Noted Astronomers and Latest Astronomical Discoveries Featured in Two Podcast Series from the Astron

24 March 2010

The web-site of the nonprofit Astronomical Society of the Pacific now provides two different series of podcasts involving interviews with and talks by leading astronomers:

1) "Astronomy Behind the Headlines" features short interviews that give you a look at the latest discoveries in astronomy and space science and provide links to related resources and activities. It is particularly designed for the staff of science museums, planetariums, and nature centers, but can be enjoyed by educators in all settings and everyone who follows astronomy.

The latest episode takes a look at the black hole at the dusty heart of the Milky Way Galaxy. We can’t see it visually, but radio astronomers can spot it with their instruments. A group led by Dr. Shep Doeleman at MIT’s Haystack Observatory recently made a startling measurement of the disk through which the black hole is gathering in material, and in a brief interview, Dr. Doeleman explains the meaning of his discovery.

To listen to the latest episode, access related resource and subscribe via iTunes or XML, go to:
http://www.astrosociety.org/abh/

Other podcasts in the series include interviews with planetary astronomer Heidi Hammel and meteor expert and meteorite discoverer Peter Jenniskens.

2) "The Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures" feature complete talks by noted astronomers, recorded in both audio-only and video formats. Among the scientists who have spoken recently in the series are: Paul Kalas, whose group took the first visible-light image of a planet around another star (using the Hubble Space Telescope); Lynn Rothschild, an astrobiologists who explores some of the most hostile places on Earth to find life forms that might also survive on other worlds; and Patricia Burchat, a physicist who is seeking a better understanding of the dark matter and dark energy that seem to make up most of the universe through experiments.

Recordings of past speakers include Frank Drake, the father of the experimental search for extra-terrestrial intelligence, planet hunter Geoff Marcy, and Stephen Beckwith, the former Director of the Hubble.

You can find the audio podcasts, and instructions for getting to the video versions at:
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/podcast/