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
223E-235-Fragment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Millions of years ago two large asteroids collided in the asteroid belt. Pieces were sent flying in all directions. A few of them were put into orbits which rise high above and below the plane of the solar system as they…
733-Lunar Space Rock(521) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Recently, my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Hannes Groller discovered an Earth approaching asteroid which has a speed consistent with it being ejected from the Moon by the impact of an asteroid or comet long ago. 69 hours…
222E-234-Salty and Cold [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
There is increasing evidence that Jupiter's moon Europa, Saturn's moon Enceladus, and other bodies in our solar system have oceans of salty liquid water in contact with warm rock layers. We know that on Earth life abound…
732-Comet Lemmon(520) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Comets Travel Between Stars. An interstellar traveler visits our neighborhood on its tour of the Milky Way. Comet Lemmon will continue on a hyperbolic path into deep space. In 2043 it will be further than the average dis…
221E-233-Tiny Visitor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Asteroids are part of our environment.An SUV sized space rock has spent eons traveling through the silent vacuum of space. In the past 50 years, without humans being aware of its existence, it has made 29 close approache…
731-Greg's Comet(519) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
The discovery of a Jupiter family comet whose fate is to become a garden variety main belt asteroid.
220E-232-Dangerous Aten [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Aten asteroids pose a threat as well as an economic opportunity for humans.
730-Busy Night(518) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
On Halloween night while observing with the Catalina Sky Survey's 60 inch telescope on Mt. Lemmon, Arizona I discovered 21 space rocks streaking through the night sky. The most interesting one could be the destination of…
219E-231-Hot Hand [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Every year asteroid hunters discover about a hundred objects which are larger than 450 feet in diameter and come closer than 20 times the Moon's distance from us. We call these potentially hazardous asteroids. In 2015 my…
729-Close Again(517) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
As asteroid hunters equipment and skills continue to improve we will be able to find and track some of these tiny impactors and perhaps be able to suggest where to find pieces of one of them on the ground.