Fraser Cain
Universe Today
Dr. Pamela Gay
CosmoQuest
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.
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 off on a journey, never to return.
Light pollution is a 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?
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, incomprehensible mysteries, and uncaring coldness. But here are some scary stories to spook it up a notch.
Recent Episodes
As part of gathering information for our CosmoQuest NASA Grant fulfillment, we need to gather information from several groups. Podcast listeners are a major part of our audience, so if you listen to our show, please click this link and fill out this short survey....
One of the most dangerous things that can happen inside a spacecraft is fire. Seriously, it's NASA's worst nightmare, and for good reason. Fire acts differently in space, and astronauts are always on alert. Here's why. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes |...
Welcome back to our new season of Astronomy Cast! This episode is a special live show that took place at DragonCon 2016 in Atlanta, GA. Pamela hosted a panel of amazing scientists and engineers who all happen to be women, and they discussed the unsung women of NASA...
more soon
One of the most familiar asterisms in the night sky is the Teapot, in Sagittarius. Today we're going to talk about that and have a bonus conversation about Bertrand Russell's Teapot Argument. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This...
In all fields of science, sometimes more is learned when you fail at what you're trying to do than when you succeed. So what new science discoveries have failed expectations given us in astronomy? Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This...
Every now and then we look up and see bright fiery balls falling from the sky. Don't panic, these are just bolides. Sometimes they leave trails, sometimes they explode, and sometimes they survive all the way to the ground. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes |...
The temperature of the Universe can vary a dramatic amount from the hot cores of stars to the vast cold emptiness of deep space. What’s the temperature of the Universe now, and what will it be in the future? Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to...
In our last episode, we talked about what it’ll take to navigate across the Solar System. In this episode we scale things up and speculate how future civilizations will navigate to other stars and even other galaxies. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump...
It’s hard enough finding your way around planet Earth, but what do you do when you’re trying to find your way around the Solar System? Today we’ll talk about how spacecraft navigate from world to world. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript...
What color is the Universe? Turns out this isn’t a simple question, and one that scientists have really been unable to answer, until now! Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is sponsored by: Swinburne Astronomy Online, 8th...
We all enjoy beautiful, multicolored sunsets. But what causes the brilliant oranges, pinks and purples that we see, and why does it change from day to day and season to season? Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is sponsored...
The discovery of Planet 9 has caused a wonderful, confusing uproar and a flood of misinformation in the news and social media. We'll sort out what we actually know, what things just aren't true, and what things might be possible! Download the show [MP3] | Jump to...
The Solar System is a spinny place. Everything’s turning turning. But if you look closely, there are some pretty strange spins going on. Today we talk about how everything started turning, and the factors that still “impact” them today. Download the show [MP3] | Jump...
We’ve talked about stellar cannibalism and galactic cannibalism, but now it’s time to take this concept to its logical extreme – universe cannibalism. In the multiverse theory of physics we live in just one of a vast range of universes which might interact with each...
Remember when we told you that the Universe is a big place, and anything that can go wrong, inevitably does? Today we talk about what happens when galaxies come together. This is particularly pertinent because our Milky Way will collide with Andromeda in the future!...
Most of the time stars hang around for billions of years. But the Universe is a big place, and anything that can go wrong, inevitably does. Today we talk about what happens when these stars come together. The outcome is violent, and fortunately for you, also...
Last week we talked about knowledge, what we do and don’t know. This week we talk about questions which are impossible to ask, where the answers don’t actually exist. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is sponsored by: ...
There the things we know, the things we don’t know, and the things we can’t know. How do we know which one is when when we’re deciding to fund research and direct our scientific inquiry. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is...
How much of a challenge is it to get funding for large projects like LIGO? Fraser and Pamela discuss the difficult issues finding "Big Money." Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is sponsored by: Casper, Swinburne...