The 365 Days of Astronomy
The 365 Days of Astronomy podcast launched in 2009 as part of the International Year of Astronomy. This community podcast continues to bring you day after day of content across the years. Everyday, a new voice, helping you see the universe we share in a new way. This show is managed by Avivah Yamani, edited by Richard Drumm. This podcast is funded through Patreon.com/CosmoQuestX and produced out of the Planetary Science Institute.
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Actual Astronomy - Observer's Calendar For July
07/02/2026
Actual Astronomy - Observer's Calendar For July
Hosted by Chris Beckett & Shane Ludtke, two amateur astronomers in Saskatchewan who enjoy teaching astronomy classes and showing the public views through their telescopes. Patreon thanks go out to Justin Y. Also thanks for all the kind comments on the David Nagler Episode. [Rich] I’m sorry, but the lads didn’t give me a detailed list of sky treats to put here in the show notes. Maybe next time. I share those with my astronomy club members & they really appreciate it! We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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H’ad Astra Historia - Ep 304: More ‘This Month in Astronomical History’ Sedna & Lunokhod
07/01/2026
H’ad Astra Historia - Ep 304: More ‘This Month in Astronomical History’ Sedna & Lunokhod
Today’s ‘guest’ is HAD’s This Month in Astronomical History. I’ll be reading more essays from the archives: Emily McMahon’s November 2020 essay titled, “Sedna: In the Depths of the Solar System”, and Dr. Ken Rumstay’s November 2022 essay titled, “Lunokhod 1 - The First Extraterrestrial Rover”. Please note that Emily was a high school student when she wrote her essay, so you don’t have to be an astronomer or astrophysicist to write for TMIAH. H’ad astra historia is the official podcast for the Historical Astronomy Division of the American Astronomical Society. We’re here to share stories from and about the people who study the stars, planets, and the cosmos. We’ll be hearing from individuals who not only study the history of astronomy, but also those who lived it, who were “in the room” during pivotal events within the last 50 years or so. Podcast theme music: "Frost Waltz" Kevin MacLeod (), licensed under creative commons: by attribution 4.0 license () Loretta Cannon (an AAS affiliate via Rose City Astronomers) is a science-and-word-nerd who really likes outer space and the people who study it. She quite enjoys working as HAD’s podcaster, sharing astronomy stories to you. This Month in Astronomical History: Dr. Mugdha Polimera: Sedna: In the Depths of the Solar System TMIAH Nov 2020 “Sedna: In the Depths of the Solar System”: Emily McMahon: Sedna (2003 VB12): Sedna (Inuit legend): Kuiper Belt: Oort Cloud: Palomar Observatory: Mike Brown (CalTech): Chad Trujillo (NAU, Gemini): David Rabinowitz (Yale): Samuel Oschin 48” Schmidt Telescope: Quasar Equatorial Survey Team (QUEST) Camera: SkyMorph program: Palomar Sky Survey: Gemini Telescope: Keck Observatory: Hubble Space Telescope: NASAs’s Dwarf Planets (including Pluto, Eris): Mike Brown’s paper describing Sedna’s discovery: Sedna webpage (by Mike Brown): animation of Sedna’s orbit by Robert Hurt (Spitzer Sci Ctr): 2012 VP113 ‘Biden’: 2015 TG387 ‘The Goblin’: Lunokhod 1 – The First Extraterrestrial Rover TMIAH Nov 2022 “Lunokhod 1 – The First Extraterrestrial Rover”: Prof Kenneth Rumstay: HAD News: Mars Curiosity rover: Soviet Union: Soviet N1 rocket: NASA’s Apollo program: Lunokhod (‘moonwalker’) 1: Baikonur Cosmodrome: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: Sky and Telescope magazine: NPR article on Lunokhod 2 rover (discusses Garriott’s purchase): China’s Yutu rovers: Sputnik I: Artemis Program: A Little Bit of Trivia – NASA mission patches Artemis Program: Artemis I: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., season 3: Mission patch: Loretta Cannon’s LinkedIn page (for transcripts’ pdf files): We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Cheap Astronomy - Dear CA Ep. 136: Complexities
06/30/2026
Cheap Astronomy - Dear CA Ep. 136: Complexities
