EVSN: Escape Velocity Space News

The Book of Mars, Star Formation, and More Mar 13, 2025

Let's take a fast-paced journey thru all that's new in space and astronomy, including DESI takes a census of central blackholes, star formation in clusters, and updates on Europa Clipper, along with a deep dive into Mars science, and tales from the launch pad.

Temperatures That Kill Feb 20, 2025

Let's take a fast-paced journey thru all that's new in space and astronomy, including a potentially killer asteroid, a new look at the history of Earth's water, and a mini-quasi-moon, along with a deep dive into climate change, and tales from the launch pad.

Space stories of joy Jan 24, 2025

It's the kind of week where we feel the need to put joy into the world, and we've made the decision to just find stories to bring a smile and share them with you. And also rockets, we're bringing you all the rocket news.

Science Here & Far: The Moon, Asteroids, Dark Comets... & Dark Energy Dec 26, 2024

Let's take a fast-paced journey thru new discoveries planetary science and Cosmology. We look at Dark Comets, Io's gooey mantle, the colonization of a Ryugu sample by Earth bacteria, galaxies growing too fast too early, and more. As always, we'll also bring you tales from the launch pad.

Searching for Dark Energy in Black Holes Dec 12, 2024

From baby planets to ancient black holes, let's look at the week's space news, including the discovery of a planet around a still-forming star, our Sun's massive outbursts as measured by tree rings, a new catalog of white dwarfs in binary systems, and a deep dive into the possibility that black holes create dark energy. As always, we'll also bring you tales from the launch pad.

By fire and ice: mass extinctions gone wild Nov 28, 2024

Let's take a fast-paced journey thru new discoveries in past planetary destruction. From fire to ice, let's look at snowball Earth, melting permafrost, volcanoes short and long, and more. As always, we'll also bring you tales from the launch pad.

Aerospace vs Climate Change Nov 13, 2024

Let's take a fast-paced journey thru all that's new in space and astronomy, including the first results from Euclid, Roman and Rubin get ready to search for Dark Energy, a deep dive into the effects of rockets and satellites on our atmosphere, and tales from the launch pad.

Hera and Clipper plan on getting up close with other worlds, and Black Hole News Oct 25, 2024

Let's take a fast-paced journey thru all that's new in space and astronomy, including microscopic black holes trying to be dark matter, massive black holes firing off jets, a deep dive into Hera and Clippers journey to look at other worlds, and tales from the launch pad.

SpaceX vs FAA and EPA and Cards Against Humanity Oct 03, 2024

This week we’re doing something we’ve never done before; we’re dedicating the majority of the show to a single story: SpaceX’s recurring failure to follow the rules, regulations, and norms of international spaceflight. We have the receipts, and we hope that you will hear us out before you hit that comment button.

Planning for Asteroid Attacks, Dino Prints Cross Ocean, Viper Updates, & more Sep 19, 2024

Let's take a fast-paced journey thru all that's new in space and astronomy, including volcanic glass beads, dino prints that span the ocean, a deep dive into asteroid exploration, and tales from the launch pad.

Mars is the future, the day the Dinos Died, a Star's Death in 3 Acts, and more Sep 05, 2024

Let's take a fast-paced journey thru all that's new in space and astronomy, including new info on the origins of the Dino Killing asteroid, a star being nommed by a star, a deep dive into Mars exploration, and tales from the launch pad.

NASA Budget Woes May Murder Missions Aug 14, 2024

Let's take a fast-paced journey thru all that's new in space and astronomy, including Hubble, Chandra, and VIPER face cuts/cancellations, weird exoplanet orbits, Roman gains an instrument, and tales from the launch pad.

Found: 1 Intermediate Mass Black Hole Jul 25, 2024

Let's take a fast-paced journey thru all that's new in space and astronomy, including how Jupiter's Great Red Spot went missing, Io's Lava Lake, Titan's coastal erosion, and this week's tales from the launch pad. We also take a close look at the discovery of the first intermediate-mass black hole in the Omega Centauri globular cluster

JWST Reveals Star Formation Details Jul 04, 2024

Let's take a fast-paced journey thru all that's new in space and astronomy, including Mars Perseverance Rover fords an ancient river, black holes sometimes form like baby stars, and this week's tales from the launch pad. We also look in detail at how JWST images reveal star formation in never-before-seen details.

Planning to go back to the moon Jun 20, 2024

Let's take a quick tour of the latest news, including updates on the Hubble Space Telescopes and single gyro operations, EUCLID's image release, an amazing new image of Io by LBT, and new calculations of Pluto's oceans. We also look in detail at plans to return humans to the moon using Starship by SpaceX and Blue Moon by Blue Origin.

Climate in Crisis (and stars in formation) Jun 06, 2024

In this episode, we bring you stories on how JWST - Not LIGO and Virgo - spotted the most distant Black Hole merge to date, why the search for life on other worlds gets more challenging the more we look, and we take a deep dive into the things we’re doing that cause and relieve climate change.

