Dr. Al Grauer hosts. Dr. Albert D. Grauer ( @Nmcanopus ) is an observational asteroid hunting astronomer. Dr. Grauer retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006. travelersinthenight.org

From February 2026.

Today's 2 topics:

- In an area which is about 1/400th of the entire sky, the NASA Kepler spacecraft has discovered 30 Earth like planets which are likely to have liquid water on their surfaces orbiting distant stars. These planets are likely to represent a tiny sample of the habitable planets which exist in the Milky Way. In spite of our efforts to find them, the question remains where are the alien civilizations? In a recent talk given at the Division of Planetary Sciences meeting Dr. Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute suggests that perhaps the majority of worlds with biology and intelligent civilizations exist on interior water ocean worlds where their existence is hidden by the thick layers of rock and ice which separate them from the hostile vacuum of space.

- Eighteen hours before my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Rose Matheny first spotted 2017 UJ2, a small space rock with our Schmidt telescope on Mt. Bigelow, Arizona it had passed less than the Earth's diameter from the surface of our planet. Rose was able to discover this Smart Car sized space rock after it moved out of the Sun's glare. At this point it was about the Moon's distance from her and was traveling away at 3.4 mi/s. After Rose posted her discovery observations on the Minor Planet Center's Near Earth Object Confirmation page, for the next 24 hours it was tracked by telescopes in Spain, Illinois, and Arizona.

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Rob Starks.

The newest DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys map, 13 years in the making, covers three-quarters of the sky and catalogs nearly four billion objects. This treasure trove is available to all and contains stars, galaxies, supernovae, gravitational lenses, and much more. Two NSF NOIRLab facilities contributed data to the map: the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Mayall telescope and the NSF Blanco telescope, equipped with the U.S. Department of Energy-fabricated DECam. In this podcast, Dr. John Moustakas discusses the surveys, the data and how it will impact future astronomical research.

Dr. John Moustakas is an associate professor of physics and the Department Chair in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Siena University.

His broad research interests are in observational cosmology and astrophysics, with a focus on using the most powerful telescopes on earth and in space to understand how galaxies have formed and evolved (changed) in a 14 billion-year universe which is dominated by dark matter. He is also interested in dark energy, the mysterious cosmic phenomenon which is causing the expansion rate of the universe to accelerate.

Rob Sparks is in the Communications, Education and Engagement group at NSF's NOIRLab in Tucson, Arizona.

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

From February 15, 2021.

A newly found object nearly four times farther out from the Sun than Pluto now holds the record for the farthest observed in our solar system. Plus, forming Super Earths, finding potentially habitable planets, jellyfish galaxies, the Crab Nebula, and this week's What's Up.

D100 in the Coma Cluster:

https://science.nasa.gov/asset/hubble/h-alpha-tail-of-d100/

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

https://www.universetoday.com/articles/7-stage-journey-reveals-how-falling-space-rocks-survive-air

By Laurence Tognetti, MSc - August 31, 2026.

Recorded by our Editor, Richard Drumm.

At least once in our lives, we've all seen a bright streak of light briefly blaze across the sky and have quickly referred to it as an asteroid, meteor, shooting star, comet, or some other whimsical name we've heard others use to describe it. For those calling it a meteor, you would be correct, but we'll touch upon this later. The time it takes for a space rock, bolide being its scientific name, to travel through Earth's atmosphere and crash into the ground literally takes only a few seconds. But what happens to a space rock during this very brief travel time, and how can scientists use this to learn about a specific space rock's origin and the potential damage it could cause if it explodes in mid-air?

Phase 1: Atmospheric entry;

Phase 2: Brightness begins;

Phase 3: Brightness increases with fireball appearance;

Phase 4: Brightness maintains while melting begins;

Phase 5: Front of rock begins to break apart;

Phase 6: Back of rock breaks apart;

Phase 7: Melting and breaking apart continue until glowing stops, followed by melting ending and wind discards crusted pieces.

[Editor's Note: OK, that could be 8 stages if you'd prefer…]

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6lOpIWbly4

From July 23, 2026.

Hosted by Mike Simmons. Episode 19.

https://astro4equity.org - Visit our website!

