Astrophiz "Exceptional Interviews with exceptional scientists."
Brendan sometimes even gets how and why science works, and each month he conducts in-depth interviews with leading astro and space researchers. In each episode we feature Astrophysicists, Space Scientists, Particle Physicists, Data scientists, Antenna engineers, Instrument scientists, optical & radio astronomers, Satcomm engineers, project leaders and aurora hunters. For Astrophotographers, also each month we also hear from Dr Ian ‘Astroblog’ Musgrave who tells us when, where and what to look for in the sky over the coming weeks and explains astronomical phenomena in ‘Ian’s Tangent’.
This ongoing series has taken us through the history, theory and practice of radio astronomy from Faraday to Gravitational waves. Each episode includes the latest news roundup in this golden age of astrophysics. Enjoy! (& donate if you wish to help keep this podcast ad-free)
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Today’s episode features Dr Dylan Grigg, a fabulous astrophysicist from Perth in Western Australia.
Dylan has been doing amazing work that impacts on the effectiveness of every radio telescope and array on the planet.
He has revealed the presence of unintended radio frequencies leaking from the tens of thousands of low earth orbit satellites above us , and these leaking frequencies have the potential to drown out the very faintest of frequencies that tell us what was happening at the very dawn of time.
Heads up … Astrophiz always takes a festive season holiday over December and January, but before we take a break, we’ll be bringing you a fabulous interview with a wonderful Irish Solar physicist, Dr Laura Hayes ..,. coming vey soon … stay tuned.
NovemberSkyGuide224 (00:27:49)
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Listen:
Viewing Highlights
Both morning & Evening skies are good for planets
Evening Skies:
Mars is very low in NW skies setting about an hour after sunset.
Mercury is above Mars also down in the Sun’s glare.
Mercury and Mars are 1° apart on 13 November
Saturn is high in the NE, the rings are almost edge on, but becoming more obvious over the next few years until they reach maximum tilt again in 2032.
Uranus, high near Pleiades, binocular viewing.
Morning Skies:
Jupiter (and its 4 Galilean moons) is always beautiful to look at, and can be seen for about 4 hours from about 2am till sunrise
Comets:
C/2023 R2 Swann – currently in Aquarius, fading, about Mag 5.6, high in evening skies, binoculars
C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) – Magnitude 4, near horizon, so difficult.
Leonid Meteor shower will be quite poor this year, despite the absence of the moon ☹
Astrophotography Challenge
1. Take photos of the moon at apogee and at perigee using the same camera settings to measure the difference in the moon’s apparent size when it is at its closest and furthest from earth
2. Capture the Lunar X
Ian’s Tangent
Comet Atlas is being misrepresented by ‘conspiracy theorists’ on social media who claim, without a shred of evidence, that Comet Atlas is an “Interstellar Spacecraft reversing its thrust”
There is a long history of comets inducing panic and fear in humans. Sad.
Next Episode:
Our next episode, coming as soon as I finish the edit … features Dylan Grigg, a fabulous PhD from Perth in Western Australia.
Dylan has been doing amazing work that impacts on the effectiveness of every radio telescope on the planet.
He has revealed the presence of unintended radio frequencies leaking from the tens of thousands of low earth orbit satellites above us , and these leaking frequencies are threatening to drown out the very faintest of frequencies that tell us what was happening at the very dawn of time.
This is important work, and it was great to speak with Dylan.
You’ll enjoy his stories!
See ya soon
Astrophiz223-OctoberSkyGuide (00:07:25)
Welcome to episode 223 of the Astrophiz podcasts.
October is a fabulous month with lots of highlights for telescopers, astrophotographers, binocular and naked eye observers.
We have 'The International Observe the Moon' night, the Orionid Meteor Shower and some fine planetary action.
There is also a new comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN)
Comet C/2025 R2 (Swan) is a very recently discovered comet that is around magnitude 7 (which means it is binoculars only), but it is well placed near some very bright guide stars so it will be easy to find.
