http://www.whyy.org/91FM/skytalk.html?rss A weekly discussion of what's new and interesting in astronomy with astronomer Derrick Pitts and WHYY-FM's Dave Heller. http://www.whyy.org/podcast/images/skytalk_pod.jpg http://www.whyy.org/skytalk?rss 300 300 en-us Mon, 06 Sept 2010 00:04:00 EDT Mon, 06 Sept 2010 00:04:00 EDT Copyright 2010 WHYY webmaster@whyy.org WHYY Public Radio No http://www.whyy.org/91FM/skytalk.html?rss The last of the spring stars are now inhabiting the night sky. It seems odd that in the beginning of September we can still see Spring stars, but it has to do with how the sky is laid out. If you start early enough in the evening you can find the last stars of one season and the beginning of another season. Keep an eye out for Arcturus, easily identifiable by its orange color, often mistaken for Mars. Also, the Obama administration has proposed visiting an asteroid as a stepping stone to visiting Mars. How long do you think it would take to get to Mars and back? All this and more on this week's Sky Talk. Mon, 06 Sept 2010 18:20:00 EDT 5:09 The last of the spring stars are now inhabiting the night sky. It seems odd that in the beginning of September we can still see Spring stars, but it has to do with how the sky is laid out. If you start early enough in the evening you can find the last stars of one season and the beginning of another season. Keep an eye out for Arcturus, easily identifiable by its orange color, often mistaken for Mars. Also, the Obama administration has proposed visiting an asteroid as a stepping stone to visiting Mars. How long do you think it would take to get to Mars and back? All this and more on this week's Sky Talk. http://www.whyy.org/podcast/news/st20100906.mp3 http://www.whyy.org/91FM/skytalk.html?rss Jack Horkheimer, best known for hosting the PBS program Star Gazer passed away last week. Star Gazer was popular with amateur astronomers everywhere. Well known in the planetarium field, he inspired thousands to pursue careers in astronomy. Commercial space flight took another step when the Space X Dragon capsule had a successful drop test last week. Can commercial space flight be as safe as NASA missions? Also, did Mars have a close approach with earth? Truth or hoax? And don't miss what's in the night sky this week. All this and more on this week's Sky Talk. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:04:00 EDT 5:09 Jack Horkheimer, best known for hosting the PBS program Star Gazer passed away last week. Star Gazer was popular with amateur astronomers everywhere. Well known in the planetarium field, he inspired thousands to pursue careers in astronomy. Commercial space flight took another step when the Space X Dragon capsule had a successful drop test last week. Can commercial space flight be as safe as NASA missions? Also, did Mars have a close approach with earth? Truth or hoax? And don't miss what's in the night sky this week. All this and more on this week's Sky Talk. http://www.whyy.org/podcast/news/st20100830.mp3 http://www.whyy.org/91FM/skytalk.html?rss The summer season has a few weeks to go, but you can tell that sunsets are coming a lot earlier now, about 8pm. This means we can see planets sooner. Most exciting in the night sky is Venus, Mars and Saturn. If you're an early riser don't miss Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto. It's the anniversary of Voyager 2, which set sail 33 years ago logging billions and billions of miles in space. 8.5 billion miles to be exact. Also the amazing astronauts that repair Hubble Space Telescope. All this and more on this week's Sky Talk. Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:04:00 EDT 5:09 The summer season has a few weeks to go, but you can tell that sunsets are coming a lot earlier now, about 8pm. This means we can see planets sooner. Most exciting in the night sky is Venus, Mars and Saturn. If you're an early riser don't miss Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto. It's the anniversary of Voyager 2, which set sail 33 years ago logging billions and billions of miles in space. 8.5 billion miles to be exact. Also the amazing astronauts that repair Hubble Space Telescope. All this and more on this week's Sky Talk. http://www.whyy.org/podcast/news/st20100823.mp3