Supernova Lite Brite Video

Carbon Monoxide with Purpose

Show Notes

• Max=Plack-Institut fur Radioastronomie Press Release
• Pre-print of Astronomy and Astrophysics journal article
• Wikipedia on Isaac Asimov’s The Last Question

This is a neat image comparing the size of the moon to the size of Andromeda. This image was taken by Nigel Sharp, a group of REU students while using equipment and time supplied by NOAO/AURA/NSF.

We kid you not, this is the boiler in Pamela’s new house. Please have mercy on her soul.

Pluto Demoted

Watch the proceedings live here and discuss here in our new forums.

My Fair Plutonian Menace (Show #61.5)

(It’s a .5 because it is a quick, fun show.)
Title: My Fair Plutonian Menace
Written By: Aaron
Disembodied Voices: Travis, Rebecca, Aaron
Rating: [FF] Family Friendly

• IAU press release
• A talk about the issue will be streamed here on August 22, 12:45-13:45 CEST.
• Sky & Telescope article

The conclusion to this show will have the nitty gritty details. In short, there are 12 planets, which are divided into sub categories: classical and pluton. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are the classical planets. Pluto, Charon and UB313 are the Plutons. Ceres is the 12th planet.
I’m especially happy about seeing Charon get her props!

UB313 will get a name at a later date. This proposal has to be voted on by the entire IAU General Assembly on Aug 24. If approved, then the process of assigning a name to UB313 wil begin.

Personally, I like this proposal a lot and hope it passes. The buzz has been positive, although the discoverer of UB313 doesnt like it.

Sometimes Too Much Light Can Be A Bad Thing (Show #61)

Title: Sometimes Too Much Light Can Be A Bad Thing

Castdate: 060802

Written By: Aaron

Disembodied Voices: Pamela, Travis, Rebecca

Engineered: Travis

Rating: [FF] Family Friendly

• Transcript
• Absract and paper via ArXiv
• AAVSO observing charts for EF Eri
• Wikipedia entry
• SA Extra interview with Steve Howell
• The Love Boat

R.I.P.

Great Balls of Low Entropy Gas Fire!

Why? Well why not? If you were a bored bit of gas living out your days in the suburbs of such a great galactic metropolis, wouldn’t you too want to take a plunge, and go live in the center of things for a while?

Show Notes:

• Link to preprint of Astrophysical Journal Article
• ESA Press Release
• Funny Bad Astronomer Blog entry on this article

SA Extra: Interview With Keith Cowing

• NASAWatch
• SpaceRef.com
• Mars On Earth – the Haughton Mars Project
• Keith’s Bio

SA Extra: Chit Chat #10

• Astrophysics With Presolar Stardust – another explanation for the SN dust discussion
• Press release describing the “other” SN dust story.
• AMAZING FACTS ABOUT AUSTRALIA’S SOUTHERN SKIES – Doug’s new book- can be purchased here in the USA. (what does this mean for new zealand skies??)
• Travel Company Sells Walk In Space
• Starfest 2006
• Stellarium

from Doug: “Regarding the M81 question, it would be worth mentioning that none of
foreground stars that adorn all in-Milky Way based images of external
galaxies would be visible to the observer sitting in intergalactic space!”

The blazar: 2 oz vodka, 4 oz OJ, 1 oz grenadine…

Ring around the Planet (Show #59)

Show Notes

• Transcript
• NASA’s announcement that Cassini reached 2 years
• CICLOPS July 5 announcements about the Double-Banded E and a Persistent Arc
• NASA press release on Enceladus Rolling Over

And now for some pictures…
Saturn’s double banded E-Ring (credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)

Persistent Arc at the edge of Saturn’s G-ring. (credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)

And in finally ….

Dancing Moons

SA Extra: Interview With Dr. Lee Anne Willson

• Staff page at Iowa State University
• Personal web page
• Her virtual origami gallery