This is episode 62 of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, our first release of 2022. Happy New year!In this episode, we're doing something a little different. Traditionally we alternate between interviews and Science Explainy Bits, but the second segment here is a bit more philosophical than usual, and ran a bit short, so I've added something a bit more topical - some astronomy news!Impossible exoplanet1:51 As covered previously on this website, the science media were very excited to report the discovery of an impossible exoplanet. I thought it was a bit silly to describe something as being "impossible" when you've literally just proved that it exists and is real, so I wrote a report - Giant exoplanet upsets theories on how planets form - to try and take a more balanced look at what's actually going on. I still had more to say, though, and you'll find it in the first half of the podcast.Rhetoric and the scientific method11:05 Scientists and skeptics alike are often a bit scornful about rhetoric. They don't trust what they see as clever arguments and manipulative words to persuade an audience. Why stoop to such methods when you have truth, facts, and evidence on your side? But I think that's unfair, and try to explain why rhetoric not only has a place, but should actually be used when communicating science.

This is episode 62 of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, our first release of 2022. Happy New year! In this episode, we're doing something a little different. Traditionally we alternate between interviews and Science Explainy Bits, but the second segment here is a bit more philosophical than usual, and ran a bit short, so I've added something a bit more topical - some astronomy news! Impossible exoplanet 1:51 As covered previously on this website, the science media were very excited to report the discovery of an impossible exoplanet. I thought it was a bit silly to describe something as being "impossible" when you've literally just proved that it exists and is real, so I wrote a report - Giant exoplanet upsets theories on how planets form - to try and take a more balanced look at what's actually going on. I still had more to say, though, and you'll find it in the first half of the podcast. Rhetoric and the scientific method 11:05 Scientists and skeptics alike are often a bit scornful about rhetoric. They don't trust what they see as clever arguments and manipulative words to persuade an audience. Why stoop to such methods when you have truth, facts, and evidence on your side? But I think that's unfair, and try to explain why rhetoric not only has a place, but should actually be used when communicating science.

Impossible exoplanets and Rhetoric

Dr Julia Healy

This episode features an interview with Dr Julia Healy, from ASTRON, where she works as part of the MHONGOOSE survey team.  When this interview was originally recorded early last year, she hadn't yet submitted her PhD thesis, but has since graduated and earned the title "Dr".Julia completed her Bachelor of Science, specialising in Astrophysics and Physics, at the University of Cape Town in 2013. She went on to complete a Bachelor of Science Honours in Physics in 2014 and a Master of Science in Astronomy in 2017, also at UCT. In 2017 she began a double degree PhD programme at the University of Cape Town and the University of Groningen (in the Netherlands), which she submitted in March 2021 and later defended in a public ceremony in Groningen in August 2021. I am now a postdoctoral fellow based at ASTRON (the Dutch National Radio Observatory) working as part of the MHONGOOSE survey team. The MHONGOOSE (MeerKAT HI Observations of Nearby Galactic Objects: Observing Southern Emitters) survey is one of the large survey project run on the MeerKAT radio telescope.

This episode features an interview with Dr Julia Healy, from ASTRON, where she works as part of the MHONGOOSE survey team. When this interview was originally recorded early last year, she hadn't yet submitted her PhD thesis, but has since graduated and earned the title "Dr". Julia completed her Bachelor of Science, specialising in Astrophysics and Physics, at the University of Cape Town in 2013. She went on to complete a Bachelor of Science Honours in Physics in 2014 and a Master of Science in Astronomy in 2017, also at UCT. In 2017 she began a double degree PhD programme at the University of Cape Town and the University of Groningen (in the Netherlands), which she submitted in March 2021 and later defended in a public ceremony in Groningen in August 2021. I am now a postdoctoral fellow based at ASTRON (the Dutch National Radio Observatory) working as part of the MHONGOOSE survey team. The MHONGOOSE (MeerKAT HI Observations of Nearby Galactic Objects: Observing Southern Emitters) survey is one of the large survey project run on the MeerKAT radio telescope.

