Universe Today Podcast

Latest Episodes:

[Q&A] Giving Up on Dark Matter, Swarm of Cheap Probes VS Single Expensive One, Rotating Universe Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

At what point we should just admit defeat and give up on our search for dark matter? Should we be sending a lot of cheap space probes instead of a single expensive one? If the Universe is rotating, where is the axis? And in our Q&A+ version, how to make a friend fall in love with Astronomy? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A.

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🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As
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00:00 Start
00:30 [Tyler] Have we ever sent a swarm of really cheap probes instead of a single expensive one?
03:03 [Nithin Cleetus] If the Universe is rotating, around which axis does it do that?
04:31 [Trinidatt] What are the requrements to get a gravitational lens?
07:36 [estraume] Any updated on the idea of air-breathing ion engines?
09:10 [Andreas Lusti] How do I arrange my interviews?
12:39 [Frosty⛄️Winnipeg] When will I get an asteroid named after me?
15:05 [Maciej Jurkowski] How long will we be searching for dark matter before giving up?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
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[Interview] Unveiling The Most Obscured Part of Our Galaxy Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

For a long time the central part of our galaxy was mostly hidden from us because of all the dust. It was even called the Zone of Avoidance. But with better telescopes and modern techniques we can peer inside and reveal what's hiding. Even build 3D-maps of the region.

😍 [Interview+] Bonus Part. No YT ads.
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🟣 Guest: Dr Cara Battersby
https://battersby.physics.uconn.edu/

📜 3D Structure of our Galaxy’s Central Molecular Zone
https://centralmolecularzone.github.io/3D_CMZ/

00:00 Intro
01:46 Zone of Avoidance
12:15 3D-map of the Central molecular zone
16:36 Star formation
22:58 Unsolved questions
27:59 Current obsessions
28:36 PRIMA mission with NASA
35:01 Final thoughts

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/BpaEskYuBk0

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[Space Bites] Resolution for Hubble Tension // Milkdromeda Might Not Happen // Failed Lunar Landing Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

The White House pulls Jared Isaacman’s nomination, the 2026 NASA budget is released, the Hubble Tension might not be a problem after all, the Milky Way and Andromeda might not merge after all. And on SpaceBites+, which ozone isn’t a good biosignature.

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00:00 Intro
00:22 No Jared for NASA
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/05/trump-pulls-isaacman-nomination-for-space-source-nasa-is-fed/
01:57 NASA budget request
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-fy-2026-budget-request-has-been-released
04:36 ispace failed another Moon landing
05:34 Hubble tesion possible solved?
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/is-the-hubble-tension-starting-to-go-away
08:27 Milkdromeda might not happen
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-hubble-just-cancelled-the-milky-way-andromeda-collision
10:09 Pluto
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-watches-haze-rise-and-fall-in-plutos-atmosphere
11:58 Vote results
12:38 Europa
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-reveals-that-europas-surface-is-constantly-changing
14:54 Monitoring solar storms
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/advanced-orbital-constellations-for-solar-storm-defense
16:27 Starship missions to Mars
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/missions-to-mars-starship-three-months
19:02 Newsletter
19:43 Bonus story
19:58 Realism in SciFi

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/RvTwWZt1SRw

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[Q&A] Getting Stuck on a Planet, Dangerous Supernovae, Expansionistic Aliens Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

How big does a planet has to be to make it impossible to fly a rocket from it? Why are aliens always portrayed expansionistic? Can a supernova make us all go extinct? And in our extended Q&A+ edition, is terraforming Mars necessary for finding life there? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show.

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🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As
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00:00 Start
00:30 [knallpistol] How can stars in globular clusters be so close yet so far?
03:28 [Mister Ikkus] Why everyone imagines aliens to be expansionistic?
05:28 [Matthew Reuter] What's the limit on a planet's mass to get stuck on one?
07:51 [James Valley] Can a supernovae take us out?
08:50 [Paige Potter] When we colonize other places, will Earth become a concept rather than a place?
10:50 [Vicente Hdez] What have been the keys to staying constantly active in astronomy communication?
14:56 [Pete Harris] What to see in the Southern Hemisphere's night sky?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
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⚖️ LICENSE
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[Interview] All You Need to Know About Type 1a Supernovae Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

What's the difference between a nova and a supernova? What's the mechanism behind their explosions? What instruments are used to observe them at the moment? Finding out in this interview.

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🟣 Guest: Cameron Pfeffer
https://www.cameronpfeffer.space/

🟣 Dr. Chris Ashall’s supernova research group
https://chrisashall.com/my-group/
https://csp.obs.carnegiescience.edu/

00:00 Intro
01:30 What is a Type-1a supernova
07:55 Observations with JWST
15:03 Current state of supernova research
24:37 Survey telescopes
36:04 Current obsessions
40:12 Final thoughts

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/CKZyAug7hIg

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[Q&A] Replenishing Lost Atmosphere, Copy of Earth, Betelgeuse Supernova Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

How much of our atmosphere is lost to space and should we be actively replenishing it? Is there an exact copy of Earth out there hiding in the Universe? Can we use the Sun to send messages? And in our extended Q&A+ version, how the advancements in AI will change astronomy? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A.

🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question, totally free :
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🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday

00:00 Start
00:30 [Naveed] Can we use the Sun to send messages?
03:49 [jeff miller] Can we replace the atmosphere we're loosing to space?
04:40 [Ghostdog4] When will Betelgeuse finally become a supernova?
06:35 [[PMG] Corey] How is JWST changing our understanding of cosmology?
10:38 [gtziavelis] Is there a copy of Earth somewehre out there in the Universe?
13:59 [Lance Haring] Do black holes poop dark matter?

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

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[Interview] Punching NanoHoles in Light Sails Can Bring Us Closer to Alpha Centauri Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

Launching Breakthrough Starshot light sail probes to Alpha Centauri requires a lot of new tech, including the actual light sails. How do you make the optimal material to maximize the size with minimising mass? Finding out in this interview.

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🟣 Guest: Lucas Norder
https://www.tudelft.nl/en/staff/l.norder/

📜 Pentagonal photonic crystal mirrors: scalable lightsails with enhanced acceleration via neural topology optimization
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57749-y

00:00 Intro
02:11 Current state of tech
04:58 Nano-holes in reflective material
11:08 Manufacturing techniques
14:23 Practical applications
20:58 Possible prototypes
25:57 Current obsessions
30:21 Final thoughts

📺 VIDEO VERSION
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[Space Bites] Mysterious Object Discovered // Starship Explodes Again // China's Asteroid Sample Return May 30, 2025

Show notes

China’s asteroid sample return mission launches, searching for a companion star for Betelgeuse, the 9th flight test wraps up for Starship and Superheavy, and Webb takes its longest exposure yet. And in SpaceBites+, is Venus hiding deadly asteroids.

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00:00 Intro
00:30 Mystery object discovered
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/strange-object-is-releasing-regular-blasts-of-both-x-rays-and-radio-waves
02:46 Searching for Bettel-Buddy
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-search-is-on-for-betel-buddy
05:07 China's asteroid sample return mission launched
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/chinas-tianwen-2-is-off-to-collect-an-asteroid-sample
06:40 China's reusable rocket test
- https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-05-29/Chinese-commercial-rocket-completes-vertical-sea-recovery-test-1DMefpHW0qQ/p.html
07:50 Starship IFT-9
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/after-awesome-launch-starship-spins-out-of-control
09:58 Vote results
- https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community
10:34 Black holes but in colour
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-event-horizon-telescopes-next-feat-multi-color-pictures-of-black-holes
12:44 New discoveries about M87 SMBH
- https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.17035
15:00 Webb's longest exposure
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-webb-captures-faint-galaxies-from-the-universes-ancient-past
16:21 More space news
17:31 [Space Bites+] bonus story
17:46 Some people just don't understand interviews

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/c_RvcTNbVs4

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[Q&A] De-Radioactivating Van Allen Belts, Super Gravity Assists, Algorithms and Clickbait May 30, 2025

Show notes

Can we make the Van Allen belts safe to fly through? Why not get a super gravity assist from the Sun? Can we predict the next supernova in the Milky Way? And in our extended Q&A+ version, what's going on with the ocean rocks producing electricity at the bottom? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show.

🦄 Support us on Patreon:
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00:00 Start
00:30 [Marcus Mark] Can we drain the Van Allen belts from radioactive particles?
01:17 [Sean] Can we get a super gravity assist from the Sun?
02:38 [Midatlanticriverrat] Are discoveries from JWST a turning point in our understanding of astronomy?
04:07 [Abdullah Hussain] When will we see the next supernova in the Milky Way?
05:06 [Jason Darkholm] What does discovering water ice around another star mean for astrobiology?
06:55 [Leigh Taylor] What am I the most excited about?
07:43 [emynsilque] What is the max possible wavelength of light?
08:40 [pewterhacker] Can journalistic integrity survive in the age of clicks and algorithms?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
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⚖️ LICENSE
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[Interview] Can Sweating Heat Shields Solve Re-Entry Problems for Reusable Rockets? May 28, 2025

Show notes

Heat shields are one of the trickiest problems left to solve before we can have truly reusable spacecraft. So far we've seen different solutions, like ablative materials or ceramic tiles. But can a sweating heat shield be a solution? Finding out in this interview.

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🟣 Guest: Dr. Hassan Saad Ifti
https://nal.tamu.edu/

📜 Could Sweating Spacecraft Make Re-Entry Easier?
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/could-sweating-spacecraft-make-re-entry-easier

00:00 Intro
01:40 Challenges of reentry
12:00 Sweating spacecraft
31:05 Which gas to use
38:49 Metal 3D-printing
45:51 Current obsessions
50:41 Final thoughts

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/04rSPGwMLlM

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

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