Backyard Astronomer - Delta College Public Radio
Michigan PR
Mike Murray from the Delta College Planetarium takes a look at what's up in the night sky. Things are happening all the time in the backyard universe, and many of them don't require a telescope to see and enjoy.
Location:
Bay City, MI
Genres:
Science Podcasts
Networks:
Michigan PR
Description:
Mike Murray from the Delta College Planetarium takes a look at what's up in the night sky. Things are happening all the time in the backyard universe, and many of them don't require a telescope to see and enjoy.
Language:
English
Episodes
4/15/24 - The Lunar Seas
4/16/2024
As the phase of the moon grows steadily from Crescent to First Quarter to Full, it’s a good opportunity to explore the contrasts of light and dark on its surface.
Duration:00:02:00
4/8/24 - The Big Dipper
4/8/2024
This is the time of year when the Big Dipper climbs to its highest point in the north, appearing almost directly overhead by month’s end.
Duration:00:02:00
4/1/24 - Beehive Star Cluster
4/1/2024
There's a fuzzy glow in the constellation of Cancer the Crab that's barely visible to the naked eye, but binoculars will reveal a pretty little star cluster called the Beehive.
Duration:00:02:00
3/25/24 - Total Solar Eclipse
3/25/2024
One of the most amazing spectacles in nature is coming on Monday, April 8 – a total eclipse of the sun! Here's how you can make the most of it.
Duration:00:02:00
3/18/24 - Jupiter, Mercury, and a Comet
3/18/2024
Mercury is rarely visible because it never wanders far from the sun in the sky, but we're approaching the opportunity to see it now. As a bonus, Comet Pons-Brooks is visible in binoculars in the west at dusk!
Duration:00:02:00
3/11/24 - Earthshine
3/11/2024
Whenever the crescent moon is thin, the nighttime side of the moon can look faintly illuminated. This effect is called Earthshine.
Duration:00:02:00
3/4/24 - More Northern Lights!
3/5/2024
If you’ve heard reports of increased Aurora activity, there’s a good reason for it! The sun is approaching the peak of its 11-year sunspot cycle, and that can trigger solar storms that effect the Earth.
Duration:00:02:00
2/26/24 - The Winter Triangle
2/26/2024
Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse form a giant triangle in the southern sky known as the Winter Triangle. And like Orion’s Belt, it can make for an excellent pointer and guidepost to the winter night sky.
Duration:00:02:00
2/19/24 - Man in the Moon
2/22/2024
All this week, the phase of the moon grows larger and brighter as it moves from First Quarter toward Full. It’s also a good time to look for the 'Man in the Moon'.
Duration:00:02:00
2/12/24 - Meteors & Meteorites
2/12/2024
No matter the time of year, under a clear dark sky you can expect to see four or five little streaks of light each hour. Sometimes called shooting stars or falling stars, these are meteors that burn up in our atmosphere.
Duration:00:02:00
2/5/24 - Orion’s Belt
2/5/2024
About two hours after sunset, the distinctive constellation of Orion the Hunter is almost due south. You can use the three stars in Orion's belt as a guidepost to the sky.
Duration:00:02:00
1/29/24 - Pollux and Castor
1/29/2024
About two hours after sunset, look halfway up the eastern sky for two bright stars that are relatively close to one another. These are Pollux and Castor, the heads of Gemini the Twins.
Duration:00:02:00
1/22/24 - The Waning Gibbous Moon
1/24/2024
After the Full Moon of January 25 the shape of the lunar disc will decrease into a thinner oval each night called the Waning Gibbous.
Duration:00:02:00
1/15/24 - The Bull’s Eye
1/16/2024
The orange star Aldebaran – the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull – is a great target for the January sky. It also lies within a beautiful star cluster called the Hyades.
Duration:00:02:00
1/8/24 - Venus & Mercury at Dawn
1/12/2024
Venus is the second planet from the sun, but during the week of January 8th you’ll have a rare opportunity to glimpse the elusive planet Mercury, hugging the eastern horizon at morning twilight.
Duration:00:02:00
1/1/24 - Orion the Hunter
1/3/2024
Ushering in the new year is one of the best-known constellations of all, Orion the Hunter.
Duration:00:02:00
12/25/23 - Cold Full Moon
12/26/2023
December's full moon, called the Cold Moon, falls on the 26th and will be placed among the season's brightest constellations as it says goodbye to 2023.
Duration:00:02:00
12/18/23 - Birthday of the Sun
12/18/2023
Many of our modern holiday traditions have their roots in the winter festivals of long ago, and that includes the dating of Christmas Day.
Duration:00:02:00
12/11/23 - Geminid Meteor Shower
12/11/2023
One of the best meteor showers of the year is already active and comes to a peak on the evenings of December 13 and 14.
Duration:00:02:00
12/4/23 - The Eye of the Fish
12/4/2023
About 90 minutes after sunset, look low in the south for the medium bright star, Fomalhaut. At only 25 light years away, astronomers have found a disk of material that could be new planets forming.
Duration:00:02:00