Ian’s Comet R2 page shows where you can find its locations up till October 10, and there is some evidence the nucleus has split. What this means for brightness is uncertain, but it might either get brighter of disintegrate.
You can find Ian’s Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) page at tinyurl-DOT-com/cometr2
Comet watchers will also hunt for Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) which will be visible to the Southern Hemisphere low in the evening sky from mid-November 2025, with the best chances for viewing in the northern parts of Australia. While the comet will pass Earth in October, it remains a northern hemisphere object during that time; however, observers in the Southern Hemisphere can still catch it after sunset in mid-to-late November.
and finally TCoronaBorealis still hasn’t gone nova, so keep watching it,
Astrophiz222-JenniHäkkinen (00:44:43)
We are honored to meet Jenni Häkkinen, a fabulous PhD candidate from Finland who has been working with an amazing small team who have done a very big thing. They have turned science on its head with their new paper in Nature Astronomy that changes our understanding of the fate of the Andromeda Galaxy and our very own Milky Way Galaxy. Enjoy!
Astrophiz221 - September SkyGuide (00:30:06)
September Moon Phases:
September 8 - Full Moon and Total eclipse of the moon around 2am for those who will be getting up very early to see it (Best viewed in WA)
September 8 - Saturn close to the Full Moon (4° apart) in evening sky (also close during the Lunar eclipse in the early hours of the morning.2am central max 4am. wa has best view 2am max 3am
September 10 – Moon at perigee (closest to earth)
September 14 – Last Quarter Moon – Ideal for Stargazing
September 22 – New Moon – ideal for Stargazing all night
September 26 – Moon at apogee (furthest from earth)
September 30 – 1st Quarter Moon
September Highlights:
Mars is still in the early evening North-Western skies.
1 September - ‘The Eyes of Clavius’ shadow effect on the moon is visible
September 20 - Venus very close to Regulus in the morning twilight (0.5° apart) and close to the thin crescent Moon (4° apart). Will need binoculars and a level horizon
September 17 - Jupiter near crescent moon
September 22 - Earth at Equinox
29 September - ‘Luna X’ is quite visible for about 4 hours in the early evening starting on the East Coast from 6:45pm, Central States from 5:25pm and on the West Coast from 4:45pm
========================
Evening Skies:
Mars is still in the early evening North-Western skies, setting around 9pm
Saturn at Opposition (biggest and brightest) and very nice viewing in evening skies from now till late October.
TCoronaBorealis still hasn’t gone nova, so keep watching it,
========================
Morning Skies:
Uranus in the morning twilight
Venus is falling in the east as the month progresses and gibbous in shape
Jupiter is climbing higher in morning skies in the east
========================
Ian’s Tangent: A 3rd interstellar comet visits our system, and its tail is pointing in the wrong direction! .
Arriving from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, the interstellar comet has been officially named 3I/ATLAS.
And Ian introduces us to the nature of cometary ‘ices’ as revealed by spectroscopy, and the chemical/metal composition of Comet 3I/ATLAS.
The comet, 3 Km in diameter, poses no threat to Earth and will remain at a distance of at least 1.6 astronomical units (about 150 million miles or 240 million km). It is currently about 4.5 au (about 416 million miles or 670 million km) from the Sun. 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest approach to the Sun around Oct. 30, at a distance of 1.4 au (about 130 million miles or 210 million km) — just inside the orbit of Mars.
The interstellar comet’s size and physical properties are being investigated by astronomers around the world. 3I/ATLAS should remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September, after which it will pass too close to the Sun to observe. It is expected to reappear on the other side of the Sun by early December, allowing for renewed observations.
========================
Ian’s Astrophotography Challenge:
Capture the Lunar Eclipse
Top Tip: As the eclipse progresses you will need to adjust your exposure settings as the brightness of the moon changes.
