The Nature of Nantucket

Emmy Wisz a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses The Orion Constellation , Orion, a prominent winter constellation, is becoming increasingly more visible in the night sky.

August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the Pleiades , a nearby star cluster, which is currently visible throughout the night as winter constellations shift into view. 

This week host Jonelle Gurley who is the Director of Science and Programs at the Maria Mitchell Association talks with Dr. Giovanni Fazio PHD in Physics. Jonelle talks with Dr. Fazio about his long career in science and physics and how he got started. He also talks about his many years working on telescopes including the Spitzer Space Telescope. Dr. Fazio just celebrated his 90th birthday and stil...

This week host Jonelle Gurley who is the Director of Science and Programs at the Maria Mitchell Association talks with Dr. McKinley Brumback an Assistant Professor in the Physics Department at Middlebury College in Vermont . Jonelle talks with Mckinley all about her history and journey to becoming a high energy x-ray astronomer. Starting at Dartmouth College and ending up teaching at Middlebury Co...

Emmy Wisz a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses Venus at greatest elongation west. The second planet from the Sun, Venus will be appearing at its greatest elongation west point on October 23 and it will be visible in the early morning eastern sky before sunrise. 

August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the Orionids meteor shower. The Orionids meteor shower will be visible in late October skies, peaking on the night of October 20. 

This week host Joanna Roche talks with NSF Research Fellows Emmy Wisz and August Muller  of the Maria Mitchell Association. Joanna talks with Emmy and August about where they are from and how they got the fellowships with the MMA here on Nantucket. They also tell us about all the different projects they have been working on during their year long stay with the MMA. They also have been hosting and...

Emmy Wisz of the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse. The upcoming annular solar eclipse will happen on October 14 and will be visible as a partial solar eclipse from Nantucket. Note: Never look directly at the Sun, even during an annular solar eclipse. Swing by the Maria Mitchell Observatory to observe it safely through our solar telescope and solar eclipse glasses...

Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with former NASA astronaut and US Navy Captain (Ret.), Daniel Bursch , to talk about his Nantucket roots. Bursch is a former Naval Flight Officer and astronaut.  He completed four missions to space, including a 196-day mission to the International Space Station from December 2001 to June 2002 as a flight e...

 Jack Dubinski , Maria Mitchell Association's Aquarium Director and Research Center Coordinator, talks about the upcoming release day which is taking place on Saturday October 7th from 10am to noon. You'll enjoy lots of free activities including face painting, touch tanks, animal releases and the popcorn machine! Come and enjoy a fun morning that is perfect for the whole family! Learn mo...

Join August Muller of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses Nasa’s OSIRIS-Rex mission . NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission made headlines this week by returning a sample to Earth from nearby asteroid Bennu.

Join Emmy Wisz of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses The Autumnal Equinox.  The autumnal equinox, happening this year on September 23, happens every year in late September. This astronomical event marks the beginning of autumn.  

The Maria Mitchell Association is committed not only to good science, but also, in the words of Maria Mitchell herself, to infuse science with a bit more imagination, beauty and poetry. One way we do this is to highlight the work of artists who work with nature to inspire greater appreciation of our local land, sea and sky.  This week we begin a conversation with the visual artist Dena Haden who i...

Join Joanna Roche and Dan Drake , former MMA Board President and current president of The Linda Loring Foundation as they talk about Dan’s relationship to Maria Mitchell and his thoughts about Nantucket.  

Join August Muller of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way galaxy is visible in Nantucket skies, with excellent viewing conditions this week thanks to the new moon.

This week host Joanna Roche talks with Dr. Rich Blundell of the Maria Mitchell Association. Joanna has Rich tell us about what he has been up to this summer including his trip to our island neighbor Tuckernuck. Rich took a trip to Tuckernuck to do a program about the geology of the island as part of the Tuckernuck Land Trust Series. Rich also explains some of the Geology of Nantucket and even how...

Join Emmy Wisz of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Comet Nishimura. A comet discovered in August of this year will reach its closest approach to Earth on September 12 and may be visible in the sky in the morning near Venus with the naked eye.

Join Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association as she gets to chat with local photographer and Astro photographer Charity Grace Mofsen . Joanna talks to Charity Grace about how she got into photography and Astro photography. She also learns about her being the legislative liaison for Nantucket and Representative Dylan Fernandes . To see her work visit https://www.charitygracephotography.com/a...

Join August Muller of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Super Blue Moon. Wednesday, August 30th boasted a so-called "super blue moon," appearing slightly brighter than usual on the second full moon of the month.  

This week host Joanna Roche speaks with Maria Mitchell relative Richard Wolfe . They discuss their time on Nantucket and fun family stories from the past.

Join Emmy Wisz of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses Saturn at Opposition . Head outside after 8:30pm and look towards the southeast sky to see the planet Saturn, which will look especially bright this week as it nears opposition.

Join Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Summer Triangle. To find the Summer Triangle, head outside after 9pm, look directly overhead and locate the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra. Neighboring Vega are two other bright stars, Deneb in Cygnus and Altair in Aquila, which together with Vega form a large triangle. This is the Summer Triangle asterism....

Julia Blyth , Maria Mitchell Associations Biological Collection Manager, sits down with host Joanna Roche to talk about the MMA collections and why it serves as crucial part in Nantucket's biological history.

Join Eldon Fobbs of the Maria Mitchell Association as he discusses the annual Perseids Meteor Shower . Get ready for an extraordinary weekend treat as the annual Perseids Meteor Shower graces the night sky, offering a favorable moon phase for observing up to 100 meteors per hour – a cosmic spectacle not to be missed!

Jack Dubinski , Maria Mitchell Association's Aquarium Director and Research Center Coordinator , talks about his background, what can be found in the Aquarium, and what you can do to stop the invasive Green Crab species in Nantucket's harbor.