Podcasts by Category
- 297 - Ep. 729: The James Webb Space Telescope
Streamed live on Sep 30, 2024. Let's talk about that giant telescope that's changing everything. We have been waiting our entire careers to make this episode on the James Webb Space Telescope, AKA the JWST. This historic Observatory was launched just a couple of years ago and it's already overturning our understanding of the early Universe star formation and exoplanets!
Mon, 07 Oct 2024 - 1h 15min - 296 - Ep. 728: Solar Scientist Eugene Parker
Streamed live on Sep 23, 2024. Last week, we talked about the Parker Solar Probe. As always, we like to talk about the person who inspired the mission. What makes this amazing and different is that Eugene Parker was there to watch the launch of the mission that shares his name. Why is he so influential on solar astronomy?
Mon, 30 Sep 2024 - 58min - 295 - Ep. 727: Parker Solar Probe
Streamed live on Sep 16, 2024. Let's look over the long life of the Parker Solar Probe as it explores the Sun and nearby worlds. The Sun! It’s that ongoing thermonuclear explosion that’s happening right over there! And although the Sun is necessary for life on Earth, we still have questions! So NASA has sent the Parker Solar Probe to visit the Sun up close, to get us some answers.
Mon, 23 Sep 2024 - 58min - 294 - Ep. 726: Looking Back Over The Summer
Streamed live Sep 9, 2024. We made all sorts of predictions, and some of the stuff we didn't know about last July, somehow, we still don't know about as we set up this episode on September 3! Join us for the first episode of Season 18 as we review all the crazy space science that happened during our Summer Hiatus.
Mon, 16 Sep 2024 - 58min - 293 - Ep. 725: Looking Ahead
Streamed live on Jun 24, 2024. Normally Pamela refuses to think about the future. But today, on our final episode before hiatus, she’s throwing out those rules. It’s like the PURGE! Here’s what we’re excited about for the future. Especially for the next couple of months until we return in September.
Mon, 01 Jul 2024 - 52min - 292 - Ep. 724: Summer (Science & Sci Fi) Reads
Streamed live Jun 20, 2024. Fraser & Pamela list their favorite books! Take notes! I also have a favor to ask - I'm working on a research project with my collaborator Sanlyn Buxener on what factors help and hinder people learning and doing science. Can you please take our survey? bit.ly/AstEco THANK YOU! - Pamela
Mon, 24 Jun 2024 - 37min - 291 - Ep. 723: Exoplanets by the Numbers
Streamed live on Jun 10, 2024. Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets, revealing entirely new types of worlds that we just don’t have in the solar system. It’s enough to start getting a rough sense of what kinds of planets are out there. What’s the big picture?
Mon, 17 Jun 2024 - 1h 01min - 290 - Ep. 722: Weather on Exoplanets
Here’s a familiar question: How’s the weather? We’re familiar with the weather on Earth and telescopes and missions are watching the weather on other planets in the Solar System. But for the first time in history, astronomers can now answer that question for exoplanets, located light-years away from us.
Mon, 10 Jun 2024 - 1h 02min - 289 - Ep. 721: Rogue Planets
Most of the exoplanets we’ve found are around stars, where they belong. But a few have been found free-floating in interstellar space. The evidence is growing that there are a lot of them out there, maybe even more than planets with stars. How do they form and how can we learn more about them?
Mon, 27 May 2024 - 55min - 288 - Ep. 720: Galaxy Series - Elliptical Galaxies
Streamed live on Apr 30, 2024. Our galaxy series continues with elliptical galaxies. Unlike other types, these are large, smooth with very few distinguishing features. They’re filled with red and dead stars, a clue to their evolution.
Mon, 20 May 2024 - 36min - 287 - Ep. 719: Galaxy Series - Spiral Galaxies
Our galaxy series continues, on to spiral galaxies. In fact, you’re living in one right now, but telescopes show us the various shapes and sizes these galaxies come in. Thanks to JWST, we’re learning how these spirals got big, early on in the Universe.
Mon, 13 May 2024 - 36min - 286 - Ep. 718: Galaxy Series - Dwarf Galaxies
Streamed live on Apr 30, 2024. It’s time to begin a new mini-series, where we’ll look at different classes of galaxies. Today, we’ll start with the dwarf galaxies, which flock around larger galaxies like the Milky Way. Are they the building blocks for modern structures?
