The Nature of Nantucket: Recent Episodes
Maria Mitchell Association
Join hosts Jascin Finger and Joanna Roche on "The Nature of Nantucket," The Maria Mitchell Association’s new podcast. They will focus on the history of Maria, the natural world of Nantucket and the dark skies above us. Learn from the talented staff, experts, and special guests who will share their stories and wisdom.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche, Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association, sits down with Dr. Jackie Milingo, the Director of Astronomy at the MMA, for a look at some exciting celestial events visible right here on Nantucket. They discuss the upcoming partial solar eclipse on August 12, which the public is invited to safely observe from Loines Observatory, as well as the annual Perseids meteor shower, which also peaks that day into the early next day’s morning, and much more! Tune in to learn what to watch for in the night sky, how to view these events safely, and why this is one of the best times of the year to experience the wonders of astronomy. Learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the partial solar eclipse visible in Nantucket next week.
Joanna Roche sits down with Ed Orenstein, President of the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation, for a conversation about his journey to Nantucket and the experiences that led to his deep appreciation for the island's harbor. Edward shares the story of how he first discovered Nantucket, discusses the history and mission of the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation, and explains his role in supporting its educational and community initiatives. They also look back on the Foundation's highly successful fundraising event held this past Saturday and talk about the importance of preserving and celebrating Nantucket's rich maritime heritage for future generations.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how radio astronomers have discovered a sugar molecule in an interstellar cloud.
This week on the Maria Mitchell Association Podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with acclaimed actress and Sconset resident Judith Ivey for a conversation about her remarkable career, her Nantucket origin story, and the path that led her from the stage to becoming one of America's most celebrated performers. Judith also shares insights into her powerful new solo production, First, coming to the Nantucket Performing Arts Center August 4 through 13. The play tells the story of Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, as she reflects on a lifetime of breaking barriers, standing by her convictions, and challenging the status quo. It's an engaging discussion about storytelling, history, and why Rankin's extraordinary legacy remains as relevant today as ever. For tickets to First, visit nantucketperformingarts.org.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about plans to put a large mirror in space to reflect the Sun’s light onto the nighttime Earth.
Host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Kevin Venardos, founder and ringmaster of the acclaimed Venardos Circus, to preview the MMA's Stargazer Gala: A Night at the Circus on Thursday, July 23. Kevin shares the story behind his Broadway-style production and what audiences can expect from an evening filled with world-class acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, and unforgettable entertainment. They also discuss how the event supports the MMA's mission of education and discovery, as well as six additional public performances on Nantucket from July 24-26. Tickets for both the Stargazer Gala and all Venardos Circus performances are available through the Maria Mitchell Association website.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how space probes from the Earth are visiting and studying Asteroids.
On this week's Maria Mitchell Association Podcast, Joanna Roche gets to talk with acclaimed author and literary scholar Katherine Bucknell to discuss her acclaimed biography, Christopher Isherwood Inside Out, an intimate portrait of the celebrated writer behind Goodbye to Berlin and A Single Man. Katherine shares insights from decades of research as one of the world's foremost Isherwood scholars, reflects on her career writing and editing more than a dozen books, and tells the story of how she became a longtime Nantucket summer resident. The conversation also previews her upcoming Maria Mitchell Association Pop-Up Talk with Clara Bingham on Tuesday, July 14 at 11am, where she'll explore Isherwood's remarkable life, enduring literary legacy, and the inspiration behind her latest book. Learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how the Rubin Observatory will study billions of stars and galaxies in the universe.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche, Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association, welcomes Elisa Kermani, Manager of the MMA's Natural Science Museum. Elisa shares her Nantucket story, reflecting on the journey that brought her to the island six years ago and inspired her lifelong passion for animals, conservation, and education. Joanna and Elisa also dive into everything happening at the Maria Mitchell Association this summer, including the popular Kids Bird Watching program, introduce some of the fascinating fish, reptiles, and other animals that call the Hinchman House Natural Science Museum home, and highlight the exciting programs and experiences visitors can enjoy across Nantucket this season. Learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how satellites need to be boosted into higher orbits or they will burn up in the atmosphere.
Host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Rosie Agnew LaBonte, author of the new field guide Nantucket Nature. Rosie shares her Nantucket origin story, her deep connection to the island's natural world, and the inspiration behind creating a guide designed to help residents and visitors better understand the plants, animals, and ecosystems that make Nantucket so special. They discuss the research and passion that went into the book and how it can help foster a greater appreciation for the island's unique environment. Nantucket Nature is available through the Maria Mitchell Association and its Aquarium, as well as at Sconset Square on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Follow Rosie on Instagram @wildrosenantucket and learn more at wildrosenantucket.com.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how fast the Earth rotates and orbits the Sun and how fast the Sun is moving.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about JWST and how it works.
Host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Kevin Venardos, founder and ringmaster of the acclaimed Venardos Circus, to preview the MMA's Stargazer Gala: A Night at the Circus on Thursday, July 23. Kevin shares the story behind his Broadway-style production and what audiences can expect from an evening filled with world-class acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, and unforgettable entertainment. They also discuss how the event supports the MMA's mission of education and discovery, as well as six additional public performances on Nantucket from July 24-26. Tickets for both the Stargazer Gala and all Venardos Circus performances are available through the Maria Mitchell Association website.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Chelsea Petrik, the MMA's new Aquarium Manager, to learn more about her background and what brought her to Nantucket. Chelsea shares her origin story, including where she grew up, how she developed a passion for marine science, and the experiences that led her into the field. The two also discuss Chelsea's vision for the aquarium this summer, her current research project, and the valuable contributions of the MMA's summer interns. It's a great opportunity to get to know one of the newest members of the MMA team and hear about the exciting work happening at the aquarium this season.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about globular clusters which have hundreds of thousands of the oldest stars in our Milky Way galaxy.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about what’s been going on in the sky this week.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Ginger Andrews, Field Ornithologist for the organization, for a fascinating conversation about all things birds. Ginger shares insights from the completion of the spring 2026 barn owl survey and discusses what the results reveal about the island’s owl population, while also diving into the ongoing conversation surrounding bird flu and its impact on bird species. The episode also highlights many of the exciting spring birds that have been spotted around Nantucket this season, offering listeners a closer look at the migration patterns and wildlife activity happening across the island right now.
Host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Hayley Nelson and Keely Farrell from the Egan Maritime Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum for a fascinating conversation about their Nantucket origin stories, what inspired them to make the island home, and the work they do preserving Nantucket’s rich maritime history. The discussion dives into Egan Maritime’s new Andrea Doria exhibit, exploring the story behind the legendary luxury liner, the dramatic 1956 shipwreck off the Nantucket coast, and why the tragedy continues to captivate historians, divers, and maritime enthusiasts decades later. Joanna, Hayley, and Keely also reflect on the importance of keeping these stories alive for future generations through education, exhibits, and community engagement on Nantucket.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about what’s going on with the Mars Rovers.
Host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Larry Tsai, Co-Founder and Proprietor of Moon Tsai Winery, ahead of the winery’s special visit to Nantucket for an upcoming wine dinner celebrating the winery’s 20th anniversary. Larry shares the story behind launching the family-owned winery, the passion and perseverance that helped shape its success, and the fascinating science that goes into every bottle, from vineyard conditions and fermentation to flavor profiles and the art of blending. Joanna and Larry also discuss the connection between science and winemaking, the evolution of the wine industry over the past two decades, and what guests can expect from this unique Nantucket experience featuring Moon Tsai wines.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about asteroids that might crash into the Earth.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Heather Packard from Mass Audubon for an important conversation about the growing movement to ban anticoagulant rodenticides across Massachusetts. They discuss the devastating impact these poisons have on wildlife and ecosystems, why immediate action is needed, and how local voices can help create statewide change. Heather encourages listeners to TAKE ACTION by May 19 and call their Massachusetts state representative to ask Chair Aaron Michlewitz and the House Ways & Means Committee to strengthen Sections 74 and 75 of the Mass Ready Act by including language from H5217, which would phase out the use of anticoagulant rodenticides statewide. The goal is for each of the 160 state representatives to receive at least 10 calls from constituents because, together, communities have the power to advocate for wildlife and be the voice for the voiceless. Learn more and take action at bit.ly/CallYourMAReps.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about UFOs and what they might really be.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Jascin Finger, Deputy Director of the Maria Mitchell Association and Curator of the Mitchell House archives and special collections, for a fascinating conversation about everything new and exciting happening at the MMA this year. From newly acquired historic properties and the stories behind them, to the important environmental work being done aboard the Harbor Watch boat and through the harbor buoy program, Joanna and Jascin explore how the organization continues to connect science, history, and the Nantucket community. They also preview upcoming educational programs, special events, and the much-anticipated MMA fundraising Circus July 23-26.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the alien comet and how it got here.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about why Pluto should be a planet again.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the difference between how the sky looks when you are in Australia rather than Nantucket.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the difference between the far side of the Moon and the dark side of the Moon.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about Nantucket’s Dark Skies.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about NASA’s return to the Moon and the movie Project Hail Mary.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket one hundred years ago.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about plans to launch a million satellites into orbit around the Earth.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the center of our Milky Way galaxy and its supermassive black hole.
Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about Little Red Dots which have been discovered at the edge of the Universe by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how six of the planets are lining up in the sky at the end of February.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how the Sun’s high activity is continuing to produce Solar Flares, Coronal Mass Ejections, and Aurorae.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how Jupiter is visible in the night sky these cold nights.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the Artemis II mission to the moon the will launch in February.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the plans of Schmidt Sciences, run by our own Wendy Schmidt, to build a new space telescope.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the 25th anniversary of the launch of the International Space Station.
On this week’s episode of the Maria Mitchell Association podcast The Nature of Nantucket, host Joanna Roche speaks with Holly Greenberg—professor at Syracuse University and Director of Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene. Holly shares the story behind her public-art project raising awareness of bird deaths from window collisions, where over 10,800 handmade fabric birds visualize this hidden crisis. She also reflects on her Nantucket origin story, how the island shaped her creative journey, and her father’s early connection to the Maria Mitchell Association itself. Listeners can learn more about Holly’s work at hollygreenberg.com.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
On this episode, host Joanna Roche sits down with Dr. Jackie Milingo, Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association, to examine the controversial space startup Reflect Orbital. The company proposes launching a constellation of orbiting mirrors designed to reflect sunlight back to Earth, providing illumination and solar energy after sunset. Drawing from the company’s stated goals, Joanna and Dr. Milingo discuss what Reflect Orbital is trying to achieve and why many scientists believe the concept poses serious concerns for the planet, including increased light pollution, disruption to astronomical research, impacts on wildlife and ecosystems, and the growing problem of congestion and debris in Earth’s orbit.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about what causes the seasons.
On this episode, host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association speaks with Kim Schulam, Stranding Coordinator for the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket, about the dead sperm whale that washed ashore on Nantucket’s North Shore on November 18. Kim walks us through the response process, including how her team conducted tests and examinations to learn more about the whale and what may have caused its death. She also explains the careful planning and coordination required to remove such a large marine mammal from the beach, ultimately leading to the decision to tow the whale 60 miles offshore to ensure it would not return to Nantucket’s shoreline.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about what a meteor shower is and how to see it.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche, Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association, sits down with Jascin Finger, Deputy Director, curator, historian and true expert on all things Nantucket, for a nostalgic walk through MMA’s rich past. Together they revisit the stories, personalities and unforgettable characters who helped shape the organization, from the influential Edith Folger Andrews to the passionate Eileen McGrath, Elizabeth Yager and many others. It is a heartfelt conversation full of history, legacy, laughter and memories, celebrating the people who made the Maria Mitchell Association what it is today.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about Cosmic Rays and how they affect the Earth.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the interstellar comet which is flying past the Earth and then out of the Solar System.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche, Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association, welcomes back Dr. Jackie Milingo, the MMA’s Director of Astronomy, for another mind-expanding conversation, this time exploring the very fabric of the universe. Together they dive into the space-time continuum, unpack the relationship between time and space, and discuss the tantalizing possibilities of time travel, multiple dimensions, and the enigmatic nature of black holes. Along the way, they touch on some of the most intriguing phenomena in modern astrophysics, making complex ideas accessible, engaging, and full of wonder. It’s a compelling episode for anyone curious about how our universe works and how much more there may be to discover.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche, Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association, welcomes back Dr. Jackie Milingo, the MMA’s Director of Astronomy, for a fascinating deep dive into the wonders of our skies. Together they unpack what the Northern Lights really are and why Nantucket has recently had such spectacular views. The conversation then moves to the science behind sunspots and, for a fun twist, a thoughtful look at the mysteries surrounding aliens and UFOs and UAP's. It’s an enlightening and entertaining episode for sky-watchers and curious minds alike.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how Nantucket’s Whaleships navigated the oceans.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Nikoline Bohr who is anartist, treasure hunter, and program assistant at the Maria Mitchell Association. Nikoline shares the story of her journey to Nantucket, her educational background, and how her creative spirit and curiosity fuel both her art and her love of uncovering hidden gems. She also gives us a look behind the scenes at her work with the MMA and what inspires her on and off the island.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how astronomers get their data at Observatories.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Jascin Finger, Deputy Director of the Maria Mitchell Association and Curator of the Mitchell House archives and special collections, for a fascinating conversation about cemeteries and the stories they hold. Jascin shares her deep knowledge of stone monuments, how they’re cared for and cleaned, and why cemetery history is such a rich and revealing way to understand a community. Along the way, listeners will hear some surprising and delightful stories pulled from the archives….proving that there’s a lot more life found among the stones than you might expect.
Learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how astronauts may soon return to the Moon.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about Daylight Savings Time and why we have it.
This week on the show, host Joanna Roche sits down with John Barentine, Principal Consultant and Expert at Dark Sky Consulting, for an engaging conversation about his journey into the world of astronomy and his transition to becoming a dark sky consultant. John shares fascinating insights into his work, including the importance of measuring light pollution with a sky quality meter and the urgent need for solutions to protect our night skies. Tune in to learn more about the impact of light pollution and how Dark Sky Consulting is leading the charge in preserving our celestial wonders. For more information, visit https://www.darkskyconsulting.com/.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche, Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association, welcomes Elisa Kermani who is the MMA’s Natural Science Museum Manager. Elisa shares her Nantucket origin story and the journey that led her to a life dedicated to animals and education. From her early days at Walt Disney World’s The Seas exhibit in Florida to working with dolphins in Hawaii, Elisa’s path is filled with fascinating experiences that ultimately brought her to the island where her passion for science and wildlife inspires visitors every day. Learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about some threats to Nantucket’s dark skies.
Geoff Clayton is an Astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about planets orbiting other stars.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche, Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association, sits down with Dr. Jackie Milingo, the new Director of Astronomy at the MMA. Jackie shares her inspiring journey into the stars, from the moment she first saw Halley’s Comet as a child, to studying astronomy at the University of Kansas and the University of Oklahoma, and later teaching as a visiting professor at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. Now on Nantucket, she talks about what drew her to the island, her passion for astronomy education, and her vision for the future of the MMA’s astronomy programs.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association continues her conversation with RJ Turcotte, Nantucket’s Water Keeper, exploring the science behind PFAS contamination and its local implications. RJ explains what PFAS are, how they differ from microplastics, and why both pose significant challenges to Nantucket’s delicate marine and freshwater ecosystems. Together, they examine current research, sources of pollution, and what’s being done to protect the island’s environment for future generations.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about what interests him most in astronomy: dust in space.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with RJ Turcotte, Nantucket’s Water Keeper, to hear his inspiring island origin story. RJ shares how his first connection to Nantucket began as a Boy Scout visiting the island, a spark that eventually led him to his current role as a guardian of Nantucket’s waters. He explains what being a Water Keeper truly means, the responsibilities that come with the position, and the journey that brought him to this vital role in protecting the island’s environment and community.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about what caused all the craters on the Moon and why the Earth doesn’t have many craters.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Silas Gilbert, Head Brewer at Cisco Brewers for the past eight and a half years. Silas and Joanna talk about “Stargazer”, a brand-new beer brewed in collaboration with the Maria Mitchell Association that is being premiered at their launch party on October 1st from 4-7pm. Silas shares his journey to Nantucket, what inspired his passion for brewing, and offers an inside look at how beer is made and its rich history. It’s a conversation that blends science, craft, and community that raises a glass to curiosity and collaboration.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about gravitational waves produced by two black holes merging into one.
This week on the show, host Joanna Roche sits down with John Barentine, Principal Consultant and Expert at Dark Sky Consulting, for an engaging conversation about his journey into the world of astronomy and his transition to becoming a dark sky consultant. John shares fascinating insights into his work, including the importance of measuring light pollution with a sky quality meter and the urgent need for solutions to protect our night skies. Tune in to learn more about the impact of light pollution and how Dark Sky Consulting is leading the charge in preserving our celestial wonders. For more information, visit https://www.darkskyconsulting.com/.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about new evidence for Life on Mars.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche welcomes Ginger Andrews, Field Ornithologist for the Maria Mitchell Association. They dive into the details of the Association’s upcoming birding trip to New York City’s Central Park on Saturday, September 20th. Ginger shares her personal connection to the park, the timing of the fall migration, and the bird species participants can expect to encounter, along with a behind-the-scenes look at what makes this field trip so special.
For more details about the Maria Mitchell Association, visit mariamitchell.org.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about precession and the big effects it has on the North Star and Astrology.
On this episode, host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association welcomes James Currie, National Geographic TV host, author, and passionate conservationist, for a fascinating conversation about his journey in wildlife exploration and storytelling. James shares how his adventures across the globe have shaped his commitment to conservation and inspired audiences to connect more deeply with the natural world. They also discuss his upcoming appearance in the MMA Science Speaker Series on Wednesday September 10th and an exciting birding event in NYC on September 20th.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about what’s going with Saturn, the second largest planet in the Solar System.
Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Elizabeth “Betsy” Sherman, Professor Emerita of Biology at Bennington College in Vermont, to reflect on her remarkable life journey in science and education. Betsy shares the experiences that shaped her career path, from her early love of the natural world to her decades of teaching and research, and what ultimately led her to consulting with the Maria Mitchell Association on marine biology initiatives. Together, they explore the intersections of passion, mentorship, and discovery that have guided Betsy’s work and continue to inspire future generations of scientists.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about strange clouds produced by rocket launches.
Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Jeannie Esti, CEO of Compagna Enterprises, whose name—meaning “partner” in Italian—reflects her unique approach to executive coaching. From her early corporate beginnings to building a practice that now supports leaders across business, entertainment, and sports, Jeannie has dedicated her career to being a trusted guide and partner. In our conversation, we explore her Nantucket origin story, the vision behind Compagna Enterprises, and how she helps clients navigate challenges while staying true to themselves.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the possibility of life on a planet orbiting another star.
This week, host Joanna Roche sits down with Kimbery Schulam, the Stranding Coordinator for Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket. Kimberly takes us on her journey to Nantucket, sharing her passion for marine mammals and the unique path that led her to her current role. She discusses her work with the Marine Mammal Alliance, offering insights into the organization's efforts to protect and care for stranded marine animals. Tune in to hear how Kimberly and her dedicated team make a difference in the lives of these incredible creatures. If you spot an injured seal or marine mammal, please call 833-667-6626.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about a new meteorite that crashed into a house and narrowly missed the occupant.
On this week’s episode of “The Nature of Nantucket,” host Joanna Roche welcomes Christina Norman, Aquarium Director at the Maria Mitchell Association, for a lively conversation about Nantucket’s marine life and the community’s role in protecting it. Christina shares highlights from this year’s Green Crab Week, an island-wide initiative focused on managing the invasive European green crab population. They discuss hands-on public events like trapping demonstrations, educational activities, and the popular Green Crab Derby, where participants of all ages helped catch and collect data on this destructive species. Through education, science, and community engagement, Green Crab Week showcases how islanders can make a real impact in preserving Nantucket’s delicate coastal ecosystems.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how and when to view the Perseid Meteor Shower.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche welcomes Anya Freeman, founder and CEO of Kind Designs, a groundbreaking company using 3D printing to create living seawalls. Anya shares the inspiring journey that led her to this innovative work, from discovering her passion for environmental solutions to launching a mission-driven company. She dives into the exciting projects Kind Designs is currently developing and gives a sneak peek at what’s on the horizon. It’s a conversation about creativity, climate resilience, and how tech can help heal the planet.
Learn more online at https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about seeing satellites in the night sky.
On this episode of the Maria Mitchell Association’s podcast, host Joanna Roche speaks with renowned photographer, author, and National Geographic Explorer Kike Calvo. From documenting the world’s most remote corners to using visual storytelling as a bridge between science and culture, Kike shares insights from his global adventures and his unique creative journey. They dive into his latest book, Luminous: A Field Guide for Visual Explorers and Storytellers — a stunning, thoughtful guide that’s now available on Amazon. Kike also reflects on the power of images in conservation and education, and how curiosity continues to drive his work. Follow his inspiring visuals on Instagram at @kikeo, explore his videos on YouTube, and learn more at www.kikecalvo.com.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the merger of two giant black holes.
On this week’s episode of the Maria Mitchell Association podcast The Nature of Nantucket, host Joanna Roche speaks with Holly Greenberg—professor at Syracuse University and Director of Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene. Holly shares the story behind her public-art project raising awareness of bird deaths from window collisions, where over 10,800 handmade fabric birds visualize this hidden crisis. She also reflects on her Nantucket origin story, how the island shaped her creative journey, and her father’s early connection to the Maria Mitchell Association itself. Listeners can learn more about Holly’s work at hollygreenberg.com.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the recent discovery of a comet which comes from beyond our Solar System.
On this episode of The Nature of Nantucket, host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association chats with country music artist Ben Allen of the Ben Allen Band, who will headline this year’s Stargazer Gala—MMA’s largest fundraising event—on Thursday, July 24, at 6PM at Tom Nevers Field. With a “Night at the MM Ranch” theme, the evening features music, dancing, games, mechanical bull rides, food from Island Kitchen, and more, all under the stars in support of science education and research on Nantucket. Joanna and Ben discuss the excitement of bringing live music to the island and the impact the gala has on the community. Tickets and event details are available now at mariamitchell.org/the-stargazer-gala.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about why it is Summer even though the Earth is at its furthest point from the Sun.
In this episode of the Maria Mitchell Association podcast The Nature of Nantucket, host Joanna Roche sits down with beloved Nantucket personality and author Denice Kronau for a thoughtful and inspiring conversation. Denice shares the story behind her 2014 debut book The World is Decorated with Stars, and gives us a sneak peek into her soon-to-be-released follow-up, The Stars That Guide Us, available July 22nd at the Egan Maritime Museum and all major online booksellers. Joanna also invites Denice to tell her Nantucket origin story—from her childhood in upstate New York, to a transformative chapter in Germany, and finally, to the island she now calls home.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about black holes and how they form.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the release of the first amazing images of nebulae and galaxies taken by the new Rubin telescope.
In this episode of the Maria Mitchell Association podcast Nature of Nantucket, host Joanna Roche is joined by Christina Norman, Aquarium Manager at MMA, for a fascinating conversation about one of the ocean’s oldest and most unique creatures — the horseshoe crab. Christina shares why these living fossils are so special, how they play a vital role in both marine ecosystems and modern medicine, and why late spring and early summer mark peak horseshoe crab season in Massachusetts. Learn how MMA monitors and protects these ancient animals, and how you can help too. Whether you're a marine life enthusiast or just curious about the critters along our shores, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the Summer Triangle, three bright stars in the summer night sky.
On this episode of the Maria Mitchell Association’s radio podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Mike Dobbert of The Dobbert Companies. Mike shares the personal journey that brought him to Nantucket and the inspiration behind his work in sustainable innovation. Together, they explore the evolution of green energy on the island, reflect on major advancements in the field, and discuss what lies ahead for renewable energy both locally and beyond. It’s a thoughtful and forward-looking conversation about sustainability, community, and the future of clean energy.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
On this episode, Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association speaks with Darren Humphreys, founder of Travel Sommelier, about the art of crafting personalized luxury travel experiences and their shared commitment to sustainability and education. They discuss Darren’s journey from Wall Street to curating immersive global adventures focused on wine, wildlife, wellness, and conservation. The conversation also highlights a new partnership between Travel Sommelier and the Maria Mitchell Association, designed to inspire deeper connections to science, nature, and culture through thoughtfully designed travel experiences. To learn more about Travel Sommelier visit https://www.travelsommelier.com/.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the discovery of a new dwarf planet which orbits beyond Pluto far from the Sun.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the discovery of the most distant galaxy from the Earth. It was just discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche is joined by Maureen Koetz, President of Planet A Strategies which is a firm dedicated to advancing sustainable enterprise management to continue their conversation in part three of this series. Maureen explains how the windmills operate and discusses the technical process how wind energy works and its effects here on Nantucket. Learn more at planetastrategies.com.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Ginger Andrews, the Field Ornithologist for the Maria Mitchell Association, for an insightful conversation about the new and most important news on Nantucket’s birdlife. Ginger talks about their recent "Bird-a-thon" that took place here on island and goes into detail on what they do during it and what they hope to accomplish. She also goes over what we can expect here during the spring when it comes to birds on Nantucket.
