#409-410 Premium: Eclipses, Auroras, and the Stellar Black Hole Record Breaker Space Nuts
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- Astronomy
Prepare to journey through the cosmos with Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson as they explore a plethora of astronomical wonders in this thrilling episode of Space Nuts. First on the docket is Fred's captivating recount of his US adventure, where he witnessed eclipses, marveled at rocket launches, and even encountered space nuts fans under the aurora-lit skies of Whitehorse. But not all space encounters are awe-inspiring; the duo also discusses the rare and unnerving event of space junk crashing through a Floridian's roof.
The episode's highlight is a deep dive into the discovery of the most massive stellar black hole yet found in our galaxy, a mind-boggling 33 times the mass of our Sun. This cosmic behemoth, found lurking a mere 2,000 light-years away, challenges our understanding of stellar evolution and the formation of black holes.
Join Andrew and Fred as they traverse these astronomical landscapes, unpacking the complexities and marveling at the wonders of the universe. From the breathtaking experiences of witnessing a total eclipse to the potential dangers of space debris, this episode is a testament to the ever-evolving story of our cosmos.
Episode Chapters
(00:00) Professor Fred Watson returns from trip to North America fully jet lagged
(02:40) Fred Watson uses his iPhone to take photographs of aurora in Canada
(06:33) Fred Watson went to Houston for the total solar eclipse in 1970
(11:27) Andrew says SpaceX Falcon nine rocket launched from Florida on Tuesday
(15:34) A gentleman in Naples, Florida had something come through his roof
(17:52) Talking about the Kennedy space flight centre has just reminded me of one of highlights
(18:33) Life size replica of Hubble space telescope at Kennedy Space Centre
(22:50) Most massive stellar black hole yet found in our galaxy
(24:25) Scientists detect massive black hole in Milky Way using NASA's Gaia mission
(30:27) This is space nuts. Andrew Dunkley with Professor Fred Watson
(31:14) Hello, Fred. How you been since I saw you last 5 seconds time ago
(32:06) Jose from California thinks black holes could explain many mysteries of the universe
(39:34) Black holes could be the source of dark energy, Jose says
(42:31) Question from Alan asks whether supernovae are always or at all creators of gold
(45:53) Fred: Is it becoming more likely that Earth is totally unique in universe
(50:59) Fred: I've got a couple of hypotheticals for James
(54:30) Thank you to everyone who's sending questions. Don't forget to keep them coming
Prepare to journey through the cosmos with Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson as they explore a plethora of astronomical wonders in this thrilling episode of Space Nuts. First on the docket is Fred's captivating recount of his US adventure, where he witnessed eclipses, marveled at rocket launches, and even encountered space nuts fans under the aurora-lit skies of Whitehorse. But not all space encounters are awe-inspiring; the duo also discusses the rare and unnerving event of space junk crashing through a Floridian's roof.
The episode's highlight is a deep dive into the discovery of the most massive stellar black hole yet found in our galaxy, a mind-boggling 33 times the mass of our Sun. This cosmic behemoth, found lurking a mere 2,000 light-years away, challenges our understanding of stellar evolution and the formation of black holes.
Join Andrew and Fred as they traverse these astronomical landscapes, unpacking the complexities and marveling at the wonders of the universe. From the breathtaking experiences of witnessing a total eclipse to the potential dangers of space debris, this episode is a testament to the ever-evolving story of our cosmos.
Episode Chapters
(00:00) Professor Fred Watson returns from trip to North America fully jet lagged
(02:40) Fred Watson uses his iPhone to take photographs of aurora in Canada
(06:33) Fred Watson went to Houston for the total solar eclipse in 1970
(11:27) Andrew says SpaceX Falcon nine rocket launched from Florida on Tuesday
(15:34) A gentleman in Naples, Florida had something come through his roof
(17:52) Talking about the Kennedy space flight centre has just reminded me of one of highlights
(18:33) Life size replica of Hubble space telescope at Kennedy Space Centre
(22:50) Most massive stellar black hole yet found in our galaxy
(24:25) Scientists detect massive black hole in Milky Way using NASA's Gaia mission
(30:27) This is space nuts. Andrew Dunkley with Professor Fred Watson
(31:14) Hello, Fred. How you been since I saw you last 5 seconds time ago
(32:06) Jose from California thinks black holes could explain many mysteries of the universe
(39:34) Black holes could be the source of dark energy, Jose says
(42:31) Question from Alan asks whether supernovae are always or at all creators of gold
(45:53) Fred: Is it becoming more likely that Earth is totally unique in universe
(50:59) Fred: I've got a couple of hypotheticals for James
(54:30) Thank you to everyone who's sending questions. Don't forget to keep them coming