Interview with Dr Julia Healy

This is episode 60 of the Urban Astronomer podcast! Is that a milestone? Sure, but we'll save the party hats for episode 75. Today we'll just get on with the job at hand, and bring you a science explainy bit. Today's question: How can astronomers be so certain about what things in space are made from?On Earth it's relatively easy to send geologists out to different places with their hammers, and have them collect samples from interesting rock formations and bring them back to the lab for analysis, but astronomers hardly ever get to do that with planets, comets, the Sun and distant galaxies. So how do they know, and how can they sound so confident? Listen below to find out!

This is episode 60 of the Urban Astronomer podcast! Is that a milestone? Sure, but we'll save the party hats for episode 75. Today we'll just get on with the job at hand, and bring you a science explainy bit. Today's question: How can astronomers be so certain about what things in space are made from? On Earth it's relatively easy to send geologists out to different places with their hammers, and have them collect samples from interesting rock formations and bring them back to the lab for analysis, but astronomers hardly ever get to do that with planets, comets, the Sun and distant galaxies. So how do they know, and how can they sound so confident? Listen below to find out!

How do we know what things in space are made from?

Imogen Whittam

This episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast features an interview with Dr Imogen Whittam, an astrophysicist at Oxford University

Interview with Imogen Whittam

It's another Science Explainy Bit episode, and today we answer a question asked by another podcaster while interviewing us for their show. The host wanted to know how the view of southern skies compares to that of the northern hemisphere. I gave a quick answer before we moved on to another topic, but I would have liked to give a more detailed and complete answer. Which brings us to this episode, in which I describe how there really isn't a single sky for the North or the South. But the sky in the USA does still look different to what we have here in South Africa, and I explain why.

Southern skies and Northern skies

Carol Botha

The Urban Astronomer interviews noted South African amateur astronomer Carol Botha about her science outreach work. Carol has become quite well known on Slooh, the robotic telescope and astronomy service which I know quite well because I've provided a few video streams of eclipses and the like for them over the years.Be warned though, this is a long episode so make some popcorn and find a comfortable seat before you start!

The Urban Astronomer interviews noted South African amateur astronomer Carol Botha about her science outreach work. Carol has become quite well known on Slooh, the robotic telescope and astronomy service which I know quite well because I've provided a few video streams of eclipses and the like for them over the years. Be warned though, this is a long episode so make some popcorn and find a comfortable seat before you start!

Interview with Carol Botha

Today's episode is the first Science Explainy Bit of the season, and it's another basic, classic topic: Leap Years. As a reminder, I love looking at the questions that seem simple because we think of them as the sorts of things that children ask their parents, but the thing about these questions is that they never are simple. These are things that took humanity centuries or longer to figure out, and that most of us still don't really understand because we first asked these questions as kids ourselves, and got the sort of answer which people give small kids, and nobody ever asked again! Last season we talked about about the tides and what happens if you shoot a gun in space, and why it is that we sometimes see the Moon during the day when we all expect to see it at night. And today, we talk about how leap years, how they relate to Easter and politics, and why they even exist.A few weeks back, we were featured as guests on Podcast Insider, the official podcast of the Blubrry podcasting platform. Although this show doesn't live on their hosting platform, we do use their software to make it all work on our own servers, and it was a bit of an honour to be invited onto their show. Give it a listen here.

Today's episode is the first Science Explainy Bit of the season, and it's another basic, classic topic: Leap Years. As a reminder, I love looking at the questions that seem simple because we think of them as the sorts of things that children ask their parents, but the thing about these questions is that they never are simple. These are things that took humanity centuries or longer to figure out, and that most of us still don't really understand because we first asked these questions as kids ourselves, and got the sort of answer which people give small kids, and nobody ever asked again! Last season we talked about about the tides and what happens if you shoot a gun in space, and why it is that we sometimes see the Moon during the day when we all expect to see it at night. And today, we talk about how leap years, how they relate to Easter and politics, and why they even exist. A few weeks back, we were featured as guests on Podcast Insider, the official podcast of the Blubrry podcasting platform. Although this show doesn't live on their hosting platform, we do use their software to make it all work on our own servers, and it was a bit of an honour to be invited onto their show. Give it a listen here.

