Shows
Pythagorean AstronomyNorthern Lights, New Camera, Cosmological ActionEdward and Chris discuss the recent Northern Lights show seen across the UK, the discovery of new free-floating planets, massive black holes and the completion of the largest camera ever built.
Ian Harrison joins us to report on the latest tensions in cosmology, and the potential solutions to a problem that has been concerning cosmologists for the last few years.2024-05-2553 minPythagorean AstronomyDust to dustEdward Gomez and Chris North discuss names going to Jupiter on the Europa Clipper mission, which is currently being assembled. Then there is a new cannibal star, suspected of eating its own planets, and the detection of new "Galactic Streams" of stars that all formed together but have since spread out through the Galaxy. Finally, we move onto planet formation and the detection of ices in forming planetary systems.
But where does all that planet-forming material come from originally? Haley Gomez and Cosimo Inserra tell us about a new object that's changing our view of where all...2024-04-1942 minPythagorean AstronomyXRISM and Matter's Final ScreamsThis month Edward and Chris talk the recent lunar missions - Astrobotic's Peregrine and Japan's SLIM. There's also the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars on what turned out post-recording to be it's final flight! Further afield we talk mega-structures on a galactic scale and asteroids crashing to Earth.
January also saw the first light from the XRISM satellite, the latest X-ray satellite. We hear from Prof Chris Done (University of Durham and University of Tokyo) about the mission and the future of x-ray astronomy.2024-02-1349 minPythagorean Astronomy2023 Review and 2024 look-aheadChris North and Edward Gomez review some stories from 2023, with asteroid missions, lunar rovers and aurora sightings. Plus a look forward to 2024, including launches of missions to asteroids and Jupiter's moons, and more commercial missions to the moon.2024-01-0223 minPythagorean AstronomyThe "What the Heck" ParticleChris and Edward discuss the announcement of the detection of a highly energetic cosmic ray, dubbed "Amerterasu" or the "What the Heck" particle. Elsewhere, there is a new study of star formation in "pristine" dwarf galaxies, and the first every discovery of a disc around a star in another galaxy!2023-12-2021 minPythagorean AstronomyPlanet Bashing and Dipsticks of the UniverseRecorded in late October, Chris and Edward discuss recent proposals for an all-British mission to space, the launch of Psyche to...erm...Psyche, and Edward's involvement with the detection of something called a Synestia - planets bashing together.
Cardiff University also hosted Prof Duncan Lorimer, who was jointly awarded the 2023 Shaw Prize for the detection of "Fast Radio Bursts". These mysterious cosmic events seemingly come form nowhere, but provide an intersting way of investigating energetic processes in the Universe. They also make a nice "dipstick of the Universe". Prof Lorimer spoke to Chris about their detection, what...2023-11-2146 minPythagorean AstronomyLife, but not as we know it?Chris and Edward discuss some recent stories, such as tantalising possible (emphasis on the possible) detections by JWST of interesting molecules on an exoplanet which coul (emphasis on the could) indicate signs of life. There's also new data on Europa, also from JWST, showing carbon dioxide on its surface - what does this mean? And further afield, astronomers have used ALMA to measure magnetic fields in incredibly distant galaxies, opening a potential new way to study the early Universe.2023-10-0420 minPythagorean AstronomyNAM 2023July marked the UK's annual National Astronomy Meeting, which this year took place in Cardiff. Chris North, Edward Gomez and Ian Harrison discuss a few recent stories from this month and at the conference, including the Euclid space telescope launch, India's Chandrayaan 3 moon mission, gravitational waves from supermassive black holes, feeding black holes and exoplanets with metal rain. We also have interviews with University of Manchester's Dr Emma Alexander and University of Bristol's Dr Hannah Wakeford.2023-07-191h 00Pythagorean AstronomyTidal TransientsIn 2020 astronomers spotted an object slowly getting brighter, but it wasn't until 2021 tha they quite understood how unusual it was. In 2021, they studied it in more detail, and found that it was something we don't think has ever been seen before. It was also the most energetic single event ever witnessed. Going by the catchy name of AT2021lwx, or simply "lwx" to its friends, this month we learn more about it. Dr Phil Wiseman, from University of Southampton, and Dr Cosimo Inserra, from Cardiff University, explain more.
Elsewhere in the news, Chris North and Edward Gomez...2023-06-0144 minPythagorean AstronomyFrom exploding rockets to burping galaxiesA news roundup of the last couple of months with Chris North and Edward Gomez. With a few failures - the SpaceX Starship launch, iSpace's moon landing and Virgin Galactic's bankruptcy, it might seem things are going wrong. But it's not all bad news - ESA's JUICE spacecraft has successfully launched on its way to Jupiter!
Elsewhere in the Solar System, archives of data from the Magellan mission to Venus have revealed further evidence of a volcanic activity on the hard-to-reach surface of Earth's evil twin planet. And there's Phaethon, the unusual asteroid that is the source...2023-05-0430 minPythagorean AstronomyBlack Holes: Saviours of the Universe?In terms of what might be called “pure science”, there’s one topic that tends to get people excited, and that's black holes. A few weeks ago, in February 2023, a pair of papers came out that linked theories about black holes to dark energy – something we really don’t understand. If correct, this could mean that black holes, by their very nature, could explain the accelerating expansion of the Universe. Black holes, of course, are often mis-understood. To find out a little more about them, Chris spoke to Dr Becky Smethurst, from University of Oxford. We also get into a few of t...2023-04-0656 min
Personal Injury Mastermind172. Ed Bernstein, Edward M Bernstein and Associates — Win the Long Game: High Visibility and ConsistencyIn the ’80s, Nevada was the wild west of legal advertising. The space was wide open and only the most courageous took advantage. A pioneer in TV advertising, the legendary Ed Bernstein (@ed.bernstein), President of Edward M Bernstein and Associates (@edwardmbernstein), joins us today with insights about the importance of branding over time. On the air for over 30 years, he shares some incredible stories. LinksWant to hear more from elite personal injury lawyers and industry-leading marketers?Follow us on social media for more.Rankings.io Instagram2023-04-0629 minPythagorean AstronomyStaring at the Dawn of Time - part 2In the last month there was a show of the Northern Lights - or aurora - visible from the UK. If you didn't get to see it (spoiler: neither did we!), then you might get a chance in the future if there's another outburst. Edward Gomez and Chris North discuss how to increase your chances of seeing them next time there's an alert. In science news, some new thoughts on how the Moon could have formed, and an intriguing (and controversial) story about how balck holes might - possibly - be the answer to the mystery of dark energy.2023-03-1230 minPythagorean AstronomyStaring at the Dawn of Time - part 1Chris North and Edward Gomez discuss the first attempt to launch a rocket from UK soil, albeit via a piggyback on (or under) a plane. There's also an interesting supernova, the first exoplanet confirmation from JWST. Meanwhile, on Mars, does no news mean bad news for China's Zhurong rover?
