Category: Astronomy
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Stephen Kane, San Francisco State University – Second Earth Candidates
The search for the Holy Grail of planets continues. Stephen Kane, associate professor in the department of physics & astronomy at San Francisco State University, scours the universe for Earth-like rocks. Stephen Kane has been researching planets around other stars for more than 20 years and has discovered and characterized hundreds of exoplanets, including Kepler-186f,…
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John O’Meara, St. Michael’s College – Traces of the First Stars
Have we found the fingerprints of the first group of stars in our universe? John O’Meara, associate professor of physics at St. Michael’s College, explores how looking 12 billion years in the past can lead to a better understanding of the full story of the cosmos. My primary research focus is to attempt to better…
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Christopher Wrede, Michigan State University – Pre-Solar Grains
Are some of the earliest building blocks of the universe making their way to Earth? Chris Wrede, Assistant Professor of Physics at Michigan State University, discusses how pre-solar grains inside meteorites are giving us a rare up close look into the workings of the solar system. Prof. Wrede in an experimental nuclear astrophysicist who received…
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David Rothery, The Open University – Water on Mars
Scientists have found evidence of liquid water on Mars. David Rothery, Professor of Planetary Geosciences at The Open University, explains how this exciting discovery was made. In November 2013 I became Professor of Planetary Geosciences. I was a Senior Lecturer in the Open University Department of Earth Sciences since 1994 (transferring to the Planetary & Space Sciences…
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Eddie Baron, Oklahoma – Type Ia Supernovae
There is still so much mystery out in deep space. But, with amazing research from folks like Eddie Baron, we’re continually learning more about the universe we inhabit. Today on The Academic Minute, a nuclear physicist from the University of Oklahoma explains type Ia supernovae. Eddie Baron received his PhD in Nuclear Physics from Stony…
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Jay Pasachoff, Williams College – New Horizons Fly-By of Pluto
We’re about to learn a lot about Pluto. Jay Pasachoff, astronomer at Williams College, details the exciting intergalactic current events. Dr. Jay Pasachoff is Director of Hopkins Observatory, Chair of the Astronomy Department, and Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy at Williams. He earned his Ph.D. at Harvard and was one of the first contributors to…
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Hal Haggard, Bard College – Black Hole Life Cycles
How does a black hole die? Today on The Academic Minute, Hal Haggard, physicist at Bard College, describes the life cycle of black holes. Hal Haggard, a theoretical physicist at Bard College, explores the overlap of quantum mechanics and gravity searching for new understandings of space and time within an atom and throughout the cosmos.…
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Paul Sutter, Ohio State – The End of the Universe
The end of the time is a topic that has gripped philosophers, theologians and everyone in between since the beginning of recorded time. Today on The Academic Minute, frequent contributor Paul Matthew Sutter, astronomer and physicist at Ohio State, details the likely conclusion of our universe. Dr. Paul Matthew Sutter is the INFN Fellow in…
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Heidi Newberg, RPI – The Size of the Galaxy
This universe of ours is pretty big, and it might be bigger than we think. Heidi Newberg, astronomer and physicist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is studying the size of the galaxy. Dr. Heidi Newberg has worked in many areas of astronomy over the course of her career. She did her Ph.D. with the Berkeley Automated…
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Jay Pasachoff, Williams College – Today’s Total Solar Eclipse
There is a total solar eclipse today and Jay Pasachoff and his team are in direct position to observe this majestic cosmic phenomenon. Dr. Jay Pasachoff is Director of Hopkins Observatory, Chair of the Astronomy Department, and Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy at Williams. He earned his Ph.D. at Harvard and was one of the…