SkyCaramba
186 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago -Podcast about astronomy and the joys of watching the skies at night--and sometimes during the day
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Episodes
Eclipse follow-up
April 14, 2024 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.44 MBWhat an exciting week that just ended with a total solar eclipse. Red prominences showed in the corona. Why are they that color? And what did scientists learn about the sun by analyzing the corona's spectum?
A planetary lineup straddling the sun at eclipse time
April 07, 2024 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.34 MBSeveral planets are lined up in the morning. The moon is with them at first. One more admonition to protect your eyes during the solar eclipse. Several planets appear close to the sun during the eclipse. Then the moon passes Mercury and Jupiter in the evening.
The moon meets the morning planets and more eclipse preparation tips
March 31, 2024 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.35 MBMercury's leaving the evening sky. Jupiter is heading toward Uranus. Three planets are leaving the morning sky, but there's time for the moon to meet up with them. And here's some more advice on how to experience the total solar eclipse.
The comet halfway from Halley's next showing
March 24, 2024 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.43 MBLegends abound about seven stars and why only six of them are visible. We review what the ancient Greeks said about the Pleiades and which Pleiad is missing. As Comet Halley is at the halfway point between appearances, another comet with an orbit almost as long is showing in the evening sky. Find out about Comet Pons-Brooks. And planets keep working their way out of the evening and morning skies.
Penumbral lunar eclipse
March 17, 2024 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.34 MBEvening planet viewing isn't so bad right now. It's getting hard to see the morning planets. There will be a penumbral lunar eclipse next week.
Total solar eclipse plans
March 10, 2024 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.77 MBThere are a lot of things to think about if you will travel to see the total solar eclipse next month. Do you need a place to stay? Where will you eat while you're there? How will you keep everyone in your party occupied during the trip? Maybe you should try to DX the eclipse. Listen for radio stations coming in from farther than usual during the daytime because of what darkness does in the upper atmosphere.
The celestial police
March 03, 2024 06:00 - 6 minutes - 5.75 MBAn asteroid is at opposition this week. It's one of the asteroids discovered by the "celestial police" who looked over areas of the sky for objects between Mars and Jupiter. And there's a reason they expected to find something there. But maybe it's just a coincidence that they did.
A historic star catalog is recovered
February 25, 2024 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.89 MBJupiter still rules the evening. Venus and Mars are leaving the morning sky. The moon will soon pass in front of Antares. And part of a famous but long lost star catalog has been found.
Planets exiting the stage; a hidden conjunction
February 18, 2024 06:00 - 4 minutes - 3.83 MBAn evening planet is heading into the sunset. Three morning planets are heading into the sunrise. And there will soon be a conjunction of two planets with each other and with the sun!
Moon over Elnath
February 11, 2024 06:00 - 4 minutes - 3.71 MBThe moon will pass in front of Elnath for viewers in part of Australia and Indonesia next week. Scientists can learn a lot about a star that's hidden that way. And several planets are on their way out of the night sky.
Dual meteor shower challenge
February 04, 2024 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.7 MBSouthern hemisphere observers can take a double challenge--try to see some meteors and then figure out which of two overlapping showers they came from. It's not easy. Both radiate from the same constellation and neither shower produces a lot of meteors. Learn about the Centaur constellation. Three planets are on the way out of the morning sky. One planet is hanging on before exiting the evening sky.
The sun at its latest--clock time versus sun time
January 28, 2024 06:00 - 5 minutes - 5.15 MBYou may have noticed that the sun rarely crosses the meridian when the clock says it's 12pm. High noon is about as late as it gets this time of year. Some planets are leaving the morning sky. Some are leaving the evening sky.
Why applause is appropriate for this week's morning show
January 21, 2024 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.26 MBSaturn's disappearing from the evening sky. The moon's approaching full phase and northern lunistice. It's Venus's turn to apparently pass by a very distant star. And the morning planetary action lately deserves applause, because it's associated with a figure said to have started the tradition of hand-clapping to show appreciation.
