Travelers In The Night
1,096 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 21 ratingsA real "Science Snack" for anyone who is interested in the extraterrestrial.
Dr. Al Grauer is a member of the Catalina Sky Survey which has led the world in near Earth asteroid discoveries for 17 of the past 19 years.
The music is "Eternity" by John Lyell.
Astronomy Asteroids Space NASA Comets Earth Impact Aliens
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Episodes
46-How Far Is Forever
January 23, 2015 20:19 - 2 minutesThe NASA Hubble Space Telescope was used to take images of the most distant galaxies ever observed. This view takes us back in time to shortly after the Universe came into being with the big bang.
45-A World Full Of Holes
January 23, 2015 20:17 - 2 minutesThe Earth has been struck by objects from space many times in the past. Could asteroid impact craters be the place to search for evidence of life on Mars?
44-A Unique Metal World-Asteroid Psyche
January 23, 2015 20:14 - 2 minutesA visit to the asteroid Psyche will provide clues as to the nature of the Earth's core.
43-Earth-Size Planet In Habitable Zone
January 23, 2015 20:12 - 2 minutesThe Kepler Space Craft has discovered an Earth like planet which may have conditions which may allow life as we know it to exist. Can we imagine what creatures might live there?
42-Sobering Data on Asteroid Impacts
January 23, 2015 20:10 - 2 minutesOn Earth Day, Astronauts revealed that the Earth is struck by small asteroids more often than previously thought. They propose to build and launch the Sentinel Space Telescope to provide a warning of impending asteroid impacts.
41-Navigating The Night Sky
January 23, 2015 20:05 - 2 minutesLearn to navigate the night sky with your naked eye and find the place where the NASA Kepler Space Craft has found an Earth like planet at the right distance from its star to have life as we know it.
40-Itokawa A Strange Space Peanut
January 23, 2015 20:03 - 2 minutesMeasurements of its rate of spin and shape reveal that the asteroid Itokawa has a very odd structure.
39-Dash Cams -The Anatomy of An Airburst
January 23, 2015 20:00 - 2 minutesData obtained from automobile dash cams has enabled scientists to understand the airburst which occurred when a small asteroid entered the Earth's atmosphere on February 15, 2013.
38-The Big Ones
January 23, 2015 19:58 - 2 minutesOne million human lifetimes ago an asteroid impact was at least partially responsible for eliminating the dinosaurs. The asteroid hunting community has met the US Congressional mandate to find 90% of the 1 Km sized Earth approaching asteroids. Currently the search is progressing to finding football field sized near Earth objects.
37-At The Edge Of Our Solar System
January 23, 2015 19:55 - 2 minutesTwo new objects have been discovered in what was once thought to be an empty region of our Solar System. They are so far from our Sun that they are very cold and take many thousands of years to make one trip around it.
36-Earth and Moon as Evening Stars
January 22, 2015 23:37 - 2 minutesA human standing on Mars would see the Earth and Moon as either a double morning or evening star. Recently the NASA Curiosity Rover took an image of this beautiful scene.
35-An Asteroid With A Ring
January 22, 2015 23:34 - 2 minutesFor hundreds of years the Saturn was the only planet known to have rings. Now we know that Uranus, Jupiter, and Neptune also have rings. Recently the asteroid Chariklo was found to have a pair of icy rings.
34-Number 5000
January 22, 2015 19:29 - 2 minutesThe 5000th near Earth Asteroid found by the NASA funded Catalina Sky Survey was published early in 2014. This group has discovered 47% of the Earth Approaching Objects known to exist.
33-A Busy Month In Our Neighborhood
January 22, 2015 19:27 - 2 minutesIn March of 2014 six asteroids which pass closer than our Moon to us were discovered. Fortunately none of them will impact the Earth anytime soon.
32-A Peanut Shaped Asteroid with a Moon
January 22, 2015 19:22 - 2 minutesAstronomers are discovering that many asteroids have a peanut shape and that some have small moons.
31-A Gentle Breakup Of An Asteroid
January 22, 2015 19:19 - 2 minutesAn asteroid spins up, develops 6 tails, and breaks apart under the gentle influence of Sun light.
30-Asteroids On An Inside Track
January 21, 2015 03:51 - 2 minutesOnly 13 out of the more than 10,000 Earth approaching objects have their orbit completely within that of the Earth.
29-An Odd Couple
January 21, 2015 03:49 - 2 minutesThe Curiosity Rover and The Maven Spacecraft explore Mars and stir our imaginations.
28-Finding An Asteroid for Astronauts
January 21, 2015 03:46 - 2 minutesA prelude of a manned flyby of Venus and Mars could be a manned mission to an asteroid. The search for an appropriate asteroid continues.
27-A Lucky Friday the 13th
January 21, 2015 03:44 - 2 minutesFriday the 13th of 2029 will be a lucky day for the Human race when the asteroid passes very near the Earth.
