Ask an Astronomer

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Real NASA astronomers answer questions about the exciting science of astronomy.

NASA's Spitzer Science Center and Infrared Processing and Analysis Center


    • Aug 26, 2009 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 58 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Ask an Astronomer

    Where Is the Center of the Universe? (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2009


    Dr. Varoujan Gorjian explains the mind-boggling expansion of the Universe.

    universe astronomers center of the universe
    Where Is the Center of the Universe?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2009


    Dr. Varoujan Gorjian explains the mind-boggling expansion of the Universe.

    universe center of the universe
    W-5 Star-Forming Region (What Is It?)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2009


    Visit the W-5 star-forming region with 'Ask an Astronomer'!

    region forming astronomers
    W-5 Star-Forming Region

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2009


    Visit the W-5 star-forming region with 'Ask an Astronomer'!

    region forming
    Why Is the Sky Blue? (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2008


    In this 'Ask an Astronomer' episode, Dr. Carolyn Brinkworth fills us in on what the color of the sky has to do with finding life on distant planets.

    astronomers sky blue
    Why Is the Sky Blue?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2008


    In this 'Ask an Astronomer' episode, Dr. Carolyn Brinkworth fills us in on what the color of the sky has to do with finding life on distant planets.

    sky blue
    What's Between the Stars? (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2008


    In this 'Ask an Astronomer' episode, Dr. Michelle Thaller explains how there can be an interstellar medium in a vacuum.

    stars astronomers michelle thaller
    What's Between the Stars?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2008


    In this 'Ask an Astronomer' episode, Dr. Michelle Thaller explains how there can be an interstellar medium in a vacuum.

    stars michelle thaller
    Spitzer Turns Five (Ask an Astronomer Special)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2008


    This 'Ask an Astronomer' special looks at some of the biggest discoveries from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope over the last five years.

    nasa astronomers spitzer spitzer space telescope
    Spitzer's Fifth Anniversary

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2008


    This 'Ask an Astronomer' special looks at some of the biggest discoveries from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope over the last five years.

    fifth anniversary nasa's spitzer space telescope
    What Will Happen to the Earth When the Sun Dies?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2008


    Our Sun won't last forever. Dr. Carolyn Brinkworth explains the ramifications for our home planet in this 'Ask an Astronomer' video.

    earth sun astronomers
    What Will Happen to the Earth When the Sun Dies?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2008


    Our Sun won't last forever. Dr. Carolyn Brinkworth explains the ramifications for our home planet in this 'Ask an Astronomer' video.

    earth sun
    "Can a planet have two suns?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2008


    Dr. Carolyn Brinkworth addresses a famous science fiction scenario in this 'Ask an Astronomer' video.

    planet phoenix suns astronomers two suns
    Can a Planet Have Two Suns?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2008


    Dr. Carolyn Brinkworth addresses a famous science fiction scenario in this 'Ask an Astronomer' video.

    planet phoenix suns two suns
    "Can a galaxy die?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2008


    Dr. Varoujan Gorjian gives us the answer to this 'Ask an Astronomer' question.

    galaxy astronomers
    Can a Galaxy Die?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2008


    Dr. Varoujan Gorjian gives us the answer to this 'Ask an Astronomer' question.

    galaxy
    "Why aren't there any green stars?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2008


    Dr. Michelle Thaller answers this question for 'Ask an Astronomer.'

    green stars astronomers michelle thaller
    Why Aren't There Any Green Stars?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2008


    Dr. Michelle Thaller answers this question for 'Ask an Astronomer.'

    green stars astronomers michelle thaller
    "How do you discover an asteroid?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2008


    Dr. Bidushi Bhattacharya helps us understand how astronomers find these tiny space rocks.

    discover asteroids astronomers
    How Do You Discover an Asteroid?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2008


    Dr. Bidushi Bhattacharya helps us understand how astronomers find these tiny space rocks.

    discover asteroids
    Infrared: More Than Your Eyes Can See

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2007


    Dr. Michelle Thaller explains infrared light in this older video, produced by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (then known as the Space Infrared Telescope Facility) before it launched.

    nasa infrared spitzer space telescope michelle thaller
    Infrared: More Than Your Eyes Can See

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2007


    Dr. Michelle Thaller explains infrared light in this older video, produced by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (then known as the Space Infrared Telescope Facility) before it launched.

    infrared michelle thaller nasa's spitzer space telescope
    M51 and Gizmo in "Half-Baked Plan"

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2007


    In this animated 'Ask an Astronomer' special, innocent alien M51 moves the Earth into a closer orbit around the sun, and learns an important lesson about life in the Universe.

