Star Trails: From Backyard Astronomy to Cosmic Wonder2 Mars 2025

Cosmic Collisions: Asteroids, Comets, and the Science of Planetary Defense

This week on Star Trails, we explore the fascinating world of space rocks—asteroids, comets, and meteors—and their impact on our planet and beyond. With recent talk of asteroid 2024 YR4 making headlines (don’t worry, it won’t hit us!), we break down what these celestial objects are, where they come from, and what makes them so important to study.

We'll also take a look at the Tunguska and Chelyabinsk meteor events, the impact that wiped out the dinosaurs, and the Shoemaker-Levy 9 collision with Jupiter—real-life cosmic events that shaped our understanding of space hazards.

Plus, we’ll check in on T Coronae Borealis, a star on the verge of a once-in-a-lifetime nova. And don’t forget to step outside and catch Mercury’s rare appearance on the western horizon this week, as well as a beautiful pairing of Venus and the crescent Moon.

For more episodes and resources for backyard astronomers, visit www.startrails.show. Share the wonder of the stars with friends and continue your cosmic journey with us. Also, connect with us on Mastodon @star_trails, or on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social.

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Avsnitt(121)

Did the Milky Way Flip?

The Milky Way looks permanent from our place inside it, a great band of stars stretching across the night sky. But new research suggests our galaxy may once have been oriented in a completely differen...

16 Aug 35min

When Black Holes Twist Spacetime

What happens when a black hole spins? According to general relativity, it doesn't simply rotate in space, it actually drags spacetime around with it.This episode explores the strange phenomenon known ...

2 Aug 38min

Listening to the Heartbeat of the Milky Way

Most amateur astronomers spend their nights collecting light. But what if you could study our galaxy without looking through a telescope at all?In this episode, we sit down with amateur astronomer and...

19 Juli 27min

Is there a Black Hole in Our Backyard?

What if the mysterious "Planet Nine" isn't a planet at all?In this episode, we journey to the distant frontier of our Solar System to explore one of astronomy's strangest modern hypotheses: the possib...

5 Juli 21min

How Jupiter Almost Destroyed the Solar System

For generations, we've pictured the Solar System as a stable and orderly place: planets forming where they are today and quietly orbiting the Sun for billions of years. But what if that picture is wro...

21 Juni 23min

A Summer Sky Road Trip

Summer is almost here, and with it comes one of the richest observing seasons of the year.In this episode, we take a road trip through the summer sky, exploring the constellations, deep-sky objects, p...

7 Juni 30min

From the Archive: Star Party Stories

Back in November of 2024, I attended a star party hosted by the Midlands Astronomy Club and recorded what became one of my favorite episodes of Star Trails. This week, while taking a short break to re...

31 Maj 17min

The Birth and Death of Galaxies

This week we conclude our month-long journey through galaxies by exploring one of the biggest questions in astronomy: how galaxies are born, evolve, and eventually die.We begin in the aftermath of the...

24 Maj 29min