We also speak to Dr Ian Harrison, from Cardiff University, and Dr Bob Watson, from the University of Manchester, about the telescopes that are trying to unpick what happened at the dawn of time, by looking at the Universe's oldest light, and how a telescope in Tenerife is helping.2023-02-1641 minPythagorean AstronomyHappy Birthday JWSTThe 25th December marks an anniversary in the world of astronomy (as well as Sir Isaac Newton's birthday, of course) - the launch of JWST, the infrared space telescope launched to explore the Universe in unprecedented detail. One year on from launch, Chris North and Edward Gomez look at a few of the results that have come in, on top of those we've covered previously.
From our own solar system, to the birth of stars, and out towards the first galaxies, the results have covered a huge range of scales in both space and time. That's thanks to the remarkable...2022-12-2342 minPythagorean AstronomyThe Future of Space ExplorationWith the Artemis I mission mid-mission (at the time of recording), Chris North and Edward Gomez look at what this means for the future of human space exploration, and more ambitious missions to the Moon (and beyond). Meanwhile, back here on Earth, the European Space Agency have announced their next crop of astronauts. The list includes three British astronauts, and in particular John McFall, the first para-astronaut. What does that mean for the diversity of people who can travel into space.
In terms of science, we highlight the analysis of the atmosphere of an exoplanet, and studies of the structure...2022-12-0122 minPythagorean AstronomySpace EnvironmentalismIn the 65 years since Sputnik 1 was launched in 1957, the number of artificial satellites in orbit has been increasing. In the last two years, the number of satellites has doubled, largely thanks to the huge "constellations" launched by companies such as SpaceX.
The number of satellites has a detrimental impact on astronomical observations, both with professional telescopes and by amateur astronomers. Dr Meredith Rawls, from University of Washington, is planning observations with the Vera Rubin Observatory, while Professor Andy Lawrence is a Regius Professor at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh. With forecasts indicating up to 100,000 satellites in a matter of years, a 20...2022-06-0252 minPythagorean AstronomyRoutine Spaceflight?It's not often that a new astronomical phenomenon is named, but this month we have a new one. The name might not be that original, but there have been the first observations of something known as a "micronova". Lasting just a few hours, a micronova is much fainter than a typical "nova", making them much harder to detect, and much less likely to be picked up. Chris North and Edward Gomez discuss what causes these events.
Coming closer to home, spaceflight has been busy, with two missions to the Space Station in April - one part of the normal rotation...2022-05-0521 minPythagorean AstronomyShadow of WarWith the invasion of Ukraine casting a shadow over the world, Chris North and Edward Gomez look at the impact of the war on astronomy and space science, mindful that these pale in importance when compared with the death and destruction taking place on the ground. From the international collaboration taking place on board the International Space Station, to the use of Russian rockets. Also at stake is the future of the Rosalind Franklin Rover, a European-Russian collaborative mission that was due to launch later this year.
Elsewhere in the world, NASA have shown off their newest rocket - the...2022-03-3128 minPythagorean AstronomyRadio repeaterWhen a mysterious signal was found by an undergraduate student, Dr Natasha Hurley-Walker was perplexed. It was hiding in archival data from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), a large network of radio antennas in Western Australia. Based at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Natasha started to loop deeper. Repeating every 18 minutes, and initially found at only one frequency, the signal showed signs of being something astronomers have been searching for decades - radio transmissions from an intelligent species.
It's not a much of a spoiler to say that it wasn't aliens (it's never aliens!), but repeating radio signals...2022-02-0741 minPythagorean AstronomyMysterious travellers bearing giftsThe first interstellar object to be discovered was 'Oumuamua, detected in 2017. Joined by Comet 2I/Borisov a couple of years later, astronomers are eagerly awaiting further discoveries of such objects, which were ejected from other solar systems. We explore what the link is between these interstellar objects and the history of star formation around the galaxy, thanks to new research by Prof Chris Lintott, Dr Ted Mackereth and Dr Michele Bannister. Chris and Ted explain how these two seemingly disconnected fields have led to new hypotheses about what we might learn from future observations.2021-12-3033 minPythagorean AstronomyAsteroid Tagging and Stellar SpaghettificationChris North and Edward Gomez give a round-up of the month in astronomy.
Towards the end of October, NASA's Osiris Rex spacecraft grabbed a sample from the asteroid Bennu. What happens next, and what might we learn from these samples? Chris and Edward discuss.
There's also an update on Betelgeuse (however you chose to pronousne it), which is not estimated to be closer than previously thought - which means it's smaller? But we're still safe when it goes supernova. Right?!
Further afield, telescopes around the world spotted a star getting spaghettified by a supermassive black hole - what an Earth...2020-10-2930 minPythagorean AstronomyBlack holes - too big and too smallIf there’s anything that pricks up the ears in astronomy, it’s black holes. And this month we have not one, but two black hole stories. And, depending on how you count them, four black holes, though two of them no longer exist – if that sounds confusing, then don’t worry, it’ll become clear!
Regular listeners will be no stranger to black holes, with them featuring regularly – largely thanks to the work of the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave experiments, which detect the subtle ripples in the fabric of spacetime as pairs of black holes merge. Those black holes are th...2020-09-0342 minPythagorean AstronomySolar Orbiter: Not Suitable for VegetariansIn astronomy, the month of July has been the month of two things: comets, and Mars. Comet Neowise, or to give it it’s full title C/2020 F3 NEOWISE, has graced the skies of the northern hemispheres, becoming the first naked eye comet for some time. Some have even argued it’s the best comet for decades.
In terms of new missions, then this summer marks the best window to launch missions to Mars. These windows come around roughly every two years, or so, since that’s how long it takes for the Earth to line up with Mars’ position around i...2020-07-3033 minPythagorean AstronomyMass Gaps and Radio BurstsScience news stories normally revolve around something new that's been learned, or some question that’s been answered. But sometimes, and these are often the most interesting times, there’s an observation or discovery that raises a whole new set of questions – and the mystery deepens. This month we discuss two such discoveries.
First of all, an unusual gravitation wave event, detected back in August 2019 and dubbed GW190814. We’ve discussed gravitational waves a number of times on Pythagorean Astronomy before – these ripples in space that are caused by, among other things, massive objects spiralling in and merging. Cardiff University researcher...2020-07-0341 minPythagorean AstronomySmallSparkAmid the turmoil of not only coronavirus, but also anti-racism protests across the US and now internationally, it's been a notable month for spaceflight. At the end of May, SpaceX launched their first crewed Dragon capsule, which became the first private vehicle to dock with the International Space Station.
But the private space sector is much bigger than SpaceX, and is a very international field. There are many companies based here in the UK, including Small Spark Space Systems Ltd, based here in Cardiff. Comprising around a dozen people, and led by CEO Joe Ward, SmallSpark is a relative newcomer...2020-06-0426 minPythagorean AstronomyHubble at 30The Hubble Space Telescope is 30 years old - something that even its most enthusiastic supporters couldn't have dreamt of when it launched in 1990. With the help of a host of astronomers and space scientists, Chris North explores the history of the mission and the revolutionary discoveries that have been made.