Things aren’t always straight-forward. Hosted by Steve Nerlich. Dear Cheap Astronomy – What’s all the current fuss about dark energy? Some preliminary data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, also known as DESI has resulted in a swath of popular science articles claiming dark energy is diminishing. Well… It’s worth starting by saying that many of the core project team have stressed it’s just the first data release – there’ll be at least four more, so everyone should probably just chill a bit until more data is available. Dear Cheap Astronomy – Why do eclipse paths run in different directions? Yes folks, it's that rare event when we actually answer an astronomy question. So, solar eclipses. As you know, the Earth's rotation makes the Sun appear to cross the Earth's daytime sky following a line we call the ecliptic. And yep, that's no coincidence, but we'll get to that. The ecliptic is not a fixed path because of the Earth's tilted axis of rotation. So as the Earth progresses in its orbit around the Sun, from the Earth's surface at the equinoxes, the Sun appears to be overhead at the equator, but for the rest of the year it's either shifting north towards the Tropic of Cancer or south towards the Tropic of Capricorn. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Astronomy Cast Ep. 799: Heavy Lift Rockets
06/29/2026
Astronomy Cast Ep. 799: Heavy Lift Rockets
Hosted by: Fraser Cain () and Dr. Pamela L. Gay () Streamed live June 22, 2026. The Saturn 5 was a monster, capable of sending humans and a lander to the Moon and bringing them back again. But the number of heavy lift rockets since then has gotten pretty sparse. Now, with tens if not hundreds of thousands of satellites in the works, giant new space telescopes and multi-ton lunar landers in development there are heavy lift solutions to match. So let’s talk about them! From yesterday's Saturn V to today's Ariane VI, rockets capable of launching large telescopes or small space stations in a single go are modern marvels. They are also wildly dangerous, and not exactly compatible. Let's look at today's fleet of rockets and just what they're accomplishing. This show is supported through people like you on Patreon.com/AstronomyCast In this episode, we'd like to thank: Andrew Poelstra, Burry Gowen, David, David Rossetter, Ed, Eric Lee, Gerhard Schwarzer, Jason Kwong, Jeanette Wink, Joe McTee, Michael Purcell, Sergey Manouilov, Siggi Kemmler We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Travelers in the Night Eps. 893 & 894: DarkSky Oregon & Discovery Night at the Schmidt
06/28/2026
Travelers in the Night Eps. 893 & 894: DarkSky Oregon & Discovery Night at the Schmidt
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: - Artificial light at night also known as light pollution is degrading human safety and health as well as damaging the natural environment on which we all depend. The loss of the connection with the natural night sky has happened over the past 100 years. Restoring the natural night sky is relatively simple and can even save money. Before restoration can effectively begin it is essential to make night sky brightness measurements in both natural night sky and urban locations. - On a recent night my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Vivian Carvajal found 4 Earth approaching space rocks with our small but mighty Schmidt telescope on Mt. Bigelow, Arizona. These Earth approaching asteroids are all small with an average diameter about the width of tennis court. On their current paths none of them come closer than about 4 lunar distances from our home planet. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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The Cosmic Savannah Ep. 083: Celebrating 20 Years of SALT
06/27/2026
The Cosmic Savannah Ep. 083: Celebrating 20 Years of SALT
Hosted by Dr. Jacinta Delhaize & François Campher. Jacinta and Francois wrap up Season 6 of The Cosmic Savannah with this exciting and reflective episode, discussing the history, science and legacy of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) which celebrated it’s 20th anniversary in November of 2025. The team is joined by Professor David Buckley from the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), who served as the project scientist for the SALT project. In this episode, we discuss the full evolution of SALT, from idea to instrument and all the chaos along the way and also what the future holds for SALT and South African astronomy. Join us for this fascinating look at the history and continued work of SALT! We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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EVSN After Hours: Our Shape-Shifting Universe With Author Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
06/26/2026
EVSN After Hours: Our Shape-Shifting Universe With Author Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Hosted by Dr. Pamela L. Gay. From June 17, 2026. Join Pamela for an hour that looks at science and society as she talks with author and cosmologist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein. In her new book, "The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, & the Cosmic Dream Boogie" Prescod-Weinstein weaves scientific and lyrical understandings of cosmology, bringing together the language of elders with the math of modern computational models. This combination puts our human state in a greater perspective of time and space that looks beyond western textbooks (Oh, and there is a lot of Star Trek referenced in there too!) We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Space Stories: Habitable Zone: The Search for Another Earth
