Audio Guide to the Galaxy

Episode Notes The cold distant world of Uranus is one of the most mysterious planets in the Solar System. Visible through a telescope as a greenish-blue dot, Uranus is technically the first planet ever discovered. Learn about its bizarre 40 year summers. its rings and the intriguing story it tells about the evolution of the Solar System. If you enjoy the music in this episode, visit https://artlis...

Episode Notes The Moon is out and looking glorious as usual. Learn about our closest celestial neighbour and how scientists are putting together the pieces of the puzzle of the close relationship between the Earth and the Moon. This episode is timed to be listened to at any time after 8pm on Saturday 15 January. If it’s cloudy tonight, you can still listen to this at later...

Episode Notes The Binar (BIN-ah) Space Program (named for the Noongar word for fireball) from the Space Science and Technology Centre (SSTC) at Curtin University is building the next generation of Australian small spacecraft. Find out more about this exciting program at https://www.binarspace.com/

Episode Notes The International Space Station is passing overhead this week. Join Leah to learn where to look, at what time, to see this massive orbital laboratory from your backyard. It's been a busy year for the ISS. Hear about the crew changeovers, the additions to the station and the latest science being carried out on this truly international spaceship. Make sure you’ve got this episode downl...

Perfect for anyone heading out of town for the summer break, as you also move away from the light pollution of the city, revealing the majestic night sky in all its splendour. Learn about the Milky Way, our galaxy stretching overhead, and our place within it. Make sure you’ve got this episode downloaded, and remember to take insect repellent, a torch, and a jumper if it’s cold. We’ll see you outsi...

Episode Notes NASA is sending its next flagship observatory to space. After a troubled development, the James Webb Space Telescope is ready for launch on 25 December 2021. JWST is a next generation telescope pioneering astronomy of the future.

Episode Notes No compass? No star chart? No problem! Join Leah to discover how to find your way around the night sky using just your eyes, your hands, and a few handy pieces of knowledge.

Episode Notes This week, we're taking a closer look at our nearest celestial neighbour, the moon! We will also learn about Artemis 1 and the Space Launch System and what they mean for the future of human spaceflight to the Moon. You can listen to this episode after sunset on any clear evening this week (9 October - 15 October). Make sure you've got this episode downloaded and ready to go, and reme...

Episode Notes This week we're taking a look at Jupiter and Saturn in our night sky and learning about the upcoming journey of Lucy, a NASA spacecraft that will be visiting asteroids near Jupiter to learn about the origins of our solar system. You can listen to this episode after sunset on any clear evening this fortnight (2 October - 14 October) Make sure you've got this episode downloaded and rea...

Episode Notes This week, we’re taking a look at Venus, the brightest planet in our sky – so bright, it’s often the first object we see as the sun sets, and the last one we see as the sun rises. We’ll be hearing a bit about Venus’ sky as well. You can listen to this episode at or after sunset, on any clear night this week (24 September to 1 October). Credits: Frozen Star Kevin MacLeod ( incompetech...

A walking tour of the solar system Part 2: Jupiter to Neptune This week on the Audio Guide to the Galaxy, we're continuing our space walk. We'll be exploring the 4.2 billion km expanse of the solar system at 3.5 million kilometres a second. So put your walking shoes on, and let's get out of this world Once again, you can listen to this episode any time. Yep, even day time. If you missed part one l...

A walking tour of the solar system Part 1: Mercury to Mars This week on the Audio Guide to the Galaxy, we're going for a walk. No, really - we're walking through the inner planets of our solar system at 175 000km/s. So put your walking shoes on, and let's head into orbit. You can listen to this episode any time. Yep, even day time. Tune in next week for part two, which will take us beyond the aste...

On Wednesday this week, 26 May, we're heading outside to spot a cosmic coincidence in the evening sky - a lunar eclipse. Just after sunset, the moon will start to pass into the Earth's shadow, and by 7.18pm it'll be completely covered. Take us with you for a guided commentary on how and why it's happening! Make sure you've got this episode downloaded and ready to go, and remember to take insect re...

This week, we're getting up before dawn to try catching a glimpse of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. It's a cosmic lightshow that only comes around once a year, as fragments of Halley's comet streak through our atmosphere. It's at its peak between the 5th and 7th of May, visible from 2am until sunrise at around 6am. Make sure you've got this episode downloaded and ready to go, and remember to take...

This week on the Audio Guide to the Galaxy, we spot the International Space Station as it passes over Perth - not just once, but a several times over the next few days. This orbiting lab is the only place humans can live beyond Earth, and you can see it f...

This week on the Audio Guide to the Galaxy, we’ll be exploring a great pattern in our night sky – Argo Navis. We’ll talk about how to find this mighty ship and some of the remarkable stars that it features. You can listen to this episode any night this week, and the bright stars in the constellations of Vela, Puppis and Carina are visible in Perth for most of the year. Make sure you've got this ep...

This week on the Audio Guide to the Galaxy, we’re taking a look at some of the deepest, most distant parts of our sky. We can only see these from outside the city, so this episode is a little bonus for anyone's who has headed out of town for the long weekend. You can listen to this episode any night this week, but the Milky Way is easier to see if you can get away from the city lights. Make sure y...

This week, we get a little refresher on our stargazing skills and the Southern Cross, then spiral out to meet some of the other constellations in our southern sky. You can listen to this episode any night this week, and the Southern Cross, Centaurus and Musca are visible almost all year round. Make sure you've got this episode downloaded and ready to go, and remember to take insect repellent and a...

The Audio Guide will be back this April, starting with a special double episode for the Easter long weekend. If you're heading out of town these school holidays, don't forget to take us with you!

This week, we're finding the Crux, the Southern Cross - one of the most famous patterns in the southern sky - and using it to find our way down here on Earth as well. You can listen to this episode any night this week, and the Southern Cross is visible almost all year round. Make sure you've got this episode downloaded and ready to go, and remember to take insect repellent and a jumper if it's col...

This week, we're using Taurus and the Pleiades to tell a story about the life cycle of stars. You can listen to this episode any night this week, and the stars we're looking at will be visible all Summer. Make sure you've got this episode downloaded and ready to go, and remember to take insect repellent and a jumper if it's cold. We'll see you outside!

This week, we're finding Sirius in the night sky - and in some stories as well. You can listen to this episode any night this week, and Sirius and Canis Major will be visible all summer. Make sure you've got this episode downloaded and ready to go, and remember to take insect repellent and a jumper if it's cold. We'll see you outside!

This week, we're spotting the constellation of Orion, and taking a look at how stars form. You can listen to this episode any night this week, and Orion will be visible all summer Make sure you've got this episode downloaded and ready to go, and remember to take insect repellent and a jumper if it's cold. We'll see you outside!

This week, we're hunting for Mars, the red planet, and taking a look at why it's got scientists so excited. You can listen to this episode any night this week, and Mars will be visible for most of the summer. Perseverance, NASA's latest rover, should be landing on February 18th - tune in to the live stream at nasa.gov . Make sure you've got this episode downloaded and ready to go, and remember to...

This week, we're taking a closer look at the surface of the moon, and what it can teach us about how our universe works. You can listen to this episode any night this week - the moon will be full on December 30th. Make sure you've got this episode downloaded and ready to go, and remember to take insect repellent and a jumper if it's cold. We'll see you outside!