http://astrotalkuk.org Not for profit, astronomy podcast based in the UK Thu, 17 May 2012 18:27:07 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Copyright © astrotalkuk publications gurbir@gurbir.co.uk (info@astrotalkuk.org) gurbir@gurbir.co.uk (info@astrotalkuk.org) astronomy 1440 http://astrotalkuk.org/wp-content/uploads/atuk144144.jpg http://astrotalkuk.org 144 144 Amateur Astronomy in the UK Hosted by an amateur astronomer, AstrotalkUK is podcast looking at the role, activities and achievements of amateur astronomers in the UK. Mostly a prerecorded mp3 audio file but occasionally accompanied by a video too. The internet being what it is, content will not be limited to the UK nor will the contributors always be amateur astronomers. Astronomy, Space, Solar, System, Cosmos, Universe, Moon, Earth, NASA, spaceflight, Gagarin, Rocket info@astrotalkuk.org info@astrotalkuk.org gurbir@gurbir.co.uk no no http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/03/19/episode-39-march-19th-2011-spacecraft-operations/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/03/19/episode-39-march-19th-2011-spacecraft-operations/#comments Sat, 19 Mar 2011 17:24:00 +0000 admin http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=647 http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/03/19/episode-39-march-19th-2011-spacecraft-operations/feed/ 0 0:00:01 Scroll to the bottom for the audio and video. Since the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, thousands of unmanned spacecraft have been launched, mostly to Earth orbit, but many have gone to the inner and outer planets, and four of them have pretty much[...] Scroll to the bottom for the audio and video. Since the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, thousands of unmanned spacecraft have been launched, mostly to Earth orbit, but many have gone to the inner and outer planets, and four of them have pretty much left the Solar System altogether. European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft arrived at Mars in 2003 and is still operating almost a decade later. It is operated by people in a profession initiated by the space age itself. Spacecraft Operations Engineers are the individuals who quietly take over the responsibility of spacecraft after the nerve wrenching excitement of the launch is over. Thomas Ormston, a Spacecraft Operations Engineer for VEGA Space GmbH, working at the European Space Operations Centre on the European Space agency’s Mars Express mission describes in this episode the steps involved in controlling Mars Express from over one hundred million miles from Earth. The Hubble Space Telescope is the single instrument that has probably contributed more to science in the last decade than any other. Its success is not the size of its 2.4m mirror, there are many larger telescopes on Earth but its location. Many amateur astronomers have captured images of Mars using a webcam. Such images are usually tiny but with integration techniques a surprising amount of surface details is visible. What would it be like if you could put that webcam in Martian orbit? Thomas and his colleagues have done just that. Several ESA spacecraft have an attached Visual Monitoring Cameras (VMC),  usually installed for a very specific purpose. Mars Express had one to monitor the release of Beagle 2, after that it was switched off. Thomas describes the details behind the project that reactivated the camera in a paper published online and the fascinating video compiled from 600 images taken by the VMC webcam during the 7 hour Martian orbit on 27th May 2010. It continues to take images which are posted here. _________________________ Today’s quote from John Lennon is about the critical importance of the role of human understanding in interpreting the real world, even when you have all the evidence that you could possible desire. Reality leaves a lot to the imagination _________________________ Audio   Episode 39: March 19th 2011 – Spacecraft Operations from AstrotalkUK on Vimeo. ESA, Mars, podcast, Uncategorized, video info@astrotalkuk.org no no http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/03/09/apollo-astronaut-in-uk/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/03/09/apollo-astronaut-in-uk/#comments Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:39:52 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=627 http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/03/09/apollo-astronaut-in-uk/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/01/26/episode-38-january-23rd-2011-want-to-be-an-astronaut-book-a-ticket-online/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/01/26/episode-38-january-23rd-2011-want-to-be-an-astronaut-book-a-ticket-online/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 10:30:07 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=542 http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/01/26/episode-38-january-23rd-2011-want-to-be-an-astronaut-book-a-ticket-online/feed/ 1 0:31:59 Scroll to the bottom of this post to play the audio or watch the video. Going in to space was nothing more than a dream for many of us for such a long time. But things are changing profoundly and fast. Once human spaceflight was only possible as par[...] Scroll to the bottom of this post to play the audio or watch the video. Going in to space was nothing more than a dream for many of us for such a long time. But things are changing profoundly and fast. Once human spaceflight was only possible as part of a national government project. Then a decade ago Denis Tito (on 28th April 2001) became the first self funding astronaut by signing a cheque for $20 million. Now in 2011, Spaceflight has never been easier or cheaper. Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic has now brought the price down to $200,000 for a brief suborbital flight. Imagine spaceflight for the price less than that of a small house in London. In the year that marks the 50th anniversary of human spaceflight, it is about time isn’t it? A familiar name in the astronomical community, Nigel Henbest a writer, broadcaster and television producer took a not too deep breath and signed on the dotted line and is now on the road to his space experience in the next year or two. As the private sector develops  perhaps the commercial spaceflight market will experience the same rapid innovation and price reduction we  saw in the personal computer market. Is it too speculative to imagine that within a few years the price of a sub orbital flight will come down perhaps to that of a family car? In this episode Nigel, talks about why he wants to go in to space and the steps involved in the process of getting there.  Nigel has written about his flight here and to see a high resolution image of the huge Virgin Galactic brochure click the image. _________________________ This episode’s quote You see things and say why? But I dream things that never were and say why not? George Bernard Shaw podcast, space, Spaceflight, Uncategorized, video info@astrotalkuk.org no no http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/01/05/bbc-stargazing-live/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/01/05/bbc-stargazing-live/#comments Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:10:34 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=537 http://astrotalkuk.org/2011/01/05/bbc-stargazing-live/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/10/12/episode-36-october-11th-2010-uk-space-policy-and-yuri-gagarins-visit-to-manchester-and-london-in-july-1961/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/10/12/episode-36-october-11th-2010-uk-space-policy-and-yuri-gagarins-visit-to-manchester-and-london-in-july-1961/#comments Tue, 12 Oct 2010 06:10:09 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=477 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/10/12/episode-36-october-11th-2010-uk-space-policy-and-yuri-gagarins-visit-to-manchester-and-london-in-july-1961/feed/ 7 0:00:01 Next year April 12th  2011 marks the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s,  mankind’s,  first steps  into space. It was a product of the accumulated technology of many countries over many years but particularly driven by the the political [...] Next year April 12th  2011 marks the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s,  mankind’s,  first steps  into space. It was a product of the accumulated technology of many countries over many years but particularly driven by the the political landscape resulting from the 2nd world war. Since then successful robotic missions have visited the planets, asteroids and comets. 24 men have gone to the moon and a dozen have even walked on its surface. Subsequent achievements have fallen short of the expectations raised in the wake of Gagarin’s flight. Gagarin himself  spoke openly about his desire to go to the moon and Mars. That sounds like a pipe dream now but back in 1961, he was absolutely serious and realistic. So what happened? Had the space race been won when Neil and Buzz landed on the Moon? Had the motivation borne out of political rivalries of the cold war finally been exhausted? Perhaps, the problems closer at home of poverty, population growth, environmental concerns  raced to the top of the political agenda and forced  governments into a pragmatic reconsideration on how they spent their cash? Big questions. Too big for this episode where Dr Chris Welch from Kingston University provides a brief outline of the current status of the Space policy here in the UK.   Dr Welch  also happens to be the chair of the of the recently launched YuriGagarin50 group which has amongst its aims: Stimulate celebration and recognition of the global significance of Gagarin and his flight – ‘the first person in space, the first person to see the Earth as a planet’. After his flight Yuri Gagarin embarked on a world tour which included a 4 day visit to the UK which surprisingly included a visit to Manchester on 12th July 1961. By chance, Gagarin’s first job was as a moulder in a foundry in Moscow.   He came to the UK and Manchester at the invitation of the Manchester based Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers. I will be producing another episode  focusing on Gagarin’s UK visit next year. Did you see Gagarin in July 1961? Do you know someone who did? Share your memories. Drop me a note at info@astrotalkuk.org. With many months to go to next year’s 50th anniversary, there are several events already being planned  to celebrate mankind’s first steps in to space. Keep an eye on the events calendar at  www.yurigagarin50.org ________________________________________________ The quote for this episode is from the Soviet government in 1961 following Gagarin’s success in Vostok 1. Perhaps they were deliberately winding up the Americans but there is something warm and reassuring to see a couple of familiar words in the quote  “all mankind” that are on the plaque left on the Moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts. A 1961 official Soviet Government and Communist Party announcement said. “We regard these victories in the conquest of outer space not only as the achievement of our people but as an achievement of all mankind” A video version of this podcast is available on Vimeo here. apollo, Education, podcast, Rocket, space, Spaceflight, Uncategorized, video, Vostok info@astrotalkuk.org no no http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/08/10/perseid-meteor-shower-2010/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/08/10/perseid-meteor-shower-2010/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:52:20 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=466 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/08/10/perseid-meteor-shower-2010/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/07/01/ed-mitchell-apollo-14-astronaut-in-pontefract/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/07/01/ed-mitchell-apollo-14-astronaut-in-pontefract/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:52:30 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=413 