Interview with Dr Rosalind Skelton

08/26/19 • 34 min

This is episode five of this season of the Urban Astronomer Podcast. As usual, this being the 4th show of the month, we have an Interview episode today, and this is the one that gets us back to our scheduled order of things. You'll remember two episodes ago, we were supposed to interview Dr Rosalind Skelton of the South African Astronomical Observatory. Unfortunately, I messed up somewhere and the recordings we'd made well in advance of the show were lost. Luckily we were able to shuffle the slot with another guest, also from SAAO. Anyway, I've spoken to Dr Skelton again and this time everything went as planned. Dr Rosalind Skelton 2:01 Dr Skelton is a SALT Astronomer at the South African Astronomical Observatory in Cape Town. She is part of the team of astronomers who manage the SALT telescope operations and observe on behalf of all the SALT partners. Her research within the field of galaxy formation and evolution currently concentrates on the impact of mergers on the growth of galaxies, the mechanisms that shut down star formation in galaxies, environmental effects within groups and cluster of galaxies and large but faint “ultra-diffuse” galaxies. ScopeX 30:12 In a few weeks, on 14 September, I will be at ScopeX, at the Military History Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa. ScopeX is an astronomy and telescope fair held every year It is packed with amateur telescope making displays, science shows, commercial telescope vendors, and public lectures in the auditorium. I will be presenting a talk on Orbital Mechanics, demonstrated through the medium of Kerbal Space Program. So basically, I'll be playing games to demonstrate the physics of space travel. Other speakers include Case Rijsdijk, president of the Astronomical Society of South AFrica, Dr Pieter Kotze of the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory, Prof Roger Deane of the University of Pretoria, Martin Heigan, who is the section director of ASSA, and David Rogers who will be speaking on "Fifty Years after Apollo - with so much going wrong, how did they get it right?" Name an Exoplanet 31:41 The IAU have assigned South Africans to come up with a name for an exoplanet and its star, which have the official designatons of WASP 62 and WASP 62b. You can enter as either a private individual, or as a school or other organization. If one of your suggestions is chosen for the shortlist, you will win something. The prize for individuals is fully paid a trip to Sutherland, for a tour of SAAO's telescopes. Organizations, however, get a 6" telescope, a selection of astronomy books for their library, and training on how to use it all. Suggested names have to comply with standard IAU naming rules Links Contact Dr Skelton Dr Rosalind Skelton's website Name an Exoworld competition website

Previous Episode

How do orbits work?

Welcome to another Science Explainy Bit episode of the Urban Astronomer Podcast. Today we try to figure out just what an "orbit" actually is. Is it really as simple as they said in primary school? How does gravity, which normally pulls things down, work to keep the Moon in space? Download this episode now, to find the answer, and also learn a little about my upcoming appearance at ScopeX! What is an Orbit? (1:28) This turns out to be quite a simple topic - much simpler than why planets are always round, which we covered last month. In fact I struggled to stretch the core idea out long enough to fill an episode! All I really want to do here is explain how things stay up and why they go around, without resorting to the inaccurate "Centrifugal Force" explanation. You know the one? Where you ask people to fill a bucket, and then spin it around? The bucket swings around them without spilling any water, and then you wave your hands and say "That's how orbits work, except that there's no handle on the bucket, just gravity". The truth, however, is so much cooler than that, so if you want to skip straight to the answer, click the timestamp above! ScopeX (14:48) ScopeX is an annual telescope and astronomy expo held in Johannesburg, South Africa. It features a huge display of amateur-built telescopes, commercial stands where you can buy telescopes, binoculars and cameras. There are also science shows and robotics displays. One of the highlights for me has always been the series of public lectures, in the auditorium. This year I will be giving the final talk of the day, where I'll talk about orbits. It won't just be a repeat of what you've heard here, though. I'll dig deeper, into the world of orbital mechanics and showing the strange, intuitive maneuvers that are needed to move around in space. And to make it easy to understand, I'll do it through the medium of video games! If you'd like to attend, it's on 14 September from 9am to 9pm at the Museum of Military History in Saxonwold, Johannesburg. My talk starts at 3pm, and you're welcome to come introduce yourself afterwards!

Next Episode

Why do planets orbit in the same plane?

In episode 48 of the Urban Astronomer Podcast, we're doing another Science Explainy bit! These segments are where you get to hear my droning voice explain some fundamentals and answer listener questions. Today we get asked why it always is that planets orbit in the same plane, and why the Moon can be seen during daylight. If you like what you hear, don't forget to tell a friend about the show, and make a small donation on our Patreon account. Why do planets orbit in the same plane? 1:50 This question was asked by Matthew du Plessis, one of our Twitter followers. He wants to know why planets always seem to orbit their star in the same direction, and why those orbits are always aligned within the same orbital plane. We take a look at how solar systems are formed in the first place, to show why this alignment is inevitable. I make reference to this video: Why can I sometimes see the Moon during the day? 12:29 This question came from Anzet du Plessis, also on Twitter. She wants to know why it is that the Moon is sometimes visible during the day. I think a bit about how small children never seem to be surprised by this, yet older kids and adults often are. And of course, I also answer the question! Announcements 18:35 This weekend, on Saturday 14 September, I will be at ScopeX, at the Military History Museum in Johannesburg. ScopeX is an astronomy and telescope fair held every year. It is packed with amateur telescope making displays, science shows, commercial telescope vendors. There are also public lectures in the auditorium. I will be presenting a talk on Orbital Mechanics, demonstrated through the medium of Kerbal Space Program. So basically, I'll be playing video games to demonstrate the physics of space travel! Other speakers include Case Rijsdijk, president of the Astronomical Society of South Africa, Dr Pieter Kotze of the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory, Prof Roger Deane of the University of Pretoria, Martin Heigan, who is the section director of ASSA, and David Rogers who will be speaking on "Fifty Years after Apollo - with so much going wrong, how did they get it right?" If you are in the area, please do come along. The museum does charge a small entrance fee, with discounts for students, scholars and pensioners, but it's not much and they need the support. It's a great day out for the family, there's a lot to see and do, there are prizes to be won, including cameras and telescopes, and of course you'll meet fellow space and astronomy enthusiasts who've flown in from all over the country! It's one of the highlights of the local astronomy calendar, and i'm really looking forward to meeting you there! One Last Thing 20:55 I announced last episode that I've joined the team at the Weekly Space Hangout, and I now have a date for my first episode! I'll be on the air, live, on 18 September, with Fraser Cain, Kimberly Cartier, and whoever the special guest will be! Longtime listeners will remember that time I experimented with unscripted content, and if you enjoyed hearing me flounder along speaking from the top of my head, well... you'll love this! Follow my twitter account at @uastronomer for updates closer to the time on who I'll be sharing the mic with, the exact time we'll be broadcasting, and the link to watch it. I'm nervous as all hell, but I also think it's gonna be a ton of fun and I'm looking forward to having you loyal listeners with me, for moral support if nothing else!