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Strange Universe
Sundays, 9:35 a.m.

Astronomer Bob Berman sheds light on the mysteries of space and time. Always fascinating and fun, Strange Universe will take you places you never knew existed. Learn why Betelgeuse sometimes goes weirdly dim and how after the totality in 2017 in places like Wyoming and the Carolinas, millions finally got to see a total solar eclipse.

  • Strange Universe With Bob Berman
    We can perceive more shades of green than any other color, but red is actually the universe’s most common hue. Tune in this week to hear about the colors of the universe!
  • Strange Universe With Bob Berman
    Now that the film “Oppenheimer” has earned awards, more people than ever are aware of the intense atmospheric nuclear bomb testing in the 1950’s.
  • Right now we’re seeing the waning moon, the moon lit up on its left side. When you notice a moon in the blue sky in the morning, that's always the waning moon. And speaking of day sky, though it surprises a lot of people, the moon appears in the daytime just as much as it’s out at night. Tune in to see where the moon is located in the sky.
  • Strange Universe With Bob Berman
    Now that it’s just six weeks before the great total solar eclipse on April 8, many are planning where they’ll be, within the 150-mile-wide path of totality. Going online shows the eclipse path, and you must simply make sure you don’t pick a spot near the edge of that ribbon, where the eclipse’s length will be short. Tune in to heart the best eclipse viewing spots!
  • Strange Universe With Bob Berman
    Statistically, the year’s coldest week is now nearly a month behind us. But it’s still darn cold, which, in this world full of gray areas, reminds us of a single absolute we can count on. That take-it-to-the-bank certainty is absolute zero. Hear what weird things occurred when temperatures drop too low.
  • Strange Universe With Bob Berman
    It’ll soon be Valentine’s Day, so what makes a great romantic gift? A book of poetry? A candlelight dinner? Excellent choices — but as a nightcap, there's nothing like a moonlight or starlit stroll. So if it's a very late date or if you and your beloved wake up just as morning twilight begins and gaze out an east facing window, the Morning Star will be totally, absolutely riveting, although very low. And look at that little orange star next to it — that’s Mars, as if the male and female aspects of the heavens are dancing.
  • Strange Universe With Bob Berman
    Radiation penetrates our bodies 24/7. Most is natural, with background cosmic ray doses proportional to your home’s elevation. These broken pieces of atoms zooming in from space, give you 30 millirems of annual radiation if you live near sea level, like in L.A. But you get much more if your home is up high. People in Denver get 80 millirems yearly.
  • Strange Universe With Bob Berman
    Do you still keep your old binoculars in the same drawer as your socks? And are you psyched to glimpse the green planet Uranus?
  • Strange Universe With Bob Berman
    According to the U.N., most of us live in cites rather than rural regions. The switchover arrived in 2007. Which brings up the rural night’s main illumination – the Moon. We now know that lunar brightness doubles 2.5 days before Full Moon, which is a big deal if you need a little extra light to complete outdoor rural work. After all, a Half Moon is only a tenth as bright as a Full Moon, not enough to be fully useful.
  • Strange Universe With Bob Berman
    Saturn wins the Miss Universe contest. For anyone who's ever seen it through a telescope, there are hardly any runners-up. Saturn’s just a knockout, and even 60 power is plenty to show it well. Tune in for the best time to see the planet in action.