Carrington 2024 May 22, 2024

In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at Sunspot complex 3664 and the beautiful chaos that it’s been creating. And because we’re in a planetary science kind of mood, we’re also looking at stories related to observing weather on alien worlds, the history of Mars Climate, and even how solar storms might affect that particular Red Planet.

Io and Juno Begin to Part Ways May 08, 2024

In February, on the closest approach, NASA's Juno spacecraft was within 930 miles of the closest moon Io’s surface. Since then, Juno’s orbit has been shrinking, bringing the mission closer to Jupiter and away from the circling Galilean moons. Io and Juno have parted ways, and Juno is now snuggling down into tighter orbits around her Jupiter.

Catch the (Alien) Rainbow Apr 25, 2024

As scientists discover and explore the atmospheres of more and more planets orbiting stars other than our Sun, we are learning that if you can imagine it, it probably exists. In a new paper discussing the planet WASP-76b, researchers describe what appears to be a giant rainbow in the atmosphere of another world... a circular rainbow... and it's not caused by refracted starlight!

Following the Water Toward Climate Change Apr 10, 2024

This week’s episode is brought to you by last week’s terrible weather. While experiencing hail and thunder IRL, we also saw press release after press release and article after article discussing climate change. This one-two punch of new science and the need for a new roof means we will touch on climate change in our closer look this week. We apologize in advance; it’s not pretty out there -- unless you like storm chasing, then it’s kind of the stuff of dreams at the moment.

Planet Formation is (Still) Not Well Understood Mar 29, 2024

One of our recurring topics is “Planet formation is not well understood,” and a trio of new papers is making it clear why planet formation continues to... not be well understood. Put simply: the universe likes to create more diverse solar systems than an entire planet’s worth of sci-fi writers can imagine.

SPECIAL SHORT: How NASA Budget Cuts Will Hurt Space Science Mar 26, 2024

Earlier in March, Congress voted into place the FY2024 budgets for multiple agencies, including NASA. The agency is being asked for an overall 2% cut. Combined with inflation rates over 3%, we are looking at a fairly significant cut to the U.S. budget for space science. Dr. Pamela Gay breaks down what these cuts will affect, including people and missions, as we move forward with this already stressful fiscal year. (This episode was recorded on March 14, 2024)

Grindavik, Iceland, and Volcanoes with Dr. Melissa Scruggs Mar 14, 2024

As you know, our team loves volcanoes, and since we’ve been focused on Iceland for months, we brought in Dr. Melissa Scruggs (aka VolcanoDoc on Twitch) for a chat about Grindavik and all things volcanic in Iceland.

Stability, Instability, Drama, and How We are Space Stuff Mar 07, 2024

It is possible to buy stickers, sweatshirts, mugs, and other stuff and things emblazoned with the simple phrase, “We are star stuff”. This phrase was popularized by Carl Sagan, and it serves as a gentle reminder that all the complex atoms - by which I mean most everything heavier than helium - found their start either in the nuclear core of a star or in the nuclear explosions of a dying star or stars. But, as with so many things, the truth is much more complicated than the meme.

Early Black Holes Formed Before Stars? Feb 22, 2024

One of the unexpected realities of JWST is the discovery that we have really been asking the wrong questions in many astronomy areas. For instance: we generally asked how supermassive black holes and galaxies formed, with a basic assumption that these things happened in some interrelated process. We thought stellar mass black holes came from stars and that there might have been tiny primordial black holes that evaporated away, but that was it. Closed case. Black holes formed with all the normal structures we experience today. Except that now, JWST’s observations require us to find a way to accelerate the formation of those structures, and one way to do that is to seed the universe with black holes.

Yes, Scientists DO Look at the (Dark Energy Survey) Data Feb 14, 2024

Every time I get the digital “why can’t you scientists just look at the data” lecture, I wonder what people think scientists do. All we do is look at data, and when that data tells us our understanding of the universe is wrong, we’re pretty good at accepting the data and throwing out our false understandings… even when the data makes our life a whole lot harder. Such is the case with the accelerating rate of expansion of the Universe...

Celebrating the Mars Robots that Could Feb 07, 2024

Robots on Mars have a long history of exceeding all possible expectations. From Spirit and Opportunity lasting far beyond their planned 90-day missions to Ingenuity lasting 72 flights out of a planned five, these craft have become so beloved that we mourn their missions ending. Today, while we recognize NASA's Day of Remembrance, we also celebrate all the Mars missions that have done more than expected.

The Compass (Sometimes... Kinda) Points North Jan 24, 2024

If you take a compass and follow its pointy little needle, you will end up in Northern Canada but not at the North Pole. If you have a boat, you'll end up on Ellesmere Island wondering where Santa is hiding. The fact that the rotational north pole of the Earth and the magnetic pole of the Earth don’t align means that if you want to actually get to the Earth’s rotational North Pole - the one the pole sticks out of on your globe - you have to look up corrections online and veer a little bit in whatever direction the correction happens to be at the moment. And if you are catching this show sometime far, far in the future, then Ellesmere Island that is true in early 2024 is likely no longer true.

