Planets

US astronomer Dr Michael Brown's theory of a ninth planet, lurking on the very edge of our Solar System, is gaining momentum.  Audio

Many of the planets that feature in sci fi storylines end up sounding and looking a bit like Earth. Associate Professor Jan Eldridge chats about the chances of that. Audio

Claire Concannon joins a meteorite hunt on the South Island's West Coast and learns what these rocks from space can tell us about the early formation of our solar system. Audio

The astrophysicist Dr Nicholas Rattenbury talks about how alien life might be discovered on alien worlds in this highlight from the 2021 season of Auckland University's popular Raising the Bar event.

Sara Seager is a renowned Canadian-born astrophysicist and planetary scientist based at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on the discovery of planets outside our own… Audio

The Green Bank Radio Telescope is the largest steerable telescope in the world. The telescope needs to be isolated from all the radio noise that humanity produces. Which means that WiFi in Green Bank… Audio

Brother Guy Consolmagno SJ is the Vatican's official astronomer and advisor to the Pope. He's been touring New Zealand this week and stopped by at RNZ for an exclusive interview with Jim.  Audio

Taking penicillin when pregnant could alter the brain chemistry of your offspring; and scientists have detected an atmosphere around an Earth-sized planet about 40 light years away.  Audio

Gabor Domokos is the pioneering Hungarian mathematician and engineer who calculated that water must once have flowed on Mars. He is a Professor of Mechanics Materials and Structures at the Budapest… Audio

Before 1995, the only planets we knew that existed, were those in our solar system. How things have changed! Audio

Gustav Holst's 'The Planets' is a triumph of orchestration, but many of its features and innovations are taken for granted. Thomas Goss takes us on a tour of the unique architecture and fascinating… Audio