SkyCaramba
187 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago -Podcast about astronomy and the joys of watching the skies at night--and sometimes during the day
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Episodes
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...
Eta Aquariids, Mercury disappears, and penumbral eclipse reminder
April 30, 2023 05:01 - 4 minutes - 4.07 MBThis week's full moon comes with a penumbral eclipse. Mercury goes through inferior conjunction. The Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks. Watch Venus and Mars continue a dual reign in the evening sky. Jupiter and Saturn share the morning.
Virgo; Astronomy Day
April 23, 2023 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.15 MBVanishing Mercury. The moon and Venus. Mars by Pollux. Saturn in the morning. And still no Jupiter. Virgo is a constellation of many identities. Just who she is depends on who's telling you. Astronomy Day is this week.
An eclipse, a meteor shower, and more
April 16, 2023 05:00 - 4 minutes - 3.75 MBMercury sinks sunward. Uranus goes with it. Venus plows past the Pleiades. Mars in Gemini. A Saturn-moon pairing. Jupiter still too close to the sun to see. A reminder about the hybrid solar eclipse. And a comet that last came close to the sun in 1861 provides the annual meteor shower called the April Lyrids. The shower peaks at the end of this week.
Hybrid solar eclipse
April 09, 2023 05:00 - 7 minutes - 6.75 MBMercury at greatest elongation with Uranus nearby. Venus slides by the Pleiades. Mars makes way through Gemini. Saturn stays in Aquarius. Jupiter greets the sun. Last quarter moon. A hybrid solar eclipse--annular in some places, total in others--happens next week. Learn why it's that way and where you can see it.
Dark skies matter
April 02, 2023 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.03 MBMercury marches into the evening. Venus approaches the Pleiades. Jupiter heads toward the sun. Full moon. Do what you can to preserve dark skies. Light pollution isn't just ruining astronomy. It's bad for nature.
Neptune in a new light; the raspberry taste at the center of the galaxy
March 26, 2023 05:00 - 3 minutes - 3.15 MBThe James Webb Space Telescope captured an image of Neptune that some describe as ghostly. A chemical compound detected near the center of the Milky Way galaxy is partly responsible for a fruit's taste. Jupiter disappears into the sunset and has a close call with Mercury along the way. Venus passes by Uranus. Mars passes by Castor's feet.
Aries at the equinox; the first asteroid at opposition
March 19, 2023 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.87 MBMercury joins Jupiter and Venus in the evening. Equinox is this week. The sun isn't entering Aries now, no matter what you've been told. A daytime occultation of Venus. And Ceres is at opposition.
First photographs of the moon and stars
March 12, 2023 06:00 - 3 minutes - 3.28 MBVenus dominates the early evening. Mars remains up until around midnight. Jupiter and Vesta are close. Mercury's at superior conjunction. The anniversary of the first detailed picture of the moon is coming up. That was more than 180 years ago.
Distance on the sky dome
March 05, 2023 06:00 - 7 minutes - 6.42 MBMercury's already in retreat in the morning. Venus marches more into the evening. There's still time to see Jupiter while it begins a long goodbye to the evening sky. And learn what is meant by the different ways of measuring how close two objects are when they're in conjunction.
Venus and Jupiter paired, Saturn and Mercury trade mornings
February 26, 2023 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.27 MBVenus and Jupiter will appear very close this week. Saturn relieves Mercury of morning duty.
Venus keeps climbing, Cetus the sea monster, and the incredible inedible egg
February 19, 2023 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.32 MBVenus keeps climbing the evening sky. Cetus the sea monster sets. At the heart of Leo is a star shaped like an egg.
Venus passes Neptune very close! And the unicorn
February 12, 2023 06:00 - 5 minutes - 5.21 MBVenus has a super close conjunction with Neptune this week. This is a good time to look at them in a telescope. And a beast who appears in fables going back thousands of years somehow never got a constellation until somewhat recently. There's a unicorn on the celestial dome now.
The radio sun
February 05, 2023 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.35 MBMost of the planet watching is in the evening this week. Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) passes by Mars in our sky. Learn about how someone discovered that the sun emits radio waves and why that was kept a secret for a few years.
Catch sight of the comet
January 29, 2023 06:00 - 5 minutes - 5.38 MBSaturn sinks toward sunset. Venus climbs toward Jupiter. And a comet crosses the sky.
The little dog and the first Pluto pictures
January 22, 2023 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.16 MBThe brightest star in Canis Minor (the little dog) has some things in common with the brightest star in Canis Major (the big dog). This week is the anniversary of Clyde Tombaugh taking the pictures that led to the discovery of Pluto.
