Radio's Guide to the Universe
StarDate celebrated its 10,000th broadcast on February 15, 2006. The program debuted in 1978, making it the longest-running national radio science feature in the country. It airs on more than 360 radio stations in the United States.
StarDate tells listeners what to look for in the night sky, and explains the science, history, and skylore behind these objects. It also keeps listeners up to date on the latest research findings and space missions. And it offers tidbits on astronomy in the arts and popular culture, providing ways for people with many diverse interests to keep up with the universe.
StarDate is a production of The University of Texas McDonald Observatory, which also produces the Spanish-language Universo radio program and Universo Online web site and the bi-monthly StarDate magazine.
| Today's Program & January Preview |
| A New Opportunity |
|
» General information about StarDate and astronomy |
|
January 1-4: The fifth century. The modern science of observational astronomy heads into its fifth century this year. That's because it was born when Galileo first turned a telescope toward the heavens 400 years ago. Plus, a winter meteor shower.
January 5-11: Bright neighbor. The brightest star in the night sky stages its best appearance of the year on winter nights. It's a star that's bright in its own right, but that's also a close neighbor. Join us for details on the star Sirius.
January 12-18: Meandering Moon. The Moon has some beautiful companions this week, including the planet Saturn and the heart of the lion. We'll have details. We'll also talk about a great circle of stars, and a "recaptured" satellite.
January 19-25: Dusty skies. The universe is filled with cosmic dust -- tiny particles that started in the hearts of stars. And some of those particles find their way to Earth -- and your bookcase.
January 26-31: Big booms. The most powerful explosions in the universe are visible across billions of light-years of space. Yet in a bit of cosmic irony, they may announce the births of the ultimate darkness: black holes. |
|
Support StarDate |
|
|
| Find an Affiliate |
|
|
| Sandy Wood |

Voice of StarDate, Sandy Wood |
| |
|
Most Popular Programs |
| Program Schedules |
|
Aquarian Planet - October 22, 2007 Andromeda Galaxy - October 8, 2007 Moon and Planets - March 16, 2008 Standard Candles - October 17, 2007 Moon, Mars, and Gemini - May 10, 2008 Moon in Libra - June 15, 2008 Orion’s Last Call - April 20, 2008 Winter Circle - February 1, 2008 Draco - September 19, 2008 Centaurus - April 28, 2008
|
|
|
Write for StarDate
|
|
Radio Program Writer's
Guidelines
(66K pdf -- free Adobe
Acrobat software is required to view the document.) |
|
|