Astro Minute

Astro Minute

By: Lauren Smyth

Language: en

Categories: Science, Astronomy, Leisure, Hobbies

Welcome to the Astro Minute! I'm Lauren Smyth, and with the help of astronomer and teacher Kelli Smyth, I'll be your tour guide as we explore the secrets of the night sky sixty seconds at a time.

Episodes

What Was the Christmas Star?
Dec 14, 2025

What was the star that led the wise men to Jesus? Find out more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:03:41
Galaxies & Our Own Andromeda
Nov 24, 2025

Only one galaxy is visible from the northern hemisphere to the naked eye. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Life of a Star FINALE: Black Holes
Nov 21, 2025

How does a star become a black hole? Find out on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Life of a Star: Supernovae Remnants, Neutron Stars, and Pulsars
Nov 19, 2025

What happens to a high-mass star in its old age? Find out on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Life of a Star: Supernovae
Nov 17, 2025

How does a star become a supernova? Find out on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Life of a Star: Red Supergiants
Nov 14, 2025

How does a star become a red supergiant? Find out on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Life of a Star: Type 1A Supernovae
Nov 12, 2025

What is a type 1A supernova? Find out on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Life of a Star: Novae
Nov 10, 2025

How do stars become novae? Find out on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Life of a Star: White Dwarfs and Planetary Nebulae
Nov 07, 2025

How do stars become white dwarves and planetary nebulae? Find out on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Life of a Star: Red Giants
Nov 05, 2025

How does a star become a red giant? Find out on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Life of a Star: Middle Age - The Main Sequence
Nov 03, 2025

What happens to a star in its "main sequence"? Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Life of a Star: The Birth of a Star - Stellar Nurseries
Oct 30, 2025

How are stars born? Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
SPECIAL EPISODE: Go Outside and Look Up
May 04, 2025

Go outside and look up with today's special episode of Astro Minute.

Duration: 00:01:30
Globular Clusters
Apr 28, 2025

Learn how to spot these distant, dazzling objects in today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
REBOOT - The Double Cluster
Apr 14, 2025

Look up at any point during the year and discover the Double Cluster, first observed by a Greek astronomer over one hundred years before the birth of Christ.

Duration: 00:01:01
Lyrid Meteor Shower
Apr 07, 2025

Get ready for this nighttime shower on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Exploring Orion
Mar 31, 2025

The constellation Orion is home to many interesting celestial objects. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Update on T Coronae Borealis
Mar 24, 2025

A heavenly explosion is slated for the coming months. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Beehive Cluster
Mar 17, 2025

The vernal equinox brings spring ... and the beautiful Beehive Cluster! Learn how to find it on today's episode of Astro Minute.

Duration: 00:01:01
Coming to Skies Near You: Total Lunar Eclipse
Mar 03, 2025

On March 13th, North American viewers will be treated to a total lunar eclipse. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Northern Spring Constellations
Feb 24, 2025

Learn what's up in the night sky on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Planet Parade
Feb 10, 2025

All seven planets will be visible in this month's night sky. Learn how to spot them in today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Morning "Star"
Feb 03, 2025

The morning "star" is no star at all. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Queen Cassiopeia
Jan 27, 2025

Meet the queen of the night sky on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Red Planet
Jan 20, 2025

Mars shines extra brightly in the winter night sky. Learn to spot it in today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
What Was the Christmas Star?
Dec 10, 2024

Learn more about the Christmas Star that guided the wise men on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:03:41
Highlights of the December Skies
Dec 02, 2024

What's up this Christmas season? Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:00
Earth's Favorite Moon
Nov 25, 2024

What's new in moon research this year? Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Andromeda, Reboot
Nov 11, 2024

Few objects located outside the Milky Way Galaxy can be seen with the unaided eye--but the Andromeda Galaxy is an exception. Learn how to spot it on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Pleiades and Hyades
Nov 04, 2024

Discovered in antiquity, these open star clusters are still visible to the unaided eye. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Solar Max
Oct 28, 2024

Get ready to see the aurora, in today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:00
Planet Parade
Oct 21, 2024

All seven planets are visible in the sky during the next three months. Learn how to spot them on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Early Bird Special
Oct 14, 2024

If you're up early this month, you can spot a giant asterism and two planets. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Cats & Comet A3
Oct 07, 2024

Search the night skies this October for a long-tailed treat. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
October Meteor Showers
Sep 30, 2024

Look to the sky this October to see some fiery ice in Earth's upper atmosphere.

Duration: 00:01:01
The Summer Triangle, Reboot
Sep 23, 2024

Learn to spot this celestial guidepost in today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
SPECIAL EPISODE: Interview with Dr. Hugh Ross, Reasons to Believe
Sep 20, 2024

Tune in today for a faith and science-filled interview from Dr. Hugh Ross, astrophysicist and founder of Reasons to Believe.

