AWESOMEASTRO

#115 – January 2021 Part 2 The Discussion: Astronomy in Lego Jeni on the BBC Listeners emails on space traffic control and the Chinese space programme     The News: SpaceX’s troubled start to 2022 New York Times reports sexual harassment at SpaceX International Space Station operations extended to 2030 A look at Arianespace The news discussion: JWST     Nebulas: A look at the weird and wonderful nebulae that you can see through telescopes or use to understand the interstellar medium and star formation. This month we focus on supernova remnants. Awesome Astronomy Go to SourceRead More →

#115 – January 2022 Part 1 The Discussion: Astronomy Christmas presents Listener’s email about the value of early human space endeavours Listener’s email about the marvelousness of Musk   The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in October, we have: The largest valley in the solar system (on Mars) is packed with water More evidence to suggest there may be living organisms in Venus’ atmosphere The sharpest images yet of the region around our galaxy’s supermassive black hole Astronomers find 70 new rogue planets free-floating in space The James Webb Space Telescope finally launches!   The Interview: this month we interview… the constellation Orion!  Read More →

2021 Xmas Special We defer our usual Xmas frivolity to go to NASA’s coverage of Elon Musk’s Penetrating Explorer Neo Insertion System rocket delivering NASA’s Advanced Solar System probe to Uranus and look back at the astronomy and space exploration highlights of 2021: The first detection of an exoplanet in another galaxy, the first exomoon and the most abundant stars perhaps being habitable hosts A great alignment of planets in the sky for backyard astronomers NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter on Mars The advances in China’s space programme The seismic shift in American commercial spaceflight   We then look forward to the anticipated highlights of 2022: ForRead More →

#114 – December 2021 Part 2 The Discussion: Jen becomes the Managing Editor of the Sky Guide app and talks hazardous asteroids on BBC1’s Breakfast show Observing Comet Leonard Listeners emails on colonising the galaxy and killing Mars potatoes   The News: Recreating Mars in Antarctica Future space tourists are unlikely to be getting official astronaut wings News ways to capture space debris Elon Musk announces concerns over the viability of his Starship rocket   The news discussion: With the recent Russian anti-satellite test, are we headed for Kessler Syndrome?   Nebulas : Our new show segment replacing the concluded moons of the solar system.Read More →

#114 – December 2021 Part 1 The Discussion: Sex with aliens (sorry) Jen’s reveals the secrets of TV trickery AweAst now has videos! Head over to YouTube Emails about our new YouTube channel & aliens watching us   The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in October, we have: Water on exoplanets probably didn’t come from comets Another 301 exoplanets drop out of old Kepler data An(other) weird signal from outer space Violent galaxy growth in the early universe Are exoplanets made of strange materials not conducive to life? A deep dive into the James Webb Space Telescope 3 weeks before launch   The SkyRead More →

#113 – November 2021 Part 2 The Discussion: Jen as a space expert on BBC1’s Breakfast show AweAst on YouTube is coming! Head over and help us out by subscribing here. An email on the less than stellar working conditions at Blue Origin   The News: The results of Astro2020 – the next decadal survey from the US National Academies of Sciences NASA’s moon programme officially slips back a year SpaceX’s 3rd crewed launch to the International Space Station Heinz go all ‘Mark Watney’ with tomatoes.   The news discussion: Commercial plans to build TWO space stations before 2030.   Nebulas: Our new show segmentRead More →

#113 – November 2021 Part 1 The Discussion: A bonanza of radio interviews Jeni’s guide to the darkest and best places to stargaze in the UK A trip to the satellite company Space Forge. Emails about radio interviews and the first AweAst episodes   The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in October, we have: Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is speeding up Crazy exoplanets orbits Red and dead galaxies Solving the mystery of alien radio signals The 1st exoplanet discovery in another galaxy   The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation of Perseus with a guide to its history, howRead More →

#112 – October 2021 Part 2 The Discussion: Tales from a dark sky weekend Jen appearing on the Cosmic Companion and at the Open University Space Society Emails on space tourism and from a US state penitentiary The News: NASA gets ready to test an asteroid redirect mission Shatner in space Mixed fortunes in the news for Bezos & Musk The James Webb Space Telescope is still on track for a December launch The news discussion: NASA’s Lucy mission to Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. Moons of the Solar System: Our show segment exploring the discovery, exploration and our knowledge of the solar system’s moons. This monthRead More →

#112 – October 2021 Part 1 The Discussion: Murder on a submarine Jeni’s exoplanet talk for the Open University Space Society – available here on YouTube An email from Eastern Europe prompting a discussion on future energy harvesting     The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in October, we have: Understanding asteroids using ground based telescopes Solving The Mysterious Case of the Missing Supernova Discovering a new asteroid close to the Sun Evidence of recent volcanoes on Venus A look at the joys of star parties (not just ours!)     The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation ofRead More →

#111 – September 2021 Part 2 The Discussion: Our practical astronomy gathering is back – join us in Wales on 2-5th October Jen is contributing to Andy Oppenheimer’s book Stars of Orion Submit your support for Lego to create a clockwork solar system Watch Jen’s free online exoplanet talk for the Open University Space Society Emails from our good friends: Casey Ash in Thailand, about the perennial issue of satellite constellations Conor Brian from Texas about the first Martian settlers     The News: Ongoing problems with the James Webb Space Telescope as it nears launch. The first NASA Artemis moon mission suffers a setbackRead More →

