Beste Observatory podcasts (2024)

1
Steeped in Science 47:14

5M ago47:14

47:14

Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Dr. Michelle Francl about her book Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea, which explores the chemistry behind different styles of tea. The book caused quite a stir with various international news agencies - and a virtual firestorm in Britain. Dr. Francl was also a guest for the Vatican Observatory podcast in Dec. of 2021 with…

1
Man on a Mission (or two) 30:23

10M ago30:23

30:23

Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Br. Bob Macke about being a team member of two asteroid missions: the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, and the Lucy mission to the Trojan asteroids. Hosts: Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. Bob Trembley: Factotum for the Vatican Obser…

1
From Humble Beginnings 39:49

1y ago39:49

39:49

Br. Guy Consolmagno chats with Charles F. Bolden Jr. during the 30th anniversary celebration of 'first light' into the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope. Hosts: Br. Guy Consolmagno SJ: Director of Vatican Observatory and President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. Bob Trembley: Factotum for the Vatican Observatory Foundation. Guest: Charle…

1
My Time at the Vatican Observatory Summer School 39:24

1+ y ago39:24

39:24

Matthew Pinson SJ is a young Jesuit scientist from Australia. He was one of the students at the 2023 Vatican Observatory Summer School held in Rome during June. Hear what it was like to be a student at the school, and how Matthew’s journey took him from a farm in Australia to a doctorate at MIT, then the Jesuits, and finally to the Vatican! Hosts: …

1
Roundtable with Vatican Observatory Staff 37:26

1+ y ago37:26

37:26

This podcast was taken from the Full Moon Meetup on Friday, January 6, 2023. To begin the year, we had a roundtable discussion with several members of the Vatican Observatory staff. We covered everything from Befana, the Italian Epiphany witch, to the 30th anniversary of the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), and the year ahead. Hosts: B…

1
Sketcher of the Skies 40:04

2y ago40:04

40:04

What spurs an artist to start sketching celestial objects as they look in her small telescope? What thrills her the most? Is it seeing the fine details of nebulae through large telescopes? Sketching the Moon's slowly changing terminator and Sun's prominences? Working with children - helping them understand the night sky, and awakening their curiosi…

1
From Voyager to Webb: Heidi Hammel and the Ice Giants 47:39

2y ago47:39

47:39

So, how many people do you know who have had a children’s book written about them? Dr. Heidi Hammel gained international fame in 1994 by leading the Hubble Space Telescope Team that imaged Jupiter during the impacts of Comet Shoemaker Levy 9, but in fact her main research has focused on the “ice giant” planets, Uranus and Neptune. Her ground-based …

1
Deep Roots 37:34

2y ago37:34

37:34

Have you ever met one of those people who just seems to know everyone? Our guest, Katie Steinke is one of those people. Katie and her family have been involved with Specola astronomers for decades, and from those deep roots grew the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope. Hear Katie's story... Guests: Katie Steinke - former development director of t…

1
From Sparkling Water to Dark Matter 38:46

2+ y ago38:46

38:46

The most famous product of San Pellegrino, Italy, is its sparkling water. But from this same village in the north of Italy has come a PhD scientist working on detecting the most elusive ingredients of the universe… and hoping for a chance to fly, herself, in space. Hear Dr. Maria Elena Monzani’s story... Guests: - Dr. Maria Elena Monzani, a Lead Sc…

1
The Stuff of Stars 32:54

2+ y ago32:54

32:54

Brother Bob Macke SJ is the curator of meteorites at the Vatican Observatory, and during his research measuring meteorite physical properties he has probably handled as many rocks from outer space as anyone alive today. Other astronomers may claim to study stars and planets, but mostly all they touch are photons; Bob has handled actual stuff from s…

1
Flexibility markets with Ellen Beckstedde 16:31

2+ y ago16:31

16:31

Ellen Beckstedde from Vlerick talks to us about flexibility markets - what are they, why are they a hot topic right now and what are the future challenges in this field.Door sebastiangonzato

1
Ambassador to the Universe 36:22

2+ y ago36:22

36:22

Meet Bill Higgins. By day, he's one of the scientists who keeps the Fermilab National Accelerator running safe, as it pummels the smallest particles in the universe. But in his free time he’s a techie storyteller of big things and big ideas: a NASA Solar System Ambassador, a researcher of esoteric technology from rocket belts to Jacquard looms, and…

1
On a Spiral Path to the Milky Way 31:36

2+ y ago31:36

31:36

When she was a young girl growing up in southern Chile, Gabriela Navarro had many dreams… from being a volleyball player to being an astronaut. In this podcast, we'll follow the spiral path of now-Doctor Navarro that has brought her to studying the structure and formation of the Milky Way and its galactic bulge with the James Webb Space Telescope i…

