Jul 13, 2020 | Black Holes (Stellar), Comets, Cosmology, Curiosity, Daily Space, Mars, Neutron Stars / Pulsars, Our Solar System
Today’s news comes from all over and starts with a pair of pulsars headed toward merger in 500 million years. This system will help us understand August 2017 observations of a neutron star merger. From one high mass object to another, we turn to look at Avi Loeb’s new idea that Planet Nine might actually be a primordial black hole, what to look for if it is. We also catch up on Mars and its current robot explorers: InSight and Curiosity. Finally, we discuss how to see naked eye comet NEOWISE in the evening sky.
Jun 26, 2020 | Daily Space, ESA, Exoplanets, Gemini South, Mars, Star Forming Region
Join us today as we look at a possible explanation for how mudstone formed in the Martian highlands. We share a plethora of new images from the Gemini Planet Imager of detailed, dusty discs around stars. And finally, Hubble sees another planet-forming disc flap its bat-wings.
Jun 23, 2020 | Astrobiology, Daily Space, Exoplanets, KBOs, Pluto & Charon
Join us today as we look at New Horizons images of Pluto for evidence of how the planet’s icy ocean formed. We also discuss Breakthrough Listen’s announcement of a new catalogue of “exotic” targets. And finally, we share the news that a very young hot Jupiter close to its star was found in TESS data.
Jun 16, 2020 | Cassini, Daily Space, Neutron Stars / Pulsars, Stars, Titan, Very Large Array
Join us today as we consider a new paper on why pulsars shine so brightly (hint: it’s those pesky magnetic fields). We take a look at new images of Antares’ massive atmospheric layers. Finally, we share a story from our own Planetary Science Institute: evidence has been found that there are volcanic craters on Saturn’s moon, Titan.
Jun 12, 2020 | Citizen Science, Cosmology, Daily Space, Exoplanets, Neutron Stars / Pulsars, Physics, Stars, The Sun
Join us today as we look at six different astronomy stories. We start with a new clock of solar activity, then talk about three articles on updates to fundamental theories. We follow up with interstellar parallax observations and an exoplanet discovered through backyard astronomy.
Jun 11, 2020 | Asteroids, Bennu Mapper, Cassini, Daily Space, Earth, Guest Interview, Mars, OSIRIS-REx, Our Solar System, Saturn, Titan
Join us today as we analyze news that Titan is moving away from Saturn more quickly than previously thought. Also, we look at recent photos of Mars’ moon Phobos taken by NASA’s Mars Odyssey. Finally, we note that there is possibly new volcanic activity underneath Germany. After those stories, we interview Dr. Jamie Molaro from PSI about her recent paper on asteroid Bennu.
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