Tag Archives: Mars

Podcast #20: Edwin le Grange at ScopeX

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Welcome to the 20th episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, featuring a public talk given by Edwin le Grange at ScopeX 2017.  This episode has been a long time coming, because I’m doing something new that I’ve never done before and it’s taken me way longer to figure out that I’d really anticipated, but I finally got there, we’re here, and your patience is about to be rewarded. As you’ll know from previous episodes, the annual ScopeX telescope and astronomy … Continue reading →

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Podcast #13: Mars, ICON CGC and more Mars

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Here it is!  Episode #13 of the Urban Astronomer podcast!  This week we turn our steely gaze upon the red planet Mars, but we haven’t forgotten our promise to share some highlights from our time at the ICON Comics and Games Convention.  We even indulge in a little hoax busting, picking a fight with an old scam that just won’t die. … Continue reading →

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Podcast #5: Mercury

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Welcome to the 5th episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast! We’re well on our way in the grand experiment of deciding how exactly to format the show, and today we’re trying yet another combination! We’ll start off by answering the question first asked in a classic Urban Astronomer article, one originally written back in 2010 and that’s been consistently popular with our readers:  Will an astronaut explode if they take off their helmet? Our feature item introduces my new co-host, and … Continue reading →

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Will Mars look as big as the Moon in August?

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Dear Urban Astronomer   I recently received this presentation in an email.  Apparently, Mars will look as big as the Moon on 27 August, because it will be closer to us than ever before in recorded history and will look as big as the Moon in the sky.  Is this true? I was tempted to simply dismiss this as a joke.  After all, it’s not like anybody still falls for this, right?  Surely people remember seeing the same hoax this time … Continue reading →

Mission to Mars: Why we must go

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This entry (Mission to Mars: Why we must go) was originally written for my Now Look Here! blog, but I reckon it’s relevant for Urban Astronomer too: I listened to a series of Naked Scientists podcasts recently, on the various competing plans to launch a human mission to Mars. One episode stood out in particular, asking whether this was something that we need to spend money actually doing.They assembled a panel of various experts and authorities to debate the issue, and while … Continue reading →