Archive for the ‘asteroids’ Category

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Of Fusion Crusts and Strewn Fields: Science Channel’s “Meteorite Men” Make an Impact

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

PHOTO CREDIT: Photograph by Caroline Palmer © Aerolite Meteorites www.aerolite.org

Join us Sunday, March 7 at 9pm EST (March 8 at 0200 UTC), for a special AFM*Radio presentation featuring Geoffrey Notkin of the Science Channel’s Meteorite Men!

In a pre-recorded interview, we speak with Geoff about all things Meteorite Men, including how the show came to be, some surprising results of the show, and his remarkable fourteen-year friendship with Meteorite Men co-host, Steve Arnold.  Geoff also discusses some of world’s more fascinating impact sites, the intricacies of meteorite hunting,  and his own passions for science, meteorites, and music.

If you aren’t able to make the original airing at 9pm EST, you can catch one of the AFM*Radio replays at midnight, 3am, 6am, 9am, noon, 3pm, or 6pm (EST).  You can also listen to the podcast version, posted above.

For your pre-show enjoyment, the following list includes links for the websites, magazine, and book mentioned during the interview:

Meteorite Men website

Meteorite Men on Discovery’s Science Channel website

Meteorite Men on Twitter

Meteorite Men on Facebook

Meteorite Men on Quest tv in the UK

Geoffrey Notkin’s Aerolite website

Geoffrey Notkin’s Guide to Meteorite Identification

Geoff Notkin’s Geology.com column, Meteorwritings

Geoff Notkin’s review of Christopher Cokinos’ book, The Fallen Sky

Christopher Cokinos’ book, The Fallen Sky (available in hardcover and e-book formats)

E.P. Grondine’s book, Man and Impact in the Americas, at Amazon.com

E.P. Grondine’s book, Man and Impact in the Americas, signed and half-priced!

The Tricottet Collection’s Nininger Legacy Exhibit

H. H. Ninger’s books, available through Amazon.com

The Meteorite Magazine website

NorthEast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) website

NEAF Tweetup Attendees List (contact @CraftLass to have your name added)

Glossary of Meteorite Terms

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Posted in ASFOS Productions, Citizen Science, Earth, Internet Radio, Meteorites, NEO, Podcasts/Vidcasts, Social Media, Uncategorized, asteroids | 1 Comment »

Webcast Archive: “MoonWalking with Rob Self-Pierson”

Friday, December 18th, 2009

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12/23/2009 Update: Video archive of this webcast can be found here.

Throughout billions of years, the Moon has held an intrinsic practical and emotional bond with our planet.  Sadly, we are losing the human connection as we keep our eyes fixed on the material and social noise of today’s world.

Every once in a while, something special comes along to remind us to pause and look up at Luna, to consider that constant, though oft-forgot, guidepost for all living things on Earth.

We are proud to announce our next AFM*Radio special event, an audio/visual presentation, Moon-Walking with Rob Self-Pierson!  Join us next Tuesday night, Dec. 23 0100 UTC (Dec. 22 8pm ET), when Rob Self-Pierson stops by to discuss his “MoonWalking” experiences and his upcoming Blue Moon Walk.  We’ll feature images, video, an interactive chatroom, and details about how you can participate in commemorating the last Blue Moon of this decade!

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Posted in Astrophotography, Citizen Science, Cosmology, Light Pollution, Moon, Night Sky, Outreach, Planets, Podcasts/Vidcasts, Twitter, asteroids | No Comments »

Dream a Little Dream – Under the Blue Moon

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Blue Moon / You saw me standing alone / Without a dream in my heart …

Actually, I do have a dream …  Blue Moon / I’ll be standing with you / Without a cloud in the sky …

For many people, December 31st will mark the last day of another year, just as it ends every year of the Julian Calendar.  But, for sky enthusiasts, this December 31st has poignant meaning, marking the end of a very exciting year of astronomy outreach – the International Year of Astronomy 2009. So, it seems most appropriate that this wonderful year of sharing the night sky should end with a Blue Moon!

But, what is a Blue Moon?  We often use the term to reference a rare event – “once in a blue moon” – but is the Moon ever really blue?

Actually, on rare occasions, the Moon does “appear” blue due to specific atmospheric conditions, thus that reference for rare events.  But, more often, the term “Blue Moon” defines an “extra” Full Moon within a given calendar, an event that can be credited to the Julian/Christian calendar, farming cycles, and the tradition of naming Full Moons, rather than any cosmic phenomenon.

Of course, there never really is any “extra” moon.  The Moon orbits our planet, phasing through New to Full with such consistency that it occasionally clashes with our less-precise, seasonal timekeeping.  This leaves us with an “extra” moon about every 2.7 years – and we account for it with the name “Blue Moon”.  For yearly timekeeping, this Blue Moon occurs as the thirteenth of a twelve-moon calendar; for seasonal timekeeping, it is the fourth of a three-moon season; and more recently, due to an interpretation error in the mid-twentieth century, a Blue Moon is the second Full Moon in a one-month period.

This year’s Blue Moon just happens to fall on December 31 – the last day of the month, the last day of this year, and the final day of a decade.  On that day, I’ll be there to watch it, rising on the east horizon at sunset – big, bright, and full of promise – as I reflect on the successes of a year of star-filled outreach.  And then I’ll return at sunrise, to watch as that same Moon – the last Moon of this century’s first decade – sinks into the west horizon, bringing forth a New Year under the Milky Way and another decade of new discoveries.

*For a real treat, pop over to Rob Self-Pierson’s Moonwalking site and check out his beautiful #BlueMoonWalk video!

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Posted in Citizen Science, Cosmology, IYA 2009, Light Pollution, Moon, Night Sky, Planets, Podcasts/Vidcasts, Twitter, asteroids | 1 Comment »

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