During the making of Radiolab’s “Zoozve” podcast episode in January 2024, the show secured a partnership with the International Astronomical Union’s Office of Astronomical Outreach to create a fan naming contest for one of Earth’s quasi-moons.
As an extension of the impact our episodes have on listeners, by rallying listeners to participate in naming a celestial body, Radiolab is engaging them in a compelling and active way with astronomy, physics, the nature of objects in the solar system, and their relationship to one another. In particular, people will be able to develop personal stakes regarding the unique qualities of quasi-moons, a little-known element of our solar system.
WHAT EVEN IS A QUASI-MOON?
A quasi-moon is a space rock that orbits the sun nearby a planet. Weirdly, if you watch it from the planet, it looks like it’s going around you the way a moon would. But it’s too small and too far away to be a moon. And it’s barely being pulled around by the planet’s gravity. So it’s just hanging out, doing this funny awkward cosmic dance with the planet. Not a moon, but also not NOT a moon.
WEBSITE URL http://www.radiolab.org/moon
VOTING PAGE https://woobox.com/vcj7rm