Podcast: Interview: JJ Kavelaars and 2008 KV₄₂

Michael and Doug ramble through a random selection of topics including Mars Phoenix, Hubble and iPhone rockets. Then the main event — a great interview with Dr. JJ Kavelaars about Kuiper Belt objects and specifically the discovery of 2008 KV₄₂, “the first ever trans-neptunian object known to orbit backwards around the Sun”.

Interview: JJ Kavelaars and 2008 KV₄₂(MP3, 44.6MB, 01:04:49)

The interview starts at 22:45 if you want to get right to it.

Images of other worlds

This really is big news and Phil sums it up beautifully. We have unequivocally imaged other planets. Most of us were born in a world where we knew of no other planets besides our solar system. Now we have pictures of them. Our children will grow up in a world where planets around other stars are common. That is a major shift in our understanding of the universe. Congratulations to the thousands of scientists that stood on the shoulders of a thousand other scientists to chip away at these amazing discoveries.

The iPhone Rocket

iPhone Rocket Launch and Interview (from MobileOrchard.com) from Mobile Orchard on Vimeo.

This is a little video from a project I’ve been working on. It’s, um, kinda-sorta related to space and stuff?

Eta Car does its thing

Eta Carinae is one of the most interesting stars that we know of. It has an annual a recurring “event” that occurs every 5.5 years and it just happens to be occurring right now. A lot is known about the event but much mystery remains. We know that there is an x-ray “eclipse” and that the period is probably related to a binary companion. The spectra also changes markedly during the event. But because the star is so massive and hot, the solar wind is so intense that detailed, resolved spectroscopy of the central star(s) is impossible. The wind smears the lines out.

I could go on and on about Eta Car. It’s a fascinating system and one of the likely candidates for a nearby supernova in our lifetimes. For more info, a great place to start is the HST Treasury Program on Eta Carinae.

New podcast + interview

We have a new podcast on the feed, recorded on lovely Nantucket island during the fall AAVSO meeting. Aaron, Doug and I have a casual chat about a myriad of astronomical topics. Then we join Doug Welch as he interviews his old friend Dr. Geoff Clayton, an expert on R Coronae Borealis stars. We also have that interview on video.

Listen now! (MP3, 33.4MB, 36:18, Show Notes)

Stephen Hawking to leave prestigious position

Stephen Hawking is retiring from his position as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University. I hope he is doing OK. A friend in my local astronomy club forwarded along a list of all of the previous Lucasian Professors:

* 1664 Isaac Barrow
* 1669 Sir Isaac Newton
* 1702 William Whiston
* 1711 Nicholas Saunderson
* 1739 John Colson
* 1760 Edward Waring
* 1798 Isaac Milner
* 1820 Robert Woodhouse
* 1822 Thomas Turton
* 1826 Sir George Biddell Airy
* 1828 Charles Babbage
* 1839 Joshua King
* 1849 Sir George Stokes
* 1903 Sir Joseph Larmor
* 1932 Paul Dirac
* 1969 Sir James Lighthill
* 1979 Stephen Hawking

I wonder who is next?

PS - there’s a new podcast on the feed. Will be posting it here soon.

Great Worldwide Star Count - Oct 20 to Nov 3

Fall is a great time to get outside and observe the stars with your naked eyes. The air is crisp. The bugs are gone. And now you have another reason — the Great Worldwide Star Count

From October 20 to November 3 (all dates 2008), go outside and see stars. Specifically, those of us in the northern hemisphere should look for Cygnus (the swan) while those of you in the southern hemisphere should look for Sagittarius (the teapot). You’ll estimate the magnitude of the faintest stars you can see based on how much of the constellation you see. This helps scientists measure the light pollution of our skies.

Coming soon to a year near you!

If you like astronomy and you like listening to podcasts then 2009 is going to be a very, very good year for you. Slacker Astronomy is going to be a strong supporter and contributor to The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast, the Daily Podcast of the IYA.

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is a project that will publish one podcast per day, 5 to 10 minutes in duration, for all 365 days of 2009. The podcast will be made available through an RSS feed. The podcast episodes will be written, recorded and produced by people around the world.
…
We are looking for individuals, schools, companies and clubs to provide 5 - 10 minutes of audio for our daily podcast. You can do as few as 1 episode or up to 12 episodes (one per month, subject, of course, to our editorial discretion). Our goal is to encourage people to sign up for a particular day (or days) of 2009.

So tell your mom, dad, child, grandfather, friend, school, troop, club or friend that you want to make one measly 10 minute podcast about astronomy to help out and, perhaps, be famous.

Ears around the world are counting on you.

So join in!

Podcast: Another Slacker Chat

We posted a new podcast to the feed a few days ago, full of fascinating insights, knee-slapping humor and Nobel-prize worthy oratory. You can’t miss this episode! If you never listen to a podcast again in your life, it will be OK if you listen to this episode. This is no joke, people, we even included 13 extra minutes FOR FREE. You won’t see an offer like this again. So act now!

Another Slacker Chat (MP3, 32.0MB, 46:27, Show Notes)

Hubble hosed?

Oh noes!

Hubble Space Telescope malfunctions, space shuttle repair mission uncertain, NASA says