Spooky Season Space Images Jan 11, 2024

From October 25, 2023: Around our parent collaboration, CosmoQuest, Halloween is, hands-down, the most beloved season of the year. Costumes are worn. Yards are decorated. We are here for all the strangers that knock on our door - the weirdos, the witches, and the oh-so-many werewolves - and there will be as much candy as we can afford given out. We know we are not the only ones. With about a week to go, we know that any day now, NASA, ESA, ESO, and others will begin releasing their spooky season images. There will be nebulae cropped with the contrast adjusted just so to reveal witches' hats, and others rotated to reveal ghosts and maybe - I can hope - a goblin or two.

Making Anti-Matter... Matter Jan 03, 2024

In this episode, we look at what tree rings can teach us about past earthquakes, and how well machine learning can identify life, like trees, from carbon-rich materials that were never alive to distant galaxies and spinning black holes. We even take a deep dive into anti-matter, but not a literal deep dive… just a conceptual deep dive.

Whales and (Possible) Space Whales Dec 29, 2023

As the Thanksgiving leftovers reach the stage of possibly gaining intelligence in the back of our refrigerators, we’re going to take a look at the origins of life, how we might find simple life on icy moons, and even how we can practice learning to communicate with other civilizations by chatting up a humpback whale.

Blast From the Past: Watch the Annular Eclipse on October 14! Dec 21, 2023

When we headed into recording this episode, I didn’t know if there would be a government shutdown or not, and I have to admit, on Saturday, September 30, I spent more than a few hours binge-watching TV shows while frequently updating my news feeds. This episode would have looked very different with a shutdown. Since we got a budget, today’s episode focuses on science. In the first segment, I get to talk about something I never thought I’d even read about -- the effects of spawning anchovies on energy dissipation in the ocean. Along with that fishy story, we have news from the Mars rovers, pretty images, and information on watching the October 14th annular eclipse. (This episode was originally released on October 4, 2023.)

Solar Cycle to the Maximum, 2025 Dec 13, 2023

Researchers currently think solar maximum - when the Sun is most active - will occur sometime in late 2024 to early 2025. With this cycle, we will experience just what a good blast of solar radiation can do to the small sats, CanSats, and other satellites in low-earth orbit. If history is to be listened to, it’s only a matter of time before a solar event wreaks havoc on satellites and our ground-based society.

Planetary Formation Leads to Strange New Worlds Dec 06, 2023

We keep tweaking our format a little bit every episode, trying to find the right mix for YouTube, podcasts, and now, short-form video. We think we the setup is on the mark now and thank you for your patience as we made adjustments. Soon, we will have content to share on TikTok and Reels. For now, enjoy this week's deep dive into planetary formation and all the ways scientists have tried to explain stellar systems. (This episode was originally released in video format on December 1, 2023.)

It's Not Aliens (We Also Want Aliens) Dec 03, 2023

There are some news cycles that are just plain weird, and this news cycle tried really, really hard to be one of them. Headlines last week highlighted that JWST observed methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet, which is entirely true. This headline was followed by stories that the reason could be aliens… and there is not enough data to be aliens. We want there to be definitive signs of life on other worlds. We want to know that life is common. We want the universe to thrive with societies capable of art, exploration, empathy, and science. We want our universe to not be a tremendous waste of space. And it is really frustrating to see these stories that inevitably imply that researchers are trying to cover up the truth. We’re not; we’re impatiently waiting for there to be enough evidence that we can say, yes, there is life out there among the stars. And that evidence isn’t here. (This episode was originally released on YouTube September 27, 2023.)

The Volcano That Could... But Didn't Dec 01, 2023

Dr. Pamela is big on volcanoes, and she hoped we’d have an awesome new eruption to report, but we don't. There is, however, still a lot of news this week that doesn’t include an Iceland eruption. Instead, the news includes the first images from a new spacecraft, updates on Lucy’s discovery of a contact binary, and more on the OSIRIS-REx sample return. (This episode was originally released in video format on November 24, 2023.)

More (Failed) Observations of Dark Matter Nov 22, 2023

In this week's episode, we look at the upcoming solar maximum, how solar activity affects Neptune, the robotic invasion fleet on Mars, and how some of the weirdest star systems in reality have been able to form. In our closer look, we fail to see dark matter - like everyone - but observe its gravitational impact on light from objects we can see. (This episode was originally released on YouTube September 13, 2023.)

A River Runs Through It - Mars and Titan Nov 20, 2023

This episode reminds you to look up, look out, and reflect on what we see around us. Stories cover a weird white dwarf that is doing things our Sun may do billions of years from now, how satellite images can now be used to measure river flows here and on Mars, and Titan, as well as the emerging field of planetary geoarcheology, that will help us understand just how long it will take for Mars rovers to become buried relics. And also climate change. Buckle up, the news isn't good. (This episode was originally released on YouTube August 9, 2023.)

