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.
Our Hosts
Fraser Cain
Universe Today
Dr. Pamela Gay
CosmoQuest
Production by
- Richard Drumm, Audio Engineer
- Ally Pelphrey, Video Engineer
17 Seasons
700+ Episodes
Ep. 664: The First Stars
The Sun is a third generation star, polluted with the metals from long dead stars. 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?
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.
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.
Recent Episodes
Ep. 438: Destroy and Rebuild, Pt. 2: Geoengineering
We know humans are having an impact on planet Earth, but what if we really put our backs into it, and intentionally tried to change the entire planet? Either to make it better, or to fix some terrible mistake we've made. The technique is called geoengineering. Could...
Ep. 437: Destroy and Rebuild, Pt. 1: The Torino Scale
We love to destroy the universe, and also rebuild it. Today we begin a new series where we destroy and rebuild. Let's talk about some existential threats we face, and ways we could recover, starting with the sword of Damocles hanging over our head: killer asteroids!...
Ep. 436: Common Misconceptions in Probability
Human beings are bad at many things, but we're particularly terrible at understanding probability in a rational way. We underestimate, overestimate and generally mess up probability. We'll try to fix it here, but we'll surely fail. We usually record Astronomy Cast...
Ep. 435: The Butterfly Effect
Small changes can have a big impact. But can a butterfly's wing-beat in the Amazon really impact the weather halfway across the world? And where do small changes have no impact? We usually record Astronomy Cast every Friday at 1:30 pm Pacific / 4:30 pm Eastern / 21:30...
Ep. 434: Am I On An Alien World?
Once again, science fiction television and movies has let you down. They try to recreate what it might be like on an alien world, but surprise surprise, they mostly get it wrong. That's because a truly alien world would be different in so many ways, it would blow your...
Ep. 433: Volcanoes on Mars
Mars is a world of extremes. This unassuming red world is home to the largest and tallest volcanoes in the entire Solar System. In fact, it's not even a close contest, with Olympus Mons rising 22 km above the surrounding plains, more than twice as tall as Mount...
Ep. 432: Geoglogic Ages of Mars – From Wet and Wild to Desolate Desert
Today, Mars is a desolate wasteland, with dusty red rocks and sand stretching out to the horizon. But billions of years ago, it was a vastly different world. It was blue, with oceans, rivers, lakes, and maybe life? Let's tell the story of geology on Mars, and we got...
Ep. 431: The Search for Life on Mars
We're fitting in one more episode this week, before Fraser heads off to Costa Rica for a week. Our next episode will record on Dec. 23, 2016. Enceladus and Europa are all the rage these days, but classic Mars is still a great place to search for life. In fact, ESA's...
Ep. 430: Coming Home from Mars, Part 2
Join us as we try to finish the interrupted episode Coming Home from Mars! Landing on the surface of Mars is very difficult. In fact, it's probably the toughest planet to land on in the whole Solar System. Today we'll talk about what it's going to take to get to and...
No Astronomy Cast this week Nov 28- Dec 2
Hey folks, just letting you know that due to Fraser being at conference this week, we won't be recording an Astronomy Cast any time. Unfortunately, our last show was interrupted by a power outage, and we'll try to get back together to finish that one on Monday, 12/5....
Ep. 430: Coming Home from Mars
Note - This episode was interrupted due to a power outage on Fraser's end. They'll reschedule to finish episode on 12/5 (most likely - Fraser is traveling this week!), and we'll put the pieces together when we have them and release as audio podcast! Landing on the...
Ep. 429: Living on Mars
When Elon Musk announced plans to send humans to Mars, he conveniently left out one important aspect. How are we supposed to survive on a place this hostile to life? Seriously, Mars sucks, and it's going to take some impressive techniques and technologies to make it...
Ep. 428: The Moons of Mars
We begin a miniseries on Mars. How many episodes will we do? Who knows? But we start today with a discussion of the two Mars moons, Phobos and Deimos. We usually record Astronomy Cast every Friday at 1:30 pm Pacific / 4:30 pm Eastern / 8:30 PM UTC (20:30 GMT). You can...
Ep. 427: Click Bait vs Clear Science
Did you hear that Dark Energy doesn't exist any more? Neither does Dark Matter? It turns out that NASA recalculated the Zodiac and now you're an Ophiuchan! Science is hard enough, but communicating that science out to the public when there are publications hungry for...
Ep. 426: Confirmation Bias
I hate to tell you this, but that meat computer in your skull is constantly betraying you. Don't worry, we've all got the same, but fortunately, scientists have learned how this happens, and can help us make sure our science, and lives don't suffer because of it. We...
Ep. 425: Naming Spacecraft
Have you ever noticed spacecraft missions have some pretty cool names? How does anyone decide what to call these things? We usually record Astronomy Cast every Friday at 1:30 pm Pacific / 4:30 pm Eastern / 8:30 PM UTC (20:30 GMT). You can watch us live on...
Ep. 424: Lightning
It turns out that nature figured out how to use electricity long before humans did. Lightning storms are common across the Earth, and even the Solar System. What causes this electricity in the sky, and how can science use it? We usually record Astronomy Cast every...
Ep. 423: Cyclones
As Hurricane Matthew reminded us, cyclonic storms are a force to be reckoned with. What causes these storms, and how can they form across the Solar System. We usually record Astronomy Cast every Friday at 1:30 pm Pacific / 4:30 pm Eastern / 8:30 PM UTC (20:30 GMT)....
Ep. 422: Geysers
So if you've been to Yellowstone National Park, you've seen one of the most amazing features of the natural world - geysers. In today's episode, we're going to talk about geysers on Earth, and where they might be in the solar system. We usually record Astronomy Cast...
Ep. 421: Space Games!
As you probably know, Fraser is an avid video gamer, especially if it has anything to do with space. Today we turn things around, as Fraser talks about the games he plays, and what he thinks you should be playing too. We usually record Astronomy Cast every Friday at...