SkyCaramba
187 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
The lesser known celestial dogs, moon at the nodes
May 22, 2022 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.3 MBThe moon helps you identify the planets in the morning lineup. You've surely heard of Canis Major and Canis Minor. But there are two other celestial dogs: Canes Venatici. An almanac may tell you when the moon is at ascending node or descending node. SkyCaramba tells you what that means.
Polaris
May 15, 2022 05:00 - 4 minutes - 4.2 MBThe morning planet show continues. A reminder about this week's total lunar eclipse. And despite its reputation, the North Star isn't the brightest star in the night sky. But the star with that distinction will eventually be the South Star.
Total Lunar Eclipse and Clawing Into Libra's Star Names
May 08, 2022 05:00 - 6 minutes - 5.81 MBNext week, from Sunday night to Monday morning (exact times vary by where you are), the moon will spend almost an hour-and-a-half in the central part of Earth's shadow. The eclipsed moon will be next to Libra. The constellation represents the scales of justice. The scales don't have claws, but three of Libra's stars' names contain an old word for claw.
Planetary lineup continues, Mercury in the evening, Eta Aquariids, Berenices's Hair
May 01, 2022 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.95 MBThat amazing morning meeting of planets continues. Mercury maintains its place in the evening. The most famous comet is almost as far from the sun as it gets, but it's responsible for a meteor shower that doesn't depend much on the comet's closeness. Brush up on your knowledge of Berenice's Hair.
A southern solar eclipse, Virgo, and Astronomy Day
April 24, 2022 05:00 - 6 minutes - 5.51 MBSome South American and southern Pacific Ocean sky watchers get to see a solar eclipse this week. Use eye protection! Who's Virgo? The constellation was different women to different ancient cultures. Astronomy Day is coming.
April Lyrids and comet names
April 17, 2022 05:00 - 3 minutes - 3.5 MBMorning sky watching continues to be wondrous. Evening isn't so bad either lately. Get ready for the April Lyrids meteor shower. And just why do comets have such long, strange names now?
The full spectrum
April 10, 2022 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.42 MBThere's more to sunlight than meets the eye. About two centuries ago, a thermometer next to a prism helped a scientist see our home star in a new light.
More morning lineup, when the sun acts up
April 03, 2022 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.15 MBMercury soon returns to the evening sky as a morning planet lineup continues. Expect more sunspots, solar flares, and aurorae over the next few years. Aurorae are mesmerizing sky sights that happen when solar particles hit Earth's upper atmosphere. But sometimes, the sun throws off enough material to cause serious problems on Earth's surface.
Jupiter gets hard to see, the seamstress and cowherder in the sky, Arcturus and the World's Fair
March 27, 2022 05:00 - 3 minutes - 3.15 MBJupiter is leaving our morning lineup. Two stars on opposite sides of the Milky Way stream represent separated lovers. An orange star helped kick off a World's Fair
The ecliptic and the equator
March 20, 2022 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.02 MBSome sky watchers may catch Jupiter and Mercury very close this week as the morning planet lineup continues. Uranus remains in the evening sky. The week begins with the solstice and Venus at greatest elongation. Just like latitude and longitude lines on an earth map, there are lines showing where to plot points to represent starts, planets, and other object on a sky map. Find out about the two coordinate systems.
Stars and legends of the Big Dipper
March 13, 2022 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.71 MBOne of the most famous star patterns isn't considered a constellation in its own right. But it's so easily recognized, many people have told stories about it and surely will for as long as they can see the stars. Two of the stars in the Big Dipper's handle were said to foretell life or death. That handle is a bear's tail. But for a bear's tail, it's very long. And there's a tale about that.
Morning meetup, four planets in one constellation, and a little about Aries
March 06, 2022 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.56 MBThe morning planet meetup continues. For barely one full day, four planets will be within the boundaries of one constellation. Learn a little about Aries, a constellation that's setting not long after the sun this time of year.
Morning planet meetup continues, quick measurements
February 27, 2022 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.56 MBThe morning meetup of planets continues. The moon joins the party. How to quickly measure angular distances in the sky.
