# The Space Show Presents Dr. Andrew Fraknoi

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-space-show-by-dr-david-livingston-1065418/the-space-show-presents-dr-andrew-fraknoi
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-space-show-by-dr-david-livingston-1065418/the-space-show-presents-dr-andrew-fraknoi.md
Podcast: [The Space Show by Dr. David Livingston](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-space-show-by-dr-david-livingston-1065418)
Published: 2026-03-14T22:50:04+00:00
Episode link: https://doctorspace.substack.com/p/the-space-show-presents-dr-andrew
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/190963311/1b782af1f759d3a71d701ba5bf7c24d3.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-space-show-by-dr-david-livingston-1065418/episodes/the-space-show-presents-dr-andrew-fraknoi
Duration seconds: 5332

## Resource

The Space Show Presents Dr. Andrew Fraknoi, Sunday, March 1, 2026 Quick Summary: The Space Show presented an in-depth discussion with astronomer Dr. Andrew Fraknoi about the upcoming total lunar eclipse on March 3rd, which will be visible in the early morning hours across North America. Our discussion explored how ancient Greeks used lunar eclipses to prove Earth’s spherical shape and covered modern astronomical topics including the Vera Rubin Observatory’s 10-year sky-mapping project and the James Webb Space Telescope’s capabilities for observing distant galaxies. The discussion also touched on the debate between active and passive SETI approaches to searching for extraterrestrial intelligence, with Dr. Fraknoi expressing caution about sending messages to potential alien civilizations. The program concluded with information about Dr. Fraknoi’s free astronomy textbook and his ongoing Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures series for 27 years. Detailed Summary: The meeting began with a discussion about teaching programs for retired individuals, where Andrew shared his experience teaching astronomy in national classes through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The conversation then shifted to a discussion about supernovae, with Andrew explaining that predicting them is currently impossible. David encountered technical difficulties with Zoom, preventing a participant from joining, and John Hunt offered suggestions to resolve the issue. The conversation ended with David announcing upcoming schedule changes, including a canceled show due to his travel to UCLA, and encouraged listeners to support the program through PayPal or Substack. Andrew explained the details of the upcoming total lunar eclipse, noting that while it’s easily observable without special equipment, its timi…

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## Transcript

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