Satellite Constellations and Early Warning Systems Nov 15, 2023

According to satellite cataloger Jonathan McDowell, there are now 18 satellite constellations, like Starlink, being planned. These constellations will contain 543,811 satellites. This is a whole lot of missions to try and keep from colliding and all it takes is one particularly bad collision to transform the more than half-million objects from useful technologies to a shield of shrapnel that protects our universe from us by trapping us here. In our closer look today, we are going to look at early warning systems that are being developed, and how future - more highly mobile satellites, can both do good and create chaos. (This episode was originally released on YouTube July 29, 2023.)

The Universe is (Still) Trying to Murder Us Oct 26, 2023

In today’s episode, we’re going to look at everything from how past Earth couldn’t support photosynthesis because the days were just too short, to current Earth letting us get hit by more Cosmic Rays prior to Earthquakes going off, and to supernovae threatening our world while alien stars eat other planets. Science, sometimes, is just kind of violent. (This episode was originally released on YouTube July 8, 2023.)

Once and Future Life on Venus, Earth, and Mars Oct 25, 2023

Each week, when we set off to do this show, we start with one core idea: We want to tell you what is new in space and astronomy… and remember Earth is a planet too. When we select stories, we try to find the ones we’re excited to talk about over coffee, or the ones we know we will be sharing randomly with strangers who make the mistake of asking, “What do astronomers do?” We are here, week after week, to inflict space on others, and we hope that when we do you will return the favor and inflict this show on others. (This episode was originally released on YouTube June 24, 2023.)

Earth Science is Planetary Science Oct 24, 2023

In this episode, we need to take one of our periodic looks at our planet's science and understand what it means to life as we know it. But we will only look at Earth for the first two segments. Then we’re going to race away to enjoy an interview by Beth Johnson with Dr. Kat Volk about the icy Trans-Neptunian Objects that fill the spaces around Neptune and beyond Pluto. In our final segment, we look at all the amazing - and in one case alarming - launch attempts of the past two weeks. (This episode was originally released on YouTube June 3, 2023.)

A New Space Race? Oct 06, 2023

Space science isn’t where the money is… at least not yet. Astronomy and planetary science in the U.S. are funded by NASA, the National Science Foundation, and a variety of smaller foundations and extremely wealthy individuals. And this means that sometimes science can only advance at the speed Congress is willing to budget. The U.S. is in a new space race with China, and our ability to remain competitive in low-earth orbit is now an economic issue, with communications and imaging satellites powering multiple sectors. If a multi-year authorization is passed, there is hope folks will be able to dream, focus on research, and maybe, just maybe, spend less time asking for money. (This episode was originally released on YouTube May 20, 2023.)

The History of Life As We Know It Oct 04, 2023

In this episode, we’re going to look at how we now work to understand the history of life - including human life - on Earth by studying the geology of our planet, and we’re going to take those lessons learned and apply them to Mars, and exoplanets beyond our solar system. (This episode was originally released on YouTube May 13, 2023.)

Meteors, Meteor Showers, and their Parent Bodies Sep 12, 2023

In this episode, we’re going to be talking more about meteors - including the source of the Geminids meteor shower, asteroid Phaethon - as well as hot planets, hungry black holes, and how we’re working to uncover the identity of dark matter. (This episode was originally released on YouTube May 6, 2023.)

SETI and the Very Large Array Sep 11, 2023

While we could spend an entire episode on Earth, there is just too much going on in the universe to linger anywhere too long. From our world, we journey out to look at the super massive black hole in the core of M87, and then Beth Johnson will join us with an interview of the SETI Institute’s Dr Chenoa Tremblay and how radio astronomers are one step closer to simultaneously looking for life and doing science with the very large array. This interview highlights how advances in signal detection and processing will now allow researchers to both study the science of distant stars and look for potential signals of alien civilizations. (This episode was originally released on YouTube April 29, 2023.)

Do Not Look Directly at this Podcast Aug 22, 2023

This episode features the kind of news week where we looked at the April 20th eclipse in the South Pacific and decided it just wasn’t a huge priority. Between watching Starship's “will it won’t it” launch attempts and getting news of discoveries in cosmology and new software in planetary science… and the discovery of a totally weird rock formation on Mars… there is a lot going on out there. We’ll have a total eclipse on April 8, 2024. With that event occurring in less than a year, now is the time to start planning your travel if you want to see a transformative celestial experience. (This episode was originally released on YouTube April 22, 2023.)

In Venus VERITAS Aug 17, 2023

For decades now, our planetary science news cycles have been dominated by Mars. Mars is relatively close, and we have a lot of experience landing there and science goals to pursue. But it has left our other closest neighbor, Venus, off the mission list. That is, until 2021, when NASA and the European Space Agency announced three separate but complimentary missions to that hellscape world. And now, one of those missions - VERITAS - is threatened to be completely mothballed before even really beginning. Later on in the show, Beth Johnson will interview deputy principal investigator, Darby Dyar, about why VERITAS is suddenly on the chopping block, what this means for planetary exploration, and how the public can help change NASA’s mind. (This episode was originally released on YouTube April 15, 2023.)