06/25/2026
Space Stories: Habitable Zone: The Search for Another Earth
Hosted by our Director, Avivah Yamani. What makes a planet potentially habitable? In this episode of Astronomy Words, we explore the habitable zone, also known as the Goldilocks Zone, and learn why worlds like Earth, Mars, Venus, TRAPPIST-1, and Kepler-186f are helping astronomers search for life beyond our Solar System. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Awesome Astronomy - June Part 2: The Secret History of a Space Mission
06/24/2026
Awesome Astronomy - June Part 2: The Secret History of a Space Mission
Paul Hill and Dr. Jenifer “Dr. Dust” Millard host. Damien Phillips, John Wildridge and Dustin Ruoff produce. The idea that sparked a billion-dollar space telescope was recorded in the most unlikely of places: a scrap of paper fished out a pocket while gondolas sailed by in Venice. In this talk, award-winning astrophysicist and science communicator Steve Eales of Cardiff University takes us on the unlikely journey of the Herschel Space Observatory, the most sensitive far-infrared space telescope yet launched. This talk was recorded at the recent AstroCamp in Cwmdu, Wales. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Deep Astronomy - Planetary Environments and Health Risks
06/23/2026
Deep Astronomy - Planetary Environments and Health Risks
Hosted by Tony Darnell. Streamed live on Jul 6, 2017. If we send humans to Mars, will they be able to survive? How hostile is the solar system for human exploration? The Mars environment presents many challenges to human survival and long-term residence. In addition to radiation, unbreathable atmosphere, and dust storms, surviving alien microorganisms can present a health risk. The US Congress has directed NASA to plan for a human mission to Mars. A critical element of the planning is to ensure the health and safety of astronauts travelling to, working on, and returning from the Red Planet. Join Tony Darnell, Harley Thronson and Alberto Conti as they explore with Arnauld Nicogossian (George Mason University), Catharine A. Conley (NASA Planetary Protection Officer) and Charles Doarn (University of Cincinnati) the challenges of living and working on Mars. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Astronomy Cast Ep. 798: Our Summer Media List
06/22/2026
Astronomy Cast Ep. 798: Our Summer Media List
Hosted by: Fraser Cain () and Dr. Pamela L. Gay () Streamed live on Jun 15, 2026. Well, we’re just a couple of weeks away from summer hiatus and so it’s time to give you some homework. Here’s our list of stuff we’ve been reading watching and playing. This should fill the Astronomy-Cast-shaped hole in your media landscape. On the plane, on the beach, from the passenger seat in a car, summer is a time for escaping into a good book, video, or game. From classics to the latest releases, here are our recommendations for keeping your brain occupied while your body is renewed. This show is supported through people like you on Patreon.com/AstronomyCast In this episode, we'd like to thank: Andrew Poelstra, Burry Gowen, David, David Rossetter, Ed, Eric Lee, Gerhard Schwarzer, Jason Kwong, Jeanette Wink, Joe McTee, Michael Purcell, Sergey Manouilov, Siggi Kemmler We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Travelers in the Night Eps. 891 & 892: 2026 AA & 140 Meter Asteroids
06/21/2026
Travelers in the Night Eps. 891 & 892: 2026 AA & 140 Meter Asteroids
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 March 2026. Today's 2 topics: - My Catalina Sky Survey teammate Tracie Beuden was observing with our Schmidt telescope on Mt. Bigelow, Arizona in the constellation of Perseus when she found 2026-AA, the first asteroid of 2026. Asteroid hunters are trying to track Tracie's discovery with our number on it far enough in advance so humans could give it a tiny nudge and make it miss Earth. - Humans can mitigate the damage done by the impact of an asteroid given a sufficient lead time. In 1998, the US Congress mandated NASA to detect and track 90% of the 1 km sized asteroids capable of effecting local mass destruction as well as global disruption of agriculture and other human activities. This goal has been accomplished. In 2005 Congress extended the mandate to require NASA to detect and track 90% of the 140-m asteroids capable of destroying a large metropolitan area. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Astroman - C Is For Constellation
