Astronomy Cast Ep. 468: Simulations for Science and Fun

Astronomers depend on simulations to study the Universe. From relatively straightforward orbital simulations to vast simulations that try to recreate the large scale structure of the Universe from the Big Bang. Today we’re going to talk about some of those simulations, as well as tools you can use simulate the Universe.

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Weekly Space Hangout – January 20, 2017: Dan Dixon – Project Lead & Creator of Universe Sandbox

Host: Fraser Cain (@fcain)

Special Guest:
Dan Dixon is the creator and director of Universe Sandbox ², an accessible space simulator application that merges real-time gravity, climate, collision, and physical interactions to reveal the beauty of our universe and the fragility of our planet.

Dan began work on the original Universe Sandbox in 2006, and continues to work on the latest version, Universe Sandbox ², with the help of a growing team of talented developers, artists, and scientists.

Website: UniverseSandbox.com
Twitter: @UniverseSandbox
Facebook: Universe Sandbox

Guests:
Morgan Rehnberg (MorganRehnberg.com / @MorganRehnberg)
Kimberly Cartier ( KimberlyCartier.org / @AstroKimCartier )

Their stories this week:
NASA looks to buy Soyuz seats from Russia

Two new NASA missions

Coating Ceres in interplanetary dust

Public to choose JunoCam sites

Using geometry to explain pulsar puzzle

We use a tool called Trello to submit and vote on stories we would like to see covered each week, and then Fraser will be selecting the stories from there. Here is the link to the Trello WSH page (http://bit.ly/WSHVote), which you can see without logging in. If you’d like to vote, just create a login and help us decide what to cover!

If you would like to join the Weekly Space Hangout Crew, visit their site here and sign up. They’re a great team who can help you join our online discussions!

If you would like to sign up for the AstronomyCast Solar Eclipse Escape, where you can meet Fraser and Pamela, plus WSH Crew and other fans, visit our site linked above and sign up!

We record the Weekly Space Hangout every Friday at 12:00 pm Pacific / 3:00 pm Eastern. You can watch us live on Universe Today, or the Universe Today YouTube page