Prof Anu Ojha, Director of the National Space Centre, recaps the launch of the mission and subsequent visits to repair and upgrade it.
Cosmologist Prof Steve Eales (Cardiff University) explores how Hubble has reached into the most distant reaches of our Universe. Prof Jane Greaves (Cardiff University), however, delves into...2020-05-0150 minPythagorean AstronomyIsolation SpaceIn these unprecendented times, it's hard to argue that much of space science and astronomy is key infrastructure, or its staff key workers. And while that's true, like many organisations work cannot simply stop altogether.
The European Space Agency runs a multitude of missions, from space observatories to interplanetary explorers, and from solar probes to space stations. Prof Mark McCaughrean, Senior Science Advisor at ESA, tells Chris North how the agency is coping with the lockdowns in force around the world, with staff either self-isolating or working from home.
Of course, there are also astronauts on the International Space Station...2020-04-0328 minPythagorean AstronomyOut with the old, in with the newBetelgeuse is still misbehaving, though we're starting to get more information in from observations by some of the largest telescope. Astronomers are narrowing in on the possible explanations.
While the dimming of Betelgeuse isn't anything to do with aliens, the SETI programme is still going with a new project designed to focus on planets around stars that might be able to detect Earth's presence. And in the centre of our galaxy there's another hint of a mysterious object - an "intermediate mass black hole" being orbited by a bunch of gas clouds. Chris, Edward and Claudia discuss what the implications...2020-02-2735 minPythagorean AstronomyDimming stars, Galactic waves and misbehaving gas cloudsThe astronomy world has been a-buzz with news of Betelgeuse, the bright red star in Orion, which appears to be dimming. Chris North, Edward Gomez and Claudia Antolini discuss how unusual this is, and what it means for the star's future.
Further afield, there's a newly identified wave in our Galactic neighbourhood, changing our understanding of the nearby region. There are also new hypotheses about the nature of some oddly-behaving gas clouds near the galactic centre - what could explain their unexpected behaviour?
Finally emminent astronomer Dr Vera Rubin has been recognised in a couple of ways. A nearby galaxy...2020-01-3125 minPythagorean AstronomyWhat the future holdsThe final episode of 2019 includes a look back at a few things that have happened this year, and a look forward to the future.
Chris North and Edward Gomez discuss the developments in exoplanet discoveries, and what future missions (such as CHEOPS, Plato and Ariel) may be able to tell us about the wide range of planets out there. We've also had the visitation of interstellar Borisov, which we've discussed a-plenty on Pythagorean Astronomy. Meanwhile, IOP Wales' Engagement Officer Dr Claudia Antolini recaps why spacecraft have been visiting some of the smaller objects in our Solar System, and what we'll...2019-12-2927 minPythagorean AstronomyStellar Explosions and Interstellar VisitorsThis month saw the announcement of two follow-up discoveries of two explosive events. Firstly observations of one of the highest energy ever gamma ray burst ever seen, detected back in January, have identified where it originated. Meanwhile, colleagues in Cardiff University have been searching for signs of a remnant neutron star at the heart of Supernova 1987A (which was observed to explode back in 1987) - and they may have found crucial evidence!
Closer to home, there are more signs of water vapour plumes erupting from Europa, and evidence that Hygeia, one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt, could...2019-11-2835 minPythagorean AstronomyInterstellar Comets, black holes and gravitational wavesOctober 2019 saw the first all-female spacewalk, and the discover of 20 new moons of Saturn. There were also more observations of interstellar comet Borisov, and evidence for the Milky Way's black hole having sent out a violent flare several million years ago. Chris and Edward discuss these latest stories.
October also saw a planned hiatus in operations of the LIGO and Virgo detectors, which are mid-way through the third observing run, looking for gravitational waves. We got an update from UBC's Jess McIver and Cardiff's Duncan Macleod, who are involved with the operation of the LIGO detectors.They gave an update...2019-10-3141 minPythagorean AstronomyHabitable zones, Lunar landers and Interstellar interlopersThe space news cycle was dominated for a while this month with the discovery of water vapour in the atmosphere of planet K2-18b. The planet is in the habitable zone of its star, but is somewhat larger than the Earth - what does that mean for its habitability?
Meanwhile, radio astronomers have discovered the most massive neutron star found to date - close to the maximum theoretical limit.
Closer to home, India's first attempt at landing on the Moon has ended in disaster, with the Vikram lander crashing onto the surface in the final moments of its journey.
...2019-09-2619 minPythagorean AstronomyLunar Gateways, Belching Black Holes and Warped GalaxiesThe summer might be "silly season" in the press, but not so in astronomy. With peroxide on moons and belching black holes there's lots of sensible research going on for us to discuss.
A number of recent rocket engine tests lead us to consider what the near future of space travel might look like, with a proposed "lunar gateway" providing a staging point for explorers. Where might they go? Perhaps as far as Jupiter's moon, Europa, where recent observations have provided more evidence of a carbon-rich environment beneath the sub-surface ocean. A tantalising place to look for life.
Further afield...2019-09-0424 minPythagorean AstronomyRobotic ExplorersJuly 1969 was the month that the first people walked on the Moon. 12 people walked on the surface of our celestial neighbour between 1969 and 1972. Since then, humanity has been confined to low-Earth orbit. There is talk of sending people back to the Moon, on timescales that vary depending on who you talk to. There’s also talk of missions to Mars, possibly in the next few decades.
But for the vast majority of the last 50 years, our exploration has been through our robotic envoys, sent to all manner of planets, moons, comets and asteroids. Some have whizzed by, while others have go...2019-08-0138 minPythagorean AstronomyThe slowly spinning Sun, Starlink and Spiral SurprisesMars is covered in craters, but most of them are very old. But new ones do appear from time-to-time, created when objects hit the surface of the red planet. That's just what happened at some point a couple of years ago, producing one of Mars' youngest craters. Higher up in Mars' atmosphere, scientists are also learning about the role the micrometeorites play in forming clouds. And how can the Moon reveal secrets about history of the Sun?
Closer to home, there has been controversy about once of the latest SpaceX launches, which released 60 satellites into orbit. While impressive, and part...2019-06-2837 minPythagorean AstronomyBiomarkers, near-misses and anniversariesA roundup of the month's news from around the Solar System - and beyond. You don't think of mars rovers having drawers, but that's exactly what has just been installed on the Rosalind Franklin Rover, part of ESA's ExoMars mission. This is no ordinary drawer, of course, but the "Analytical Laboratory Drawer", designed to test martian soil for the presence of biomarkers or microfossils, either of which would indicate the presence of present or past life.
