Universe Today Podcast

Latest Episodes:

[Interview] How to Find Your Way Home in Space Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

If you were dropped in a random place in space, how would you find your way home? New Horizons tackled this problem with a first interstellar navigation demonstration. Using parallax in real time to determine its position in space. How did they pull it off and what other interesting things can spacecraft do? Finding out in this interview.

😍 [Interview+] Bonus Part. No YT ads.
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

🟣 Guest: Dr Tod Lauer
https://staff.noirlab.edu/tod.lauer/

📜 A Demonstration of Interstellar Navigation Using New Horizons
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.21666

00:00 Intro
01:48 Finding your way home from a random place in the galaxy
05:58 Test with New Horizons
19:19 Science with New Horizons after its main mission
26:02 The era of JWST
34:49 The Question to ask
37:58 Current obsessions
43:07 Final thoughts

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/YcHchdHwBpw

📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter

🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/

📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com

⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Support Universe Today Podcast

[Q&A] Enforcement of Space Treaties, Mars vs O'Neil Cylinders, India's Space Ambitions Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

Can somebody really enforce any space treaties and do they make any sense? What's a better future, colonies on Mars or on giant rotating spaceships? What's India's space program been up to lately? And in Q&A+, would I take a one-way ticket to Mars?

🦄 Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/universetoday

00:00 Start
00:28 [Iamsick] Mars vs O'Neil cylinders
02:08 [busybillyb33] How enforceable is the Outer Space Treaty?
06:04 [Tarun Pulikanti] Thoughts on India's space station ambitions
08:23 [Doogle] How difficult is it to see the Orion Nebula?
10:21 [Larry Tilghmon] Why did Oumuamua leave our solar system so easily while we cannot?
11:58 [GTP_VEXD] What is a light year and why do we use them?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/cya7EXYCBCo

📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter

🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/

📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com

⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Support Universe Today Podcast

[Space Bites] Double Supernova // Impossible Rings // Dark Brown Dwarfs Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

A star detonated as a supernova, twice. Trump chooses his new NASA Administrator. Why deflecting asteroids is much more complex than we thought.And on Space Bites Plus, how your flight home could signal an alien civilization.

🚀 [Space Bites+] No ADS. BONUS Story. For FREE:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

👉 Vote for the best story here:
https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/v1HQGRh-Wrw

📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter

🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/

📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com

⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Support Universe Today Podcast

[Q&A] Dust VS Interstellar Travel, Nuclear Reactors on the Moon, My Favourite Lagrange Point Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

Will dust make interstellar travel impossible? Is Oumuamua unique in its weird cigar-like shape? How many nuclear reactors will we need on the Moon? And in Q&A+, does studying the Universe have no endgame? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show.

🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question. FREE:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

00:00 Start
00:27 [@scottycartercom] My favourite planet and moon
00:51 [@Beedubz76] Are there any objects that are similar to Oumuamua?
03:52 [@askani21] Will dust make interstellar travel impossible?
06:29 [@fredjonestowns4213] How long until we reach Enceladus?
08:41 [HammmmerFan] How will society respond if we actually find evidence of alien life?
10:31 [@anniealexander9911] What's my favourite Lagrange point?
11:25 [@johnrasnic195] Will people put Moon bases in caverns?
12:31 [Encodedpr] How many nuclear reactors will we need on the Moon?
13:42 [@gangsterdaddy510] Data rates from distant spacecraft

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/kVUxqNkwyfI

📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter

🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/

📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com

⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Support Universe Today Podcast

[Q&A] Vera Rubin & Planet 9 SPECIAL Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

Will there be a northern hemisphere version of Vera Rubin? Or maybe we can put one straight in space? Can Vera Rubin detect alien spacecraft if they ever visit? And if it finds planet 9, how fast will we be sending a mission there? And in Q&A+, how many planets will be out there if we reinstate Pluto as one? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show.

🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question. FREE:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

00:00 Start
00:32 [@richardg1577] How do astronomers track newly discovered asteroids by Vera Rubin?
01:56 [@rodtolosa4594] Will Vera Rubin detect an alien spacecraft?
02:58 [@estraume] Are there plans for a Northern hemisphere version of Vera Rubin?
05:07 [skygunner777] Vera Rubin telescope but in space?
08:08 [@nigeldawson5960] How do they keep Vera Rubin's mirrors clean?
09:15 [@austinsapp5867] Could Planet 9 be geologically active?
11:26 [@kasieream1248] Would we be able to launch a mission to Planet 9?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/rXl8k7DEhKw

📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter

🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/

📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com

⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Support Universe Today Podcast

[Interview] Revealing the Secrets of Cosmic Dark Ages Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

What are the cosmic dark ages and what do we know about them? Why are the so hard to study? How can the Dark Age Explorer help with it and why does it need to go on the far side of the Moon? Finding out in this interview.