Astrophiz220-Dr Emil Lenc-Imaging Radio Skies (00:50:36)
Today we're bringing you a fabulous interview with an amazing astrophysicist, Dr. Emil Lenc, who works on commissioning new capabilities on telescope arrays like the ATCA, the MWA, ASKAP, and the beautiful new SKA-Low Array over in the harsh scrublands in outback Western Australia, which is part of the multi-billion dollar Square Kilometer Array
He has some great stories and insights into this golden age of radio astronomy.
Astrophiz219-August SkyGuide (00:24:37)
Astrophiz Astronomy 219 ~ Dr Ian Musgrave’s August SkyGuide & Astrophotography Challenge
August Moon Phases:
August 1 - 1st Quarter Moon
August 2 - Moon at apogee (furthest from earth)
August 9 - Full Moon
August 15 - Moon at perigee (closest to earth)
August 16 - Last Quarter Moon - Ideal for Stargazing
August 23 - New Moon - also ideal for Stargazing
August 30 - Moon at apogee again! (furthest from earth)
August 31 - 1st Quarter (Blue) Moon again!
'Luna X’ is quite visible in early evening on August 1st
3 August - Occultation of 2 Scorpii and 3 Scorpio by the moon
Evening Skies:
Mars is fading, but obvious in the Western evening sky, setting around 9PM
3 August - Mars and Beta Virginis are extremely close ( <1° apart)
12 & 13 August: Saturn rising very close ro the waning Moon
26 August: Mars near to thin crescent Moon (just 4° apart)
Morning Skies:
All of August: Saturn is lowering close to Neptune (1-2°) in morning sky
3 & 4 August:Venus close to star Propus (𝝶 Geminorum, 1°)
19 August - Lineup of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury
20 August: Jupiter near crescent Moon (6° apart) 5:45am East
21 August: Venus near thin crescent Moon (7° apart)
TCoronaBorealis still hasn’t gone nova, so keep watching it,
Two Novae are currently observable in Southern Skies.
Nova V462 Lupi is still visible in the constellation Lupus, just above the constellation Scorpius, it’s quite obvious if you age a chart and binoculars (see Ian's ‘Astroblogger’ website for the chart)
Nova V572 Velorum
A nova has erupted in the constellation of Vela, the sail. Known as Nova V572 Velorum it is faint (around magnitude 5.7-5.8, at the unaided eye threshold) and may be glimpsed by those with good visual acuity under dark sky conditions. However, it is best with binoculars of a small telescope. It is well placed for southern hemisphere observers and visible from the early evening on. It is close to the Southen Pelaides (Theta Carina) and the eta Carina nebula. (see Ian's ‘Astroblogger’ website for the chart)
Ian’s Tangent: Bogong Moths using the Milky Way to navigate 1000 kilometre flights
Ian’s astrophotography Challenge: ’Shooting the Core'
Astrophiz218-Dr Nancy Grace Roman (00:30:49)
VALE: Nancy Grace Roman ~ 16 May 1925 ~ 25 December 2018
I'm your host, Brendan O’Brien, and today we're taking a journey through the life and achievements of a truly remarkable astronomer who quite literally changed how we see the universe.
Today we're enjoying examining the legacy of Dr Nancy Grace Roman, who spent over 30 years fighting, and winning, to give humanity the greatest space telescope ever built.
She's the woman who literally changed how we see the universe.
Her name is Nancy Grace Roman, though she's probably better known by a title that would make any scientist proud: the Mother of Hubble.
Astrophiz Astronomy Astrophiz 217 ~ Dr Ian Musgrave’s July SKyGuide & Nova V462 Astrophotography Challenge (00:25:38)
July SkyGuide:
Moon Phases:
July 3 - 1st Quarter Moon
Note: July 4 - Earth is at aphelion (furthest) with respect to our sun
July 5 - Moon at apogee (furthest from earth))
July 10 - Full Moon
July 18 - Last Quarter Moon - Ideal Stargazing
July 20 - Moon at perigee (closest to eart)
July 25 - New Moon - also ideal Stargazing
Evening Skies:
Mercury is high in the early evening twilight
July 3 - Mercury close to the Beehive cluster (in binoculars)
Mars is getting lower in the North-west, and close to the crescent moon on 28 and 29 July.
