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 74- Light Pollution and Nocturnal Migratory Birds with Andrew Farnsworth
The night sky holds more than the moon and stars. It’s also home to migrating birds that mostly make their journeys at night. I chat with Andrew Farnsworth of Cornell Lab of Ornithology about the impact of light pollution on migrating birds. He shares easy solutions...
Episode 73- Magical Milky Way over Prineville Reservoir State Park with George Fair
If you’ve never seen the Milky Way reflecting over a lake, you need to visit Prineville Reservoir State Park in Central Oregon. George Faria, the Park Ranger Supervisor, gives us an inside look at this certified International Dark Sky Park, and it will inspire you to...
Episode 72- Observatory Park in Ohio with Chris Mentrek
Ohio might not seem like a place to enjoy great night skies, but Geauga Observatory Park is an exception. Chris Mentrek, a naturalist and the park’s astronomy and nature educator, gives us an inside look at the park and will leave you longing to visit. ...
Episode 71- What the Devil are Occultations with Ted Blank
Ted Blank returns to Night Sky Tourist to talk about occultations and his latest adventure in recording one from his backyard. Astronomy is the oldest science, and it’s one of the only sciences that still relies on amateurs to help gather data. Ted shares how you can...
Episode 70: Stargazing at Big Bend National Park with Jason Gablaski
Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas has some of the most well-preserved dark skies in the country. I chat with Jason Gablaski, the lead dark sky ranger at the park, about the best time of year for stargazing events, cultural astronomy of the indigenous people of...
Episode 69: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with Ann Schwaller
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is a pristine International Dark Sky Sanctuary at the top of Minnesota. I chat with Ann Schwaller, the Program Manager for this wilderness area, about the night sky in this area and all the amazing ways people can recreate there....
Episode 68- Bright Days and Dark Nights: Restoring Natural Day and Night
How much bright sunlight enters your eyes each day? How dark is your nighttime? In this episode, we dive into the cascade of hormones released in our bodies from early morning until late at night and how our lifestyle hijacks it. We talk about how to measure the light...
Episode 67- Awe and Wonder at Lowell Observatory with Dr. Jeffrey Hall
Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, deserves a place at the top of your bucket list for night sky experiences. In this episode, Lowell’s executive director Dr. Jeffrey Hall shares about some exciting new additions to the visitor experience and gives us an...
Episode 66- Camp and Stargaze at Pennsylvania’s Cherry Springs State Park
Cherry Springs State Park is the world’s second International Dark Sky Park. Located in North Central Pennsylvania, the park boasts beautiful dark skies, stargazing programs, and amenities for astrophotographers and campers. In this episode, I chat with Susan Schenck,...
Episode 65- Chasing Stars from Kenya to Slovenia with Samyukta Manikumar
Samyukta Manikumar was born and raised in Kenya, and now she lives in Slovenia. She chats with us about her career as an astrotourism designer, an astronomy enthusiast, and her advocacy for naturally dark skies. Samyukta has a background in science...
Episode 64- Ancient Skywatcher Sites in Central Arizona with Kenneth Zoll
Kenneth Zoll has conducted extensive fieldwork in the ancient astronomy of the Southwest, particularly at a site known as V Bar V Ranch in Central Arizona. In this episode, we chat about the people who made the rock art, the astronomical associations discovered in the...
Episode 63: New Zealand’s Dark Sky Project
New Zealand is working toward becoming the world’s first certified International Dark Sky Nation. And as you’ll hear from tonight’s guests, there’s a good reason for this. With some of the most pristine dark skies in the world and a rich night sky culture, you’ll want...
Episode 62- Astrotourism Fun in New Brunswick, Canada with Stephane Picard of Cliff Valley Astronomy
Cliff Valley Astronomy offers astrotourism experiences and lodging in New Brunswick, Canada. Stephane Picard is an astronomer, astrophotographer, and an astropreneur, a new word that I’m loving. He’s also a member of the Saint John Astronomy Club and the Royal...
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...