The Backyard Astronomer Podcast

The Backyard Astronomer Podcast

The Backyard Astronomer brings you semi-monthly topics and interviews relative to astronomy, space, and science. Follow us at https://www.facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Presented by Manzanita Insurance and Accounting. www.manzanitainsuranceandaccounting.com

Episodes

January 6, 2026 7 mins

January opens the year with fire in the sky. Before dawn on the 3rd, the Quadrantid meteor shower delivers one of the strongest displays of the year — streaking through crisp winter skies beneath a glowing Super Wolf Moon. Jupiter shines at its brightest, Orion returns to prominence, and the new Moon brings deep, dark nights perfect for exploration. Bundle up, step outside, and start the year by reconnecting with the night sky.

#As...

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Imagine a football-field-sized spacecraft racing overhead at 17,500 miles per hour… one you can see with your naked eye. This month on The Backyard Astronomer, we’re celebrating 25 years of continuous human presence in space. From the first two modules joined in orbit to the sprawling station we know today, we’ll explore the story of the ISS, why it matters, and how you can spot it yourself from your own backyard. Step outside, loo...

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November 3, 2025 7 mins

Picture this — 4.5 billion years ago, Earth wasn’t alone. A Mars-sized neighbor named Theia was sharing the same orbit, until fate — or physics — brought them together in a collision that nearly destroyed our planet... and created our Moon.

In this episode, we’ll explore how that ancient impact shaped the skies we see tonight, from the tides and eclipses to the bright November supermoon. We’ll also look ahead to what’s happening ov...

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September 29, 2025 7 mins

Lions and Comets and Bears... no we aren't in Kansas, nor Oz.  We are right here in Northern Arizona, and checking out what may be the best comet in decades!  Learn how comets are discovered, and how you can discover it with your own binoculars in October in this month's Backyard Astronomer Podcast.

#Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM educatio...

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August 28, 2025 7 mins

The transit method allows astronomers to study distant worlds and discover exoplanets as their orbit traverses the disc of their stars.  We can make our own discovery this month when Titan transits Saturn.

 

#Astronomy #Space #STEM #STEMEducation

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro

Our awesome sponsors:

...

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August 1, 2025 7 mins

The moon is our guide this month as we follow her path along the sky and she points out celestial wonders in the early mornings of August.  

 

#Astronomy #STEM #STEMEducation

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro

Our awesome sponsors:

facebook.com/manzanitains

www.Manzanita-Insurance.com

www.ManzanitaAccou...

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July 2, 2025 7 mins

The Delta Aquariids is a favorite amond metoer shower viewers, for the warmer summer months, and this year a new moon for ultra dark skies.  Learn where you can find this is in the sky and when to look on this month's episode of The Backyard Astronomer.

 

#Astronomy #STEM #STEMEducation

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education pa...

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June 2, 2025 7 mins

Stonehenge, Chichen Itza, Angkor Wat... These Monolithic sites were built  to celebrate the Solar calendar, but even right here in Northern Arizona ancient cultures were documenting the movement of the Sun and changing of the seasons!  Check out Solstice Mesa in this month's Backyard Astronomer.

#solstice #Prescott #arizona #indigenous #astronomy #STEM

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission o...

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February 18, 2025 7 mins

Let's get Edgy!  This month we are talking about orbital collisions andsideways planets, and how they change the way we view the Solar System.

 

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro

Our awesome sponsors:

facebook.com/manzanitains

www.Manzanita-Insurance.com

www.ManzanitaAccounting.com

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February 1, 2025 7 mins

Once in 396 billion years!  Or click-bait?  Let's talk planetary alignments - SYZYGY!

 

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro

Our awesome sponsors:

facebook.com/manzanitains

www.Manzanita-Insurance.com

www.ManzanitaAccounting.com

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December 30, 2024 7 mins

If we can only see 6 stars in the Pleiades, then why do so many ancient cultures reference the number 7 in relation to this star cluster?  Let's dig deeper into the 7 Sisters, 7 Boys, and all sorts of maids, brothers and princesses in this month's Backyard Astronomer Podcast.

 

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Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com...

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December 2, 2024 7 mins

NASA, ISS, UFOs and UAPs - what is up with all the acronyms?  Let's talk about rockets, satellites, and some of the acronyms commonly used in the space industry.

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro

Our awesome sponsors:

facebook.com/manzanitains

www.manzanita-insurance.com

www.manzanitaaccounting.com

 

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November 4, 2024 7 mins

Sometimes constellations can be hard to imagine, but a simple asterism can guide you to all sorts of celestial wonders.  Let's talk about the Great Square of Pegasus!

 

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro

Our awesome sponsors:

facebook.com/manzanitains

 

#asterism #constellations #space #astronomy #STEM ...

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Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan- ATLAS is hurtling through the inner solar system, gracing the Northern Hemisphere's early evening skies of mid-October.  Where do comets like this come from and where is it headed?  Why have we never seen it before, and why  is it moving opposite most comets?  Find the answers to these questions and more in this month's episode and article of the Backyard Astronomer Podcast.

 

 

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September 8, 2024 7 mins

Saturn has long been known as a planet, but the discovery of its rings and moons spans hundreds of years.  Join the great astronomers of yesteryear as we learn about The Ringed Planet at opposition this month.

 

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro

Our awesome sponsors:

facebook.com/manzanitains

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August 15, 2024 7 mins

Our new segment for kids of all ages, and what better topic to start with than ALIENS!  

 

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro

Our awesome sponsors:

facebook.com/manzanitains

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August 2, 2024 7 mins

"The sky is falling!" exclaimed Chicken Little!  Is it a meteorite, or a piece of the International Space Station?  Let's find out!

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro

Our awesome sponsors:

facebook.com/manzanitains

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July 1, 2024 7 mins

T Coronae Borealis or "The Blaze Star" has been documented for centuries with a recurrent period of about 78 years between brightening as a nova. What does that mean?  Listen in this month as we talk about how the ancients began documenting stellar phenomena thousands of years ago, and how that information plays an integral role in our understanding of the universe today.

 

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Check out t...

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May 1, 2024 7 mins

The Sombrero Galaxy is your backyard target this month.  Look for this edge-on galaxy yhroughout the spring.

#astronomy #galaxy #telescope #constellations #science #STEM

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro

Our awesome sponsors:

facebook.com/manzanitains

 

 

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March 25, 2024 7 mins

Our Sun has spots? Sunspots, solar flares, and even CMEs are the highlights of this month's focus on the Sun and Solar Cycle.  Learn more about Coronal Mass Ejections and how they impact Earth.

#CME #coronalmassejection #solarflare #solarcycle #sun #astronomy #eclipse

Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ

Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro

Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro

...

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