Actual Astronomy - Observer’s Calendar for December
Release Date: 11/30/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 805: Mission Tech Series - Gyroscopes & Servos
The 365 Days of Astronomy
Spinney things! Streamed live 18 Oct 2026. Hosted by: Fraser Cain () and Dr. Pamela L. Gay () Our journey through space exploration technology continues! Today we look at the things that spin: gyros, reaction wheels, servos. Newton’s laws are large and in charge today as spinning has a very useful benefit when you’re in weightlessness! Today we are going to understand the nemesis of space exploration missions everywhere, get to the bottom of this, how these things works, why they fail, and maybe what’s being done about it, or maybe not! We've added a new way to donate to...
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Travelers in the Night Eps. 385 & 386: New Aten & Silent ET
The 365 Days of Astronomy
Dr. Al Grauer hosts. Dr. Albert D. Grauer ( ) is an observational asteroid hunting astronomer. Dr. Grauer retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006. From April 2026. Today's 2 topics: - Recently my Catalina Sky Survey teammates Carson Fuls and Greg Lenoard discovered an Aten asteroid which orbits the Sun once every 272 days and on a path that crosses the orbits of Venus and Earth a number of times each year. Atens account for only about 6% of the Earth approaching asteroids that asteroid hunters discover. They are relatively dim and difficult to discover because they...
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AstroMan - G Is For Galileo
The 365 Days of Astronomy
Galileo turned the telescope skyward and transformed astronomy, revealing lunar mountains, sunspots, Jupiter’s moons, and a Universe far larger than imagined. “ASTROMAN: the Dark Sky Guardian” is a podcast channel that aims to explore popular science in multiple disciplines and research on interdisciplinary approaches, such as sustainability, dark-sky protection, astrophotography, space exploration, astronomy innovation, inclusive science communication, and STEAM Education by integrating science and arts. Exodus Chun-Long Sit, also known as the ASTROMAN, is a transmedia...
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Actual Astronomy - Saturn at Opposition
The 365 Days of Astronomy
Hosted by Chris Beckett & Shane Ludtke, two amateur astronomers in Saskatchewan who enjoy teaching astronomy classes and showing the public views through their telescopes. In this episode, we cover key visual observing highlights for Saturn, including prominent features like the Equatorial Band and Equatorial Zone visible in amateur telescope. We also look at historical transient phenomena, such as the massive, planet-encircling "Great White Spots" that erupt in the northern hemisphere roughly once every Saturnian year. Alexio wrote: Hi Chris and Shane, I saw Saturn in your...
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EVSN - Luminous Kilonova Challenges Gamma-ray Burst Theories
The 365 Days of Astronomy
From November 2020. The brightest kilonova ever was detected and challenges current gamma-ray burst models. Plus, the history of water on both Venus and Mars, how radioactive elements may help habitability, and a little-known mass extinction event here on Earth. But wait! There’s more… new images of the Perseus Cluster, a recaptured 1960s rocket booster, the shortest measurement of time, a treasure trove of copies of Principia, and SpaceX is certified to launch Crew-1 this weekend. Perseus Cluster pix: We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support...
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Guide To Space - Universe Today News: NASA Selects GIMLI to Search the Marius Lunar Pit for a Potential Lunar Base Site
The 365 Days of Astronomy
Recorded by our editor, Richard Drumm. Written by Matthew Williams. Lava tubes on the Moon and Mars are some of the most fascinating and useful places we could explore. These are natural tunnels below the surface that could protect astronauts from radiation, provide a constant temperature, and could even be sealed off as a place for a habitat. Now, a new mission is under development called GIMLI that could use ground-penetrating radar to scan beneath the surface and map out the extent of a lunar cave network. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing,...
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Awesome Astronomy - Extra: The Hubble Tuning Fork & Citizen Science
The 365 Days of Astronomy
Paul Hill hosts solo! Damien Phillips, John Wildridge and Dustin Ruoff produce. In this podcast extra episode we talk to Dr. Karen Masters, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Haverford College, Pennsylvania about The Hubble Tuning Fork and Galaxy classification. But it’s not only about that canonized galaxy classification system, it’s also about how citizen science – astronomy done by absolutely anybody from their homes – can and does change the accepted wisdom and advance science. Galaxy Zoo: Twelve Years of Galaxy Zoo: Morphological...