Morning Skies:
Uranus (in binoculars) near to the Pleiades cluster
Venus is falling back to the horizon, and is a distinct half-moon shape and is near Uranus 3-6 July
Towards the end of the month, Venus comes close to Jupiter.
Saturn is very high in the morning sky and near Neptune (in binoculars)
TCoronaBorealis still hasn’t gone nova, so keep watching it,
A new Nova V472 Lupi is now visible in the constellation Lupus, just above the constellation Scorpius, it’s quite obvious if you age a chart and binoculars (see Ian's ‘Astroblogger’ website for the chart)
Occultation of Antares on July 8 (best seen in Perth)
Southern Delta Aquariid Meteor shower peaks 3am in the NE five handspans west of Saturn on the morning of Sunday July 31st ( active 12 July - 23 August)
Ian’s Tangent:
Observing the Dark Emu and understanding how different cultures record ‘dark constellations’.
Ian's Astrophotography Challenge:
‘Backyard Astrophysics’ Capturing Nova V472 Lupi, and recording how it fades over time.
Astrophiz216: 10thAnniversarySpecial (00:30:31)
10th Anniversary Special ~ The history of satellites from Sputnik 1 to mega-constellations of Satellites and Dark Sky Parks
Astrophiz215:JuneSkyGuide (00:23:10)
Astrophiz 215: Dr Ian Musgrave’s June SkyGuide
Summary:
Mars close to thin crescent moon.
Occultation of Antares behind the moon in the early evening sky.
The moon comes close to some of the bright planets.
… and Mars is close to the moon again at the end of the month.
Moon Phases:
June 3 ~ 1st Quarter Moon, and another time to catch the ‘Lunar X’ late in the night, about 11pm for Australian Eastern states. 10:30 for central states and 9pm in the West.
Lunar X Tip: take an image each 1/2 hour from moonrise.
June 7 ~ Apogee, furthest from earth
June 11 ~ Full Moon
June 19 ~ Last Quarter Moon ~ ideal for stargazing
June 23 ~ Perigee, closest to earth
June 25 ~ New Moon ~ ideal for stargazing
June 21 ~ Solstice: shortest day in Southern Hemisphere. longest day in Northern Hemisphere
Evening Skies:
Jupiter is lost into the twilight
Mercury returns to evening skies mid-month, on the 27th it’s 3°from the moon an hour after sunset, and will continue to be excellent until mid-July.
Mars is low in the NW evening skies, and is still readily visible
T Coronae Borealis is visible in late evening skies and still has not ‘Gone Nova’ so the challenge is still … to capture a Nova before and after it blows! This Nova iswell ‘overdue’ so all eyes are on it!
Tuesday 10 June ~ The Occultation of Antares by the Moon is easily seen in binoculars and telescopes (for times, check Ian’s Astroblogger website)
Also June is a great opportunity to see The Dark Emu in the south, the Southern Cross and the magnificent globular cluster Omega Centauri is also at it’s highest in the south.
Morning Skies:
Venus is furthest from the sun on 1 June, and is a half-moon shape in telescopes, and beside the crescent moon on 22 June
Saturn is climbing higher in the morning sky,
Scorpius is a feature in the dark morning sky in the east
Saggitarius and the Heart of the Milky Way are also rising, a good opportunity to catch the Triffid and Lagoon nebulas in Saggitarius.
Ian’s ’Tangent’
Ian discusses long-lived aspects of Indigenous astronomy like The Eagle, Stingray and Dark Emu, and how Western constellation names have changed over time. eg Argo was declared obsolete in 1930.
Ian’s Astrophotography Challenges:
1. Capture The Occultation of Antares on June 10th (almost full moon)
2. Then on a dark night with no moon, have a go at The Dark Emu, with your mobile phone/DSLR/camera, conveniently at 8pm in the south near Scorpius, the Pointers and the Southern Cross.
Tips:
Use your device's highest ISO (ASA)
Under urban skies, take 10 x1second exposures, and stack them using a free stacking program or app.
