#31 - January 2015

The Discussion: Christmas in Cydonia and teaching science to
children through astronomy education.


The News: Kicking off 2015 we round off the events that concluded
2014: the successful test flight of NASA’s Orion capsule; NASA’s
Mars Science Laboratory pieces together the clues that tell us
how Mount Sharp (the mountain Mars Curiosity is exploring) was
formed; and science findings from ESA’s Rosetta and Philae
spacecraft that suggest water was not delivered to Earth by
comets like 67P Churyumov Gerasimenko.


The 5 Minute Concept: This month Paul delves into the fundamental
nature of our universe. We take a look at the Cosmological
Principle, which tells us that the universe and the forces within
it are the same wherever we look, and explore huge structures
that put strain on this accepted model of cosmology.


The Interview: Ralph & Paul speak with the creators of the
‘Essex Space Agency’, Matt Kingsnorth and Phil St Pier who are
building a high altitude balloon with cameras to photograph the
Earth’s curved horizon from the edge of space in their Helium
Tears project.


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:


Are there Van Allen Belts & Aurora on other planets? Any
photos from satellites orbiting other planets in our solar
system? Mariecor Agravante in San Diego via twitter.

Why was the moon so large the other night?Ian Cheale in
Cambridgeshire via the Facebook Group.