"'There's a new sunrise in space every hour and a half - so the song would be very appropriate.' It was astronaut Ken Reightler speaking in response to my suggestion that my fathers song 'The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise' would be a good wake up tune for the astronauts on the upcoming shuttle flight Columbia. We played the Les Paul and Mary For Version of the song just after 2 a.m. on October 27, 1992. I was there in the mission control viewing room and listened to the music fill the sky. My father would have loved it. My eyes filled with tears." More ...

About the guest: June Lockhart was born in New York in 1925 and began her career at the age of eight, appearing at the Metropolitan Opera House. At twelve she played Belinda Cratchet in the film 'A Christmas Carol'. After significant roles in many now classic films, she moved on to TV. June starred in the 'Lassie' series for six years, 'Lost In Space' for three years and 'Petticoat Junction' for two years, and had an ongoing part for several years in 'General Hospital'.

June has always supported NASA and delighted in meeting many of the astronauts. She has travelled to see launches and to open the Children's Space Museum at Johnson Space Center. In 2009 she spoke at the Kennedy Space Center's Salute to Space.

"The sidewalk astronomer faces new challenges in today's media-rich world. Awash in the spectacular images of the Great Observatories, the satellites, and rovers, the uninitiated who put their eye to the scope might expect fireworks. The fuzzy gray blobs that await them can be a bit of a letdown.

Yet, a great many beautiful sights and phenomena are visible through the backyard telescope or even with the unaided eye. Seeing these astronomical objects can foster a sense of connection to a wider universe - especially when viewed live, rather than on a computer screen. To be truly moved by the beautiful experience of looking through a telescope, or by the simple wonderment of gazing up at the moon, a little context goes a long way..." More ...

About the guest: Ryan Turner is the Science Visualizer for Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California. He guides audiences on tours of the universe in his live planetarium shows and is constantly bringing new lessons, topics, and content into the planetarium.

"As a kid, I really wanted to possess the power of magic. Ads in the backs of comic books beckoned -- beseeched me to send in the cutout coupon for a 10-day free trial, tantalized me with secrets of the Miracle Coin or the Chinese Laundry Ticket. I mostly coveted the Gravity Defyer, from which I imagined I would learn the mysteries of levitation -- the ability to magically float something in the seeming nothingness of air." More ...

About the guest: Stephen Nowlin is an artist/curator whose day-job is Vice President, Director of the Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery at Art Center College of Design located in Pasadena, California.