Slacker Astronomy podcast: Episodes
This is a cross-post of our first contribution to The 365 Days of Astronomy podcast. Doug and Michael discuss the cause of the seasons here on earth and other aspects of the night sky as explained by simple geometry.
Doug interviews Ken Mogul, who has been using the Global Rent-a-scope system to observe variable stars from his bed.
Michael and Doug discuss Mars Phoenix, Hubble and iPhone rockets plus an interview with Dr. JJ Kavelaars about Kuiper Belt objects.
From the Nantucket studios of Slacker Astronomy, we join Aaron, Michael and Doug for some astronomical chatter, including an interview with Dr. Geoff Clayton, an expert on R Coronae Borealis stars.
After the tragedy of the "lost episode", undaunted, we got the gang together on Skype and had some fun recording a new show. Warning: Some politics within!
Brief discussions about SOFIA and the upcoming Hubble servicing mission from the AAS meeting in Saint Louis. Cameos by Phil Plait (Bad Astronomy) and Mike Simonson (AAVSO).
We bring the old gang back together for a chit chat about Mars, Brian May, kinematic footprints, IYA and more. We had some technical problems so please ignore the occasional static, beeps or bad jokes.
Doug and Michael interview Doug Baum who, along with his partner Russ Lederman, has developed the Binocular Photon Machine (BIPH), a device which amplifies incoming light 50,000 times, effectively tripling your telescope aperture. We talk about the device, how it works and the cool ways it can be used.
An interview with Dr. Ethan Vishniac who is the editor-in-chief of The Astrophyscial Journal and a professor of astronomy at McMaster University.
An interview with Ben Wiehe of WGBH about science cafes.
Aaron Price won a Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award for this poster on the cataclysmic variable star BZ UMa. Aaron walks us through his poster and results.
An interview with Juan Collar of the Kavli Institute on detecting dark matter in the laboratory.
A short interview with Susana Deustua about the International Year of Astronomy, with a brief cameo by Mike Simonson of the AAVSO.
A short interview with Rick Fienberg of Sky and Telescope magazine.
Michael and Doug discuss the Ice Cube Neutrino Observatory, supernovae light echos and buying a star.
Julie Wilbert brings us a report on light pollution with members of the Minnesota Astronomical Society.
An interview with Aaron Price about the history of Slacker Astronomy plus ramblings by Michael.
Doug and Michael chat with Brant Robertson, who is a Spitzer Fellow doing research at The Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics. Brant is a theoretical astrophysicist involved with computer simulations of the evolution of galaxies.
A brief history of the universe according to modern cosmology. Also a brief discussion of asteroid 2007 WD5, which may hit Mars.
Discussion on what stars are and how they work.