What’s the deal with Leap Years?

Tony Lelliott

At long last, the third season of the Urban Astronomer Podcast has kicked off! We thought the last season went so well that we've decided to keep things much as they are, with perhaps the occasional news segment added in whenever something interesting has happened. So for the most part, that means twelve episodes, alternating between interviews with people who have some sort of a connection to South African astronomy, and science explainy bits where I answer the questions that listeners like you have emailed to me at podcast@urban-astronomer.comTony Lelliott3:23But this episode is all about the Interview with Dr Lelliott. Tony is an Honorary Assoc. Professor at Wits University. He has spent much of his career researching science communication, and has a special interest in astronomy, and human evolution. You can follow him on twitter at @drtoeknee

At long last, the third season of the Urban Astronomer Podcast has kicked off! We thought the last season went so well that we've decided to keep things much as they are, with perhaps the occasional news segment added in whenever something interesting has happened. So for the most part, that means twelve episodes, alternating between interviews with people who have some sort of a connection to South African astronomy, and science explainy bits where I answer the questions that listeners like you have emailed to me at podcast@urban<a href="http://-astronomer.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">-astronomer.com</a> Tony Lelliott 3:23 But this episode is all about the Interview with Dr Lelliott. Tony is an Honorary Assoc. Professor at Wits University. He has spent much of his career researching science communication, and has a special interest in astronomy, and human evolution. You can follow him on twitter at @drtoeknee

Interview with Dr Tony Lelliott

This is just a short note to let you know that we're still here, and that the new season launches next week! Long-time listeners have been waiting for this since February, but I don't think there's anybody left on Earth who couldn't guess which world-changing event caused our schedule to slip!Still, after eight weeks in lock-down, it's time to start delivering on our promises. Tune in next week to hear the first exciting episode of the new season of the Urban Astronomer Podcast!

This is just a short note to let you know that we're still here, and that the new season launches next week! Long-time listeners have been waiting for this since February, but I don't think there's anybody left on Earth who couldn't guess which world-changing event caused our schedule to slip! Still, after eight weeks in lock-down, it's time to start delivering on our promises. Tune in next week to hear the first exciting episode of the new season of the Urban Astronomer Podcast!

Season 3 launching next week

Since our last episode aired, in early December last year, I've had people ask me when the third season will begin. Well the good news is: Soon! Guests have been booked, interviews will be recorded over the next few weeks, and science explainy bits... well. That's where you come in! If you've got questions you'd like to hear answered in one of the Urban Astronomer Podcast Patented Science Explainy Bits then why not put them in an email and send to podcast@urban-astronomer.com for me? It's your questions that make those segments work. If you're worried that your questions might be too basic or simple for me, then please send them anyway. Those questions usually have the best answers and they are my favourite to work with!Anyway, we launch towards the end of March. Don't miss it!

Since our last episode aired, in early December last year, I've had people ask me when the third season will begin. Well the good news is: Soon! Guests have been booked, interviews will be recorded over the next few weeks, and science explainy bits... well. That's where you come in! If you've got questions you'd like to hear answered in one of the Urban Astronomer Podcast Patented Science Explainy Bits then why not put them in an email and send to podcast@urban<a href="http://-astronomer.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">-astronomer.com</a> for me? It's your questions that make those segments work. If you're worried that your questions might be too basic or simple for me, then please send them anyway. Those questions usually have the best answers and they are my favourite to work with! Anyway, we launch towards the end of March. Don't miss it!

Season Three coming soon…

Twice monthly show, explaining science and interviewing South African astronomers. Now with extra Science Explainy Bits!

The Urban Astronomer is worth much more than a 0. He posts great work and very interesting information and guests. Of course his podcasts are not those of a posh studio, but then that is what makes them so special. I encourage you to listen and then respond in kind with a fair review.

