Categories: weather, astronomy-space, radio
Date: 16 September 2009 21:05:38
Lots of fog around today...though it will clear and make way for a 32°C day out west. I'd prefer a foggy day personally: a very warm start to spring here.
I generally listen to the ABC Sydney Drive program on my drive home, at least the final 30-45 minutes. I like Richard Glover, the presenter, and he has an entertaining range of segments. From about 17:20 each Wednesday, there is a segment titled Self-Improvement Wednesday which I love to listen to [and am annoyed if I miss it due to needing to stay back -- but there are always Podcasts I remind myself!] It is basically a 10 minute discussion with an expert on any and every topic: the podcast list shows the variety.
Yesterday's topic was Pluto, particularly the decision by the International Astronomical Union to "dethrone" it from planetary status three years ago. The expert was another person I greatly enjoy listening to [he is often on other radio programmes], Fred Watson, astronomer-in-charge of the Anglo-Australian Observatory at Coonabarabran, about 450km NW of Sydney. As well as being informative, and entertaningly so, there were some simply entertaining comments such as finding out that the state of Illinois, where Clyde Tombaugh [discoverer of Pluto] was born, legislating that Pluto is a planet and even celebrating "Pluto Day" each year. You couldn't make this stuff up.
Very enjoyable, and informative, radio.