Lab Out Loud » telescope

Episode 58 – Exploring New Worlds with Kepler

Brian — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 06:30:06 +0000

Dr. Natalie Batalha

This week we talk with Dr. Natalie Batalha, co-investigator of NASA’s Kepler Team. Dr. Batalha talks to us about her love of science (especially physics), the Kepler mission, and the discovery of planet Kepler 10b.

Links:

Dr. Natalie Batalha, co-investigator of the Kepler Team
Dr. Natalie Batalha, San Jose State University
Bay Area Native Takes Road Less Traveled to Kepler’s Space Mission (NASA.gov)
Stars, Planets, Life and The Universe (web seminars from the NSTA Learning Center)
NASA’s Kepler Mission Discovers its First Rocky Planet
Kepler 10b (from NASA.gov)
Kepler Multimedia (from NASA.gov)
NASA’s Kepler Spacecraft Discovers Extraordinary New Planetary System (NASA.gov)
Kepler Finds a Mini Solar System (Bad Astronomy)
New Found Cornucopia of Exoplanets More Than Doubles Cosmic Census (popsci.com)
Six Ways to Find Another Earth (boingboing.net)
Symphony of Science “We’re All Connected”
Cats Playing Patty-Cake

Kepler Discovers its First Rocky Planet (from NASA Multimedia, narrated by Dr. Batalha)

Direct download: LOL58.mp3

Episode 42: SOFIA – A Telescope on a Plane

Brian — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:15:17 +0000

SOFIA's 100 Inch Diameter Telescope

Dana Backman is the Outreach Director for SOFIA – The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. Essentially, SOFIA is a modified 747SP with telescope in its fuselage. A joint project between NASA and the German Aerospace Center (NASA supplied the aircraft and the telescope was built in Germany), SOFIA is the largest airborne astronomical observatory that will allow astronomers to peer into the visible, infrared and sub-millimeter spectrum of space – above the majority of water vapor in the atmosphere. Dana talks with us about the aircraft, the mission, and some exciting opportunities for science teachers.

Links:

Direct download: LOL42.mp3

BLAST from the Past

Dale — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:48:52 +0000

Last night Dr. Mark Devlin appeared on The Colbert Report to talk about BLAST the Movie. The movie is a documentary about an experiment in 2006 that involved launching a car-sized telescope in Antarctica using a balloon.

Before Lab Out Loud, we did a podcast for the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers called Periodicity. Dr. Devlin, a graduate of University of Wisconsin, spoke to us in January 2007- shortly after his return from Antarctica.

You can listen to the interview as Dr. Devlin discussed the science involved with the BLAST experiment, the struggles they encountered and the importance of basic research. As you listen to Dr. Devlin describe his experiences with such passion, it quickly becomes apparent that this experiment’s story has everything a compelling movie requires to keep you at the edge of your seat.

Our show notes also provided links to blogs that several of the graduate students maintained while they were in Antarctica. They provided a personal glimpse into the lives of scientists as their Antarctic mission unfolded. They also posted some amazing photos.

Find links to all of our old Periodicity episodes at:
http://www.wsst.org/podcasts.asp

Periodicity 30: BLAST– Balloon-borne Telescope

Dale — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:48:16 +0000

A Weekly Podcast from the Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers
Find more Periodicity Episodes

Today we talk with Dr. Mark Devlin (Department of Physics and Astronomy at UPenn) about BLAST (Balloon-borne Large-Aperture Sub-millimeter Telescope).

Running Time: 23:50

Show Notes:

Today we talk with Dr. Mark Devlin (Department of Physics and Astronomy at UPenn) about BLAST (Balloon-borne Large-Aperture Sub-millimeter Telescope).

BLAST Public Page
BLAST at McMurdo Station, Antarctica (a weblog)
BLAST on Ice (a weblog)
BLAST Telescope (Wikipedia)
BLAST the Movie (a documentary by Paul Devlin)

Direct download: periodicity3001182007.mp3