Dr. Kelly Blumenthal is an astrophysicist and science communicator who has lived in and worked with many communities across the United States and worldwide. These experiences have shaped Kelly's perspectives on the importance of astronomy communication in building STEM opportunities for under-resourced people worldwide and its role in science generally. Kelly is now the director of the International Astronomical Union's Office of Astronomy Outreach (OAO), hosted by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan in Tokyo. The Office is represented by its network of National Outreach Coordinators in more than 100 countries.

In this episode, Kelly shared her experience working as an astrophysicist and how she became the OAO's Director, the importance of science communication, dark skies, and the development of AstroACCEL.

The Role of Astronomy in Science Communication: 0:00 Engaging Communities Through Astronomy Outreach: 5:44 Professional Development in Astronomy Communication: 9:02 The Importance of Conferences in Astronomy Outreach: 11:18 Case Studies in Astronomy Education: 13:20 Astronomy as a Gateway to STEM: 18:10 Highlighting Women in Astronomy: 23:40 Protecting Our Dark Skies: 27:49 Engaging Youth in Astronomy Education: 32:20 Bridging Gaps in Astronomy Communication: 34:32 Personal Journeys in Astronomy: 41:22 Navigating Challenges in Astronomy Careers: 53:10

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

Mapping Alien Worlds!

Hosted by Dr. Paul M. Sutter.

Just how hard are exoplanets observations? What kind of telescope will it take to find life? And how much information can we get out of a single pixel of light? I discuss these questions and more in today's Ask a Spaceman!

Support the show: http://www.patreon.com/pmsutter

All episodes: http://www.AskASpaceman.com

Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/PaulMSutter

Read a book: https://www.pmsutter.com/books

Keep those questions about space, science, astronomy, astrophysics, physics, and cosmology coming to #AskASpaceman for COMPLETE KNOWLEDGE OF TIME AND SPACE!

Big thanks to my top Patreon supporters this month: Justin G, Chris L, Alberto M, Corey D, Michael P, Naila, Sam R, Joshua, Scott M, Rob H, Scott M, Louis M, John W, Alexis, Gilbert M, Rob W, Jessica M, Jules R, Jim L, David S, Scott R, Heather, Mike S, Pete H, Steve S, Lisa R, Kevin B, Aileen G, Deb A, Michael J, Phillip L, Steven B, Mark R, Alan B, Craig B, Richard K, Joe R, David P, Justin, Tracy F, Thomas K, James C, Syamkumar M, Homer V, Mark D, Bruce A, Tim Z, Linda C, The Tired Jedi, Bob C, Stephen A, James R, Allen E, Michael S, Sheryl, David W, Chris, Michael S, Erlend A, James D, Karl W, Den K, Edward K, Scott K, Vivek D, M0PPET, Brad, Azra K, Steve R, M D Malahy, Brian O, Alonna M, Joseph B, and Anders J!

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

From September 10, 2007.

Hosted by: Fraser Cain (@frasercain) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (@CosmoQuest)

This is a very different episode of Astronomy Cast. As we mentioned last week, Pamela recently attended the Dragon*Con science fiction convention in Atlanta, Georgia. While she was there, she participated in a special live edition of Astronomy Cast with special guest Dr. Kevin Frazier. Kevin is a NASA scientist, and the science consultant for the TV shows Battlestar Galactica and Eureka. He and Pamela work through physics and astronomy in popular science fiction. What they get right, and what they get wrong... so very wrong.

• Role of Science Consultants in Media: Dr. Grazier shares insights into his work as a science consultant, emphasizing the importance of scientific accuracy in storytelling and how it enhances narrative credibility.
• Analysis of Battlestar Galactica and Eureka: The conversation explores specific examples from these series, highlighting where scientific principles are accurately depicted and where creative liberties are taken.
• Common Misconceptions in Sci-Fi: They address prevalent scientific inaccuracies in science fiction, such as sound in space and unrealistic space travel mechanics, and discuss their impact on public understanding of science.
• Balancing Science and Storytelling: The discussion delves into the challenges writers face in integrating complex scientific concepts into engaging narratives without overwhelming the audience.
• Audience Interaction: Recorded live at Dragon*Con, the episode features questions from the audience, providing additional perspectives and inquiries about science in media.

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

Dr. Al Grauer hosts. Dr. Albert D. Grauer ( @Nmcanopus ) is an observational asteroid hunting astronomer. Dr. Grauer retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006. travelersinthenight.org

From January & February 2026.

