Since astronomers can't actually travel to a star, they rely on two ingenious methods to measure a star's distance from earth. Listen in as Marshall Brain breaks down the science of space measurement in this editor's choice podcast from HowStuffWorks.
Apr 1
What Pranks Have Astronauts Pulled?
Since the early days of space exploration, some of NASA's greatest have pulled some great pranks. Learn about our favorites, from a smuggled sandwich to a space gorilla, in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://science.howstuffworks.com/ridiculous-history-5-n ... Show More
8m 40s
Mar 30
How Can Your Body Learn to Tolerate Cold?
When you shiver, your fingers and toes go numb, or you get goosebumps in the cold, that's actually your body trying to keep you warm. Learn how it works -- and how you habituate to chilly temperatures over time -- in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://heal ... Show More
10m 58s
Jul 2013
David Munns, “A Single Sky: How an International Community Forged the Science of Radio Astronomy” (MIT Press, 2012)
How do you measure a star? In the middle of the 20thcentury, an interdisciplinary and international community of scientists began using radio waves to measure heavenly bodies and transformed astronomy as a result. David P. D. Munns‘s new book charts the process through which radi ... Show More
1h 9m
Nov 2018
Goodbye, Kepler Telescope
NASA launched the Kepler telescope in 2009 to stare out into space. In October, 2018, the telescope "retired." What did we learn from it and how did it work? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio ... Show More
39m 56s
<p>Daniel talks about how astronomers can measure or deduce the mass of a star, and why it controls its fate.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio. ... Show More