Fine Music Radio

Looking Up

Society EN ↓ 150 episodes

Explore the big and the small questions in astronomy, cosmology, and space science. Hosted by Kechil Kirkham, no subject is too big or too small, and experts are regularly brought on board to illuminate and excite. Cape Town is the place to be for astronomy, with some of the largest telescopes in the world housed or being built not too far away. Looking Up takes advantage of the shoals of scientists and engineers working on the planet’s most advanced astronomy projects, who live and work right here in the Mother City. Kechil has recently acquired an MPhil in Space Studies at the University of...

Author

Fine Music Radio

Episodes

Looking Up - 18 June 25 - The Place of the Stars 18.06.2025 5:20

FMR's John Woodland is putting on a series of stellar choral concerts called 'The Place of the Stars' with Vox in the Observatory McClean dome and talks to Kechil about it in the dome itself.

Looking Up - 11 June 25 - Professor Oleg Smirnov and Kechil talk more about PARROT pulsar 11.06.2025 5:01

Professor Oleg Smirnov at Rhodes University and SARAO talks some more to Kechil about the PARROT pulsar.

Looking Up - 04 June 25 - Distinguished Prof. Oleg Smirnov talks to Kechil 04.06.2025 5:06

Distinguished Prof. Oleg Smirnov talks to Kechil about taking radio videos of transients.

Looking Up - 28 May 25 - The Blue Danube in space! 28.05.2025 5:10

The Blue Danube in space! Take a look at https://space.vienna.info/en-US. The European Space Agency is blasting Strauss into the Universe.

Looking Up - 21 May 25 - What is an AGN? And What is an inactive black hole? 21.05.2025 5:06

What is an AGN? What is an inactive black hole? UCT Phd student Tombo Fitahiana Rarivoarinoro explains.

Looking Up - 14 May 25 - What's up now that winter's here? 14.05.2025 5:11

What's up now that winter's here? There's a nova in Corona Borealis which could go nova soon!

Looking Up - 07 May 25 - Nic Erasmus Part 2 07.05.2025 5:12

Kechil talks to Nic Erasmus about what to do if asteroids get too close.

Looking Up - 30 Apr 25 - IAA Planetary Defence conference in Stellenbosch 30.04.2025 4:05

In anticipation of the IAA Planetary Defence conference in Stellenbosch 5-9 May, Kechil talks some more about NEOs and how the public can enjoy related events.

Looking Up - 23 Apr 25 - What to do if asteroids get too close ? 23.04.2025 5:46

Kechil talks to Nic Erasmus about what to do if asteroids get too close.

Looking Up - 16 Apr 25 - Would you like to hear the sound of star clusters? 16.04.2025 5:43

Would you like to hear the sound of star clusters? They sing a song about the history of our galaxy.

Looking Up - 09 Apr 25 - Kechil talks to Sam Wilson, author of The First Murder on Mars 09.04.2025 5:01

Kechil talks to Sam Wilson, author of The First Murder on Mars about some of the practicalities of living on Mars

Looking Up - 02 Apr 25 - Sam Wilson, author of The First Murder on Mars 02.04.2025 5:21

Kechil talks to Sam Wilson, author of The First Murder on Mars about how societies and humans may evolve on Mars

Looking Up - 26 Mar 25 - Saturn's rings have disappeared! 26.03.2025 5:01

Saturn's rings have disappeared! Also - what's a star party?

Looking Up - 19 Mar 25 - What are the differences between the northern and southern hemispheres? 19.03.2025 6:23

What are the differences between the northern and southern hemispheres? Barry Linton from the south of England and a member of our local astronomy society, explains.

Looking Up - 12 Mar 25 - The Moon belongs to everyone, the best things in life are free 12.03.2025 5:17

"The Moon belongs to everyone, the best things in life are free" says the song, but what about Saturn's 128 newly discovered moons? Do we name them all?

Looking Up - 05 Mar 25 - Planetary alignments and Blue Ghost 05.03.2025 5:00

Something about attention-grabbing planetary alignments and Blue Ghost

Looking Up - 26 Feb 25 - Dr Rosalind Skelton, Director of the South African Astronomical Observatory 26.02.2025 5:11

Dr Rosalind Skelton is the new Director of the South African Astronomical Observatory, here in Observatory. She talks to Kechil about her plans for the next few years.

Looking Up - 19 Feb 25 - How does an astronomer become an ambassador ? 19.02.2025 6:01

How does an astronomer become an ambassador? Prof Paul Groot describes his task ahead in Chile.

Looking Up - 12 Feb 25 - Samples returned from the asteroid Bennu 12.02.2025 5:17

Samples returned from the asteroid Bennu have revealed astonishing news about the potential origins of life of Earth.

Looking Up - 05 Feb 25 - Who would've thought that the Graeco-Roman Goddess of Hinges would be revived 05.02.2025 5:43

Who would've thought that the Graeco-Roman Goddess of Hinges would be revived: she's back now, squeaking away on a quasi-moon. Hear about this, and many other naming conventions.

Looking Up - 29 Jan 25 - How do you look at black holes? 29.01.2025 6:29

How do you look at black holes? Kechil talks about the latest plans to launch a cluster of radio telescopes into space to study these monster-gobblers.

Looking Up - 22 Jan 25 - Roundup of currently visible planets 22.01.2025 5:27

Roundup of currently visible planets and the comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) still visible with the naked eye to the right of the Sun as it sets. Also the latest of what's happening with Mars.

Looking Up - 15 Jan 25 - New Year on Mars: what might it look like? 15.01.2025 3:54

New Year on Mars: what might it look like? Plus a roundup of what you can see in the night sky.

Looking Up - 08 Jan 25 - Kechil talks to Shamin Doman 08.01.2025 5:34

Kechil talks to Shamin Doman about one of the exhibits at the new Visitor Centre, which you too can see by booking at www.saao.ac.za

Looking Up - 01 Jan 25 - What is time? 01.01.2025 5:38

What is time? We only know how to measure it. Kechil canters through the technologies used to do this, including the most accurate clocks associated with local radio telescopes MeerKAT and the SKA.