#29 - November 2014

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The Discussion: Enjoying light pollution-free skies in the Ionian
Sea and soaking up the atmosphere at the North West Astronomy
Festival.


The News: In the news we have more findings about the interior
and evolution of our moon from the GRAIL and Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter missions; Russian and Chinese lunar ambitions ratchet up
a notch; the ExoMars mission narrows down its possible 2018
landing sites; sampling the atmospheres of Neptune-sized
exoplanets; Comet Siding Spring brushes past Mars; Lockheed
Martin claim to have made a breakthrough in fusion reactors; more
doubt on the gravitational waves detection by the BICEP2 team and
dark matter particles streaming from the sun.


The 5 Minute Concept: In a solar maximum year when we have tons
of solar activity that we can enjoy in the form of visible
details on the sun and auroral activity that’s even reached as
far south as central latitudes recently, this month Paul explains
sunspots.


The Interview: Live interviews recorded from the North West
Astronomy Festival from Jodrell Bank’s Professor Philippa
Browning, Astrophotographer of the Year 2011’s Damian Peach, BBC
Sky at Night presenter Professor Chris Lintott, writer and
comedian Helen Keen and the host of the NWAF Andrew Davies.


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:


I know the moon doesn’t spin and that we cannot see the rear
of it from Earth, but I wondered if we can ever see a little more
of the right or left side (like at different times of the day or
year or location on earth)? Ollie Broad from Thailand via
Twitter.

In your opinions should we send manned mission back to the
moon or should we head straight to Mars? Lee Garner from the UK
via Twitter .