Posted on by Fraser Cain

Astronomy Cast – Episode 248: Carina Constellation

Time for another detailed look at a constellation; one of the most fascinating in the sky, but hidden to most of the northern hemisphere: Carina. Home to one of the most likely supernova candidates we know of: Eta Carinae. Let’s talk just about this constellation, how to find it, and what you can discover in and around it.

You can watch us record Astronomy Cast live every Monday at 12:00 pm PDT (3:00 pm EDT, 2000 GMT). Make sure you circle Fraser on Google+ to see it show up in the feed. You can also see it live over on our YouTube channel.

If you’d like to be notified of all our live events, sign up for our notification email at Cosmoquest. You can check out our calendar here.

Posted on by Fraser Cain

Astronomy Cast – Episode 247: The Ages of Things

This is going to be one of the “how we know what we know” kind of shows. How do scientist determine the age of things? How do we know the age of everything from stone tools, to the age of the Earth, to the age of the very Universe.

You can watch us record Astronomy Cast live every Monday at 12:00 pm PDT (3:00 pm EDT, 2000 GMT). Make sure you circle Fraser on Google+ to see it show up in the feed. You can also see it live over on our YouTube channel.

If you’d like to be notified of all our live events, sign up for our notification email at Cosmoquest. You can check out our calendar here.

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Strange Stuff in Space: Astronomy Cast at Dragon*Con 2011

2007-0910dragoncon.thumbnail.jpg

This is an impromptu episode of Astronomy Cast that was recorded during Dragon*Con 2011. Pamela was scheduled to speak with a panel about strange things in space, but she ended up being the only person there. So Fraser jumped in, and this was what we did. We mostly talked about unusual things in the Solar System, but a few things in the rest of the Universe. Presented raw for your amusement.

Click here to download the episode.

Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software.

“Strange Stuff in Space: Astronomy Cast at Dragon*Con 2011″ on the Astronomy Cast website.

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Astronomy Cast Ep. 234: Lunar Phases

The Moon is a stark reminder that we actually live in a Universe filled with stars and planets and moons. The changing phases of the Moon show us the relative positions of the Earth, the Sun and the Moon as they interact with one another. Let’s learn about the different phases, the geometry of the whole system, and some of the interesting science wrapped up with our fascination of our only natural satellite.

Click here to download the episode.

Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software.

“Lunar Phases” on the Astronomy Cast website.

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Astronomy Cast Ep. 230: Christiaan Huygens

Christiaan Huygens

And now we finish our trilogy of Saturnian astronomers and missions with a look at the Dutch astronomer and mathematician, Christiaan Huygens. It was Huygens who discovered Titan, and figured out what Saturn’s rings really are, so it makes sense that a probe landing on the surface of Titan was named after him.

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Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software.

“Christiaan Huygens” on the Astronomy Cast website.

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Astronomy Cast Ep. 229: The Cassini Mission

Cassini Mission. Image credit: NASA/JPL/SSI

Last week we talked about the Italian astronomer Giovanni Cassini. This week we’ll talk about the mission that shares his name: NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft. This amazing mission is orbiting Saturn right now, sending back thousands of high resolution images of the ringed planet and its moons.

Click here to download the episode.

Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software.

Cassini Mission on the Astronomy Cast website.

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Astronomy Cast Ep. 227: The Big Dipper

IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)

We wanted to spend a few shows talking about some of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky. We’ve chatted about Orion the Hunter, but now we’re going to talk about the Big Dipper, also known as Ursa Major, or the Great Bear – apologies to our southern hemisphere listeners.

Click here to download the episode.

Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software.

Ice in Space on the Astronomy Cast website.

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Astronomy Cast Ep. 226: Weather

Hurricane observed from Earth orbit. Credit: NASA

How’s the weather? Maybe a better question is… why’s the weather? What is it about planets and their atmospheres that create weather systems. What have planetary scientists learned about our Earth’s weather, and how does this relate to other planets in the Solar System. What is the most extreme weather we know of?

Click here to download the episode.

Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software.

Weather on the Astronomy Cast website.

Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Astronomy Cast Ep. 224: Orion

Orion Nebula. Image credit: Hubble

Most people know how to find two constellations: the Big Dipper, and Orion the Hunter. You can teach a small child to find Orion, and at the right time of year, they’ll find it in seconds. There’s so much going on in this spectacular constellation, from the star formation in the Orion Nebula to mighty red supergiant Betelgeuse, ready to explode. Let’s learn about the history and science of the constellation Orion.

Click here to download the episode.

Or subscribe to: astronomycast.com/podcast.xml with your podcatching software.

Orion shownotes and transcript.