The Astronomy Show 30.08.17

The Astronomy Show 30.08.17

On the Astronomy Show today I will be looking at a report that says scientists have discovered that some stars in the Pleiades or seven sisters seem to be varying in brightness, the Pleiades are an easily seen feature in the winter sky.  I was observing the seven sisters back in the 1980s and it was clear then that something was going on in this cluster!

There will be the regular weekly look at the night sky including a look at the stars that are circumpolar in this country, circumpolar stars never set as seen from Britain.

The astronomical scrapbook which looks at astronomical anniversaries this week and  includes the Great Carrington Solar Flare in 1859 which destroyed communications around the world  and the launch of Mariner 2 the first probe to Mercury.

The latest astronomy news features the beginning of the Aurora season and the revival of the Phoenicid meteor shower. The A-Z of constellations is now at Hydrus the Lesser Snake while the Messier marathon is visiting M 41 in Canis Major. All this plus the latest astronomy news from the northern astronomical societies.

The Astronomy Show only on Drystone Radio 103.5 FM live on line at www.drystoneradio.com or listen later on the Drystone podcast.

The Astronomy Show 23.08.17

The Astronomy Show 23.08.17

On the Astronomy Show today I will be looking at the news that NASA scientists have discovered that Mars may experience snowstorms at night. We have snowstorms here on Earth but they can occur both in the day and night, I will be looking further into this latest news.

I will be taking the regular look at the night sky this week now all the excitement of the solar eclipse has passed,  I watched it on NASA TV and it was just incredible.

The other normal features include the latest astronomy news including  the NASA mission to study the Sun, and a white dwarf that may have survived a supernova explosion. The A-Z of constellations has now reached Hydra which although the largest constellation is not the brightest and has only one brightish star, the Messier Marathon continues with M 40 which is not even a nebula or cluster!

The astronomy scrapbook looks at events this week in history including  lots of voyager anniversaries, plus the great Moon hoax. This and the latest events at the astronomical societies in the north.

The Astronomy Show only on Drystone Radio 103.5 FM with Martin Lunn every Wednesday afternoon between 3 pm and 5 pm, listen on line at www.drystoneradio.com  or hear the programme on the podcast.

The Astronomy Show 16.08.17

The Astronomy Show 16.08.17

Everyone has been talking about it the Great American Eclipse of the Sun which will occur on August 21st and will be seen from the West Coast to the East Coast, sadly we can't see it in Britain but on the  Astronomy Show I will be looking at exactly what an eclipse of the Sun is how it happens and what astronomers can learn, plus the mythology attached to what is probably the most spectacular event that can be seen in the sky.

There will be the weekly look at the night sky and a report on the Perseid meteor shower, despite the brightness of the Moon I was able to see some meteors.

The regular features include the A-Z of constellations which this week looks at Horologium the Pendulum Clock a southern constellation which is faint and obscure. The Messier Marathon is now at M 39 an open cluster in Cygnus.

The latest astronomy news will be featured plus the astronomical scrapbook which looks at astronomical anniversaries this week, and all the news from the astronomical societies in the north.

The Astronomy Show every Wednesday from 3 p to 5 pm with Martin Lunn only on Drystone Radio 103.5 FM, you can listen on line at www.drystoneradio.com or catch the show later on the podcast.

The Astronomy Show 09.08.17

The Astronomy Show 09.08.17

Its meteor season here on the Astronomy Show today, the Perseid's are coming in now and reach their peak on the night of August 12/13, I will be looking all things meteor wise including what we might expect to see and the history of this shower.

I will be looking at the night sky for the next 7 days with the darker nights it is possible to begin to re familiarise ourselves with the night sky,  unfortunately on the only planet side of things only Saturn is really easily seen.

All the regular features will be here with the A- Z of constellations looking at Hercules which might be thought of as being a very bright group, however it is a rather large but faint and formless constellation. The Messier Marathon continues with M 38 the third of the messier objects in Auriga,

The Astronomical Scrapbook looks at events that happened this week in history including the launch of the Echo 1 a predecessor of the famous Telstar, the latest astronomy news plus what is happening in astronomical  societies in the north of England.

The Astronomy Show only on Drystone Radio 103.5 FM every Wednesday afternoon between 3. 00 pm- 5. 00 pm, you can hear the show live on line at www.drystoneradio.com or hear the show later on the Drystone podcast.

The Astronomy Show 02.08.17

The Astronomy Show 02.08.17

On the Astronomy Show today we welcome the fact that truly dark skies return during August .

Today we will be looking at comets or more precisely how many comets are there and where do they come from? We know that in the past comets were regarded as ill omens while today we know they are more like dirty snowballs travelling around the Sun, and right on cue a comet has been picked up that it should be at its brightest in October. How bright? No one is sure yet but comets have been likened to cats, they both have tails and do exactly what they like!

The regular features include the astronomy news with news of yet another miss with an asteroid, the only problem with this one was that it was not found until it had past by the Earth and it was bigger than the Tunguska meteor!

There will be a look at what is in the night sky at the moment, The A-Z of constellations continues with the southern constellation Grus the Crane and the Messier marathon has reached M 37 the second of the trio of Messier objects in Auriga. The astronomy scrapbook looks at events this week in history  including the discovery of the Great White Spot on Saturn by the comedy actor Will Hay in 1933. This plus what is going on in the astronomy societies in the North.

The Astronomy Show only on Drystone Radio 103.5 FM, the show can be heard on line at www.drystoneradio.com or you can hear the show later via the podcast.