The Backyard Astronomer Podcast

E.59 - A Winter Sky Worth Watching

January opens the year with fire in the sky. Before dawn on the 3rd, the Quadrantid meteor shower delivers one of the strongest displays of the year — streaking through crisp winter skies beneath a glowing Super Wolf Moon. Jupiter shines at its brightest, Orion returns to prominence, and the new Moon brings deep, dark nights perfect for exploration. Bundle up, step outside, and start the year by reconnecting with the night sky.
#Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation
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E.58 - Occupy Space

Imagine a football-field-sized spacecraft racing overhead at 17,500 miles per hour… one you can see with your naked eye. This month on The Backyard Astronomer, we’re celebrating 25 years of continuous human presence in space. From the first two modules joined in orbit to the sprawling station we know today, we’ll explore the story of the ISS, why it matters, and how you can spot it yourself from your own backyard. Step outside, look up, and join me as we “Occupy Space.”
 
#Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation
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E.57-Lunar Peculiarities

Picture this — 4.5 billion years ago, Earth wasn’t alone. A Mars-sized neighbor named Theia was sharing the same orbit, until fate — or physics — brought them together in a collision that nearly destroyed our planet... and created our Moon.
In this episode, we’ll explore how that ancient impact shaped the skies we see tonight, from the tides and eclipses to the bright November supermoon. We’ll also look ahead to what’s happening overhead this month — the Beaver Moon, the Leonids, and even a glimpse of Uranus at its brightest.
 
#Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation
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E.56-Lions and Comets and Bears, OH MY!

Lions and Comets and Bears... no we aren't in Kansas, nor Oz.  We are right here in Northern Arizona, and checking out what may be the best comet in decades!  Learn how comets are discovered, and how you can discover it with your own binoculars in October in this month's Backyard Astronomer Podcast.
#Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation
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E.55-In The Shadow of Titan

The transit method allows astronomers to study distant worlds and discover exoplanets as their orbit traverses the disc of their stars.  We can make our own discovery this month when Titan transits Saturn.
 
#Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation
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E.54-Early Risers

The moon is our guide this month as we follow her path along the sky and she points out celestial wonders in the early mornings of August.  
 
#Astronomy #STEM #STEMEducation
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E.53-Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower

The Delta Aquariids is a favorite amond metoer shower viewers, for the warmer summer months, and this year a new moon for ultra dark skies.  Learn where you can find this is in the sky and when to look on this month's episode of The Backyard Astronomer.
 
#Astronomy #STEM #STEMEducation
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E.52-Solstice Mesa

Stonehenge, Chichen Itza, Angkor Wat... These Monolithic sites were built  to celebrate the Solar calendar, but even right here in Northern Arizona ancient cultures were documenting the movement of the Sun and changing of the seasons!  Check out Solstice Mesa in this month's Backyard Astronomer.
#solstice #Prescott #arizona #indigenous #astronomy #STEM
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E.51 - An "Edgy" Perspective

Let's get Edgy!  This month we are talking about orbital collisions andsideways planets, and how they change the way we view the Solar System.
 
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E.50-Planetary Alignments

Once in 396 billion years!  Or click-bait?  Let's talk planetary alignments - SYZYGY!
 
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