06/20/2026
Astroman - C Is For Constellation
From Orion and the Summer Triangle to Indigenous sky traditions, this episode explores how constellations became tools for navigation, storytelling, and understanding the night sky. “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 CL Sit, also known as the ASTROMAN, is a transmedia astronomy educator, popular science author, STEAM educator, and science communicator in Hong Kong. He is recently the National Astronomy Education Coordinator (Chair of Hong Kong, China) of the International Astronomical Union and President of Starrix. He was also an International Committee Member of the Dark Sky International, regularly organizing public lectures at the Hong Kong Space Museum and the Hong Kong Science Museum. He was also the author of a popular science book “Decoding the Starry Night: A Guide to Stargazing and Astrophotography”. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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EVSN - Tails SpaceX Fails, Heads We Lose the Earth
06/19/2026
EVSN - Tails SpaceX Fails, Heads We Lose the Earth
Hosted by Dr. Pamela Gay. From June 10, 2026. In this episode, we look at the SpaceX SEC initial filing and put its facts and figures in context and ask, can they do it? And can the Earth survive if they succeed? We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Actual Astronomy - Telescope Powers
06/18/2026
Actual Astronomy - Telescope Powers
Hosted by Chris Beckett & Shane Ludtke, two amateur astronomers in Saskatchewan who enjoy teaching astronomy classes and showing the public views through their telescopes. This month we talk about the full range of telescopic magnification powers from Low, Medium to High and how to achieve them using exit pupil. Topics include using exit pupil as a guide to power and how to successfully use high powers. To recap Exit Pupils and Eyepieces: We have High, Medium and Low powers, - Low Power is in the Exit Pupil Range 2-4mm, so on my 180mm f6 that’s 12-24mm eyepieces giving 45x-90x - Medium Power is around 1.5mm Exit pupils, so a 9mm for my scope for 120x - High equates to about a 0.5mm Exit pupil which for an F6 scope that would be a 3mm which on my 180mm would give 360x In addition to these we have RFT or very low power for me I use my 40mm and 32mm for 27-35x and Ultra-high which is anything above 0.5mm. Careful in going to low as beyond 6-7mm exit pupils the pupil will cut into the light path. The most favored eyepiece exit pupils are those in the 1.5-3mm range for galaxies, globular clusters. This is where the eye performs best under low light conditions and these magnifications help reduce the sky brightness without reducing the object brightness to the same extent,,,thus making such objects more visible. This is why I use my 17mm, 12.5, 12, 10mm’s the most when making observations of these targets. For low power wide field nothing beats the 40mm XW which gives me a 2.5TFOV and 27x and I use my 5mm XW lots on the planets and Moon. Shane do you have any high power eyepieces? What is the highest power you’ve successfully used? What are some of the challenges with using high powers? My introduction to using high power came by accident. I wanted to buy all the Pentax XW’s, while designed for spotting scopes, they work perfectly with eyeglasses and each year Pentax would put some on sale. The 20mm is arguable the dog of the lot, the 14mm is a bit better but the rest are of the highest quality so I ended up with these first but soon a after the 3.5mm went on sale and I thought…well…I’d eventually get it anyway so even if I didn’t use it that much it’d be nice to have. Oddly I ended up using it all the time and it is one of my most used eyepieces and not only that but it barlows very well with my 1.6x Nikon creating a 2mm eyepiece. Eventually I acquired the 5mm, 7mm and 10mm and use my 2x and 3x barlows on them. Typically you don’t want to exceed the 0.5mm exit pupil size as on planets floaters and other eye issues challenge the observer. So why would I go above this threshold? So wind the clock back to the Nova East Star party in 2003, Mars was at it’s closest point to earth in 60,000 years and Tony Jones showed up late at night with his 5-inch Astrophysics APO refractor. We ended up barlowing a 4.8mm Nagler 2x for 430x. The details were amazing. Roy Bishop, who has authored that section on Exit Pupils and Eyepieces for the OH was there, he explained that while no additional detail could be seen past about 300x making the image this large made the details that could be seen