Last week we talked about the Neil Gerhels Swift Telescope, this week we’ll be talking about the man behind the mission.
Our Hosts
Fraser Cain
Universe Today
Dr. Pamela Gay
CosmoQuest
Production by
- Richard Drumm, Audio Engineer
- Ally Pelphrey, Video Engineer
#730: The Neil Gehrels Swift Telescope
Let’s look over the long life of the Neil Gehrels Swift Telescope as it watches for the multi-spectral flashes of high energy explosions.
#729: The James Webb Space Telescope
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.
#728 :Eugene Parker
In our last episode, we talked about the Parker Solar Probe. Today, we talk about the person who inspired the mission
Recent Episodes
Ep. 702: Moonshot 2024 – Go or No Go?
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...
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, 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?...
Ep. 700: 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? https://youtube.com/live/l1wyLzFEz2Q?feature=share This episode was made...
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. https://youtube.com/live/wKbcQk2rDpM?feature=share Transcript (This is an automatically generated...
Ep. 698: Insights into the Universe, featuring JWST Results
Recorded live during the CosmoQuestX 2023 Hangout-a-Thon on November 5. 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?...
Ep. 697 – Mission Roll Call Part 6: Outer Solar System
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. Recorded live during the CosmoQuestX 2023 Hangout-a-Thon. https://youtu.be/COkfhE2gkFI Transcript (This is an automatically...
Ep. 696 – Mission Roll Call Part 5: 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? https://youtube.com/live/cGPS4kv3QoI?feature=share Transcript (This is an automatically generated transcript)...
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, travelling to the Moon. It’s a lot. We’ll talk about it today. https://youtube.com/live/iTA_aUI79do?feature=share Transcript...
Ep. 694 – Mission Roll Call Part 3: Sun, Mercury, and Venus
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...
Ep. 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...
Ep. 692 – Mission Roll Call Part 1: Orbiting Earth
It’s time for another series. This time we’re going to look at the missions that are 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....
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 and changing in color. Is it fading away? And what can the changes tell...
Ep. 690: Climate on Mars – From Ice Caps to Dust Storms
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....
Ep. 689: Our Warming World – 20 Years of Climate Science
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...
Ep. 688: What’s Next? Looking Ahead to Season 17
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...
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...
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...
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?...
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...
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...