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The Meridian

The third season of our astronomy podcast is now published and available!

Brand new episodes were released every Friday during March 2023 on a wide variety of podcasting platforms, giving you an unique insight into the life and work of our researchers - and into the lives and works of a few visiting researchers.

The very first season of The Meridian was released back in the fall of 2021, while second season was released on Fridays in March and April of 2022.

In addition to interviews with several prominent researchers, each season has an unique series at the end of each episode.  In the first eason we included astronomical objects selected by the editor of the Populär Astronomi magazine, in season two we included a field report from the Nordic Optical Telescope in La Palma and in this newest third season we are including a series of Cosmic Curiosities.

The Third Season

Astronomers, such as Nic and Rebecca, are not the only ones orienting themselves using the stars. Animals, big and small, also navigate by starlight.  In this last episode of the third season we invited Prof. Marie Dacke from the Department of Biology over to tell us about her research on the subject.

Marie Dacke and Rebecca Forsberg chatting. Photo.

In this third season we are also including some Cosmic Curiosities. These are some ideas, events or trivia from astronomic history that Ross, Victor and Lucian feel are worth bringing out of obscurity for one more look.

This fourth and final episode of the third season was released on March 31st 2023

Judith Korth joins the podcast this week and tell us about how she found her way into astronomy research, how she ended up here at Lund University and how she now studies distant worlds far beyond our own Solar System.

Nic and Judith at the microphone. Photo.

In this third season we are also including some Cosmic Curiosities. These are some ideas, events or trivia from astronomic history that Ross, Victor and Lucian feel are worth bringing out of obscurity for one more look.

This third episode of the third season was released on March 24th 2023

We are on a hunt for the invisible in this second episode of the third season of The Meridian. Ruth Pöttgen is a senior lecturer at the Department of Physics where she is studying fundamental particles.  She is especially interested in finding that mysterious and elusive Dark Matter particle.

Rebeeca interviews Ruth Pottgen. Photo

In this third season we are also including some Cosmic Curiosities. These are some ideas, events or trivia from astronomic history that Ross, Victor and Lucian feel are worth bringing out of obscurity for one more look.

Joining Nic and Rebecca in this first episode of the third season of The Meridian is none other than NASA astronaut Jim Pawelczyk, professor at Penn State University in Kinesiology and Physiology, who looks into how the human body adapts when in space.

Nasa astronaut Jim Pawelczyk being interviewed. Photo.

In this third season we are also including some Cosmic Curiosities. These are some ideas, events or trivia from astronomic history that Ross, Victor and Lucian feel are worth bringing out of obscurity for one more look.

This first episode of the third season was released on March 10th 2023

The Second Season

In this last episode of the second season Nic and Rebecca get a visitor from the Department of Geology.  

One does not always use telescopes to study the stars.  Chiara Paleari has been using ice cores to study our own star, the Sun, and has discovered evidence of an ancient solar storm.

Chiara Paleari being interviewed by Rebecca Forsberg. Photo.

In this second season of the Meridian we are also bringing you some field reporting from the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, where a team of astronomers are trying to catch an ultra-hot Jupiter-sized exoplanet.

The seventh and final episode of the second season was published on April 15th

Joining us on the Meridian today we have Colin Carlile, the former director of the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL).  He came to Sweden to head up the Swedish bid to locate the European Spallation Source here in Lund, and after formally retireing he did a master degree in astronomy here at Lund Observatory.

Colin Carlile, researcher at Lund Observatory. Photo.


In this second season of the Meridian we are also bringing you some field reporting from the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, where a team of Lund Observatory astronomers have been trying to catch an ultra-hot Jupiter-sized exoplanet.   In this instalment clouds are making it impossible to observe, so Nic invites the support astronomer, Sara Vitali, to share her experiences of how it is to work on the mountaintop.

Astronomers in the NOT control room. Photo.

The sixth episode of the second season was released on April 8th 2022 at 17:00

Michael Way works at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies where he is modeling planetary atmospheres, with a special interest for Venus and its history.  He was visiting Lund Observatory to give a talk at the Källén Seminars for Young Astronomers recently, and we invited him onto the podcast to ask him if there is a chance that Venus has ever been habitable.
(Spoiler: the answer is 'yes').   

Michael Way and Nic Borsato conversing. Photo.

In this second season of the Meridian we are also bringing you some field reporting from the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, where a team of astronomers are trying to catch an ultra-hot Jupiter-sized exoplanet.

The fifth episode of the second season was released on April 1st 2022 at 17:00

The European Southern Observatory, or ESO, is celebrating 60 years of scientific achievements in the southern hemisphere.  Sweden is one of the founding members of ESO, and several astronomers from Lund have been actively involved over the years. 

In the fourth episode of the second season our podcast hosts, Nic Borsato and Rebecca Forsberg, invite professor emeritus Dainis Dravins to the microphone to tell us about both the Swedish and his own connection to the European Southern Observatory.

Rebecca interviews Dainis Dravins for a podcast epoisode. Photo.