Under dark skies, you can take longer exposures
If stacking in RAW, do a ‘dark frame’ subtraction
If stacking in JPEG, don’t use dark frame subtraction.
Astrophiz214-DrAnyaNugent (00:46:23)
Please meet Dr Anya Nugent … she is amazing … and she has some beautiful stories for us … let’s hear all about unbelievably powerful Gamma Ray bursts and their host galaxies from an amazing Harvard and Smithsonian astrophysicist who uses incredible observatories like CHANDRA, XMM-Newton, ALMA, CHIME, MEERKAT, the VLA and even our old friend Hubble … to reveal new understandings of how our universe works.
Astrophiz 213: Dr Ian Musgrave's MaySkyGuide (00:30:11)
May Moon Phases:
May 4 ~1st Quarter
May 11 ~ Moon at Apogee
May 13 ~ Full Moon
May 20 ~ Last Quarter Great for star gazing
May 26 ~ Moon at Perigee
May 27 ~ New Moon Great for star gazing
What’s Up in May?
Planets:
Evening Skies
Jupiter is difficult to see this month
Mars is visible, and nice to see just an hour after sunset
Uranus will return in a couple of months
Most of the planetary action is in the morning sky, Mercury Saturn and Venus are the standouts, but Mercury is lost in the twilight by mid month, returning to evening skies in June.
May 2 ~ Asteroid Vesta (almost a dwarf planet) is at opposition (closest to earth) May 8 ~ Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower should be pretty good this year (debris from Halley’s Comet) Great meteor spotting tips in the audio
Will TCrB go Nova this month? Keep watching
Ian recommends VESTA watching with naked eye under dark skies, in Binocs & ’scopes in the ‘Burbs. See his Astroblog, the Astrophiz FB page or Southern Skywatch for photos and easy finder charts
Ian’s Tangent: The Clouds of Mars.
Ian tells us how earth's clouds were named, and about the clouds on other planets
Websites to visit:
* https://cloudatlas.wmo-DOT-int/en/home.html
* https://europlanet-society-DOT-org/cloud-atlas-of-mars-showcases-array-of-atmospheric-phenomena/
( * copy & paste, then replace the DOT with an actual dot)
Ian’s Astrophotography Challenge: Capture asteroid VESTA on your phone or camera. Great tips in the audio
_______________________________
Next Up on Astrophiz:
In two weeks were zooming over 14 timezones to speak with Dr Anya Nugent who is an enthusiastically awesome astrophysicist who does exciting research into some of the most powerful phenomena in our universe. You’ll love her stories about how she uses some of the world's most powerful optical and near-infrared observatories to hunt down the host galaxies of supernovae, kilonovae, and gamma-ray bursts to understand their unique origins … see you in two weeks
In Astrophiz 212, 'Space Governance’ we are speaking with Space Lawyer, Ciara Guy, who has worked in the Justice system and Magistrates Courts.
After completing her first law degree, she is now an assistant astronomer at Battlesteads Observatory and is majoring in Space Law for her Master's Law degree at Northumbria University.
Her specialties are Dark Skies and Mega-constellations of proliferating low earth-orbit satellites.
Astrophiz211-AprilSkyGuide (00:23:12)
Dr Ian Musgrave’s April SkyGuide
April Summary
Jupiter & Mars are dominating the NW skies
Venus, Saturn & Mercury dominate the morning skies.
TCr Borealis is ‘lurking’ … ready to go Nova
The ‘Lunar X’ is coming up
April Moon Phases:
First Quarter: April 5
Lunar X is visible on the 5th
Daylight saving ends on Sunday 6 April
Moon at Apogee April 13
Full Moon: April 13
Last Quarter April 21
Moon at Perigee April 28
New Moon: April 28
Evening Skies:
Jupiter is high in the north-western evening sky when the sky is fully dark. Jupiter forms a line with the stars Aldebaran and Elnath. The Moon joins the line-up Jupiter on the 3rd, and on the 8th, Jupiter is 8 degrees from the crescent moon.