larger. I’ve always enjoyed running high power on Mars and the 3.5mm on my 60mm Tak gives splendid views of Venus in the 100x range. With the 180mm f6 my 3.5mm gives 308x and on steady nights I have used up to 500x. After experimenting I determined the optimal magnification limit is about 430x and that coincides with the actual theoretical limits discussed in many texts and online posts. I found that the Pentax 70-degree AFOV was a bit restrictive and wanted to use my 84-degree Docter. I ran across the SkyWatcher Nomad 5x Telecentric Barlow, Telecentrics don’t move the exit pupil around and I have found sometimes SkyWatcher has a few hidden gems…it was only about $100EU and not available in NA so I thought I’d give it shot. It works perfectly, I get 432x and the field of view is excellent! We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Cheap Astronomy - Dear CA Ep. 135: Going Nuts
06/17/2026
Cheap Astronomy - Dear CA Ep. 135: Going Nuts
Are we really ready? Hosted by Steve Nerlich. From Dec 1, 2025. Cheap Astronomy tries to stay sane on a trip to Mars? Dear Cheap Astronomy – Will we just go nuts on a two-year mission to Mars Well, we might if the space radiation doesn’t kill us first. As we may have noted in previous episodes, current timelines for when we’ll land on Mars seem to take little account of the fact that there are many mission components we don’t even have conceptual solutions for let alone anything flight-tested or even prototyped. So current aspirations of having footprints on Mars in the 2030s are just aspirations. Dear Cheap Astronomy – Will we just go nuts on a two-year mission to Mars, Part 2 In the last episode, we discussed the mental duress involved in sending a crew of up to five on a two year mission to Mars – which is 7 months each way with an extended stopover in the middle, with the whole experience involving relentless exposure to the risk of imminent death, and where radio delays with Earth may stretch out towards 20 minutes, enhancing the whole experience of isolation and helplessness. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Ask A Spaceman Ep. 274: Is Dust the Best Thing in the Universe?
06/16/2026
Ask A Spaceman Ep. 274: Is Dust the Best Thing in the Universe?
All Hail Dust! Hosted by Dr. Paul M. Sutter. Why is dust so annoying? But where does it come from, and what can it do? And is dust responsible for the creation of life? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman! Support the show: All episodes: Watch on YouTube: Read a book: 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, Duncan 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, Robert B, Tracy F, Ella 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, Barbara C, Brad, Azra K, Steve R, Koen G, Scott N, M D Malahy, Brian O, and Alonna M! We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Astronomy Cast Ep. 797: Summer in Space
06/15/2026
Astronomy Cast Ep. 797: Summer in Space
Hosted by: Fraser Cain () and Dr. Pamela L. Gay () Streamed live June 10, 2026. We’re about to take a much needed 2 month hiatus. But just because we’re not here doesn’t mean space stops existing and doing things. Today, let’s give a preview of the big events due to happen in space this summer so you can prepare yourself and make sure you don’t miss a thing! From meteors to moon landings and more, join Fraser and Pamela as the look at what you can enjoy this summer, after we go to hiatus in July. This show is supported through people like you on Patreon.com/AstronomyCast In this episode, we'd like to thank: Andrew Poelstra, Burry Gowen, David, David Rossetter, Ed, Eric Lee, Gerhard Schwarzer, Jason Kwong, Jeanette Wink, Joe McTee, Michael Purcell, Sergey Manouilov, Siggi Kemmler We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Travelers in the Night Eps. 889 & 890: Lick Observatory & Comet 467P (Linear-Grauer)
06/14/2026
Travelers in the Night Eps. 889 & 890: Lick Observatory & Comet 467P (Linear-Grauer)
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 March 2026. Today's 2 topics: - In 1892 the world’s largest telescope, the Lick Observatory’s 36 inch refracting telescope made the news when E.E. Barnard discovered, Amalthea, the 5th moon of Jupiter. In 2025 this historic telescope made the news again when on Christmas morning winds of 114 mph blew off a 3 ton piece of the shutter on its dome. The adaptive optics research pioneered at Lick Observatory helped in the creation of the twin giant 10 meter telescopes that sit atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii. - Astronomers using the 8.1 m Gemini South Telescope in Chile were excited by the fact that 467P (LINEAR-Grauer)’s Centaur like orbit had been changed as the nucleus emitted rocket like bursts of gases as it was warmed by the Sun. Inert inactive asteroids orbit the Sun following the law of gravity whereas active asteroids can emit little rocket like bursts of gas which can change their path about the Sun in interesting ways. It is important to study objects like 467P (LINEAR-Grauer) to make sure their path about the Sun doesn’t change to make them a threat to our home planet. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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NOIRLab - Strong Hints of Magnetic Fields On Exoplanets
