Universe Today Podcast

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Astronomy
**Universe Today Podcast**

Public feed with [Space Bites+], [Q&A+], [Interview+] and other episodes. Free for everyone.

Latest Episodes:

[Interview+] How Good Was Our Search for Extraterrestrial Life, Really? Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

BONUS PART STARTS AT 43:25

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/izP3FsO9u8o

PBS Spacetime video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OM0zTfdsPo
Professor David Kipping's channel: @CoolWorldsLab

We've done a lot of searching for extraterrestrial life over the years. But how good was it? Did we look hard enough or deep enough? Is it too early for conclusions? Could do a better job? If so, how? Figuring out in this interview.

🟣 Guest: Dr. Ben Zuckerman

📜 Broadband Searches for Extraterrestrial Technological Intelligence: a New Strategy To Find Nearby Alien Civilizations https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.07333

00:00 Intro
01:36 SETI
05:07 How deep did we look
24:12 What could we have done differently
36:57 Most satisfying answer to the Fermi Paradox
43:25 BONUS PART: pollution of white dwarfs
53:01 Current obsessions
57:14 Final thoughts

[Q&A+] We Were Promised A Firehose of Results From Vera Rubin. Where Are They? Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 13:56

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cdHAMQf1Fnk

When will we see the surfaces of exoplanets? What non-western telescopes should we expect? Where are all the big promised results from Vera Rubin? And in Q&A+, how to get in space journalism and is it worth it now?

00:00 Intro
00:33 [@theindianking3000] Will Roman see exoplanets better than JWST?
03:13 [@fwd79] Which non-western space telescopes are coming?
05:55 [@paulwilson1529] How packed is the asteroid belt?
07:35 [@GadZookz] Are there any calories on the Moon or Mars?
10:26 [@rilanfelnar2698] Results from Vera Rubin. When?
13:56 [@absolute-doink] Any advice for someone interested in space journalism?
20:31 Final thoughts

[Space Bites+] Turns Out, Superflares Are Quite Possible for Our Sun Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 15:59

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pkZ5tjeeiS0

00:00 Intro
00:33 Superflares are on the table https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-sun-is-physically-capable-of-producing-a-superflare-according-to-a-new-study
04:10 Direct image of the youngest exoplanet ever https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-directly-image-the-youngest-exoplanet-ever
05:56 Weather report for exoplanets https://www.universetoday.com/articles/researchers-develop-a-way-to-check-the-weather-on-a-exoplanet
07:34 Zombie white dwarf https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-zombie-white-dwarf-star-is-born-again-hallelujah
08:55 More on LRDs https://www.universetoday.com/articles/little-red-dots-are-the-seeds-of-quasars-and-supermassive-black-holes
11:10 Vote results
11:35 Smashed icy moons https://www.universetoday.com/articles/smashed-icy-moons-cool-too-rapidly-to-retain-oceans
13:57 Early galaxies https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-rare-distant-clump-of-early-galaxies-reveals-ancient-cosmic-secrets
15:59 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/earths-center-of-mass-drifts-less-than-we-thought
18:47 Final thoughts

[Q&A+] What Happened At the Very Beginning? Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:04

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XukdOeLfIgQ

What does matter and antimatter annihilate into? How do we know what happened before the CMB? Is outer space dirty? And in Q&A+, initial thoughts about Seestar S50 pro.

00:00 Intro
00:48 [@SirIke49] What do matter and antimatter annihilate into?
05:00 [@nitstyles13] How do we know what happened before the CMB?
12:36 [@Wackyg6] Question from a 6 yr old. Is outer space dirty?
15:04 [@HavoJavo] Thoughts on the Seestar s50 pro
17:42 Final thoughts

[Interview+] A Far Side of The Moon Radio Telescope May Happen Sooner Than You Think Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

BONUS PART STARTS AT 31:55

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OVcy19IcuIg

🟣 Guest: Dr. Dave Deboer

📜 The Lunar Farside Transients and Technology Telescope (LFT3) Mission https://arxiv.org/pdf/2607.25762

https://lft3.space/

A radio telescope on the far side of the Moon should become a reality very soon. How will it operate? What science will it do? Who and how will deliver it? Finding out in this interview.

