Please Look Up

Leon and Morgan share April night-sky highlights and space news, starting with Venus low in the west after sunset and Jupiter in the northwest, plus a tip for spotting satellites near Orion (steady, non-blinking lights) and using NASA’s “Spot the Station” for ISS passes. They mention viewing the faint stars Tau Ceti and 40 Ari tied to Project Hail Mary, and set pre-dawn “homework” to look east for Mercury, Mars, Saturn (and Neptune with a telescope), with April 16 best for seeing them near the Moon. Leon explains why Earth looks small from lunar distance, suggests the pinky-nail Moon size check (full moon April 2), and notes April 12 (Yuri Gagarin’s flight anniversary) and April 22 (Earth Day). Constellation of the month is Libra, historically Scorpius’s claws, and they discuss Gliese 581 and past radio messages. Space news covers Artemis schedule changes, a 2028 Moon goal, ISS funding to 2030 with a shift toward private stations, and they end with “space pitches” on simulated Martian wind in crops and artist concepts of space-based data centers, plus an After Dark “knees” prank story.

Join Leon and Alyshia in a look through the December night sky.Enjoy the last faint glimpses of the milky way for the year and cast your eyes instead on Jupiter which is shining brightly this month. If you whip out a telescope you may even be able to see Saturn and Neptune to add to your planet tally! And Pisces gives you your monthly dose of mythological family shenanigans.As for space news, the New Glenn rocket investigates Mars’ “absolutely spaghetti mess piss-weak magnetic field.”Important dates this month!December 5th - Super Full MoonDecember 14th - Geminids Meteor ShowerDecember 21 - Summer SolsticeTo see the space pictures of the month:Alyshia'sImage-1.jpg (640×800)Image-2.jpg (650×366)Leon'sExplosion-du-Booster-18-SpaceX-devra-repousser-le-vol-12-de-Starship-v3.jpg (800×533)

This episode containsSexual ReferencesCoarse Language viewer discretion advised Morgan joins Leon this episode, & asks all the hard hitting (not silly) questions. Theres a Total Eclipse of the Blood Moon to look out for. The oddly named Scutum is the constellation of the month & UY Scuti could swallow our entire solar system. Recapping the epic National Science week Mission Space project. Celebrating 10 years since the discovery of gravitational waves, listening to the ancient sounds of the universe & how we found a vintage playboy magazine containing a question about .... space junk?! For more space stuff check out Leon's Monthly Blog "The Sky Tonight"https://www.scitech.org.au/explore/the-sky-tonight/

Join Leon and Beth for your monthly dose of stargazing tips, mythological deep dives, and cosmic commentary, recorded at SciTech on Whadjuk Noongar land.*Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault and a survivor’s experience. This content occurs between 40:00 and 52:40.In this episode:What’s Up This Month? [01:00] Celebrate Star Wars Day by heading outside on May 4th at exactly 7:13pm! Beth and Leon walk us through how to spot a perfect first quarter moon, locate Mars, and catch the International Space Station fly directly between Castor and Pollux in Gemini. Also featuring: the tiny Canis Minor, and the surprisingly lion-like Leo constellation.Constellation of the Month: Leo the Lion [10:00] It’s Leon’s time to shine! The crew explores Leo, a constellation that actually resembles its namesake. Learn how to find it in the northern sky this month, how its stars form a backwards question mark, and how both ancient Greeks and Arab astronomers imagined the same great lion in the sky.Star Stories: The Nemean Lion and Regulus [20:10] Dive into the mythology behind Leo, including Hercules’ impossible battle against the Nemean Lion and the clever trick (or divine advice) that helped him skin the beast. Plus: Harry Potter trivia, the meanings behind Regulus and Denebola, and what Arabic star names reveal about ancient cross-cultural astronomy.Meteor Showers and Planet Gazing: The Eta Aquarids [33:40] Set your alarms! The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks in the early morning hours of May 5th and 6th. With the moon out of the way and meteors zipping by at 70 km/s, this is one of the best sky shows of the year. Bonus: look east to spot Venus, Saturn, and even distant Neptune (with a telescope).Star Stories II: Neptune the Freshwater God [40:55] Neptune wasn't always the god of the sea! Beth explains how this Roman deity originally ruled over springs and rivers, and only later took on Poseidon's oceanic identity. Hear about Neptunalia—the ancient summer festival of shade, wine, and cool water—and the odd tale of how Neptune ended up inside his father Saturn.Space Picture of the Month [TBA] …Was there one? Maybe. Possibly. We were distracted by imaginary sausage dogs in the sky. (Sorry, Canis Minor.)