For more details about the Maria Mitchell Association, visit mariamitchell.org.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about Asteroids that orbit the Sun near the Earth and sometimes hit us.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche welcomes Richard Sotell, a seasoned expert with over 50 years in the financial services industry, specializing in retirement and financial planning. In part two of this two-part series, Joanna and Rich continue their dive into the "Science of Money," tracing the evolution of tariffs and taxation from 1789 to today. Together, they break down what these financial tools are, how they work, and their impact on everyday life.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche is joined by Maureen Koetz, President of Planet A Strategies which is a firm dedicated to advancing sustainable enterprise management to continue their previous talk (part one). Maureen shares insights into the mission behind Planet A, how they're helping organizations innovate for a greener future, and the impact of sustainability on business strategy. Learn more at planetastrategies.com.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about The Extremely Large Telescope which is being built on a mountain in Chile. It is the biggest telescope ever.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche welcomes Richard Sotell, a seasoned expert with over 50 years in the financial services industry, specializing in retirement and financial planning. In part one of this two-part series, Joanna and Rich dive into the "Science of Money," tracing the evolution of tariffs and taxation from 1789 to today. Together, they break down what these financial tools are, how they work, and their impact on everyday life.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about New Horizons, the spacecraft that flew by Pluto in 2016, and is now venturing into interstellar space.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche is joined by Maureen Koetz, President of Planet A Strategies which is a firm dedicated to advancing sustainable enterprise management. Maureen shares insights into the mission behind Planet A, how they're helping organizations innovate for a greener future, and the impact of sustainability on business strategy. She also reflects on her distinguished career, including her work in the U.S. Senate and managing the U.S. Air Force’s energy and environmental portfolio. It’s a conversation packed with expertise, inspiration, and forward-thinking solutions. Learn more at planetastrategies.com.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons that has geysers shooting water into space.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Jascin Finger, Deputy Director of the Maria Mitchell Association and Curator of the Mitchell House archives and special collections. Together, they explore Jascin’s role at the MMA, recent developments on Vestal Street, and the ongoing renovations that are shaping the future of this historic institution. They also dive into the rich history of the MMA Observatory, which has been a cornerstone of Nantucket’s scientific community since 1902 and much more.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the possibility of life on planets outside our Solar System.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Nikoline Bohr — artist, treasure hunter, and program assistant at the Maria Mitchell Association. Nikoline shares the story of her journey to Nantucket, her educational background, and how her creative spirit and curiosity fuel both her art and her love of uncovering hidden gems. She also gives us a look behind the scenes at her work with the MMA and what inspires her on and off the island.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how the date of Easter is set because of the Moon.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche welcomes Anya Freeman, founder and CEO of Kind Designs, a groundbreaking company using 3D printing to create living seawalls. Anya shares the inspiring journey that led her to this innovative work, from discovering her passion for environmental solutions to launching a mission-driven company. She dives into the exciting projects Kind Designs is currently developing and gives a sneak peek at what’s on the horizon. It’s a conversation about creativity, climate resilience, and how tech can help heal the planet.
Join the MMA and Anya Freeman for another "Science Speaker Series" taking place Wednesday April 16th at 7pm. Register online at https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the discovery of 128 new moons around Saturn.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Jascin Finger, Deputy Director of the Maria Mitchell Association and Curator of the Mitchell House archives and special collections. Together, they explore Jascin’s role at the MMA, recent developments on Vestal Street, and the ongoing renovations that are shaping the future of this historic institution. They also dive into the rich history of the MMA Observatory, which has been a cornerstone of Nantucket’s scientific community since 1902 and much more.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
The Star Report with Geoff Clayton of the Maria Mitchell Association – The First Day of Spring. Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the astronomical meaning of Spring.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche welcomes two water experts with deep roots in Nantucket's environmental landscape: Charles Johnson, Storm Water Manager for the Town of Nantucket, and RJ Turcotte, “Water Keeper” for the Nantucket Land and Water Council and newly appointed “Nantucket Liaison” for State Representative Thomas Moakley.
In this insightful episode, Charles and RJ share their unique journeys to Nantucket, from their initial connections with the island to how they found their passion for water management and conservation. Dive into their personal stories and discover how their roles are shaping the future of Nantucket’s water resources and the ongoing efforts to protect the island’s pristine environment.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about what happens when there is a total eclipse of the Moon.
This week, host Joanna Roche sits down with Kimbery Schulam, the Stranding Coordinator for Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket. Kimberly takes us on her journey to Nantucket, sharing her passion for marine mammals and the unique path that led her to her current role. She discusses her work with the Marine Mammal Alliance, offering insights into the organization's efforts to protect and care for stranded marine animals. Tune in to hear how Kimberly and her dedicated team make a difference in the lives of these incredible creatures. If you spot an injured seal or marine mammal, please call 833-667-6626.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how Abraham Lincoln used a knowledge of the heavens to win a case in court.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about water on Mars and whether life might have formed there billions of years ago.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about Galileo and his many scientific discoveries.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about asteroids and what they are made of.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how the Earth needs to prepare to avoid a collision with an asteroid.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Zoe Barry. From Wall Street to being a racecar driver to being the founder and CEO of Zingeroo, Zoe has done it all! She chats with Joanna and tells her about what brought her to Nantucket, her exciting background and making an impact in more traditionally male-dominated industries.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how the planets seem to be lined up across the sky this month.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Ginger Andrews, the Field Ornithologist for the Maria Mitchell Association, for an insightful conversation about the new and most important news on Nantucket’s birdlife. Ginger talks about many subjects throughout the show including Avian Flu on Nantucket, safety precautions we can all take, Bald Eagles on island, Purple Sandpipers and more!
For more details about the Maria Mitchell Association, visit mariamitchell.org.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the new Rubin Observatory named after the astronomer, Vera Rubin, who discovered dark matter.
This week on the show, host Joanna Roche sits down with John Barentine, Principal Consultant and Expert at Dark Sky Consulting, for an engaging conversation about his journey into the world of astronomy and his transition to becoming a dark sky consultant. John shares fascinating insights into his work, including the importance of measuring light pollution with a sky quality meter and the urgent need for solutions to protect our night skies. Tune in to learn more about the impact of light pollution and how Dark Sky Consulting is leading the charge in preserving our celestial wonders. For more information, visit https://www.darkskyconsulting.com/.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about Mars which is bright in our sky right now.
This week on the show, host Joanna Roche chats with Emily Molden the Executive Director at Nantucket Land and Water Council. In this insightful interview, Emily discusses her role at the helm of the organization, which is dedicated to preserving Nantucket's unique environmental resources. She highlights the challenges and successes the council faces in protecting the island's land, water, and wildlife, and provides valuable insights into the importance of sustainable practices and community involvement in conservation efforts. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about environmental stewardship and the future of Nantucket's natural heritage.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about why we celebrate the New Year on January 1st.
This week on the show, host Joanna Roche chats with Dr. Rich Blundell from the Maria Mitchell Association. As the MMA’s visiting scientist for the past few years, Dr. Blundell dives into the "Healthy Harbor Project"—featuring their newly installed, custom-designed buoy that’s been actively monitoring Nantucket Harbor since August. They’ll explore the latest data collected and share insights into how this technology is helping us better understand and protect our vital harbor ecosystem, along with the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week, host Joanna Roche sits down with Deblois Milledge, a talented singer and songwriter currently serving as the Artist in Residence at the Maria Mitchell Association on Nantucket. Deblois is working on a collection of original songs inspired by the life and legacy of Maria Mitchell. In addition to her musical pursuits, Deblois shares her experiences as a registered nurse (RN) and a Death Doula, explaining how these roles enrich her music. Check out Deblois' music online via streaming services.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week, host Joanna Roche sits down with Jennifer Walsh, a renowned wellness expert with a deep focus on the powerful connection between humans and nature. Jennifer shares her insights into how immersing ourselves in natural environments can profoundly impact our mental well-being. In the conversation, she explores the numerous benefits of spending time in nature, from reducing stress to enhancing brain function, and discusses how these simple yet effective practices can help alleviate the pressures of our busy lives.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the significance of the winter solstice.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Zoe Barry. From Wall Street to being a racecar driver to being the founder and CEO of Zingeroo, Zoe has done it all! She chats with Joanna and tells her about what brought her to Nantucket, her exciting background and making an impact in more traditionally male-dominated industries.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the Voyager spacecraft which are still sending back data 47 years after launch.
This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche sits down with Ginger Andrews, the Field Ornithologist for the Maria Mitchell Association, for an insightful conversation about Nantucket’s birdlife. Ginger delves into the unique challenges Barn Owls face during the island’s harsh winters, including the dangers of secondary poisoning from their prey. She shares practical ways we can protect these magnificent owls, such as avoiding the use of poisons and rodent traps that harm their food sources. The discussion also explores other fascinating bird species that call Nantucket home, offering a glimpse into the vibrant avian life 30 miles out to sea.
For more details about the Maria Mitchell Association, visit mariamitchell.org.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about planets orbiting other stars.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with former NASA astronaut and US Navy Captain (Ret.), Daniel Bursch, to talk about his Nantucket roots. Bursch is a former Naval Flight Officer and astronaut. He completed four missions to space, including a 196-day mission to the International Space Station from December 2001 to June 2002 as a flight engineer on Expedition 4. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1979, the US Naval Test Pilot School in 1984 and the Naval Postgraduate School in 1991. He is married to Sharon Yencharis and they have four children, and two grandchildren. He grew up in the Northeast and spent his summers as a child on Nantucket. His hobbies include working on cars, fixing anything and weaving lightship baskets. He retired from the Aerospace Corporation in September 2019.
For more details about the Maria Mitchell Association, visit mariamitchell.org.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about Jupiter and its moons.
This week, host Joanna Roche welcomes Tara Riley, Nantucket's Shellfish and Aquatic Resource Manager, to continue their conversation about the Eelgrass restoration project. She goes into depth about the importance of Eelgrass here on Nantucket and how we can help protect it and improve its presence here. Together, they explore the importance of managing Nantucket’s marine resources and the rewarding challenges of protecting the island's delicate ecosystem.
For more details about the Maria Mitchell Association, visit mariamitchell.org.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how to identify Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in the skies of Nantucket right now.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about the Full Moon.
This week on the show, host Joanna Roche sits down with Charlie Brooks, a dedicated field researcher from the renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. Charlie shares fond memories of his childhood summers on Nantucket, where his fascination with the ocean first took root. He takes us on his journey from these early inspirations to a rewarding career in marine science, detailing the experiences that led him to his role at Scripps and offering insights into his ongoing research.
For more details about the Maria Mitchell Association, visit mariamitchell.org.
This week, host Joanna Roche welcomes Tara Riley, Nantucket's Shellfish and Aquatic Resource Manager, for an in-depth conversation on her unique journey in marine biology. Tara shares her personal background, her early passion for aquatic sciences, and the path that led her to this specialized role. Together, they explore the importance of managing Nantucket’s marine resources and the rewarding challenges of protecting the island's delicate ecosystem.
For more details about the Maria Mitchell Association, visit mariamitchell.org.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff recites the poem written by US Poet Laureate, Ada Limon, for the NASA Europa Mission.
This week, host Joanna Roche welcomes Shawn Sneddon a system engineer with Yellow Springs Instruments or YSI which specializes in water quality equipment. Shawn is now one of the lead engineers for all things autonomous: Performing hydrographic surveys, trainings, customer/sales support, and demos for customer applications. Shawn started his career as a service and calibration engineer for Aanderaa before moving into a Systems Engineering role for the integrated systems and services division of YSI. He tells us about the work being done at YSI and the collaboration with the Maria Mitchell Association and their new specialized buoy that was designed and is being installed in the harbor here on Nantucket.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff discusses the Cosmic Dawn, the time 13 billion years ago when the first stars and galaxies began to shine.
This week, host Joanna Roche sits down with U.S. Navy officer Kari Yakubisin. As the Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Nantucket, Kari shares her experiences leading the crew of the Navy's newest combat ship, which is making its way to Boston for its commissioning ceremony from November 8th to 16th. In this episode, she also offers insights into her journey as a female leader in the Navy and the challenges and triumphs that come with commanding such a significant vessel.
For more details about the Maria Mitchell Association, visit mariamitchell.org.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff discusses the exciting launches of two rockets, the SpaceX Moon rocket, and the Europa Clipper, heading to Jupiter to look for life.
This week, host Joanna Roche welcomes artist and designer Morgan Raith to the show. Morgan is an artist, designer, and creative strategist specializing in science communication. Growing up on Nantucket, she developed her love for the natural world and artistic expression from a young age. She now provides creative direction for clients in marine technology, natural sciences, education, and conservation. Morgan works closely with scientists, engineers, teachers, and cultural experts to transform complex information into accessible visual content for various audiences and settings. Her portfolio includes self-guided tours, interpretive signage, scientific illustration, visual guides, digital storytelling, and exhibit design.
Don't miss Morgan's upcoming talk at the MMA Science Speaker Series on Wednesday, October 23rd, at 7 PM. For more details about the Maria Mitchell Association, visit mariamitchell.org.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff discusses the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis. We have seen the aurora from Nantucket this year because the Sun is very active, and we may see it again.
This week, host Joanna Roche speaks with Emmy Wisz, a postbaccalaureate research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association for the past year. Joining them is Grecco Oyarzun Martinez, a visiting astronomer collaborating with MMA astronomers and mentoring Emmy through the scientific paper writing process. Together, they discuss their recent projects and delve into their research on galaxies dating back to the early universe.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Geoff Clayton is the Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff discusses comets. There is a new bright comet which should appear in Nantucket's skies this weekend. Look in the west after sunset for the beautiful comet tail.
This week on the show, host Joanna Roche sits down with Dr. Geoffrey Clayton, Interim Director of Astronomy at the Maria Mitchell Association. Dr. Clayton shares his deep connection to Nantucket, where he now resides full-time, and how his early visits to the island and the MMA sparked his lifelong passion for astronomy. He reflects on his educational journey, past projects, and career highlights, leading him to his current role. In a touching moment, Dr. Clayton recalls receiving his first telescope at the age of nine, igniting his love for the night sky and setting him on his path to the stars.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Celia Mulcahey a former astronomy research fellow at the at the Maria Mitchell Association, discusses Venus. This week the second planet in our solar system, Venus, which will be visible in the southwest sky after sunset. Tune in to learn about Venus' composition, atmosphere, and what you can expect to see if you observe this planet with a telescope or binoculars.
