The Milky Way's local black hole

The processes that can trigger a galaxy to double in brightness
25 May 2013
Presented by Dominic Ford

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We talk to astronomers who study the environments around black holes, ask what we can learn from a meteor which hit the Moon in March, and find out how spacecraft can navigate their way through the solar system.

In this episode

07:46 - Hot gas in the galactic center

The Herschel Telescope has caught images of stars forming around the centre of our galaxy.

Hot gas in the galactic center
with Matt Griffin, University of Cardiff

transcript to follow.

17:05 - Galaxies that go bump in the night

The strange case of the galaxy which flared in brightness overnight.

Galaxies that go bump in the night
with Roland Walter, University of Geneva

Transcript to follow.

21:31 - Spiralling into a black hole

A gas cloud at the centre of our galaxy may soon find itself swallowed by a black hole.

Spiralling into a black hole
with Reinhard Genzel, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics.

Transcript to follow.

How long do you have to accelerate at G to reach the speed of light?

The International Space Station (ISS) in orbit, photographed from the attending space shuttle Discovery

39:06 - British astronaut to visit the ISS

British astronaut is to fly to the International Space Station in 2015.

British astronaut to visit the ISS

Transcript to follow.

44:05 - The star that appeared too bright

Radio astronomers in Western Australia have resolved the mystery of a star which appear much brighter than it ought to be.

The star that appeared too bright

Transcript to follow.

47:40 - The rock that hit the Moon

Back in March a meteor hit the Moon, and now NASA have captured images of the house-sized crater that it created.

The rock that hit the Moon

Transcript to follow.

50:50 - Explosions on the Sun

This month the Sun produced four sizeable flares within the space of a week, suggesting that it is become more active after a quiet period.

Explosions on the Sun

Transcript to follow.

54:25 - Asteroids around a white dwarf

Astronomers have found evidence for rocky material in orbit around dead stars.

Asteroids around a white dwarf

Transcript to follow.

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