The University of Kentucky's own MacAdam Observatory provides students with the opportunity to use the most powerful telescopic lenses on campus and see the universe. On clear nights, students are welcome to join director Tim Knauer and his graduate assistants as they look out into the stars and observe those celestial bodies.
Here, Tim and assistants Kyle and Aaron join us to talk about running the observatory and their experiences there.
Stargazing is typically reserved for after sundown, but what if you want to look at the biggest star in the sky? On June 5th, 2012, the planet Venus was visible by day – traveling in front of the sun! This is called the Transit of Venus, and is a rare astronomical event. A few hundred people gathered at the UK Arboretum to view the transit of Venus through special telescopes that allow safe observation of solar activity.
Tim Knauer is a professor for the department of Physics and Astronomy, and the director of the MacAdam Student Observatory. Each month, he hosts the Kentucky SkyTalks, an ongoing series of discussions on the science of life and the universe.
This podcast was produced by Stephen Gordinier.