Morning merriment; the crab
February 20, 2022 06:00 - 4 minutes - 4.42 MBThe naked eye planet watching is very interesting these mornings, especially from near the equator and in the southern hemisphere. The crab remembered in the constellation Cancer did a bold enough thing to be put on the celestial dome, but he didn't earn any medals in the form of bright stars. In fact, his mission failed.
The Unicorn
February 13, 2022 06:00 - 4 minutes - 3.86 MBGoodbye, Jupiter. See you some morning. Three planets are still in a morning triangle. Full moon in Leo. The unicorn has existed in stories for thousands of years, but it didn't exist among the constellations until fairly recently.
More morning migration; the sextant; Perseus and Andromeda
February 06, 2022 06:00 - 5 minutes - 5.1 MBThe naked eye planets continue migrating to the morning sky. Two constellations are named after things you'd look at the sky with. One is the sextant. The old legends say Perseus rescued Andromeda from a sea monster. They still circle the north celestial pole together.
Lepus the hare
January 30, 2022 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBNaked eye planet watching is coming to an end in the evening, but you may see Uranus and Neptune. Find out where Venus and Mars are in the morning. One of them is by a shield. And learn about the hare or rabbit at Orion's feet.
Sirius things to think about
January 23, 2022 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.66 MBThe planet watching continues to migrate to the morning. Astronomers realized in 1844 that Sirius has a companion star. But it took 18 years before anyone built a telescope that could reveal it. Sky watchers of long ago described Sirius as red. Why would they say that when the star is bluish-white?
Gemini and Jimmy Carter's Unidentified Flying Planet
January 16, 2022 06:00 - 6 minutes - 5.65 MBVenus moves into the morning with Mars. Mercury's leaving the evening with Saturn in its wake. Jupiter's not ready to go just yet. Many of the legends of Gemini say one twin is immortal but the other isn't. Learn about some stars in the constellation. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter claims to have seen a strange light in the sky one night in 1969. He doesn't think it was a spacecraft. Neither do most of the UFO researchers who've studied the case, although he disagrees with their assess...
Orion, Colorfully Named Iris and a River Runs Through It
January 09, 2022 06:00 - 6 minutes - 5.58 MBVenus begins its ingress into the morning sky. Saturn's on its way out of the evening. A colorfully named asteroid, Iris, is at opposition this week. Orion is the most recognizable constellation and now's the best time of year to get to know him. A river is an important part of many ancient Greek legends whose characters are represented in our constellation maps. So, of course, it makes sense to have a river up there too.
Quadrantids, Earth at perihelion, planets hiding planets
January 02, 2022 06:00 - 6 minutes - 5.93 MBThe Quadrantid meteor shower peaks this week. Earth is closest to the sun. The moon passes in front of planets somewhat often. Planets passing in front of other planets? Every once in a few lifetimes.
Amazingly afar Andromeda
December 26, 2021 06:00 - 7 minutes - 7 MBMost of the naked eye planets are congregating in the evening sky this week. December evenings are also a good time to see the Andromeda Galaxy. A century ago, astronomers weren't sure what it was. When one astronomer noticed something the rest missed, he blew their minds.
Mercury meek in the evening, Comet Leonard approaches the sun, and Star of Bethlehem
December 19, 2021 06:00 - 6 minutes - 6 MBMercury is an evening object, but you'll have trouble finding it. Comet Leonard enters Microscopium as its orbital position takes it closer to the sun. A popular question this time of year is what was the Star of Bethlehem. Most of the possible answers don't actually involve stars. When they do, they involve planets too.
Comet Leonard enters the evening and how asteroids are named
December 12, 2021 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.9 MBFast-moving Comet Leonard becomes an evening object this week. Venus slows its march eastward to turn around. The Geminid meteor shower peaks. If you ever discover an asteroid, you'll get to name it after yourself, someone else, a place, or a thing. But it's not a case of anything goes. And it's not a fast process.
