910-Mega Constellations

910-Mega Constellations

Author: Albert D. Grauer July 31, 2026 Duration: 2:01
In an experiment that will involve all of the residents of planet Earth SpaceX has asked the FCC for permission to launch 1 million satellites into low Earth orbit to create a solar powered data center. Since the agriculture which produces our food is very sensitive to weather and climate it is important to conduct serious research about the effect of a mega constellation of satellites before allowing such a project to produce changes to the environment we don’t understand. 

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: 50

Travelers In The Night
Podcast Episodes
390E-427-Meteor Whispers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Often observers report hearing a percussive sound, like a sonic boom from an aircraft, minutes after viewing a bright meteor fireball. In addition, in a fewer number of instances, there are many reliable reports of obser…
900-Earth Life from Mars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Some of the 635,000 impact craters found on Mars are the result of such violent impacts that pieces of Mars are ejected, travel around the solar system, and a few become one of the several hundred Martian meteorites whic…
389E-426-Rose Rules Again [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
389E-426-Rose Rules Again Recently my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Rose Matheny discovered 8 new Earth approaching object candidates on a single night with our Schmidt telescope on Mt. Bigelow, Arizona. One of them, 2017…
899-Hitch Hiking an Asteroid to Mars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Asteroids could provide a solution for the serious problem of how to protect astronauts from harmful solar and cosmic radiation during long duration space flights and thus eliminate the need for the spacecraft itself to…
388E-425-Greg's Comet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
My Catalina Sky Survey teammate Greg Leonard was searching for Earth approaching objects with our 60 inch telescope on Mt. Lemmon, Arizona when he discovered an interesting new comet moving through the constellation of L…
898-Pandora [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Looking into a star filled sky at a place like the Cosmic Campground International Dark Sky Sanctuary in New Mexico inspires a person to wonder if our home planet is unique in the Universe. To begin to answer this questi…
387E-424-Long Winter Nights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Winter nights can be exhausting, productive, as well as sometimes frustrating for asteroid hunters. At the Sixty Inch Telescope on Mt. Lemmon, Arizona, near winter solstice, the night's observing starts at 6:30 PM and co…
897-Kacper's Comet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
In 2007 a small icy object moving in the constellation of Ursa Minor crossed the orbit of Pluto at a speed of approximately 4.2 mi/s starting its journey towards the inner solar system. It was between the orbits of Satur…
386E-423-Silent ET [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
Oumuamua (“Oh-moo-ah-moo-ah”) is the asteroid that zipped by the Earth on a trajectory that started beyond our solar system in truly deep space. After rounding our Sun at 97,000 mi/hr this unusual space rock will continu…
896-Sneaky But Potentially Dangerous [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01
My Catalina Sky Survey teammate Greg Leonard was asteroid hunting with our 60 inch telescope on Mt. Lemmon, Arizona when he came across an unknown moving point of light in the night sky. After Greg reported his observati…