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
42E-54-Tour A Neighbor World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Our Moon is the only other world whose surface can be easily viewed by humans. The 59% of its surface visible from Earth is about 53 times the area of the state of California. It has a fascinating landscape which continu…
553-Exploring The Far Side [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
The Chinese, Chang'e 4 made a soft landing on the far side of the Moon where it is impossible to have direct radio communications with the Earth. Its companion Yutu rover whose name means "Jade Rabbit" is making scientif…
41E-53-Where Is Juno [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
The planet Jupiter is less important to us than the Earth, Sun, and Moon. However, it hold clues about the formation of our solar system and does send some comets towards us while causing others to miss our home planet.
552-Night Sky Surprise [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
On October 7, 2018 the moonless night sky became 25% brighter and reached the point where it is at a small light polluted city, all without human intervention. A check of the spaceweather.com website shows that from Octo…
40E-52-Another Large Bright Suddenly Appearing Asteroid [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
An unknown, quarter of a mile diameter asteroid, reached its furthest distance from the Sun on June 17, 2012. It brightened 10,000 times as it approached and crossed the Earth's orbit.Fortunately it never gets closer to…
551-Exploding Space Rocks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
In 2018 there were 15 Meteorite Fall Events for which observers saw a fireball streaking across the sky which then led to the discovery of pieces of the celestial visitor on the ground. Amazingly two of the 2018 space ro…
39E-51-Asteroid 2007 VK184-Eliminated As An Impact Risk To Earth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
On November 12, 2007, Alex Gibbs, using the NASA funded Catalina Sky Survey Schmidt telescope, discovered a bright fast moving asteroid. It was then observed by telescopes in Italy, England, Arizona, California, and Aust…
550-Lunar Telescopes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
From the naked eye to the Hubble Space telescope each advance has enabled new astronomical discoveries. We have thus begun to understand our place in the Universe. Perhaps new discoveries will be made from the lunar surf…
38E-50-Asteroid 2014 JO25-What An Incredible Ride [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
As it approached the Earth's orbit , a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid literally came out of nowhere as it brightened 250 times in 15 days. On May 5, 2014, the NASA funded Catalina Sky Survey 60 inch telescope on Mt. Lemm…
549-Weirdest Star [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Recently the Kepler Spacecraft found that a catalogue star HD 139139 now nicknamed the "Random Transiter" had 28 apparently random sharp narrow dips in brightness in only 87 days. What it is remains a mystery.