Backyard Astronomer - Delta College Public Radio
Michigan PR
Mike Murray from the Delta College Planetarium takes a look at what's up in the night sky. Things are happening all the time in the backyard universe, and many of them don't require a telescope to see and enjoy.
Location:
Bay City, MI
Genres:
Science Podcasts
Networks:
Michigan PR
Description:
Mike Murray from the Delta College Planetarium takes a look at what's up in the night sky. Things are happening all the time in the backyard universe, and many of them don't require a telescope to see and enjoy.
Language:
English
Episodes
1/27/25 - Say Goodbye to Saturn
1/25/2025
The parade of four planets visible across the sky will soon reduce to three as Saturn drops lower in the west each night, fading into the glare of twilight by the end of February.
Duration:00:02:00
1/20/25 - The Face of Taurus
1/19/2025
About two hours after sunset, look high in the east for the brilliant planet Jupiter. A little to the lower right of Jupiter is the orange star Aldebaran, the fiery eye of Taurus the Bull.
Duration:00:02:00
1/13/25 - A Parade of Planets
1/11/2025
During the week of January 13, a magnificent parade of planets will arch across the early evening sky. It's also when Mars comes closest to Earth and will be at its brightest.
Duration:00:02:00
1/6/25 - The Wolf Moon Eats Mars
1/5/2025
The moon grows from its first quarter phase this week, before its reaches full on the 13th. The January full moon is called the "Wolf Moon" because of the increased howling wolves make at this time.
Duration:00:02:00
12/30/24 - The Return of Orion
12/30/2024
One of the best known winter constellations, Orion the Hunter, returns to the evening sky.
Duration:00:02:00
12/23/24 - Birthday of the Sun
12/29/2024
The dating of our holidays have their roots in the solstice traditions of long ago, and that includes the dating of Christmas.
Duration:00:02:00
12/16/24 - The Seven Planet Challenge
12/15/2024
During the second half of December, you’ll have a rare opportunity to spot all the other major planets in our solar system over the course of one night.
Duration:00:02:00
12/9/24 - The Lunar Seas
12/7/2024
As the phase of the moon grows steadily from first quarter to full, it’s a good opportunity to explore the contrasts of light and dark on its surface.
Duration:00:02:00
12/2/24 - Jupiter at Close Approach
12/2/2024
Low in the east, soon after dark, you’ll find a star so bright that it looks like a fiery beacon in the sky. It’s actually the planet Jupiter, and it’s making its closest approach to Earth this week.
Duration:00:02:00
11/25/24 - Buying a Telescope
11/24/2024
The holidays are one of the most popular times of year for buying a telescope. So, what's the best one to look for?
Duration:00:02:00
11/18/24 - Bright Stars in the East
11/19/2024
Two hours after sunset you can’t help but notice several bright stars low in the east and northeast. The brightest one isn’t a star at all, but the planet Jupiter!
Duration:00:02:00
11/11/24 - The Beaver Moon
11/9/2024
The phase of the moon grows this week. By November 15 it becomes full, rising a little north of east soon after sunset. The November Full Moon was called the Beaver Moon by many Native American tribes.
Duration:00:02:00
11/4/24 - Venus, Mercury, and the Moon
11/4/2024
This week offers an evening rendezvous of Venus and the crescent moon.
Duration:00:02:00
10/28/24 - Pleiades Star Cluster
10/28/2024
Look low to the east after dark and you should see a pretty little cluster of stars. Its shape might remind you of a miniature Little Dipper, but it’s actually the famous Pleiades Star Cluster.
Duration:00:02:00
10/22/24 - The Great Square of Pegasus
10/22/2024
Each season has a notable constellation or group of stars that can serve as a guidepost to that part of the sky. In summer it’s common to use the Summer Triangle and in autumn we have the Great Square of Pegasus.
Duration:00:02:00
10/14/24 - Waning Gibbous Moon
10/14/2024
The Moon will take on an oval shape this week as the visible portion starts to wane, or become smaller.
Duration:00:02:00
10/7/24 - An October Comet
10/7/2024
The media buzz is growing about what could be a bright comet gracing our skies this month. It’s called Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, or “A3” for short, and astronomers have been eagerly anticipating its approach for many weeks.
Duration:00:02:00
9/30/24 - The W of Cassiopeia
9/30/2024
Look high in the northeast for a group of bright stars that resembles a big “W” sitting on its end. This is the constellation of Cassiopeia the Queen.
Duration:00:02:00
9/16/24 - Saturn at Close Approach
9/20/2024
If you look low in the southeast sky after dark, you’ll see a moderately bright star that doesn’t twinkle as much as the others. This is the famous ringed planet Saturn, and it recently made its closest approach to Earth.
Duration:00:02:00
9/9/24 - Observe the Moon Night
9/10/2024
By September 13, the Moon will look a little more than half illuminated in the south. This is when the Delta College Planetarium in Bay City will celebrate this year’s International Observe the Moon Night!
Duration:00:02:00