Venus meets Saturn, the moon has a close perigee, and more
January 15, 2023 06:00 - 3 minutes - 3.46 MBVenus climbs Capricornus for a close call with Saturn. Jupiter's at perihelion. Mars moves eastward again. The moon occults Zubenelgenubi and has its closest perigee in five years. Mercury moves to the morning. Pluto's in conjunction with the sun.
Mercury moves to the morning
January 08, 2023 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.91 MBVenus climbs Capricornus toward Saturn, Jupiter reigns above them, Mars turns around, Mercury is coming out of inferior conjunction and moving to the morning.
Two planets at perihelion, Venus climbs toward Saturn, and moon over Mars again
January 01, 2023 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.2 MBTwo planets are at perihelion this week. Some people have a hard time believing it about one of them. Mercury says so long to the evening sky. Venus climbs toward Saturn. And the moon occults Mars again.
The asteroid belt's not densely packed and why planets don't twinkle--usually
December 25, 2022 06:00 - 4 minutes - 3.94 MBMars at equinox. Martian clouds. The asteroid belt isn't nearly as dense as shown on TV. Planets don't twinkle--usually.
Mercury at greatest elongation and the longest days of the year
December 18, 2022 06:00 - 5 minutes - 5.34 MBMercury's at greatest elongation and near Venus. Jupiter and Saturn are easy evening sights. So is Mars. Earth's at solstice. These are the longest days of the year as measured by high noon to high noon.
The so-called lunar standstill and the Geminid meteor shower
December 11, 2022 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.51 MBMercury and Venus trek across the northern part of Sagittarius as they barely make it into the evening sky. The moon goes farther north and south each month as it approaches a so-called major lunar standstill. The Geminid meteor shower peaks this week. The first astronomers who saw this shower described it as not very active, but things have changed.
The moon hides Mars
December 04, 2022 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.92 MBVenus and Mercury step into the evening sky. The moon hides Mars for observers in North America and Europe.
Alrighty Auriga! And a DART on target.
November 27, 2022 06:00 - 6 minutes - 5.61 MBThe legend of the constellation Auriga tells of a man who succeeded in winning a royal bride after 18 suitors failed. They had to race the princess's father. If they lost, they lost big. The DART mission to nudge an asteroid into a different orbit worked. Why bother? The day may come when our lives depend on it.
Calculating planets' positions
November 20, 2022 06:00 - 7 minutes - 6.46 MBHave you ever wanted to figure out where the planets would appear? I won't go into the details you'll need to do the math. But I'll tell you something to help you decide if you want to get started.
Start looking for Leonids and try to spot the crane
November 13, 2022 06:00 - 6 minutes - 5.97 MBThe Leonid meteor shower peak is coming. Actually, we could have multiple peaks as Earth passes through three old trails. A southerly bird on the celestial dome is a little hard for northern hemisphere observers to see, but you can try.
Lunar eclipse, Leonids, and the sun, stars, and stripes.
November 06, 2022 05:00 - 6 minutes - 6.01 MBThere's a total lunar eclipse this week. Start looking for Leonids. Earth is expected to pass through a few dense streams from hundreds of years ago. The designers of a monument to veterans in Arizona used astronomy to make something special happen at 11:11am on November 11.
Total lunar eclipse and how a nova shone new light on the nature of stars
October 30, 2022 05:00 - 9 minutes - 8.29 MBMars is turning around. Get ready for next week's total lunar eclipse. It's been 450 years since a supernova shone new light--literally and figuratively--on the true nature of stars.
Mercury Hidden and the Goat-Fish
October 23, 2022 05:00 - 7 minutes - 7.2 MBAn almost new moon hides an almost full Mercury this week. Learn how they can both be in the same part of the sky but in different phases. Capricornus is often recognized as a goat, but did you know it's half fish?
This month's solar eclipse and next month's Uranus opposition
October 16, 2022 05:00 - 6 minutes - 6.33 MBParts of Europe, Africa, and Asia get a partial solar eclipse this month. If you're where you can see it, make sure you see it safely. Uranus will be at opposition next month. Learn how it got its name and some other ways to say it if you find it embarrassing.
Orionids, Hyades, and the stellar royal family
October 09, 2022 05:00 - 6 minutes - 5.69 MBComet Halley is almost as far from us as it gets, but we're about to pass through its trail. Meet the Hyades, half-sisters of the Pleiades. Not much is said about the king going around the celestial north pole. The queen going around with him likes it that way. Learn about them and their daughter.
Sirius by day and DART
October 02, 2022 05:00 - 7 minutes - 7.09 MBThe brightest night star can be seen in the daytime at certain times of the year if you know exactly where to look. And observations are underway to determine if human technology can nudge an asteroid.
Tides
September 25, 2022 05:00 - 6 minutes - 5.64 MBYour idea of how the moon affects the tides is probably incomplete. Here's the rest of the story.