Not a dud

The Urban Astronomer Podcast

The Urban Astronomer Podcast's season 2 finale examines the colours of stars, and ponders what it's actually like out in space

Star colours and what space is like

Nicole Thomas

In this episode, we interview Nicole Thomas, a PhD student at the University of the Western Cape with an interest in the evolution of galaxies, and the super-massive black holes that lie within. We recorded this conversation only a week ago, and I really enjoyed speaking to her. I found her childhood interest in how the universe worked very relatable, and especially her need to understand what's going on underneath it all. Sadly, this is the final interview with a real astronomer of this season of the Urban Astronomer podcast, but I'm especially happy with this one so I hope you'll enjoy it.Nicole ThomasNicole is a PhD student at the University of the Western Cape, and the Square Kilometer Array. She recently completed a stint at the department of Astrophysics as Oxford university, thanks to the UK-SA Newton Exchange Fund LinksNicole on Twitter Astro Molo Mhlaba Cosmic Soundscapes - a website containing audio recordings derived by NASA scientists, from radio signals detected by Solar System objects

In this episode, we interview Nicole Thomas, a PhD student at the University of the Western Cape with an interest in the evolution of galaxies, and the super-massive black holes that lie within. We recorded this conversation only a week ago, and I really enjoyed speaking to her. I found her childhood interest in how the universe worked very relatable, and especially her need to understand what's going on underneath it all. Sadly, this is the final interview with a real astronomer of this season of the Urban Astronomer podcast, but I'm especially happy with this one so I hope you'll enjoy it. Nicole Thomas Nicole is a PhD student at the University of the Western Cape, and the Square Kilometer Array. She recently completed a stint at the department of Astrophysics as Oxford university, thanks to the UK-SA Newton Exchange Fund Links Nicole on Twitter Astro Molo Mhlaba Cosmic Soundscapes - a website containing audio recordings derived by NASA scientists, from radio signals detected by Solar System objects

Interview with Nicole Thomas

Robert Ormerod

Hey everyone, welcome to the 42nd Episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, the second episode of 2019, and the final episode of our first season! Today we listen to Robert Ormerod, speaking about his first experience photographing the Northern Lights.I should have released this episode two months ago, but after my father's sudden death, I decided I'd rather spend the time with my mother and brothers, remembering him, mourning, and healing. There's still a long way to go before we're all back to normal, but I've decided that I'd like to get back into the saddle and resume podcasting.Robert OrmerodThis episode features the final public lecture in the ScopeX 2018 series, which was presented by Robert Ormerod. Robert is a documentary photographer from Scotland and featured ScopeX in an article he published recently in National Geographic. It shares his interest in amateur astronomers, telescope makers, and other people who spend their time looking beyond Earth. But in this talk, he shares his experiences visiting Iceland to photograph the Northern Lights.Future of the PodcastWith recent events, I've decided to change how we structure this show. Up until now, we just released episodes as and when they were produced. I like the informal nature of this arrangement, but it does mean that sometimes entire months pass between episodes. That's not fair on loyal listeners and supporters, and it's bad for me since it chases away listeners.This last episode has been the worst for that, with a gap of almost three months. That won't do. After some discussions with professional media folk and members of the local podcasting community, I've decided to introduce seasons. This 42nd episode is now officially the final of an extended super-season. It will be followed by another pause (planned, this time!). Over the next few weeks, I'll be inviting guests and recording interviews, and once I have a solid idea of what's coming, I'll release a short preview to let you know exactly what to expect.So in closing, thank you for your patience, and I'm shaking things about so that it will all have been worth the wait. Until next episode then, thanks for listening!

