Travelers in the Night Eps. 887 & 888: Apophis Bound & Investigating the Mystery of How Life Formed

Travelers in the Night Eps. 887 & 888: Apophis Bound & Investigating the Mystery of How Life Formed

Author: 365DaysOfAstronomy.org June 7, 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 February 2026.

Today's 2 topics:

- In April 2029 on one of the luckiest Friday the 13th in human history the 1,500 ft by 500 ft asteroid Apophis will pass within 23,600 miles of the Earth's surface traveling at some 4.6 mi/s. This is extremely fortunate since an Apophis impact would release the energy of scores of nuclear weapons and cause wide spread devastation. NASA's OSIRIS-APEX will become the companion of the potentially hazardous asteroid Apophis on 5 June 2029.

 

- On Earth living things are everywhere from the deepest ocean depths to the highest mountain tops. On our home planet RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) is a complex essential molecule involved in the process of translating genetic information into the working components of living cells. In a recent paper in the peer reviewed scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Yuta Hirakawa and his team of two coauthors report on their experiments to produce RNA under conditions similar to those which may have occurred in the early history of Earth and Mars.

 

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: 100

The 365 Days of Astronomy
Podcast Episodes
Astronomy Cast Ep. 796: Oceans & Organics on Mars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwCk5uldz4g Hosted by: Fraser Cain (@frasercain) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (@CosmoQuest) Streamed live on Jun 1, 2026. Mars is cold & dry today, but the evidence is growing that it used to be…
Equatorial Sky Guide - June Episode [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:30
Hosted by our Director, Avivah Yamani. Mercury reaches its best evening appearance of the year, Venus and Jupiter meet in twilight, the Moon visits the planets, and the Milky Way shines brightly over equatorial skies. Jo…
EVSN - After Hours: Crowdsourcing Innovation with Trisha Epp [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:28
From May 27, 2026. Trisha Epp joins us to talking about NASA's collaboration with Freelancer, and how Innovation is now getting crowdsourced. Join in to learn how to launch your own Moonshot! Guest Trisha Epp is a Physic…
Guide To Space - Lunar Rovers, From Apollo to Artemis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:35
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=larzCw9Vn-w From Jul 21, 2020. When the Apollo astronauts first landed on the Moon, they couldn't go far on foot. That's why the three final missions were equipped with Lunar Roving Vehicl…
Ask A Spaceman Ep. 273: What if the Universe Had No Beginning? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:11
Hosted by Dr. Paul M. Sutter. What does is mean for the Universe to have a wave function? How does Hawking's "no boundary" proposal mean that the Universe comes from itself? And is it really the final answer? I discuss t…
Astronomy Cast Ep. 795: Expanse Science [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:09
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n14RYk2qFtc Hosted by: Fraser Cain (@frasercain) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (@CosmoQuest) Streamed live on May 10, 2026. This is the final episode of our series on sci-fi universes. And this we…
EVSN - Astronomers: Improbability Finders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:40
From May 20, 2026. Pamela is on the road in this episode as we look at how (and why) astronomers keep finding the improbable, follow the evidence to possible sources of little red dots, study the power of big star cluste…