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Universe Today Podcast
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Episodes
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 630: Betelgeuse Is Still Dimming! And We Have the Pictures to Prove It
Near the end of 2019, astronomers watching the red giant Betelgeuse noted how much the star had dimmed, continuing to steadily fade for months. It’s a variable…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 631: Q&A 118: Are We In a New Space Race? And More... Featuring Dr Jessie Christiansen
In this week's questions show, I talk about how we're in a new space race, and what this means for returning to the Moon. Of course, lots of follow up answers…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 632: Open Space 62: Will We Need a Prime Directive in the Future? And More...
In this week's live Q&A, and talk about whether or now we're going to need a Prime Directive in the future like Star Trek, and why aliens might have one…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 627: We've Never Seen the Sun's Poles. That's About to Change With Solar Orbiter
On February 9, 2020, the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral Florida on top of an Atlas V 411 spacecraft. The…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 628: Q&A 117: Why Am I So Negative About Aliens? And More... Featuring Dr. Jason Wright
In this week's questions show, I explain why I've got such a skeptical view about the search for aliens if there might be multiple great filters, and why NASA…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 625: Q&A 116: When Will the Cosmic Microwave Fade Away? And More... Featuring James Davenport
In this week's questions show, I answer when the cosmic microwave background will shift into radio waves, what the Sun would sound like if space was filled…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 626: This is the Highest Resolution Image Ever Taken of the Sun
You’re looking at the highest resolution image that has ever been taken of our Sun, using the brand new Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope in Maui. These lighter…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 624: Open Space 61: Do I Think We'll Ever Travel Faster Than Light? And More...
In this week's life Q&A, I explain why we don't send animals to space any more, why I don't think we'll ever travel faster than the speed of light, and how…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 623: Escape! Spaceflight Abort Systems from the Launch Pad to Interplanetary Travel
On Sunday, January 19th, 2020, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying its newly designed Crew Dragon spacecraft. 84 seconds into flight, at the moment of…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 622: Finally! An Explanation for One of the Most Powerful Supernovae Ever Seen
In 2006, astronomers spotted the telltale sign of a supernova detonating in the galaxy NGC 1260, located about 240 million light-years away in the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 621: Q&A 115: Could We See a Nuclear Explosion on the Moon? And More... Featuring Dr. Amber Straughn
In this week's questions show, I explain if we'd be able to see a nuclear bomb explode on the Moon, have we already passed the Great Filter, and where we could…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 620: Is There A Shadow Biosphere? Life On Earth That Isn't Related To Us
Whenever I talk about the search for life in the Universe and its emphasis on water, I get comments that scientists aren’t being creative enough. Why does life…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 619: Open Space 60: Will Aliens Be Kind Or Cruel?
In this week's questions show, I wonder whether any aliens out there would be nice to us or try to wipe us out. What would be their motivations? Why are…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 618: The Future Of Gravitational Waves. Seeing Every Black Hole Collision In The Observable Universe?
In 2015, scientists discovered the telltale signal from ripples of spacetime sweeping over the Earth. It was the very first direct detection of gravitational…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 617: Q&A 114: Why Isn't There A Microscope On Mars? And More... Featuring Stella Kafka from AAVSO
In this week's questions show, I explain why it doesn't make sense to send a microscope to Mars, how we could use a black hole to see a reflection of Earth and…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 615: The Far Side Of The Moon Is The Perfect Place For a Radio Telescope
We’ve now passed the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, and all eyes are back on the Moon. NASA is planning to return to the Moon by 2024 with its…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 616: Open Space 59: Professor Greg Eghigian and the History of UFOs
This week I'm joined by Professor Greg Eghigian, from Penn State University to talk about the history of UFO sightings and claims of alien contact. You can…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 614: Starlink And Its Impact On Astronomy
On Monday, January 6th, 2020, another SpaceX Falcon 9 blasted off from Cape Canaveral, carrying another 60 Starlink internet communications satellites…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 613: Q&A 113: Could We Attach Telescopes To Starlink? And More Featuring Jeff Foust
In this week's questions show, I've got another expert guest answerer. Space News reporter and Space Review editor Jeff Foust answers your tricky spaceflight…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 612: Open Space 58: First Pictures From the New Telescope, And More...
