#94 - April 2020 Part 1

We're hosting a live Q&A on Thurs 16th April. Go to
awesomeastronomy.com to see how to watch & get involved!


The Discussion:


Jeni’s sent the final proofs off for her research paper which
is now on archive at https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.01727 and will
soon be in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Sadly, we have to say goodbye to Apollo 15 command module
pilot Al Worden.

The Cradle of Aviation Museum cancel their Apollo 13
anniversary event, but you can relive Apollo 13 (recreating the
launch from 11th April) as if you were in mission control with
https://apolloinrealtime.org/13/.

A shout out to Galaxy Zoo at a time when there are fewer
thing more productive you could be doing with your time than
adding to science and human knowledge:
https://www.zooniverse.org/projects.

A round up of listeners’ reviews and comments.

A couple of Awesome Astronomy live-stream shows at 8pm on
Thursday 16th and Monday 27th Because, let’s face it, you’re not
going to be busy!



The News: Rounding up the astronomy news this month we have:


The European Southern Observatory’s new behemoth telescope
takes a step closer

An exoplanet found to be raining iron

139 new minor planets found in our own outer solar system

Observing material at the event horizon around our
supermassive black hole

Could life actually be viable on planets around red dwarf
stars after all?

An update on the recent dimming of Betelgeuse



Main News story: A full discussion on the impact of social
distancing and economic depression on professional astronomy.


The Sky Guide: This month we’re taking a look at the
constellation of Leo with a guide to its history, how to find it,
a couple of deep sky objects and a round up of the solar system
views on offer in April.


A guide to the electromagnetic spectrum: In this series we take a
look at the electromagnetic spectrum, what, it is, what is shows
us and why it’s so important to astronomers. This month we
explain the microwave part of the spectrum and its relevance to
astronomy.


Q&A: Do you think C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) is going to be bright
enough to be spotted with the naked eye? From our good friend
Raffael de Palma in Italy