Mars is high in the evening sky, setting just after midnight. Mars was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, earlier in the year on January the 16th.
Mercury is lost in the evening twilight, but is moving to morning skies.
… AND HAVE A HUNT FOR VESTA!
Morning Skies:
Saturn returns to the morning twilight. It is near the crescent Moon on the 28th
Mercury is pretty easy
Venus - Easiest
Vesta is difficult, but getting easier as the month progresses
Highlights:
3 April Crescent Moon near Jupiter in Evening twilight.
5 April "Lunar X" visible
5-6 April Mars around 5° from waxing Moon
13 April Apogee Full Moon
16-25 April The Lyrid meteor shower will be visible
25 April Saturn and Venus close in the morning twilight forming a triangle with the thin crescent Moon
26 April Crescent Moon close to Mercury in the morning twilight
Astrophotography Challenges:
1. CHASING the ‘Terminator’ on the Moon. Hint: 1/250 sec at ISO 400 every 30 minutes, and making a simple animation.
2. CATCHING The T Coronae Borealis Nova.
The challenge is still … to capture a Nova before and after it blows!
This Nova is ‘overdue’ so all eyes are on it!
Ian’s Tip: use 1sec stacks
T Coronae Borealis last brightened in 1946, and astronomers initially predicted it would brighten again by September 2024.
It’s a variable star in Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, a backward-C-shaped constellation east of Boötes.
T Coronae Borealis, dubbed the “Blaze Star” and known to astronomers simply as “T CrB,” is a binary system nestled in the Northern Crown constellation some 3,000 light-years from Earth. The system is comprised of a dense white dwarf – an Earth-sized remnant of a dead star with a mass comparable to that of our Sun – and an ancient red giant slowly being stripped of hydrogen by the relentless gravitational pull of its hungry neighbour.
Ian’s Tangent:
You'll be astounded when you listen to A/Prof Elizabeth Tasker as she takes us on an astonishingly brilliant 600million kilometre rollercoaster ride on the JAXA Hayabusa missions to collect the very first Asteroid samples and bring them back to earth for analysis, to reveal the primordial origins of our solar system.
Elizabeth also gives us an update on JAXA's 2026 Mars Moons mission ~ MMX
You'll marvel at this triumph of ingeniously designed and executed science and engineering!
Great science stories of discovery are essentially ... great human stories.
Astrophiz209~MarchSkyGuide (00:25:05)
March Moon Phases:
Moon at Perigee March 2
First Quarter: March 7
Full Moon: March 14
Moon at Apogee March18
>
Last Quarter March 22
New Moon: March 29
Moon at Perigee again on March 30
Evening Skies:
Mercury is very low in the evening twilight in the West. (binocs recommended but only after sunset) and Mercury will return to morning skies in April and will be quite nice then.
Venus in the early evening twilight is very low in the West (and as a fine crescent in telescopes) … and will disappear from us by the end of the first week of March, and then will re-appear in the East as the ‘Morning Star’ in April.
Jupiter is in the north west all night and best viewed around midnight.
Nice new storms can be picked out in telescopes in the equatorial belt.
Mars can still be seen in the West
Uranus at mag 5.8 is still visible
Saturn returns to evening skies in late March
Highlights:
1 March: Saturn and Mercury near to thin crescent Moon (2° apart for Mercury) very low in evening twilight, will require binoculars.
2 March: Crescent Moon near crescent Venus very low in evening twilight (5°)
6 March: Waxing Moon near Jupiter in evening twilight (6°)
9 March: Waxing Moon near Mars in evening sky (5°), Moon close to Pollux
14 March: Occultation of bright star Beta Virginis around midnight
20 March: Earth at Equinox
21 March: Occultation of bright star Antares just after midnight behind moon
Astrophotography Challenge:
The T Coronae Borealis Nova.
The challenge is to capture a Nova before and after it blows!
This Nova is ‘overdue’ so all eyes are on it!
