Astronomy Cast podcast

Astronomy Cast

Take a fact-based journey through the cosmos. Tune in to hear weekly discussions on astronomical topics ranging from planets to cosmology. Hosted by Fraser Cain (Universe Today) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (Planetary Science Institute), this show brings the questions of an avid astronomy lover direct to an astronomer. Together Fraser and Pamela explore what is known and being discovered about the universe around us. Astronomy Cast is supported thru patreon.com/AstronomyCast.

Take a fact-based journey through the cosmos. Tune in to hear weekly discussions on astronomical topics ranging from planets to cosmology. Hosted by Fraser Cain (Universe Today) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (Planetary Science Institute), this show brings the questions of an avid astronomy lover direct to an astronomer. Together Fraser and Pamela explore what is known and being discovered about the universe around us. Astronomy Cast is supported thru patreon.com/AstronomyCast.

 

#594

Ep. 713: Solar System Volcanoes

Astronomy Cast Ep. 713: Solar System Volcanoes by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Mar 18, 2024. Last week was one of the most exciting meetings we’ve seen from the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, with hundreds of announcements and discoveries from various missions. One theme kept coming up, the Solar System is more volcanically active than we thought. Today, we’ll explore volcanism on other worlds.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

25 Mar 2024

33 MINS

33:52

25 Mar 2024


#593

Ep. 712: How Peer Review Fails

Astronomy Cast Ep. 712: How Peer Review Fails by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Mar 11, 2024.   You’ve probably heard that the best kind of science is peer-reviewed research published in a prestigious journal. But peer review has problems of its own. We’ll talk about that today.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

18 Mar 2024

38 MINS

38:36

18 Mar 2024


#592

Ep. 711: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC)

Astronomy Cast Ep. 711: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live March 4, 2024. NASA works on many missions using tried and true technology, but they also invest in creative ideas that could drive the future of space exploration. It’s called NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts or NIAC.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

11 Mar 2024

31 MINS

31:55

11 Mar 2024


#591

Ep. 710: NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Program

Astronomy Cast Ep. 710: NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Program by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Feb 26, 2024. In the olden days, NASA developed its missions using a variety of in-house engineers and external suppliers. As more commercial companies are targeting the Moon, NASA is working with partners to deliver its payloads to the lunar surface. Today let’s talk about NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Program.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

04 Mar 2024

35 MINS

35:55

04 Mar 2024


#590

Ep. 709: Space Weapons

Astronomy Cast Ep. 709: Space Weapons by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Feb 19, 2024. [My apologies for Fraser’s audio dropouts. We’re not sure how it happened as it wasn’t happening at his studio. Audio is a black art, IMHO. Rich) Last week we learned that Russia might be planning nuclear weapons to take out satellites in space. What is the current and future possibility of weapons in space and what are the treaties designed to prevent them?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit (rhymes with right) Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

26 Feb 2024

32 MINS

32:17

26 Feb 2024


#589

Ep. 708: What Goes Into Sample Return Missions From Asteroids & Comets?

Astronomy Cast Ep. 708: What Goes Into Sample Return Missions From Asteroids & Comets? by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live Feb 12, 2024. Last week we talked about sample return missions from the Moon and Mars, but scientists have retrieved samples from other objects in the Solar System, including comets and asteroids. What does it take to return a piece of rock from space, and what have we learned so far?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit ( rhymes with right) Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

19 Feb 2024

36 MINS

36:25

19 Feb 2024


#588

Ep. 707: What Goes Into A Sample Return Mission? Moon & Mars

Astronomy Cast Ep. 707: What Goes Into A Sample Return Mission? Moon & Mars by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Feb 5, 2024. We’ve sent robots to other worlds, but the amount of science we can deploy to another planet can’t compare with the vast science labs we have on Earth. That’s why more and more missions are for a sample return, bringing pieces of alien worlds back to Earth, where we study them with proper equipment.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit ( rhymes with right) Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

12 Feb 2024

32 MINS

32:44

12 Feb 2024


#587

Ep. 706: China’s Space Program

Astronomy Cast Ep. 706: China’s Space Program by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Jan 30, 2024. We’re so familiar with NASA’s exploration efforts in space, but you might be surprised to learn that China launches almost as many rockets as the US. They’ve got their own space exploration program that could soon bring humans to the surface of the Moon. Let’s give a brief overview of China’s space exploration plans.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

05 Feb 2024

38 MINS

38:24

05 Feb 2024


#586

Ep. 705: Water Worlds - Looking For Life Beyond Earth

Astronomy Cast Ep. 705: Water Worlds - Looking For Life Beyond Earth by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live January 17, 2024. Wherever we find liquid water on Earth, we find life, so it makes sense to search for water across the Universe, and hopefully we can find evidence of life. But what about worlds which are completely covered in water, oceans hundreds of kilometers deep. Can there be too much water?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

22 Jan 2024

32 MINS

32:26

22 Jan 2024


#585

Ep. 704: NASA's Juno Releases New Images

Astronomy Cast Ep. 704: NASA's Juno Releases New Images by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live January 8, 2024. NASA’s Juno spacecraft has completed dozens of flybys of Jupiter, seeing the planet from many angles and delivering some of the most beautiful images we’ve ever seen of the Jovian world. Now it’s focusing in on Io, sending home images of the tiny volcanic world from just 1,500 km away. And the best is yet to come.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

15 Jan 2024

29 MINS

29:56

15 Jan 2024


#584

Ep. 703: Solar Maximum of Doom? Maybe

Astronomy Cast Ep. 703: Solar Maximum of Doom? Maybe by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Dec 20, 2023. Solar cycle 25 is shaping up to be a doozy, with plenty of flares and coronal mass ejections blasting off the Sun. As the solar activity continues to rise, how are things shaping up?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed Gerhard Schwarzer David Nicholas Cunningham THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

08 Jan 2024

33 MINS

33:00

08 Jan 2024


#583

Ep. 702: Moonshot 2024 - Go or No Go?

Astronomy Cast Ep. 702: Moonshot 2024 - Go or No Go? by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Dec 11, 2023. With Artemis 1 completing its robotic flight around the Moon, we know that the SLS works. Next comes Artemis 2, with a crew of astronauts flying past the Moon. If that’s successful, we could see humans set foot on the Moon in December 2025. But there is a long list of challenges to consider that could delay things considerably. Go or no go for launch‽   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed Gerhard Schwarzer David Nicholas Cunningham THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

18 Dec 2023

32 MINS

32:01

18 Dec 2023


#582

Ep. 701: Space Science We Look Forward to in the Next 700 Episodes

Astronomy Cast Ep. 701: Space Science We Look Forward to in the Next 700 Episodes by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Dec 4, 2023. Last week we looked back at some of the ideas that science has changed its mind about. This week we look forward, into the future, at some of the big ideas that astronomers are making progress in. What space science are we looking forward to?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

11 Dec 2023

33 MINS

33:12

11 Dec 2023


#581

Ep. 700: The Things We Got Wrong

Astronomy Cast Ep. 700: The Things We Got Wrong by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Nov 27, 2023. Astronomers talk about all the amazing discoveries they’re making but sometimes, it turns out, they were wrong. After decades and centuries of discoveries, how have they changed their minds?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Ed BogieNet Brian Cagle David Truog Gerhard Schwarzer David Nicholas Cunningham THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela ... Read more

04 Dec 2023

29 MINS

29:24

04 Dec 2023