© 2024
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Bob Berman

  • Tiny galaxy HIPASS J1131–31 peeks out from behind the glare of star TYC 7215-199-1, a Milky Way star positioned between Hubble and the galaxy.
    Vox Pop
    Astronomy with Bob Berman and Valerie Rapson 6/29/23
    We talk astronomy with Bob Berman and Dr. Valerie Rapson. Call at show time with your questions. 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
  • This image taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows one of a total of 19 galaxies targeted for study by the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) collaboration. Nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC 1433 takes on a completely new look when observed by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). NGC 1433’s spiral arms are littered with evidence of extremely young stars releasing energy and, in some cases, blowing out the gas and dust of the interstellar medium. Areas that appear dark and dim in optical imaging light up under Webb’s infrared eye. This is due to clumps of dust and gas in the interstellar medium absorbing the light from forming stars and emitting it back out in the infrared. At the center of the galaxy, a tight, bright core featuring a unique double ring structure shines in exquisite detail with Webb’s extreme resolution. In this case, that ‘double ring’ is actually tightly wrapped spiral arms that wind into an oval shape along the galaxy’s bar. NGC 1433 lies over 46 million years away from Earth in the constellation Horologium.
    Vox Pop
    Astronomy 5/24/23
    We talk astronomy with Bob Berman and Dr. Valerie Rapson. Call at show time with your questions. 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
  • Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) image of Neptune, taken on July 12, 2022, brings the planet’s rings into full focus for the first time in more than three decades. The most prominent features of Neptune’s atmosphere in this image are a series of bright patches in the planet’s southern hemisphere that represent high-altitude methane-ice clouds. More subtly, a thin line of brightness circling the planet’s equator could be a visual signature of global atmospheric circulation that powers Neptune’s winds and storms. Additionally, for the first time, Webb has teased out a continuous band of high-latitude clouds surrounding a previously-known vortex at Neptune’s southern pole. NIRCam was built by a team at the University of Arizona and Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center.
    Vox Pop
    Astronomy 4/20/23
    Time to contemplate the heavens! We talk astronomy with Bob Berman and Dr. Valerie Rapson. Call with your questions. 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
  • Scientists are getting their first look with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s powerful resolution at how the formation of young stars influences the evolution of nearby galaxies. The spiral arms of NGC 7496, one of a total of 19 galaxies targeted for study by the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) collaboration, are filled with cavernous bubbles and shells overlapping one another in this image from Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). These filaments and hollow cavities are evidence of young stars releasing energy and, in some cases, blowing out the gas and dust of the interstellar medium surrounding them. Until Webb’s high resolution at infrared wavelengths came along, stars at the earliest point of the lifecycle in nearby galaxies like NGC 7496 remained obscured by gas and dust. Webb’s specific wavelength coverage allows for the detection of complex organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which play a critical role in the formation of stars and planets. In Webb’s MIRI image, these are mostly found within the main dust lanes in the spiral arms. In their analysis of the new data from Webb, scientists were able to identify nearly 60 new, embedded cluster candidates in NGC 7496. These newly identified clusters could be among the youngest stars in the entire galaxy. At the center of NGC 7496, a barred spiral galaxy, is an active galactic nucleus (AGN). AGN is another way to refer to an active supermassive black hole that is emitting jets and winds. This glows quite brightly at the center of the Webb image. Additionally, Webb’s extreme sensitivity also picks up various background galaxies, which appear green or red in some instances. NGC 7496 lies over 24 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Grus.
    Vox Pop
    Astronomy 3/23/23
    We talk astronomy with Bob Berman and Dr. Valerie Rapson. Call with your questions. 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
  • This infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows the Helix nebula, a cosmic starlet often photographed by amateur astronomers for its vivid colors and eerie resemblance to a giant eye.
    Vox Pop
    Astronomy 2/23/23
    We talk astronomy with Bob Berman and Dr. Valerie Rapson. Call with your questions. 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
  • Tiny galaxy HIPASS J1131–31 peeks out from behind the glare of star TYC 7215-199-1, a Milky Way star positioned between Hubble and the galaxy.
    Vox Pop
    Astronomy 12/29/22
    Today we talk astronomy with Bob Berman and Dr. Valerie Rapson. Call with your questions. 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
  • Lowell staff at the Clark Telescope in 1905
    Vox Pop
    Astronomy 8/23/22
    Today we talk astronomy with Bob Berman and Dr. Valerie Rapson. Call with your questions. 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
  • Photo of total lunar eclipse, taken on the evening of May 15, 2022 at SUNY Binghamton
    Vox Pop
    Astronomy 5/24/22
    We cast our gaze toward the heavens today. We'll talk astronomy with Bob Berman and Dr. Valerie Rapson. Call with your questions. 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
  • Comet Hyukatake over Yale Observaory
    Vox Pop
    Astronomy 4/26/22
    We talk astronomy with Bob Berman and Dr. Valerie Rapson. Call with your questions. 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.
  • Ring around the moon on a late winter night in 2022.
    Vox Pop
    Astronomy 3/24/22
    It's another astronomy edition of Vox Pop. Astronomers Valerie Rapson and Bob Berman join host Ray Graf to take your calls.
Load More