You’ve heard this voice on Texas Public Radio for years, but you may not realize she lives here in the Alamo City. It starts with that enticing, spacey music.
[Editor's Note: hit "Listen" above to hear the music and Ms. Wood]
“Stardate April 9th…”
It’s the sounds of Stardate, and its on-air host.
“I’m Sandy Wood.”
Stardate is the daily 2-minute radio piece produced by the McDonald Observatory and broadcast on 300 NPR stations nationwide, detailing our galaxy and beyond. She’s been doing it for quite a while.
“Almost twenty-four years. I can’t believe I’ve managed to hold a job—one job—for twenty-four years.”
I asked “So by now with all those facts that you’ve delivered to intelligent audiences, you must have an astrophysicist’s knowledge of the universe.”
“Oh, I wish I did. I probably have a working knowledge of astronomy that most people don’t have. But I’m certainly by no means an expert. I wish I were.”
I mentioned that it was her job to remind people that their day-to-day world, the stuff that they see with their own two eyes, is just a tiny part of what there actually is.
“Yeah, you know I think we take for granted the amazing planet we live on. It is truly miraculous. When you look up at the night sky, every night you will see something amazing.”
I asked if she were ever recognized just because of her voice.
“It’s happened three times and it’s pretty fun when that does happen. The first time it happened I was buying a dress in Las Vegas, Nevada. I signed my name and the woman checking me out said ‘I knew I new your voice!’"
We’ve more about Stardate here.