Closer to home, a mile-wide asteroid called 1999 KW4 has just whizzed past the Earth. It's at a relatively safe distance - 13 Earth-Moon distances, or 5...2019-05-3025 minPythagorean AstronomyBonus: Herschel 10 years on14th May 2009 marked the the launch of the Herschel Space Observatory. Herschel was a cornerstone mission for ESA, the European Space Agency, with the goal of unveiling the hidden Universe. In this special bonus edition of Pythagorean Astronomy, marking 10 years since Herschel's launch, Cardiff University's Dr Chris North finds out how it did this, and what astronomers have uncovered over the past decade.
Such missions take a lot of planning, and Herschel was decades in the making. But they also far outlive the operational lifetime of the spacecraft itself. Herschel’s liquid helium coolant ran out on 29th April 2013, and th...2019-05-3052 minPythagorean AstronomyEngine failures to event horizonsA roundup of the month's news from around the Solar System - and beyond. Starting with the Moon, where the first attempt by a privately funded organisation to land on the Moon has ended in a crash-landing. Despite the sad end, the Beresheet mission was otherwise a success, and a promising start for privately funded missions around the Solar System.
Further afield, there are new results from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission, which is studying Mars' atmosphere. Beyond Mars, an analysis of the Cassini spacecraft's last images of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, has thrown up a few surprises about...2019-04-3020 minPythagorean AstronomyFlying space-shrapnel and a misbehaving UniverseIn December 2018 an object hit the Earth's atmosphere at over 100,000 kph over the Arctic Ocean, entirely unnoticed, until the orange streak was spotted in satellite imagery. Meanwhile, two missions are currently exploring much larger asteroids - Japan's Hyabusa-2 mission to Ryugu and NASA's Osiris-REX mission to Bennu. Chris North and Edward Gomez discuss the unexpected impact and the latest results from Hayabusa-2, showing that Ryugu is a "rubble pile" rather than a solid object.
Meanwhile, out on the edge of the observable Universe astronomers have been studying a galaxy, seen as it was just a few hundred million years after...2019-04-0253 minPythagorean AstronomyHopping spacecraft and Rosalind the RoverChris North and Edward Gomez discuss the latest events from around the Solar System. Hayabusa 2 has successfully hopped down onto the surface of Ryugu, meanwhile an Israeli lander has been launched to the Moon, where it will also hop about. Further afield, there are new clues to the origin of Neptune's odd little moon Hippocamp.
Down hear on Earth, the LOFAR radio telescope array has produced the first phase of its survey, containing a third of a million galaxies. With this just being 10% of the full LOFAR survey, and much larger telescopes being planned, this is just a taste of...2019-03-0140 minPythagorean AstronomyCartwheeling snowmen and raining ringsChris North and Edward Gomez discuss the latest events from around the Solar System. At the start of the year, the Chinese Space Agency successfully landed their latest lander (Chang'e 4) on the far side of the Moon. The lander also carried a rover, Yutu 2, which has begun exploring the lunar surface, and a radio telescope.
Further from the Sun, new analysis of data from the Cassini spacecraft has indicate that the magnificent rings of Saturn might be much younger than previously thought - and perhaps that we're lucky to be able to see them at all. There are plans for...2019-01-3128 minPythagorean Astronomy2018: a year in spaceChris North, Mat Allen and Sarah Roberts discuss the highlights of 2018, and look forward to 2019. From missions to the inner Solar System, landers on Mars, and rovers on asteroids, lots has happened.
In 2019, we're looking forward to New Horizon's flyby of Ultima Thule out in the Kuiper Belt, more results from the asteroid belt, courtesy of both Hayabusa-2 and Osiris-Rex, and developments in commercial spaceflight.
An extended edition of an original broadcast on 30th December 2018 as part of Pythagoras' Trousers on Radio Cardiff.2018-12-3017 minPythagorean AstronomyKepler's LegacyChris North, Matt Smith and Sarah Roberts discuss the landing of NASA's Insight probe, which is set to investigate the interior of Mars and search for Mars-quakes. Closer to home, we're celebrating 20 years of the International Space Station this month. In astrophysics research, Cardiff researchers, including Matt, were involved in a study of exploding stars, and identifying where many of the Universe's heavy elements originate.
Over the past 20 years, the number of planets known outside our own Solar System has increased hugely. Many of those discoveries were made by the Kepler mission, which launched in 2009 to try to figure out...2018-11-2931 minPythagorean AstronomyChanging with the timesChris North, Sarah Roberts and Mat Allen discuss the launch of Bepi Colombo, which is on its way to study the planet Mercury. Meanwhile, the Hayabusa 2 mission continues its exploration of the asteroid Ryugu, while the Hubble Space Telescope has experienced a problem with its gyros - we discuss what that means for the telescope. (Update: the Hubble Space Telescope is back up and running again). Elsewhere, there are some kilonova lookalikes, and hints at the possible origins of binary neutron stars.
Here on the ground, work is underway to design and build a futuristic telescope - the Large Synoptic...2018-11-0132 minPythagorean AstronomyVulcans, dust storms, and Water on MarsChris North, Sarah Roberts and Mat Allen discuss a number of recent news stories. One of the latest planets to be discovered, "40 Eridani A a", seems to be a lot like the fictional planet Vulcan, home to Spock in Star Trek. The RemoveDEBRIS mission has test-fired its net, and the Hyabusa 2 mission has successfully sent to rovers bouncing around the asteroid Ryugu. There's also new results from the Gaia satellite, a new wind-monitoring satellite, and the discovery of dust storms on Titan.
With news of the discovery of water on Mars seeming to hit the headlines every few months, it...2018-09-2740 minPythagorean AstronomyParking near the SunEarlier this month it was announced that an entrepreneur would like to launch an "artificial star" into orbit, adding to the mass of space junk. Chris North and Edward Gomez give their views on the matter, and how missions such as RemoveDEBRIS might help. Further afield, there's more water on Mars - or in this case beneath its surface - and ice near the poles of the Moon. While these seem like perenial stories, are these any different?
On 12 August NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe, a mission to explore the Sun's corona, or atmosphere. Professor Lucie Green, from MSSL...2018-08-3027 minPythagorean AstronomyIcy Moons and Ice CubesJuly's astronomy update from Chris North and Edward Gomez. It was announced this month that Jupiter has got even more moons than previously thought, with its total haul now coming in at 79! We discuss why the new moons are odd. The Very Large Telescope in Chile also made a new discovery – a very young planet forming in the dusty disk of material around its star. And back here on Earth, the MeerKAT radio telescope has been inaugurated in South Africa, producing a new image of the centre of our galaxy and making important progress towards the eventual goal Square Kilometre Ar...2018-07-2544 minPythagorean AstronomyOrganics, asteroids and Nobel Prize winnersThere were new results about organic compounds from two places in the Solar System this month: the planet Mars and the dwarf planet Ceres. We discuss what organic compounds are, and why their discovery doesn’t mean we’ve found life, but is still an interesting find.
Further afield, the ALMA telescope has been finding planets orbiting other stars. While we know of over 3000 exoplanets to date, these are the first discovered by ALMA, and were found using an innovative technique.
