AWESOME ASTRONOMY

Download Episode! The Discussion: The privations of a PhD student, listeners' comments sparking a couple of corrections from the last episode, another bout of potaytoes/potartoes and we hear that new revelations about space mirrors cult sci-fi. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have: Damage to cartilage from microgravity The big debate in space exploration appears to b...

The Discussion: Pint of Science in Cardiff targets canines, Ralph makes a schoolboy error while in Florida and we all eagerly await the publication of a research paper by Jen. The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have: More disturbing news about the climate on Earth-analogue, Venus TESS discovers a planetary system around a visual binary star in Fornax. The Andromeda & Triangulum...

The Discussion: Your last chance to get tickets to join Jen's at Pint of Science on 20-22nd May in Cardiff, a couple of corrections for the last episode, listeners' comments about our Moon 2024 musings and a listener's email takes us into classic 50s sci-fi territory. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have: NASA's new robot assistants and 'Astrobees' on the Internation...

U: Recording from the Mars/Earth-analogue biome cottage at the AstroCamp starparty in the Welsh Brecon Beacons, we start off by discussing stargazing during a hurricane(!) and get ready for Jeni's Pint of Science events this month. The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have: The rate of the universe's expansion is 9% greater than we thought? Greater understanding about the lakes o...

The Discussion: Hear Jen's talk at Pint of Science on 20-22nd May in Cardiff, less than salubrious travel arrangements for science talks, a listener's email from the Australian Tourist Board and keep sending us your suggestion for the best historic space mission. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have: India creates a new constellation in the sky A new NASA asteroid mi...

The Discussion: A bumper episode beginning with the April stargazing extravaganza run by the Awesome Astronomy team on 27th - 30th April, a reminder to email us with your best space missions of the last 62 years, a stroll down Rocketry Lane, come along to hear Jeni talk at A Pint of Science on 20-22nd May at Beelzebub's in Cardiff, and listeners' emails (including how you amateurs can participate...

The Discussion: Professor Michelle Dougherty talking Enceladus at the annual Schrodinger lecture, the proficiency (or otherwise) of making science accessible to the layman and emails about inspiring anyone to do the job they want. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have: Have SpaceX paved the way for the US to return to human spaceflight? The Japanese Hyabusa spacecraft...

The Discussion: A worthless victory for the Welsh, Earthling slave John on the BBC's Sky at Night, Jen's preparations for A Pint of Science, imaging the sun with a beer can and emails about timestamping & sibilance. The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have: Modelling of the meteor strikes on the moon during the eclipse Does the moon get bombarded by a meteor shower every 19 year...

The Discussion: The film Moon, boring lectures & seminars, the age before mobile telephony, AweAst live shows & drinks with listeners, and listeners' suggestions for NASA spacecraft branding. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have: Growing plants on another world SpaceX launch satellites on reusable rockets How to paint a Mars rover A less than rose-tinted look at Spac...

The Discussion: Jeni's off to La Palma to gather data on dust & gas in the Crab Nebula, did a meteor or two strike the moon during the January eclipse? And what do Europeans think (or know) about the European Space Agency? The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: More research suggesting there are no seasonal water flows on Mars Modelling the stellar wind at Barnard's...

The Discussion: As 2019 marches forth we discuss a wasted year of practical astronomy due to bad weather, a comet in our skies to enjoy and Jeni begins her first paper on gas masses in redshift galaxies. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have: An update on the mysterious hole in the space station SpaceX edges closer to ferrying humans to space Virgin Galactic test pilo...

The Discussion: Festive cheer, academic hiatuses, magnificent cheeses, a surfeit of meat, space themed presents and listeners' emails. The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: The Milky Way gives birth to around 7 stars per year Watching a star being born from a nearby massive star A new way to map the dark matter in our universe Where's the methane on Mars? Saturn's...

The Discussion: Arthur Eddington, the Caldwell catalogue and a round-up of emails to the show. The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: Waiting for a Gamma Ray Burst Watching the Milky Way's supermassive black hole feeding Finding a massive meteorite under 1km of ice in Greenland The discovery that the Milky Way has another satellite galaxy The Hyades is bigger than w...

