Astronomy

The future of the country's only research observatory is at risk due to a critical lack of funding and staff shortages. All but one member of staff at the Mt John observatory near Lake Tekapo have… Audio

How being a student at Mt John Observatory set Prof. Gerry Gilmore on a path to be an Experimental Philosopher in an Institute of Astronomy, studying the delicate wobbles of stars and being part of… Audio

Alan Gilmore from the Mt John Observatory in Tekapo Jennie McCormack from Farm Cove Observatory in Auckland Ash Pennell, President of Dunedin Astronomical Society, the oldest star-gazing society in… Audio

The world's first battery-powered, 3-D printed rocket has been unveiled by an Auckland company. Audio

Dr Chris Smith of The Naked Scientists on mounting evidence to support the "big splat" theory to explain how our Moon was formed. Also plucking your hair could stimulate hair growth. Audio

Alan Gilmore talks astronomy and in particular the planet Mercury. Audio

A massive solar storm has caused an impressive aurora, most easily seen in the south of the country. Bob Evans runs the Aurora and Solar section of the Royal Astronomical Society. Audio

Naked Science with Dr Chris Smith. The discovery of 2.8 million year old human remains in Ethiopia, the exploration of the dwarf planet Ceres is about to begin after a 7 year space voyage, and why we… Audio

Al Gilmore from Mt John Observatory discusses last night's spectacular astral phenomenon. Audio

The bright flashes of radio waves caused by a cosmic radio burst have been witnessed live for the first time by Australian scientists. Audio

Former Mt John University Observatory superintendent Alan Gilmore raises our gaze to the bodies floating in space. There is yet more to say about the spacecraft Rosetta's findings from comet 67P. Audio

The Rosetta space craft has been travelling for ten years to reach its rendezvous with comet 67P. Overnight, a small lander was released to land on the comet. We speak to Dr Matt Taylor - project… Audio

Mark Bentley from the Austrian Academy of Sciences speaks with Susie Ferguson. Audio

Astronomers have taken the best image yet of the birth of a solar system. Researchers captured the image while testing new high-resolution capabilies on the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter… Audio

Mt John University Observatory superintendent Alan Gilmore raises our gaze to the planets and stars and beyond - the BICEP2 polarisation measures in the cosmic microwave background. Audio

There's a warning from some scientists that Earth has been left with a huge blind spot for potentially devastating comet strikes after the only dedicated comet-spotting program in the Southern… Audio

Moving from the fantastical to the tangible is just part of the work that Toa Waaka is aiding in his role as Vice President of the Society for Māori Astronomy Research and Traditions (SMART). He… Audio

Naked Scientist Chris Smith with the latest science news; koala bears stay chilled out by hugging trees, the discovery of a huge exoplanet, and seabirds' amazing ability to tell when people on board a… Audio

Theoretical physicist, broadcaster, and author of a number of books, including Paradox: The Nine Greatest Enigmas in Science. Audio