06/13/2026
NOIRLab - Strong Hints of Magnetic Fields On Exoplanets
Using the Gemini North telescope in Hawai‘i and the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, a team of astronomers measured wind speeds on seven very hot, Jupiter-like exoplanets. The observations revealed that the winds on these planets are most likely governed by magnetic fields, providing the first robust measurement of magnetic activity on planets outside the Solar System. In this podcast, Dr. Hayley Beltz describes how these magnetic fields were discovered from observations using data from the Gemini North telescope in Hawai‘i and the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope. Bios: - Rob Sparks is in the Communications, Education and Engagement group at NSF’s NOIRLab in Tucson, Arizona. - Dr. Hayley Beltz currently a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Kansas and an incoming NHFP Sagan Fellow. Her work focuses looking at hot and ultrahot Jupiter atmospheres with three-dimensional atmospheric models and exploring how magnetic effects might change atmospheric circulation and appear observationally. She is also very passionate about teaching and mentoring students. You can find more about her, including recent papers at We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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EVSN - Chasing Chemistry: Missions Measure Comet & Planet Atmospheres
06/12/2026
EVSN - Chasing Chemistry: Missions Measure Comet & Planet Atmospheres
From June 3, 2026. In this episode, we’re going to look at Psyche’s success at Mars, the cool 3I-ATLAS science coming from Europa Clipper and JUICE en route to the Jupiter system, and we also look at JWST’s efforts to study exoplanetary atmospheres and the weird weather of other worlds. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Actual Astronomy - Observer’s Calendar for June
06/11/2026
Actual Astronomy - Observer’s Calendar for June
Hosted by Chris Beckett & Shane Ludtke, two amateur astronomers in Saskatchewan who enjoy teaching astronomy classes and showing the public views through their telescopes. This month we talk about the Moon meeting up with the planets and some interesting Lunar Features. We also talk about some of the best deep sky objects to observe at this time of year. I was away then sick so haven't replied to everyone's emails or I’ve been late. We’ll read some on the next show and I’ll go over what I’ve been up to. Perpetual Twilight started for us on May 29th and runs through until July 15th! We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Awesome Astronomy - Psyche, Poet and Astronomy Exams
06/10/2026
Awesome Astronomy - Psyche, Poet and Astronomy Exams
Paul Hill and Dr. Jenifer “Dr. Dust” Millard host. Damien Phillips, John Wildridge and Dustin Ruoff produce. It’s the chatty astrowaffle episode! Psyche rushing past Mars, Power instrument at VLT, GCSE Astronomy exams and listener emails. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Deep Astronomy - Vega: The Second Most Important Star in Our Sky
06/09/2026
Deep Astronomy - Vega: The Second Most Important Star in Our Sky
Hosted by Tony Darnell. From Sep 7, 2017. Vega, or alpha lyrae, is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra the Harp and it is the fifth brightest star overall in our night sky. It is also the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere. Vega has also been called by astronomers the second most important star in our sky next to the Sun. If you like this content, please consider supporting Deep Astronomy on Patreon! We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Astronomy Cast Ep. 796: Oceans & Organics on Mars
06/08/2026
Astronomy Cast Ep. 796: Oceans & Organics on Mars