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Astronomy Cast Ep. 804: Mission Tech Series: Fairings, Docking & Airlocks
The 365 Days of Astronomy
Hosted by: Fraser Cain () and Dr. Pamela L. Gay () Streamed live on Oct 3, 2026. Mission Tech Part 3. Instead of sending up an entire space station for every mission, you can just send up a tiny can filled with astronauts. But that takes docking. And today we’re gonna talk about what it takes to connect two spacecraft together. How to keep a cargo safe to get into orbit, and how to get in and out of your spacecraft without killing everyone! We removed all ads from the show. We need to get to 1500 patrons to keep it this way. We need your support! We've added a new way to...
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Travelers in the Night Eps. 383 & 384: ET’s Cigar & Dry Sands
The 365 Days of Astronomy
Dr. Al Grauer hosts. Dr. Albert D. Grauer ( ) is an observational asteroid hunting astronomer. Dr. Grauer retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006. From April, 2026. Today's 2 topics: - In 2012 as it crossed the orbit of Neptune heading towards the Sun a small space rock was 250 times fainter than can be detected by the Hubble Space Telescope. Five years later, after it had rounded the Sun, it became visible in asteroid hunter's telescopes for about 16 days, as it streaked across our planet's orbit at 37 miles per second, as it continued to move away from the Sun....
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NOIRLab - First Magnetar Progenitor
The 365 Days of Astronomy
Neutron stars, the compact remains of a massive star following a supernova explosion, are the densest matter in the Universe. Some neutron stars, known as magnetars, also claim the record for the strongest magnetic fields of any object. How magnetars, which are a mere 15 kilometers across, form and produce such colossal magnetic fields remains a mystery. New observations by a team of astronomers, including NSF’s NOIRLab’s Dr. André-Nicolas Chené, may shed important light on the origin of these magnetic powerhouses. Using various telescopes around the globe, including the...
info_outlineThe Observer’s Calendar for December 2023!
Hosted by Chris Beckett & Shane Ludtke, two amateur astronomers in Saskatchewan.
- Patreon Calendar Draw reminder!
- Dec 4 - Mercury at greatest elongation in evening sky 21°
- Dec 5 - Last quarter Moon
- Dec 6 - Curtis X visible - Day of Darkness
- Dec 9 - Venus 4° North of Moon
- Dec 10 - Try to spot Uranus at M=5.7 this week in Aries
- Dec 12 - New Moon
- Dec 13/14 - Geminid Meteor Shower peaks - ZHR = 120!
- Dec 14 Mercury 4° north of the Moon — not here…at least in my software.
- Dec 17 - Saturn 2° N of Moon in Aquarius
- Dec 19 Double Shadow Transit on Jupiter?
- Dec 20 - Lunar Straight wall & First Quarter Moon
- Dec 21 - Winter Solstice and Jupiter 3° South of the Moon
- Dec 22 Ursid Meteor Shower Peaks - ZHR = 10
Asteroid Metis 9 at 8.4 magnitude opposition. Discovered by Andrew Graham on 25 April 1848, at Markree Observatory in Ireland. Metis (minor planet designation: 9 Metis) is one of the larger main-belt asteroids. It is composed of silicates and metallic nickel-iron, and may be the core remnant of a large asteroid that was destroyed by an ancient collision. Metis is estimated to contain just under half a percent of the total mass of the asteroid belt.
- Dec 26 Full Moon
- Dec 28 Asteroid 5 Astraea at Opposition! 5 Astraea is an asteroid in the asteroid belt. Its surface is highly reflective and its composition is probably a mixture of nickel-iron with silicates of magnesium and iron. It is an S-type asteroid in the Tholen classification system. Astraea was the fifth asteroid discovered, on 8 December 1845, by Karl Ludwig Hencke and named for Astraea, a Greek goddess of justice named after the stars. It was his first of two asteroid discoveries. The second was 6 Hebe. A German amateur astronomer and post office headmaster, Hencke was looking for 4 Vesta when he stumbled on Astraea. The King of Prussia awarded him an annual pension of 1,200 marks for the discovery.
- Dec 30 Double Shadow Transit on Jupiter YES!
Concluding Listener Message: Just a reminder for our Patreon Calendar Draw, all you need to do is be a Patreon Supporter to be placed in our draw. Thanks to everyone for listening and you can always send us your show ideas, observations and questions to:
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