Kielder Observatory Podcast

This month for the first time ever we record the Kielder Observatory Podcast on location at the observatory! And it has been a busy time, not least with one of our telescopes being renamed. Find out its new name, and why it was chosen in the podcast! Plus Ian Brannan and Director of Astronomy Dan Pye look at some of the recent scientific breakthroughs in space, and what this could mean for our und...

Who is responsible if something goes wrong in space? Whilst we are a way off having an intergalactic police force, there are many laws and regulations specific to space. From space junk & satellites to who owns a planet, the countries of Earth have come together to make agreements on the rules of space. Northumbria University is one of the few places which specialises in the subject of "Space...

This month on the Kielder Observatory podcast we speak to photographic artist Melanie King, and explore her work capturing scenes of the night sky via classic analogue methods. Many of us now have switched to digital cameras or even smart phones, but Melanie explains her love for space and the constellations that inspire her the most. We also update you on the latest news from the observatory, and...

In this episode of the Kielder Observatory Podcast Ian Brannan and our Director of Astronomy Dan Pye are joined by special guest Dr Olivia Jones, to look back on the first year since first light on the James Webb Space Telescope. Dr Olivia Jones was involved in the launch mission, and is one of a number of scientific researchers working on the project and now analysing the data sent back from JWST...

The Aurora Borealis, or the Northern Lights are widely regarded as a Holy Grail for any sky watchers. For those lucky enough to see a display it's all about the beautiful serene colours lighting up the sky. However what we witnessing is the Earth's magnetic field protecting us from a violent onslaught of energised particles from the Sun, slamming into the planet at 45 million MPH! Dr Melanie Windr...

This month we talk to observational astronomer Dr Victoria Fawcett, about some of the research she has been involved in including the DESI & MOONs projects.  As we get more data about the deeper universe scientists like Victoria hope to learn more about the formation of galaxies and even the origins of the universe. Dr Victoria is also very active sharing her knowledge via outreach programmes,...

In this month's episode Ian Brannan, and astronomers Dan Pye & Ellie Macdonald  explore the relationship between humans and the night sky, with cultural astronomy expert Dr Jarita Holbrook.  Since the dawn of time humans have gazed into the night sky, with many civilisations drawing their own inspiration and meaning from what they saw. Timeless stories, even whole religions has been formed fro...

This month the spotlight is on both wind, and astro photography..! Firstly we introduce our new crowd funding initiative to raise money for a 2nd wind turbine on the Kielder Observatory site.   One of the first features many visitors notice will be the general hum coming from the existing wind turbine. In order to rely less on a diesel generator we are looking to add a second turbine elsewhere on...

Ever wondered what would happen if the Earth should fall into a black hole? A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, no particles or even light can escape from it, and time literally ends. Prof Martin Ward is currently the Temple Chevallier Chair of Astronomy at Durham University and has spent over 50 years studying black holes. In this episode he shares his f...

Joining us this month is Chris Lintott, a Professor of Astrophysics at Oxford University but known to millions as a current presenter on the BBC's The Sky At Night, a show which has been on our screens ever since 1957! He co-authored Bang! – The Complete History of the Universe and The Cosmic Tourist with Sir Patrick Moore and Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May . A book which has had a r...

In our July episode we try and explain as simply as possible, exactly what we are seeing in the first stunning images from the James Webb Telescope.  Positioned 1 million miles away from earth, and looking billions of light years into the universe, to a time relatively shortly after the Big Bang, we are already seeing thousands of previously unknown galaxies. Not only that, but even in the first i...

This month Ian Brannan chats with Kielder Observatory Director of Astronomy Dan Pye, about the Secret Life of Stars . From our nearest star, The Sun, to how that compares with the very largest star in the known universe..! We also explore the life cycles of stars, from the birth, to their slow but dramatic deaths. Plus find out how things might end for for our own Sun, and what that would mean for...