26-Binary Asteroids
January 21, 2015 03:42 - 2 minutesBinary asteroids are relatively common and would present a challenge if one of the were heading for Earth.
25-Fireballs
January 21, 2015 03:37 - 2 minutesFireballs are meteors brighter than the Planet Venus.
24-Jupiter Friend or Foe
January 21, 2015 03:34 - 2 minutesJupiter was once thought to provide a shield which has prevented impacts from objects in space. Modern calculations find that Jupiter sends some object our way and deflects others. You may be surprised with the results.
23-Capturing An Asteroid
January 21, 2015 03:32 - 2 minutesNASA is planning an Asteroid Redirect Mission which will place a small asteroid in orbit about our moon. There it can be visited and studied by human astronauts.
22-Asteroid 2013 TV 135
January 21, 2015 01:59 - 2 minutesAsteroid 2013 TV135 is a potentially hazardous asteroid which at first appeared to be on a collision course with planet Earth. Subsequent observations refined its orbit and reduced its chances of striking us.
21-A Search for Earth Like Planets
January 21, 2015 01:56 - 2 minutesThe Kepler Spacecraft has discovered that planets which are apparently similar to Earth exist outside of our solar system.
20-A Serendipitous Supernova in M82
January 21, 2015 01:54 - 2 minutesA group of students in London, England discover a supernova.
19-An Asteroid with a Comet Orbit
January 21, 2015 01:52 - 2 minutesAsteroid 2013 JD4 has an unusual unstable orbit about the Sun.
18-The FIrst Pre-Impact Discovery
January 21, 2015 01:43 - 2 minutesAsteroid 2008 TC3 is the first object discovered before it impacted the Earth.
17-From Asteroid to Comet to Deep Space
January 21, 2015 01:30 - 2 minutesAn object is discovered that first appeared to be a huge near Earth asteroid. Subsequent observations show it to be a comet making a single trip through our solar system.
16-Discovery of Comet P:2014 A2 [Hill]
January 21, 2015 00:30 - 2 minutesThis piece describes the process of comet discovery.
15-Suppose An Asteroid Is Heading for Us
January 21, 2015 00:09 - 2 minutesWhat are our options when we discover that an asteroid is on a collision course with Earth?
14-The Rosetta Spacecraft
January 21, 2015 00:05 - 2 minutesAfter a tour of the inner solar system, the Rosetta Spacecraft will land on a comet, make measurements, and return data to Earth.
13-The Tunguska Event
January 21, 2015 00:02 - 2 minutesIn 1908 a small asteroid or comet entered the Earth's atmosphere over Siberia and killed 80 million trees.
12-Mars and A Comet, A Near Miss
January 21, 2015 00:00 - 2 minutesIn October of 2014 a comet will make a close approach to the planet Mars.
11-Hunting Asteroids on January 7, 2014
January 20, 2015 23:58 - 2 minutesA description of Asteroid hunting with the 60 inch telescope on Mt. Lemmon, Arizona.
10-Bennu
January 20, 2015 23:56 - 2 minutesThe OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will perform a sample and return mission to the potentially hazardous asteroid Bennu.
9-Asteroid 2014 AA Impacted Earth
January 20, 2015 23:55 - 2 minutesThe first Earth approaching asteroid discovered in 2014 hit our planet 20 hours after its discovery.
8-A Bad Day for the Dinosaurs
January 20, 2015 19:23 - 2 minutesAn asteroid impact changed life on Earth 66 million years ago.
7-2013 UQ4 Comes In From The Cold
January 20, 2015 19:22 - 2 minutesA large asteroid with a long orbital period comes near the Earth.
6-A Near Miss June 2013 [2013 LR6]
January 20, 2015 19:20 - 2 minutesA small asteroid is discovered and tracked as it passes close to the Earth.
5-Two Earth Approaching Objects
January 20, 2015 19:19 - 2 minutesA Potentially Hazardous Asteroid and a small asteroid which passed very near the Earth were discovered the same day by the telescopes of the Catalina Sky Survey.
4-Potentially Hazardous Asteroids
January 20, 2015 19:17 - 2 minutesThis piece introduces the listener to potentially hazardous asteroids.
3-Finding Earth Approaching Objects
January 20, 2015 19:16 - 2 minutesIn 2013 the Voyager I spacecraft became the most distant human made Traveler in the Night as it continues its journey into space.
2-Voyager I's Baby Step
January 20, 2015 19:15 - 2 minutesIn 2013 the Voyager I spacecraft became the most distant human made Traveler in the Night as it continues its journey into space.
1-Russian Fireball February 2013
January 17, 2015 03:50 - 2 minutesA description of what happened when a large rock in space entered the Earth's atmosphere over Russia on February 15, 2013.