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
192E-204-Birthday Asteroid [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
An asteroid hunter wishes for a birthday comet but instead the Universe gave her an asteroid.
703-Martian Water(489) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Exciting new research indicates that there could be a lake of liquid water beneath the south Martian polar cap. Further research will be required to determine if this briny pool could be the home of martian creatures.
191E-203-Big Rock [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
A rare very large Earth approaching object is discovered in an unusual place in the sky.
702-20 years(488) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
It has been 20 years since the world woke up to the news that a half mile diameter asteroid, 1997 XF11, discovered by Space Watch on Kitt Peak, had a slight chance of impacting the Earth in 2028. The NASA and JPL's Cente…
190E-202-Martian Purity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Humans must be very careful not to introduce any of Earth's organisms into the Martian environment.]
701-Touching The Sun(487) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Imagine a spacecraft traveling at a speed that would take it from New York to Tokyo in less than a minute, a mere 4 million miles from the surface of our Sun, where it would be exposed to about 500 times the solar radiat…
189E-201-Frequent Visitor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
A small asteroid about the size of a U-Haul moving truck makes frequent visits to our part of the solar system.
700-Martian Storms(486) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
In a few weeks ,as Earth and Mars moved closer together, a dust storm engulfed most of the red planet making it impossible to see its surface features.
188E-200-Comet Showers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
It is possible that showers of comets changed the course of life on Earth.
699-Last One(486) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
A huge Earth approaching asteroid is discovered right before the 2018 monsoon rains settled into the American Southwest. This weather imposed break from observing provides the opportunity for asteroid hunters to make maj…