The end of June also sees the celebration of Asteroid Day – Edward explains how to get involved with observing astero...2018-06-2826 minPythagorean AstronomyBonus: In conversation with a Nobel Prize WinnerIn May 2018 we welcomed to Cardiff a Nobel Prize winner: Professor Barry Barish, who was one of the scientists who founded the LIGO Scientific Collaboration, As regular listeners will remember, LIGO made the first direct detection of gravitational waves a few years ago. Barry’s been involved with the experiments for many years, and as such was one of three recipients of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2017 for significant contributions to the detection of gravitational waves.
Barry was in town to give a public talk, part of the launch of the Gravity Exploration Institute here at Cardiff University. While he...2018-06-271h 11Pythagorean AstronomyMissions to Mars and plumes from EuropaThis month has seen missions large and small launch towards Mars, and new results from the Gaia satellite. Meanwhile, astronomers have been using machine learning to address a number of problems – we discuss a couple of examples which have been published recently. Finally, there have been exciting new signs of plumes from Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons – something that future missions might be able to explore in more detail.2018-06-0124 minPythagorean AstronomyExoplanet Missions and EWASS roundupApril saw Liverpool host the European Week of Astronomy and Space Science, from which there were a many new developments and discoveries, a few of which we discuss this month. The conference came just days after the NASA and ESA made the announcement that the largest astronomy project in recent times, the James Webb Space Telescope, will be delayed. It's launch has been pushed back from the (already-delayed) 2019 to 2020.
In more cheery news, NASA's TESS satellite was successfully launched, with an aim of discovering thousands of new exoplanets. Meanwhile, ESA selected ARIEL to be launched in just over a decade...2018-04-2535 minPythagorean AstronomyRemembering Stephen HawkingEarlier this month the world was saddened to hear of the death of Professor Stephen Hawking, arguably one of the most famous physicists of recent times. He died peacefully at the age of 76, having lived with the debilitating condition of motor neurone disease which he was diagnosed with in his early 20s. Despite that he contributed hugely to science and its popularisation.
This month we discuss the scientific achievements of Stephen Hawking, his inspirational impact on younger generations, as well as what he was like as a person to work with and to interact with.
I'm joined by Professors Peter...2018-03-2839 minPythagorean AstronomyMarch Bonus: Stephen Hawking's TheoriesTo accompany the March episode of Pythagorean Astronomy remembering Professor Stephen Hawking, we’re also releasing the uncut(!) version of the interview with Professor Peter Coles, in which he discusses the theories for which Stephen Hawking is famous – in particular Hawking radiation.2018-03-2818 minPythagorean AstronomyTumbling Space Cucumbers and 5000 sols on MarsEver taken a selfie on your birthday? Well, that's just what the Mars Rover Opportunity did to celebrate its 5000th "sol" (martian day) on Mars. This doesn't sound like much, but 5000 sols is about 14 years - not bad for a rover that was only expected to last about 3 months! The selfie - the first one Opportunity has ever taken - was thought up and coordinated by Doug Ellison, who has been involved with Opportunity (initially as an amateur, now at NASA JPL) since it landed way back in January 2004. Who better to speak to to find out what this plucky...2018-02-2855 minPythagorean AstronomyGlitterballs, habitable exoplanets and supermassive starsSpace is getting crowded, so the recent launch of a space glitterball (called the “Humanity Star”) by RocketLabs has irked astronomers. Our suggestion: why not go and look at the space station instead? And if you’re interested in things to not get too hyped up about, the so-called “Super Blue Blood Moon” was another example – we have suggestions on what to do if you want to see such an event (spoiler: wait for the next lunar eclipse, or just go and look at the Moon at any time…).
There’s also been a slight anomaly during a launch the normally-reputab...2018-01-3134 minPythagorean AstronomyPlanetary Response Network and 2017 ReviewTo some, astronomy is a purely a curiosity-driven activity, trying to understand more about the Universe around us. While that is the primary reason for a great many astronomers, there are many ways in which it benefits life down hear on Earth – including the saving of lives.
Most recently, this became relevant in the late summer 2017, when s a number of hurricanes and storms hit the Caribbean and east coast of the the United States. Using satellite imagery, combined with techniques first developed for studying supernovae, Dr Brooke Simmons worked with astronomers and developers at the Zooniverse to create the Pl...2017-12-3043 minPythagorean AstronomyThe Star That Would Not DieArtist’s impression of the star that would not die. Image credit: NASA, ESA, G. Bacon (STSci)
When a star explodes in a supernova, it’s generally assumed that once the afterglow has faded the star will never be seen again. But astronomers at Las Cumbres Observatory have found a star that seems to have refused to die. This month, Edward Gomez chats to colleague Dr. Iair Arcavi, who led the study of this unusual star.
Closer to home, we’ve had an interstellar visitor in the form of asteroid (or perhaps comet) 1I/2017 U1, or ‘Oumuamua to its friends. There wa...2017-11-2929 minPythagorean AstronomyGravity and LightArtist’s impression of the collision of two neutron stars. Image credit: NSF/LIGO/SSU/A.Simonnet
On 16th October a huge team of astronomers announced to the world that they had detected, for the first time, gravitational waves and light from the same event. That event was the collision of two neutron stars in a galaxy around 130 million light year away. The signal was first detected by the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave detectors, and less than two seconds later by the Fermi gamma ray satellite.
Neither of those initial detections pinpointed the location particularly well, but astronomers from ov...2017-10-2627 minPythagorean AstronomyCassini’s Grand FinaleCassini at Saturn. Image credit: NASA
The 15th of September marked the Cassini spacecraft’s final plunge into Saturn’s gaseous atmosphere. This grand finale marked then end of a 20 year journey, 13 of which were spent orbiting Saturn, studying the ringed planet and its extended family of moons. Here in Cardiff, Dr Emily Drabek-Maunder has been closely following Cassini, and working with some of its data. This seemed like an ideal time to gather Emily’s thoughts on the remarkable mission.
September also marked “Herschel week“, in which ESA celebrated the legacy of the Herschel Space Observatory. Herschel launched in May 2009...2017-10-0329 minPythagorean AstronomyTotally EclipsedThe Total Eclipse of 2017. Copyright: Martin Ratcliffe
August marked one of the most publicised astronomical events of 2017 – a total eclipse of the Sun which was visible the US. Totality, where the Moon completely covered the Sun, was visible from a narrow strip stretching from Oregon in the northwest to South Carolina in the southeast, while the partial eclipse was visible from the whole of North America – and beyond – making this the most viewed eclipse in history.