Join Leon and Beth for this month’s PLU Podcast, your ultimate guide to the night sky over Borloo! As the warm evenings of Bunuru continue, March offers stunning celestial sights, with Mars and Jupiter shining bright in the north. Meanwhile, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury stay hidden in the Sun’s glare, slowly making their way back into view—though the best chance to spot them comes in April.Turn your gaze southward to the vast Argo Navis, the great celestial ship, and discover Lepus, the mysterious celestial hare nestled beneath Orion. Plus, Leon and Beth break down the March equinox, explaining how the Earth’s slow wobble has changed the stars we see over thousands of years.Whether you’re a seasoned stargazer or just looking up for the first time, this episode will help you navigate the cosmos from your own backyard!

This month, Leon and Amanda delve into the fascinating story of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle debris that washed up in Greenhead in July 2023. Discover what this piece of space history is, how it got here, and its new home at Scitech. The team also explores the journey of the PSLV, its role in space missions, and the intricate process of preparing it for display. Don’t miss out on this special episode packed with intriguing insights and cosmic fun!

This month Beth and Leon take you through the night sky of Boorloo over July (As long as the winter clouds don't get in the way. The team then talks about the Constillation of the Month, Space Flight Fails, Deep Sky Dictionary and Space Picture of the Month.Head to our Instagram @particlewa to see photos from the episode. Show notes can be found on our website at particle.scitech.org.au

Beth and Leon are back to tell you what you need to know about space this month.First, what's in the sky this month, including an amazing solar eclipse that you'll be able to watch... over live stream, because it happens on the other side of the world.Space Flight Focus: How is SpaceX going with launching the biggest ever rocket? Well, Leon boldly forecasts that their Starships will be carrying cargo within the year.Space Picture of the Month: We're back with more super radio friendly content. Visit our Instagram to see the pictures, and listen along as Beth talks about seeing ourselves from space, and Leon describes how the Landsat program captures data from space that can help us understand how earth is changing.Constellation of the Month: Puppis (with special mention of a nebula that looks like a zucchini and smells like a rotten egg).Find more space news on the Particle websiteIf you have a question about space, reach out on instagram. We might be able to answer it in an upcoming episode. Find us @particlewaCreditsHosts: Leon Smith, Beth MaskallProducers: Michelle Aitken, Zaya Altangerel

Leon is joined by Sharna, a Scitech Planetarium Presenter, to highlight a collection of creatively named objects you can see in the Perth night sky. Some examples include Grus the Crane and the Spare-tyre nebula.The duo also discuss how scientists are going to calculate the weight of our universe. To find out more about WA space news, visit: www.particle.scitech.org.au/category/space/CreditsHost: Leon SmithGuest: Sharna LambertProducer: Zaya Altangerel

Leon is joined by Amanda to give you tips on how to spot Saturn, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury alongside a peculiar constellation known as Pavo the Giant Space Slug. The duo also update us on the Chandrayaan-3 mission. And give us the hot details on India's newest space mission to study the Sun with ADITYA-L1. To find out more about the WA space news, visit: www.particle.scitech.org.au/category/space/CreditsHost: Leon SmithGuest: Amanda HunterProducer: Zaya Altangerel

Leon is joined by Professor Steven Tingay, the Deputy Executive Director of ICRAR, to talk all about the Murchison Widefield Array.Join us as we discover the:purpose of the ground-breaking telescopemeaning behind the MWA's Wajarri nameMWA's influence on the Australian economyimportance of saving ALL your data and more!For more WA space news visit: www.particle.scitech.org.au/To learn more about the Murchison Widefield Array, visit: www.mwatelescope.org/CreditsHost: Leon SmithGuest: Professor Steven TingayProducers: Zaya Altangerel, Michael Gatt & Alyshia Gatani

As we head into the Noongar season of Makuru, Leon is joined by Amanda, a Scitech Planetarium Presenter, to talk all about what you can spot in the June night sky.The duo highlight the constellation of Ophiuchus 'the serpent-bearer' and guide you on how to spot Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter.Amanda also highlights the importance of a space mission called JUICE.To find out more about the WA space news, visit: www.particle.scitech.org.au/category/space/CreditsHost: Leon SmithGuest: Amanda HunterProducer: Zaya Altangerel

Our host Leon is joined by Damon, one of Scitech's expert Planetarium Presenters, to highlight the different constellations and planets visible in the March night sky. The duo also ponder upon the role of 3D printers in space exploration, as well as the question of 'Why should we care about space exploration?' To find out more about WA space news, visit: https://particle.scitech.org.au/category/space/ Credits Host: Leon Smith Guest: Damon Hill Producers: Zaya Altangerel & Michael Gatt