In this second season of the Meridian we are also bringing you some field reporting from the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, where a team of astronomers are trying to catch an ultra-hot Jupiter-sized exoplanet.

The fourth episode of the second season was released on March 25th at 17:00

In this third episode of the second season Nic and Rebeca chat about equality in science before inviting Nikolai Piskunov to the microphone.  Nikolai is a professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University.  He was visiting Lund Observatory to give a talk here high-resolution transit spectroscopy and graciously agreed to make an appearance on the podcast.

Nic Borsato chats with Nicolai Piskunov. Photo.

This season we are also bringing you some field reporting from the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, where a team of astronomers are trying to catch an ultra-hot Jupiter-sized exoplanet. As the team were waiting for night to fall on the mountain Nic encountered Belinda Nicholson, who is a postdoctoral research assistant working at the University of Oxfords Astrophysics Department, where she studies both exoplanets and stellar astrophysics.

Belinda Nicholson at La Palma.  Photo

The third episode of the second season was released on March 18th at 17:00

 

In the second episode of the second season Nic and Rebecca invite Diane Feuillet the microphone.  Diane is a researcher here at Lund Observatory working on galactic archaeology using stellar abundances, ages and kinematics.

Rebeca and Diane recording a podcast episode. Photo.

In this second season of the Meridian we are also bringing you some field reporting from the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, where a team of astronomers are trying to catch an ultra-hot Jupiter-sized exoplanet.

The second episode of the second season was released on March 4th 2022

 

In this first episode of the second season Nic and Rebecca invite Ori Fox to the podcast to discuss the newly launched JWST.  Ori is an instrument scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STSI) working on the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) which is one of four instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope.

Image shows Rebecca in zoom call with Ori Fox.  Photo.

In this second season of the Meridian we are also bringing you some field reporting from the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, where a team of astronomers are trying to catch an ultra-hot Jupiter-sized exoplanet. Below you can see how the team got caught on Spanish television as they travel to the telescope.

Astronomers in the background as Spanish TV interviewes a local. Photo.

This first episode of the second season was released on March 4th 2022

 

 

In this very special solstice episode of The Meridian Nic and Rebecca look back at some of the highlights of 2021. With the days growing ever longer here in the Northern Hemisphere they have rallied a troupe of PhD students to compete in the 2021 Astronomy Games!  Nic is joined by Alvaro and Johan on his team and Rebecca has convinced Daniel and Madeleine to join her team. The Games were recorded in front of a live studio audience.

After determining a winner Nic and Rebecca will give us a sneak peak at what is been planned for season two of the podcast.

This episode was first released on 21/12/2021.

Nic, Johan, Alvaro, Anna, Madeleine, Daniel and Rebecca at the microphone.  Photo.

The First Season

October is coming to an end as we release this sixth and last episode of the first season (not to worry, we are already planning a second season).  This time Nic and Rebecca have invited Paul McMillan to the mic and chat with him about our galaxy, the Milky Way, and his involvement in ESA's Gaia satellite . Thereafter they take a closer look at the Pleiades.

This episode was first released on 29/10/2021.

Nic and Rebecca at the microphone. Photo.

It is Future Week at Lund University as we release our fifth podcast episode.  This week Nic and Rebecca have invited Joanna Lewis to the mic and chat with her about the European Spallation Source, which is under construction here in Lund . Thereafter they take a closer look at SN1572.

This episode was first released on 22/10/2021

Nic and Jo stand by microphone recording a podcast. Photo.

In this fourth episode of the podcast Nic and Rebecca invited Laura Hrastar to the mic and chatted with her about life and work at Max IV - which is a Swedish national laboratory producing brilliant synchrotron radiation for various research projects . Thereafter they take a closer look at the galaxy listed as the 31st object in the Messier Catalogue.

This episode was first released on 15/10/2021

Rebecca interviewing Laura on the Podcast.  Photo.

In this third episode of the podcast Nic and Rebecca invite Jens Hoeijmakers to the mic and chat to him about ultra-hot Jupiters and their atmospheres. Thereafter they take a closer look at a comet, which is named after the its two discoverers: Michel Giacobini and Ernst Zinner.

This episode was first released on 08/10/2021 - as we celebrate World Space Week.

Rebecca Forsberg interviews Jens Hoeijmakers. Photo.

In this second episode of the podcast Nic and Rebecca invite Josefin Martell to the mic and chat to her about Impact Craters.  Thereafter they take a closer look at one of their favourite astronomical objects: Dimidium.  This episode was first released on 01/10/2021 -  not only is it Culture Night but also IAUs 100 hours of astronomy.

Nic and Rebecca setting up for recording.  Photo.

In this first episode of the podcast Nic and Rebecca invite Michiel Lambrechts to the mic and chat to him about planet formation.  Thereafter they take a closer look at one of their favourite astronomical objects: Le Verrier's planet. This episode was first released on 24/09/2021 - which is Astronomy Day and Night here in Sweden

From the recording of the podcast. Nic and Michiel. Photo.

Frida Palmer in front of telescope
Frida Palmér standing by the meridian circle (taken ca 1929)

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