Mon, 06 May 2024 - 40min - 285 - Ep. 717: Understanding the Ages of Distant Cosmic Objects
How old is that star? That planet? That nebula? Figuring out the ages of astronomical objects is surprisingly challenging. Fortunately, astronomers have developed a series of techniques they can use to work out the ages of stuff.
Mon, 29 Apr 2024 - 1h 03min - 284 - Ep. 716 - The God**** Particle - Remembering Peter Higgs
Last week, we learned about the death of Peter Higgs, a physicist and discoverer of the particle that bears his name. The Large Hadron Collider was built to find and describe the particle. Today, we’ll look back at the life of Peter Higgs and his particle.
Mon, 22 Apr 2024 - 59min - 283 - Ep. 715: Total Eclipse of the Science: Experiments During the Eclipse
How to watch a solar eclipse and do some science! The next great eclipse is upon us, with viewers across North America witnessing the moon passing in front of the Sun. It’s an amazing experience, but also an opportunity to do science. Let’s talk about what we can learn from this momentous event.
Mon, 08 Apr 2024 - 54min - 282 - Ep. 714: Orbital Resonances
Several of the planets and moons in the Solar System are in orbital resonance, orbiting in a geometric lockstep. And not just the Solar System, astronomers have found the same resonances in other star systems.
Mon, 01 Apr 2024 - 1h 03min - 281 - Ep. 713: Solar System Volcanoes
Last week was one of the most exciting meetings we’ve seen from the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, with hundreds of announcements and discoveries from various missions. One theme kept coming up, the Solar System is more volcanically active than we thought. Today, we’ll explore volcanism on other worlds.
Mon, 25 Mar 2024 - 1h 06min - 280 - Ep. 712: How Peer Review Fails
You’ve probably heard that the best kind of science is peer-reviewed research published in a prestigious journal. But peer review has problems of its own. We’ll talk about that today.
Mon, 18 Mar 2024 - 58min - 279 - Ep. 711: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC)
NASA works on many missions using tried and true technology, but they also invest in creative ideas that could drive the future of space exploration. It’s called NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts or NIAC.
Mon, 11 Mar 2024 - 278 - Ep. 710: NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Program
In the olden days, NASA developed its missions using a variety of in-house engineers and external suppliers. As more commercial companies are targeting the Moon, NASA is working with partners to deliver its payloads to the lunar surface. Today let’s talk about NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Program.
Mon, 04 Mar 2024 - 1h 02min - 277 - Ep. 709: Space Weapons
Streamed live on Feb 19, 2024. [My apologies for Fraser’s audio dropouts. We’re not sure how it happened as it wasn’t happening at his studio. Audio is a black art, IMHO. Rich) Last week we learned that Russia might be planning nuclear weapons to take out satellites in space. What is the current and future possibility of weapons in space and what are the treaties designed to prevent them?
Mon, 26 Feb 2024 - 1h 04min - 276 - Ep. 708: What Goes Into Sample Return Missions From Asteroids & Comets?
Last week we talked about sample return missions from the Moon and Mars, but scientists have retrieved samples from other objects in the Solar System, including comets and asteroids. What does it take to return a piece of rock from space, and what have we learned so far?
Mon, 19 Feb 2024 - 1h 07min - 275 - Ep. 707: What Goes Into A Sample Return Mission? Moon & Mars
We’ve sent robots to other worlds, but the amount of science we can deploy to another planet can’t compare with the vast science labs we have on Earth. That’s why more and more missions are for a sample return, bringing pieces of alien worlds back to Earth, where we study them with proper equipment.
Mon, 12 Feb 2024 - 1h 06min - 274 - Ep. 706: China’s Space Program
We’re so familiar with NASA’s exploration efforts in space, but you might be surprised to learn that China launches almost as many rockets as the US. They’ve got their own space exploration program that could soon bring humans to the surface of the Moon. Let’s give a brief overview of China’s space exploration plans.
Mon, 05 Feb 2024 - 1h 02min - 273 - Ep. 705: Water Worlds - Looking For Life Beyond Earth
Wherever we find liquid water on Earth, we find life, so it makes sense to search for water across the Universe, and hopefully we can find evidence of life. But what about worlds which are completely covered in water, oceans hundreds of kilometers deep. Can there be too much water?