1
The EU Emissions Trading Scheme and Market Stability Reserve with Marten Ovaere and Kenneth Bruninx 26:28

2+ y ago26:28

26:28

Marten Ovare and Kenneth Bruninx explain the strange and paradoxical workings of the Market Stability Reserve in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme.Door sebastiangonzato

1
Flow Based Market Coupling with Michiel Kenis 47:12

2+ y ago47:12

47:12

Trading electricity internationally and the flow based market coupling (FBMC) algorithm with Michiel Kenis. You can find Michiel's publications on FBMC and other subjects here.Door sebastiangonzato

1
The Chaotic Path of a Climate Modeler 27:08

3y ago27:08

27:08

How does a young Indonesian boy from a half Muslim, half Christian family wind up as a Jesuit scientist-priest in Arizona, modeling the tropical climates of northern Mexico and Saudi Arabia, while celebrating Mass for Native Americans… and keeping his fellow Jesuits well fed with his cooking skills? Meet Fr. Christoforus Bayu Risanto! Dr. Bayu defe…

1
A Taste for Heavy Water 32:45

3y ago32:45

32:45

Dr. Michelle Francl puts her own twist on combinations that most people might think are impossible. In this podcast she tells Br Guy Consolmagno about how the Sisters of Loreto in the small town where she grew up encouraged a love of science fiction that eventually led to her to a PhD with Nobel Laureate F. Sherwood Roland; about heavy-duty computa…

1
Tour : Roasted and Shredded by a Stellar Sidekick

3y ago

—

New data suggest a white dwarf is blasting a companion object, either a low-mass star or planet, with waves of heat and radiation while pulling it apart through gravitational force.

1
Tour: Chandra Sees Evidence for Possible Planet in Another Galaxy

3y ago

—

Astronomers have found evidence for a possible planet candidate in the M51 ("Whirlpool") galaxy, representing what could be the first planet detected outside of the Milky Way.

1
Tour: When a Stable Star Explodes

3y ago

—

Studies of the elements left behind by explosions like this are some of the best tools available to scientists to better understand the details of Type Ia supernovas.

1
Tour: Jingle, Pluck, and Hum: Sounds from Space

3y ago

—

A "sonification" project led by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Universe of Learning transforms otherwise inaudible data from some of the world's most powerful telescopes into sound.

1
Tour: Huge Rings Around a Black Hole

3+ y ago

—

A spectacular set of rings around a black hole has been captured using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.

1
How to Make an Impact: From Crater Science to Public Outreach 32:57

3+ y ago32:57

32:57

Prof. Dr. Christian Koeberl has had a fascinating career in planetary sciences. An expert in how planetary impacts make craters, he served for ten years as the director of the Natural History Museum of Vienna, one of the most important natural history museums in Europe. Today, Dr. Koeberl is the Chair in Impact Research and Planetary Geology at the…

1
Space and the Middle-Schooler 31:20

3+ y ago31:20

31:20

What do kids today think about astronomy and space travel? And how do they think differently about these topics compared to kids 40 years ago? In this episode of the Vatican Observatory podcast, longtime middle school astronomy teacher Constance Martin-Trembley joins Br. Guy Consolmagno, Director of the Vatican Observatory, and host Bob Trembley to…

1
Tour: Chandra Catches Slingshot During Collision

3+ y ago

—

Galaxy clusters are the titans of the Universe. A new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory examines the repercussions after two galaxy clusters clashed.

1
Black Holes 30:57

3+ y ago30:57

30:57

On this episode of the Vatican Observatory Podcast, a pioneer in black hole imaging, Prof. Dr. Heino Falcke joins Br. Guy Consolmagno, Director of the Vatican Observatory, and host Bob Trembley for a conversation to discuss his new book Light in the Darkness: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us, his trailblazing work on black hole imaging, and the in…

1
On the Fly - How to drive a spacecraft 28:02

3+ y ago28:02

28:02

How does a spacecraft get designed and built? How do you maneuver a spacecraft to make sure it gets where it’s going? What’s it mean to work on “Mars time”? In this episode, Steve Collins, Senior Engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), joins Bob Trembley and Br. Guy Consolmagno to answer these questions and more about what it takes to cre…

1
Tour: Cosmic Hand Hitting a Wall

3+ y ago

—

Motions of a remarkable cosmic structure have been measured for the first time, using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.

1
Tour: Super Flares

3+ y ago

—

The largest survey ever of star-forming regions in X-rays outlines the link between very powerful flares and the impact they could have on planets in orbit around them.