As well as those living in the US travelling to see it, many other people travelled thousands of miles to see this event. I spoke...2017-08-3140 minPythagorean AstronomyStars, Supernovae and GeysersArtist’s illustration of Supernova 1987A. Image credit: Credit: A. Angelich / NRAO / AUI / NSF
It’s been a busy month for Cardiff astronomers (and their colleagues). From gravity’s role in star formation to molecules found in a supernovae explosion, and from debris around neutron stars to organic molecules emitted from one of Saturn’s moons, there’s a lot to talk about. I took the opportunity to chat to Emily Drabek-Maunder, Mikako Matsuura and Gwen Williams about their work.
As usual, Edward Gomez and I also talk about stories from around the world. Astronomers from the US travelled to Argentina...2017-08-0239 minPythagorean AstronomyGravitational Waves and Life from Venus?At the start of June the LIGO team announced that they had made the third firm detection of gravitational waves from the merger of two black holes. This latest detection, from the second observing run, adds to the collection of massive binary black holes detected by LIGO. One of the things that can be determined from LIGO’s measurements is the speed and spin of the black holes relative to the direction in which they orbit around each other. That can imply how the two black holes came to be together. To learn more I spoke to Dr Laura Nuttall, a...2017-07-0127 minPythagorean AstronomyCassini’s Grand FinaleThis month we don’t just look back at a few news stories, but also ahead to what’s happening over the coming months for one of the most successful space missions ever: Cassini. Having orbited Saturn for 13 years, Cassini’s fuel is running out and the mission has embarked on a “Grand Finale” before its final plunge into the planet’s atmosphere.
Dr Leigh Fletcher, a planetary scientist at the University of Leicester, gives us a personal viewpoint of this groundbreaking mission to the ringed planet. We find out about a few of the highlights of the mission, as well as what’...2017-05-3140 minPythagorean AstronomyThe Astronomer Royal and Potatoes on MarsApril’s edition of our monthly astronomy podcast, presented by Chris North and Edward Gomez.
Earlier this month we were treated to a talk in Cardiff by Lord Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal and Professor of Astrophysics at University of Cambridge. This afforded us the opportunity to speak to Professor Rees about the subject of his talk: “The World in 2015 – and beyond”. After discussing the challenges facing the long-term survival of humanity, and possible solutions, we also discussed Lord Rees’ role in the House of Lords, and recent developments in astronomy and cosmology.
There have been (yet) more exoplanet stories recently as...2017-04-2531 minPythagorean AstronomyTRAPPIST-1 and other storiesAt the end of last month, there was a lot of interest in the discovery of seven roughly Earth-sized planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system. One month on, Chris North and Edward Gomez discuss the implications of this discovery. We also get an update from the Amaury Triaud, of the University of Cambridge, about TRAPPIST and its successor, SPECULOOS.
Here in our own Solar System, there’s the discovery of a cometary landslide from Rosetta, a milestone in wheel-wear on the Mars Curiosity Rover, and an update on some of Saturn’s darker rings from Japan. Further afield, a study of the rotat...2017-03-2736 minPythagorean AstronomyBackyard WorldsArtist’s impression of the proposed Planet Nine. Image Credit: Caltech/R,. Hurt (IPAC)
February saw the first launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Rocket from Launchpad 39A – the same launchpad used by the Apollo missions and the Space Shuttle. In this month’s Pythagorean Astronomy, Edward Gomez and Chris North discuss these impressive structures along with the study of a supernova (the explosive death of a massive star) just hours after it exploded, providing crucial insights into the very early stages of these extreme events.
A new Zooniverse project, Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, was also announced designed to let “citizen scientists” (i.e. you!) he...2017-02-2830 minPythagorean AstronomyStar AttractionsImage courtesy of National Museum Cardiff
Join Chris North and Edward Gomez as they discuss the month’s astronomy news. Not only were there two new NASA missions announced this month, but Space-X successfully returned to flight with their Falcon 9 rocket. Further afield, there are predictions of a pair of stars that are set to explode in a few years.
Being January, the National Museum in Cardiff hosted its annual public event celebrating all things space. With exhibits, demonstrations and shows for all ages, several thousand people attended “Star Attractions” and get to learn a bit more about astronomy and space...2017-01-3026 minPythagorean AstronomyAssassin SupernovaClose-up of star near a supermassive black hole (artist’s impression) Image credit: ESO, ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser
When is a supernova not a supernova? The brightest supernova on record was discovered in 2015 by the All Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN). Named ASASSN-15lh, this remarkable event – what looked like a huge brightening of a star in a distant galaxy – was observed by many other telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the Las Cumbres Observatory network. With careful study, it became apparent that ASASSN-15lh was not quite what it seemed. Rather than being the explosion of a massive...2016-12-1933 minPythagorean Astronomythe GLEAM SurveyThe GLEAM Survey
We’ve got a lot of news items to discuss this month. In the outer Solar System, Edward Gomez and I discuss the Cassini spacecraft, which has made its final major orbital manoeuvre, and the Juno spacecraft, which has had a few issues getting into its main science orbit. Further from home, we’ve got the first “official” star names from the International Astronomical Union, and the discovery of the roundest known star.
Our main guest this month is Dr Natasha Hurley-Walker, based at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) at Curtin University. Natasha works on the Mu...2016-11-2841 minPythagorean AstronomyRosetta & OSIRIS-RexThis month sees the start of one mission and the end of another. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission launched at the start of the month to go and study asteroid Bennu, and even bring back a sample to Earth.
Meanwhile, the end of the month sees the finale of ESA’s Rosetta mission, which has spent two years studying comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. With stunning images accompanied by fascinating results from other instruments, not to mention the plucky little Philae lander, Rossetta has been one of the most exciting missions of recent years.
This month, the Open University’s Professor Monica Grady tells me a...2016-09-2627 minPythagorean AstronomyProxima bArtist’s impression of the view from Proxima b. Image credit: ESA/M/ Kornmesser
After a few weeks of rumours, the announcement of the discovery of an Earth-size (maybe!) planet around the Sun’s nearest neighbour has caused quite a stir. The planet is more massive than the Earth, but probably not by much, and sits in a location where liquid water could (at least in principle), exist on it’s surface. The detection was made by an international team using data, and relied on observations from a number of telescopes around the world. One of those was the Las Cumbre...2016-08-2619 minPythagorean AstronomyMission JunoArtist’s Impression of a Juno and Jupiter. Credit: NASA
In July 2016 NASA’s Juno spacecraft completed its five year journey to the planet Jupiter. On board is a suite of instruments and experiments that will provide exquisite insight into the history of our Solar System’s largest planet.
The process of Jupiter’s formation is a long-standing mystery that planetary scientists have been trying to answer for decades. As the University of Leicester’s Dr Leigh Fletcher explains, Juno will make careful measurements of Jupiter’s gravitational field and yield crucial information about its interior.