Mon, 22 Jan 2024 - 1h 00min - 272 - Ep. 704: NASA's Juno Releases New Images
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has completed dozens of flybys of Jupiter, seeing the planet from many angles and delivering some of the most beautiful images we’ve ever seen of the Jovian world. Now it’s focusing in on Io, sending home images of the tiny volcanic world from just 1,500 km away. And the best is yet to come.
Mon, 15 Jan 2024 - 54min - 271 - Ep. 703: Solar Maximum of Doom? Maybe
Streamed live on Dec 20, 2023. Solar cycle 25 is shaping up to be a doozy, with plenty of flares and coronal mass ejections blasting off the Sun. As the solar activity continues to rise, how are things shaping up?
Mon, 08 Jan 2024 - 53min - 270 - Ep. 702: Moonshot 2024 - Go or No Go?
Streamed live on Dec 11, 2023. With Artemis 1 completing its robotic flight around the Moon, we know that the SLS works. Next comes Artemis 2, with a crew of astronauts flying past the Moon. If that’s successful, we could see humans set foot on the Moon in December 2025. But there is a long list of challenges to consider that could delay things considerably. Go or no go for launch‽
Mon, 18 Dec 2023 - 52min - 269 - Ep. 701: Space Science We Look Forward to in the Next 700 Episodes
Last week we looked back at some of the ideas that science has changed its mind about. This week we look forward, into the future, at some of the big ideas that astronomers are making progress in. What space science are we looking forward to?
Mon, 11 Dec 2023 - 55min - 268 - Ep. 700: The Things We Got Wrong
Astronomers talk about all the amazing discoveries they’re making but sometimes, it turns out, they were wrong. After decades and centuries of discoveries, how have they changed their minds?
Mon, 04 Dec 2023 - 52min - 267 - Ep. 699: Holiday Gift Giving Ideas for Astronomy and Space Fans
Just a warning, the holidays are rapidly approaching. It’s time, once again, to think about what to buy all the space nerds on your lists. Here’s what we like.
Mon, 27 Nov 2023 - 56min - 266 - Ep. 698: Insights Into the Universe
How the time flies. It’s been over a year since JWST went operational, with other missions joining the fun. What new insights have we gained about the Universe thanks to these powerful new tools?
Mon, 20 Nov 2023 - 58min - 265 - Ep. 697: Mission Roll Call Part 6: The Outer Solar System and Beyond
Finally, we reach the end of our tour through the missions in the Solar System. Out beyond Mars, to Jupiter, the Kuiper Belt and Beyond.
Mon, 13 Nov 2023 - 45min - 264 - Ep. 696: Mission Roll Call Part 5: The Science at Mars
Another week, another review of space missions in the Solar System. Today we set our sights on the red planet. What are all the active missions at Mars today?
Mon, 06 Nov 2023 - 58min - 263 - Ep. 695: Mission Roll Call Part 4: Lunar Exploration
Our journey through missions continues, this time we focus on the Moon. There are many nations on the Moon, near the Moon, around the Moon, traveling to the Moon. It’s a lot. We’ll talk about it today.
Mon, 30 Oct 2023 - 1h 03min - 262 - Ep. 694: Mission Roll Call Part 3: What's Beyond Earth
Our journey through space missions continues. Now we move away from the Earth to the rest of the solar system. What’s out there orbiting, roving and flying on other worlds and in interplanetary space. Today we look inward and we’ll talk about the missions studying the Sun, Mercury and Venus.
Mon, 23 Oct 2023 - 58min - 261 - Episode 693: Mission Roll Call, Part 2: Looking Outward from Earth
Last week, we brought you up to speed on the spacecraft which are helping to study Earth from above. Many of our missions are in Earth orbit but looking outward to study the Universe. Today, we’ll talk about the missions close to home, helping us understand our place in the cosmos.
Mon, 16 Oct 2023 - 52min - 260 - Ep. 692: Mission Roll Call Part 1: Earth Orbit
It’s time for another series! This time we’re gonna look at the missions that’re currently in place across the solar system. Today we’ll start with the key missions here on Earth, studying the planet from above and looking out into the Universe.