Pareidolia, Pattern Matching, and AI Art Aug 04, 2023

Humans are the ultimate pattern matchers - at least for now. I have to admit I’m looking forward to the day I can give some new AI a set of images and ask it to tell me what animals it can find among the nebulae. The software isn’t there yet… But we’re also going to take a closer look at how art and AI look at space. And also science: From looking at active volcanism on Venus to eruptions on the Sun to rotating black hole jets and more, we take you on a journey through all that is new in space and astronomy. (This episode originally aired on YouTube April 1, 2023.)

The Search for Life on Other Worlds Jul 27, 2023

Right now, humans are tantalizingly close to being able to search for life on other worlds where it is reasonable to think life could exist. We can’t do it yet - at least not in a way that would be safe for any potential life, but this is a long game, and as we’ll discuss in this episode, the technologies we need are being actively developed and tested on Earth, and the missions we need to find the best places to search are either already out there doing their job, or preparing to launch. This could happen, provided nothing happens to prevent us from getting off the planet… (This episode originally aired on television March 25, 2023.)

Will Asteroid 2023 DW Collide with Earth in 2046? (All signs point to no.) Jul 06, 2023

A new asteroid has been discovered with an orbit that crosses our own planet’s orbit. In general, this object and Earth are very good and not trying to occupy the same space at the same time, and we’ve managed to coexist for a fair amount of time. We are going to have a close approach, however, in 2046, and for the first time in a long time, the potentially dangerous asteroids list actually gave us something to worry about. (This episode originally aired on television March 18, 2023.)

Is 2023 the Year of Io? Jun 22, 2023

In general, the kind of year we’ll experience gets its label at the end of the year. 2005 was the year of the never-ending hurricane season. 2017 was the year we experienced an eclipse and lost Cassini. 2020 was the year satellite constellations went from a handful to hundreds of spacecraft. 2022 was the year of Mars exploration with Curiosity, Percy, Ginny, Insight, and Tianwen-1. Each year gets to define itself, and it is up to us to fight or embrace what that year brings us. This year, 2023, is still young, but I’m going to guess that come January 2024, this will be the year of Io. (This episode originally aired on television March 11, 2023)

Bring on the JWST Science Results Jun 09, 2023

OK so this is actually episode six, but our producer Ally numbered the episodes weird and we got mixed up. This week, thanks to the support of so many, we’re going to be looking at earthquakes, early results from JWST, spherical novae, the Dark Side of the Moon, and a whole lot more. (This episode originally aired on television March 4, 2023)

Is This How We Get Cylons? Jun 01, 2023

In this show, we’ll go through more than 20 studies and observations ranging from planetary climates to galaxy mergers, and we’ll take a closer look at how Artificial Intelligence is being asked to play a role in every area of this research. And we’ll ask, “Is this how we get Cylons?” (This episode originally aired on television February 18, 2023)

Cosmology: From Particles to Galaxy Clusters May 24, 2023

We live at a time when technological advances are allowing us to explore ideas faster than ever before. So today, we bring you lab results on ice that affect how we see the outer solar system, and observations of galaxies that affect our understanding of the universe’s formation. We go from things smaller than a proton – which we just learned is 0.73 femtometers across -- to galaxy clusters 10s of millions of lightyears across. It’s all tied together, and we’ll tell you how. (This episode originally aired on television February 11, 2023)

Mass Extinction, Volcanoes, and Rings Around an Asteroid May 18, 2023

In this episode, we discuss one mass extinction, three stories with volcanoes, star formation, galaxy dissolution, and space mission synchronized observing. We also take a closer look at dark energy and dark matter and how giant galaxies in the early universe seem to indicate we may know even less than we thought. And rockets. There are always more rockets thanks to SpaceX. (This episode originally aired on television February 4, 2023)

Space science potpourri and a more hopeful look at climate change May 12, 2023

This episode has a little bit of everything as we bring you results from astronomers, geoscientists, climate scientists, imaging scientists, glaciologists, meteorologists, planetary scientists, engineers, and even bioarchaeologists. This diversity of research allows us to better understand our world and beyond. In our first segment, we look at how our ecosystem and past cultures rebounded after prior naturally occurring climate events. It's unclear if this research will help us better recover from the climate change we're currently facing, but maybe it will give us hope. From our world, we travel outward, looking at the meteorology of Mars, future technology for space exploration, and the star catalogs that will help us define our place in space. (This episode originally aired on television January 28, 2023)

New science from AAS rearranges our understanding of the universe May 09, 2023

Hello and welcome! This show - Escape Velocity Space News - is new, and we’re so glad that you’re here with us, right from the beginning. Dr. Pamela Gay, along with a great production team, is here to put science in your brain. In this episode, we’re going to bring you the best of what’s been discovered and dive deep into the hottest topic of the week - the infrared universe. From stunning images from the JWST to better-resolved star formation seen by ESO’s VLT, this redder-than-red color of light has been all the rage in this season’s best science papers. Also joining us is aerospace journalist Erik Madaus, who brings us a rundown of last year's best launches and the stats for what was a truly bizarre launch year for the European Space Agency and an amazing year for SpaceX. We bring you all of this and more, right here on Escape Velocity Space News. (This episode was originally recorded for television on January 21, 2023)

EVSN announcement for DS Feb 28, 2023

Audition Template: 1 Mono Host track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Mono Interview track (with Speech Volume Leveler), 1 Stereo Sound FX with effects, 1 Stereo Music Bed track. 44.1k, 16 bit, Stereo Master.