Hey everyone, welcome to the 42nd Episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, the second episode of 2019, and the final episode of our first season! Today we listen to Robert Ormerod, speaking about his first experience photographing the Northern Lights. I should have released this episode two months ago, but after my father's sudden death, I decided I'd rather spend the time with my mother and brothers, remembering him, mourning, and healing. There's still a long way to go before we're all back to normal, but I've decided that I'd like to get back into the saddle and resume podcasting. Robert Ormerod This episode features the final public lecture in the ScopeX 2018 series, which was presented by Robert Ormerod. Robert is a documentary photographer from Scotland and featured ScopeX in an article he published recently in National Geographic. It shares his interest in amateur astronomers, telescope makers, and other people who spend their time looking beyond Earth. But in this talk, he shares his experiences visiting Iceland to photograph the Northern Lights. Future of the Podcast With recent events, I've decided to change how we structure this show. Up until now, we just released episodes as and when they were produced. I like the informal nature of this arrangement, but it does mean that sometimes entire months pass between episodes. That's not fair on loyal listeners and supporters, and it's bad for me since it chases away listeners. This last episode has been the worst for that, with a gap of almost three months. That won't do. After some discussions with professional media folk and members of the local podcasting community, I've decided to introduce seasons. This 42nd episode is now officially the final of an extended super-season. It will be followed by another pause (planned, this time!). Over the next few weeks, I'll be inviting guests and recording interviews, and once I have a solid idea of what's coming, I'll release a short preview to let you know exactly what to expect. So in closing, thank you for your patience, and I'm shaking things about so that it will all have been worth the wait. Until next episode then, thanks for listening!

Robert Ormerod at ScopeX 2018

Wendy Williams

This is Episode 1 of our brand new second season! This is the 43rd episode since the podcast was first launched, back in February 2017, and I'm thrilled to be back on the air with you.The New SeasonWe're mostly keeping things the same, but there are some important changes. From the beginning, I've always been pretty disorganized in how I ran the show. There was no fixed schedule or plan, so I'd release episodes as they became available. This meant that new episodes would only come out whenever it was convenient for me. Listeners like you would never know in advance when the next one would be coming out. At the end of Each episode, I'd make a promise for the next release date, but these dates were always based more on hope and ambition than on any real plan. And while this was all very charming and artisanal, it wasn't how I wanted to present myself.So now we have seasons! Everything is planned in advance, content is written and recorded to a fixed schedule, and you get your episodes when you expect them. Which, in this case, means every fortnight, for 12 episodes. But aside from these changes to scheduling and process, everything else should be much the same. Some episodes will be interviews with interesting people connected to South African astronomy. Others will be loaded with the Science Explainy Stuff that so many of you have written to ask about. Apparently those are very popular, so you're going to get a lot more of them. The only thing that I've had to cut, sadly, is the space mission updates. Clem Unger, my friend and part-time co-host, has unfortunately had to step back for a while. He was always far more interested in the various spacecraft traveling out in the Solar System, exploring and doing science, and knew far more about the subject than me. So, until he's able to rejoin the show, we're going to be silent on that subject.Dr Wendy WilliamsThis episode features an interview with Dr Wendy Williams, a radio astronomer from Cape Town who currently works in the Netherlands, for the university of Leiden. She works with the LOFAR array, which scans the skies at the same range frequencies as used by broadcast TV, air liners, and police radios. We spoke about her current research, she taught me how these arrays of radio antennas work together to create an image, astronomy development in Africa, and more.But before I play you that interview, a quick note on audio quality. Since we were in opposite hemispheres at the time of our conversation, I had to get creative with the recording. Audio quality isn't as good as I'd have liked. I think we're still quite audible, but you can definitely tell we weren't in the same room!Coming UpNext week's episode, which airs on the 16th of July, features the first in a new series of science explainy bits, where I answer a question you might never have thought to ask: Why are planets always round, and never some other shape? If you think you know, or would like to take a guess, go ahead and tweet your ideas to @uastronomer and I might read them out before I give the answer!