Mon, 09 Oct 2023 - 57min - 259 - Ep. 691: Jupiter’s Changing Red Spot
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is one of its most iconic features. First seen hundreds of years ago. Although it’s certainly long lasting, it’s been changing in size over the last few decades. Shrinking, changing in color. Is it fading away? And what can the changes tell us about storms on giant planets?
Mon, 02 Oct 2023 - 52min - 258 - Ep. 690: Climate on Mars - From Ice Caps to Dust Storms
Streamed live on Sep 18, 2023. We’ve looked at Earth’s changing climate, now let’s see what it’s like for another world: Mars. Much looks familiar, but some of it is totally alien, from ice caps of frozen carbon dioxide to planetary dust storms that can obscure the entire world from view. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela
Mon, 25 Sep 2023 - 1h 04min - 257 - Ep. 689 - Our Warming World: 20 Years of Climate Science
Streamed live on Sep 11, 2023. It’s official! June and July were the warmest we’ve seen since records began over a century ago. Fires are rampant across Canada, and we’re seeing record droughts around the world. Today we’re going to look at 20 years of climate science, how well does reality match up with the predictions. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela
Mon, 18 Sep 2023 - 1h 00min - 256 - Hiatus Message
Hiatus Message Once again, we’ve reached the end of a season here on Astronomy Cast, and it’s time for the summer hiatus. See you in September!
Mon, 10 Jul 2023 - 04min - 255 - Ep. 688: What’s Next? Looking Ahead to Season 17
Streamed live on Jun 26, 2023. Once again, we’ve reached the end of a season here on Astronomy Cast, and it’s time for the summer hiatus. But the Universe never takes a break. What can we expect to happen over the summer while we’re catching up on our reading, building our gardens and planning for Season 17?
Mon, 03 Jul 2023 - 1h 01min - 254 - Ep. 687: Prepping for the Moon
We’re going back to the Moon. In the next few years humans will set foot on the Moon again, ideally this time to stay. But this will be different than the Apollo era, going to the scientifically fascinating, and difficult southern pole of the Moon. What needs to be done to prepare the way back to the Moon?
Tue, 27 Jun 2023 - 1h 01min - 253 - Ep. 686: Ice In The Shadows
The permanently shadowed craters on the Moon are the focus of so much research. That’s because they seem to contain vast reserves of water ice. Water we could use for oxygen, propellant and so much more, but also, to help us understand where the Earth’s water came from.
Mon, 19 Jun 2023 - 38min - 252 - Ep. 685: Manufacturing In Space
Launching satellites from Earth is counter-productive. You’ve got to make a satellite that can handle Earth gravity, then the brutal flight to space, then deployment in orbit. What if you could build your spacecraft in space?
Mon, 12 Jun 2023 - 57min - 251 - Ep. 684: Too Big, Too Soon: Massive Early Galaxies Defy Expectations
One of JWST’s top jobs is to peer deeper into the Universe than ever before, watching as the first galaxies came together. Surprisingly, astronomers found galaxies that seemed much more mature than expected, much earlier than it was believed possible. What’s going on and what does it mean for cosmology?
Mon, 05 Jun 2023 - 56min - 250 - Ep. 683: Cosmic Dawn
After the cosmic microwave background radiation was released, the Universe returned to darkness, cloaked in this clouds of primordial hydrogen and helium. Gravity pulled these vast clouds into the first stars, and then the first galaxies. This is Cosmic Dawn, and JWST will help us probe this mysterious time in the Universe.
Mon, 29 May 2023 - 1h 02min - 249 - Ep. 682: Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies & Dark Matter
Astronomers first noticed the strange behaviors of rotating galaxies almost 100 years ago, suggesting there’s an invisible dark matter hold them together with gravity. Or maybe we just don’t understand how gravity works at the largest scales. Observations are much better now, and astronomers have found examples of galaxies that are almost entirely made of dark matter. Does this tell us anything?
Mon, 22 May 2023 - 1h 03min - 248 - Ep. 681: Kilonovae
In 2017, astronomers detected the gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation from colliding neutron stars. This had been long theorized as one of the causes of a certain type of gamma-ray burst. By studying the event and its afterglow, astronomers have learned a tremendous amount about the formation of the heaviest elements in the Universe.