Hosted by: Fraser Cain () and Dr. Pamela L. Gay () Streamed live on Jun 1, 2026. Mars is cold & dry today, but the evidence is growing that it used to be warmer & wetter. with seas & oceans that covered large parts of its surface. With the additional findings of the chemicals for life, the search for life on Mars is getting pretty interesting! New results from Perseverance and Curiosity describe a past Mars with complex chemistry and water. But did it have life? Background image credit: Kevin Gill This show is supported through people like you on Patreon.com/AstronomyCast In this episode, we'd like to thank: Andrew Poelstra, Burry Gowen, David, David Rossetter, Ed, Eric Lee, Gerhard Schwarzer, Jason Kwong, Jeanette Wink, Joe McTee, Michael Purcell, Sergey Manouilov, Siggi Kemmler We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Travelers in the Night Eps. 887 & 888: Apophis Bound & Investigating the Mystery of How Life Formed
06/07/2026
Travelers in the Night Eps. 887 & 888: Apophis Bound & Investigating the Mystery of How Life Formed
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 February 2026. Today's 2 topics: - In April 2029 on one of the luckiest Friday the 13th in human history the 1,500 ft by 500 ft asteroid Apophis will pass within 23,600 miles of the Earth’s surface traveling at some 4.6 mi/s. This is extremely fortunate since an Apophis impact would release the energy of scores of nuclear weapons and cause wide spread devastation. NASA's OSIRIS-APEX will become the companion of the potentially hazardous asteroid Apophis on 5 June 2029. - On Earth living things are everywhere from the deepest ocean depths to the highest mountain tops. On our home planet RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) is a complex essential molecule involved in the process of translating genetic information into the working components of living cells. In a recent paper in the peer reviewed scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Yuta Hirakawa and his team of two coauthors report on their experiments to produce RNA under conditions similar to those which may have occurred in the early history of Earth and Mars. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Equatorial Sky Guide - June Episode
06/06/2026
Equatorial Sky Guide - June Episode
Hosted by our Director, Avivah Yamani. Mercury reaches its best evening appearance of the year, Venus and Jupiter meet in twilight, the Moon visits the planets, and the Milky Way shines brightly over equatorial skies. Join us for a tour of the June 2026 night sky. Clear skies! We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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EVSN - After Hours: Crowdsourcing Innovation with Trisha Epp
06/05/2026
EVSN - After Hours: Crowdsourcing Innovation with Trisha Epp
From May 27, 2026. Trisha Epp joins us to talking about NASA's collaboration with Freelancer, and how Innovation is now getting crowdsourced. Join in to learn how to launch your own Moonshot! Guest Trisha Epp is a Physicist, Philosopher, and Futurist with a Masters in Geophysics from CalTech and a duel bachelors in physics and philosphy from the University of British Columbia. Since 2023, she's been the Director of Innovation for 's "NASA Tournament Lab". This crowdsourcing innovative invites the public to help solve global problems ranging from maternal morbidity to risk prediction. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Guide To Space - Lunar Rovers, From Apollo to Artemis
06/04/2026
Guide To Space - Lunar Rovers, From Apollo to Artemis
From Jul 21, 2020. When the Apollo astronauts first landed on the Moon, they couldn’t go far on foot. That’s why the three final missions were equipped with Lunar Roving Vehicles, or Moon buggies, which allowed the astronauts to cover much more ground and do more science. Now that NASA is returning to the Moon by 2024 as part of its Artemis Program, it’s considering a fleet of new vehicles that will help astronauts roam far and wide across the surface of the Moon. 60 fps Apollo Videos from Dutchsteammachine: We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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Awesome Astronomy - June Part 1: Objects In the Golden Mirror May Be Closer
06/03/2026
Awesome Astronomy - June Part 1: Objects In the Golden Mirror May Be Closer
Paul Hill and Dr. Jenifer “Dr. Dust” Millard host. Damien Phillips, John Wildridge and Dustin Ruoff produce. This month a bit of a JWST fest with news about the cosmic Web (Webb?! ) and those little red dots that seem to be breaking cosmology. There is also our normal skyguide and moon guide. We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. Just visit: 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 for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! This show is made possible through your donations. Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just !) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. Visit us on the web at or email us at .
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