😍 [Interview+] Bonus Part. No YT ads.
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

🟣 Guest: Dr Christiaan Brinkerink
https://www.ru.nl/en/externals/services/radboud-radio-lab

📜 The Dark Ages Explorer (DEX): a filled-aperture ultra-long wavelength radio interferometer on the lunar far side
https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.03418

00:00 Intro
02:31 Cosmic dark ages
14:23 21cm line
19:03 Current instruments
25:00 Dark Ages Explorer
41:20 Science objectives
50:47 Working with EHT
58:09 Current obsessions

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/6OJhhPxzd5U

📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter

🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/

📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com

⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Support Universe Today Podcast

[Space Bites] A THIRD Interstellar Object // Pack of Quasars // Tianwen-2 Looks Back Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

Astronomers have discovered a third interstellar object. NASA missions are getting prepared to be shut down. The most massive white dwarf has been found. And in Space Bites Plus, a capsule containing human remains and cannabis seeds crashes into the ocean.

🚀 [Space Bites+] No ADS. BONUS Story. For FREE:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

👉 Vote for the best story here:
https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community

00:00 Intro
00:19 Third interstellar object
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/inbound-astronomers-discover-third-interstellar-object
03:01 NASA budget cuts
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/07/trump-administration-moves-to-tighten-the-noose-around-nasa-science-missions/
05:17 Nancy Grace Roman telescope progress
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/roman-telescope-core-components-complete-vibration-testing
06:26 Exoplanet around a quiet red dwarf
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/gj-12-b-earth-sized-planet-orbiting-a-quiet-m-dwarf-star
08:13 Citizen scientists help observe exoplanet transit
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/worldwide-team-of-citizen-scientists-help-confirm-a-tricky-exoplanet
09:27 Vote results
https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community
10:07 Chonkiest white dwarf
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-supermassive-white-dwarf-is-pulsating-rapidly-revealing-details-of-its-interior
12:00 Pack of quasars
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-dense-group-of-quasars-form-the-cosmic-himalayas
13:23 Tianwen-2 looks back
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/tianwen-2-looks-back-at-the-earth
14:44 More space news
15:51 Bonus story

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/4Bx96IKAfhs

📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter

🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/

📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com

⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Support Universe Today Podcast

[Q&A] Absent Planets from Our Solar System, Interstellar Black Holes, Non-Conventional Theories Jul 03, 2025

Show notes

Which type of planet that's not in the Solar System is the most interesting? Can we detect an interstellar black hole? Should science journalists report about non-conventional science theories? And in our extended Q&A+ version, will the success of Vera Rubin stimulate building a northern hemisphere version of it?

🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question. FREE:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

00:00 Start
00:30 [SaekobusujimaESO] Can we launch an amateur telescope into space?
02:43 [No Thanks] What's my favourite type of planet absent from the Solar System?
04:15 [E Eliashar] Are we really alone in the Universe?
08:42 [Alisdair Condie] How can we be so special?
09:25 [Graham W] Could you detect an interstellar black hole if it passed in front of a star?
12:17 [Motion Theory] Should science journalists explore unconventional theories?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/l2UJPZ_IhqA

📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter

🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/

📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com

⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Support Universe Today Podcast

[Q&A] Confidence in SpaceX, New Pale Blue Dot, A Day on Gas Giants Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

Did the recent streak of Starship failures change my confidence is SpaceX's future success? How can we measure the rotation of gas giant planets? Is there a chance Voyagers can make another Pale Blue Dot image? And in our Q&A+ extended version, do we have a moral obligation to spread life in the Universe?

🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question. FREE:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

00:00 Start
00:28 [Tremolo Soul] Can we make another "Pale Blue Dot" image with Voyagers?
01:41 [Ammar] Can we still monitor Voyagers after they stop communicating?
03:24 [Blasty] Are science journals full of AI slop already?
05:14 [Vinny Contini] How do we measure the rotation of gas giant planets?
07:28 [wishmasterbrazen] Am I still confident about SpaceX after their last failures?
13:01 [churchdiscography] What's taking New Glenn so long?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/M5n64Zly9BY

📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter

🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/

📩 CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com

⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Support Universe Today Podcast

[Space Bites] Vera Rubin's ONLINE // Huge LISA Update // Record-Breaking JWST Exoplanet Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

The first pictures from Rubin are finally here, construction begins on the LISA mission, Webb directly images a Saturn-sized exoplanet, and do pulsar have mountains? And in Space Bites+, a fast radio burst is coming from inside the Solar System.

🚀 [Space Bites+] No ADS. BONUS Story. For FREE:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

👉 Vote for the best story here:
https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community

00:00 Intro
00:22 Vera Rubin Observatory is ONLINE
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-first-pictures-from-vera-rubin-are-here
07:49 LISA construction begins
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/lisa-construction-begins
10:22 Webb images the lightest planet so far
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-directly-images-a-saturn-sized-star-in-a-nearby-system
12:08 JWST should detect exoSaturns
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/rare-conditions-can-make-double-hot-jupiters
13:36 Hot Jupiters in binary systems
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/rare-conditions-can-make-double-hot-jupiters
14:51 Vote reuslts
15:24 Mountains on pulsars
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/pulsars-could-have-tiny-mountains
17:45 First light from CODEX
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/pulsars-could-have-tiny-mountains
19:07 Hakuto-R 2 aftermath
20:38 More space news
21:56 Bonus story