Our universe probably was born with equal amounts of matter and antimatter. But something happened to alter that balance — which is a good thing for us, and we’ll explain why.
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Radio’s Guide to the Universe
StarDate debuted in 1978, making it the longest-running national radio science feature in the country. It airs on more than 340 radio stations. It has been hosted by Billy Henry since July 2019.
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 diverse interests to keep up with the universe.
StarDate is a production of The University of Texas McDonald Observatory, which also produces the bi-monthly StarDate magazine.
The Voice of StarDate
Billy Henry, a voice talent, musician, composer, and college lecturer in Austin is the third narrator of the StarDate radio program. Read more »
The Music of StarDate
The StarDate background music was written by Bill Harwell and Patterson Barrett specifically for StarDate.
More Than 40 Years and Counting!
StarDate is radio’s longest-running nationally aired science program. It began in 1977 as a daily telephone message service by McDonald Observatory. It was picked up by Austin radio station KLBJ-FM, and aired as “Have You Seen the Stars Tonight?” beginning in June 1977. With a grant from the National Science Foundation, the program became “Star Date,” and began airing nationally, seven days per week, on October 1, 1978. It quickly reached more than 1,000 stations across the country. Read more »
Today on StarDate
December 4-10: Antimatter
December 11-17: Finding Our Place
We live in a giant spiral galaxy — the Milky Way. But it took astronomers a long time to figure out just where we are inside the galaxy, and we’ll have details.
December 18-24: Unexpected Galaxies
Webb Space Telescope has discovered far more galaxies in the distant universe than astronomers had expected, and we’ll have details. Please join us for early galaxies, plus a “seasonal” Egyptian temple and more.
December 25-31: Holiday Skies
Some beautiful skies will greet holiday revelers this week, with the Moon, brilliant planets, and twinkling stars, and we’ll tell you all about the view.