As we head towards the mid point of the year and the nights become lighter, we explore some of the unique things about the summer night sky. The north of England is a fantastic place to see Noctilucent Clouds, a phenomena only visible at this time of year. In this episode Director of Astronomy Dan Pye explains what they are, and how you can see them anywhere in the north. We are also joined by Hel...

This episode was recorded live during  #internationaldarkskyweek . Kielder Observatory is situated in the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, and we will linked up with a Dark Sky Park about as far away as you can get on this planet..! We were joined live from New Zealand by Gareth Davies from Dark Sky Network NZ, and Nalayini Davies who is the Vice President of the Royal Astronomical...

For over 200 years, the Royal Astronomical Society has been encouraging and promoting astronomy, solar system science and other related branches of science. In this episode Ian Brannan & Dan Pye speak to Dr Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of RAS about how the society has changed over the years, what the future may hold for space exploration, and the role observatories like Kielder pla...

In this month's episode it was over to you, as we hosted a LIVE Ask An Astronomer session with Director of Astronomy Dan Pye. You can also watch the show back on the Kielder Observatory Facebook page. We cover all manner of topics from Astrophotography to the chances of finding life in other worlds. We also update you on the latest news from Kielder Observatory, and how you can book a place to com...

This month we look at how Kielder Observatory has become the first place in the world to take part in a new project tracking space junk and satellites. There are over half a million objects orbiting our planet, some are working satellites but there are many objects including old satellites, space equipment and rockets just floating in an eternal orbit.  If those objects were to crash it could...

Recorded live in front of an online audience on Facebook this month, Director of astronomy Dan Pye, Ellie Macdonald and Adam Shore join Ian Brannan as we explore some of the things to look out for over the final weeks of 2021 in the night sky. And we are joined by special guest Dr Olivia Jones of the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh, who is an expert on the James Webb Telescope which launches soon (...

This month we meet the new SPIDER Radio Telescope which has become the latest addition to the Kielder Forest landscape. Director of Astronomy Dan Pye give us a tour, and explains some of the things we will now be able to detect in space with it.  This addition means that even on a cloudy night, visitors will be able to take in some radio observations, and for schools and universities they wil...

Hello and Welcome to The  official  monthly podcast from  Kielder Observatory  situated in the Northumberland Dark Sky Park in the UK, under some of the darkest skies in Europe. Our special guest is Dr Natalie Starkey a cosmochemist and author   who joins us to talks about some of the amazing findings from her new book called Fire & Ice, and how Volcanoes could be key...

On September’s Kielder Observatory Podcast Ian Brannan is joined by Director of Astronomy at Kielder Dan Pye, and one of our newest astronomers Finn Burridge. This month we explore how a visit to Kielder Observatory is more than peering into the night sky, it’s a full education on our place in the universe, and we hear from some recent guests about the things they’ve learned which have boggled the...

In this episode we talk to the Reverend Professor David Wilkinson, who began his career as an astrophysicist before becoming a Methodist minister and is currently a professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. We discuss the connection between science and faith throughout history and bridging the gap between the two (often conflicting) topics. See omnystudio.com/liste...

Coming up in this months episode we’ll take you to a couple of our recent sessions up at the observatory, but both with very different themes. First was our space kids event which is one of our most popular daily events which take place in the daytime, ending with youngsters building and launching their own rockets! And then it was the turn of another of our most sought after evenings, the Aurora...

Ken MacTaggart has worked on NASA’s Apollo Lunar Surface Journal with editor Dr Eric Jones and colleagues for 20 years, and is co-editor of the Apollo 11 Flight Journal established by W. David Woods.  He has interviewed and written about spaceflight for The Independent, The Herald, The Scotsman, Spaceflight and numerous other magazines and newspaper, plus TV programmes. Ken is a Fe...

In this month’s episode we get ready for the Lyrid Meteor shower with 2 people who know what it takes to be a meteor hunter. Steve Arnold is one the TV’s Meteorite Men, and has travelled the world searching for fragments of space rock, and he offers his tips for would be meteor hunters. We also speak to Aine o Brien, who was part of the search team that recently found the first meteorite to be rec...