Mercury and a very distant star
January 14, 2024 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.71 MBThe moon goes through first quarter. Orion and Gemini are becoming prominent. Three planets are in the morning sky. Mercury is about to (appear to) pass by a star nearly 30,000 light years away.
The moon gets in on the morning action
January 07, 2024 06:00 - 3 minutes - 3.26 MBAs three planets move in the morning sky this week, the moon passes them by.
Events to watch for in 2024
December 31, 2023 06:00 - 7 minutes - 7.21 MBIn 2024, the moon will pass in front of bright stars several times, there'll be a total solar eclipse, increasing solar activity could mean more aurorae, and the moon will reach its farthest north and south since 2006. In just the next few weeks, three planets will cross the Sagittarius teapot in the morning sky. And Saturn is heading into the sunset.
A very old star
December 24, 2023 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.85 MBThere's planet watching in the evening and morning. Venus passes through Libra. And there's a star, not very far away as cosmic distances go, that might be almost as old as the universe. You can actually see it with binoculars.
Remembering the Pioneer plaque designer
December 17, 2023 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.83 MBLinda Salzman Sagan, who designed the plaque on the Pioneer 10 and 11 probes, died last month. Her art sure got people talking. The asteroid Vesta is at opposition this week.
Halley's Comet Heads Back
December 10, 2023 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.58 MBIt's been 38 years since the solar system's most famous comet was closest to the sun. It'll be 38 more before it's back. Comet Halley was farthest from the sun this month.
Halves and quarters; two bright stars are about to vanish
December 03, 2023 06:00 - 7 minutes - 6.42 MBMercury's at greatest elongation this week. Saturn's still up in the evening. Jupiter's about to turn around. Venus and the moon pair with a dragon star. Mars is still missing. English speakers say the moon is at first quarter or last quarter. People who come from non-English speaking cultures have another view. It's not often that an asteroid passes in front of one bright star. But it will happen twice next week!
Pioneer 10's prominent anniversary
November 26, 2023 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.78 MBIt's been a half-century since Pioneer 10 went by Jupiter. And it's been 20 years since anyone last heard from the probe. Whatever's next for it will probably be in almost 40,000 years.
How the first successful Mars mission ultimately failed
November 19, 2023 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.53 MBMars just went through solar conjunction. Not only can ordinary observers not see the red planet, scientists can't stay in touch with the space probes there either. That's not a small concern. Missions to Mars have been hard. Here's the story of the first successful Mars probe to report back and what finally did shut it down.
Why certain stars are so often left out
November 12, 2023 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.45 MBMercury's slowly making it into the evening sky. Saturn rules the evening. Jupiter's still up all night. So is Uranus as it's at opposition this week. Venus dominates the morning. Mars is hidden in the sun's glare. A listener wants to know why the moon always seems to pass or over certain stars but not others. The answer goes back billions of years.
Look for the Leonids
November 05, 2023 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.57 MBThe first known crowdsourced scientific study began one morning 190 years ago when it looked like the stars were falling from the sky. Nobody knew yet just what meteors are. A professor's letter asking people to tell him what they saw set scientists on the path to figuring it out.
Jupiter almost as good as it gets
October 29, 2023 05:00 - 7 minutes - 6.72 MBJupiter will be up all night this week. This opposition isn't as close as last year's, but it'll be the closest for about a dozen years.
Full speed ahead
October 22, 2023 05:00 - 7 minutes - 7.19 MBStars zoom by the spacecraft in sci-fi movies and TV shows. Just how fast would you have to go for that to happen? Even light doesn't go anywhere near fast enough for it to look like the stars are barely moving.
How Neptune finally got noticed
October 15, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.98 MBFor about two centuries, astronomers made mistakes and missed the chance to be credited for discovering Neptune. Finally, some mistakes led to someone discovering it.
