Universe Today Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Evolving Dark Matter // JAXA's Moon Rover for NASA // Eclipse Experience Apr 12, 2024

Show notes

New measurements show dark energy may be evolving, Japan is joining Artemis with a pressurized rover, why the Moon has two different faces, and my experience with the total solar eclipse.

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00:00 Intro
00:16 Dark Energy might be evolving
- https://www.universetoday.com/166508/a-new-map-shows-the-universes-dark-energy-may-be-evolving/
04:44 JAXA's Moon rover
- https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-japan-advance-space-cooperation-sign-agreement-for-lunar-rover/
06:52 Moon's two different halves
- https://www.universetoday.com/166588/finally-an-explanation-for-the-moons-radically-different-hemispheres/
08:57 Ice-melting probe
- https://www.universetoday.com/166548/testing-a-probe-that-could-drill-into-an-ice-world/
10:51 Vote results
- https://youtu.be/zuuo1O93kMY
11:24 Rainbows on exoplanets
- https://www.universetoday.com/166535/the-first-atmospheric-rainbow-on-an-exoplanet/
13:21 Small black hole
- https://www.universetoday.com/166566/a-neutron-star-merged-with-a-surprisingly-light-black-hole/
14:30 Solar eclipse 2024
- https://www.universetoday.com/166596/here-are-the-next-three-total-solar-eclipses-coming-up/
16:44 Two cool videos
- https://www.universetoday.com/166612/watch-a-satellite-reaction-wheel-melt-in-a-simulated-orbital-re-entry/
18:24 Even more space news
19:09 JAXA is so cool

📺 VIDEO VERSION
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[Q&A] Interstellar Propulsion, Uranus-Type Exoplanets, AGI Solving Space Mysteries Apr 08, 2024

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What engine type will the first manned interstellar mission use for propulsion? Will AI help solve any mysteries of space? Why do we have exoplanet types named after Neptune but not Uranus? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show.

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00:00 Start
00:24 [Andoria] What will happen to the orbits of planets when the Sun expands?
03:54 [Vulcan] What can we learn from the dust in the Solar system?
08:05 [Risa] How does Venus keep its atmosphere?
12:09 [Aeturen] What does the Unruh effect mean?
14:30 [Vendikar] Why exoplanet types aren't called after Uranus?
16:14 [Remus] How will the first interstellar manned mission look like?
21:07 [Janus] What do JWST observations of organics around protostars mean?
25:26 [Cait] Are aliens limited by the transit method?
30:16 [Betazed] Will AGI help us solve the mysteries of space?
35:19 [Cheleb] Did JWST really find city lights 7 trillion miles away?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/5GTXejI-StE

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[Space Bites] How To Watch The Eclipse // Vera Rubin's Huge Milestone // New Moon Rovers Apr 05, 2024

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Vera Rubin’s Camera is complete, where are rogue planets coming from, NASA chooses suppliers for its new lunar rover, and an earlier formation for the Moon.

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00:00 Intro
00:14 Vera Rubin's camera is ready
- https://noirlab.edu/public/news/noirlab2407/
01:39 Where do rogue planets come from
- https://www.universetoday.com/166406/where-are-all-these-rogue-planets-coming-from/
03:44 NASA gives contracts for new Moon rovers
- https://www.universetoday.com/166500/nasa-teams-lunar-terrain-vehicle/
05:32 SLIM's still alive
- https://www.universetoday.com/166431/against-all-odds-japans-slim-lander-survived-a-second-lunar-night-upside-down/
06:48 Hopping on the Moon
- https://www.universetoday.com/166473/a-robot-hopper-to-explore-the-moons-dangerous-terrain/
08:54 Vote results
09:45 Earliest possible Moon formation
- https://www.universetoday.com/166479/whats-the-earliest-the-moon-could-have-formed/
11:54 Simulating a neutron star surface
- https://www.universetoday.com/166434/it-takes-a-supercomputer-to-properly-simulate-a-neutron-stars-surface/
13:19 Newsletter
13:59 How to watch the eclipse

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/zuuo1O93kMY

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[Q&A] Supernova VS Nova, Orientation of the Moon, Gravitational Lensing of the CMB Apr 02, 2024

Show notes

Does gravitational lensing affect the CMB? Can the Great Attractor solve the Hubble tension? Why don't we put a Deep Space Network antenna in space? What's the difference between a nova and a supernova? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show.

🦄 Support us on Patreon:
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https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club

00:00 Start
01:31 [Andoria] How does gravitational lensing affect the CMB?
05:31 [Vulcan] What's the difference between a nova and a supernova?
11:25 [Risa] Can the Great Attractor be the reason for the Hubble tension?
13:55 [Aeturen] Orientation of the Moon in different places on Earth
15:52 [Vendikar] Why not put the Deep Space Network in space?
21:11 [Remus] Should we build a space station to travel to Mars?
23:47 [Janus] Is there a limit for the periodic table elements?
26:52 [Cait] What was my early life experience in Astronomy?
30:54 [Betazed] What is the best thing to see from a southern latitude?
33:38 [Cheleb] Why were stars in the early universe so much larger than stars today?
37:56 [Nimbus] Would I go to Mars?
40:13 [Belos] Do we know about moons orbiting other moons?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
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[Special] Where Are All The Aliens? We Ranked Every Explanation Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

The Fermi paradox has many solutions. Many explanations for the fact that we don't see any signs of intelligent life in the Universe. We ranked all the major ones and put them into tiers from S to D.

