Planetary Radio
Planetary Radio
Each week, Planetary Radio visits with a scientist, engineer, project manager, astronaut, advocate or writer who provides a unique and exciting perspective on the exploration of our solar system and beyond. We also showcase regular features that raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Host Mat Kaplan is joined by Planetary Society colleagues Bill Nye the Science Guy, Bruce Betts, and Emily Lakdawalla. We hit the road now and then to produce a Planetary Radio Live show in front of an audience. Drop us a line or enter the weekly space trivia contest at planetaryradio@planetary.org.
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Recent Shows
Amazing Science at the 2012 DPS Meeting
10/22/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- Alan Stern, New Horizons Principal Investigator, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
- Bill Borucki, Kepler Principal Investigator
- Heidi Hammel, Vice President of the Board of Directors, The Planetary Society
- William Hartmann, Planetary scientist, author, and artist
- Jim Bell, President of the Board of Directors, The Planetary Society
- Rosaly Lopes, Planetary Scientist and Leading Volcanologist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The 44th Annual Meeting of the AAS Division of Planetary Sciences hosted hundreds of researchers and revealed volumes of scientific results. Join us at the conference.
Amateur Astronomers Work to Save Earth!
10/15/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- Bruce Betts, Director of Projects, The Planetary Society
- Robert Holmes, Shoemaker NEO Grant recipient
- Gary Hug, Astronomer, Sandlot Observatory
The Planetary Society's Bruce Betts provides an overview of the Shoemaker NEO grant program, and we meet two dedicated grant recipients.
Exploring the XDF, The Deepest Image of Our Universe, With Garth Illingworth
10/08/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- Garth Illingworth, Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz astronomer and XDF Principal Investigator Garth Illingworth takes us on a tour of this magnificent new image.
Curiosity Finds a Martian Stream Bed and Endeavour Flies Home
10/01/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- Emily Lakdawalla, Senior Editor and Planetary Evangelist, The Planetary Society
- Bill Nye, Chief Executive Officer
Emily Lakdawalla reports on Curiosity's discovery of an ancient stream bed, and Endeavour flies over the California plant where it was built.
09/24/2012 | 37:42
Guests
- Bruce Betts, Director of Projects, The Planetary Society
- Steve Chesley, Astrodynamicist, JPL
We're live at the Pacific Astronomy and Telescope Show, with JPL astrodynamicist Steve Chesley and Planetary Society Director of Projects Bruce Betts. Steve and Bruce reveal the exciting OSIRIS REx mission to an asteroid and then back to Earth with a precious soil sample. Enter the contest to name the asteroid! Bill Nye and Emily Lakdawalla check in, and one listener will win a Celestron FirstScope telescope.
Celebrating 35 Years of the Voyager Mission
09/17/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- Ed Stone, Voyager Interstellar Mission Chief Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Ann Druyan, writer and producer
- Emily Lakdawalla, Senior Editor and Planetary Evangelist, The Planetary Society
- Robert Picardo, Actor and director
Voyagers 1 and 2 just reached 35 years of travel in space. What a great reason to celebrate! Join Voyager Project Scientist Ed Stone, Ann Druyan, Emily Lakdawalla and Robert Picardo in this special live edition of our show. Bill Nye reports on a separate celebration in London and on the International Space Station, and Bruce Betts is back in fine form with Mat Kaplan for this week’s What’s Up.
A Conversation With Telescope Inventor John Dobson
09/10/2012 | 28:50
Guests
When John Dobson invented the Dobsonian telescope he changed the face of amateur astronomy. The 96-year old pioneer talks with Mat Kaplan. Emily Lakdawalla loves Curiosity’s self-portraits. Bill Nye the Science Guy is in London to host a youth webcast with International Space Station astronaut Sunita Williams. Bruce Betts keeps us from getting Lost in Space and helps Mat give away a cool Curiosity bumper sticker in What’s Up.
Author David Brin Considers and Writes "Existence"
09/03/2012 | 28:50
Guests
- David Brin, Science Fiction Author
Award-winning science fiction author, physicist and futurist David Brin returns to talk about his monumental new novel, Existence. Emily Lakdawalla previews a very busy month of great planetary science, while Bill Nye invites listeners to learn about a campaign to restore funding for the exploration of our solar system. Bruce Betts and Mat Kaplan give away another space pen in this week’s What’s Up look at the night sky, and a look back at this week in space history.
Remembering Neil Armstrong/ChemCam is Zapping Martian Rocks!
08/27/2012 | 32:11
Guests
- Roger Wiens, Genesis Mission Team Member
Emily Lakdawalla and Bill Nye the Science Guy join Mat Kaplan for a special remembrance of Neil Armstrong. Then we visit with the principal investigator for the first ray gun on Mars. Roger Wiens leads the ChemCam team that is using its powerful laser to zap and analyze Martian rocks. It’s just one of the Curiosity Rover success stories. Win a ChemCam bumper sticker and a Planetary Radio t-shirt in the weekly What’s Up space trivia contest!
More From Planetfest With Andrew Chaikin and Scott Hubbard
08/20/2012 | 1:00:02
Guests
- G. Scott Hubbard, Board of Directors, The Planetary Society
- Andrew Chaikin, Author, Speaker, Space Historian
- Bill Nye, Chief Executive Officer
Our Planetary Radio Live celebration of Mars rover Curiosity at Planetfest continues with more from space historian Andrew Chaikin, former NASA Mars czar Scott Hubbard and Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye the Science Guy. Emily breaks the news about NASA’s choice for a Discovery mission, and Bruce Betts joins Mat Kaplan for a What’s Up look at the night sky and a new space trivia contest.
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