astronomy

Two different meteor showers will mingle in the skies tonight and through the weekend. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports on why it’s the best chance to see shooting stars this summer.

Astronomers say a regular meteor shower tonight may turn into a spectacular “meteor storm” with a thousand of shooting stars per hour or more. That’s due to a dense cloud of dust left by the breakup of a comet decades ago. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with Lowell Observatory astronomer Nick Moskovitz about why the event could be a downpour of meteors…. or just a drizzle.

Nature photographer Imma Barrera specializes in starry skies. Born in Barcelona, she lives in New Jersey and has traveled to national parks all over the country to capture the beauty of the night. Her most recent stop is the Grand Canyon, where she’s serving as the Astronomer in Residence for the Grand Canyon Conservancy. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with her about her plans to photograph Sunday’s total lunar eclipse and raise awareness about the need for dark skies.

Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory has announced the inaugural Percival Lowell Postdoctoral Fellowship for early-career scientists. It’s a four-year appointment for those pursuing independent research in astronomy, planetary sciences, instrumentation, and related fields.

When Apollo 16 astronauts landed on the moon fifty years ago today, one of their first stops was a crater they named Flag. That’s a secret tribute to Flagstaff, Arizona, where the astronauts did their geology training. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with local space historian Rich Kozak about Flagstaff’s unique connection to Apollo 16. Kozak has amassed a collection of archival tape about the revolutionary moon mission.

A team at Northern Arizona University will take the wheel of NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover for its next phase of research. The scientists plan to compare satellite images of the Red Planet with what the rover is learning on the ground.

Flagstaff is showing its love for Pluto with a ten-day festival that includes science talks, an art show, and a specially crafted beer. It’s to celebrate the 92nd anniversary of Pluto’s discovery at Lowell Observatory. One of the speakers at the “I Heart Pluto” Festival is artist and astronomer Dan Durda. He spoke with KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny about how art can help scientists imagine whole new worlds.

Observations made by the Lowell Discovery Telescope in Happy Jack have helped an international team of scientists confirm the existence of a second-known Earth Trojan Asteroid, or ETA.

NASA intends to launch the long-awaited James Webb Space Telescope into orbit on Saturday. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports on how Arizona astronomers plan to use the $10-billion observatory.

A new study from Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory describes nearly two hundred giant stars, the largest catalog of its kind ever published. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports, the research has stirred up new questions about the universe.