This week on the show, host Joanna Roche chats with Dr. Rich Blundell from the Maria Mitchell Association. As the MMA’s visiting scientist for the past few years, Dr. Blundell dives into the "Healthy Harbor Project"—featuring their newly installed, custom-designed buoy that’s been actively monitoring Nantucket Harbor since August. They’ll explore the latest data collected and share insights into how this technology is helping us better understand and protect our vital harbor ecosystem, along with the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Celia Mulcahey a former astronomy research fellow at the at the Maria Mitchell Association, discusses Mars. This week Mars is visible in the early morning just below the crescent Moon. Mars is a seemingly lifeless planet compared to Earth, but has unique geological and atmospheric features that captivate our curiosity.
Join Joanna Roche and Dan Drake, former MMA Board President and current president of The Linda Loring Foundation as they talk about Dan’s relationship to Maria Mitchell and his thoughts about Nantucket.
Celia Mulcahey a former astronomy research fellow at the at the Maria Mitchell Association, discusses Saturn. This week, Saturn is visible in the southeastern part of sky shortly after sunset and is visible all night until dawn. Saturn is the second largest gas giant in our solar system, and is famous for its rings made of rock and ice. The planet has 53 identified moons, one of which may support microbial life.
This week, host Joanna Roche sits down with Sarah Johnson. Sarah is the founder of White Feather Farm, an organic educational research farm in Saugerties, NY. She is on the board of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Woods Hole MA, as well as a Board Member for the Woodstock Film Festival.
Her commitment to the environment and environmental advocacy began more than three decades ago when she lobbied for clean air and water in Washington D.C. with the Garden Club of America. Sarah also has started NY Carbon which converts rotting wood debris in the Catskills to biochar. She is a human rights and sustainability activist, and a philanthropist. Today, Johnson’s commitment to the environment includes furthering understanding of climate change by supporting innovative, solutions-focused climate science.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Celia Mulcahey a former astronomy research fellow at the at the Maria Mitchell Association, discusses a partial lunar eclipse. This upcoming partial lunar eclipse occurring on the night of September 17th, coinciding with the Harvest Supermoon. Listeners will learn how to observe the Moon as it appears larger and brighter than usual, while also passing through Earth’s shadow.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Blue Balliett. Blue Balliett’s seven young adult mysteries -- Chasing Vermeer, The Wright 3, The Calder Game, The Danger Box, Hold Fast, Pieces and Players, and Out of the Wild Night-- have been New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, USA Today, Book Sense and Indie Bound bestsellers.
Blue won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Juvenile Novel, the Agatha Award for Best YA Novel, the Chicago Tribune Prize for Young Adult Fiction, Chicago Public Library Foundation’s 21st Century Award, Book Sense Book of the Year Award, Great Lakes Book Award, Friends of American Writers Award, Chicago Tribune’s Chicagoan of the Year for Literature, 2010, and a place in the official White House library as The Danger Box was handed to President Obama in January 2011 as a gift from the American Booksellers Association.
Out of the Wild Night (March 2018) is both a ghost story and a mystery, and is set entirely on Nantucket in the off-season.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week, host Joanna Roche sits down with John Shulan, founder and President of the Summit County Astronomy Club in Ohio. John shares his journey of falling in love with Nantucket’s breathtaking night skies, which he first began exploring in 2004. His passion for stargazing on the island eventually inspired him to establish the astronomy club. In this episode, John recounts some of his memorable experiences on Nantucket and discusses the exciting process that led to the creation of his first observatory.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Anne Blackwell a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association, discusses Satellites in the sky. An artificial satellite is a man-made object in orbit around a planetary body, like the Earth. There are over 10,000 in orbit around the Earth right now with one of the most famous being the International Space Station. You can see the satellites and the ISS all over the night sky as a star-like object moving at a constant speed in a line across the sky.
Anne Blackwell a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association, discusses Saturn which is the 6th planet in our solar system and has begun rising in the Eastern part of our sky around 9pm in the constellation Aquarius. You will be able to observe Saturn, its rings, and potentially some moons with your own binoculars and steady hands.
This week, host Joanna Roche welcomes Nancy Dubuc who was president and chief executive officer of the American media company A&E Networks and served five years as CEO of the digital media and entertainment company Vice. Nancy goes over her time at Boston University and her very established career in communications! She also tells Joanna about how she came to Nantucket. They also go over her thoughts on mentoring young people in her life.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Nick Mazzioti a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association, discusses the recent findings from NASA’s Mars InSight lander that suggest there may be an ocean’s worth of water hidden inside rocks beneath the surface of Mars.
This week, host Joanna Roche welcomes Shawn Sneddon a system engineer with Yellow Springs Instruments or YSI which specializes in water quality equipment. Shawn is now one of the lead engineers for all things autonomous: Performing hydrographic surveys, trainings, customer/sales support, and demos for customer applications. Shawn started his career as a service and calibration engineer for Aanderaa before moving into a Systems Engineering role for the integrated systems and services division of YSI. He tells us about the work being done at YSI and the collaboration with the Maria Mitchell Association and their new specialized buoy that was designed and is being installed in the harbor here on Nantucket.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Fiona Lopez a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association, discusses the Perseid meteor shower which is considered the best meteor shower of the year, will peak around August 11-12, offering an amazing display with up to 100 meteors visible per hour.
This week, host Joanna Roche welcomes Paul Collins, the President of the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation and a member for the past 20 years. He tells us what brought him to Nantucket, his passion for sailing and discuss all of the work that the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation for our island and our surrounding waters.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join host and Director of Astronomy of the Maria Mitchell Association Dr. Regina Jorgenson as she talks with six NSF REU Interns for the summer of 2024 who have all been interning for the Maria Mitchell Association this summer right here on Nantucket. Jillian Epstein, Sophia Chan Davis, Naija Bruckner, Nicolas Mazziotti, Fiona Lopez and Gada Tefera all talk about how they got interested in the field of Astronomy, the projects they each have worked on and what their future plans might hold for them. You can join all of them on Wednesday August 7th from 6-7:30pm at the MMA Research Center or via Zoom as they each present their research projects. Check out their talk and learn more online at https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Sophia Davis a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association, discusses Draco and the Naga Connection. Discover Draco, the constellation known as Naga in Cambodian culture, where it symbolizes protection and enlightenment and is linked to the mythic origins of the Khmer people. The segment highlights Draco’s alignment with the Angkor Wat complex, showcasing the history of Cambodian people’s astronomical knowledge and cosmic reverence.
Naija Bruckner a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association, discusses the recently discovered exoplanet TIC 241249530 b has a highly eccentric orbit. Scientists think that it is on its way to becoming a “hot Jupiter” exoplanet.
This week, host Joanna Roche welcomes Clara Bingham, a journalist and writer. Clara tells us about her new book which is coming out on July 30th called "The Movement - How Women's Liberation Transformed America 1963 - 1973". Joanna also asks Clara to talk about where she grew up and how she came to Nantucket. From NYC as a child to spending summers growing up here on island. Clara also explains how she came into journalism and writing. "The Movement - How Women's Liberation Transformed America 1963 - 1973" can be purchased starting July 30th at Mitchell's on Main Street and Amazon.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Gada Tefera a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association, discusses the possibility of life on Venus. Astronomers found a gas in Venus' upper atmosphere that suggests there is a possibility for microbial life. This discovery has led to new missions aimed at investigating Venus further.
This week, host Joanna Roche welcomes Caroline Collatos, a dedicated shark researcher based on Nantucket. Caroline is currently pursuing her PhD with UMass Boston and the New England Aquarium. Her research focuses on the Sandbar Shark, meticulously tracking their movements within their natural habitat and local environment. She also monitors their vital signs, striving to understand why these sharks choose this area for their survival. Impressively, Caroline has personally caught and tracked over 200 sharks in her research endeavors.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Gada Tefera a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses Mizar and Alcor which are a double star system in the handle of the Big Dipper that have been used to test eyesight for hundreds of years.
This week, host Joanna Roche welcomes Dr. Joan Maloof, Professor Emeritus at Salisbury University, founder of the Old Growth Forest Network, and author of six books. Dr. Maloof, who is also the great-great-great-great niece of the renowned astronomer Maria Mitchell, shares her unique connection to Nantucket. She recounts her experience working at the Maria Mitchell Loines Observatory one summer and discusses her latest book. Don't miss Dr. Maloof's engaging talk at the Nantucket Atheneum on Friday, July 26th. Join us for this free and informative event!
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Fiona Lopez a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses The Milky Way as told in the tradition of the Blackfoot, an indigenous North American Tribe.
This week, host Joanna Roche sits down with Christina Norman, the Aquarium Manager for the Maria Mitchell Association on Nantucket. Christina shares her journey leading to her role at the MMA, starting from her childhood on a small farm in Northeast Ohio, through college, and eventually to Nantucket. They also discuss the latest updates and current happenings at the MMA aquarium.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Naija Bruckner an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses The Summer Triangle. The Summer Triangle consists of three bright stars that are prominent in the summer night sky and can help to locate the band of our Milky Way Galaxy.
This week, host Joanna Roche sits down with Deblois Milledge, a talented singer and songwriter currently serving as the Artist in Residence at the Maria Mitchell Association on Nantucket. Deblois is working on a collection of original songs inspired by the life and legacy of Maria Mitchell. In addition to her musical pursuits, Deblois shares her experiences as a registered nurse (RN) and a Death Doula, explaining how these roles enrich her music. Check out Deblois' music online via streaming services.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with Claire Martin the Project Manager at ReMain Nantucket. She talks about starting work out in the Bay area and then her journey back to the East coast and Nantucket and ending up at ReMain Nantucket and her focus on coastal resilience. Find out more about ReMain Nantucket at https://remainnantucket.org/. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Nick Mazziotti an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the Strawberry Moon. The full moon in June, known as the Strawberry Moon, will occur just one day after the summer solstice on June 20. These two events only coincide around every 20 years.
This week, host Joanna Roche speaks with Emmy Wisz, a postbaccalaureate research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association for the past year. Joining them is Grecco Oyarzun Martinez, a visiting astronomer collaborating with MMA astronomers and mentoring Emmy through the scientific paper writing process. Together, they discuss their recent projects and delve into their research on galaxies dating back to the early universe.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
August Muller an astronomy research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses JADES-GS-z14-0. JWST scientists recently discovered galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0, the oldest observed galaxy to date.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Zoe Barry. From Wall Street to being a racecar driver to being the founder and CEO of Zingeroo, Zoe has done it all! She chats with Joanna and tells her about what brought her to Nantucket, her exciting background and making an impact in more traditionally male-dominated industries.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association as she gets to chat with local photographer and Astro photographer Charity Grace Mofsen. Joanna talks to Charity Grace about how she got into photography and Astro photography. She also learns about her being the legislative liaison for Nantucket and Representative Dylan Fernandes. To see her work visit https://www.charitygracephotography.com/about/. And to learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Emmy Wisz an astronomy research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Ancient Chinese Constellation Calendars. As approach the end of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we take a look at how ancient Chinese culture organized the stars in the sky.
This week host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association chats about Dark Sky Week with founder of Nantucket Lights, Gail Walker. Gail also tells Joanna about why Nantucket Lights and the battle against light pollution is so important to us here on Nantucket. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
August Muller an astronomy research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses NASA's PREFIRE. NASA's PREFIRE climate science mission is launching this weekend, to study heat in the Arctic and Antarctic.
August Muller an astronomy research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses this week a large coronal mass ejection from the Sun which caused the aurora borealis to be visible from Nantucket.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Blue Balliett. Blue Balliett’s seven young adult mysteries -- Chasing Vermeer, The Wright 3, The Calder Game, The Danger Box, Hold Fast, Pieces and Players, and Out of the Wild Night-- have been New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, USA Today, Book Sense and Indie Bound bestsellers.
Blue won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best Juvenile Novel, the Agatha Award for Best YA Novel, the Chicago Tribune Prize for Young Adult Fiction, Chicago Public Library Foundation’s 21st Century Award, Book Sense Book of the Year Award, Great Lakes Book Award, Friends of American Writers Award, Chicago Tribune’s Chicagoan of the Year for Literature, 2010, and a place in the official White House library as The Danger Box was handed to President Obama in January 2011 as a gift from the American Booksellers Association.
Out of the Wild Night (March 2018) is both a ghost story and a mystery, and is set entirely on Nantucket in the off-season.