Dealing with Potentially Hazardous Asteroids Oct 20, 2022

A trio of asteroid-related stories crossed our emails this week: Bennu’s sample is on schedule for next year’s return, researchers have developed a tool to measure an asteroid’s density distribution, and 3200 Phaeton’s rotational period has accelerated. Plus, JWST’s new Pillars of Creation image, and this week in rocket history, we look back at Venera 4.

JAXA Triggers Flight Termination of Launch Oct 20, 2022

Space is hard, and some days, getting rockets to work doesn’t go as well as expected. An Epsilon rocket launched by JAXA and carrying eight payloads including RAISE 3 was lost when mission control triggered the flight termination system due to an attitude issue. Plus, stars blowing dust rings, stars exploding, asteroids getting hit with spacecraft, and Europa’s geysers may not come from the subsurface ocean.

BONUS CONTENT: Full-length interview with Jochen Grandell Oct 10, 2022

Catch the full-length interview with Jochen Grandell, Program Scientist for the Meteosat third generation, from our October 4th episode.

Dinosaurs Washed Away in Largest Wave to Wrap Earth Oct 07, 2022

As if getting set on fire and tossed into space wasn’t enough, new research finds evidence that after the Chicxulub impact, dinosaurs were also the victims of a massive global tsunami and worldwide earthquakes. Plus, the Milky Way’s stellar graveyard, a new timeline for the Moon’s formation, and this week in space history, we look back at the Meteosat program.

Observed: It’s a Star-Eat-Star Universe Oct 06, 2022

While astronomers have observed white dwarfs consuming companion stars on numerous occasions, for the first time, they have now observed the consumption of the companion’s helium and not just hydrogen. Plus, galactic alignment, rocket launches including Crew 5, a new Europa image, and a review of the video game “Tinykin”.

Firefly Makes Orbit on Second Try Oct 05, 2022

Early Saturday morning, another company entered the exclusive club of successful orbital launchers, Firefly Aerospace, when their second attempt to reach orbit, named To The Black, lifted off on October 1. Plus, a crater in Spain, a new DART image, Juno flies by Europa, and an interview with Jochen Grandell regarding the Meteosat program.

BONUS CONTENT: Shape modeling Didymos before DART's arrival Oct 01, 2022

Catch the full-length interview with Eric Palmer from our September 30th show.

Globular Clusters: Already Old Nine Billion Years Ago Sep 30, 2022

The quest to understand the formation mechanisms of globular clusters was limited by the Hubble Space Telescope’s ability to peer back in time. Now, JWST’s larger mirror has allowed astronomers to find gravitationally lensed galaxies that have globular clusters almost nine billion years old. Plus, two new super-mercury exoplanets, This Week in Space History, and an interview with Eric Palmer about the DART mission.

BONUS CONTENT: Full-length interview with Amanda Sickafoose - Dimorphos impact captured by South African telescope Sep 30, 2022

Catch the full-length interview with Amanda Sickafoose from our September 29th episode.

Confirmed: 68 New Gravitational Lenses Sep 29, 2022

Using a machine learning algorithm, scientists have confirmed 68 out of 77 potential gravitational lens candidates from a subset of over 5,000 possibilities. Plus, generation one stars, astronauts coming home, dating craters on Earth, lunar glass, and an interview with Amanda Sickafoose regarding the DART mission.

DART Mission Successfully Boops Dimorphos Sep 27, 2022

After ten months of space travel, NASA’s DART spacecraft arrived at the asteroid Didymos, targeted the moonlet Dimorphos, and successfully flung itself at the surface. Multiple observations confirm that the system brightened and even managed to resolve a cloud of debris. Plus, rocket launches, an update on the SLS, some broken physics, and International Observe the Moon Night.

Quasar’s Light Echoes After 6.73 Years Sep 23, 2022

Astronomers using the 1.2-meter Whipple Observatory to follow the brightness of a lensed galaxy for 14.5 years have calculated that the time delay between light arriving along the shortest and farthest paths is 6.73 years. Plus, DART, Hayabusa2, Juno, fast radio bursts, and This Week in Space History, we look back at NASA’s 1990s attempts to reach Mars.

NASA Tries Fuel Tanking the SLS Again Sep 23, 2022

In advance of the next scheduled launch attempt, NASA conducted another test to fill the fuel tanks onboard the Space Launch System rocket. The results were mixed, but the launch is still on schedule. Plus, a crewed launch, beautiful images, and an interview with Mike Simmons from Astronomy for Equity about sending telescopes to underprivileged students.