A crab, donkeys, and bees
September 18, 2022 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.05 MBOne of the fainter constellations is named for a crustacean, even though two of its stars are donkeys and one of its star clusters is described as a beehive.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot
September 11, 2022 05:00 - 4 minutes - 3.77 MBThe most famous whirlwind in the solar system has been spinning for almost 200 years. Some think it's been around more than 360 years. You can see it for yourself in a telescope--if you look at the right time.
A once-in-a-lifetime opposition
September 04, 2022 05:00 - 6 minutes - 5.88 MBJupiter will soon be the closest it's been to Earth since 1963! The next time it's this close will be in the next century. Mercury exits the evening sky and moves to the morning. Venus slowly leaves the morning. Mars marches eastward. And the equinox.
Awful astrology questions
August 28, 2022 05:00 - 2 minutes - 2.48 MBMercury begins its retreat from the evening sky. Venus also heads sunward. Mars moves by the Hyades V. And how do I take it when people ask me astrology questions?
The Great Square
August 21, 2022 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.23 MBLearn about the Great Square of Pegasus and some star names that maybe don't make horse sense.
The swan and the eagle
August 14, 2022 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.07 MBMercury maintains evening status. Saturn goes through opposition. Jupiter stands strong for most of the night. Mars meets the Pleiades and Hyades. Venus sinks sunward. Two legendary birds, a swan and an eagle, fly alongside the Milky Way stream and are easily seen on August evenings.
A martyr's tears streak the sky
August 07, 2022 05:00 - 3 minutes - 3.09 MBSome people knew before scientists did that meteor showers are somewhat regular events. Meteor streaks seen in August have been described for centuries as the tears of a Christian martyr burned alive in Rome more than 1,700 years ago. However, astronomers didn't pay much mind to meteors until less than two centuries ago. What's left of the morning planetary lineup is spreading out as Saturn crosses into the evening sky one way and Mercury has already arrived there from the other.
Eclipse timing
July 31, 2022 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.31 MBMercury's moving into the evening sky. The other planets are still merry in the morning. And in case you wondered about eclipses seemingly occurring at regular intervals, you're right.
Mercury emerges into the evening; the lover's crown over your head
July 24, 2022 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.33 MBMercury went through superior conjunction recently. Now it's emerging in the evening sky. A lover's crown goes over our heads on July evenings. The old stories tell of a woman hurt by a lover who left her and a god who wanted to be her rebound.
Galactic coordinates and the Delta Aquariid meteor shower
July 17, 2022 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.62 MBNot a lot of astronomy guides use it, but some astronomers like the galactic coordinate system. And try to see some Delta Aquariid meteors.
Robert Goddard's vindication
July 10, 2022 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.79 MBA well reputed newspaper published a scathing editorial putting down the founder of rocket science for his idea that a rocket can be controlled in space and even made to land on the moon. The paper said anybody with a high school education should know better. The newspaper eventually published a retraction, but not before people were actually on their way to the moon.
The moon moves through the evening, Saturn's shadow, eccentricity
July 03, 2022 05:00 - 6 minutes - 5.65 MBThe moon moves through the evening sky this week, while most of the planets are still visible in the morning. Over the next few weeks, you can see Saturn's shadow move from one side of its rings to the other. And there's a way to describe just how non-circular an object's orbit is.
Mercury leaving the morning meeting, lunar orbital points converge, and Earth at aphelion
June 26, 2022 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.47 MBMercury's on the way out of the morning meeting of planets. Three of the moon's orbital points come together this week. And Earth is farthest away from the sun.
The loneliest star and the arrow
June 19, 2022 05:00 - 6 minutes - 6.39 MBA southern star is known as the loneliest star, although it's well liked by navigators who perform their craft with sextants. And an arrow flies overhead, but it doesn't come from the constellation known as the archer.
The morning planet lineup stays good, and get ready for the solstice
June 12, 2022 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.76 MBThe naked eye planets are in order in the morning sky. Uranus and Neptune break the order, but they're there too. And get ready for the solstice.
Mercury moves more into the morning meeting; Antares and Scorpius
June 05, 2022 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.45 MBThe naked eye planets are in order in the morning sky. Mercury moves in a little farther. Antares is the heart of the scorpion.
An orderly planetary lineup and a dolphin's service remembered
May 29, 2022 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.4 MBThe naked eye planets in our morning lineup can be seen in the same order in the sky that they are in distance from the sun. Old stories tell of the dolphin among the constellations and the animal's service to other beings, including a human in trouble. About two centuries ago, two never previously known star names showed up in a published star catalog. The person who named them took the secret of their origins to his grave. But the names are accepted today and the mystery is solved. Liste...