Mon, 15 May 2023 - 37min - 247 - Ep. 680: Rogue Black Holes
Last week we talked about rogue stars. This week we’re going to take things up a notch and talk about an even more extreme event. Rogue black holes. Astronomers recently discovered a supermassive black hole on an escape trajectory, leaving newly forming stars in its wake. It’s wonderful, terrible, nightmare fuel.
Mon, 08 May 2023 - 58min - 246 - Ep. 679: High(per) Velocity Stars
Most stars in the Milky Way are trapped in here with us, doomed to orbit around and around and around. But a few have found a way out, an escape into the freedom of intergalactic space. How do stars reach escape velocity, never to return?
Mon, 01 May 2023 - 1h 02min - 245 - Ep. 678: World Building: Planet Formation, Growth & Ejection
Okay sci-fi writers, today we’re going to give you a guided tour of building planets. How they form, how they grow, and how things can go horribly horribly wrong. [Editor’s Note: Google HL Tau, click on the Wikipedia link and see planets forming!]
Mon, 24 Apr 2023 - 1h 00min - 244 - Ep. 677: The Answer is Always Dust
Whenever astronomers discover something surprising, the answer often turns out to be dust. Dust obscuring our view, dust changing the polarity, dust warming things up, dust cooling things down. It’s always dust. Until it isn’t.
Mon, 17 Apr 2023 - 1h 03min - 243 - Ep. 676: Other Things With Rings
We’ve spent a lot of time gushing about Saturn’s rings, but there are other places with ring systems. And not just Jupiter and the ice giants, but asteroids, dwarf planets, centaurs and even exoplanets. Today let’s gush about them!
Mon, 10 Apr 2023 - 1h 02min - 242 - Ep. 675: Exotic Forms of Ice
Ice is ice, right? You know, what you get when water freezes. Well, maybe here on Earth. But across the Universe, water can be squeezed together at different temperatures and pressures, leading to very different structures. Today we’ll talk about the different forms that ice can take.
Mon, 03 Apr 2023 - 1h 03min - 241 - Ep. 674: Asteroid Early Warning Systems
The asteroid apocalypse is one of those existential crises that keep astronomers up at night. But the DART mission showed us that we can push an asteroid off its trajectory if we have enough warning. Today we’ll talk about how humanity is building early warning systems to give us time to respond to a dangerous asteroid.
Mon, 27 Mar 2023 - 58min - 240 - Ep. 673: How to See Satellites (or Avoid Seeing Them)
If you’re in dark skies and look up, you’re certain to see a satellite. Lots of them. But how can you know which one you’re seeing, and how can you improve your chances of a sighting? Today we’ll talk about how to see satellites, or avoid seeing them.
Mon, 20 Mar 2023 - 1h 00min - 239 - Ep. 672: Space Debris Removal
We’ve talked about the rising problem of space junk. Okay, we know it’s an issue. So what can be done about it? Today we’ll talk about ideas to remove space junk, making sure space is open to use for the centuries to come.
Mon, 13 Mar 2023 - 1h 02min - 238 - Ep. 671: The Consequences to Breaking Space Laws
Last week we talked about the laws that govern space exploration. This week the rubber hits the road. What are the consequences for actually breaking these rules? Are they really going to stop anyone?
Mon, 06 Mar 2023 - 48min - 237 - Ep. 670 - Governing Space: The 1967 Outer Space Treaty & More!
Streamed live on Feb 13, 2023. The Universe was inaccessible for most of human history, but the first tentative steps to space in the 20th Century made humanity realize that science fiction was becoming science reality. New rules would have to be written to govern how we used this limitless expanse. Today we’ll talk about the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.
Mon, 20 Feb 2023 - 58min - 236 - Ep. 669: Challenges to Dark Energy
It’s been over 20 years since astronomers first discovered that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating thanks to dark energy. And in these decades, astronomers still don’t have much evidence for what could be causing the increased expansion rate. Maybe there’s something else going on to explain it.
Mon, 13 Feb 2023 - 1h 00min - 235 - Ep. 668: The Crisis In Cosmology
Astronomers have made extremely accurate measurements of the expansion rate of the Universe and come up with different results. And the error bars for the observations don’t overlap, so there’s something strange going on. What’s the answer and how can the Crisis in Cosmology be resolved?