Thanks to our good friends at Oceanside Photo and Telescope, our livestreaming telescope is back online. I featured a couple of quick pics I took with the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 611: Are Aliens Watching Us And How Could We Hide? With Dr. David Kipping
Once again, at the AAS Meeting in Hawaii, I got a chance to sit down with another astronomer to talk about their research. This time it was Dr. David Kipping…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 609: Why Haven't Aliens Settled Every Star In The Milky Way? With Adam Frank
At the American Astronomical Society's meeting Honolulu I got a chance to talk with Adam Frank about new research he's worked with Caleb Scharf, Jonathan…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 610: Open Space 57: Could We Terraform Earth To Make It Better? And More...
In this week's Open Space QA, I respond to complaints about my Betelgeuse video, wonder about alien civilizations stuck in heavy gravity, and consider whether…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 608: Q&A 112: Are Stars Moving The Same Speed And More. Featuring Ethan Siegel
This week's questions show was recorded at the 235th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Honolulu, Hawaii. I was lucky enough to have 3,500…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 607: Q&A 111: Will We Ever Study All The Planets? And More...
In this week's questions show I explain how we'll ever study 100 million planets, what's the business case for space exploration, and how I pull the questions…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 606: Betelgeuse Is Dimmer Than We've Ever Seen It
Over the last weekend, astronomy Twitter started noting that the red giant Betelgeuse, the prominent shoulder of Orion was looking visibly dimmer in the sky…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 604: 100 Million Exoplanets By 2050? How Will We Get There?
As I’m recording this video near the end of 2019, the total number of confirmed exoplanets stands at 4,104. We’ve come a long way since the discovery of the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 605: Open Space 56: SpaceX's Andrew Rader and "Beyond the Known"
This week I'm joined by Andrew Rader, a game designer and mission manager at SpaceX. Andrew's new book is called Beyond the Known and it's all about the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 603: What Is The Crisis in Cosmology? With Dr. Paul Sutter
How old is the Universe? In order to figure that out, all you have to do is figure out how quickly it’s expanding, and then the clock backward until everything…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 602: Q&A 110: Why Can't I Just Be Realistic About Mars? And More...
In this week's questions show, I explain why I don't think we always need to be realistic, if galaxies in the local group are bound together gravitationally…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 601: Living Off The Land On Mars. What Can We Find On The Red Planet?
Extending humanity to other worlds in the Solar System is at the very limits of our modern technology. And unless there are dramatic discoveries in new…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 600: Q&A 109: Could We Have A Steam Powered Rocket? And More...
In this week's questions show, I explain why you could have a steam-powered rocket, how often spacecraft have crashed into asteroids and comets, and why a red…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 599: Flying In The Cloudtops Of Venus. Balloons, Airships And Airplanes For Venus
The exploration of Venus has been mainly about getting down to the surface of the planet. The Soviet Union sacrificed lander after lander to discover just how…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 598: Open Space 55: Jason Derleth, NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts
This week I'm joined by Jason Derleth from NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (or NIAC). This is a special part of NASA that funds innovative ideas for new…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 597: Q&A 108: Why Are There Meteor Showers Every Year? And More, Featuring Paul Geithner from JWST
In this week's questions show, I explain why we can see meteor showers every year, why we're not 3D printing telescopes in space, why there aren't any plans to…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 595: Fraser as Guest on the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe
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Universe Today PodcastEpisode 596: Open Space 54: Dr. Casey Handmer On How Starship Changes Everything
Today I was joined by Dr. Casey Handmer, an accomplished theoretical physicist who currently works at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab. Casey has a fascinating blog…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 594: Building Space Telescopes... In Space
When it comes to telescopes, bigger is better. That’s true down here on Earth, and it’s especially true out in space. As astronomers and engineers design the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 593: Q&A 107: All Your James Webb Questions, Answered
In this week's questions show, I tackle all the questions about James Webb generated by the videos we did this week. Can it be refueled? How can it see the…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 592: Open Space 53: Live QA with Paul Geithner from James Webb
Today I'll be joined by Paul Geithner, the Deputy Project Manager for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. You've had questions about this mission. Well... now's…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 591: The History And Future Of The James Webb Space Telescope
On March 30, 2021, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will blast off from the European Space Agency’s European spaceport in Kourou, French Giana on board an…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 590: Open Space 52: Dustin Gibson from Oceanside Photo and Telescope
Today's guest is Dustin Gibson from Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT). Dustin will talk about his journey to becoming an astrophotographer and eventually…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 589: Q&A 106: Do Geostationary Satellites Reenter The Atmosphere? And More...