Ian’s Tip: use 1sec stacks
T Coronae Borealis last brightened in 1946, and astronomers initially predicted it would brighten again by September 2024.
It's a variable star in Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, a backward-C-shaped constellation east of Boötes.
T Coronae Borealis, dubbed the “Blaze Star” and known to astronomers simply as “T CrB,” is a binary system nestled in the Northern Crown constellation some 3,000 light-years from Earth. The system is comprised of a dense white dwarf – an Earth-sized remnant of a dead star with a mass comparable to that of our Sun – and an ancient red giant slowly being stripped of hydrogen by the relentless gravitational pull of its hungry neighbour.
Ian’s Tangent: Sky literacy, or lack thereof, as exemplified by ‘drone sightings’ in the US and amplified by the Governor of Maryland.
We also discuss easy pathways to develop better sky literacy.
Astrophiz 208-Unusual galaxies in the Early Universe (00:45:08)
Meet Dr Alex Cameron from Oxford University who is making fantastic discoveries about the earliest and most distant galaxies in our universe using the James Webb Space Telescope …
Astrophiz207 - February SkyGuide (00:27:35)
Dr Ian Musgrave brings us his February SkyGuide … telling us when, where and what to look for in the evening and morning skies this month, with some great astrophotography tips.
Listen:
Summary: February is again a wonderful month for celestial observers with a great lineup of planets in your evening skies/
February Moon Phases:
Feb 2 Moon at perigee
Feb 5 First quarter moon.
Feb 13 Full Moon
Feb 18 Moon at apogee
Feb 21 Last quarter moon
Feb 28 New moon
February’s Observing Highlights:
All the action in Morning Skies has now moved to the Evening Skies where we have a fabulous line-up of planetary action all month.
Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars are putting on a marvellous visual display for us and blue Uranus is also relatively easy to find.
Venus, even though it is in crescent phase, is at its brightest this month,
As usual Ian gives us ‘Ian’s Tangent’ … and this month it’s all about present and future ‘Planet Parades’
and in two weeks we're zooming over to Oxford University to speak with Dr Alex Cameron, an amazing astrophysicist who has used the JWST to discover a new and most unusual class of galaxies in the very early universe, just after the big bang
Keep looking Up!
YorkUniverseInterview (00:52:50)
Today we’re zooming over 16 time zones from rural Australia to Toronto Canada where we are a guest on The York Universe Podcast with Dr Elaina Hyde and Julie Tomé where we are talking about What’s Up in the Skies Down Under.
Astrophiz205~Holiday SkyGuide (00:31:48)
Dr Ian Musgrave gives us his fabulous Holiday SkyGuide where he tell us all the fabulous sights that are in store for us over December and January.
Most of the planetary action is at family-friendly times in the evening skies.
We have Venus Jupiter and Saturn all at their best these holidays, a meteor shower still worth a look despite the full moon mid-December, an occultation of Saturn by the moon, and a re-appearance of the 'Lunar X' phenomenon.
In Ian's Tangent he reveals the latest advances in the science of tracing the origins of meteors. It's beautiful Science!
For those celebrating festive occasions with friends and family in December and January, have a happy and safe festive season.
Astrophiz204: Dr Elaina Hyde- The York Universe Podcast (01:03:32)
In this our two hundred and fourth episode of Astrophiz, we’re going to listen in to another fabulous Astro podcast that you should subscribe to.
Regular listeners will remember back to Episode 57 in 2018 where we interviewed a wonderful data scientist and astrophysicist, Dr Elaina Hyde.
Elaina speaks four languages, has four undergraduate degrees in astronomy, physics, optical engineering and planetary sciences; two masters degrees in engineering and astronomy and astrophysics; and a Ph.D. in astronomy and physics.
Now back then, Doctor Hyde was an post-doc research fellow at Western Sydney University and data science consultant …. and right now she is at York University in Toronto Canada where she is the director pf the Allan I Carswell Observatory and is an associate professor who has also developed wonderful outreach programs
One aspect of Elaina’s outreach repertoire is where Doc Hyde and her York University colleagues regularly produce a fabulous podcast!
