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Tag Archives: science explainy bit

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How do we know what things in space are made from?

Urban Astronomer avatarPosted on 10 Sep, 2020 by Allen Versfeld10 Sep, 2020
optical glass triangular prism

This is episode 60 of the Urban Astronomer podcast! Is that a milestone? Sure, but we’ll save the party hats for episode 75. Today we’ll just get on with the job at hand, and bring you a science explainy bit. Today’s question: How can astronomers be so certain about what things in space are made from? On Earth it’s relatively easy to send geologists out to different places with their hammers, and have them collect samples from interesting rock formations … Continue reading →

https://media.blubrry.com/urbanastronomer/p/s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/constellationonline.net/media/Podcast/UrbanAstronomer/UA_Episode_60_S03E06.mp3

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Posted in Astronomy 101, News and Updates, Questions and Answers, The Urban Astronomer Podcast | Tagged podcast, Science, science explainy bit, spectroscopy | Leave a reply

What’s the deal with Leap Years?

Urban Astronomer avatarPosted on 9 Jun, 2020 by Allen Versfeld9 Jun, 2020
Leap Day, by Sanu N / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Today’s episode is the first Science Explainy Bit of the season, and it’s another basic, classic topic: Leap Years. As a reminder, I love looking at the questions that seem simple because we think of them as the sorts of things that children ask their parents, but the thing about these questions is that they never are simple. These are things that took humanity centuries or longer to figure out, and that most of us still don’t really understand because … Continue reading →

https://media.blubrry.com/urbanastronomer/p/s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/constellationonline.net/media/Podcast/UrbanAstronomer/UA_Episode_56_S03E02.mp3

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Posted in Astronomy 101, Questions and Answers, The Urban Astronomer Podcast | Tagged Q&A, science explainy bit | 1 Reply

Why did I defend the geocentric model?

Urban Astronomer avatarPosted on 8 Oct, 2019 by Allen Versfeld5 Dec, 2019
Diagram of Copernicus's answer to the geocentric system

In this eighth episode of the second season, I defend my defense of the Ptolemaic geocentric system of crystal spheres! I hadn’t even realized till I started recording that this is our 50th ever episode. I really should be so blown away that I’ve kept things going this long, but I’m not, somehow? Perhaps it’s just become a habit, and I stopped noticing milestones! But anyway, 50 episodes, I think that’s pretty amazing and I’m very proud to have made … Continue reading →

https://media.blubrry.com/urbanastronomer/p/s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/constellationonline.net/media/Podcast/UrbanAstronomer/UA_Episode_50_S02E08.mp3

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Posted in The Urban Astronomer Podcast | Tagged History, Planet, podcast, Q&A, Science, science explainy bit, Solar System | Leave a reply

Why do planets orbit in the same plane?

Urban Astronomer avatarPosted on 10 Sep, 2019 by Allen Versfeld5 Dec, 2019
Outer solar system, by Riffsyphon1024 at en.wikipedia [Public domain]

In episode 48 of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, we’re doing another Science Explainy bit! These segments are where you get to hear my droning voice explain some fundamentals and answer listener questions. Today we get asked why it always is that planets orbit in the same plane, and why the Moon can be seen during daylight. If you like what you hear, don’t forget to tell a friend about the show, and make a small donation on our Patreon account. … Continue reading →

https://media.blubrry.com/urbanastronomer/p/s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/constellationonline.net/media/Podcast/UrbanAstronomer/UA_Episode_48_S02E06.mp3

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Posted in Questions and Answers, The Solar System, The Urban Astronomer Podcast | Tagged Moon, podcast, Q&A, science explainy bit, Solar System | Leave a reply

How do orbits work?

Urban Astronomer avatarPosted on 13 Aug, 2019 by Allen Versfeld13 Aug, 2019
Photograph of the Moon in orbit around the Earth

Welcome to another Science Explainy Bit episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast. Today we try to figure out just what an “orbit” actually is. Is it really as simple as they said in primary school? How does gravity, which normally pulls things down, work to keep the Moon in space? Download this episode now, to find the answer, and also learn a little about my upcoming appearance at ScopeX! What is an Orbit? () This turns out to be quite … Continue reading →

https://media.blubrry.com/urbanastronomer/p/s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/constellationonline.net/media/Podcast/UrbanAstronomer/UA_Episode_46_S02E04.mp3

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Posted in The Urban Astronomer Podcast | Tagged Physics, podcast, Q&A, Satellite, science explainy bit, ScopeX | Leave a reply

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