To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
August Muller an astronomy research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses this week Ceres. The dwarf planet Ceres is visible after midnight in the Sagittarius constellation. It will begin retrograde motion this week.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Dr. Rich Blundell of the Maria Mitchell Association. Dr. Blundell has been the MMA's visiting scientist for the last few years and is returning to Nantucket this summer. They talk about "curiosity" and how it has really driven his scientific career and how curiosity drives so many things across the planet. From children to adults we all experience curiosity in so many different ways. They discuss how curiosity evolves with each of us throughout our lives. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association including Dr. Rich Blundell's upcoming events visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Emmy Wisz an astronomy research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses this week the Balatik constellation. A prominent ancient Filipino constellation called Balatik is visible in the western night sky after sunset.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with former NASA astronaut and US Navy Captain (Ret.), Daniel Bursch, to talk about his Nantucket roots. Bursch is a former Naval Flight Officer and astronaut. He completed four missions to space, including a 196-day mission to the International Space Station from December 2001 to June 2002 as a flight engineer on Expedition 4. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1979, the US Naval Test Pilot School in 1984 and the Naval Postgraduate School in 1991. He is married to Sharon Yencharis and they have four children, and two grandchildren. He grew up in the Northeast and spent his summers as a child on Nantucket. His hobbies include working on cars, fixing anything and weaving lightship baskets. He retired from the Aerospace Corporation in September 2019.
August Muller an astronomy research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses this week the constellation Serpens. As the summer constellations slowly shift into view, Serpens (the snake) is rising along the eastern horizon.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with Aidan Feeney. Aidan is the owner/operator and farmer of Fogtown Farm here on Nantucket. He tells Joanna about how he came to Nantucket at 2 years old with his family and how he ended up as a local farmer. She asks Aidan about his passion for farming and his connections with Sustainable Nantucket. He also talks about how he has grown as a farmer and where he chooses to sell his products here on island. To see more about Fogtown Farm visit https://www.fogtownfarm.com/. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with Aaron Cestaro. Aaron is the President of the board and International Programs Manager for Wild Response which is a 501C3 charity right here in Massachusetts. Wild Response works primarily overseas and helps species in peril, including working with anti-poaching groups. From being in the U.S. Military to working with wildlife rangers to now working with Wild Response. Visit https://wildresponse.org/. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Emmy Wisz an astronomy research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses this week that the annual Lyrid Meteor Shower will peak early next week, putting on a show all night for the next week.
August Muller an astronomy research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses this week a major solar prominence that was visible during Monday's total solar eclipse for those in the path of totality. Here on Nantucket only a partial solar eclipse was visible.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with Jascin Finger. Jascin is the Deputy Director of the Maria Mitchell Association and talk about everything going on this spring over at the MMA. From the recent eclipse to sewer work and the seminar room over on Vestal Street to the upcoming temporary MMA aquarium move before the new aquarium is built. They even go over the history of Maria Mitchell and her first experience with a partial eclipse back in 1836 at the age of 12 and a half years old. Learn more online at https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Emmy Wisz a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses this week the Great North American Total Solar Eclipse which is a total solar eclipse passing over the mainland United States will be visible as a partial solar eclipse from Nantucket on Monday, April 8th.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with Dr. Regina Jorgenson. Dr. Jorgenson’s role with the Maria Mitchell Association is the Director of Astronomy and they go over the upcoming solar eclipse that is taking place on Monday April 8th. They talk about the importance of this rare event and how over 100 million people are expected to travel to witness it. On Nantucket we are expected to witness around 87% maximum coverage of the eclipse. The MMA will be holding an event at the high schools retired baseball field from 2:30pm-4:30pm to see the eclipse for yourself. Learn more online at https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses this week is a good time to catch a glimpse of bright comet Pons-Brooks before as it dips below the horizon.
Emmy Wisz a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses Zodiacal Light which is a faint glowing light that appears to extend upward from the direction of the setting sun for the next two weeks before the new moon in early April.
August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses that Wednesday, March 20th is this year’s vernal equinox, signifying the astronomical start of spring for those of us in the northern hemisphere.
August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses this year's solar maximum which means the Sun will be covered with small freckles, called sunspots.
Emmy Wisz a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the year in review. As 2023 comes to a close, we take a look back on some of the biggest and most exciting astronomy events of the past year.
This week host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association talks with Ginger Andrews the field Ornithologists at the MMA. Joanna and Ginger discuss the upcoming 2023 Nantucket Christmas Bird Count that takes place on Sunday December 31. Ginger also talks about her role as an Ornithologist, which is the study of birds and their behavior. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses Winter Solstice. December 21st marks the winter solstice, or official start of winter. It occurs only two weeks before Earth makes its closest approach to the Sun on January second.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with Dr. Valerie Hall of the Maria Mitchell Association. Dr. Valerie Hall is a Research Associate with MMA and is the Director of Student Research and the Mentor Program. She talks about how the Student Research and Mentor programs focus is on Nantucket Bay Scallops and fishery. She also tells us all about how she got to Nantucket years ago and how she ended up with MMA. Learn more online at https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with Claire Martin the Project Manager at ReMain Nantucket. She talks about starting work out in the Bay area and then her journey back to the East coast and Nantucket and ending up at ReMain Nantucket and her focus on coastal resilience. Find out more about ReMain Nantucket at https://remainnantucket.org/. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Emmy Wisz a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the 25th Anniversary of the International Space Station. On December 6th, NASA celebrated 25 years of the International Space Station and some of the most major achievements.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with Kenneth Blackshaw and Libby Buck. Ken is an accomplished author with 8 books covering Nantucket birds including "Birding Nantucket". Libby is a Conservation Science and Land Steward for the Linda Loring Nature Foundation. And, both are compilers for the Nantucket Bird count that takes place each year on the island. Joanna asks their pasts and how they came to Nantucket. They also tell us about being apart of the upcoming 69th annual Nantucket Bird count taking place on December 31. Remember to register to help by December 22. To register email Libby at nantucketbirdcount@gmail.com. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses viewing the Geminids Meteor shower. The Geminids meteor shower peaks on the night of December 13th this year, with a high rate of meteors predicted.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down MMA research Fellows August Muller and Amy Wisz. They both are currently fulfilling their one year fellowship here on Nantucket. They tell us about their research for the past year, a big trip to Hawaii and visiting the W.M. Keck Observatory and their upcoming projects they are working on. They are also giving a talk this upcoming Monday December 4 at 4:30pm. You can check out their talk on Monday in person or online at https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Emmy Wisz a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses viewing the Andromeda Galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy is our nearest neighbor large galaxy is best viewed on a clear, dark night when the moon is waning.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with Richard Ward of Microsoft. Richard is a Technical Fellow for Microsoft and talks about his thirty plus year history with the mega-corporation. He speaks about the advancement of technology and how Microsoft helped lead the way. You can join Richard for his speaker series with the MMA covering cyber security, software engineering and more. The Science Speaker series takes place on Wednesday night November 29th at 7pm. You can watch the Science Speaker Series online at https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the Diné constellation Hastiin Sik’ai’í. The Diné constellation Hastiin Sik’ai’í (or the Man with a Solid Stance) is currently visible in early morning skies, signaling the changing seasons.
Emmy Wisz a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the Leonids Meteor Shower. The annual Leonids meteor shower will peak on the night of November 17th.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with Claire Martin of REMAIN Nantucket. Claire talks about everything she does as the Project Manager at REMAIN. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses Uranus, which is a bit brighter than usual as it reaches opposition on Monday (November 13).
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with Aaron Cestaro. Aaron is the President of the board and International Programs Manager for Wild Response which is a 501C3 charity right here in Massachusetts. Wild Response works primarily overseas and helps species in peril, including working with anti-poaching groups. From being in the U.S. Military to working with wildlife rangers to now working with Wild Response. Visit https://wildresponse.org/. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with PhD botanists Jacob Suissa and Benjamin Edward Goulet-Scott of Let's Botanize, democratizing the study of plant biology. Follow @letsbotanize on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
Emmy Wisz a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses The Orion Constellation, Orion, a prominent winter constellation, is becoming increasingly more visible in the night sky.
August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the Pleiades, a nearby star cluster, which is currently visible throughout the night as winter constellations shift into view.
This week host Jonelle Gurley who is the Director of Science and Programs at the Maria Mitchell Association talks with Dr. Giovanni Fazio PHD in Physics. Jonelle talks with Dr. Fazio about his long career in science and physics and how he got started. He also talks about his many years working on telescopes including the Spitzer Space Telescope. Dr. Fazio just celebrated his 90th birthday and still works full time to this day as a physicist in astrophysics! To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week host Jonelle Gurley who is the Director of Science and Programs at the Maria Mitchell Association talks with Dr. McKinley Brumback an Assistant Professor in the Physics Department at Middlebury College in Vermont. Jonelle talks with Mckinley all about her history and journey to becoming a high energy x-ray astronomer. Starting at Dartmouth College and ending up teaching at Middlebury College and everything in between. She explains how she gained interest in Astronomy and her love for learning and how it all led to the study of neutron stars! McKinley Brumback is going to be a guest on the Maria Mitchell Association's Science Speaker Series next Wednesday night on October 25 at 7pm! To register for the talk and to learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Emmy Wisz a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses Venus at greatest elongation west. The second planet from the Sun, Venus will be appearing at its greatest elongation west point on October 23 and it will be visible in the early morning eastern sky before sunrise.
August Muller a research fellow at the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the Orionids meteor shower. The Orionids meteor shower will be visible in late October skies, peaking on the night of October 20.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with NSF Research Fellows Emmy Wisz and August Muller of the Maria Mitchell Association. Joanna talks with Emmy and August about where they are from and how they got the fellowships with the MMA here on Nantucket. They also tell us about all the different projects they have been working on during their year long stay with the MMA. They also have been hosting and producing the MMA Star Report which can be heard on Fridays at 5:30pm on 97.7 ACK FM. To learn more, visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Emmy Wisz of the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse. The upcoming annular solar eclipse will happen on October 14 and will be visible as a partial solar eclipse from Nantucket. Note: Never look directly at the Sun, even during an annular solar eclipse. Swing by the Maria Mitchell Observatory to observe it safely through our solar telescope and solar eclipse glasses!
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with former NASA astronaut and US Navy Captain (Ret.), Daniel Bursch, to talk about his Nantucket roots. Bursch is a former Naval Flight Officer and astronaut. He completed four missions to space, including a 196-day mission to the International Space Station from December 2001 to June 2002 as a flight engineer on Expedition 4. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1979, the US Naval Test Pilot School in 1984 and the Naval Postgraduate School in 1991. He is married to Sharon Yencharis and they have four children, and two grandchildren. He grew up in the Northeast and spent his summers as a child on Nantucket. His hobbies include working on cars, fixing anything and weaving lightship baskets. He retired from the Aerospace Corporation in September 2019.
Jack Dubinski, Maria Mitchell Association's Aquarium Director and Research Center Coordinator, talks about the upcoming release day which is taking place on Saturday October 7th from 10am to noon. You'll enjoy lots of free activities including face painting, touch tanks, animal releases and the popcorn machine! Come and enjoy a fun morning that is perfect for the whole family! Learn more online at https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join August Muller of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses Nasa’s OSIRIS-Rex mission. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission made headlines this week by returning a sample to Earth from nearby asteroid Bennu.
Join Emmy Wisz of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses The Autumnal Equinox. The autumnal equinox, happening this year on September 23, happens every year in late September. This astronomical event marks the beginning of autumn.
The Maria Mitchell Association is committed not only to good science, but also, in the words of Maria Mitchell herself, to infuse science with a bit more imagination, beauty and poetry. One way we do this is to highlight the work of artists who work with nature to inspire greater appreciation of our local land, sea and sky.
This week we begin a conversation with the visual artist Dena Haden who is creating new art in direct alliance with the Nature of Nantucket. You can see Dena’s artwork at hadendena.com.
Join Joanna Roche and Dan Drake, former MMA Board President and current president of The Linda Loring Foundation as they talk about Dan’s relationship to Maria Mitchell and his thoughts about Nantucket.
Join August Muller of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way galaxy is visible in Nantucket skies, with excellent viewing conditions this week thanks to the new moon.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Dr. Rich Blundell of the Maria Mitchell Association. Joanna has Rich tell us about what he has been up to this summer including his trip to our island neighbor Tuckernuck. Rich took a trip to Tuckernuck to do a program about the geology of the island as part of the Tuckernuck Land Trust Series. Rich also explains some of the Geology of Nantucket and even how our island was formed. Join Dr. Rich Blundell for "Rockin' Out Nantucket" which is an evening lecture called "Rock Talk" on Friday September 15 and then join him the next day for a "Rock Walk" on Saturday morning. Plus, don't miss his "Why Science Matters" lecture on Wednesday September 13th. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association including Dr. Rich Blundell's upcoming events visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Emmy Wisz of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Comet Nishimura. A comet discovered in August of this year will reach its closest approach to Earth on September 12 and may be visible in the sky in the morning near Venus with the naked eye.
Join Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association as she gets to chat with local photographer and Astro photographer Charity Grace Mofsen. Joanna talks to Charity Grace about how she got into photography and Astro photography. She also learns about her being the legislative liaison for Nantucket and Representative Dylan Fernandes. To see her work visit https://www.charitygracephotography.com/about/. And to learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join August Muller of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Super Blue Moon. Wednesday, August 30th boasted a so-called "super blue moon," appearing slightly brighter than usual on the second full moon of the month.
This week host Joanna Roche speaks with Maria Mitchell relative Richard Wolfe. They discuss their time on Nantucket and fun family stories from the past.
Join Emmy Wisz of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses Saturn at Opposition. Head outside after 8:30pm and look towards the southeast sky to see the planet Saturn, which will look especially bright this week as it nears opposition.