Today's 2 topics:

- On Earth, human life is enabled by plants which provide us with calories, vitamins, fuel, medicines, and oxygen to breathe. In addition, recent scientific studies indicate that plant cultivation reduces anxiety and depression and has a positive influence on diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and longevity. Perhaps this is the reason that 80% of the cultivated plant species on planet Earth are not used for any food related purpose. On long duration space missions astronauts live in close quarters isolated from the natural world where the basic activities like eating, sleeping, and attending to bodily functions are difficult and stress producing.

- On it's gravitational leash, Earth's pet space rock, 2016 HO3, accompanies us at a distance of between 38 and 100 times the Moon's distance from Earth as we both travel about the Sun. As this tiny asteroid orbits the Sun it spends about half of its time inside the Earth's orbit where it moves faster and passes ahead of us and the other half of its yearly path outside of our orbit which causes it to lag behind our home planet. Since its discovery little has been known about Earth's pet space rock leaving some to speculate that perhaps it is an old rocket booster or other piece of space junk.

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by our Director, Avivah Yamani.

September's equatorial sky features Venus, Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, dark Milky Way nights, the September equinox, and a lunar occultation of Venus.

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by: Dr. Pamela L. Gay (@CosmoQuest)

From September 1, 2026.

In this special episode, funded by the National Science Foundation, we're taking a break from the headlines to study the changing anatomy of a comet.

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].

Hosted by Chris Beckett & Shane Ludtke, two amateur astronomers in Saskatchewan who enjoy teaching astronomy classes and showing the public views through their telescopes. [email protected]

In Episode 549 of Actual Astronomy, hosts Chris and Shane present the Observer's Calendar for September 2026, highlighting key celestial events for amateur astronomers throughout the month. Highlights include the Sept 1 Aurigids meteor shower peak, a Venus-Spica conjunction on Sept 2, two regional star parties in early September, and a Moon occultation of Jupiter on Sept 8. Observing targets throughout the month feature various lunar features like the Lunar X and Straight Wall, deep-sky objects, multiple carbon stars, Neptune reaching opposition on Sept 25, and the Harvest Full Moon on Sept 26.

Sept 1: Aurigids peak (ZHR=10) predawn; γ Del double star; M27 well placed in evening

Sept 2: Venus 1.7° South of Spica

Sept 4: Last Quarter Moon (2:11)

Sept 5: Lunar X visible

Sept 6: Alberta Star Party begins; Mars 3° South of Moon; Moon at perigee; NGC 6781 well placed; B142/3 well placed; Carbon star W Orionis in pre-dawn

Sept 7: Labour Day; M71 well placed; Carbon star HK Lyr in evening

Sept 8: Northern Prairie Star Party begins; Moon occults Jupiter (2:58 pm); M27 well placed; Max R Aql (9:00 pm); Star Trek 60th anniversary

Sept 9: NGC 6905 well placed; Carbon star RV Mon in pre-dawn; Zodiacal Light in E before morning twilight

Sept 10: New Moon (23:27); Uranus Stationary; Old crescent Moon in E before sunrise; M39, M29 well placed

Sept 11: Veil Neb well placed

Sept 12: NGC 7000 well placed

Sept 13: NGC 6946 well placed

Sept 14: Venus 0.5° South of Moon; IC 5146 well placed; Carbon star U Cyg in evening

Sept 15: NGC 6819 well placed

Sept 16: NGC 6826 well placed

Sept 17: First Quarter Moon (18:44)

Sept 18: Venus greatest illuminated extent;

Sept 19: Lunar Straight Wall this evening; Two shadows on Jupiter visible (9:03 pm)

Sept 20: Follow Capella unaided into daylight this week

Sept 22: Autumnal Equinox (12:00 am); Jeweled Handle (12:00 am)

Sept 24: Crater Billy (9:00 pm)

Sept 25: Neptune at opposition;

Sept 26: Full Moon / Harvest Moon (12:49); Two shadows on Jupiter (10:56 pm); Mare Orientale (9:00 pm); Crater Einstein (4:00 am); Carbon star V Cyg in evening

Sept 30: 192 Nausikaa at opposition (m=8.4)

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].