George's Random Astronomical Object
George's Random Astronomical Object is a biweekly astronomy podcast featuring science discussions about astronomical objects at randomly selected locations in the sky. The wide range of topics discussed in the show include stars, variable stars, variable variable stars, supermassive black holes, ultracool dwarf stars, exoplanets, howler monkeys, infrared radiation, acronyms, more acronyms, starbursts, measurements of less than 12 parsecs, jellyfish galaxies, diffuse ionized gas, and general overall weirdness.
- Update frequency
- every 14 days
- Average duration
- 10 minutes
- Episodes
- 157
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Object 17: Confusing U
4U 1957+115 is a low mass X-ray binary, a binary star system with a normal star about the size of the Sun and a relatively small black hole three times the mass of the Sun, and it also has an unfortu…
00:09:22 |
Mon 23 Mar 2020
Object 16: Playing Golf on the Moon
The extremely bright, point-like emission from J1955+5131 in visible light and radio waves makes it useful for matching up images from different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum as well as an in…
00:13:55 |
Mon 09 Mar 2020
Object 15: Calibrated Variability
Despite the variability of the gamma radiation from J0510+1800, this blazar is used as a flux calibrator at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths.
00:13:36 |
Mon 24 Feb 2020
Object 14: Exoplanetary Acronym 103b
WASP-103 has an acronym for a name and also has a gaseous planet orbiting so close to it that the planet is in danger of being destroyed.
00:10:18 |
Mon 10 Feb 2020
Object 13: Stellar Companion Facial Reconstruction
BV Centaurus is an unusual example of a class of U Gem cataclysmic variable stars in which a white dwarf is stripping gas from a companion star.
00:07:55 |
Mon 27 Jan 2020
Object 12: Watching Infrared Paint Dry
ELAIS N1 is a extragalactic deep field selected specifically for identifying many distant, faint galaxies at infrared wavelengths.
00:11:00 |
Mon 13 Jan 2020
Object 11: Howling Fast Differential Rotation
Psi Capricorni was the first star other than the Sun where the phenomenon of differental rotation was ever measured.
00:09:06 |
Mon 30 Dec 2019
Object 10: Ram Your Jellyfish
Abell 85 is a large, nearby cluster of galaxies with so many things happening inside that it could be called a ball of chaos.
00:11:28 |
Mon 16 Dec 2019
Object 9: A Cruise Holiday with a Peculiar Carbon Star
The star HD 214714 contains not only a large amount of carbon in its stellar atmosphere but also a peculiar combination of other heavy elements as well.
00:09:34 |
Mon 02 Dec 2019
Object 8: A Misbehaving LIRG
II Zw 96 is a luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) where most of the infrared emission comes from some type of off-center region, which is weird compared to most other LIRGs.
00:10:58 |
Mon 18 Nov 2019
Object 7: Circles within Circles
30 Ari contains four stars and an exoplanet all arranged in a rather complex set of nested orbits.
00:11:23 |
Mon 04 Nov 2019
Object 6: Extra Peculiar
HD 98851 is both an Am chemically peculiar star and a delta Scuti variable star, and it has two different pulsation cycles, which makes it really peculiar.
00:08:15 |
Mon 21 Oct 2019
Object 5: Some Unexpected Helium
RV Octantis would be considered a run-of-the-mill RR Lyrae variable star if it wasn't for the unexpected discovery of helium in its atmosphere.
00:10:31 |
Mon 07 Oct 2019
Object 4: A Damp Lyman Alpha Elephant
The most interesting thing about the quasar LBSQ 0058+0155 is not the quasar itself but the galaxy between the quasar and Earth.
00:13:35 |
Mon 23 Sep 2019
Object 3: Room Temperature
HD 85512 is a nearby star slightly smaller and more orange than the Sun. It happens to have an exoplanet that could be close to Earth-like.
00:08:19 |
Mon 09 Sep 2019
Object 2: Variable Variability
HS Hydrae is a variable eclipsing binary star, which sounds more unusual than it actually is. However, it's precessing, which is not only unusual but also causes the variability to vary over time.
00:09:00 |
Mon 26 Aug 2019
Object 1: Not the Pope
The Leo IV Dwarf Galaxy is one of several ultra faint dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way. Galaxies like this are weird relics of when the universe first formed; they contain very old stellar po…
00:08:46 |
Mon 12 Aug 2019
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are the property of George Bendo. This content is not affiliated with or endorsed by eachpod.com.