This is Episode 1 of our brand new second season! This is the 43rd episode since the podcast was first launched, back in February 2017, and I'm thrilled to be back on the air with you. The New Season We're mostly keeping things the same, but there are some important changes. From the beginning, I've always been pretty disorganized in how I ran the show. There was no fixed schedule or plan, so I'd release episodes as they became available. This meant that new episodes would only come out whenever it was convenient for me. Listeners like you would never know in advance when the next one would be coming out. At the end of Each episode, I'd make a promise for the next release date, but these dates were always based more on hope and ambition than on any real plan. And while this was all very charming and artisanal, it wasn't how I wanted to present myself. So now we have seasons! Everything is planned in advance, content is written and recorded to a fixed schedule, and you get your episodes when you expect them. Which, in this case, means every fortnight, for 12 episodes. But aside from these changes to scheduling and process, everything else should be much the same. Some episodes will be interviews with interesting people connected to South African astronomy. Others will be loaded with the Science Explainy Stuff that so many of you have written to ask about. Apparently those are very popular, so you're going to get a lot more of them. The only thing that I've had to cut, sadly, is the space mission updates. Clem Unger, my friend and part-time co-host, has unfortunately had to step back for a while. He was always far more interested in the various spacecraft traveling out in the Solar System, exploring and doing science, and knew far more about the subject than me. So, until he's able to rejoin the show, we're going to be silent on that subject. Dr Wendy Williams This episode features an interview with Dr Wendy Williams, a radio astronomer from Cape Town who currently works in the Netherlands, for the university of Leiden. She works with the LOFAR array, which scans the skies at the same range frequencies as used by broadcast TV, air liners, and police radios. We spoke about her current research, she taught me how these arrays of radio antennas work together to create an image, astronomy development in Africa, and more. But before I play you that interview, a quick note on audio quality. Since we were in opposite hemispheres at the time of our conversation, I had to get creative with the recording. Audio quality isn't as good as I'd have liked. I think we're still quite audible, but you can definitely tell we weren't in the same room! Coming Up Next week's episode, which airs on the 16th of July, features the first in a new series of science explainy bits, where I answer a question you might never have thought to ask: Why are planets always round, and never some other shape? If you think you know, or would like to take a guess, go ahead and tweet your ideas to @uastronomer and I might read them out before I give the answer!

Interview with Dr Wendy Williams

Angus Burns

Welcome to the 41st episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, and the 1st episode of 2019! We are almost done with the ScopeX lecture series, in which we play back talks recorded at ScopeX 2018. This episode we hear Angus Burns speaking about Astrophotography in the Urban Context 3:56.Next week's episode will close off the series, with the keynote talk delivered by Robert Ormerod, talking about photographing the aurora borealis. Robert used his time at ScopeX to capture images for one of his own photographic projects, which National Geographic published here.

Welcome to the 41st episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, and the 1st episode of 2019! We are almost done with the ScopeX lecture series, in which we play back talks recorded at ScopeX 2018. This episode we hear Angus Burns speaking about Astrophotography in the Urban Context 3:56. Next week's episode will close off the series, with the keynote talk delivered by Robert Ormerod, talking about photographing the aurora borealis. Robert used his time at ScopeX to capture images for one of his own photographic projects, which National Geographic published here.

Podcast #41: Angus Burns at ScopeX 2018

Clem Unger

Hey everybody, welcome to this December solstice edition of the Urban Astronomer Podcast starring Clem Unger and myself! It's only a few days till Christmas, so we hope you all have a wonderful festive season and a joyful new year. It's generally agreed that 2018 was a bit of a bust, but in just over a week we get to start over and see if we can have a better run of it this time around.In this episode:8:40 Sky Guide: What's happening in the sky that's worth looking for between now and the March Equinox.19:10 The Star of Bethlehem: Since it's Christmas time, let's have another crack at solving this old chestnut.31:32 A very full Mission Update section, because there are so many active missions right now!46:16 Previous guest Neville Young is offering his book at a discounted rate - place your order here!

Hey everybody, welcome to this December solstice edition of the Urban Astronomer Podcast starring Clem Unger and myself! It's only a few days till Christmas, so we hope you all have a wonderful festive season and a joyful new year. It's generally agreed that 2018 was a bit of a bust, but in just over a week we get to start over and see if we can have a better run of it this time around. In this episode: 8:40 Sky Guide: What's happening in the sky that's worth looking for between now and the March Equinox. 19:10 The Star of Bethlehem: Since it's Christmas time, let's have another crack at solving this old chestnut. 31:32 A very full Mission Update section, because there are so many active missions right now! 46:16 Previous guest Neville Young is offering his book at a discounted rate - place your order here!

