Looking Up

Five minutes at the end of each week explores the big and the small questions in astronomy, cosmology, and space science. Hosted by Kechil Kirkham, no subject is too big or too small, and experts are regularly brought on board to illuminate and excite. Cape Town is the place to be for astronomy, with some of the largest telescopes in the world housed or being built not too far away. Looking Up takes advantage of the shoals of scientists and engineers working on the planet’s most advanced astronomy projects, who live and work right here in the Mother City. Kechil has recently acquired an MPhil in Space Studies at the University of Cape Town, and works in South Africa’s space industry on the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope.

Weekly English South Africa Places & Travel Kechil Kirkham

438 Episodes

180 – 200

Looking up - 10 Sept

Following our series of controversial topics in space, Kechil now faces extra-terrestrial mining. Coming soon at an asteroid near you!

10 Sep 2021 4 min

Looking up - 03 Sept

Advertising in space! Continuing with the theme of controversial projects in space, Kechil interviews Dr Francois Malan about one particular project. Don't worry, you aren't going to be looking up into the night skies above Cape Town and seeing flashing lights.

3 Sep 2021 5 min

Looking up - 28 Aug

In this series on controversial topics, Kechil talks to Being Green's John Richards about energy from space. It is theoretically possible to beam energy from the Sun down to Earth. How close are we to developing this technology and how green is it?

27 Aug 2021 5 min

Looking up - 20 Aug

Controversy in space! Over the next few weeks Kechil will explore a variety of projects which may not be for the benefit of all Earth-bound citizens.

20 Aug 2021 4 min

Looking up - 13 Aug

What does it actually sound like on another planet? Kechil plays 3 recordings taken from the surface of Mars and explains why they sound low and muffled. Amazing that we can hear what it sounds like on Mars.

13 Aug 2021 5 min

Looking up - 06 Aug

Nothing is still in the universe, everything is spinning, hurtling through space. But what would happen if the Earth suddenly stopped?

6 Aug 2021 4 min

Looking up - 30 July 21

A balloon the size of a football stadium! That's pretty big. Beneath it will dangle SuperBIT, an almost-space telescope which could reveal the secrets of dark matter. This is a far cheaper and more environmentally-friendly way of peering into space and getting round the problem of our restless atmosphere.

30 Jul 2021 4 min

Looking up - 23 July 21

All sorts of new discoveries are being made using the new MeerKAT radio telescope in the Northern Cape. Here to tell us about them is Dr Sarah White, an astronomer affiliated to Rhodes University and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory. If you'd like to find out more, follow this…

23 Jul 2021 5 min

Looking up - 16 July 21

Space tourism is launched! Virgin Galactic successfully completed their fourth test flight and next, in a week's time, we have Blue Origins taking tourists into space. Kechil explores the consequences of these private endeavours.

16 Jul 2021 5 min

Looking up - 09 July 21

The new South African MeerKAT telescope has been revealing the secrets of the universe. Here to tell us about the latest revelations is Shilpa Ranchod, a PhD student at Wits. Her research has shown how groups of galaxies are connected by examining the gas around them.

9 Jul 2021 5 min

Looking up - 02 July 21

There is alcohol in space! Yes, plenty of alcohol floating about in clouds if you know where to look. Kechil gives the lowdown on booze in space

2 Jul 2021 5 min

Looking up - 25 June 21

Recently the US military released footage of UFOs. Kechil explores the arguments with the help of Anders Sandberg. What are they? Angels, fairies, intrusions from the fifth dimension, swamp gas, Chinese drones, sapient octopuses, or a prank or what? And if aliens then why are they so shy? Yesterday was…

25 Jun 2021 4 min

Looking up - 18 June 21

There's a lot we don't know about our own solar system. Signs are there could be a very large planet about a million light years from Earth, but still orbiting our star.

18 Jun 2021 4 min

Looking up - 11 June 21

The latest trend is to send thousands of very small satellites into low earth orbit, which have a short life. These then burn up on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere after a few months of operation. There is predicted to be a couple of tons of satellite debris entering the atmosphere…

11 Jun 2021 5 min

Looking up - 04 June 21

Lots going on in space flight at the moment: the Chinese space station is being constructed in space with the second robotic cargo launch having been successfully completed; something made a hole in the International Space Station's robotic arm; SpaceX made a 10th launch and re-landing of its reusable booster…

4 Jun 2021 5 min

Looking up - 28 May 21

Professor David Buckley of the South African Astronomical Observatory talks to Kechil about the latest weird findings from outer space. Periodic X-ray flares from the centre of far away galaxies is having scientists wondering what is causing them - perhaps two black holes whizzing around each other? We just don't…

28 May 2021 5 min

Looking up - 21 May 21

Associate Professor Emeritus John S Compton has produced a new book about the West Coast called "The West Coast, A Natural History" and his particular view of the ecology of this area has been influenced and inspired by his life as a geologist. Geology is interesting to some branches of…

21 May 2021 5 min