Geminid Meteor Mystery and Preserving Darkness
December 05, 2021 06:00 - 6 minutes - 6.07 MBSooner is better than later for seeing this year's Geminid meteors. Consider the mystery about where the Geminids come from. They're not associated with a comet. Be considerate when using outdoor lighting. It's not just astronomy that depends on a proper light.
Three planets in the evening, Mars in the morning, Comet Leonard, Antarctic eclipse
November 28, 2021 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.83 MBThree planets are in our evening sky. Mars is emerging into the morning dome. Try to see Comet Leonard. And Antarctica gets a solar eclipse.
Thanksgiving skies of 400 years ago and an Antarctic eclipse
November 21, 2021 06:00 - 5 minutes - 5.1 MBIt's been 400 years since the harvest celebration that inspired the American Thanksgiving holiday. What did the pilgrims and the Wampanoag see in the sky in 1621? Antarctica and places nearby get a solar eclipse.
Spilling the facts on Aquarius
November 14, 2021 06:00 - 5 minutes - 5.04 MBAquarius has represented spilling water since the Babylonians looked up and saw one of their gods emptying a jug.
A nearly total lunar eclipse
November 07, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 5.04 MBNext week, the moon will delve almost as deeply as it can into Earth's shadow without a total eclipse. Find out where you can see it and what time it happens. Also, keep up on what's happening with Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Mars.
See Ceres
October 31, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.65 MBYou certainly heard about Pluto being demoted to dwarf planet status in 2006. But the news about Ceres being promoted to that status didn't get nearly as much attention. (This edition has been edited to remove the incorrect date for Ceres' close pass by Aldebaran. The correct information is they will be closest at 0.1° apart on the 3rd. My apologies for the error.) Venus crosses the teapot lid. Saturn and Jupiter hang out in Capricornus. The moon helps you find Mercury. Uranus is up all nig...
Getting closer to and farther from the sun at the same time
October 24, 2021 05:00 - 6 minutes - 5.49 MBVenus is getting closer to the sun, but you'd never know that from the way things look lately. The deceptive view of the solar system we get from Earth made it hard for sky watchers to figure out how the planets actually move.
Emerging Mercury and Mars; Spy on Jupiter's spot; Venus by Ophiuchus; the Hyades
October 17, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBMercury is emerging into the morning sky and will soon be joined by Mars. Try to spy on Jupiter's "Great Red Spot". It's not actually red. Venus goes through the southern end of Ophiuchus, the zodiac constellation most people don't know about. Get to know the Hyades.
Venus is the scorpion's head, Lacerta, and more about Mira and Algol
October 10, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBThis week's astronomical action: Venus passes through the scorpion's head. The moon passes in front of the archer's bow. Jupiter and Saturn keep hanging out in Capricornus. Naming a new constellation after a reptile turned out to be more popular than naming it after any king. And how did one variable star get the name of something fearsome but another is called wonderful?
A splendid clutter in Scorpius, opposite behavior by stars on opposite sides of the sky, the wonderful fading star
October 03, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBWatch Venus and the moon making a nice cluster--or clutter--in Scorpius. Opposite behavior by stars on opposite sides of the sky from the same cause. Not all variable stars are thought to be ghoulish. One is considered to be wonderful.
Daytime meteor shower, Venus goes through the diamond, and Capricornus
September 26, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBYou won't be able to see it, but there's a meteor shower this week. It happens in the daytime. Venus goes through the Libra diamond. Astronomy tails and tales. Don't panic or you might end up like Capricornus the goat-fish.
Equal day and night--or not
September 19, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBWhat you've heard your whole life about day and night being of exactly equal length on the equinox is wrong. I'll tell you why. And remember that myth about eggs standing up on their ends only on the equinox? For some reason, the myth only considers the March equinox. Follow Venus into the evening sky and see Jupiter and Saturn nearly all night.
Algol, the demon star
September 12, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBWhat would you think of a star that blinks? Maybe you'd think there's something sinister about it. That's how Algol got its name. It's from Arabic for the demon. To the ancient Greeks, Algol was a blinking eye of Medusa. Before that, the ancient Egyptians may have thought of the star as a bringer of luck--good or bad depending on when the eye of Horus looked upon them. Algol still blinks. Listen to this podcast to understand why and then go see it for yourself. Neptune is at opposition this...