Join Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Summer Triangle. To find the Summer Triangle, head outside after 9pm, look directly overhead and locate the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra. Neighboring Vega are two other bright stars, Deneb in Cygnus and Altair in Aquila, which together with Vega form a large triangle. This is the Summer Triangle asterism.
Julia Blyth, Maria Mitchell Associations Biological Collection Manager, sits down with host Joanna Roche to talk about the MMA collections and why it serves as crucial part in Nantucket's biological history.
Join Eldon Fobbs of the Maria Mitchell Association as he discusses the annual Perseids Meteor Shower. Get ready for an extraordinary weekend treat as the annual Perseids Meteor Shower graces the night sky, offering a favorable moon phase for observing up to 100 meteors per hour – a cosmic spectacle not to be missed!
Jack Dubinski, Maria Mitchell Association's Aquarium Director and Research Center Coordinator, talks about his background, what can be found in the Aquarium, and what you can do to stop the invasive Green Crab species in Nantucket's harbor.
Join Lailyn Borum of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Andromeda Galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy is the closest, large galaxy to us, located approximately 2.5 million light years away. It is the only object outside of our own Milky Way galaxy that you can see with your naked eye on a clear, dark night.
Join host and Director of Astronomy of the Maria Mitchell Association Dr. Regina Jorgenson as she talks with the six NSF REU Interns for the summer of 2023. She is joined with Elden Fobbs, Maddy Reich, Lailyn Borum, Jonathan Kho, MacKenzie Dean and Sherelyn Alejandro who have all been interning for the Maria Mitchell Association this summer right here on Nantucket. They tell us about how they got interested in the field of Astronomy and what their future plans might hold for them. They are participating in a public talk this upcoming Wednesday August 9th at 6pm. Check out their talk and learn more online at https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association as she gets to chat with photographer and videographer Tucker Finerty. Joanna talks to Tucker about his origin story and how it brought him to Nantucket. She also learns about his travels and how he started in the worlds of photography and videography. Check out Tuckers work online by visiting https://www.tuckerfinerty.com/. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Maddy Reich of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses our galaxy, the Milky Way. The Milky Way is home to hundreds of billions of stars- including our own Sun. Though we live inside of the Milky Way, we can still observe it with our naked eye on a clear, moonless night on Nantucket.
Join Jonelle Gurley of the Maria Mitchell Association as she gets to chat with Professor of Astronomy Brian Fields of the University of Illinois. Jonelle gets to talk with Brian about all the amazing things he is currently working on and how he began his journey in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Dr. Brian Fields will be the guest speaker for the MMA Speaker Series called "When the Stars Attack" on Wednesday July 26th at 7pm. To learn more and to sign up for the speaker series visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Jonathan Kho of the Maria Mitchell Association as he discusses the gas giants Saturn and Jupiter. The gas giant planets Saturn and Jupiter are two of our solar system's most iconic planets, and for good reason! Beyond being magnificent to look at, they have many other fantastic properties that make them unique objects in our night sky.
Join Sherelyn Alejandro of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Constellation of Draco. The constellation of Draco is one the largest constellations in the night sky, appearing like a large dragon swooping near the big and little dippers and is prominent in the Nantucket night sky right now!
This week host Joanna Roche talks with James Ellsmoor from Island Innovation. Joanna talks with James about what Island Innovation is all about. He explains that Island Innovations mission is to connect islands around the world for positive change by sharing ideas and concepts from different islands. Learn more about Island Innovation online by visiting https://islandinnovation.co/. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with artist Rita Leduc. Joanna talks with Rita about her partnership with the Maria Mitchell Association and Oika. Rita is one of four artist that have put the Oika exhibit together here at the MMA on Nantucket. The exhibit runs through July 12th.
There is a link to the show at https://oika.com/oika-art-nantucket.
Rita will also be on island to teach a workshop for the MMA about the partnership between art and science being held on Monday July 10th at 4pm. You can also join her as part of the Maria Mitchell Association's Speaker Series on Wednesday July 12 at 7pm! To register for the talk and to learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Maddy Reich of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Moon. Because of its proximity to Earth, the Moon and some of its features can be seen with the naked eye. Though the size of the Moon in the Nantucket sky can be awe-inspiring, some of its size is just an illusion.
Join MacKenzie Dean of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the James Webb Space Telescope and Carbon Compounds. JWST made its first detection of a carbon compound in space, which could be vital to finding extraterrestrial life.
This week the Maria Mitchell Association’s Scientist-in-Residence, Dr. Rich Blundell, speaks with two of the four artists featured in The Art of Oika Nantucket exhibition which is currently showing at the MMA gallery at 33 Washington Street and around the island until July 12. Dena Haden is a visual artist who creates organic and living art while Dakota Clearwater Lacroix is a multimedia artist focusing on sounds.
There is a link to the show at https://oika.com/oika-art-nantucket .
We’ve also created a webpage that shows the artworks that Dena is talking about and some sound clips from Dakota’s audio art piece. You can access these at https://oika.com/art
This week host Jonelle Gurley who is the Director of Science and Programs at the Maria Mitchell Association talks with Dr. Giovanni Fazio PHD in Physics. Jonelle talks with Dr. Fazio about his long career in science and physics and how he got started. He also talks about his many years working on telescopes including the Spitzer Space Telescope. Dr. Fazio just celebrated his 90th birthday and still works full time to this day as a physicist in astrophysics! Dr. Fazio is going to be a guest on the Maria Mitchell Association's Speaker Series next Wednesday night on June 28th at 7pm! To register for the talk and to learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Sherelyn Alejandro of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Ring Nebula. The Ring Nebula is a Planetary Nebula in the Constellation of Lyra - a prominent constellation in the Nantucket night sky right now.
Join Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the constellation Aquila. To find Aquila, head outside after 10pm and look in the East direction. Now locate the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra. Neighboring Vega are two other bright stars, Deneb in Cygnus and Altair in Aquila, which together with Vega form a large triangle. This is the Summer Triangle asterism.
In a follow-up conversation that began back in September 2022, Maria Mitchell Association’s Scientist-in-Residence, Dr. Rich Blundell speaks with the Wampanoag elder and artist, Robert Peters about the evolution of their collaboration to bring Wompanoag culture and people back to Nantucket. In this episode they discuss Roberts artworks in the Art of Oika exhibition now ongoing from June 15 - July 12 and the resonance between Oika and indigenous sensibilities.
Links:
The Art of Oika Exhibition at Maria Mitchell Association: https://oika.com/oika-art-nantucket
Stomp Dance Webpage: https://givebutter.com/stomp-day-day-of-healing
Robert’s art discussed in this episode: https://oika.com/robert-peters-artwork
Oika: https://oika.com
Previous Nature of Nantucket Podcast Episodes:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000581050001
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000580329288
Join Michele Woodland of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the planet Venus. Venus is the brightest object in the Western evening sky this month. Venus can be seen beginning around sunset and for the next three hours or so. This second planet from the Sun will be visible in the evening sky until mid-August.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Dr. Adam Lark Associate Professor of Instruction at Hamilton College. Joanna talks with Dr. Lark about his inspirations and how he discovered his love of astronomy and physics. Dr. Lark is also the Director of the Peters Observatory and discusses the search of exoplanets. Dr. Lark is going to be a guest on the Maria Mitchell Association's Speaker Series next Thursday night on June 15th at 7pm! To register for the talk and to learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Dr. Rich Blundell of the Maria Mitchell Association. Joanna talks with Rich about his second year here on Nantucket and all of the things he has coming up this summer including his "Earth Story Walk" every Thursday at 2pm, the "Big History Night Talk" the history of our universe in about 90 minutes and the upcoming Oika for Artist exhibition happening June 22 through July 13th. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association including Dr. Rich Blundell's upcoming summer events visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses Spica, a bright, binary star system in the constellation Virgo. To find Spica, first locate the Big Dipper and draw an imaginary line following the curve in the Dipper’s handle until you come to the bright orange star we discussed last week– Arcturus. We call this the “arc to Arcturus.” Now we must drive a “spike to Spica.” If you continue following the arc, you should arrive at Spica which appears as a bright, blueish-white star in the constellation Virgo.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with photographer Henry Michaelis. Joanna finds out how Henry got to Nantucket and what sparked his interest in photography and video. Henry explains his love of surf photography and his special connection with nature. Henry also talks about his upcoming exhibit on Sunday May 28th from 5:30-7pm at 33 Washington Street. Check out his website to see his work at https://www.henrymichaelisphotography.com/nantucket. To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Michele Woodland of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the star Arcturus. Arcturus is a red giant star in the constellation Boötes. This reddish star can be found by following the curve of the handle of the Big Dipper, which is located high in the sky overhead after sunset.
Join Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Hercules constellation. To see Hercules, you will need to head outside after sunset and look for the Big Dipper. Now follow the curve of the handle to find the bright star Arcturus. Hercules is bordered by Arcturus, Lyra which contains the bright star Vega, and the head of Draco.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Susie Tapley the founder of MAST. Joanna talks with Susie about how she came up with the idea of MAST and what the organization is all about. Susie explains that Nantucket Island, our oasis is a conduit for expressions of wellbeing, visionaries of practiced presence, and futures of normalized love and healing. Through this portal we can each meet transformation. Join Susie and MAST for their launch party Friday June 16th at 49 Faregrounds road. Visit https://www.mastnantucket.com/ today! To learn more about the Maria Mitchell Association visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Michele Woodland of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the constellation Gemini. Gemini is visible high in the Western Skies after sunset. The two most prominent stars in the constellation are Pollux and Castor, known as the Gemini twins. Mars is currently passing through Gemini, and the planet's relatively bright and red appearance makes it an excellent indicator to help locate Gemini this month.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Dr. Nia Imara an Assistant Professor of Astronomy at UC Santa Cruz specializing in the study of stars and how they were formed. Joanna talks with Nia about her path to becoming a Astronomer. Dr. Imara also discusses how she started the non-profit Onaketa back in 2020 and why it's so important to her. To learn more and to sign up for Dr. Nia Imara's upcoming webinar visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Gordon Jones a Stone Professor of Physics at Hamilton College. Joanna talks with Gordon about his journey to becoming a Stone Professor of Physics. Gordon also gets to tell us how he became interested in the whole world of science and physics. Gordon is hosting a webinar next week May 10 at 7pm. To learn more and to sign up for the webinar visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/.
Join Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the constellation Draco. The constellation Draco, meaning “dragon” in Latin, is one of the most recognizable and prominent constellations in the northern sky. To find Draco, go outside after dark and look for a winding snake-line pattern of stars between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, and next to the bright star Vega.
This week we are speaking with one of Nantucket’s premier photographers, Bill Hoenk. You can see Bill’s fantastic images at https://www.instagram.com/photohoenk/ and also purchase prints through his website at https://www.billhoenkphotography.com. To get started, I asked Bill to talk about how he washed ashore and about the path of his career as a photographer.
Join Michele Woodland of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the constellation Leo. Leo the Lion is best viewed during April and May. Rising shortly after dusk, and high up in the sky overhead a few hours later, Leo can be found by locating the bright star Regulus that is at the bottom of a backwards question mark formation of stars.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Nantucket High School math teacher Jed Williams. Jed is a Nantucket native who enjoys helping mold the minds of our teenagers right here on the island. Joanna talks to Jed about how he got interested in math, science and robotics. They also discuss the difficulties of robotics in the home and everyday living and how A.I. is becoming more capable each year. He brings up his upcoming webinar with the Maria Mitchell Association called "Ethics of a stem education in an age of A.I." which is taking place on April 26th at 7pm. To learn everything happening at the Natural Science Museum visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/natural-science-museum.
Join Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses their Astronomical Observing Experience using the Keck Telescope on top of Mauna Kea.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Nantucket High School math teacher Jed Williams. Jed is a Nantucket native who enjoys helping mold the minds of our teenagers right here on the island. Joanna talks to Jed about how he got interested in math, science and robotics. They also discuss the difficulties of robotics in the home and everyday living and how A.I. is becoming more capable each year. He brings up his upcoming webinar with the Maria Mitchell Association called "Ethics of a stem education in an age of A.I." which is taking place on April 26th at 7pm. To learn everything happening at the Natural Science Museum visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/natural-science-museum.
Join Michele Woodland of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Lyrid Meteor shower. The Lyrid Meteor Shower will last from approximately April 15th to April 29th, peaking the evenings of the 21st and 22nd. The most meteors will be visible between midnight and dawn, but meteors can be seen as early as 9pm.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with Izzy Gaw the Director of the Natural Science Museum for the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Joanna and Izzy discuss everything fun happening at eh Natural Science Museum here on Nantucket, including fun activities for kids, adults and families. To learn everything happening at the Natural Science Museum visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/natural-science-museum.
Join Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses Exoplanets and the killing of Star Trek’s Vulcan. Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars outside of our solar system. Scientists generally classify exoplanets in the categories of Gas giant, Neptunian, super-Earth and terrestrial, as they come in various sizes and compositions.
