#33 - March 2015

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The Discussion: A final check-in with the Helium Tears team
before they release their camera laden balloon to the edge of
space and a free Awesome Astronomy competition to let you get
involved in this adventure.


The News: This month we take a look at a star that zipped through
our solar system during human history, get excited about the Dawn
spacecraft’s close up views of dwarf planet Ceres, bid a sad
farewell to Leonard Nimoy and look forward to this month’s solar
eclipse.


The 5 Minute Concept: This month Paul takes a look at the most
recognisable and unmissable object in the night sky: the moon.
But how much do we actually know about our nearest celestial
neighbour? Until the 1950s, actually, barely anything.


The Interview: Dr Joe Liske from the European Southern
Observatory returns to the show for this series of interviews
telling us about ESO’s groundbreaking telescopes. This time it’s
the turn of the revolutionary Very Large Telescope.


Q&A: Listeners’ questions via email, Facebook & Twitter
take us on a journey into the astronomy issues that have always
plagued our understanding or stretched our credulity. This month
Ralph & Paul answer:


What’s the closest solar system to ours and could we ever
explore it? Hedley Johnson in Des Moine, Iowa via email.

What’s the oldest surviving space probe still transmitting
data to Earth?David Blanchflower in Newcastle Upon Tyne via
Twitter (@DavidBFlower).