Tim Spahr of the Minor Planet Center

Air Date: 07/08/2013
Run Time: 28:50

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Guests:

Timothy Spahr, Director, Minor Planet Center, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Topics: citizen science, podcasts and videos, interview, Planetary Society People, Bill Nye, Planetary Radio, Planetary Society Projects, PlanetVac, Shoemaker NEO Grants, asteroids, comets, Earth impact hazard, near-Earth asteroids, astronomy

There’s a place to go when you find a space rock headed our way, or headed any which way. Tim Spahr directs the Minor Planet Center, the global clearinghouse for all information about asteroids, comets and other relatively small bodies like moons. Tim also coordinates the Planetary Society's Shoemaker Near Earth Object Grant program. Jason Davis shares his thoughts about a proud return to space, while Bill Nye the Science and Planetary Guy begins his segment with a bang. What’s Up tells you where to look for night sky goodies, and you might win the new Planetary Radio t-shirt.

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Trivia Contest

This week's prize is the NEW and stylish Planetary Radio T-shirt!

This week's question:
Besides Pluto, name at least one fictional dog that shares its name with a solar system object (not on Earth).

To submit your answer:
Complete the contest entry form at http:planetary.org/radiocontest or write to us at planetaryradio@planetary.org no later than Monday, July 15th, at 2pm Pacific Time. Be sure to include your name, mailing address and shirt size.

Last week's question:
Besides the five spacecraft on escape trajectories out of the solar system, what is the most distant INTACT spacecraft? (Remember, the NCC-1701 is fictional.)

Answer:
The answer will be revealed next week.

Question from the week before:
When did the first guitar go into space, and on what spaceship?

Answer:
The first of at least three guitars in space rode there on Progress 3 back in 1978.