Annular solar eclipse almost here
October 08, 2023 05:00 - 4 minutes - 3.7 MBThis is the week of the annular solar eclipse that crosses the Americas. You don't have much time to get ready to see it. Find the times for your location with the eclipse visibility map. Mars and Mercury disappear, the moon makes it to 28.3° south, and this week's moon-Venus pairing gets a little more sparkle than usual in the heart of Leo.
Draconid meteors and eclipse preparation
October 01, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.98 MBThe celestial dragon may deliver some fireballs courtesy of Comet Halley next week. If you're in the Americas, you want to prepare for the solar eclipse on the 14th.
Sirius by day and a daytime meteor shower
September 24, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.06 MBMars continues riding into the sunset. The moon passes by Saturn. Venus approaches the lion. The Daytime Sextantid meteor shower peaks. See a star when the sun is up.
Moonrise rough guide
September 17, 2023 05:00 - 6 minutes - 5.64 MBMars keeps getting harder to see. Saturn gives a lonely star a little company. Jupiter and Uranus hang out between Cetus and Aries. Venus sparkles in the morning. Mercury at its greatest viewing. Neptune up all night. A quick guide to figure out when you can see the moon.
The lizard up there
September 10, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.95 MBMars passes by Porrima. Saturn continues a nearly all-night show. Jupiter and Uranus rise early. Venus gleems in the morning with the moon. Maybe see Mercury. A somewhat recently named constellation is a lizard. A couple observers tried to name the stars for different kings.
A proposed mission to the seventh planet; an upcoming solar eclipse
September 03, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.01 MBMercury goes through conjunction this week. Mars continues heading out of the evening sky. Saturn still looks good after opposition. Jupiter and Uranus await you in the morning. Venus is looking good too. Some scientists want to know more about Uranus and propose a mission. And people in most of the Americas will get a solar eclipse next month. Start getting ready now.
Saturn summary
August 27, 2023 05:00 - 4 minutes - 3.97 MBTry to find Venus in the morning. Mars is still an evening object. Saturn's up all night. Technology keeps giving us better ways to understand the ringed planet, how it formed, and what that may mean about how the solar system formed.
Antares occulted
August 20, 2023 05:00 - 3 minutes - 3.02 MBVenus moves into the morning. Jupiter and Uranus rise in late evening. Saturn's almost at opposition. Mercury and Mars barely grace the evening sky. And the moon passes in front of the reddish star Antares in an event reminiscent of the moon-Mars occultation in December.
A galactic merger and dust rings around a southern star
August 13, 2023 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.53 MBLeo dives into the sunset. Mercury and Mars finish their pairing nearby. Saturn continues approaching opposition. Jupiter rises earlier. And Venus transitions to morning. The moon will soon occult Antares. Two galaxies--one of them the one we live in--will merge in a few billion years. What will we call the new amalgamation? Will people even be around to call it anything? A lonely star in the southern sky is orbited by rings of dust.
Different north and south stars
August 06, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.37 MBDifferent planets axes point at different north and south celestial poles. Find out where the north and south stars are on bodies other than Earth. Venus heads toward inferior conjunction. Mercury and Mars tickle Leo's belly. Saturn rises earlier heading toward opposition. The Perseid meteor shower will peak soon.
Face on Mars
July 30, 2023 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.22 MBTwo meteor showers peak early this week. Evening planet watching's getting hard. Saturn's approaching opposition. And what's with that face on Mars?
Summer meteor showers
July 23, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.21 MBTwo meteor showers peak at the end of this month. And it's not too early to start looking for one shower that peaks next month. Three planets gang up on the lion. Saturn rises in late evening on its way to opposition next month. Jupiter and Uranus remain near the sea monster.
Proving Pluto's moons
July 16, 2023 05:00 - 7 minutes - 6.83 MBMars, Venus, and Mercury are evening objects near Regulus this week. Saturn's close to Sigma Aquarii. Jupiter and Uranus rise in the morning. Pluto's up all night. It's hard to see. Its five moons are even harder to see. Mathematics helped prove--at least to some people--that the first known Plutonian moon exists. It certainly wasn't distinct in the first pictures.
