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
384-Flying By [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
A small asteroid tests planetary defenses.
383-Moon Water [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
The Moon is water rich and can supply lunar colonists with many of their needs.
382-Martian Debris [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Our solar system is a much less violent place than it used to be.
381-Peaceful Star [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
A new appreciation for our Sun is growing as we learn more about other suns and their families of planets. Go outside today and enjoy some gentle sunshine from our well behaved star.
380-Southern Colleagues [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
A Small Telescope Makes A Significant Discovery.
379-Flying Mud Balls [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
The most common type of asteroids are likely to have started out as giant convecting mud balls which could still exist at the center of large asteroids like Ceres.
378-Moon Express [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
The Moon is a destination for human explorers.
377-Insider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Large asteroids lurking inside the Earth's orbit can be hard to spot.
376-Active Asteroids [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
The Dark And Mysterious Sometimes Becomes The Bright And Beautiful.
375-Chelyabinsk Sized [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Small Earth approaching asteroids are part of our environment. Early Detection Is The Key