335E-354-Returnee

335E-354-Returnee

Author: Albert D. Grauer May 6, 2025 Duration: 2:01
On May 5, 2014 when I discovered 2014 JO25 with the Catalina Sky Survey's 60 inch telescope on Mt. Lemmon, Arizona it was the brightest, fastest asteroid I had ever seen. In April of 2017, 2014 JO25 returned to come within 1.1 million miles of us at 21 mi/s. This rare, very close approach by an asteroid, of 2014 JO25's size allowed scientists at NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar in California and the National Science Foundation's Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico to obtain radar images of it. Amazingly these images showed that what we had observed as a solitary moving point of light and had assumed to be a single asteroid is actually two asteroids in contact with each other. This tight pair rotates about a common center of gravity about every 5 hours which in turn orbits the Sun in about three years. 41 days before its encounter with Earth, this tight pair was closer to the Sun than the planet Mercury.

Each episode of Travelers In The Night feels like a quiet, personal conversation under a dark sky. Hosted by astronomer Dr. Albert D. Grauer, this podcast brings the distant cosmos into sharp, intimate focus. Dr. Grauer isn't just an observer; he's an active participant in the hunt, working with the Catalina Sky Survey team that has consistently discovered near-Earth asteroids for years. In these brief and engaging segments, you'll hear firsthand accounts of what it's like to track these ancient celestial travelers-the asteroids and comets that silently pass by our world. The discussions move beyond simple facts to explore the real-world implications of these discoveries, from planetary defense to the sheer wonder of our dynamic solar system. Accompanied by the contemplative music of John Lyell's "Eternity," each installment offers a moment of calm reflection on humanity's place in the universe. It’s a perfect blend of grounded science and cosmic curiosity, making complex astronomical concepts accessible and deeply fascinating. For anyone who has ever looked up and wondered what's out there moving in the dark, this podcast provides a direct line to the front lines of discovery.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 1000

Travelers In The Night
Podcast Episodes
157E-169-Neighborhood's Edge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Confronted with the deluge of new possible planets, in 2006, The International Astronomical Union voted to categorize Pluto as a Dwarf Planet and not the 9th planet in our solar system as most school children had learned…
668-Dry Sands(420) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Intriguing features which change with the Martian seasons mimic flows of liquid water on the Earth's surface.
156E-168-Invisible Stuff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
In 1933 Fritz Zwicky suggested that the high speeds of galaxies in the relatively distant Coma Cluster are indicative of some type of invisible material which is pulling on them. In the 1970's Dr. Vera Rubin began to mea…
667-ET's Cigar(419) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
The first alien object to observed visiting our solar system arrives from truly deep space and leaves us with the mystery of what it is and how it got that way.
155E-167-Night Sky Friendly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Being night sky friendly means that you only use outdoor lighting fixtures which direct light onto the ground where humans need it and not up into the sky where it obscures the natural wonders of the Universe. Currently…
666-Red Dwarf Planets(417) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Earth like planets are being discovered circling the most common type of star in our neighborhood of the Milky Way galaxy.
154E-166-Asteroid Diamonds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Did you know that asteroids can bring diamonds to Earth and that asteroids sometimes create diamonds when they collide with our planet?
665-Odd Ball(416) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
A small asteroid soars into the lonely space high above and below the plane of our solar system.
153E-165-One Two Punch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
About 35 million years ago the Earth was impacted by two large asteroids creating the more than 50 mile diameter Popigai [pop a gay i] Crater in Russia and a similar crater in Chesapeake Bay in the USA. Analysis of fragm…
664-Extraterrestrial Whales(410) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Perhaps the reason that we have not detected alien civilizations on distant worlds is because they exist in oceans covered by miles of radiation absorbing ice and rocks.