Originally broadcast on 28th July 2016 as part...2016-07-2828 minPythagorean AstronomyThe Origins of Black HolesArtist’s Impression of a black hole in a binary star system. Credit: ESA/Hubble
On 15th June 2016 the LIGO collaboration released more detections of gravitational waves. As with the first detection, announced back in February, these gravitational waves were emitted by pairs of black holes, spiralling together and merging,
But of course, those black holes need to come from somewhere, and in this case it’s thought to be the deaths of some of the most massive stars in the Universe. To understand more about the deaths of massive stars, and the formation of black holes, I talked to Profess...2016-06-3022 minPythagorean AstronomyNew worldsArtist impression of the Kepler spacecraft
This month’s focus is on two different stories, but both involving the same spacecraft: Kepler. Edward Gomez and I discuss a result from the outer edge of our Solar System, regarding the icy world that goes by the catchy name of “2007 OR10”. By combining information from the Kepler Spacecraft, now in the second phase of its mission with a partially-functioning spacecraft, with results from the Herschel Space Observatory, astronomers have made a new estimate of its size.
But Kepler’s main mission was to search for planets around other stars, and that’s what the o...2016-05-2632 minPythagorean AstronomyInterplanetary explorersIn this month’s instalment, Edward Gomez and I chat about interplanetary explorers to the icy worlds of Pluto and Ceres, and Cassini’s capture of interstellar dust as it passed through the Saturn system. And, of course, we look ahead to May’s Transit of Mercury, which we’ll be viewing with members of the public and school groups here in Cardiff.
Further afield, in both time and space, is the Breakthough Starshot initiative, which aims to send a fleet of tiny spacecraft to another star system – if they can pull it off, that is!
Originally broadcast on 28th April 2016 as p...2016-04-2924 minPythagorean Astronomyto Mars – and Beyond!March 2016 saw the launch of the first part of Europe’s two-part mission to Mars. The mission, called ExoMars, comprises the “Trace Gas Orbiter” – the part that’s just launched – and a large rover, which launches in 2018. The orbiter will sniff the atmosphere to test for evidence of past – or maybe even present – life. Elsewhere in the world of astronomy, this month has also seen the discovery a cluster of “monster stars”, and the most distant galaxy ever seen. I chatted to Edward Gomez and Tim Davis, a relatively new arrival here in Cardiff, about these discoveries.
Originally broadcast on 31st March 2016 as part of Pyt...2016-03-3123 minPythagorean Astronomythe Voice of EinsteinUnless you’ve been under a bush for the past month, you can’t have missed what could be described the news of the Century – the first direct detection of gravitational waves. This month, I speak to Edward Gomez about what this discovery means, and catch up with some of the gravitational physicists here in Cardiff, Andrew Williamson, Frank Ohme and Lionel London. They tell me quite how sensitive the LIGO instruments are, and how gravitational waves are the voice of Einstein.
Originally broadcast on 25th February 2016 as part of Pythagoras’ Trousers on Radio Cardiff.2016-02-2536 minPythagorean Astronomy2015 round-up and Tim PeakeIt’s been a very exciting year in astronomy and space science, with missions exploring distant reaches of the Solar System. There was a huge media storm about New Horizons passing Pluto back in July, with staggering results still coming back, and continuing revelations from Rosetta. But there was even more excitement about Tim Peake’s launch to the International Space Station as part of his Principia mission.
This month Edward Gomez and I discussed the year’s astronomy news, while at the celebrations of Tim Peake’s launch here in Cardiff I spoke to Chris Castelli from UK Space Agency, and...2015-12-1927 minPythagorean AstronomyEinstein’s RevolutionNovember 2015 marks the centenary of the publication of one of the most important theories in physics: Albert Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. On this month’s episode I chatted to Prof Mark Hannam and Dr Patrick Sutton. As part of the Gravitational Physics group here in Cardiff, Mark and Patrick try to understand the implications of General Relativity, and are leading the search for direct proof one of its last remaining predictions: gravitational waves.
On Wednesday 9th December Cardiff University is hosting an evening reception to celebrate the centenary, with free wine and soft drinks, and a selection of talk...2015-11-2832 minPythagorean AstronomyWater on Mars – Again!In October 2015 we had news of the discovery of water on Mars – again! Almost a perennial story now, but is this discovery any different to previous discoveries, some of which stretch back to the 1970s? To find out more about this particular story, I spoke to UCL planetary scientist Peter Grindrod.
Originally broadcast on 29th October 2015 as part of Pythagoras’ Trousers on Radio Cardiff.2015-10-2925 minPythagorean AstronomyAstroCamp and GalaxiesAstroCamp (credit PhysicistPat@Flickr)
The arrival of Autumn means one thing to astronomers: darker skies. Every spring an autumn, astronomers gather along with their telescopes, campervans and tents for “star parties”. One such meet-up is AstroCamp, held near Cwmdu in the Brecon Beacons. At just an hour or so north of Cardiff it’s not too far, and I’ve been going along to these meetings for the last few years.
The weather can be unpredictable, and while that can put a stop to observing the skies, it does little to dampen the spirits. Astronomers are a pretty social bunch, and enjoy shar...2015-09-2831 minPythagorean AstronomyIn conversation with Mark McCaughrean67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (ESA/Rosetta/NavCam)
On Monday 24th August, Cardiff was treated to a public talk by Prof Mark McCaughrean, Senior Science Advisor in the European Space Agency’s Directorate of Science and Robotic Exploration. Mark spoke about the Rosetta mission, which has been studying comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for the past year, including the landing of Philae on the comet’s surface amid huge media attention.
In this month’s Pythagorean Astronomy, I had a fascinating chat with Mark about his work at ESA, and his role leading the communications department. The public attention around Rosetta helped make it one of the great s...2015-08-2733 minPythagorean AstronomyNew Horizons at PlutoOn 14th July 2015 the New Horizons probe whizzed past Pluto, providing our first ever close-ups of this tiny world at the edge of our Solar System. This month, Edward Gomez and I discuss why Pluto is so fascinating, and what the first few images have told us. We also chatted about this month’s other big story, the discovery of another Earth-like planet, and why it’s a bit early to get too excited about future holiday plans! And Hugh Lang tells us about August’s Perseid meteor shower.
To get a feel for why New Horizons has proved so fascina...2015-07-3033 minPythagorean AstronomyRadio astronomy close-upRadio telescopes are normally used for looking at very distant objects thousands, millions, or possibly even billions of light years away. But to do that, they have to look through the Earth’s atmosphere. For some radio astronomers the distorting effects of our atmosphere are an annoyance, but earlier this year Australian astronomers using the Murchison Widefield Array found something theorised to exist but never before seen: tubes of ionised plasma tracing our planet’s magnetic field. I spoke to Dr Natasha Hurley-Walker from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research about the discovery, as well as a few much more...2015-06-2826 minPythagorean AstronomySolar System round-upIt’s a busy year in the Solar System for robotic explorers, with New Horizons on the way to distant Pluto, Dawn orbiting Ceres in the outer asteroid belt, and Rosetta and Philae accompanying comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko as it makes its closets approach to the Sun. This month Dr Edward Gomez and I chat about these missions, as well as some recent results about exploding stars way across the cosmos!