Podcast #40: Christmas Special with Clem Unger

Welcome to the second episode of this second season of the Urban Astronomer Podcast! Two of Two, sounds like it should be special... and it kinda sort of is, because this week we're presenting the first of our unique patented Science Explainy Bits! Now to be clear, it's the name that's new, not the science explaining, because I've done explainy stuff for science concepts before on this show, back in our super-extended 42 episode long first season. I got quite a lot of feedback from listeners like yourself telling me how much you enjoyed my explanations, but I'll be honest, I'm dubious because I'm just this guy with a website and a podcast, so I'm not sure why you're trusting me to get these things right! I'm not a professional research astronomer, I don't even have a PhD! But you all seem to trust me anyway, and you have explicitly asked for more so.. yeah, sure, just promise me you're not using these segments as exam prep, and if you were planning to cite me in a paper, that's your own fault!This episode makes reference to an earlier explainy episode on the tides. That episode sounded quite a bit different than this one, because it was recorded off-the-cuff, with no script or notes at all. It was also strangely popular, so if you're interested you can play it back here.

Welcome to the second episode of this second season of the Urban Astronomer Podcast! Two of Two, sounds like it should be special... and it kinda sort of is, because this week we're presenting the first of our unique patented Science Explainy Bits! Now to be clear, it's the name that's new, not the science explaining, because I've done explainy stuff for science concepts before on this show, back in our super-extended 42 episode long first season. I got quite a lot of feedback from listeners like yourself telling me how much you enjoyed my explanations, but I'll be honest, I'm dubious because I'm just this guy with a website and a podcast, so I'm not sure why you're trusting me to get these things right! I'm not a professional research astronomer, I don't even have a PhD! But you all seem to trust me anyway, and you have explicitly asked for more so.. yeah, sure, just promise me you're not using these segments as exam prep, and if you were planning to cite me in a paper, that's your own fault! This episode makes reference to an earlier explainy episode on the tides. That episode sounded quite a bit different than this one, because it was recorded off-the-cuff, with no script or notes at all. It was also strangely popular, so if you're interested you can play it back here.

Why are planets always round?

Welcome to another Science Explainy Bit episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast. Today we try to figure out just what an "orbit" actually is. Is it really as simple as they said in primary school? How does gravity, which normally pulls things down, work to keep the Moon in space? Download this episode now, to find the answer, and also learn a little about my upcoming appearance at ScopeX!What is an Orbit? (1:28)This turns out to be quite a simple topic - much simpler than why planets are always round, which we covered last month. In fact I struggled to stretch the core idea out long enough to fill an episode! All I really want to do here is explain how things stay up and why they go around, without resorting to the inaccurate "Centrifugal Force" explanation. You know the one? Where you ask people to fill a bucket, and then spin it around? The bucket swings around them without spilling any water, and then you wave your hands and say "That's how orbits work, except that there's no handle on the bucket, just gravity".The truth, however, is so much cooler than that, so if you want to skip straight to the answer, click the timestamp above!ScopeX (14:48)ScopeX is an annual telescope and astronomy expo held in Johannesburg, South Africa. It features a huge display of amateur-built telescopes, commercial stands where you can buy telescopes, binoculars and cameras. There are also science shows and robotics displays. One of the highlights for me has always been the series of public lectures, in the auditorium. This year I will be giving the final talk of the day, where I'll talk about orbits. It won't just be a repeat of what you've heard here, though. I'll dig deeper, into the world of orbital mechanics and showing the strange, intuitive maneuvers that are needed to move around in space. And to make it easy to understand, I'll do it through the medium of video games!If you'd like to attend, it's on 14 September from 9am to 9pm at the Museum of Military History in Saxonwold, Johannesburg. My talk starts at 3pm, and you're welcome to come introduce yourself afterwards!

