3 Jul 2021

Stephen Curran: visiting Venus and giant comets

From Saturday Morning, 11:35 am on 3 July 2021

Kiwi-Scottish starman Dr Stephen Curran returns by popular demand to unpack cosmic goings-on.

This week: NASA is returning to Venus to learn how it became a scorched wasteland despite once being billed as Earth’s twin; astronomers have observed a new type of supernova providing fresh insight into the violent life cycle of stars; and the Pentagon has released a highly anticipated report of UFO sightings.

Dr Stephen Curran is a senior lecturer in astrophysics at Victoria University.

The planet Venus in a composite of data from NASA's Magellan spacecraft and Pioneer Venus Orbiter.

The planet Venus in a composite of data from NASA's Magellan spacecraft and Pioneer Venus Orbiter. Photo: AFP