Bringing Telescopes to Students in Libya Sep 22, 2022

Beth is joined by Mike Simmons, the founder of Astronomy for Equity, an Affiliate Research Scientist at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, and a member of the Board of Directors for the International Dark-Sky Association. Mike is here to talk with us about a new crowdfunding campaign to bring telescopes to astronomy outreach students in Libya.

Being a Star: Nature vs Nurture Sep 20, 2022

Asteroseismologists are combining data from TESS, Kepler, and eventually JWST to study stellar oscillations in ‘infant’ stars, with the goal of creating new models for how such young stars form and evolve over time. Plus, JWST images Mars, Hubble images stars, and SpaceX manages to launch another Starlink mission in spite of weather delays.

Saturn’s Rings are Made of a Broken-up Moon Sep 17, 2022

Using computer simulations, researchers have pieced together a possible scenario where Titan caused another of Saturn’s moons to break up and become the beautiful ring system we see today. Plus, organic molecules on Mars, the death of the dinosaurs, and a review of Lightyear on Disney+.

Mount Sharp, Mars, Shaped by Water and Wind Sep 15, 2022

Data and images from NASA’s Curiosity rover found evidence that wind played a key role in erosional processes on the red planet, despite the lower atmospheric volume. Plus, astrophysics and cosmology news, a baby exoplanet, and this week in space history, we look back at an uncrewed lunar mission from Japan.

BONUS CONTENT: Full-length interview with DART investigation team member Jian-Yang Li Sep 15, 2022

Listen to the full-length interview with Jian-Yang Li from our September 13th episode.

How to Build a Supervolcano in Just Four Million Years Sep 14, 2022

Using pockets of gas found in tiny crystals, scientists have created a timeline for the formation and eruption of four supervolcano events in northern Chile more than twenty million years ago. Plus, rocket launches, gorgeous new space images, and an interview with Jian-Yang Li about the upcoming DART mission’s impact.

Water Worlds May Hide Water Underground Summary Sep 09, 2022

A population study of 43 exoplanets orbiting M-dwarf stars used both the transit method and radial velocity method to find the densities of the worlds and a surprising pattern emerged. The planets are less dense than expected, suggesting they are not purely rock but half-rock and maybe half-water. Plus, star factories in the Milky Way, glaciers on ancient Mars, and This Week in Space History.

Climate Change Melts Glaciers, Greens the Arctic Sep 09, 2022

As global temperatures rise, Earth observations show that glaciers are retreating and ice sheets are melting everywhere from Greenland to Antarctica while regions of the Arctic are getting greener. Plus, collaborations lead to new Mars and exoplanet discoveries, several rockets launched, and this week’s What’s Up involves Dr. Brian May of Queen.

SEASON PREMIERE: Catching up on news and rockets! Sep 06, 2022

As we return from our summer hiatus, we are back with a rundown of some of the stories that came out during the break. On the planetary front, JWST has been taking amazing images and learning about exoplanets. On the astrophysics front, we’ve got stories on dark matter and Betelgeuse. And there were thirty orbital launches, including a whole lot of Starlinks… but not including Artemis.

Machine Learning Pinpoints Martian Meteorite Origin Jul 15, 2022

Using layers of data from a variety of Martian missions, researchers have developed a machine learning algorithm that identified the actual crater from which a particular Martian meteorite originated. Plus, a radio heartbeat, the missing baryon problem, and our last What’s Up and review of the season.

All the Rockets and All the Rocks Jul 13, 2022

With the release of JWST’s first science images behind us, we now catch up on all the rocket launches of the past few days. Meanwhile, Bennu continues to be a favorite research topic and is the subject of three new papers released this week. Plus, pulsar-orbiting planets, and this week in rocket history, we look back at GEOTAIL.

JWST Releases First Five Science Images Jul 12, 2022

Starting with the stunning release of JWST’s first image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 on July 11, the bonanza continued the morning of July 12 with newly released images of Stephan’s Quintet, the Carina Nebula, the Southern Ring Nebula, and exoplanet WASP-96b. Plus, that controversial name and what’s ahead for the newest space observatory.

The Clifford Norton documentary film:

“Behind The Name: James Webb Space Telescope”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqrZ0Pl-KjQ

Solar System Rotation Rate Due to Subatomic Interactions Jul 08, 2022

Using a first-principles approach, researchers have discovered that the differences in the rotational rate of the solar system are due to the inward and outward flow of cations and electrons. Plus, JWST’s first list of observations, a Starlink launch, dinosaurs, raining sand, and a review of episode two of this season’s “For All Mankind.”

Electrons Swirl Like Water Under Specific Conditions Jul 07, 2022

Using etched tungsten ditelluride at nearly absolute zero, scientists have observed electrons swirling around like whirlpools, behaving as a fluid. The methods could be used to design low-energy devices. Plus, eavesdropping on aliens, machine learning on solar data, and some new observatories are in the works.