🔵 Pale Blue Pod: https://palebluepod.space/

👉 Dr Moiya McTier: https://www.moiyamctier.com/
👉 Dakotah Tyler: https://www.dakotahtyler.com/

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📚 Suggest books in the book club:
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00:00:00 Intro
00:01:33 Fermi paradox
00:02:25 Zoo Hypothesis
00:06:19 Prime Directive
00:11:10 Simulation Hypothesis
00:16:54 Dark Forest
00:25:48 The Great Filter
00:33:54 Self-Destruction
00:40:16 We're The First
00:44:15 Rare Intelligence
00:49:00 We're Alone
00:56:00 Communication Barrier
01:04:35 Post-Biological Life
01:12:16 Hibernation Hypothesis
01:16:31 Our Tech Isn't Good Enough
01:20:49 We're Searching In Wrong Places
01:24:08 Aliens Are Among Us
01:27:01 Interstellar Travel is Impossible
01:36:19 Reapers
01:42:03 Expansion is Inefficient
01:47:48 There Is a Better Way

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/DFPfG413F58

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[Space Bites] New EHT Image of Sgr A* // VERITAS is back // Supernova in Almost Real Time Mar 29, 2024

Show notes

See the magnetic fields twisting around the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole, a supernova was seen in almost real time, NASA announces its planetary science goals for Artemis III and Gaia finds two ancient building blocks of the Milky Way.

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00:00 Intro
00:18 New EHT image of Sag A
- https://www.universetoday.com/166327/new-view-reveals-magnetic-fields-around-our-galaxys-giant-black-hole/
02:45 Supernova caught in almost real time
- https://keckobservatory.org/sn2023ixf/
04:55 Artemis 3 planetary science goals
- https://www.universetoday.com/166321/nasa-reveals-its-planetary-science-goals-for-artemis-iii/
07:12 Gaia finds ancient streams of stars
- https://www.universetoday.com/166303/gaia-finds-ancient-streams-of-stars-that-formed-the-milky-way/
08:29 Veritas mission is back in business
- https://www.universetoday.com/166299/nasas-veritas-mission-breathes-new-life/
10:11 Vote results
10:53 China's Moon relay satellite
12:18 Hubble sees two newly born stars
- https://www.universetoday.com/166359/hubble-sees-a-star-about-to-ignite/
14:32 Live Starlink map
- https://www.universetoday.com/166319/watch-a-real-time-map-of-starlinks-orbiting-earth/
15:39 More news
16:28 Venus

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

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[Q&A] True Color of The Moon, Capturing Sunspots, Constellation of Almost Hubbles Mar 26, 2024

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Can we harvest energy from the Moon's temperature difference? Why don't we just launch multiple telescopes like Hubble? Why is the Moon grey? Why are sunspots black? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show!

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00:00 Start
00:27 [Andoria] Can we extract energy from Moon's temperature difference?
05:19 [Vulcan] Constellation of "Almost Hubbles"
08:40 [Risa] Why do sunspots look black?
10:26 [Aeturen] Will we still be 'alone' if we find life on Europa?
14:52 [Vendikar] Why do black holes shrink?
20:22 [Remus] What lifeforms can survive on Jovian moons?
25:01 [Janus] Why is the Moon grey?
26:44 [Cait] Why not build a very big spacecraft in orbit?
31:06 [Betazed] Will humans ever fly on solar sails?
33:09 [Cheleb] What does a lunar eclipse look like on the Moon?
35:03 [Nimbus] Will we ever see a Venus rover?
37:56 [Belos] Could Enceladus have life during the Sun's red giant phase?

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/coZQpmMKJ90

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[Space Bites] Mystery of Supernova 1987a // End of Chandra // JWST Exomoons Update with @CoolWorldsLab Mar 22, 2024

Show notes

Planning trains on the Moon, Chandra is getting shut down, the future of Mars helicopters, and an update on exomoons with Dr. David Kipping.

👉 Interview with Dr. Kipping:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umiMtQU3bMU&t=1317s&ab_channel=FraserCain

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📚 Suggest books in the book club:
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00:00 Intro
00:12 Trains on the Moon
- https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-to-develop-concept-for-lunar-railroad
02:29 Chandra in trouble
- https://www.universetoday.com/166247/nasa-is-planning-to-shut-down-one-of-the-great-observatories-to-save-money/
05:33 De-icing Euclid
- https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/Operations_begin_to_de-ice_Euclid_s_vision
07:30 More helicopters on Mars
- https://www.universetoday.com/166212/the-mars-science-helicopter-could-be-an-airborne-geologist-on-mars/
09:44 Vote results
10:33 Explanations for SN 1987a
- https://www.universetoday.com/166188/finally-an-explanation-for-the-string-of-pearls-in-supernova-1987a/
13:03 One hit, a billion craters
- https://www.universetoday.com/166223/one-impact-on-mars-produced-more-than-two-billion-secondary-craters/
14:19 Shape of Dimorphos
- https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-study-asteroids-orbit-shape-changed-after-dart-impact
16:03 Exomoons update with Dr David Kipping
22:32 Newsletter
23:28 Defunding telescopes

📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/y2tY3y5rEm4

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[Q&A] Largest Stars, Dark Matter In The Solar System, Science Being Slow Mar 19, 2024

Show notes

How heavy are the biggest stars in the Universe and how do they compare to the Sun? Why would aliens be grabby? Is there more space for science communicators? What's the minimum size for an object to have an atmosphere? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show.

🦄 Support us on Patreon:
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📚 Suggest books in the book club:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club