Ask an Astronomer! @ Cornell University

This month we will be clearing up some commonly held misconceptions, starting with the Earth and Moon, then moving out through the solar system, and eventually discussing the Universe as a whole, and some misunderstandings people might have regarding its expansion. To resolve these issues I interview an array of Cornell graduate students: Joyce Byun, Rebecca Harbison, Jason Hofgartner, Michael Lam, Dustin Madison, Sean Marshall, and Eva-Maria Mueller.

This month we will be taking a trip outside under the night sky to discuss the origins and mythology of the fall constellations.Luke gives some background on where our constellations come from, and then tells the stories displayed in the constellations visibile in the fall sky.

This month we return to CCAT but instead of focusing on it, we learn a bit about why makes Chile such great place for astronomy. 1) Carl talks with astronomers to learn what telescopes Chile has to offer. 2) Betsey interviews Prof. Terry Jordon to learn about the geology of Chile and why the Atacama desert is such a great place for astronomy.

This month we learn about how pulsars can be used to detect gravitational waves. 1) Laura and Dusty provide an introduction to pulsars and pulsar timing 2) Dusty interviews Curran Muhlberger to find out what a gravitational wave is. 3) Laura interviews Prof. Maura McLaughlin of West Virgina University on the North American Nanoherz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav).

This month on the Ask An Astronomer Podcast, Ann Martin and Sarah Scoles take a look at the relationship between science and fiction, and between scientists and the art they create. We'll hear a reading of a piece of original short fiction, "The Formation of Structure," written by Sarah for the podcast. Afterwards, we'll sit down with Dr. Jennifer Rohn of LabLit.com to discuss the power of fiction to draw readers into the real world of science. Today's podcast is written and produced by Ann Martin. You can ask us your own questions by visiting us at our website, curious.astro.cornell.edu. This segment uses music and sound effects from the website Freesound.org. Most of the sounds used in the piece are licensed under Creative Commons Zero. We've also used music entitled "Swell Pad" from Freesound user ERH, solo cello improvisations called "Fundamentals" from Freesound user Rich T Cello, and an effect titled "Fanfare" from Freesound user Toby K.

This month on the Ask An Astronomer Podcast...Betsey brings you on a trip to the Arecibo Observatory, along with the Undergraduate ALFALFA Team. We'll tour the telescope, hear from a group of undergraduates who had a chance to visit and use Arecibo, and sit down with some of the Observatory staff. Today's podcast is written and produced by Ann Martin and Betsey Adams, along with some help from Tom Balonek, Dana Whitlow, Elliott Gonzales, Israel Cabrera, Patrick Taylor, and the Undergraduate ALFALFA Team. You can ask us your own questions by visiting us at our website, curious.astro.cornell.edu.

This month on the Ask An Astronomer Podcast... Dan talks with Manolis and Joyce about what it means for space to be expanding and about the geometry and ultimate fate of the universe. I then ask professor Rachel Bean whether the universe is infinite and how much we can hope to learn about the universe's initial conditions. Today's podcast is written and produced by Dan Tamayo with help from Manolis, Joyce and Laura. You can ask us your own questions by visiting us at our website, curious.astro.cornell.edu.

This month on the Ask An Astronomer Podcast... Laura and Betsey discuss the questions "why did you become a scientist?" and "why do you study the specific branch of astronomy that you do?". We interview over a dozen astronomers and ask them their motivations for becoming a scientist and astronomer. Today's podcast is written and produced by Laura Spitler and Betsey Adams with help from many other Cornell graduate students. You can ask us your own questions by visiting us at our website, curious.astro.cornell.edu.

This month on the Ask An Astronomer Podcast... 1) Diana Dragomir tells us about the small rocky planet 55 Cnc e. 2) Dan Fabrycky, member of the Kepler team, describes some of the highlights from the Kepler observatory. 3) The smallest known planets found by the Kepler observatory, insight on this system from Phil Muirhead. 4) James P. Lloyd tells us a little about small stars and habitability. Today's podcast is written and produced by Everett Schlawin. You can ask us your own questions by visiting us at our website, curious.astro.cornell.edu.

This month on the Ask An Astronomer Podcast... 1) Betsey talks with Professor Riccardo Giovanelli, Project Director for CCAT, to provide an overview of the project. 2) Carl sits down with Professor Gordon Stacey to learn all about submm astronomy. 3) Jeff Zivick, Project Manager for CCAT, talks logistics with Carl. 3) We talk to Fred Young, a Cornell alum who has donated to the CCAT project. Today's podcast is written and produced by Betsey Adams and Carl Ferkinhoff. You can ask us your own questions by visiting us at our website, curious.astro.cornell.edu.