March 28, 2019 4:46 pm

Friday, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Russell Peters Explore Everyday Astrophysics

On this week’s episode of StarTalk Radio, we welcome comedian extraordinaire Russell Peters to sit down with Neil deGrasse Tyson to answer fan-submitted questions. What you might not know is that besides being an internationally renowned comedian, Russell also happens to be a space geek, so he fits right in on StarTalk, “Where science, pop culture, and comedy collide.”

The topic of these Cosmic Queries is “Everyday Astrophysics.” Do you still have those pesky little questions about common astrophysics that are still nagging at your brain? Well, on this episode, we try and answer them for you. To start, you’ll learn if size is the only indicator that determines if a celestial object is a planet or a moon. This, of course, brings Pluto back into the discussion, as Neil never seems to be able to get away from it.

Find out more about the tilt of the Earth’s axis and its impact on climate. Learn why the equator stays warm all the time and what the Earth’s climate would be like without a tilt in its axis. Neil explains the modern use of the word “theory,” And we  take part in a thought experiment to understand positive and negative energy.

Explore what celestial sights you can see with the naked eye including the Andromeda Galaxy and The Magellanic Clouds. Discover more about the discovery of the Andromeda Galaxy. Neil also tells us about the most alarming cosmic event you could see with the naked eye.

You’ll hear why some planets rotate in the opposite direction. We discuss the importance of E = mc² and why it’s the most important discovery in the history of physics. We also dive into the history of major discoveries over the centuries. All that, plus, you’ll find out how similar an exoplanet must be to Earth in order to host human life.

Please join us tomorrow night for Cosmic Queries – Everyday Astrophysics, with Russell Peters at 7pm ET right here on our website, as well as on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn. If you’re an All-Access subscriber, you can watch or listen to this episode ad-free at 7pm, too.

That’s it for now. Keep Looking Up!
-Ian Mullen