Podcast Archive

Podcast #41: Angus Burns at ScopeX 2018

Posted on 23 January, 2019 by Allen Versfeld23 January, 2019

Angus Burns presenting a public lecture at ScopeX 2018

Welcome to the 41st episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, and the 1st episode of 2019! We are almost done with the ScopeX lecture series, in which we play back talks recorded at ScopeX 2018. This episode we hear Angus Burns speaking about Astrophotography in the Urban Context . Next week’s episode will close off the series, with the keynote talk delivered by Robert Ormerod, talking about photographing the aurora borealis. Robert used his time at ScopeX to capture images … Continue reading →

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Podcast #40: Christmas Special with Clem Unger

Posted on 21 December, 2018 by Allen Versfeld21 December, 2018

Hey everybody, welcome to this December solstice edition of the Urban Astronomer Podcast starring Clem Unger and myself! It’s only a few days till Christmas, so we hope you all have a wonderful festive season and a joyful new year. It’s generally agreed that 2018 was a bit of a bust, but in just over a week we get to start over and see if we can have a better run of it this time around. In this episode: Sky … Continue reading →

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Podcast #39: Clyde Foster at ScopeX 2018

Posted on 10 December, 2018 by Allen Versfeld10 December, 2018

This is the 39th episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast. This episode is the fourth in the ScopeX 2018 Public Lecture series, featuring a talk by Clyde Foster, and a mission update by Clem Unger.

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Podcast #38: Dr Pieter Kotzé at ScopeX 2018

Posted on 28 November, 2018 by Allen Versfeld28 November, 2018

Welcome to episode 38 of the Urban Astronomer Podcast. This episode features the last part of our physics feature on the lifecycle of a star from dust cloud to super nova, and the 3rd of the ScopeX 2018 public lectures. Physics Over the past few episodes we’ve been trying to understand how a random cloud of dust and gas can turn into a supernova. In this segment, we finally get to witness our supernova, but that’s just brought up more … Continue reading →

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Podcast #37: Mission Update and Tim Cooper at ScopeX 2018

Posted on 9 November, 2018 by Allen Versfeld9 November, 2018

Welcome to Episode 37 of the Urban Astronomer podcast! This week features a public lecture by Tim Cooper, and another of Clem Unger’s space mission updates. As always, if you enjoy the show and would like to see it grow, there are a few ways that you can help. You could leave a positive review and rating on your favourite podcast service (I’m partial to Podknife but anything goes!). You could send a subscribe link to a friend. You could … Continue reading →

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Podcast #36: José da Silva at ScopeX 2018

Posted on 24 October, 2018 by Allen Versfeld24 October, 2018

Welcome to Episode 36 of the Urban Astronomer podcast, and the first in our ScopeX 2018 series. In this episode we feature the first of the public lectures I recorded at ScopeX. It is by José da Silva, and he speaks about exoplanets, and what we can tell about their weather. Links This talk on YouTube ScopeX José on FaceBook

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Podcast #35: Itumeleng Monageng

Posted on 3 October, 2018 by Allen Versfeld3 October, 2018

Microphone. Image By Jpcuevas (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Welcome to episode 35 of the Urban Astronomer Podcast! This week we have a full show for you, with our main feature being an interview with South African astronomer Dr Itumeleng Monageng. We also continue our series on the physics behind the evolution of a star from gas cloud to black hole. And finally, my new co-host Clem Unger brings us updates on current space missions. Itumeleng Monageng Itumeleng is a post-grad researcher working for the South African Astronomical Observatory … Continue reading →

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Podcast #34: The Equinox Show

Posted on 23 September, 2018 by Allen Versfeld23 September, 2018

Welcome to this special Equinox edition of the Urban Astronomer Podcast! This episode I share the microphone with Clem Unger for the first of a quarterly series. Clem has been on the show before, and he’ll be back every equinox and every solstice. In this episode We start with a look at coming attractions in the sky over the next three months. Clem discusses the state of current asteroid missions OSIRIS-Rex and Hayabusa 2 Allen and Clem butt heads over … Continue reading →

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Podcast #33: Jean-Pierre Grootaerd

Posted on 12 September, 2018 by Allen Versfeld12 September, 2018

Welcome to the 33rd episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast. This is a special release, featuring an interview that I recorded for ScopeX, the biggest astronomy and telescope event in South Africa. Jean-Pierre Grootaerd, through SSVI (which translates in English to Stars Shine for Everyone), has donated a pair of 90mm refracting telescopes to ScopeX, for us to hand over to whoever is best able to use them to advance science education in South Africa. Since he isn’t able to come … Continue reading →

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Podcast #32: Dr Nicole Gugliucci

Posted on 18 August, 2018 by Allen Versfeld18 August, 2018

Welcome to the 32nd episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast. This episode features an interview with Dr Nicole Gugliucci, whom long time listeners of astronomy podcasts should recognise from her work with Cosmoquest, and her many appearances on various shows in the 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast. This is quite a long-running interview, so we didn’t have time to include the next segment of our supernova story. We’ll pick that up next week instead, with the thrilling tale of what … Continue reading →

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Podcast #31: Clem Unger talks about OSIRIS-REx

Posted on 15 July, 2018 by Allen Versfeld15 July, 2018

Artist's impression of OSIRIS-REx orbiting the Earth

Welcome to the 31st episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast. This episode features an interview with Clem Unger, an ambassador for the OSIRIS-REx mission who lives in Australia. This is followed by the next part of our series on the evolution of stars, taking us one step closer on our journey to seeing where supernovae come from. Clem Unger A few weeks back, I spoke to Clem Unger, who lives in Australia and serves in his spare time in the … Continue reading →

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Podcast #30: Stellar Evolution and Nuclear Fusion

Posted on 21 June, 2018 by Allen Versfeld21 June, 2018

Welcome to episode 30 of the Urban Astronomer Podcast. This week’s episode features the 2nd part of our look at how stellar evolution can lead to a supernova explosion, inspired by listener requests to present more serious science and physics explainers. Last time we looked at the formation of a stellar nursery, so today we look inside that nursery at the birth of a new star. For fans of the interviews with people who have some connection to astronomy in South … Continue reading →

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