1
Galileo: The Real Story (Part 2) 20:43

3+ y ago20:43

20:43

Galileo was not only a great scientist, but a great philosopher of science. And yet, he was a man who sometimes contradicted his own philosophy. In this episode, Br. Guy and Chris Graney continue their discussion of the real story of Galileo and how science and history textbooks alike often get it wrong. Guests: Chris Graney, historian of 17th cent…

1
Galileo: The Real Story 24:02

3+ y ago24:02

24:02

Galileo's championing of Copernican heliocentrism led to two encounters with the Church: an informal meeting with Cardinal Bellarmine in 1616 and a formal trial in 1633. It’s a muddled piece of history which has caused many people to falsely stake the claim that the Church is an enemy of science. In this episode, Br. Guy and Chris Graney discuss th…

1
Tour: A New Panorama of Our Galactic Center

3+ y ago

—

A new panorama from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the MeerKAT radio telescope provides a stunning view of the center of our Milky Way galaxy.

1
Tour: Chandra Discoveries in 3D Available on New Platform

3+ y ago

—

A collection of 3D computer models and prints is now available on a new platform from the Smithsonian Institution. This will provide greater access to these resources for libraries, museums, scientists, and the public.

1
OBSERVATORY – Ep04 Creative Freedom & Discipline with Ishmael Butler / Shabazz Palaces 1:32:22

3+ y ago1:32:22

1:32:22

In episode 4, Nelson speaks with musician Ishmael Butler, 1/3 of legendary Hip Hop outfit Digable Planets and the mastermind behind the groundbreaking Shabazz Palaces. Ish delves into his history and progression musically. All throughout discussing the importance of conviction in your ideas, discipline with artistic practice and constant reinventio…

1
Tour: Cassiopeia A

3+ y ago

—

Astronomers have discovered an important type of titanium blasting out from the center of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, a result that could be a major advance in understanding how some massive stars explode.

1
Tour: M87 in Different Wavelengths of Light

3+ y ago

—

In April 2019, scientists released the first image of a black hole in the galaxy M87 using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). However, that remarkable achievement was just the beginning of the science story to be told.

1
Tour: Uranus

3+ y ago

—

Astronomers have detected X-rays from Uranus for the first time, using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.

1
Tour: Data Sonification: Stellar, Galactic, and Black Hole Tones

3+ y ago

—

As part of our ongoing data sonification series, three new images have now been released.

1
Tour: PJ352-15

3+ y ago

—

Astronomers may have found the most distant supermassive black hole with a jet detected in X-rays using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.

1
Tour: Supernova 1987A Pulsar Wind Nebula

4y ago

—

Astronomers have found evidence for the existence of a neutron star at the center of Supernova 1987A (SN 1987A), which scientists have been seeking for over three decades.

1
Tour: Sagittarius A East

4y ago

—

Astronomers have found evidence for an unusual type of supernova near the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

1
The Vatican’s Interest in Space Exploration? 24:33

4y ago24:33

24:33

Why is the Vatican interested in space and how is it actively contributing to space exploration? In this podcast, Br. Guy explains some of the biggest moments in the Observatory’s history in space and talks about the space missions where the VO is making a contribution. He is joined by Dr. Daniel Britt, the Pegasus Professor of Astronomy and Planet…

1
Living on the Moon: Why and how? 29:09

4y ago29:09

29:09

U.S. astronaut Nicole Stott and her husband Christopher Stott of the International Institute of Space Commerce explore with Br. Guy what living on (or in) the Moon would look like. Where’s the best spot for a Moon base? And when we can expect Moon tourism to start? Guests: - Br. Guy Consolmagno - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Consolmagno - Nico…

1
Tour: Triple Galaxy Mergers

4y ago

—

When three galaxies collide, what happens to the central black holes growing at the cores of each?

1
Tour: Chandra Studies Extraordinary Magnetar

4y ago

—

In 2020, astronomers added a new member to an exclusive family of exotic stars, with the discovery of a magnetar.

1
Death by Meteorite: What are the chances? 21:53

4y ago21:53

21:53

In this inaugural episode, world-renowned Vatican astronomer Br. Guy Consalmagno, SJ sits down with Dr. Larry Lebofsky, a planetary astronomer specializing in small solar system bodies, to discuss the chances a meteorite will end life on Earth, how to stop it, and whether or not we’d be safer on Mars. Guests: - Br. Guy Consolmagno - https://en.wiki…

1
Tour: On the Hunt for a Missing Giant Black Hole

4y ago

—

Despite searching with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have no evidence that a distant black hole estimated to weigh billions of times the mass of the Sun is anywhere to be found.

1
Science Fiction: What it gets right and wrong 18:30

4y ago18:30

18:30

Where do you draw the line between space fact and space fiction? In this episode, Br. Guy and Dr. Larry Lebofsky of the Planetary Science Institute examine what the genre gets right and how science fiction has influenced real-life space programs. Guests: - Br. Guy Consolmagno - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Consolmagno - Dr. Larry Lebofsky - ht…