843-Possible Impactor

843-Possible Impactor

Author: Albert D. Grauer April 4, 2025 Duration: 2:01
On 27 December 2024 the Atlas group in Chile discovered an object now known as 2024 YR4 which appeared to have a significant chance of impacting Earth 22 December of 2032. The most recent data indicates the chance that 2024 YR4 impact Earth is about 1 in 25,000.  These data indicate our moon has about a 1 in 700 chance to be impacted by this space rock. Even so astronomers are preparing for 2028 when 2024 YR4 willagain come within the range of our instruments.   Current data indicates 2024 YR4 will miss the Moon by less than 1000 miles on  2032 December 22 giving astronauts there a Merry Christmas.

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
67E-79-Interplanetary Travelers-Lunar Meteorites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
About one out of a thousand meteorites that you find on Earth started out on the Moon. They were given escape velocity from the Moon as a result of the impact of an asteroid or comet. These lunar space rocks orbit the Su…
578-First PHA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Assuming the first potentially hazardous asteroid of 2020 has a chemical composition similar to the stony meteorites we find on Earth, it could contain about a million metric tons of metals like iron, nickel, platinum, g…
66E-78-Up Close And Personal With A Comet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
From the dawn of recorded history, comets have been viewed as the bringers of everything from gloom and doom to water and life. In reality, comets are a sample of material which was present in the cloud of gas and dust w…
577-Comet Fuls [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
My Catalina Sky Survey teammate Carson Fuls was asteroid hunting in the constellation of Leo when he spotted a faint fuzzy looking object with a tail moving through the night sky. A recent scientific study suggests that…
65E-77-Extremely Old World Could Harbor life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Radar beams that are reflected from your car as you travel down a highway reveal your speed and direction. In a similar way, scientists using a telescope in Chile have discovered two planets orbiting a nearby reddish sta…
576-Loneliest Asteroid [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
A recently discovered asteroid spends most of its time high above the plane of the solar system far from our Sun. Unknown asteroids on such a path worry asteroid hunters since one could appear from out of nowhere and be…
64E-76-Waking Up To No Satellites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
What would your day be like if you woke up and there were no functioning artificial Earth satellites? All of us have become used to finding our way with GPS satellites, watching satellite TV, obtaining up to date satelli…
575-Big, Dangerous, and Tough [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Recently my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Teddy Pruyne, discovered a potentially dangerous and perhaps valuable asteroid with our 60 inch telescope on Mt. Lemmon, AZ as it streaked through the constellation of Leo. Though…
63E-75-Will Space Aliens Discover Us By Our Pollution [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
When a distant planet passes in front of its star some of the star's radiation goes through the planet's atmosphere. The pattern of colors or wavelengths which are present and missing tells us what is in the planet's atm…
574-Record Year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
In 2019, asteroid hunters set a new record by discovering 2,433 Earth approaching objects including 85 which could potentially become a threat to planet Earth. Fortunately, none of these 2,433 nearby celestial neighbors,…