Mon, 06 Feb 2023 - 59min - 234 - Ep. 667: JWST First Science
Astronomers came together in January to present their newest research. And not surprisingly, the winter AAS meeting was heavy on news from the James Webb Space Telescope. What were some of the new results that were announced?
Mon, 30 Jan 2023 - 1h 01min - 233 - Ep. 666: Solar System References to the Underworld
Well, we did it. We made it to episode 666, an auspicious number to be sure. What can we do to celebrate this accomplishment? An episode all about things in the Universe that have been named after mythological people and places in the underworld!
Mon, 23 Jan 2023 - 1h 01min - 232 - Ep. 665: The Age of Reionization
The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation tells us so much about the Universe. After that era, the Universe went dark. Then, as gas pulled together into the first stars and eventually galaxies, light returned, beginning the Age of Reionization.
Mon, 16 Jan 2023 - 58min - 231 - Ep. 664: The First Stars
The Sun is a third-generation star, polluted with metals from long-dead suns. Astronomers have also discovered second-generation stars, with very low metallicity. But theories suggest there must be a first generation, with stars made from only pure hydrogen and helium. Can we ever find them?
Mon, 09 Jan 2023 - 1h 00min - 230 - Ep. 663: End of Year Observing Events
We generally save our stargazing suggestions for the summer, when it’s warmer in the northern hemisphere. But you’re tough, you can handle a little cold. And it’s worth it because there are some wonderful things you can see in the night sky this time of year.
Mon, 19 Dec 2022 - 59min - 229 - Ep. 662 - Looking Ahead at New and Recycled Missions
Last week we talked about the missions we’re saying goodbye to. This week, we’re going to talk about some upcoming missions to say hello to. Some are brand new ideas, others are, uh, recycled.
Mon, 12 Dec 2022 - 48min - 228 - Ep. 661: Looking Back on the Missions That Ended
It’s always sad to say goodbye, but when we send our robotic emissaries out into the cosmos, it’s just a matter of time before they shut down. Today we’re going to say goodbye to a few missions which have reached the end of their lives… But they were very good robots.
Mon, 05 Dec 2022 - 48min - 227 - Astronomy Cast Ep. 660: Runaway! Runaway! Escaping Stars, Planets & Small Bodies
Moons orbit planets, planets orbit stars, stars orbit within galaxies. It’s orbits all the way down. But occasionally objects can receive a powerful kick that sends them on a journey, never to return.
Mon, 28 Nov 2022 - 44min - 226 - Ep. 659: Clear Skies, Bright Satellites
Streamed live on Nov 8, 2022. Light pollution is big problem and it’s only getting worse. Not just near cities, but everywhere thanks to increased satellite constellations. How bad is the problem, and how can we fix it?
Mon, 14 Nov 2022 - 37min - 225 - Ep. 658: Space Exploration Horror Stories
Streamed live on Oct 31, 2022. We’re recording this episode on Halloween, so how could we resist but take advantage of this opportunity. Space is already terrifying enough, you know, with the vast endless emptiness, the incomprehensible mysteries, and the uncaring coldness. But here are some scary stories to spook it up a notch.
Mon, 07 Nov 2022 - 57min - 224 - Ep. 657: Astronomical Naming Schemes
Space is a big place, with lots of galaxies, stars, planets, moons, and that means a lot of names. So how do astronomers name stuff, like comets, asteroids, exoplanets, craters?
Mon, 17 Oct 2022 - 57min - 223 - Ep. 656: Smashing Asteroids for Science!
Streamed live Oct 3rd. This week we saw the incredible image of DART smashing into asteroid Dimorphous. Beyond avenging the dinosaurs, what can we learn scientifically from this and other asteroid/comet impact missions
Mon, 10 Oct 2022 - 1h 02min - 222 - Ep. 655: 65 Years of Space: Sputnik 1 Anniversary
Streamed live on Sep 26, 2022. It’s been about 65 years since the Soviets launched the first orbital satellite into low Earth orbit: Sputnik 1. Now there are thousands of satellites in orbit, with tens of thousands on the way. Let’s look at the impact that Sputnik had on the history of spaceflight.