Infrared Telescope Balloon Mission Gets Mini-JWST Mirror Jul 06, 2022

While waiting for the launch and commissioning of JWST, engineers designed an infrared telescope with a 2.5-meter mirror that will fly onboard a large research balloon to nearly 40 kilometers in altitude. Plus, fast radio bursts, robotic ammonites, and this week in rocket history we look back at Telstar-1.

Cosmic Manatee with a Particle Accelerator on its Head Jul 05, 2022

Scientists observing the Manatee Nebula find that the supernova remnant contains a stellar-mass black hole that is emitting powerful, high-energy jets, creating the strange, double-lobed shape. Plus, rocket launches, mission updates from Mars and the Moon, and a spinning galaxy from the early universe.

Comet Storm Due in One Million Years Jul 01, 2022

A star cataloged as Gliese 781 is approaching our solar system and in slightly more than a million years from now, will reach the Oort Cloud, likely disrupting the orbits of icy bodies that could head toward Earth. Plus, an Indian launch, Asteroid Day, understanding our ice giants, and a review of “Kaiju Preservation Society” by John Scalzi.

Looking for Life in All the Strange Places Jul 01, 2022

A trio of stories examines the possibilities for finding life in strange, new places, including deep underground here on Earth, in the subsurface oceans of Europa, and fossilized within sedimentary rocks on Mars. Plus, a SpaceX launch, gamma-ray bursts, and this week’s What’s Up.

Climate Change: African Lakes Sequestering Carbon Dioxide Jun 29, 2022

Today we look at a trio of climate change stories, which are mostly bad news, although one study has discovered that African lakes are doing more sequestering of greenhouse gases than emissions. Plus, the CAPSTONE launch, meteorite crystals, and this week in rocket history, a mission that launched… but failed.

Black Hole Caught Eating Faster Than Normal Jun 28, 2022

With a little bit of luck and a lot of time on different telescopes, researchers managed to capture the black hole in the center of the Milky Way, SgrA*, consuming matter at a faster rate than usual. Plus, Australia launches a rocket, a couple of Mars stories, and strange glaciers on Earth.

Jupiter’s Atmosphere Contains Metals From Planetesimals Jun 24, 2022

A recent paper examined data from NASA’s Juno mission and found that Jupiter’s atmosphere not only contains metals but also is not a homogenous mix. The likely culprits are the remains of planetesimals from the early solar system. Plus, a Voyager update, a new Mercury image, sulfur residue on Europa, and a review of “For All Mankind”.

Martian Sediments Reveal History of Flowing Water Jun 23, 2022

A basin region within Margaritifer Terra on Mars contains deposits of clay-bearing sediment that provide evidence of flowing water on the red planet as recently as 2.5 billion years ago. Plus, Mars mission updates, gravitational wave detection, rocket launches, and this week’s What’s Up.

Bennu’s Boulders Act as Body Armor Jun 22, 2022

An analysis of the craters on Bennu’s surface provides evidence that the rubble pile asteroid is protected from smaller impacts by the boulders scattered on the surface. Plus, the SLS Wet Dress Rehearsal, dwarf galaxies around M81, and this week in rocket history, we look back at the X-15 hypersonic plane.

Pulsar Found Racing Through Supernova Remnant Jun 21, 2022

Researchers using the Chandra X-ray Observatory have found that a known pulsar is moving through a supernova remnant at over one million miles per hour. Plus, the life and death of stars, new pictures of the Large Magellanic Cloud, and all of the SpaceX rocket launches.

Wobbling Star Produces Fastest Nova Ever Discovered Jun 16, 2022

Observations of V1674 Hercules reveal a nova produced by the white dwarf star that dimmed in only one day. Additionally, the strange star wobbles every 501 seconds, producing flashes in visible and X-ray light. Plus, more results from the 240th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, a farewell to SOFIA, and What’s Up is the June solstice.

Rogue Black Hole Possibly Found in Milky Way Jun 15, 2022

After six years of Hubble Space Telescopes and the hypothesis that millions of black holes exist in the Milky Way, scientists have finally found direct evidence for the existence of one such black hole. Plus, planetary formation, a wandering star, and this week in rocket history, we look back at China’s first crewed space station docking.

Understanding Space with Gaia Data Release 3 Jun 14, 2022

The Gaia mission released its third ‘treasure trove’ of observations and calculations of more than two billion stars in the Milky Way, including ‘starquakes’, stellar DNA, binary star systems, and more. Plus, day one of the American Astronomical Society press conferences and updates on Starship and NASA’s TROPICS-1 mission.

New Method Finds Four Brown Dwarfs Jun 10, 2022

Using data from the fabulous Gaia mission, researchers have detected four new brown dwarfs as well as several other unusual companions to 25 stars in the Milky Way. Plus, Yellowstone, Earth’s magnetic field, hot Jupiters, and a review of the first episode of The Orville: New Horizons.

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