Duration: 00:34:57
The Majesty of Saturn
Sep 16, 2024

Moonlets and rings--including invisible rings. These are just a few of Saturn's mysteries. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
A Cosmic Explosion
Sep 09, 2024

Coming soon to skies near you: A once-in-a-lifetime stellar event. Learn where to spot it on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:03
Supermassive Black Hole
Sep 02, 2024

At the center of our galaxy lies an invisible black hole. Be careful, don't fall in!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Beehive Cluster
Apr 29, 2024

This bustling hive of stars took hundreds of years to discover--and is still just as magnificent today!

Duration: 00:01:02
A Stargazer's Guide to the Galaxy, Part I
Apr 29, 2024

Here are some of the tools you'll need to find your way around the night sky.

Duration: 00:01:01
A Solar Rarity - April Eclipse Part II
Mar 25, 2024

The number-one rule for eclipse viewing: Don't look at it. Learn safe eclipse viewing techniques on today's episode of Astro Minute.

Duration: 00:01:01
A Solar Rarity - April Eclipse Part 1
Mar 21, 2024

Learn about what you'll see during the upcoming solar eclipse, and remember to practice safe viewing techniques.

Duration: 00:01:01
The Mystery of the Sun's Corona
Mar 04, 2024

This year's total solar eclipse will offer a nearly unparalleled opportunity to observe the sun's mysterious atmosphere. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Spring's Coming in Like a Lion
Feb 26, 2024

Learn how to spot spring's harbinger, Leo the Lion, in this week's night sky!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Heavenly G
Feb 19, 2024

This asterism forms a map of the winter constellations. Learn how to find it in today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Why Are Stars Different Colors?
Feb 12, 2024

Why are stars different colors? And why aren't all stars different colors (at least, apparently?) Find out on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Double Cluster
Feb 05, 2024

Look up at any point during the year and discover the Double Cluster, first observed by a Greek astronomer over one hundred years before the birth of Christ.

Duration: 00:01:01
This Year, You Might See the Northern Lights
Jan 30, 2024

Even if you live at lower latitudes, you might get a chance to see the Northern Lights this summer as the sun enters its stormy season. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
The Eye of the Bull
Jan 22, 2024

The eye of Taurus the Bull is a red giant called Aldebaran. Tune in to learn how to find this magnificent red gem!

Duration: 00:01:01
A Sense of Direction
Dec 18, 2023

If you're like me and have no built-in compass, here's how you can find your way - just by looking up at the night sky.

Duration: 00:01:01
The Big Dipper
Dec 14, 2023

Chances are, you've heard of this asterism before. But do you know how to find it? Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
What Was the Christmas Star?
Dec 10, 2023

We've all heard of the Christmas star, but astronomers are still perplexed about what exactly happened in the night sky before Jesus's birth. Hear some of the possibilities on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:03:20
A Big Pile of Starry Glitter
Dec 10, 2023

See that big pile of starry glitter in the sky? Let's find out what's inside!

Duration: 00:01:01
Saturn, The Bejeweled Giant
Nov 17, 2023

Saturn is a billion miles away - but you can still see it without binoculars. Look up to learn more!

Duration: 00:01:01
November Meteor Showers
Nov 10, 2023

Take advantage of November's clear nights and head outside for a stellar light show!

Duration: 00:01:01
The King of the Planets
Nov 03, 2023

Today we're visiting the king of the planets - Jupiter, surrounded by a royal court of asteroids, rings, and moons. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
A Tail of Ice and Fire
Oct 13, 2023

Make some popcorn, grab a red flashlight, and get ready to enjoy an upcoming cosmic fireworks show!

Duration: 00:01:01
(Almost) The Brightest Star
Oct 06, 2023

Let's go giant hunting! Follow the arc of the Big Dipper, and you'll see another Arc(turus) that has the honor of being the brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere. Find out more on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
How Far Can You See? - Try Andromeda
Sep 29, 2023

Most of what we can see with the unaided eye from Earth is stars inside the Milky Way Galaxy. But there's one thing you can spot that's much further away. Find out what it is, and how to find it, on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Where Stars Are Born, Part 2
Sep 22, 2023

Today we're hunting for the Hunter's nebula. Plan your next night of stargazing with today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Where Stars Are Born, Part 1
Sep 15, 2023

Stellar nurseries are nothing like the calm and quiet nurseries where we Earthlings keep our babies. See for yourself on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
What's in the Center of the Galaxy?
Sep 15, 2023

What will you see when you look toward the center of the Milky Way Galaxy? Find out on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Duration: 00:01:01
Welcome to the Astro Minute - Let's Find the Summer Triangle
Sep 15, 2023

Welcome to the first episode of Astro Minute, where we're exploring the universe sixty seconds at a time - starting with the Summer Triangle!

Duration: 00:01:01