Interstellar Comets: Windows to Other Solar Systems
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Resources & Recommendations
Books
- "Mean Girls" - Referenced for its popular movie quotes used in a humorous context during discussions about the comet.
People Mentioned
- John Tonry (Astronomer) - Part of the team that created the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). He is also the academic grandfather of the astrophysicist Regina Barber.
- Teddy Kareta (Planetary Astronomer at Villanova University) - Studied the first interstellar object Oumuamua, and is currently studying the second and third interstellar comets, Borisov and 3I/Atlas.
Organizations & Institutions
- NASA - Funded the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).
- Villanova University - Teddy Kareta, a planetary astronomer who studied interstellar objects, is affiliated with this university.
Websites & Online Resources
- NPR Plus (plus.npr.org) - A platform for listeners to make recurring donations to NPR podcasts and receive perks.
- NPR People's Choice Award (npr.org/peopleschoice) - Where listeners can vote for their favorite podcasts in the Pod Club Awards.
Other Resources
- Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) - A NASA-funded system responsible for finding the 3I/Atlas comet and surveying the sky for objects that may collide with Earth.
- Oumuamua (1I/'Oumuamua) - The first interstellar object discovered in 2017, known for its baffling properties and lack of a tail.
- Borisov (2I/Borisov) - The second interstellar object discovered in 2019, also studied by Teddy Kareta.
- 3I/Atlas - The third interstellar comet discussed in the episode, providing insights into other solar systems.
- "Interstellar" (Film) - Referenced as a related topic for listeners to explore the physics discussed in a separate Short Wave episode.
- Pluto Episode - An episode of Short Wave about how Pluto, despite not being a planet, is still helpful for learning about our solar system's formation.