Universe Today Podcast

Latest Episodes:

[Space Bites] Revolutionary Mercury Mission Concept // Dust Shield for the Moon // First Crewed Polar Mission Apr 04, 2025

Show notes

Webb discovers auroras on Neptune, and measures the exact size of Asteroid 2024 YR4, the first Private Mission to carry humans on a polar orbit, a mission that could reach and explore Mercury using only a solar sail. And in our bonus story on Patreon, what would it take to build a sample return mission to Io?

[Q&A] Dying Moon Landers, Gravitational Waves from Betelgeuse, Furthest Galaxies Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

Why don't moon landers just heat themselves to live through the lunar night? Will Betelgeuse's explosion cause a lot of gravitational waves? Is it even theoretically possible to accelerate close to the speed of light? And in our free bonus question on Patreon, what is my dream space mission? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show.

[Q&A] Nearby Rogue Planets, Beaming Power from Space, Solar Sail Propulsion Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

Could there be rouge planets floating in space between us and Alpha Centauri system? Will the Chinese be beaming power from a space station to Earth? Will solar sails be used for propulsion in our lifetime? And in our free bonus question on Patreon, how Lagrange points work for different planets and moons? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A.

[Interview] Can We Fix Liquid Mirror Telescopes' Biggest Problem? Mar 31, 2025

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Liquid mirror telescopes exist. But there's a big problem with them. They can only look directly up. Can we fix it? Can they work beyond the Earth's surface, in orbit or on the Moon? Finding out in this interview.

[Space Bites] Possible Solution for Hubble Tension // Weird Rock Found on Mars // Space Tornadoes Mar 28, 2025

Show notes

Long-chain hydrocarbons found on Mars, has dark energy been decreasing over time? a completely flat telescope lens, the center of the Milky Way contains a star grinder. And in our free version on Patreon, a new theory for the formation of Mercury.

[Q&A] RoboAstronauts, Replacing Kepler, Starship HLS in Danger Mar 27, 2025

Show notes

Will astronauts be eventually replaced by robots in space? Is there a plan for a replacement for the Kepler telescope? Do Intuitive Machines failures mean that Starship HLS is kind of in danger? And in our free bonus question on Patreon, will Artemis become 100% SpaceX? All this and more in this Q&A show.

🦄 Support us on Patreon:
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00:00 Start
00:30 Will astronauts be replaced by robots?
05:12 Is the vertical Starship HLS in danger?
07:44 What does NASA budget cuts mean for Chandra?
11:53 Are there any plans to repalce Kepler?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/jWYHflFer-o

📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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🎧 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)

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[Interview] Titan Is Much Stranger Than You Think Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

Titan is the only known world except Earth that has liquid on its surface and a dense atmosphere. We are planning to send a nuclear helicopter called Dragonfly to explore it. What can we expect from Titan? Finding out in this interview.

[Q&A] Colouring the Sun Green, Self-Sustaining Space Station, Fate of LUVOIR Mar 25, 2025

Show notes

Should we be colouring our star green to make it stand out for potential aliens? What would it take for a space station to be fully self-sufficient? What happened to LUVOIR which was supposed to be a bigger version of JWST? And in our free bonus question on Patreon, can you win a Nobel Prize by watching YouTube videos. All this and more in this Q&A.

[Space Bites] AMAZING Lunar Spectacle // Alternative Mars Sample Return // Direction of a Death Star Mar 21, 2025

Show notes

Blue Ghost wraps up two busy weeks on the Moon with a sunset, good news, the death star isn’t pointing at us, and a new option for the Mars Sample Return mission. And our longer edition on Patreon, how supernovae could have caused two of Earth’s mass extinction events.

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

00:00 Intro
00:19 Blue Ghost's eclipse and sunset
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-is-a-lunar-eclipse-seen-from-the-moon
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/blue-ghost-watches-the-lunar-sunset-signalling-the-end-of-its-mission
02:45 Some science for Athena IM-2
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/one-instrument-on-the-failed-lunar-lander-did-a-little-science
04:25 Good News about the "Death Star"
- https://keckobservatory.org/pinwheel/
06:30 Rocket Lab's Mars Sample Return architecture
- https://spacenews.com/bringing-mars-to-earth-solving-mars-sample-return/
08:36 China's MSR
- https://www.cnsa.gov.cn/english/n6465645/n6465648/c10652198/part/10652214.pdf
09:36 Euclid's deep field
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-esas-euclid-space-telescope-gives-glimpses-of-its-deep-field
11:19 Vote results
- https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community
11:57 My favourite exoplanet system
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-directly-observers-giant-planets-sensing-carbon-dioxide-in-their-atmospheres
14:06 A glipse of SKA's ability
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-square-kilometre-array-releases-its-first-test-image
16:01 Deimos by Hera
- https://www.universetoday.com/articles/hera-swings-past-mars-sees-deimos-from-a-new-angle
16:59 Guide to space
17:31 Secret bonus story
17:58 New articles

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

📰 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)

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[Q&A] Black Hole in Uranus, AI Impersonating my Channel, Which Telescope to Buy Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

What would a black hole do if it was inside Uranus? What do I think about AI-generated content impersonating Universe Today? What telescope should you buy in 2025? And in our free extended version, the deepest rabbit hole I went into. All this and more in this Q&A show.

🎁 Same video. No YT ads +a BONUS question:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/124793779

🚀 Even more Q&A in Overtime:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/overtime-for-q-124799180

00:00 Start
00:27 Black hole in Uranus
02:12 What would I tell scientists 100 year ago?
03:44 Telescope recommendations
06:39 Channels impersonating me. What should I do?
08:39 How does throwing a ball in an artificial gravity ring station look like?
11:57 Will Betelgeuse explode soon?
14:30 Where to leave your questions

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/ajvutm--rgQ

📰 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