Waves, Signals, and Cosmic Aromas: A Q&A Journey Through Space

In this intriguing Q&A episode of Space Nuts, hosts Andrew Dunkley and Professor Jonti Horner tackle a variety of cosmic queries from listeners. Join them as they explore the fascinating world of radio telescopes and how they produce images from radio waves, delve into the complexities of gravitational waves, and ponder the sounds and smells of space.
Key topics include:
- How photographic images are generated from radio telescopes, despite only receiving radio waves, and the fundamental principles behind this technology.
- A deep dive into gravitational waves, their impact on space, and how LIGO detects these minute disturbances in the fabric of spacetime.
- An imaginative discussion on what sounds might exist in space and the potential smells one could encounter beyond Earth’s atmosphere, including the curious idea of cosmic fragrances.
Join Andrew and Jonty as they demystify these concepts, providing clarity and insights into the wonders of astronomy and space science.

00:00 - Space Nuts aims to answer questions from the audience about astronomy and space science
01:37 - Were the pyramids built by aliens or were they built by humans
04:26 - How is a photographic image produced from a radio telescope and not an optical telescope
12:36 - Dean: I often hear about gravity waves and I have a hard time visualising
20:15 - Andrew Dunkley: I think ideas become easier to explain over time
22:45 - Our next question comes from David from Port Washington, New York
30:37 - Several volcanoes have blown up since we've been to them
32:08 - The metropolitan area of Auckland contains 53 volcanoes
35:02 - If you could take a big inhale, what would space smell like
36:22 - If you would like to send us some questions, please do through our website

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