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/07/01/ed-mitchell-apollo-14-astronaut-in-pontefract/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/06/05/episode-34-may-31st-2010-effelsberg-radio-telescope/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/06/05/episode-34-may-31st-2010-effelsberg-radio-telescope/#comments Sat, 05 Jun 2010 23:12:26 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=357 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/06/05/episode-34-may-31st-2010-effelsberg-radio-telescope/feed/ 0 0:00:01 Nestling in a valley amongst the rolling green hills of the Eifel region of western Germany is the 100m Effelsberg steerable radio telescope. Similar to the Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank which is on the plains of Cheshire in northwest England whi[...] Nestling in a valley amongst the rolling green hills of the Eifel region of western Germany is the 100m Effelsberg steerable radio telescope. Similar to the Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank which is on the plains of Cheshire in northwest England which can be seen from miles away. The  Effelsberg telescope  is situated in a valley so it easy to pass close by and not see it. It is an international facility. Participating in Very Long Base Interferometry (VLBI) where physical links are necessary with other countries it also hosts astronomers from many other countries  and participates in global research projects. Although its website may appear a littel dated, Effelsberg has a surprisingly rich online presence including the current schedule and of course the now mandatory webcam. Effelsberg is a leading player in a new international project called LOw Frequency ARray or LOFAR.  Lofar targets the low frequency range between 10MHZ and 250MHZ. However, for many years commercial FM radio stations, the local emergency services and the aviation industry have been using frequencies between 90MHZ and 108MHZ so Lofar range is split in to two bands. Low (10-90MHZ) and high (108 – 250MHZ). Thus there are in fact three telescopes at Effelsberg. On a recent visit, Dr Norbert Junkes talked about the previous, current and new activities taking place at Effelsberg. podcast, Uncategorized, video info@astrotalkuk.org no no http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/05/03/ideas-worth-spreading-ted-com/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/05/03/ideas-worth-spreading-ted-com/#comments Mon, 03 May 2010 15:59:51 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=346 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/05/03/ideas-worth-spreading-ted-com/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/04/16/apollo-astronaut-visiting-uk-%e2%80%93-update-3/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/04/16/apollo-astronaut-visiting-uk-%e2%80%93-update-3/#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 07:35:34 +0000 admin http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=341 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/04/16/apollo-astronaut-visiting-uk-%e2%80%93-update-3/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/04/15/apollo-astronaut-visiting-uk-%e2%80%93-update-2/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/04/15/apollo-astronaut-visiting-uk-%e2%80%93-update-2/#comments Thu, 15 Apr 2010 14:29:41 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=339 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/04/15/apollo-astronaut-visiting-uk-%e2%80%93-update-2/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/04/15/apollo-astronaut-visitingh-uk-update/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/04/15/apollo-astronaut-visitingh-uk-update/#comments Thu, 15 Apr 2010 10:23:52 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=334 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/04/15/apollo-astronaut-visitingh-uk-update/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/01/29/one-of-my-episodes-is-missing/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/01/29/one-of-my-episodes-is-missing/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:00:29 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=292 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/01/29/one-of-my-episodes-is-missing/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/01/07/astronomy-on-local-radio/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/01/07/astronomy-on-local-radio/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:59:46 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=250 http://astrotalkuk.org/2010/01/07/astronomy-on-local-radio/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2009/08/16/episode-29-venus/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2009/08/16/episode-29-venus/#comments Sun, 16 Aug 2009 09:46:44 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=182 http://astrotalkuk.org/2009/08/16/episode-29-venus/feed/ 0 0:13:31 In size, mass and orbit Venus is the nearest Earth has to a twin in the Solar System. It is the brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon, hottest planet in the solar system, has a day longer than its year, is named after the Roman goddes[...] In size, mass and orbit Venus is the nearest Earth has to a twin in the Solar System. It is the brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon, hottest planet in the solar system, has a day longer than its year, is named after the Roman goddess of love and yet it has a deadly atmosphere and its the one planet that gets closer to the Earth than any other. In this episode, recorded in late 2008, Professor Fred Taylor, Jesus College Oxford, talks about the Venus Express mission. ==================================== This week’s quote is my rather obtuse reference to the runaway greenhouse effect on the planet Venus. Its from Will Rogers and its what he says to his niece on  seeing Venus de Milo in the Louvre in Paris. “See what will happen if you don’t stop biting your fingernails?” podcast, Uncategorized, Venus