© 2025
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Astronomy 5/22/25

Vox Pop logo
WAMC
Dr. Valerie Rapson, head shot
Courtesy of Valerie Rapson
Dr. Valerie Rapson

Astronomers Bob Berman and Dr. Valerie Rapson join us to discuss recent space news and answer your questions. Ray Graf hosts.

800-348-2551 is the number to call at show time. Email: "VoxPop@WAMC.org"

Dr. Valerie Rapson is an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at SUNY Oneonta. Dr. Rapson teaches a variety of physics and astronomy courses. She also conducts exoplanet research with students utilizing telescopes at the College Camp Observatory.

A native of Rochester, NY, she earned her Ph.D. in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology at RIT where her research focused on the chemical composition and structure of planet-forming disks around nearby young stars. Her research interests include star and planet formation, exoplanets, and projects that can be done with small telescopes.

Prior to joining the faculty at Oneonta, Dr. Rapson was the director of the Dudley Observatory in Albany, NY. There, she designed and taught astronomy education programs for children and adults, operated the Suites-Bueche planetarium, and oversaw the construction of roll-top roof observatory with a 14inch telescope. She is a National Astronomy Ambassador and was awarded the 2018 Emerging Leader Award by Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region for being a role model to young women who aspire to become scientists.

Bob Berman, head shot
Bob Berman
Bob Berman

Bob Berman is one of the best-known and most widely-read astronomers in the world. He is able to translate complex scientific concepts into language that is understandable to the casual observer yet meaningful to the most advanced. His written work has appeared in Discover Magazine and Astronomy Magazine. Bob is also the Astronomy Editor for The Old Farmers Almanac.

Bob Berman is the author of a dozen books including, Zapped: From Infrared to X-rays, The Sun's Heartbeat, Zoom: How Everything Moves and Earth-Shattering: Violent Supernovas, Galactic Explosions, Biological Mayhem, Nuclear Meltdowns, and Other Hazards to Life in Our Universe.

Bob Berman is the host of Strange Universe, which is produced and airs at WAMC.

Related Content
  • The Adirondack Sky Center and Observatory marked Dark Sky Week last month by noting that the organization is working to have Tupper Lake, its location in the midst of the Adirondacks, designated an official Dark Sky Community.
  • Strange Universe With Bob Berman
    Time to explore a radical new idea shaking up our understanding of the cosmos: what if dark matter doesn’t exist at all? Some European astronomers propose that the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies may have already collided once in the distant past—a theory that challenges long-held beliefs about gravity and the mysterious dark matter thought to hold galaxies together. Instead, they point to a bold alternative called MOND (Modified Newtonian Dynamics), which suggests gravity behaves differently on cosmic scales. If true, this could rewrite everything we know about the structure and evolution of the universe.
  • Researchers using data from the James Webb Space Telescope recently announced they had detected biosignature gases on planet K2-18b. A new analysis of the same data casts doubt on the earlier findings