The Nature of Nantucket

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket one hundred years ago.

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about plans to launch a million satellites into orbit around the Earth.

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about the center of our Milky Way galaxy and its supermassive black hole.

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about Little Red Dots which have been discovered at the edge of the Universe by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how six of the planets are lining up in the sky at the end of February.

Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how the Sun’s high activity is continuing to produce Solar Flares, Coronal Mass Ejections, and Aurorae.

Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how Jupiter is visible in the night sky these cold nights.

Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about the Artemis II mission to the moon the will launch in February.

Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about the plans of Schmidt Sciences, run by our own Wendy Schmidt, to build a new space telescope.

Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about the 25th anniversary of the launch of the International Space Station.

On this week’s episode of the Maria Mitchell Association podcast The Nature of Nantucket , host Joanna Roche speaks with Holly Greenberg —professor at Syracuse University and Director of Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene . Holly shares the story behind her public-art project raising awareness of bird deaths from window collisions, where over 10,800 handmade fabric birds visualize this hidden cri...

On this episode, host Joanna Roche sits down with Dr. Jackie Milingo , Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association , to examine the controversial space startup Reflect Orbital . The company proposes launching a constellation of orbiting mirrors designed to reflect sunlight back to Earth, providing illumination and solar energy after sunset. Drawing from the company’s stated goals, Joan...

Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about what causes the seasons.

On this episode, host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association speaks with Kim Schulam , Stranding Coordinator for the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket , about the dead sperm whale that washed ashore on Nantucket’s North Shore on November 18. Kim walks us through the response process, including how her team conducted tests and examinations to learn more about the whale and what may have caus...

Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about what a meteor shower is and how to see it.

This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche , Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association , sits down with Jascin Finger , Deputy Director, curator, historian and true expert on all things Nantucket, for a nostalgic walk through MMA’s rich past. Together they revisit the stories, personalities and unforgettable characters who helped shape the organization, from the influential Edith Folge...

Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about Cosmic Rays and how they affect the Earth.

Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about the interstellar comet which is flying past the Earth and then out of the Solar System.

This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche , Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association , welcomes back Dr. Jackie Milingo , the MMA’s Director of Astronomy, for another mind-expanding conversation, this time exploring the very fabric of the universe. Together they dive into the space-time continuum, unpack the relationship between time and space, and discuss the tantalizing possibiliti...

This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche , Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association , welcomes back Dr. Jackie Milingo , the MMA’s Director of Astronomy, for a fascinating deep dive into the wonders of our skies. Together they unpack what the Northern Lights really are and why Nantucket has recently had such spectacular views. The conversation then moves to the science behind sunspo...

Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how Nantucket’s Whaleships navigated the oceans.

This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Nikoline Bohr who is an artist, treasure hunter, and program assistant at the Maria Mitchell Association. Nikoline shares the story of her journey to Nantucket, her educational background, and how her creative spirit and curiosity fuel both her art and her love of uncovering hidden gems. She also gives us a look behind the scenes at her wo...

Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how astronomers get their data at Observatories.

This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Jascin Finger , Deputy Director of the Maria Mitchell Association and Curator of the Mitchell House archives and special collections, for a fascinating conversation about cemeteries and the stories they hold. Jascin shares her deep knowledge of stone monuments, how they’re cared for and cleaned, and why cemetery history is such a rich and...

Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how astronauts may soon return to the Moon.