In this and the next two episodes of the Nature of Nantucket Podcast we’ll meet an extraordinary scientist. Dr. Ursula Goodenough is a biologist whose many distinctions include being an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The long-awaited second edition of her beloved book, The Sacred Depths of Nature is being released by the University of Oxford Press in early 2023. You can learn more at sacreddepthsofnature.com http://sacreddepthsofnature.com/info/
Like Maria Mitchell was in her time, Professor Goodenough is a scientist committed to living life with a religious orientation. In her case, it is through the paradigm of Religious Naturalism. The key to this perspective is reference to, and reverence for, the epic, all-encompassing story of the cosmos, also known as Big History. Listeners may know this is a subject of my own research at the Maria Mitchell Association. I begin by asking Ursula how she came to this understanding and how scientific knowledge enhances her worldview.
Join Michele Woodland of the Maria Mitchell Association as she talk planetary alignment. This week the planets Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Venus and Mars will be lined up in an arc formation visible near the moon. The planets merely look aligned from our vantage point on Earth, but in reality are very far apart from each other. However, this phenomena is still very interesting to look at and is visible best shortly after sunset.
Join Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the Spring Equinox. 5:24 pm on March 20th marked the Spring Equinox, also known as the vernal equinox, which marks the official start of the spring.
Join Joanna Roche as she speaks with Dr. Amy Hinson about the Science behind Forensics and her experience teaching at Nantucket High School. Dr. Hinson will be featured on our science speaker series Wednesday, March 29th at 7pm – you can register online at www.mariamitchell.org.
Join Michele Woodland of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the zodiacal light. The zodiacal light is a cone of light in the sky visible after twilight from late February to early May, peaking around the vernal equinox on March 20th. The zodiacal light is caused by light from the Sun reflecting off of dust grains surrounding the sun in the inner solar system.
Joanna Roache and Dr. Regina Jorgenson sit and talk about Dr. Jorgenson’s role with the Maria Mitchell Association as the Director of Astronomy. Dr Jorgenson also talks about all the cool stuff happening in our very own Nantucket sky and things that we can see for ourselves in the upcoming few months. You can find out more at mariamitchell.org/programs-for-all
Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association discusses Charles Messier and the world-wide Messier Marathon at night the weekend before the new moon Tuesday March 21st.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with PhD botanists Jacob Suissa and Benjamin Edward Goulet-Scott of Let's Botanize, democratizing the study of plant biology. Follow @letsbotanize on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
Join Michele Woodland of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the asteroid 2011 AG5. A few weeks ago asteroid 2011 AG5 came within 1.1 million miles of Earth. This asteroid is one of many Near Earth Objects (NEOs) that scientists track to make sure they pose no threat to Earth.
Joanna Roche and Dr. Rich Blundell Sit talk and talk about Dr. Blundell's first six months on Nantucket, the life of Maria Mitchell, and his Earth Walk & Talk which is walk through the history of planet Earth. You can find out more at mariamitchell.org/programs-for-all
Listeners may know that Maria Mitchell was an advocate for bringing more imagination, beauty and poetry (also known as art) into the sciences. Her perspective is manifesting this summer as a special Oika Art exhibition that will culminate at the MMA gallery at 33 Washington Street and as outdoor installations around the island.
Over the past several weeks, we’ve been interviewing the cohort of artists who will be exhibiting their work. You can see links to these previous episodes in chronological order here:
Robert PetersPart1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000580329288
Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000581050001
Rita Leduc
Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000585550872
Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000586615639
Dena Haden
Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000591603340
Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000592752374
Dakota Clearwater Lacroix
Part 1:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000597616011
Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000598895019
This week we pick up our exploration of how art and the lived-experience of nature can help us heal people, places and planet. We talk about the process and philosophy of the multi-media artist Dakota Clearwater Lacroix, more specifically about Oika and how Maria Mitchell was an ancestor of Oika thinking. See more of Dakota's work here https://dakotalacroix.com/
Join Michele Woodland of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses the star Sirius. Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, can currently be seen after 7pm in the southeastern part of the sky. Sirius can be found by using the three stars in Orion's belt to point to it.
Join Joanna Roche on this week’s episode of the Nature of Nantucket podcast as she sits down with former NASA astronaut and US Navy Captain (Ret.), Daniel Bursch, to talk about his Nantucket roots. Bursch is a former Naval Flight Officer and astronaut. He completed four missions to space, including a 196-day mission to the International Space Station from December 2001 to June 2002 as a flight engineer on Expedition 4. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1979, the US Naval Test Pilot School in 1984 and the Naval Postgraduate School in 1991. He is married to Sharon Yencharis and they have four children, and two grandchildren. He grew up in the Northeast and spent his summers as a child on Nantucket. His hobbies include working on cars, fixing anything and weaving lightship baskets. He retired from the Aerospace Corporation in September 2019.
Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the new NASA James Webb Space Telescope image of the region known as Pandora’s Cluster, located four billion light years away from Earth.
Listeners may know that Maria Mitchell was an advocate for bringing more imagination, beauty and poetry (also known as art) into the sciences. Her perspective is manifesting this summer as a special Oika Art exhibition that will culminate at the MMA gallery at 33 Washington Street and as outdoor installations around the island.
Over the past several weeks, we’ve been interviewing the cohort of artists who will be exhibiting their work. You can see links to these previous episodes in chronological order here:
Robert PetersPart1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000580329288
Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000581050001
Rita Leduc
Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000585550872
Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000586615639
Dena Haden
Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000591603340
Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000592752374
Dakota Clearwater Lacroix
Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000597616011
This week we pick up our exploration of how art and the lived-experience of nature can help us heal people, places and planet. We talk about the process and philosophy of the multi-media artist Dakota Clearwater Lacroix, more specifically about Oika and how Maria Mitchell was an ancestor of Oika thinking. See more of Dakota's work here https://dakotalacroix.com/
Join Michele Woodland of the Maria Mitchell Association as she discusses Sunspots. Sunspots are areas of the surface of the Sun that appear darker than the surrounding areas. In these spots the Sun's magnetic fields are so strong that some of the heat is blocked from reaching the surface - creating a cooler looking 'spot.' In January 2023, the sunspot count was the highest recorded in 9 years.
Listeners may know that Maria Mitchell was an advocate for bringing more imagination, beauty and poetry (also known as art) into the sciences. Her perspective is manifesting this summer as a special Oika Art exhibition that will culminate at the MMA gallery at 33 Washington Street and as outdoor installations around the island.
Over the past several weeks, we’ve been interviewing the cohort of artists who will be exhibiting their work. You can see links to these previous episodes in chronological order here:
Robert PetersPart1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000580329288
Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000581050001
Rita Leduc
Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000585550872
Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000586615639
Dena Haden
Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000591603340
Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nature-of-nantucket/id1603111080?i=1000592752374
This week we pick up our exploration of how art and the lived-experience of nature can help us heal people, places and planet. Here is a conversation with the multi-media artist Dakota Clearwater Lacroix. https://dakotalacroix.com/
Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association discusses the constellations Canis Major and Canis Minor. To see the constellations, head outside after dark around 7:00 pm and face southeast. You’ll notice Canis Major’s bright star Sirius located below the Orion constellation and another bright star Procyon in Canis Minor.
Joanna Roche, Samantha Denette and Emily Molden chat about their roll's here on the island and the projects they are currently focused on. Samantha is with the Nantucket Shell Fish Association and Emily is with the Nantucket Land Council. They spend their time on the show discussing issues with the water on Nantucket and how the Clean Water Coalition is trying to find solutions.
Michele Woodland of the Maria Mitchell Association discusses A new study, released just last week, has shown that over the past decade, the brightness of the night sky has been increasing by approximately 10% each year. Nantucket Lights, a citizen advocacy group based here in Nantucket, seeks to preserve the island's beautiful dark skies.
Julia Blyth, Maria Mitchell Associations Biological Collection Manager, sits down with host Joanna Roche to talk about the MMA collections and why it serves as crucial part in Nantucket's biological history.
Fiona Powers Ozyurt of the Maria Mitchell Association discusses a rare green comet named “Comet 2022 E3 ZTF.” To see the comet, grab some binoculars or a small telescope if you have one and head outside after dark around 6:00 pm and face the Northern sky. You’ll notice the bright and greenish smudged object, located just North of the Little Dipper.
In Seattle, Washington the 241st meeting of the American Astronomical Society is being held. The Maria Mitchell Association sent its six summer astronomy interns, as well as the current two post-baccalaureate research fellows, to the meeting.
This week we speak with our favorite birder and Nantucket Native Ginger Andrews about the Annual Christmas Bird Count and her philosophies on science, art and the nature of Nantucket.
We also want to give a quick shout out to some of the people that made the CBC possible this year, including Yvonne Vaillancourt of the Umass Field Station, Edie Ray, Ken Blackshaw and Libby Buck from the Linda Loring Nature Foundation. Thank you and the over 60 volunteers who made this year’s count a big success!
The Maria Mitchell Association is committed not only to good science, but also, in the words of Maria Mitchell herself, to infuse science with a bit more imagination, beauty and poetry. One way we do this is to highlight the work of artists who work with nature to inspire greater appreciation of our local land, sea and sky.
This week we continue our conversation with the visual artist Dena Haden who is creating new art in direct alliance with the Nature of Nantucket. You can see Dena’s artwork at https://www.hadendena.com
The Maria Mitchell Association is committed not only to good science, but also, in the words of Maria Mitchell herself, to infuse science with a bit more imagination, beauty and poetry. One way we do this is to highlight the work of artists who work with nature to inspire greater appreciation of our local land, sea and sky.
This week we begin a conversation with the visual artist Dena Haden who is creating new art in direct alliance with the Nature of Nantucket. You can see Dena’s artwork at hadendena.com.
This is the third and final part of our conversation with the molecular biologist, Dr. Ursula Goodenough, where we explore the human dimensions of the story of Nature.
The long-awaited second edition of Ursula’s beloved book, The Sacred Depths of Nature is being released by the University of Oxford Press in early 2023. You can learn more at: sacreddepthsofnature.com
To see the Orion constellation, head outside around 9:00pm and look to the eastern sky. You’ll notice the bright and reddish colored planet Mars located just above Orion.
In this part-two of three we continue our conversation with Dr. Ursula Goodenough. Dr. Goodenough is a molecular biologist whose many distinctions include being an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The long-awaited second edition of her beloved book, The Sacred Depths of Nature is being released by the University of Oxford Press in early 2023. You can learn more at sacreddepthsofnature.com http://sacreddepthsofnature.com/info/
Like Maria Mitchell was in her time, Professor Goodenough is a scientist committed to living life with a religious orientation. In her case, it is through the paradigm of Religious Naturalism. The key to this perspective is reference to, and reverence for, the epic, all-encompassing story of the cosmos, also known as Big History. In this episode we explore the emergence and function of biological membranes and how they have effects at larger social scales.
Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun, can currently be seen looking southwest after sunset. The planet can be seen with the naked eye, but with a small telescope you can make out its magnificent rings, which are made up of billions of pieces of ice and rock.
In this and the next two episodes of the Nature of Nantucket Podcast we’ll meet an extraordinary scientist. Dr. Ursula Goodenough is a biologist whose many distinctions include being an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The long-awaited second edition of her beloved book, The Sacred Depths of Nature is being released by the University of Oxford Press in early 2023. You can learn more at sacreddepthsofnature.com http://sacreddepthsofnature.com/info/
Like Maria Mitchell was in her time, Professor Goodenough is a scientist committed to living life with a religious orientation. In her case, it is through the paradigm of Religious Naturalism. The key to this perspective is reference to, and reverence for, the epic, all-encompassing story of the cosmos, also known as Big History. Listeners may know this is a subject of my own research at the Maria Mitchell Association. I begin by asking Ursula how she came to this understanding and how scientific knowledge enhances her worldview.
In this week’s star report, Fiona Powers Ozyurt discusses The Geminid meteor shower and how it will be visible December 13-14. To catch a glimpse of some meteors, head outside around midnight, face due east and look for the constellation Gemini which is to the left of the well-known Orion constellation.
This week we are speaking with one of Nantucket’s premier photographers, Bill Hoenk. You can see Bill’s fantastic images at https://www.instagram.com/photohoenk/ and also purchase prints through his website at https://www.billhoenkphotography.com. To get started, I asked Bill to talk about how he washed ashore and about the path of his career as a photographer.
Mars, the fourth planet from the Sun, is currently visible low in the Eastern sky after sunset. Mars appears red even to the naked eye due to the large amounts of iron in its rocks and dust. Mars is popular because of discoveries of evidence of past liquid water on the planet, and new evidence suggests there might even currently be liquid water deep under Mars' surface.
Join Joanna Roche and Dan Drake, former MMA Board President and current president of The Linda Loring Foundation as they talk about Dan’s relationship to Maria Mitchell and his thoughts about Nantucket.
This week Dr. Blundell continues his conversation with the Visual Artist, Rita Leduc. In part one we explored the under-acknowledged artistic and imaginative facets of Maria Mitchell. We also set the stage for how our collaborative work in the mountains of New Hampshire is transportable to Nantucket. You can learn more and see examples of her nature-inspired art here: https://www.ritaleduc.com/site-hubbard-brook-experimental-forest In this episode we explore more fully what Oika Art is and how we’re creating Oika Art projects on Nantucket.