Mon, 03 Oct 2022 - 58min - 221 - Ep. 654: The Side Effects Of Clean Energy
To battle climate change, we’ll need to rapidly move to carbon-free sources of energy. But this technology isn’t a free lunch. They require metals, generate waste and deplete the environment. What’s the best way to balance this shift?
Mon, 26 Sep 2022 - 53min - 220 - Ep. 653: Climate Change: Looking at the Variables
Climate change is on our mind these days with increasing wildfires, droughts and floods. What are the variables that play into a planet’s changing climate and what can this teach us about the search for habitable planets in the solar system and across the Milky Way?
Mon, 19 Sep 2022 - 45min - 219 - Ep. 652: The Rocket Race Towards Reusability
Last week we talked about how single-use rocketry has changed over time, and the role it still plays in launching payloads into orbit and beyond. Today we’ll address the stainless steel elephant in the room and talk about the shift to reusability.
Mon, 12 Sep 2022 - 58min - 218 - Ep. 651: Artemis & The Decline of Single Use Rockets
Season 16 opener. On the day that we’re recording this, NASA’s Space Launch System is about to blast off. But everyone is expecting it’ll be delayed to October. When it does launch, it’ll be the most powerful rocket on Earth. Well, until Starship blasts off. So are we about to see the end of single-use rockets and enter the era of reusable rocketry?
Wed, 07 Sep 2022 - 1h 01min - 217 - Ep. 650: Did JWST Work?
Well, this is it. We’re FINALLY going to talk about the James Webb Space Telescope. After decades of development, delays, budget creep, the powerful infrared observatory is at its final home at the L2 Lagrange point. Yesterday (at the time we’re recording this) we saw the first scientific images from the telescope and according to Pamela’s rules, we’re finally allowed to talk about it.
Mon, 18 Jul 2022 - 40min - 216 - Ep. 649: Highlights From NASA’s Holiday Ruining History
Have you ever noticed that significant space and astronomy events seem to happen during the holidays? It’s not a coincidence. There’s actually a reason why. Today we’ll talk about some of the key events that happened during holidays and the underlying rationale.
Mon, 11 Jul 2022 - 58min - 215 - Ep. 648: Summer Observing
Summer is officially, astronomically here, and for the folks in the northern hemisphere that means it’s a perfect time to head outside and see what’s happening in the sky. Today we’ll give you a good list of things to keep an eye out for with or without a telescope.
Mon, 04 Jul 2022 - 53min - 214 - Ep. 647: Best Sci Fi Beach Reading
[Editor's Note: The Q&A section was lost when the internet & software demons did their thing. Sorry. I did get the initial co-host banter part adequately. -- Rich] Summer’s here! And that means finally tackling that huge list of books piled up on your bedside table and filling up your Kindle. What books do we recommend for some fun reads this summer? - The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scsalzi - Space Opera by Katherine Valente - The Culture series by Iain M. Banks (The Player of Games) - Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty - Marco and the Red Granny by Mur Lafferty - Reamde and The Fall by Neil Stephenson - Bobiverse series by Dennis E. Taylor - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir - Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clark - Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor - Packing for Mars by Mary Roach - The Mission: A True Story by David Brown - Galaxy: The Prettiest Star by Jadzia Axelrod
Mon, 27 Jun 2022 - 37min - 213 - Ep. 646: Our Long Term Future in Space
We always say that we're living in golden age of space and astronomy, but it feels like things are just accelerating. Space travel is happening! What does the long-term future hold for our place in the Universe?
Mon, 20 Jun 2022 - 1h 01min - 212 - Ep. 645: The Future of the ISS
The International Space Station has been continuously inhabited for over 20 years now, serving as a peaceful collaboration between space-faring nations. But it's a machine, and it's getting old. In addition, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has made things, complicated. What's the future for the ISS?
Mon, 13 Jun 2022 - 1h 00min - 211 - Ep. 644: Is Earth… Normal?
We've now discovered thousands of exoplanets, we're learning more and more about the kinds of planetary systems there are out there across the Universe. But are planets like Earth unique or totally rare?
