Astronomy Cast

We've celebrated the birth of new stars, but the stellar lifecycle doesn't end there. Stars like our Sun will spend billions of years fusing together hydrogen and pumping out energy. And when the fuel runs out, their death is as interesting as their birth. This week Fraser and Pamela trace out this stellar evolution, and explain what the future holds for stars, large and small.

Episode 12: Where Do Baby Stars Come From?

Most parents have had that uncomfortable conversation with their children at some point. Mommy, Daddy, where do stars come from? You hem and haw, mumble a few words about angular momentum and primordial hydrogen and then cleverly change the subject. Well, you don't have to avoid the subject any longer. Pamela and Fraser describe formation of stars, large and small, in a tasteful manner, using only understandable and scientific language.

Episode 11: A Universe of Dark Energy

The discovery of dark energy was one of the biggest surprises in astronomy. Instead of a nice, predictable expanding Universe, acted on only by gravity, astronomers turned up a mysterious repulsive force accelerating the expansion of the Universe. Fraser and Pamela explain the evidence for a dark energy, and a few possible theories for what could be providing this repulsive force

Episode 10: Measuring Distance in the Universe

You hear distances all the time in astronomy. This star is 10 light-years away; that galaxy is 50 million light-years away; that Big Bang over there happened 13.7 billion years ago. But how did astronomers actually figure out how far away everything is? It's not a single measuring stick. Instead, astronomers have built up a series of overlapping measuring tools (yes, we're calling supernovae and variable stars tools), which take us from right around the corner to very ends of the Universe. Get out your ruler... no, the bigger one... never mind... just listen.

Episode 9: Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity

It's all relative. How many times have you heard that? Well, when you're traveling close to the speed of light, everything really is relative; especially the passage of time. This week, Fraser and Pamela give you the skinny on Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity. After listening to a few thought experiments, you too should be able to wrap your head around this amazing theory.

Episode 8: Meteor Showers. Yes, the sky is falling.

Dress warmly, gather some friends and family, and head outside to watch sand burn in the upper atmosphere. There's nothing like a good meteor shower. Fraser and Pamela explain this beautiful phenomenon: what causes them, the best storms and showers to watch for, and different types of meteors you might see.

Episode 7: Getting Started in Amateur Astronomy

Got your eye on that $40 telescope at Walmart? Wait, hear us out first! Fraser and Pamela discuss strategies for getting into amateur astronomy - one of the most worthwhile hobbies out there. We discuss what gear to get, where to look, and how to meet up with other astronomy enthusiasts.

Episode 6: More Evidence for the Big Bang

Last week's episode started out with a bang- a Big Bang. This week we continue our discussion into the beginning of everything. We present three additional lines of evidence that have led astronomers to the conclusion that our Universe started out as a singularity 13.7 billion years ago, and has been expanding ever since.