In this episode we are re-broadcasting today they take us on a deep dive into science and science fiction with space launches from the past. We travel through the 70s (and a bit of the 50s) with space launches from Mariner, Voyager, Pioneer, to mention a few ….
Join Elaina and her co-hosts, as well as Professor Mary-Helen Armour for this literal blast into space!
Here we go !!
NovemberSkyGuide2024 (00:24:07)
Astronomy- The Astrophiz podcast with Dr Ian ‘Astroblog’ Musgrave
Moon Phases for November:
1 November - New Moon - ideal for stargazing
9 November - 1st Quarter Moon
14 November - Moon at perigee (closest)
16 November - Full Moon
23 November - Last Quarter Moon, also ideal for stargazing
26 November - Moon at apogee (furthest)
Most of the planetary action is in the evening skies and late evening skies.
Evening Skies:
Venus is very high in early evening skies in the west
Mercury is at its best in the evening twilight this month, near thin crescent moon on 3 November.
Saturn is still quite good in the west this month.
Jupiter is visible rising in the east in the late evening skies
Mars enters evening skies later in the month, but still at its best in the mornings.
In mid-month, Mercury, Venus and Saturn will be seen close to each other an hour after sunset.
Uranus is in opposition at Mag5.7 so is actually an unaided eye object under dark sky conditions. Easy to find about 2 degrees above the Pleiades
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is climbing higher and fading, but for the start of the month is still a nice binocular object in evening western skies before fading from most binoculars.
The Leonid meteor shower is a waste of time this year due to a blazing moon.
Morning Skies
Mars is higher in the twilight in the East
Jupiter is best in the mornings right now, as it slowly moves back to Aldabaran.
Astrophotography
Venus is in the heart of the galaxy, but you’ll need dark skies to have the long exposures needed to bring out the Milky Way’s heart.
Comet C/2024 S1 is a possible (but not probable) ‘Lovejoy-type object’ to keep an eye out for.
Dr Genevieve Schroeder - Radio Eyes on Gamma-ray Burst Skies (00:50:51)
Astronomy ~ Astrophiz 202: Dr Genevieve Schroeder ~ Radio Eyes on Gamma-ray Burst Skies
Meet Dr Genevieve Schroeder a fabulous astrophysicist who does exciting research into GRBs … Gamma Ray Bursts.
A Gamma Ray Burst is the undisputed brightest-ever radiation coming from the most extreme events in the universe … Specifically, Genevieve hunts down and understands how Gamma-ray Bursts are generated by the most cataclysmic events in our universe
Astronomy Astrophiz201: October SkyGuide (00:28:04)
Astrophiz 201: Dr Ian Musgrave’s October SkyGuide
Highlights:
Comet C/2023 A3 has been observed and photographed embedded in the eastern morning twilight over the past week, but is now (1 October) below the horizon and skimming behind the sun.
The Comet emerges and becomes visible in the western evening twilight around 11 October, so we can look forward to catching it, and it could be quite bright before rapidly fading, but no one really knows how it will emerge after it’s closest approach to the sun. Could be spectacular or a fizzer …
So Ian’s best advice is to go out just after sunset after 11 October and check out your western horizon.
Watch this space!
Planetary Action:
Mainly moving to the evening skies.
Mercury is returning and will be quite high in the sky later in the month.
Saturn is easy to observe now in the mid-evening sky.
Jupiter can be seen in evening skies by mid month, but still best and prominent in morning skies.
Mars is getting brighter
The Orionids meteor shower will be significantly affected by the moon :(
Moon Phases:
October 3 is the New Moon … Great for stargazing under dark skies.
October 11 is 1st Quarter moon
October 17 is the Full moon
October 24 is the Last Quarter moon
Corona Borealis is setting, no bang yet :/
Ians Tangent:
All about Earth’s temporary 2nd Moon - 2024 PT5
… and Quasi-Moons.