Mon, 30 May 2022 - 59min - 210 - Ep. 643: Sagittarius A*
All the waiting is over, we've finally seen the image of the event horizon from the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way. Different shaped blobs! And a black circle in the middle. What are we looking at? Today we're going to explain the picture, and what's next for the Event Horizon Telescope.
Tue, 17 May 2022 - 56min - 209 - Ep. 642: Is the Sun... Normal?
We've always assumed that we lived in a perfectly normal star system with a normal star and normal planets. It's all... normal. But with our modern understanding of billions of stars, just how normal is our Sun, anyway?
Mon, 16 May 2022 - 1h 00min - 208 - Ep. 641: Can Planets Be Alive?
The Earth is teeming with life, but the upper atmosphere to kilometers underground. There's no question that our planet has life. But is our planet itself alive? This is a question posed back in the 1970s as the Gaia hypothesis, and it got its share of criticism. Some new ideas have been proposed to bring this hypothesis to the modern era as we search for exoplanets.
Mon, 09 May 2022 - 57min - 207 - Ep. 640: Survey Science: Newest Projects & Results
There are general-purpose telescopes and missions that astronomers can use to study specific objects. And there are the survey missions that look at the entire sky, which astronomers can use to answer questions about the Universe. We've talked about surveys in the past, but the landscape is changing quickly so it's time for an update.
Mon, 02 May 2022 - 51min - 206 - Ep. 639: Big Qs Update: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, Etc.
Knowledge moves forward, and so, we must move with it. Today we'll give you an update on some of the most fascinating, fast-changing topics in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology.
Mon, 18 Apr 2022 - 57min - 205 - Ep. 638: Simulating Space Missions
Although humans have never actually been to Mars, explorers have simulated many aspects of Mars missions here on Earth. There are missions under the ocean, on the tops of volcanoes, in the harsh Canadian north, and even in bed that simulate the limitations of spaceflight, and teach us many of the lessons to prepare us for the real thing
Mon, 11 Apr 2022 - 54min - 204 - Ep. 637: Machine Learning in Astronomy
Computers are a big part of astronomy, but mostly they've been relegated to doing calculations. But recent developments in machine learning have changed everything, giving computers the ability to do jobs that humans could only do in the past.
Mon, 04 Apr 2022 - 54min - 203 - Ep. 636: Blowing Bubbles
We think of space as a vacuum, but there are regions of different density. There are winds blowing from stars and other objects that clear out vast bubbles in space, and look absolutely fantastic in pictures. And they might have been critical for Earth to even exist in the first place.
Mon, 28 Mar 2022 - 59min - 202 - Ep. 635: Jets: When Magnetic Fields Fling Things
As astronomers look out across the Universe. They see various objects spewing jets of material light years into space. What causes these jets? And what impact do they have on the Universe?
Mon, 21 Mar 2022 - 34min - 201 - Ep. 634: Milky Way’s Mergers & Acquisitions
The Milky Way is a vast grand spiral today, but how did it get this way? Astronomers are starting to unravel the history of our galaxy, revealing the ancient collisions with dwarf galaxies, and how they came together to build the modern Milky Way.
Mon, 14 Mar 2022 - 50min - 200 - Ep. 633: Weirdly Habitable Places
We've always assumed that habitable planets would need to be like Earth; a terrestrial planet orbiting a sunlike star. But now astronomers have been discovering planets in the habitable zone around very much non-sunlike stars. What strange places could be habitable?
Mon, 07 Mar 2022 - 1h 00min - 199 - Ep. 632: Building Images: Optical vs Radio
A recent image from the South African MeerKAT Telescope blew our minds. It was a high resolution image of the center of the Milky Way showing delicate filaments and other structures. What was so mind blowing is that this was an image from a radio telescope. Today we’re gonna talk about why this was such an accomplishment and what the future holds for radio astronomy. https://www.sarao.ac.za/media-releases/new-meerkat-radio-image-reveals-complex-heart-of-the-milky-way/
Mon, 28 Feb 2022 - 43min - 198 - Ep. 631: All The Uses Of Pulsars (Including Murder)
Pulsars are the rapidly spinning degenerate husks of dead stars, turning hundreds of times a second. But they're also handy clocks, spinning with such certainty and accuracy that astronomers can use them for all kinds of stuff. We might even use them to navigate the cosmos.
Mon, 21 Feb 2022 - 56min
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