Regulus, the summer triangle, and star-crossed lovers
July 09, 2023 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.5 MBLots of things to talk about this week: Mercury becomes an evening object. Mars is close to Regulus. Venus turns around. Spectroscopic binaries. The moon passes Saturn and Jupiter. Solstice on Mars. The summer triangle. Star-crossed lovers.
Super moons and super high tides
July 02, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.49 MBThe first of four so-called supermoons is this week. The reason for tides maybe isn't exactly as you've heard. Mercury is missing from the night sky. Mars and Venus are by Regulus in the heart of the lion. Earth is at its farthest from the sun.
The scorpion's crown
June 25, 2023 05:00 - 6 minutes - 5.5 MBDo scorpions have foreheads? The one on the celestial dome does, at least according to one of the star names. What looks like one star in the scorpion is actually six! Venus pursues Mars in the evening sky. Mercury's at perihelion and heading toward conjunction with the sun.
Solstice and circumference
June 18, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.38 MBThe June solstice is this week. A Greek mathematician observed shadows during the solstice, had people make measurements, ran some calculations, and came up with the first known estimate of how big around the earth is. Venus follows Mars in the space between Cancer and Leo in the evening sky. Saturn stays in Aquarius in the second half of the night. Jupiter's up at dawn.
A bird, a bowl, and a misnamed water snake
June 11, 2023 05:00 - 6 minutes - 5.7 MBThe story of Apollo taking out his wrath on a servant bird, a bowl, and an innocent water snake is remembered in our modern constellations. But modern astronomers call the snake by the wrong name. It's Venus's turn to pass through the Beehive Cluster this week. The planet is following Mars in the evening sky. The moon passes Jupiter in the morning. And if you can see Mercury in the morning, get some binoculars and see a fainter planet and an asteroid nearby.
A daytime meteor shower
June 04, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.16 MBA meteor shower you might catch part of at dawn peaks this week. For the most part, it's a daytime event. Even though you don't get to see most of the meteors--up to 60 per hour--you might be able to detect them by listening to the radio! A far south full moon, Mars marching out of the Beehive and Venus heading toward it, and Mercury in the morning are among the other things to know about this week.
Dichotomy defies definition
May 28, 2023 05:00 - 7 minutes - 6.94 MBMercury and Venus are approaching their greatest elongations--Mercury in the morning and Venus in the evening. That's when they're farthest from the sun in the sky and can be seen most easily. The two planets are also predicted to be at dichotomy around June 4. But an unexplained phenomenon is likely to make one appear to be in its semi-circle phase around the middle of this week and the other around the middle of next week. Why do the appearances of Mercury and Venus defy geometry? Mars ma...
What a woman gets for all her toils under the stars
May 21, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.16 MBThe moon passes by Venus and Mars. The moon goes through northern lunistice. Saturn rules the morning while Jupiter creeps in and Mercury tries. A Cambridge University student worked for two years helping build a radio signal detecting apparatus. She spent hours poring over the data it produced. And after she discovered the first known pulsar, two other people got a Nobel prize for it. Find out how well Jocelyn Bell took it in the conclusion to the series on unexpected discoveries in radio ...
Hey, the sun emits radio waves!
May 14, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.28 MBMercury, Jupiter, and Saturn are our morning planets. Venus and Mars are in the evening with Venus passing very close to Mebsuta. And hey, the sun emits radio waves. James Stanley Hey figured that out in World War II. But he couldn't talk about it for a few years. This is part two in the series on unexpected discoveries that advanced radio astronomy.
The happenstance birth of radio astronomy
May 07, 2023 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.48 MBMars and Venus straddle Gemini. The moon goes as far south as it can this month. Saturn and Jupiter greet us in the morning. Uranus goes through conjunction while Mercury emerges from it. Scientists tried for a few decades to detect radio waves from outer space. Their crude equipment didn't find any. After the discovery of the ionosphere, some concluded that radio astronomy would never be possible. It's been nine decades since a telephone company engineer's happenstance discovery proved oth...