The Backyard Astronomer Podcast

On the 250th anniversary of American independence, it is worth looking up and considering how small our place is in the scale of time. The Big Dipper offers an easy path outward to Arcturus and then Spica, where distance quietly overlaps with the long arc of our own history.   #Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation #NASA Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro missio...

July brings monsoon storms on Earth... and storms in Space!  When you have to cover your telescope and protect it from the elements, its a great opportunity to learn about space weather.   #Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation #NASA Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro...

On Tuesday, June 30, an Arizona-based company will attempt a mission that could change the future of spaceflight. Katalyst Space Technologies, headquartered in Flagstaff, plans to launch a first-of-its-kind orbital servicing mission designed to rendezvous with NASA's aging Swift space telescope and potentially extend its operational life. In this episode, we'll explore why satellites slowly lose a...

Jupiter takes center stage this June 🌌 From ancient Roman mythology to NASA’s Juno spacecraft, humanity has been keeping an eye on the king of planets for centuries. This month, Jupiter meets Venus in a spectacular conjunction on June 8–9, joins the crescent Moon on June 16, and welcomes Mercury later in the month. Grab a pair of binoculars or a small telescope and watch the Galilean moons dance...

Long before spacecraft visited the asteroid belt, astronomers searched the skies for the remnants of a lost planet. In May’s Backyard Astronomer, we explore the discovery of 4 Vesta—a massive protoplanet, survivor of the early Solar System, and one of the brightest asteroids visible from Earth. This month, Vesta rises alongside Saturn and Neptune in the pre-dawn sky, offering backyard astronomers...

More than 500 years ago, Leonardo da Vinci posited that the Earth could illuminate the Moon.  Learn more about the Da Vinci Glow in this month's Backyard Astronomer.   #Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation #NASA Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro Our awesome sponsors:...

Hydrogen is the smallest atom in existence, yet it shapes the entire universe. It fuels the Sun, forms the glowing clouds where new stars are born, and even powers the rockets carrying humans back to the Moon. In this episode of The Backyard Astronomer, we start with a stubborn hydrogen leak on the Artemis launchpad and trace element number one all the way back to the beginning of the cosmos.   #A...

Humans are going back to the Moon. 🌕🚀 After more than 50 years, a new crew prepares to orbit our lunar neighbor, marking the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth. This month’s Backyard Astronomer looks back at Apollo 8—and forward to the next giant leap. Clear skies and godspeed.   #Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation #Rocket #Moon #NASA   Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerA...

January opens the year with fire in the sky. Before dawn on the 3rd, the Quadrantid meteor shower delivers one of the strongest displays of the year — streaking through crisp winter skies beneath a glowing Super Wolf Moon. Jupiter shines at its brightest, Orion returns to prominence, and the new Moon brings deep, dark nights perfect for exploration. Bundle up, step outside, and start the year by r...

Imagine a football-field-sized spacecraft racing overhead at 17,500 miles per hour… one you can see with your naked eye. This month on The Backyard Astronomer, we’re celebrating 25 years of continuous human presence in space. From the first two modules joined in orbit to the sprawling station we know today, we’ll explore the story of the ISS, why it matters, and how you can spot it yourself from y...

Picture this — 4.5 billion years ago, Earth wasn’t alone. A Mars-sized neighbor named Theia was sharing the same orbit, until fate — or physics — brought them together in a collision that nearly destroyed our planet... and created our Moon. In this episode, we’ll explore how that ancient impact shaped the skies we see tonight, from the tides and eclipses to the bright November supermoon. We’ll als...

Lions and Comets and Bears... no we aren't in Kansas, nor Oz.  We are right here in Northern Arizona, and checking out what may be the best comet in decades!  Learn how comets are discovered, and how you can discover it with your own binoculars in October in this month's Backyard Astronomer Podcast. #Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the...

The transit method allows astronomers to study distant worlds and discover exoplanets as their orbit traverses the disc of their stars.  We can make our own discovery this month when Titan transits Saturn.   #Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon....

The moon is our guide this month as we follow her path along the sky and she points out celestial wonders in the early mornings of August.     #Astronomy #STEM #STEMEducation Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro Our awesome sponsors: facebook.com/manzanitains www. Manzan...

The Delta Aquariids is a favorite amond metoer shower viewers, for the warmer summer months, and this year a new moon for ultra dark skies.  Learn where you can find this is in the sky and when to look on this month's episode of The Backyard Astronomer.   #Astronomy #STEM #STEMEducation Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com...

Stonehenge, Chichen Itza, Angkor Wat... These Monolithic sites were built  to celebrate the Solar calendar, but even right here in Northern Arizona ancient cultures were documenting the movement of the Sun and changing of the seasons!  Check out Solstice Mesa in this month's Backyard Astronomer. #solstice #Prescott #arizona #indigenous #astronomy #STEM Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerA...

Let's get Edgy!  This month we are talking about orbital collisions andsideways planets, and how they change the way we view the Solar System.   Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro Our awesome sponsors: facebook.com/manzanitains www. Manzanita-Insurance.com www. Manzani...

Once in 396 billion years!  Or click-bait?  Let's talk planetary alignments - SYZYGY!   Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro Our awesome sponsors: facebook.com/manzanitains www. Manzanita-Insurance.com www. ManzanitaAccounting.com

If we can only see 6 stars in the Pleiades, then why do so many ancient cultures reference the number 7 in relation to this star cluster?  Let's dig deeper into the 7 Sisters, 7 Boys, and all sorts of maids, brothers and princesses in this month's Backyard Astronomer Podcast.   Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro...

NASA, ISS, UFOs and UAPs - what is up with all the acronyms?  Let's talk about rockets, satellites, and some of the acronyms commonly used in the space industry. Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro Our awesome sponsors: facebook.com/manzanitains www.manzanita-insurance....

Sometimes constellations can be hard to imagine, but a simple asterism can guide you to all sorts of celestial wonders.  Let's talk about the Great Square of Pegasus!   Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro Our awesome sponsors: facebook.com/manzanitains   #asterism #cons...

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan- ATLAS is hurtling through the inner solar system, gracing the Northern Hemisphere's early evening skies of mid-October.  Where do comets like this come from and where is it headed?  Why have we never seen it before, and why  is it moving opposite most comets?  Find the answers to these questions and more in this month's episode and article of the Backyard Astronomer Po...

Saturn has long been known as a planet, but the discovery of its rings and moons spans hundreds of years.  Join the great astronomers of yesteryear as we learn about The Ringed Planet at opposition this month.   Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro Our awesome sponsors:...

Our new segment for kids of all ages, and what better topic to start with than ALIENS!     Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro Our awesome sponsors: facebook.com/manzanitains

"The sky is falling!" exclaimed Chicken Little!  Is it a meteorite, or a piece of the International Space Station?  Let's find out! Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro Our awesome sponsors: facebook.com/manzanitains