Originally broadcast (in edited form) on 28th May 2015 as part of Pythagoras’ Trousers on Radio Cardiff.2015-05-2818 minPythagorean AstronomyEnd of the MessengerThe Messenger probe arrived in orbit around Mercury in March 2011, after a 7 year journey to the innermost planet in our Solar System. It mapped the entire surface of this tiny planet, of which we’d seen less than half from the previous mission back in the 1970s. Far from being a dry, inert ball of rock, Messenger has showed that the surface of Mercury has been changing in the very recent past (where “recent”, to a planetary scientist, means tens of millions of years). But what goes up, must come down, and on 30th April 2015 the Messenger probe crashed into the su...2015-04-3030 minPythagorean AstronomyPythagoras’ Trousers: Making the Invisible, VisibleIn this special documentary as part of the Pythagoras Trousers radio series, Rhys Phillips visits his alma mater, Cardiff University’s School of Physics & Astronomy, to find out about a new generation of detectors being developed to help see things in the far infra-red part of the spectrum. With contributions from Chris North, Peter Hargave, Simon Doyle and Ken Wood.
Originally broadcast on 2nd April 2015 as part of Pythagoras’ Trousers on Radio Cardiff.2015-04-0229 minPythagorean AstronomyEclipses and the nature of GravityIn March 2015 there was an eclipse of the Sun. Those who saw the total eclipse from the North Atlantic witnessed one of the most awesome sights imaginable. From more southerly locations we saw a partial eclipse, and in Cardiff we were joined by over 1000 people on the steps of the National Museum of Wales.
But eclipses aren’t just a pretty sight, and they can be used for scientific purposes. As well as showing us the outer atmosphere of the Sun, they are also able to tell us about the fabric of the Universe itself. This month, I spoke to Mark Ha...2015-03-2621 minPythagorean AstronomySolar Eclipses and Planck resultsChris North
In March 2015 there will be an eclipse of the Sun. From the UK (apart from a couple of very tiny northern parts) it will be visible as a partial eclipse. In this month’s episode Edward Gomez and I chatted about eclipses and their historical significance.
February 2015 also saw the release of new data from the Planck Satellite. I spoke to Hiranya Peiris, from University College London, about what the results are telling us.
Read more2015-02-2634 minPythagorean AstronomyBeagle 2, and the “Year of the Dwarf Planet”Chris North
In January it was announced that images from spacecraft orbiting Mars had probably located signs of Beagle 2, the unfortunate UK mission to the red planet which went missing back in 2003. This month I chatted to LCOGT’s Edward Gomez, who has been following proceedings, about what this means – including that the UK now holds the record for Europe’s first soft landing on another planet!
But current and future missions have also been in the news. NASA’s Dawn spacecraft is rapidly approaching Ceres, and New Horizons will whizz past Pluto in the Summer. Unprecedented close-ups of these two dwarf pla...2015-02-0416 minPythagorean AstronomyExoMarsIt has been announced that the UK will lead the design and build of Europe’s next rover to Mars. Part of the European Space Agency’s ExoMars programme, this robotic explorer will drill down up two metres to search for signs of microbial life beneath the Martian surface. To find out about the rover, its mission, and the challenges involved I spoke to the ExoMars Systems Engineer Paul Meacham, based at Airbus Defence & Space, about the project and the technical challenges involved.
Read more2014-12-1922 minPythagorean AstronomyAdventures of PhilaeChris North
On 12th November 2014, the Philae lander separated from its mothership, ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft, and made history by making the first ever soft landing on a comet. It wasn’t quite as soft as hoped, with Philae experiencing more than its fair share of ups and downs, but it provided an nerve-wracking few days for those of us watching from afar.
It must have been far worse in the lander control room, with the teams struggling to get as much science as possible out of the lander. One of the scientific instruments on board was the UK-led Ptolemy instr...2014-11-2727 minPythagorean AstronomyMAVEN to MarsOn of Mars Orbiter Mission’s first images of Mars from orbit
In late September, two new missions arrived ion orbit around Mars. One was India’s first mission, the Mars Orbiter Mission, while the other was NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft. MAVEN’s goal is not to study the surface of the planet but its atmosphere, with the aim of determining how it is changing and how it may have changed in the past.
One of the leading experts in the Martian atmosphere is Professor Peter Read, based at the University of Oxford. For this month’s edition of Pythagoras’ Trousers, I spoke...2014-11-0525 min
Pythagorean AstronomyAstroCamp 2014Chris North
Autumn and spring are the time of year when you typically find star parties – groups of astronomers meeting to do some stargazing, share hints and tips, and generally socialise. One of the friendliest I’ve been to is “AstroCamp”, which meets twice a year at a campsite on the outskirts of Cwmdu, between Brecon and Abergavenny. I visited AstroCamp in September 2014, and chatted to a few of the astronomers there. Read more2014-09-3030 minPythagorean Astronomyin conversation with Alastair ReynoldsAugust marked the arrival Loncon 2014, the annual science fiction convention which visits a different city every year. There’s also a lot of science fact presented at such meetings – we were showcasing the results from Herschel and Planck, for example. In fact there are a lot of places where, to a greater or lesser degree, science fiction meets science fact.
It’s not just the stories where the two meet, either, but also the people involved in producing them. For this month’s instalment of Pythagoras’ Trousers, I spoke to Alastair Reynolds, a science fiction author who used to be an astronom...2014-08-1829 minPythagorean AstronomyNational Astronomy Meeting 2014Between 23rd and 26th June 2014 over 600 astronomers gathered in Portsmouth for the annual National Astronomy Meeting. This meeting, organised by the Royal Astronomical Society, provides the opportunity for physicists, astronomers, space scientists and cosmologists to discuss the latest developments in their areas of research. It covers a huge range of topics, so cosmologists can find out about what’s happening on the Sun, or planetary scientists can hear about the formation of stars.
For this month’s instalment of Pythagoras’ Trousers, I spoke to a few scientists I met while at the conference: Edward Gomez, Helen Fraser, Jane Greaves, and Brooke...2014-06-3021 minPythagorean AstronomyCambridge Science Festival and Gravitational Waves from InflationFor the 31st March episode of Pythagoras’ Trousers, I reported from the Cambridge Science Festival, specifically at the Institute of Astronomy‘s open afternoon. As well as speaking to a number of the exhibitors (and vistors) at the Institute, I also spoke to a few of the cosmologists about the latest results from the BICEP2 experiment (which Cardiff scientists were involved in – read more about that on The Conversation) . Read more2014-04-0127 minPythagorean AstronomyAsteroids, supernovae and National Astronomy WeekOnce a month, I take a look at some of the latest news in astronomy as part of Pythagoras’ Trousers, a weekly science show broadcast on Radio Cardiff. The show’s main presenter is Rhys Phillips, a research engineer and musician who graduated from the School of Physics and Astronomy in 2008, but once a month he hands the microphone to me to discuss what’s been occurring in the world of astronomy. Read more2014-02-2816 min