Looking Up

Five minutes at the end of each week explores the big and the small questions in astronomy, cosmology, and space science. Hosted by Kechil Kirkham, no subject is too big or too small, and experts are regularly brought on board to illuminate and excite. Cape Town is the place to be for astronomy, with some of the largest telescopes in the world housed or being built not too far away. Looking Up takes advantage of the shoals of scientists and engineers working on the planet’s most advanced astronomy projects, who live and work right here in the Mother City. Kechil has recently acquired an MPhil in Space Studies at the University of Cape Town, and works in South Africa’s space industry on the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope.
Weekly English South Africa Places & Travel
378 Episodes
24 – 44

Looking Up - 02 Aug 23 - You too can be a scientist

You too can be a scientist and help discover new exploding stars! Follow this link: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/alex-andersson/bursts-from-space-meerkat It's not difficult, there are just some things computers don't do well at, and one of them is recognising patterns in pictures. Alex Andersson explains all in today's show.
2 Aug 2023 5 min

Looking Up - 05 July 23 - cfah.org.za is the website about Heritage Moons

cfah.org.za is the website about Heritage Moons, detailing moons which are appropriate for the southern hemisphere. The Ariane-5 rocket is launching for the last time tonight, hopefully. This is a true workhorse and has launched into space 116 times since 1996. Do you know what Mars Dune Alpha is? Kechil…
5 Jul 2023 4 min

Looking Up - 10 May 23 Space-X's Starlink programme

Space-X's Starlink programme, which is sending thousands of satellites into low earth orbit, is coming in for some criticism. Another hazard has been detected and researched by SETI intern Ramiro Saide: aliens! Kechil unpacks the problem.
10 May 2023 4 min

Looking Up - 03 May 23 You too can be a scientist

You too can be a scientist, and participate in a sonification experiment. Human ears are very good at detecting patterns, and NASA needs volunteers to help find patterns in data, representing the magnetic dance between the Sun and the Earth. Go to this site: https://listen.spacescience.org/
3 May 2023 4 min

Looking Up - 26 Apr 23 Sara de la Fuente is the Science Operations Manager

Sara de la Fuente is the Science Operations Manager for a very interesting mission that was launched on 14th April to visit the icy moons of Jupiter. The mission will involve many different science instruments. For example, it will take detailed images and measure the magnetic fields around Jupiter's moons.
26 Apr 2023 5 min

Looking Up - 29 Mar 23 Kechil talks to Dr Chris Pearson

How is your cosmological coupling? What has this to do with Dark Energy? What are black holes up to? What is Cold Death and when might it occur? These and other questions may have nothing to do with your daily life, but they are fascinating. Kechil talks to Dr Chris…
29 Mar 2023 5 min
24 – 44