The Discussion: Jeni talking exoplanets and aliens at Cardiff Museum and we take a no spoiler look at the Neil Armstrong biopic, First Man. The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: Commercial spaceflight update New Zealand's Rocket Lab build a new launch site in the US The winners & losers in USAF's launcher funding competition China's Long March 5 rocket failure indu...

In this podcast extra episode we're talking to Libby Jackson, physicist and engineer, who's the Manager of Human Spaceflight and Microgravity at the UK Space Agency and was a European ISS flight controller and the spokesperson for Tim Peake's spaceflight. Being weightless The value of space research to everyday life Following your dreams Her new book: A Galaxy of Her Own Forgotten heroines of the...

The Discussion: Jeni's tells us about her gig at the Cardiff Book Talk and an upcoming talk at Usk Astronomical Society, Paul had a hairy moment giving a talk on the Herschels only to find their descendants in the room and we run through listeners' emails The News: Rounding up the space and astronomy news this month we have: Low metallicity stars seem to harbour the rocky exoplanets A possible sat...

The Discussion: It's almost Halloween and Jeni's getting the knives out. Paul's been recording astronomy voiceovers for the Discovery Channel, Jeni's got the Cardiff BookTalk coming up and Ralph's excited by the return of Doctor Who. The News: Rounding up the space exploration news this month we have: ESA tell us that radiation is too dangerous for a Mars voyage The new Nobel Prizes are announced...

Download Episode! The Discussion: Paul has snubbed the show to do astronomy on TV so we're keeping our spirits up with tales of AstroCamp and the inspirational Libby Jackson from the UK Space Agency. Jeni updates us with the progress of her PhD and invites you all along to her Q&A session at Cardiff Book Talk on 22nd October, before Ralph runs through listeners' emails The News: With 3 minutes to...

Download Episode! The Discussion: Lt Col Dave from Florida gives us his more informed take on Space Force. The News: In the new revamped show format we have 3 minutes to round up the astronomy news stories you might have missed: Jeni: An incredible Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter image of Aristarchus Crater New life in the Kepler spacecraft Ralph: ESA's Aeolus weather data spacecraft launches NASA's...

In this podcast extra episode, we go a step further than just talking about astronomy and look forward to a long weekend of practical astronomy. This episode discusses the value of star parties and whets your apetite for Awesome Astronomy's AstroCamp event in the Welsh Brecon Beacons International Dark Sky Reserve. Come share the eyepiece with us, enjoy a talk from the UK Space Agency's Libby Jack...

Download Episode! The Discussion: Jeni returns after getting the flu, Paul's science shows were a wash out at Camp Bestival and Ralph gets a great email about a telescope library service. The News: In the new revamped show format we have 3 minutes to round up the astronomy news stories you might have missed: Jeni: New Gaia data shows us the distance and shape of familiar objects like never before...

In this podcast extra episode, Jeni teams up with our good friend Dr Chris North from the Pythagoras Trousers podcast to speak to Caltech's Linde Professor of Physics and Nobel Laureate Barry Barish. In this interview we discuss: The early days of experimental particle physics Building the advances in technologies for today's experiments and detectors The fear of failure creating resistance to bui...

The Discussion: Jeni cares so little for our listeners that she didn't even bother to show up this month (except for the interview section) and with no discipline Paul's defacing valuable space artefacts and the emails to the show take a plunge south. The News: The news section gets a revamp with a quick round up of the space exploration and astronomy news, covering: The United Kingdom's new space...

What to look out, and up, for in August. With no Jeni this month, Ralph & Paul pick their highlights for this month's skies; starting with the solar system objects on offer to observers and imagers: Mars just past opposition as impressive as last month A round up of the other planets on view The Perseid Meteor Shower peaking on 12/13th August Next up, we take a deep sky pick from our list of favou...

In this podcast extra episode, there was only one thing playing on all our minds - Space Force. What is it? Why is it? What will it look like? Just like us, I'm sure you'll be none the wiser after this in-depth look into: President Trump's plan to create the US Space Force The lesser known Welsh Force The International Space Treaty A few diversions into the future of aircraft technology