new book, Death from the Skies. Phil and Pamela talk about asteroid strikes, solar flares and gamma ray bursts.

Ep. 112: Death from the Skies, Interview with Phil Plait
(more…)


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Questions Show: Relativity, Relativity and More Relativity

  • October 26th, 2008
  • Show Notes
  • Comments(11)
  • Like it? Digg-it | Reddit | del.icio.us

Artist\'s impression of gravitational waves. Image credit: NASA
Everyone loves a theme. And this week we've collected together some of your questions about relativity. More light speed spacecraft, twin paradoxes, and the mixing up of gravity, time and mass. If you've got a question for the Astronomy Cast team, please email it in to info@astronomycast.com and we'll try to tackle it for a future show. Please include your location and a way to pronounce your name.

Relativity, Relativity and More Relativity
(more…)


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Ep. 111: Nebulae

  • October 21st, 2008
  • Show Notes
  • Comments(3)
  • Like it? Digg-it | Reddit | del.icio.us

Eagle Nebula. Image credit: Hubble
When you think about the best pictures in astronomy, almost every one is a nebula; the pillars of creation in the Eagle Nebula, or the complex Helix Nebula - or my personal favorite, the Ring Nebula. They're beautiful, wispy clouds of gas and dust that signify both the birth and death of stars. Today we give tribute to nebulae.

Ep. 111: Nebulae
(more…)


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Questions Show: Galactic Dust, the Speed of Photons, and the Big Bang Calculations

  • October 20th, 2008
  • Show Notes
  • Comments(4)
  • Like it? Digg-it | Reddit | del.icio.us

Galactic dust. Image credit: NASA
Another week, another roundup of your questions. This week listeners asked: what is galactic dust anyway, and where does it come from? Why can photons move at the speed of light? And how can astronomers know what happened right after the Big Bang? And there's even more. If you've got a question for the Astronomy Cast team, please email it in to info@astronomycast.com and we'll try to tackle it for a future show. Please include your location and a way to pronounce your name.

Galactic Dust, the Speed of Photons, and the Big Bang Calculations

(more…)


Click here for Shownotes and Transcripts...

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Take a weekly facts-based journey through the cosmos with Astronomy Cast.