Fiona Powers Ozyurt from the Maria Mitchell Association tells us all about the Pleiades star cluter located in the constellation Taurus the bull. The Pleiades star cluster is about 440 light years away, and contains over a thousand stars, seven of which are visible to the naked eye. To find the Pleiades, head outside around 8:00 pm and face due east. You’ll see the star cluster, made of 6 bright stars and one fainter star, located above the constellation Orion and the red planet Mars.
In part one of this two-part episode, Dr. Rich Blundell speaks with the visual artist Rita Leduc. Rita and Dr. Blundell have been collaborating on a series of projects that explore the boundaries of art, science, nature and culture. Many of these are grounded in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. You can check out these projects through this link: https://www.ritaleduc.com/site-hubbard-brook-experimental-forest
Now we are expanding our collaborative model and bringing it to Nantucket. As an artist who works directly with the natural world, Rita brings a unique perspective that might help us disentangle the perceived contradictions between art and science. Her process also highlights how nature may help us create a more beautiful culture. In this episode we begin to unpack Rita’s artistic practice, which sheds light on how the culture and nature of Nantucket may have contributed to Maria Mitchell’s outlook too.
Next week we’ll take a deeper dive into Rita’s process and introduce a series of really cool place-based art projects that are taking shape on Nantucket.
Michele Woodland of Maria Mitchell Association talks about Jupiter, the 5th planet from our Sun, and how it can be seen shining brightly in the Southern sky around sunset. Jupiter can be viewed with the naked eye, but binoculars or the MMA's historic Clark telescope at Loines Observatory allow you to see Jupiter's four largest moons.
Joanna Roache and Dr. Rich Blundell Sit and talk about Dr. Blundell's first six months on Nantucket, the life of Maria Mitchell, and his Earth Walk & Talk which is a walk through the history of planet Earth. You can find out more at mariamitchell.org/programs-for-all
Michele Woodland of Maria Mitchell Association talks about how on Tuesday, November 8th, a total lunar eclipse will be visible from Nantucket. The maximum eclipse occurs at 5:59am, just before sunrise. The next total lunar eclipse won't be until March 2025.
This week, Dr. Rich Blundell brings you a special, creature double feature edition of the Nature of Nantucket podcast. This episode serves as a fond farewell and a reflection of gratitude for two of Nantucket’s most vocal summer residents, the Field Cricket and the Eastern Towhee.
You can see and hear the Nantucket Crickets that Rich met this Summer at https://oika.com/cricket
Also see and hear the Towhees at https://oika.com/towhee
In today’s star report, Fiona Powers Ozyurt discusses a beautiful new image from the James Webb Space Telescope of the spectacular Eagle Nebula or better known as the "Pillars of Creation".
Joanna and Jonelle chat about her roll as Director of Science and Programming at MMA and their enthusiasm and commitment to further expand the MMA's year-round programming and outreach on Nantucket.
This week Joanna speaks with Maria Mitchell relative Richard Wolfe. They discuss their time on Nantucket and fun family stories from the past.
This week The Nature of Nantucket sits down with the historian, linguist and author Dr. Frances Karttunen. Dr. Karttunen is arguably Nantucket’s premier historian. She has written over 11 books specifically on Nantucket’s fascinating people, places and issues over time. She has also researched and published widely on the languages of Finland and Mesoamerica. In this episode Dr. Karttunen shares some of her early memories of Nantucket, stories of the remarkable women who helped shape her career in linguistics, and her thoughts on the impact of the Maria Mitchell Association.
Dr. Karttunen’s website includes a bibliography of her major works here: http://fkarttunen.com/
This is part 2 of a conversation between the Mashpee Wampanoag elder, writer and artist, Robert Peters and Maria Mitchell’s Visiting Scientist, Dr. Rich Blundell. In this episode they explore ways to potentially extend their ongoing work to restore indigenous ways of knowing in contemporary culture.
View the artworks discussed in this series: https://oika.com/robert-peters-artwork
Robert Peters Artist Profile: https://xeepuuaee.wixsite.com/robert-peters-art
In part-one of this two-part conversation, Maria Mitchell’s visiting scientist, Dr. Rich Blundell, sits down with the Mashpee Wampanoag writer, artist and teacher, Robert Peters, to discuss the intersections of indigenous ways of knowing and the Western, scientific worldview. They are cultivating the ground for a new cross-cultural collaborative project to take place on Nantucket in the coming months and years.
This week the MMA catches up with Dr. Sarah Oktay, the Executive Director of the Center for Coastal Studies Provincetown. Dr. Oktay is a chemical oceanographer who worked on Nantucket for 12 years, running the University of Massachusetts’s Boston - Nantucket Field Station. In this episode, recorded at the 2022 annual conference of the Organization for Biological Field Stations, MMA's visiting scientist Dr. Rich Blundell, speaks with Sarah about the diversity of research conducted during her tenure on Nantucket as well as what makes the island so unique.
Joanna, Samantha and Emily chat about their roll's here on the island and the projects they are currently focused on. Samantha Denette is with the Nantucket Shell Fish Association and Emily Molden is with the Nantucket Land Council. They spend their time on the show discussing issues with the water on Nantucket and how the Clean Water Coalition is trying to find solutions.
Joanna Roache and Dr. Rich Blundell Sit talk and talk about Dr. Blundell's first six months on Nantucket, the life of Maria Mitchell, and his Earth Walk & Talk which is walk through the history of planet Earth. You can find out more at mariamitchell.org/programs-for-all
In today’s star report, Will Jarvis discusses a beautiful new image from the James Webb Space Telescope of the spectacular Cartwheel Galaxy.
Joanna and Jonelle chat about her roll as Director of Science and Programming at MMA and their enthusiasm and commitment to further expand the MMA's year-round programming and outreach on Nantucket.
Hear Devisree Tallapaneni, an NSF-REU astronomy intern at the MMA, discuss interstellar dust, which is the key to star formation.
Joana Roache and Jascin Finger sit down to talk about Maria Mitchell’s Birthday and what she would think about the planet and the advancement of science in the 204 years since her birth. They also discuss the Maria Mitchell Association Women of Science Symposium that will take place in person for the first time since 2019 in Boston September 22- 24.
Hear Anavi Uppal, an NSF REU astronomy intern at MMA, discuss the size of our solar system.
"In the heart of the summer, the constellation Sagittarius shines brightly in the night sky. Hear Maria Mitchell Astronomy Intern Will Jarvis describe this fabulous constellation and one of the beautiful objects within it."
Hear Chris Chang, an NSF-REU intern at the MMA, discuss the Messier Catalog--a popular tool for observational astronomy.
Hear Devisree Tallapaneni, an NSF-REU astronomy intern at the MMA, discuss molecular clouds--the birthplace of all the stars in our universe.
Hear Devisree Tallapaneni, an NSF-REU astronomy intern at the MMA, discuss the James Webb Space Telescope and its first image.
Hear Kate Shavelle , an NSF-REU astronomy intern at the MMA, discuss a main component of her research, dark matter.
Hear Kate Shavelle , an NSF-REU astronomy intern at the MMA, discuss the visible binary star system in the handle of the big dipper.
Carolyn Holt and Cheryl Woodford, co-hosts for Maria Mitchell Association's Annual Star Gazer Gala, chat with host Joanna Roche about what this year's major fundraiser looks like for those who attend on August 4th. Tickets for this fun event can be found at mariamitchell.org.
The director of MMA's Natural History Museum, Isabella Gaw, joins Joanna this week to talk about all the exciting summer programs which can be found online at mariamitchell.org.
Hear Danya Alboslani, an NSF-REU astronomy intern at the MMA, discuss the life cycle of low mass stars.
Hear Will Jarvis, an NSF REU astronomy intern at the MMA, discuss the constellation Virgo and one of the fabulous galaxies that lies within.
Hear Chris Chang, an NSF REU astronomy intern at the MMA, talk about the process that powers stars called nuclear fusion.
Hear Anavi Uppal, an NSF REU astronomy intern at MMA, talk more about this year's Summer Solstice on June 21st.
This week Joanna talks with Emily Molden of the Nantucket Land Council. Molden shares her journey to Nantucket along with her experience with climate change and how it impacts Nantucket.
Hear Anavi Uppal, an NSF REU astronomy intern at MMA, discuss the Summer Solstice on June 21st.
This week host Joanna Roche talks with PhD botanists Jacob Suissa and Benjamin Edward Goulet-Scott of Let's Botanize, democratizing the study of plant biology. Follow @letsbotanize on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
Hear MMA Research Fellow, Celia Mulcahey, as she discusses asterism, a pattern of stars that is not a constellation.
The director of MMA's Natural History Museum, Isabella Gaw, joins Joanna this week to talk about how she came to Nantucket, what's happening this summer, and her plans for creating an extremely fun museum full of animals!
Nantucket photographer Charity Grace Mofsen chats with Joanna about her love for Nantucket's dark skies, her passion for astrophotography, and her upcoming astrophotography class at the Maria Mitchell Association!
Hear MMA Research Fellow, Celia Mulcahey, as she discusses the black hole in the center of our own galaxy!
This week host Joanna Roche sits with Jascin Finger to talk about upcoming summer programs for the Maria Mitchell Association!
Image taken by Prospect Hill Cemetery historian, Paula Lundy Levy
https://www.prospecthillcemetery.com/
Hear MMA Research Fellow, Celia Mulcahey, as she discusses this weekends Lunar Eclipse!
Dr. Rich Blundell of Macquarie University, Studies Ecological Identity, Cosmology (Anthropology), and Culture and the Anthropocene. His research critically examines Big History phenomenology in a complex-systems framework. This week host Joanna Roche chats with Dr, Blundell as he connects Nantucket with Big History.
This week host Joanna Roche chats about Dark Sky Week (April 22nd through April 30th) with founder of Nantucket Lights, Gail Walker.
This week, host Joanna Roche chats with MMA's Telescope Engineer & Astronomer, Gary Walker, about how he came to join the MMA team in 2006, how it's been and what he loves most about the dark skies!
Hear MMA Research Fellow, Celia Mulcahey, as she discusses the constellation Leo and a new citizen's project!
This week, host Joanna Roche chats with Morgan Black who is the Library Director for the U.S. Naval Observatory which has around 80,000 items in it's collection. The library's purpose is to support the mission of the Naval Observatory which includes keeping time and figuring out where we are in space...how cool is that?
This week host Joanna Roche sits down with Dr. Bob Kennedy, MMA's former Director of Natural Science and long time leader of the Barn Owl Program,.
Julia Blyth, MMA's Biological Collection Manager, sits down with host Joanna Roche to talk about the MMA collections and why it serves as crucial part in Nantucket's biological history.
Andrew Mckenna-Foster, M.S. was a former Natural Science Director for MMA and now a product specialist for figshare in Eugene, Oregon. This week he sits down with host Joanna Roche to talk about figshare, the need for data collection, and why the collection system in the research center at MMA is important to the world.
Camden Palm, MMA's Education Coordinator, sits down with host Joanna Roche to talk about the upcoming Nantucket Science Festival on Saturday, March 19th from 10am-2pm at the Nantucket High School Gymnasium!
This week host Joanna Roche talks beetles with the Director of Conservation programs at Roger Williams Park Zoo, Lou Perrotti.
Host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association chats with William Kinsella, chair of ACKlimate, about how ACKlimate.org got started and what's happening with climate change on Nantucket. ACKlimate.org is a collaboration of organizations on the island focused on addressing climate change, sea-level rise, education, and resilience.
This week, Celia is focusing her report on the Pleiades Cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters. In Japan, the cluster is called Subaru, and you might recognize the cluster from the emblem on Subaru cars. You will know you are almost to the Pleiades when you see a bright orangey star, which represents the eye of the bull of the Taurus constellation.
Helene Weld is on the board for the Maria Mitchell Association. Listen as she talks about her passion for the organization, her own experiences with nature, and what inspired her to join.
Did you know Maria Mitchell ran her own school at the age of 17 and was the Nantucket Atheneum’s first librarian at the age of 18? Listen to hosts Joanna Roche and Jascin Finger talk about what you may not know about Maria’s legacy and MMA's collection of birds.
The winter sky is full of dramatic constellations made up of bright stars. Hear MMA Research Fellow, Celia Mulcahey, discuss her favorite winter constellation: the Orion.
Every episode of the Maria Mitchell Association’s new podcast features talented staff, experts, and special guests who share their knowledge of the natural world and the dark skies above us. This week, host Jascin Leonardo Finger, historian and curator for the Mitchell House at the Maria Mitchell Association, takes a deep dive into the history of the Vestal Street Observatory, and it is fascinating!
Jack Dubinski, Maria Mitchell Association's Aquarium Director and Research Center Coordinator, talks about his background, what can be found in the Aquarium, and what you can do to stop the invasive Green Crab species in Nantucket's harbor.
Join host Joanna Roche as she talks with Maria Mitchell Association’s Field Ornithologist, Ginger Andrews. Together they discuss Ginger’s connection to the Maria Mitchell Association, her experiences growing up on Nantucket and her mother, Edith Folger Andrews.
Join Jascin Finger and Joanna Roche as they introduce the first episode of The Maria Mitchell Association’s new podcast. They will focus on the history of Maria, the natural world of Nantucket and the dark skies above us. Learn from the talented staff, experts, and special guests who will share their stories and wisdom.