logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
59m 8s

Chasing auroras with the Aurora Guy

The Planetary Society
About this episode

We are near solar maximum, a time in the solar cycle when our Sun is most active. That means more sun spots, coronal mass ejections, and auroras on worlds across our solar system. This week, Vince Ledvina, also known as the Aurora Guy, joins Planetary Radio to discuss the science behind the northern and southern lights and what they can tell us about our Sun, our planet, and worlds across our galaxy. Then Bruce Betts joins in for What's Up, a chat about global magnetic fields on terrestrial worlds and a new random space fact.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2024-aurora-guy 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Aug 20
Silicate clouds and a dusty ring: JWST looks at YSES-1
In 2020, the YSES-1 system became the first directly imaged multiplanetary system around a Sun-like star. It features two giant exoplanets orbiting a star just 16 million years old. Now, the James Webb Space Telescope is revealing new insights into these distant worlds. Host Sara ... Show More
59m 45s
Aug 15
Book Club Edition: Exploring the Overview Effect with Frank White
Author Frank White has interviewed well over 100 astronauts. Almost all of them report the sense of awe they experienced as they looked down or back at Earth, and how deeply this has affected their understanding and appreciation of our planet and the Cosmos. It’s what author Fran ... Show More
1h 3m
Aug 13
A “Star Trek” future: Your place in space
What do “Star Trek,” space advocacy, and the fight to save NASA science have in common? In this episode of Planetary Radio, we share a special panel recorded live at STLV: Trek to Vegas 2025, featuring Robert Picardo, actor and Planetary Society board member who played the Emerge ... Show More
59m 32s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
Parker Solar Probe's Record-Breaking Journey, Mysterious X-ray Flares, and Solar Cycle's Weather Impact: S28E03
SpaceTime Series 28 Episode 03 Parker Solar Probe's Historic Journey NASA's Parker Solar Probe has made history by becoming the fastest man-made object, surviving a record-breaking close approach to the Sun's surface. The probe, travelling at an unprecedented speed of 155,520 kil ... Show More
26m 46s
Mar 2024
What could a severe solar storm do to Earth, and are we prepared?
The sun is currently ramping up to hit the peak of its 11-year activity cycle. In the past few days, powerful solar eruptions have sent a stream of particles towards Earth which are set to produce spectacular auroras in both hemispheres. But these kinds of geomagnetic storms can ... Show More
14m 38s
Dec 2024
Parker Solar Probe Will Make Closest-Ever Approach To Sun
On December 24, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will make the closest-ever approach to the sun by a spacecraft. Parker has made more than 20 close approaches to the sun before, but this one will swoop in even closer than 3.8 million miles away from the sun’s surface.Since the probe was ... Show More
18m 24s
Oct 2024
The probe on a mission to touch the Sun | Nour E. Rawafi
From its life-sustaining energy to its explosive geomagnetic storms, the Sun has many mysteries, says astrophysicist Nour E. Rawafi. He sheds light on NASA's latest endeavor to better understand our fiery neighbor and its impact on the future of society: sending the cutting-edge ... Show More
22m 47s
Apr 2025
Mars' Organic Mystery Unveiled, Parker Solar Probe's Solar Close Encounter
SpaceTime Series 28 Episode 40 The Astronomy, Space and Science News Podcast Largest Organic Molecule Discovered on Mars, Parker Solar Probe's Close Encounter with the Sun, and New Insights into Earth's Formation In this episode of SpaceTime, we discuss the remarkable discovery m ... Show More
24m 40s
Sep 2024
Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 138: The Sun, Star of Our Cosmic Show
The Sun is the ultimate source of life in our solar system, a radiant powerhouse that bathes Earth in the energy necessary for everything from photosynthesis to weather patterns. Its warmth and light sustain us. However, the Sun’s influence isn't always benign. Its solar wind—a s ... Show More
21m 34s
Oct 2024
S27E129: Martian Volcanic Discovery, Exomoon's Volcanic Cloud, and Solar Maximum's Impact
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 129 *First Evidence of a Volcanic Splatocone on Mars Scientists have identified what appears to be the first evidence of a volcanic splatter cone on Mars, similar to those found on Earth. This discovery, led by Ian Flynn from the University of Idaho, s ... Show More
27m 46s
Sep 2024
#454: Universe's Speed Limits, Triple Star Systems & CME Mysteries
Join Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson in this lively Q&A episode of Space Nuts, where they tackle fascinating questions from listeners about the universe's expansion, three sun systems, black hole mergers, and coronal mass ejections. Episode Highlights: - Universal Expans ... Show More
21m 57s
May 2024
BONUS - Why does the Aurora Borealis look better on my phone?
The UK witnessed the most amazing Northern Lights in years.... And Izzie missed it. In this bonus episode, Dr Becky Smethurst, Dr Robert Massey and Izzie Clarke talk about those Northern Lights and answer your questions. What is Jupiter's giant blue dot? If the sun is losing mass ... Show More
19m 50s
Sep 2023
#369: Breaking Boundaries: Solar Orbiter's Groundbreaking Findings Unravel Solar Wind Origins
This episode of Space Nuts is brought to you by Incogni...the new data protection service. And you can get a whopping 60% off their incredibly low subscription rates just by being a Space Nuts listener. Details and availability at www.icogni.com/spacenuts Does the idea of unravel ... Show More
46m 47s