#111 – September 2021 Part 1 The Discussion: Jeni Nearly joined a cult Farewell to Carolyn Shoemaker The Room of Doom at Redditch Astronomical Society The new updated Sky Guide app (that Jen works on) Listeners’ emails on how annoying we are and nebulae   The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in September, we have: A new classification of habitable exoplanets Astronomers find thousands of new galaxies Red Dwarf stars might not be as hostile to life as previously thought Have we found a new spiral arm to the Milky Way? Why last year’s Comet ATLAS wasn’t the comet of a generation   TheRead More →

Podcast Extra – The Twinkle Space Mission This podcast extra is all about our favourite topic of them all, exoplanets. Thanks to our good friends Ian and Billy, we’ll be taking a look at the very exciting upcoming low-Earth orbit space mission Twinkle. This small satellite will help us better understand the chemical composition of known exoplanets, which in turn will help us understand their history – and even their weather!   Guests: Ian Stokesbury – master of astrophysics and lead systems engineer at Blue Skies Space. Ian has a background in low Earth orbit Earth monitoring missions and constellations, but is now making theRead More →

#110 – August 2021 Part 2 The Discussion: Presenting on the BBC The importance of dust to astronomy   The News: A round up of current Mars exploration from Perseverance, Ingenuity, Hope & Zhurong. The mystery of the disappearing Mars rock The Boeing gremlins continue Bezos joins the billionaire space tourism club   Moons of the Solar System: Our show segment exploring the discovery, exploration and our knowledge of the solar system’s moons. And we move onto the moons of Neptune.   Q&A: Why would anyone want to venture to Mars? From our good friend Richie Melton of Formby, Merseyside, UK, Earth. Awesome Astronomy GoRead More →

#110 – August 2021 Part 1 The Discussion: Star Wars marathon Observing the ISS & the Nauka Module NAM 2021 Amateur recreation of the Antikythera Mechanism Spectrum analysing the new audio anomaly   The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in August, we have: Detecting light from behind a black hole New Insights shows Mars’ interior is very different to Earth’s Evidence of an ocean beneath the surface of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede The Oort Cloud could be filled with extrasolar debris Earth rock may contain extraterrestrial Plutonium First clear detection of a moon-forming disc around an exoplanet   The Sky Guide: This month we’re takingRead More →

#109 – July 2021 Part 2 The Discussion: Hubble’s still in trouble Jeni’s presenting on the BBC’s Weatherman Walking Ideas for a new segment to replace the moons of the solar system   The News: Ingenuity helicopter is exceeding all expectations Russia looks to expand its real estate on the ISS NASA’s Artemis 1 is being stacked for a November launch China’s sending Taikonauts to the moon & Mars Bezos & Branson   Moons of the Solar System: Our show segment exploring the discovery, exploration and our knowledge of the solar system’s moons. And we move onto the moons of Uranus.   Q&A: Are summersRead More →

#109 – July 2021 Part 1 The Discussion: Can you help out the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory? Combining sports & astronomy The hive mind responds to the new audio anomaly   The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in July, we have: Hubble in trouble Incredible new images of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede A glimpse of the first ever stars Cosmic twisters The biggest comet ever seen comes barreling into the solar system   The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation of Aquila with a guide to its history, how to find it, a couple of deep sky objects and aRead More →

Podcast Extra: The Dimming of Betelgeuse! To illustrate the epic saga of the Great Dimming of Betelgeuse, in this podcast extra, we revisit all our previous discussions of the red supergiant – collated just for you in one handy dandy place! We cover all the previous major studies of the Great Dimming event from the past year and a half, to let you relive the glorious adventure that is scientific investigation! Tune in to see how this amazing story has evolved and remind yourself of the previous theories; from coincidental pulsation cycles, to surface temperature drops, and, of course, cosmic dust (as predicted by theRead More →

#108 – June 2021 Part 2 The Discussion: A new audio anomaly to get your investigative teeth into Jeni moving from TV interviewee to presenter on the BBC A look back at this month’s solar eclipse Listeners’ emails about our sound quality and night time radio propagation   The News: Blue Origin’s space tourism auction New experiments launched to the ISS NASA looking for extra cash for another lunar lander 3 new missions to explore Venus US DoD look at reusable rockets for military logistics ESA’s large mission planning for the next decade   Moons of the Solar System: Our show segment exploring the discovery,Read More →

#108 – June 2021 Part 1 The Discussion: Buying and selling astronomy kit A possible resolution to the Wiltshire Audio Anomaly   The News: Rounding up the astronomy news in February, we have: Heavy metal vapours detected around comets A weird supernova Seafloor volcanoes on Europa   The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the constellation of Ophiuchus with a guide to its history, how to find it, a couple of deep sky objects and a round-up of the solar system views on offer in June.   Q&A: What’s the difference between a nova and a supernova? From our good friend StevenRead More →

#107 – May 2021 Part 2 The Discussion: Farewell to Michael Collins Jeni back on the radio, other podcasts and TV – cc/crhxtz Listeners’ emails   The News: Blue Origin prepares to take space tourists The launch of China’s new Space Station & falling space debris Can you help the Royal Astronomical Society find the UK’s moon trees? cc/rrhxtz SpaceX reaches a production/economic milestone with a 10th reuse of a Falcon 9 booster The big news story: NASA awards and then pauses the contract to develop the next lunar lander.   Moons of the Solar System: Our show segment exploring the discovery, exploration and ourRead More →