Zodiacal light
September 05, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBThis is the time of year to see the dawn before the dawn. Depending on the circumstances, this faint glow might make you think the sun is rising sooner than it is or that you're approaching a city when there's just open country ahead.
September 2021 astronomical events
August 29, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBMercury moves farther into the evening sky and Venus scoots along Virgo while Mars is elusive in the evening light. Jupiter and Saturn are retrograde in Capricornus. Neptune's at opposition. Earth's at equinox.
Northern solstice on Mars and interstellar space
August 22, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBMars is at its northern solstice. There's more to space than what we see orbiting stars. And between the stars, there's more than just nothing. Mars and Mercury start the week close. Venus voyages through Virgo. The moon with Jupiter and Saturn. And try to find Neptune.
A traditional blue moon, Mars and Mercury meet up, and identifying satellites
August 15, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBA traditional blue moon is coming up. That's not the second full moon of the month. Mars and Mercury are close this week. And learn how to identify the satellites and space junk you see going overhead.
Zavijava, Perseids, Cygnus
August 08, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBVenus passes by a star named Zavijava this week. The name is fun to say. Find out what it means. Viewing this year's Perseids meteor shower should be good. A celestial swan flies high in the August evening skies. Hear some of the old legends about how it got there.
August 2021's astronomical events and the martyr's tears
August 01, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBThere are a couple of close pairings this month--Venus and Zavijava and then Mars and Mercury. Saturn and Jupiter are both at opposition. Northern hemisphere viewers have a chance to see the northern and southern crowns. Several animal constellations feature well this month. And there's a meteor shower that produces what some call the tears of St. Lawrence.
Precovery
July 25, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBIn astronomy, the person who first sees an object isn't necessarily the person who gets credit for discovering it. The discoverer is the one who recognizes it as something new or different. If you think it's a star, but someone else figures out it's a planet, you'll be lucky to get a footnote for "precovery" in a chapter about someone else's discovery. Usually, only a few years pass between precovery and discovery. But in one case, several astronomers saw an object and called it a star for m...
Orders of Magnitude
July 18, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBIt doesn't make sense that stars shining at magnitude 31.5 are among the dimmest the Hubble Space Telescope can see, while one shining at 0 is one of the brightest in the sky. And objects with magnitudes below 0 are even brighter! How can the lower number mean a brighter body? It starts making sense when you understand how this measurement system got started more than 2,000 years ago. And find out what's happening in the sky the week of July 18 through 24, 2021.
Coriolis Effect
July 11, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBA popular misconception says toilet water goes one way in the northern hemisphere and the other way in the southern hemisphere. Unless your toilet's a giant lake, its location doesn't make a difference. Follow Venus and Mars in the evening sky while Jupiter and Saturn continue rising earlier.
Sagittarius
July 04, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBA half-man, half-horse crosses southern skies. Much of the world only gets a partial view of him. In the northern hemisphere, the visible part of this constellation looks like something we keep in our kitchens. And find out what to expect from Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury this week.
July 2021 astronomical events
June 27, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBVenus meets Mars in the evening sky. Jupiter and Saturn continue their morning co-dominance. And they help out with identification of two meteor showers. Mercury moves into the morning. Also, there's an upcoming anniversary of a total solar eclipse associated with a hit song. Are people mistakenly thinking the song is about that event?
Antares and Sagitta
June 20, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBOn the way from Earth to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, one would pass a bright orange star that happens to be the bright star in Scorpius. An arrow crosses the night sky this time of year. Several ancient legends tell who may have shot it and who might have been its target. And find out what to look for in the skies the week of June 20 to 26, 2021
Berenice's Hair and Earth at Aphelion
June 13, 2021 05:00 - 5 minutes - 4.58 MBAn ancient world story tells us that when some priests were in a "hairy" situation, an astronomer saved their lives by pointing out a faint yet majestic patch of stars. It may be getting warmer where you live, but Earth is almost as far away from the sun as it gets. Astronomical sights for the week of June 13 to 19, 2021