00:00 Intro
01:59 Why the far side of the Moon?
08:01 Possible science
20:47 The potential survey
23:20 Getting to the Moon
31:55 Epoch of reionization
43:27 Current obsessions
46:03 Final thoughts

[Q&A+] How Feasible Is A Starship-Based Space Station? Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:28

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6utGiIvm2LE

Is combining multiple space telescopes the way to go? Can we detect ice-shell exoplanets? How feasible would a Starship space base be? And in Q&A+, why didn't CMB go past us?

00:00 Intro
00:39 [@estraume] Space telescopes flying in formation
08:53 [@goatlord51] Do we have anything that can detect ice shell exo-planets?
14:26 [@kipnielsen8752] How feasible would a starship space station be?
17:28 [@zephyr9673] Why didn't CMB go past us?
19:59 Final thoughts

[Space Bites+] Moon Cities Are Not Happening. Here's Why Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

BONUS PART START AT 15:19

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hCgllDUvjMk

Interview with Martin Elvis about the Moon: https://youtu.be/CvFMw-kXIzs
Astronomy Cast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZdAB_hwPeA

Maybe we won’t be living on cities on the Moon. A fresh new crater on the Moon, and it’s a biggie. Roman perfect launch adds years to its mission. Did the Sun eat a planet? And in Space Bites+, Mercury is shrinking faster than we thought.

00:00 Intro
00:42 Problems for Moon Cities https://www.universetoday.com/articles/dont-get-your-hopes-up-for-a-city-on-the-moon
03:32 New Crater https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/nasas-moon-orbiter-spots-new-once-in-century-moon-crater/
04:44 Roman Mission Already Extended https://www.universetoday.com/articles/from-10-to-22-years-the-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescopes-mission-has-just-been-extended
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/2026/09/15/nasa-activates-romans-primary-instrument-checks-out-coronagraph/
08:34 Black Hole Hair https://www.universetoday.com/articles/if-black-holes-have-hair-we-will-see-it-in-the-ringdown-of-their-mergers
10:23 Vote results 10:45 The Sun May Have Swallowed a Planet https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-sun-may-have-swallowed-a-planet
13:17 Beauty by Webb https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-searches-for-brown-dwarfs-in-a-stunning-star-forming-region
15:19 BONUS STORY
17:40 Final thoughts

[Q&A+] Why Didn't NASA Just Build Another Kepler When It Failed? Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 09:07

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/koZUXaCXpYA

When Kepler failed, why didn't we just build another one? Do we know about all the potentially dangerous asteroids? Could one just come out of nowhere? And in Q&A+, which planets are more difficult to visit (the answer will surprise you)?

00:00 Intro
00:22 [@paulcockerill4260] Why didn't NASA build another Kepler?
05:16 [@SeanMann-o6v] Are the near earth asteroids all known?
09:07 [@davew1959] Which planets are easier to visit?
13:49 Final thoughts

[Interview+] This Crazy Robot Could Explore the CAVES of Titan | NIAC 2026 Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

BONUS PART STARTS AT 32:27

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6h5It3GnTGI

Titan Dragonfly is one of the most exciting missions in development. But it'll have its limits. For example, it won't go into caves on Titan. Which are super interesting. But this NIAC project will study a robot that should be able to go there.

🟣 Guest: Dr. Daniel Drew https://danieldrew.me/

📜 Solid-state Propulsion for Autonomous Reconnaissance of Karst (SPARK) https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/solid-state-propulsion-for-autonomous-reconnaissance-of-karst-spark/

👉 All 2026 NIAC Selections https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/niac-2026-selections/

00:00 Intro
01:31 What is karst
05:59 The NIAC project
23:28 Alternative use cases
27:48 Earth-based version
32:27 Using robots in Hawaii
39:15 Current obsessions
46:36 Final thoughts

[Q&A+] Can You Put An Consumer-Grade Telescope In Space? Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:01

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UjOkLC6N9cY

Can someone launch a regular small telescope into space? Are Moon caves stable enough for a permanent base? What happened to the Swift rescue mission? And in Q&A+, was the asteroid belt a planet at some point?

00:00 Intro
00:41 [@Noonyuh] Could affordable consumer smart telescopes be easily retrofitted to survive in space?
05:06 [@user-kx2fc2mw5v] Are Moon caves stable enough to build in them?
08:47 [@surrender_monkey] What happened to the Swift rescue mission?
15:01 [@EdSceptic-y2e] Is the asteroid belt a destroyed planet or is it forming into a planet or neither?
18:15 Final thoughts

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