Digging In the Dirt (Show #51)

Title: Digging In the Dirt
Castdate: 050425
Written By: Aaron
Disembodied Voices: Travis & Pamela (and Pamela’s friend playing Flora)
Engineered: Travis
Rating: [FF] Family Friendly

• Transcript
• Article ABC News Online
• Article via PhysOrg.com
• The Lunar Atmosphere
• Albuquerque Isotopes

The first footprint on the Moon. Imagine the dirt Neil dragged in.

SA Extra: Chit Chat Show#8

Dr. Doug Welch is a professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He was in Boston and joined us for the duration of the show in the swanky SA studio in Travis’ apartment. Thanks to him this turned out to be the best chit chat show yet. If you haven’t listened to the SA Extra feed, this is a good time to give it a shot.

Thanks for joining us, Doug!

• Doug’s Home Page
• Doug’s Blahzko Animation
• AH Leo AAVSO Variable Star of the Season
• Supernovae & the Zwickyman The earlier SA show about the Supernova Light Echo
• Super Earths that really aren’t! (read with skepticism)
• McMaster University
• Sky Quality Meter by Unihedron
• Astronomy A Go Go!
• Supermassive Black Holes
• Gemini Observatory

Doug and his posse’:

Sterile Neutrinos (Show #50)

Show Notes:

• Transcript
• Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie Press Release
• Universe Today’s coverage of Sterile Neutrinos
• New Scientist story on Sterile Neutrinos
• Wikipedia’s Entry on Neutrinos

And Now for Something Completely Different . . .

NASA and ESA have recently gotten two, count them, TWO different space probes safely into orbit around two (count them again - TWO) different planets. When the science is out, we will report. For now, enjoy some pretty pictures.

From Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

From Venus Express

SA Extra: Girl Scouts A Go Go

This trip would not have been possible without the invitation from, organization by, and coffee from Alice Few of Astronomy A Go-Go. Please go take a look at her show.

One odd side note for those of you who have clicked through this far. Read the lable on the cookie below. I found it in my Girl Scout provided lunch. This was just too funny not to photograph and share with you wonderful souls. (click it to see a larger version)

SA Extra: Interview With Dr. Guenther Eichorn

Guenther and his team created and still maintain the astrophysical data service, known as ADS. This is a searchable database of astronomical publications. It includes digitized copies, or links to digitized copies, of almost every astronomical journal article ever published. This database is crutial to any researcher. What used to take days laboring in libraries and worshipping the God of Xerox now takes only minutes and can be done laying in bed in PJs (as I’m doing now as I write this).

It is really difficult to describe the importance of ADS to astronomy. It not only saves time, but opens it up to so many who otherwise didn’t have access to astronomical research. This includes - but is not limited to - those in small or rural colleges, underdeveloped countries and amateur astronomers. As a result, astronomy is rapidly becoming more internationalized than many other sciences.

Guenther is somewhat of a quiet person, so this interview is short. It is also heavy in detail as I wanted to know all about the story behind ADS and the team that runs it. So this interview may not be as interesting to non-astronomers. If so, rest assured we have more interviews in the can and a chit chat show coming soon..

The Breakfast of Enceladians (Show #49)

Castdate: 060405
Title: The Breakfast of Enceladians
Disebodied Voices: Pamela & Travis
Written By: Aaron
Produced: Travis
Rating: [JF] (Just For Fun)

• Transcript
• Press Release via Universe Today
• Space.com
• Slush Puppies!
• Mikey Likes It