343E-366-3 Explorers

343E-366-3 Explorers

Author: Albert D. Grauer July 1, 2025 Duration: 2:01
Recently, my Grandsons, Dane and Hank joined our asteroid hunting team at the Catalina Sky Survey 60 inch telescope on Mt. Lemmon. The most interesting of our discoveries, 2017 KJ32 is only 16 feet in diameter, orbits the Sun once every 315 days, and can come closer to us than the communications satellites. 4 days and 16 hours before Dane, Hank, and I spotted it, 2017 KJ32 passed about 41,000 miles from the surface of Earth traveling at a relatively slow speed for an Earth approaching asteroid of 1.6 mi/sec. By the time 2017 KJ32 came into one of our images it was already 768,000 miles from Earth and was traveling away from us at 1.5 miles per second. A few weeks later it was too faint to be detected by our most powerful telescopes.

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
749-Earth Glow(537) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
In 1972 Apollo 16 astronauts took an ultraviolet image of the Earth from the Moon which shows that like the Sun ,the Earth too, has a faint corona of gas surrounding it. Scientists are just beginning to explore how Earth…
748-Ultima Thule(536) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Traveling an additional billion miles beyond Pluto, the New Horizons spacecraft is now sending back data on 2014 MU69, a strange snow man shaped object which orbits the Sun once every 298 years. The New Horizons is space…
237E-249-Tough Tourist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Rocky metallic asteroid can stand the heat.A block and a half sized asteroid makes visits to Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter.
747-Alone or Not(535) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
In our Milky Way Galaxy alone there are probably 25 billion planets located within the habitable zone of its star where there could be air to breathe and liquid water on its surface. The search is on for advanced civiliz…
236E-248-Incoming [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
What happens when an asteroid is heading in our direction.A close approaching asteroid was observed as it passed between the Earth and our Moon.
746-Followups(534) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Without followup data, many if not most of the Earth approaching objects would be lost as they move away from us leaving us with no idea when they might return to near Earth space or perhaps even strike our home planet.
235E-247-Potential Mining Target [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
My Catalina Sky Survey teammates have discovered an asteroid which could be a potential mining target. Mining asteroids may be a much cheaper way to get the raw materials that space colonists need when compared to the co…
745-100 Moons(533) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
A small telescope makes a substantial contribution to our knowledge of the celestial visitors to our neighborhood
234E-246-Anatomy Of An Extinction Crater [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
By drilling into a crater rim, researchers hope to discover how the Earth and it's life forms recovered from an asteroid impact.
744-Teddy’s Debut(532) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
On a recent training night with Teddy Pruyne at the controls of our 60 inch telescope on Mt. Lemmon, Arizona, this duo discovered six new Earth Approaching Objects, an inner main belt asteroid, and rediscovered an inner…