Podcaster: Rob Sparks and Dr. Joan Najit
Title: Encore: NEID: A Precision Spectometer For Exoplanet Research
Organization: National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory
Links: www.noao.edu ; @NOAONorth; http://www.lsst.org/
Description: NEID is an astronomical spectrograph being developed as part of a joint effort between NASA and the NSF called NN-EXPLORE, which seeks to provide the astronomical community with a state-of-the-art spectrograph dedicated to high-precision Doppler observations of exoplanets around nearby stars. NEID will search for exoplanets by using the Doppler, or Radial Velocity (RV), effect. As a planet orbits its star, it exerts a tiny gravitational pull on the star, causing the star to “wobble.”
Bio: Rob Sparks is a science education specialist in the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) group at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and works on the Galileoscope project (www.galileoscope.org), providing design, dissemination and professional development. He blogs at halfastro.wordpress.com.
Dr. Joan Najita studies star and planet formation at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona.
End of podcast:
365 Days of Astronomy
=====================
The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Audio post-production by Richard Drumm. Bandwidth donated by libsyn.com and wizzard media. You may reproduce and distribute this audio for non-commercial purposes. Please consider supporting the podcast with a few dollars (or Euros!). Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org. This year we will celebrates the Year of Everyday Astronomers as we embrace Amateur Astronomer contributions and the importance of citizen science. Join us and share your story. Until tomorrow! Goodbye!