info@astrotalkuk.org no no http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/08/11/new-arrival/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/08/11/new-arrival/#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:31:09 +0000 admin http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=89 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/08/11/new-arrival/feed/ 1 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/07/25/temporary-upload-problem/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/07/25/temporary-upload-problem/#comments Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:24:27 +0000 admin http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=62 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/07/25/temporary-upload-problem/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/07/13/wordcampuk/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/07/13/wordcampuk/#comments Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:18:58 +0000 admin http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=36 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/07/13/wordcampuk/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/04/14/astrotalkuk-downtime/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/04/14/astrotalkuk-downtime/#comments Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:47:26 +0000 admin http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=20 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/04/14/astrotalkuk-downtime/feed/ 0 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/04/02/episode9early-astronomers/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/04/02/episode9early-astronomers/#comments Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:11:30 +0000 Gurbir http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=117 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/04/02/episode9early-astronomers/feed/ 0 0:34:56 About 20 years after Galileo used the telescope for astronomy, William Crabtree and Jeremiah Horrocks used it to observe a transit of Venus in 1639. Carl Barry and Lilian Fletcher researched documented this unique event. If you missed it a 19mb vide[...] About 20 years after Galileo used the telescope for astronomy, William Crabtree and Jeremiah Horrocks used it to observe a transit of Venus in 1639. Carl Barry and Lilian Fletcher researched documented this unique event. If you missed it a 19mb video here. Former executive Paul Allen (Allen Telescope Array) from Microsoft and Wayne Rosing (LSST Observatory) from Google are modern examples of private investors in space research. Emerging from the the industrial revolution in the 19th century Lancashire were two similar individuals who contributed to making large mirrors and large telescopes. James Naysmith and William Lassell. podcast, Uncategorized, video info@astrotalkuk.org no no http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/03/31/a-quick-u/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/03/31/a-quick-u/#comments Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:01:38 +0000 admin http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=36 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/03/31/a-quick-u/feed/ 1 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/03/23/episode8the-astronomy-centre/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/03/23/episode8the-astronomy-centre/#comments Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:08:23 +0000 admin http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=115 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/03/23/episode8the-astronomy-centre/feed/ 0 0:28:01 The Astronomy Centre: If you head east out of the Lancashire town of Bacup along the A681 towards the Yorkshire town of Todmorden, a couple of miles up a snaking undulating road, nestled amongst the green hills, wild flowers and the sheep you see on[...] The Astronomy Centre: If you head east out of the Lancashire town of Bacup along the A681 towards the Yorkshire town of Todmorden, a couple of miles up a snaking undulating road, nestled amongst the green hills, wild flowers and the sheep you see on your left two large astronomical domes. This is the home of the Astronomy Centre. Founded by Peter Drew, it is the largest dedicated resource for the amatuer astronomers in the country. A not for profit venture, the astronomy centre has been developed and maintained by a diverse team of skilled, dedicated and industrious volunteers. astronomy, podcast, Uncategorized info@astrotalkuk.org no no http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/03/09/episode6amateur-astronomy-the-next-generation/ http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/03/09/episode6amateur-astronomy-the-next-generation/#comments Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:00:32 +0000 admin http://astrotalkuk.org/?p=114 http://astrotalkuk.org/2008/03/09/episode6amateur-astronomy-the-next-generation/feed/ 0 0:18:35 Amateur Astronomy – the next generation? In the 1960s and 70s astronomy did not have the competition from computer games, internet and TV. That apparently is what is keeping the young people away from participating in astronomy. Guy Fennimore,[...] Amateur Astronomy – the next generation? In the 1960s and 70s astronomy did not have the competition from computer games, internet and TV. That apparently is what is keeping the young people away from participating in astronomy. Guy Fennimore, secretary of the Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA), suggests that astronomy is not the only victim and describes the SPA’s “young stargazers initiative”. Roger Pickard, the president of the British Astronomical Association, recounts the days of committed amateurs who made the telescopes they used and asserts the ongoing strong relationship between amateur and professional astronomers. This recording took place at Astrofest 2008, apologies for the occasional noisy background. astronomy, podcast, Uncategorized info@astrotalkuk.org no no