Fraser Cain
Universe Today
Dr. Pamela Gay
CosmoQuest
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?
Now that we’ve discovered thousands of exoplanets, we’re learning more and more about what kinds of planetary systems there are out there across the Universe. Are planets like Earth unique or totally rare?
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. Today we’re going to explain the picture, and what’s next for the Event Horizon Telescope.
We’ve always assumed that we lived in a perfectly normal 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?
Recent Episodes
Why pick up a low quality, wobbly telescope from the department store when you can craft your own - just like Galileo, and all the great astronomers from history. For a minor investment, you can build a worthy telescope out of spare parts and high quality kits....
When you consider the hazards of spaceflight, it’s hard to get worked up about dust bunnies. And yet, atmospheric dust is going to be one of the biggest problems astronauts will face when they reach the surface of other worlds. Where does this dust come from, and what...
The Universe is filled with hot fusion, in the cores of stars. And scientists have even been able to replicate this stellar process in expensive experiments. But wouldn't it be amazing if you could produce energy from fusion without all that equipment, and high...
Comets can spend billions of years out in the Oort Cloud, and then a few brief moments of terror orbiting the Sun. These are the sun grazers. Some survive their journey, and flare up to become the brightest comets in history. Others won't survive their first, and only...
The number of protons defines an element, but the number of neutrons can vary. We call these different flavors of an element isotopes, and use these isotopes to solve some challenging mysteries in physics and astronomy. Some isotopes occur naturally, and others need...
As we've mentioned before, the Sun is a terrifying ball of plasma. It's a good thing we're keeping an eye on it. And that eye is the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO. Operating for more than 18 years now, SOHO has been making detailed observations of the...
Sometimes the Sun is quiet, and other times the Sun gets downright unruly. During the peak of its 11-year cycle, the surface of the Sun is littered with darker sunspots. And its from these sunspots that the Sun generates massive solar flares, which can spew radiation...
Our Sun isn't just a terrifying ball of white hot plasma, it's actually a lot more complex. It's got layers. And today, we're going to peel back those layers and learn about the Sun - from the inside out. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to...
Although the Zodiac is best known for astrology nonsense, it has a purpose in astronomy too. The constellations of the Zodiac define the plane of the ecliptic: the region where the Sun, Moon and planets appear to travel through the sky. What are the constellations of...
Sometimes you've just got to get away from it all. From your planet, your Solar System and your galaxy. If you're looking to escape, you'll need to know just what velocity it'll take to break the surly bonds of gravity and punch the sky. Download the show [MP3] | Jump...
Have you ever wondered what it's like to visit one of the big research observatories, like Keck, Gemini, or the European Southern Observatory? What's it like to use gear that powerful? What's the facility like? What precautions do you need to take when observing at...
Sometimes you can do science by watching patiently, and sometimes you've just got to get your hands dirty with an experiment or two. These two methods have their advantages and disadvantages for revealing Nature's secrets. Let's talk about how and why scientists...
Who knew that destruction could be so informative? Only by smashing particles together with more and more energy, can we truly tease out the fundamental forces of nature. Join us to discover the different kinds of accelerators (both natural and artificial) and why...
Put that pedal to the metal and accelerate! It's not just velocity, but a change in velocity. Let's take a look at acceleration, how you measure it, and how Einstein changed our understanding of this exciting activity. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes |...
The Earth is wobbling on its axis like a top. You can't feel it, but it's happening. And over long periods of time, these wobbles shift our calendars around, move the stars from where they're supposed to be, and maybe even mess with our climate. Thank you very much...
Why don't we have insects the size of horses? Why do bubbles form spheres? Why does it take so much energy to broadcast to every star? Let's take a look at some non-linear mathematical relationships and see how they impact your day-to-day life. Download the show [MP3]...
Shhhh, shhh. You can stop screaming. That's because nobody can hear you ... in space. But why not? How does sound work here on Earth, and what would it sound like on other planets? Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is...
Dear Astronomy Cast fans, If you're looking for episode 310, you won't find it. That episode got lost in the shuffle of technology and software fails. But don't worry, the information was put into later episodes, so you're not missing anything! Thank you for listening!
Our modern society depends on science. It impacts the way we eat, work, communicate and play. And yet, most people take our amazing scientific advancement for granted, and some are even hostile to it. What can we do to spread the love of science through education,...
When it comes to carbon dioxide, just a little goes a long way to warming the planet. Unfortunately, we've been dumping vast amounts into the atmosphere, recently passing 400 parts per million. Let's look at the science of the greenhouse effect, and how it's impacting...