Welcome to another Science Explainy Bit episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast. Today we try to figure out just what an "orbit" actually is. Is it really as simple as they said in primary school? How does gravity, which normally pulls things down, work to keep the Moon in space? Download this episode now, to find the answer, and also learn a little about my upcoming appearance at ScopeX! What is an Orbit? (1:28) This turns out to be quite a simple topic - much simpler than why planets are always round, which we covered last month. In fact I struggled to stretch the core idea out long enough to fill an episode! All I really want to do here is explain how things stay up and why they go around, without resorting to the inaccurate "Centrifugal Force" explanation. You know the one? Where you ask people to fill a bucket, and then spin it around? The bucket swings around them without spilling any water, and then you wave your hands and say "That's how orbits work, except that there's no handle on the bucket, just gravity". The truth, however, is so much cooler than that, so if you want to skip straight to the answer, click the timestamp above! ScopeX (14:48) ScopeX is an annual telescope and astronomy expo held in Johannesburg, South Africa. It features a huge display of amateur-built telescopes, commercial stands where you can buy telescopes, binoculars and cameras. There are also science shows and robotics displays. One of the highlights for me has always been the series of public lectures, in the auditorium. This year I will be giving the final talk of the day, where I'll talk about orbits. It won't just be a repeat of what you've heard here, though. I'll dig deeper, into the world of orbital mechanics and showing the strange, intuitive maneuvers that are needed to move around in space. And to make it easy to understand, I'll do it through the medium of video games! If you'd like to attend, it's on 14 September from 9am to 9pm at the Museum of Military History in Saxonwold, Johannesburg. My talk starts at 3pm, and you're welcome to come introduce yourself afterwards!

How do orbits work?

Daniel Cunnama

Welcome to the 3rd episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, season 2, featuring Dr Daniel Cunnama. We almost didn't make it this week, thanks to a major technical hitch, but we worked around it and here we are.If you listened to the last episode, then you're probably expecting this to be an interview episode, featuring Dr Rosalind Skelton of the South African Astronomical Observatory. I spoke to her in June last year and we recorded an interview specifically for this episode. But when I came to actually produce the thing, the recording was gone! The gods of technology turned their back on me and gremlins ate it. So, no Ros today. Instead, I was lucky enough to get Dr Daniel Cunama to stand in for her. Daniel also works at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), although in a different role, and I'm very lucky that his recording was still intact! So that's what we'll be playing in this episode, and Dr Skelton will appear in a few weeks in a later episode after we've re-recorded her interview.Dr Daniel CunnamaDaniel is the Science Engagement Astronomer at the SAAO. Daniel has a background in computational physics and physics simulations, who has worked for the Square Kilometer Array  and SAAO. He is also a co-host of The Cosmic Savannah podcast. If your favourite part of Urban Astronomer is astronomer interviews, then I'd definitely recommend their show!Links 	Daniel on Twitter 	The South African Astronomical Observatory 	The Cosmic Savannah Podcast

Welcome to the 3rd episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, season 2, featuring Dr Daniel Cunnama. We almost didn't make it this week, thanks to a major technical hitch, but we worked around it and here we are. If you listened to the last episode, then you're probably expecting this to be an interview episode, featuring Dr Rosalind Skelton of the South African Astronomical Observatory. I spoke to her in June last year and we recorded an interview specifically for this episode. But when I came to actually produce the thing, the recording was gone! The gods of technology turned their back on me and gremlins ate it. So, no Ros today. Instead, I was lucky enough to get Dr Daniel Cunama to stand in for her. Daniel also works at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), although in a different role, and I'm very lucky that his recording was still intact! So that's what we'll be playing in this episode, and Dr Skelton will appear in a few weeks in a later episode after we've re-recorded her interview. Dr Daniel Cunnama Daniel is the Science Engagement Astronomer at the SAAO. Daniel has a background in computational physics and physics simulations, who has worked for the Square Kilometer Array  and SAAO. He is also a co-host of The Cosmic Savannah podcast. If your favourite part of Urban Astronomer is astronomer interviews, then I'd definitely recommend their show! Links 	Daniel on Twitter 	The South African Astronomical Observatory 	The Cosmic Savannah Podcast

Interview with Dr Daniel Cunnama

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