Night Sky Tourist Podcast
You are invited to take a journey with us as we chat with fascinating people about the night sky, get our questions answered by Ted Blank, a NASA Solar System Ambassador, and take a naked-eye tour across the night sky.Discover the wonder of the night sky from your own backyard, travel to a dark sky location, and listen to the star stories of other cultures and civilizations. Night Sky Tourist helps the entire family connect with nature by engaging with the stars, moon, and planets.
Every two weeks, we release a new episode. Subscribe to it so you don’t miss a single episode. And if you like what you hear, please leave a written review so that others can discover us.
Episodes
Episode 61- In the Shadow of the Milky Way at Grand Canyon with Ranger Rader Lane
The Grand Canyon has such pristine dark skies that the Milky Way casts shadows on a moonless night. Since more than 80% of people on earth can no longer see the Milky Way, this is extraordinary! In this episode, I chat with Ranger Rader Lane about Grand Canyon...
Episode 60- Astronomical Petroglyphs at Utah’s Fremont Indian State Park
Fremont Indian State Park in Utah has thousands of petroglyphs left by the ancient culture that once inhabited the area. Among them, several have been understood to have astronomical purposes. In this episode, I chat with John Lundwall who made this discovery about...
Episode 59- Stargazer Inn at Nevada’s Great Basin with Elizabeth Woolsey
In this episode, we visit with Elizabeth Woolsey, owner of the Stargazer Inn and Bristlecone General Store near Great Basin National Park in Nevada. Liz shares about the exceptionally dark skies, views of the Milky Way every night, and stargazing opportunities at...
Episode 58- Arabic Cultural Astronomy Traditions with Dr. Danielle Adams
Dr. Danielle Adams is a cultural astronomer who works at Lowell Observatory as the Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer. She studies the development and transformations of indigenous Arabian astronomy through pre-Islamic poetry and Arabic historical literature. ...
Episode 57- Fun in South Dakota at Badlands Observatory with Ron Dyvig & Teresa Hofer
South Dakota is far more than harsh winters and endless prairie. The western part of the state is full of exciting things to do and see: Mt. Rushmore, the Black Hills, fossil digs, Badlands National Park, and so much more. But if you plan a trip there, you should put...
Episode 56- Bats, Tequila & Light Pollution, OH MY! with Dr. Tanja Straka
What do bats, tequila, and light pollution have to do with one another? Find out the interconnectedness of these three seemingly unrelated things in this conversation with Dr. Tanja Straka. Dr. Straka is an urban ecologist with a focus on bats at the Technische...
Episode 55- When March 25 was America’s New Year
In ancient times, nobody celebrated the New Year on January 1, or any other random day of the year. New Year’s Day was attached to an astronomically significant day, like the Spring Equinox or the Winter Solstice. In this episode, I take you back in time to follow the...
Episode 54- Extraordinary Night Sky-Themed Books for Children
Whether you’re shopping for the holidays, birthdays, get well gifts, or any other occasion, night sky-themed books for children are an excellent choice. In this episode, I chat with five authors and illustrators of some of the best of these books. Listen to Paul...
Episode 53- L.A.’s Iconic Griffith Observatory with Mark Pine
Believe it or not, it's possible to have a night sky-related experience in a major urban city. Los Angeles ranks high on my list for such experiences, thanks to Griffith Observatory. In this episode, I chat with Mark Pine, the deputy director of Griffith Observatory....
Episode 52- Fireflies and Starlight with Ben Pfeiffer
Fireflies are magical and mesmerizing. Yet researchers have been telling us that their populations are dwindling. So I chatted with Ben Pfeiffer, founder of the website Firefly.org, to learn more about what’s causing this problem and what we can do to solve it. Many...
Episode 51- Celestial Origins of Halloween
Our first-ever Halloween special will take you back in time to the origins of the spooky holiday. We’re going to discover the astronomical connection to the timing of Halloween and how it led to some of the traditions associated with it. LINKS IN THIS EPISODE Why...
Episode 50- Montana: A Stargazing Oasis
Montana is home to some of the largest areas of pristinely dark skies in the country. It’s not known as “Big Sky Country” for nothing. Lynn Powers, the president of the Southwest Montana Astronomical Society, joins us to share about great locations in Montana to see...
Episode 49- How to View Jupiter & Saturn this Fall with Ted Blank
This is the best time of year to see Jupiter and Saturn in the night sky, and Jupiter is really putting on a show this year. In this episode, I’m joined by Ted Blank, a NASA Solar System Ambassador, to talk about how to view these gorgeous gas giants. LINKS IN THIS...
Episode 48- Antelope Island’s Special Dark Skies with Wendy Wilson
Have you ever been to Utah’s Antelope Island State Park in the middle of the Great Salt Lake? It’s only a short distance from the state’s capital, but it will surprise you with its beautiful dark skies. The island is a designated International Dark Sky Park and offers...
Episode 47- How to Create an Epic Stargazing Experience
Have you had a chance to make any great stargazing memories? In this episode, I share tips for protecting your night vision, gadgets to enhance your stargazing experiences, and ideas to add more fun for the whole family. LINKS IN THIS EPISODE Things to See in the...
Episode 46- Hovenweep’s Archaeoastronomy and Dark Sky Treasures with Austin Tumas
Ranger Austin Tumas joins me from Hovenweep National Monument to talk about the Ancestral Pueblo people who once lived there and the remarkable archaeoastronomy they left behind. Austin started working for the National Park Service 7 years ago as a college student....
Episode 45- Australia Stargazing Excursions with Dimitri Douchin
Australia is a stargazing paradise and offers different night sky views than we experience in the Northern Hemisphere. In this episode, I chat with Dimitri Douchin, founder of Blue Mountains Stargazing. He shares about the unique experiences his company offers and...
Episode 44- Calendars, Clocks and Seasonal Living with Ric Alling
Ric Alling chats with me about the fascinating world of how humans used the sky to develop calendars, why we invented clocks and the benefits of getting back to seasonal living. Ric is the manager of the Community Outreach Program at Arizona State University’s School...
Episode 43- Let There be Night with Paul Bogard
Paul Bogard chats with me about his book The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light. He is also the author of The Ground Beneath Us: From the Oldest Cities to the Last Wilderness, What Dirt Tells Us About Who We Are. His most recent...
Episode 42- Skyglow Project with Harun Mehmedinovic
Harun Memedinovic is one of the founders of Skyglow Project. In this episode, we chat about our shared love for dark sky advocacy and how Harun uses his photography skills to bring attention to the issue of light pollution, or skyglow. Harun is an award-winning...