Giving the University of Arizona Mirror Lab a spin
It has been on host Mat Kaplan’s bucket list for years. Join him for a tour of the cavernous Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab at the University of Arizona, where the mirrors for the Giant Magellan Telescope or GMT are being spun into reality. Want your own GMT? You might win a model kit when Bruce Betts delivers this week’s What’s Up space trivia quiz. Stumped by what to get that space nerd in your life? Check out The Planetary Society’s gift guide! Mat and Sarah Al-Ahmed share their favorite suggestions. Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-buell-jannuzi-ua-mirror-labSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
23 Nov 20221h 9min
Voyager Mission Project Scientist Linda Spilker
She has been heard on Planetary Radio more than any other guest. Linda Spilker returns in her new role as the Voyager project scientist, following the legendary Ed Stone’s half-century in that job. Linda provides an update on the interstellar journey. The Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 may be only hours from the end of its very successful mission. LightSail Program Manager Bruce Betts makes a special up-front appearance to prepare us for this milestone. And incoming Planetary Radio host Sarah Al-Ahmed introduces The Planetary Academy, a terrific new opportunity for young explorers. Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-linda-spilker-voyagerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
16 Nov 202258min
Space Policy Edition: What the Congressional Midterms Means for Space Science
Next year a new class of elected officials will enter Congress and usher in changes to the political focus and leadership of key space and science committees. Dr. Bethany Johns, the deputy director of Public Policy for the American Astronomical Society, joins the show to discuss how her organization is preparing for the change, what issues they intend to focus on, and how the scientific community can engage with members of both parties to ensure continued investment in U.S. scientific capability. Discover more here: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/bethany-johns-midtermsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11 Nov 202258min
Ann Druyan wishes you a happy Sagan Day
November 9 would have been our co-founder Carl Sagan’s 88th birthday. His professional and life partner, Ann Druyan, returns with a love story — the love between two people that encompassed the Cosmos and had to be shared. Sarah Al-Ahmed will tell us about two missions to Venus. Sarah, too, was inspired by Dr. Sagan. The theme continues with Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts in this week’s What’s Up segment. Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-ann-druyan-sagan-daySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9 Nov 20221h 4min
Space Policy Edition Bonus: Q&A with Casey Dreier and Bill Nye
While we wait for the result of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, enjoy this special bonus episode of Space Policy Edition featuring The Planetary Society's Chief Advocate and CEO answering dozens of space policy questions submitted by our members. These twice-annual policy briefings are moderated by Mat Kaplan, and are an exclusive benefit for Planetary Society members. Want to submit questions next time? Join us at planetary.org/join Our regular Space Policy Edition episode will be published next Friday, November 11, after the U.S. midterm elections.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4 Nov 20221h 38min
DART smacked an asteroid! So what’s next in planetary defense?
The success of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test was just one more step toward protecting our world from wayward asteroids and comets. NASA Planetary Defense Officer Lindley Johnson, and Kelly Fast, the agency’s near-Earth object observation program manager, return to our show for a discussion of where we go from here. Sarah Al-Ahmed will tell us about an article that locates the water on and under Mars, while Bruce Betts gets us ready to enjoy the upcoming total lunar eclipse. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-johnson-and-fast-pdcoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2 Nov 202256min
Meet the new Planetary Radio host! (and enjoy a beer with a cosmologist)
Join host Mat Kaplan as he proudly introduces the person who will take on the show he created 20 years ago. Then we’ll join astrophysicist Brian Keating at a joyful gathering of cosmologists who hope to reveal secrets of the Universe through the new Simons Observatory. You might win Brian’s new book about thinking like a Nobel Prize winner in the What’s Up space trivia contest. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-introducing-new-hostSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
26 Okt 202248min
Eyes on the Sky: Spacewatch and the Catalina Sky Survey
The University of Arizona in Tucson hosts two of the most successful asteroid searches on our planet. Together, they have discovered, tracked, and characterized tens of thousands of objects, many of which could pose a threat to Earth. Listen to back-to-back, in-person conversations with the leaders of both efforts. Then we’ll jump to the ever-watchful Bruce Betts for this week’s installment of What’s Up. There’s more to discover at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-spacewatch-and-catalina-sky-surveySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
19 Okt 20221h 2min
