http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-979837.mp3
Albany, NY – OPENING BILLBOARD & EDUCATION HEADLINES - Glenn Busby (1:30)
ASTROBIOLOGY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION SERIES
NEW TELESCOPES ARE HELPING SCIENTISTS DISCOVER MORE ABOUT HOW STARS AND PLANETS FORM
"THE BEST IS YET TO COME: NEW CHEMICAL MODELS OF STELLAR AND PLANETARY FORMATION"
Part Two: Telescopes and Controversial Interstellar Molecules -
The Herschel Space Observatory is a space-based telescope that's studying the universe by looking at the far-infrared and submillimeter portions of the light spectrum. Herschel targets include clouds of gas and dust where new stars are born, where planets may form, and where scientists are finding complex organic molecules.
In fact, the most recent Herschel observations were just published in the journal "Science." The study reveals that an exploding star expelled the equivalent of between 160-thousand and 230-thousand Earth masses of fresh dust. This enormous quantity suggests that exploding stars, do in fact, answer the long-standing puzzle of what supplied our early universe with dust.
Cosmic dust is made of many things, such as carbon, oxygen, and iron. It's the stuff of which planets and people are made. And it's essential for star formation. Stars, like our own Sun, churn out flecks of dust as they age, spawning new generations of stars and their orbiting planets.
Last week, in part one of our story, we talked about how molecules and dust particles in space can be recycled into future stars, planets, and people.
This week, we look at the new generation of telescopes coming on line, and how this new data is providing some controversial answers.
TBOOK talks with Astrochemist, Dr. Eric Herbst, who is a Distinguished University Professor at Ohio State University where he teaches Chemistry in the Department of Physics.
Glenn Busby reports. (14:25)
The preceding was made possible by the NASA Astrobiology Institute, through support of the New York Center for Astrobiology, located at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - in partnership with the University at Albany, the University of Arizona, and Syracuse University.
**(Attention listeners! For additional information about this story, or any of the other nearly 200 stories featured in this radio exclusive current Astrobiology series, and our past Origins of Life series, or if you would like to hear them again via your computer, the website given at the conclusion of the above segment is: www.origins.rpi.edu .)**
THE ACADEMIC MINUTE
"SCALE IN ASTRONOMY" -
Next, this week's Academic Minute professor discusses the importance of scale in astronomy.
Dr. Edward Stander is Professor of Astronomy, Geology, and Environmental Science and Technology at that State University of New York, Cobleskill.
The Academic Minute is hosted by Dr. Lynn Pasquerella, a celebrated philosopher and medical ethicist, and President of Mount Holyoke College.
Segment Run Time: (2:30)
*(Attention Listeners! For more Academic Minutes, we invite you to visit our archives at: http://www.wamc.org/academic-minute.html .)*
GUEST ESSAY:
"BACK TO SCHOOL VIA THE SOLAR SYSTEM" -
And our guest essay this week follows our theme of astrobiology and astronomy. The University of Florida's Dr. John Cech describes what it's like going "Back to School Via the Solar System." Dr. Cech is Director of the Center for the Study of Children's Literature and Media.
Dr. John Cech comments. (2:16)
SHOW CLOSE - Glenn Busby. (1:30)