Travelers in the Night Eps. 365E & 366E: Spotting Meteors & Mars Rocks

Travelers in the Night Eps. 365E & 366E: Spotting Meteors & Mars Rocks

Author: 365DaysOfAstronomy.org August 9, 2026 Duration: 6:05

Dr. Al Grauer hosts. Dr. Albert D. Grauer ( @Nmcanopus ) is an observational asteroid hunting astronomer. Dr. Grauer retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006. travelersinthenight.org

From December 2025.

Today's 2 topics:

- Meteors, shooting stars, or falling stars are different names for the streaks of light in the night sky which are in reality the dying embers of tiny asteroids. These small interplanetary travelers were speeding along at between 7 and 44 miles per second when they entered the Earth's atmosphere. In space, they are called meteoroids and typically ranged in size from that of a grain of sand to perhaps ones as big as of a piece of driveway gravel. Large space pebbles can produce fireballs which are brighter than the planet Venus. 

 

- At about 2AM on July 18, 2011 several people in near Tata, Morocco saw a bright fireball which was described by one of them to be initially yellow, then turned green, and finally exploded into several pieces producing two sonic booms. In October of 2011 desert wandering nomads began finding very fresh looking dark fusion-crusted stones which were radioactively dated by Dr. John Duke of the University of Alberta to be less than 5 years old. In total 15-24 lbs of meteorites consistent with a very recent fall were found in a strewn field, were whisked away to receive high prices from collectors, and named after the town of Tissint, about 30 miles from their discovery location.

 

We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs. 

Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can!

Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too! 

Every bit helps! Thank you!

------------------------------------

Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness!

http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations. 

Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!)

------------------------------------

The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu

Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.


Imagine a daily conversation about the cosmos, where each sunrise brings a fresh perspective from a different corner of the globe. That’s the essence of The 365 Days of Astronomy. Born from the spirit of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, this enduring project has evolved into a genuine community effort, releasing a new episode every single day. You won’t hear the same host each time; instead, the microphone passes to astronomers, educators, enthusiasts, and scientists, each sharing their unique passion and expertise. This structure means the tone and topic can shift wonderfully from one day to the next-you might delve into the mechanics of a black hole on Tuesday and then explore ancient celestial myths on Wednesday. The consistent thread is a shared wonder for the universe, presented in accessible, bite-sized pieces. Managed by Avivah Yamani and edited by Richard Drumm, this daily podcast is a production of the Planetary Science Institute, sustained by listener support. It’s a calendar of the cosmos, offering a daily moment of reflection and discovery that proves you don’t need a telescope to have your perspective shifted. Tuning in regularly builds a habit of cosmic curiosity, connecting the vastness of space to the rhythm of our own days.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The 365 Days of Astronomy
Podcast Episodes
Astronomy Cast Ep. 160: Eclipses [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:59
http://www.astronomycast.com/archive/ From October 19, 2009. Hosted by: Fraser Cain (@frasercain) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (@CosmoQuest) Every now and then, the Moon destroys the Sun. Okay, not destroys, covers. Well, not r…
NOIRLab - The Start of the LSST [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:22
Hosted by Rob Sparks. The 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time has officially started, marking the beginning of a new era in astronomy and astrophysics. Over the next ten years, Rubin will relentlessly observe the ent…
Actual Astronomy - The Observer's Calendar for August 2026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:49
Hosted by Chris Beckett & Shane Ludtke, two amateur astronomers in Saskatchewan who enjoy teaching astronomy classes and showing the public views through their telescopes. actualastronomy@gmail.com Episode 545 of the Act…
Awesome Astronomy - August Part 2: Jodrell Bank Murder Club [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:21
Paul Hill and Dr. Jenifer "Dr. Dust" Millard host. Damien Phillips, John Wildridge and Dustin Ruoff produce. Angry episode where Paul and Jeni have their blood boiled by the decision to defund Jodrell Bank Observatory an…
Astronomy Cast Ep. 85: Detectors [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:34
http://www.astronomycast.com/archive/ Hosted by: Fraser Cain (@frasercain) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (@CosmoQuest) From April 21, 2008. Our senses can only detect a fraction of the phenomena happening in the Universe. That's…
Space Stories - Betelgeuse Was Never Alone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:14
Hosted by Avivah Yamani, our Director! Was Betelgeuse ever truly alone? For over 100 years, astronomers searched for a hidden companion to Orion's famous red supergiant. Now, new observations from ESO's Very Large Telesc…