    earth universe astronomers gizmo half baked m51
    M51 and Gizmo

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2007


    In this animated 'Ask an Astronomer' special, innocent alien M51 moves the Earth into a closer orbit around the sun, and learns an important lesson about life in the Universe.

    earth universe gizmo m51
    "What happens when galaxies collide?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2007


    Dr. Varoujan Gorjian takes us inside galactic collisions in this 'Ask an Astronomer' video.

    collide astronomers galaxies
    What Happens When Galaxies Collide?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2007


    Dr. Varoujan Gorjian takes us inside galactic collisions in this 'Ask an Astronomer' video.

    collide galaxies
    "What is the nearest galaxy to the Milky Way?" (Ask Astron.)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2007


    Dr. Michelle Thaller explains that the answer isn't as simple as you might think!

    galaxy milky way astron nearest michelle thaller
    What Is the Nearest Galaxy to the Milky Way?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2007


    Dr. Michelle Thaller explains that the answer isn't as simple as you might think!

    galaxy milky way nearest michelle thaller
    "Why isn't Pluto a planet anymore?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2007


    Dr. Robert Hurt explains why Pluto got... well... plutoed.

    planet pluto astronomers robert hurt
    Why Isn't Pluto a Planet Anymore?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2007


    Dr. Robert Hurt explains why Pluto got... well... plutoed.

    planet pluto robert hurt
    "How can we see a black hole?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2006


    If no light escapes from a black hole, how can we detect them? 'Ask an Astronomer' explains.

    black holes astronomers
    How Can We See a Black Hole?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2006


    If no light escapes from a black hole, how can we detect them? 'Ask an Astronomer' explains.

    black holes
    "What is a redshift?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2006


    'Ask an Astronomer' uses an astronomer, a flying saucer, and a cow to help explain this difficult astronomical concept in simple terms.

    astronomers redshift
    What Is a Redshift?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2006


    'Ask an Astronomer' uses an astronomer, a flying saucer, and a cow to help explain this difficult astronomical concept in simple terms.

    redshift
    "Do the stars really move?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2005


    The answer to this 'Ask an Astronomer' question may surprise you!

    stars astronomers
    Do the Stars Really Move?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2005


    The answer to this 'Ask an Astronomer' question may surprise you!

    stars
    "Why do we see spiral arms in some galaxies?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2005


    'Ask an Astronomer' explains the morphology of one of the most common types of galaxy.

    arms spiral astronomers galaxies
    Why Do We See Spiral Arms in Some Galaxies?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2005


    'Ask an Astronomer' explains the morphology of one of the most common types of galaxy.

    arms spiral galaxies
    "Why are solar eclipses only visible in some places?" (AaA)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2005


    This 'Ask an Astronomer' episode explains eclipses of the sun and why they can't be seen everywhere.

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    "Why does the moon look like it changes?" (Ask an Astron.)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2005


    Phases of the Moon are clearly explained in this 'Ask an Astronomer' episode.

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    "What causes an eclipse of the moon?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2005


    This 'Ask an Astronomer' episode explains lunar eclipses.

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    How Do Stars Live and Die?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2005


    'Ask an Astronomer' tackles stellar evolution.

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    "What is a brown dwarf?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2005


    'Ask an Astronomer' explains one of the strangest objects in outer space.

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    "Why is Spitzer painted black?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2005


    The Spitzer Space Telescope has a funny paint job. This 'Ask an Astronomer' segment explains why.

    black painted astronomers spitzer spitzer space telescope
    "Can you feel a solar wind?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2005


    This 'Ask an Astronomer' segment attempts to explain what a solar wind is (and is not).

    astronomers solar wind
    "Are other solar systems like our own?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2005


    Solar systems come in a large variety of flavors, as this 'Ask an Astronomer' video shows.

    solar solar system astronomers
    "Do other solar systems exist?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2005


    'Ask an Astronomer' explains how we detect planets around other stars.

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    "Why doesn't the moon fall down?" (Ask an Astronomer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2005


    This 'Ask an Astronomer' episode explains how orbits work.

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    What Is a Brown Dwarf?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2005


    'Ask an Astronomer' explains one of the strangest objects in outer space.

    brown dwarfs
    Do Other Solar Systems Exist?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2005


    'Ask an Astronomer' explains how we detect planets around other stars.

    exist solar system
    Are Other Solar Systems Like Our Own?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2005


    Solar systems come in a large variety of flavors, as this 'Ask an Astronomer' video shows.

    solar solar system

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