In this week's questions show, I answer what will bring geostationary satellites back to Earth, if you could use the heat on Venus to power a rover, why are we…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 588: Open Space 51: Where Would I Send A Rover? And More...
It was another solo live QA this week and I did my best to answer as many audience questions as I could do, closing in on 60 questions during the hour…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 587: Why Launch Solar Panels When You Can Print Them Directly In Space? Printing Perovskite Panels
Solar energy is the ideal way to power a spacecraft. There’s no weather, there’s no pesky atmosphere, just pure photons streaming from the Sun to harvest for…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 586: Q&A 105: Why Not Send Earth Life to Europa? And More... Featuring Back to Space
In this week's questions show, I tackle questions about seeding Europa with hardy Earth life, what makes galaxies spin, what are we competing with aliens for…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 585: Can Life Spread From Star to Star? The Theory of Galactic Panspermia
The race is on to find life in other places in the Solar System, from underground reservoirs on Mars to the subsurface oceans on Europa and Enceladus. If…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 584: Surviving On Venus. Is It Time To Go Back To That Awful Place?
If you’ve watched this channel enough, you might have the impression that I hate Venus. It’s possible, just possible I’ve even suggested that the planet is so…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 582: Q&A 104: Should We Reconsider The Definition Of A Moon? And More...
In this week's questions show, I explain why it's probably not time to reconsider the definition of a moon, if we could make artificial gravity with a chunk of…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 583: A Single Spacecraft Will Visit Seven Asteroids. NASA's Lucy Mission Passes Its Design Review
Scientists have had the opportunity to examine several asteroids in the Solar System now, and what they’ve learned is how much variety is out there, depending…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 581: Open Space 50: When Will There Be Giant Rotating Space Stations? And More...
In this week's live QA, we talked about rotating space stations, the materials that can be made in space, what telescopes and binoculars I use. And there were…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 580: Is Humanity Prepared To Discover Alien Life?
People always ask me how I think humanity will react if we discover life somewhere out there in the Universe, whether it’s bacteria under the surface of Mars…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 579: Q&A 103: How Many Stars Have Zero Planets? And More...
In this week's questions show, I explain why we'll never know which stars have no planets. How we could prevent a catastrophe to Earth, and why aliens might…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 578: Open Space 49: How Can Planets Capture Asteroids? And More...
No guest this week, just a live QA with me and the audience about all things space and astronomy. People had questions about how planets can capture asteroids…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 577: AstroClipper: Plans For A Two-Stage, Fully Reusable Spaceplane
Even as the first rockets were launched into space decades ago, aerospace knew it was a wasteful process. Rocket stages, motors, and complex equipment crashed…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 576: What Comes After LUVOIR? Three Extreme Ideas For Space Telescopes
While we’re all waiting for James Webb to launch - which it will - the Extremely Large Telescope to be constructed, and LUVOIR to get approved. (Please get…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 575: Q&A 102: Will Starship Cause Global Warming? And More... Featuring Tony Darnell from Deep Astronomy
In this week's questions show, I explain why Starship probably won't contribute to human carbon emissions, if there's a galactic Prime Directive, and if SpaceX…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 573: Open Space 48: Floating in Darkness with Astronaut Ron Garan
This week I was joined by astronaut Ron Garan to talk about his new book "Floating in Darkness". Ron is an accomplished F-16 pilot, flying combat missions…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 574: Venus Could Have Supported Life For Billions Of Years. First Habitable Planet In The Solar System?
After decades of research, including multiple landers and orbiters, science can definitively say: Venus sucks. Seriously, that place is the worst, with its…
Universe Today PodcastEpisode 570: What Will It Take To Feed A Million People On Mars?
In 2017, Elon Musk laid out his grand sweeping plans for the future of SpaceX, the company that would take humanity to Mars. Over decades, tens of thousands of…