Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. In her final episode as co-host, Malena reflects on her graduate school experience, research interests, and celebrity crushes. Will brings us Malena’s research to unlock the mysteries of planet formation through interstellar aliens, and Alex shifts the conversation and stacks together Malena’s results on the hunt for Planet 9. He also spends way too long making the space sound. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2019/09/23/aliens-among-u...
Apr 24, 2022•45 min•Season 3Ep. 55
Episode 54: Dusting off the Disks We recorded this episode a few months ago and are dusting it off today. We’re leaving a bit of dust though, because that’s what makes debris disks so exciting! Malena tells us about a disk that is both beautiful in appearance and in its scientific potential to reveal planetary dynamics. Alex tells us about a disk that might have as much water as the solar system, but unfortunately none of it is liquid (or confirmed). Will brings us a space sound that makes the e...
Apr 10, 2022•45 min•Season 3Ep. 54
What’s the opposite of high-energy astrophysics? In today’s episode, we recognize the unsung heroes of astronomy: the low-energy, sleepy objects that keep on chugging in spite of it all. Will describes recent findings that the Sun is a bit sleepier than its peers, Alex Illustr(is/ates) how galaxy cluster fly-bys can make an ultra-diffuse galaxy a little more chill, and Malena delivers an uncharacteristically non-thematic space sound. To top it off, we learn about the slowest song ever written (h...
Mar 27, 2022•41 min•Season 3Ep. 53
In this episode, the gang struggles to come up with a title (and Will manages to still get it wrong in the outro). More importantly, we are joined by PhD student Sophia Lilleengen, who tells us about her research into stellar streams and dark matter in the Milky Way, as well as her career in astronomy so far. Malena presents research about a quirky stellar stream and wonders if it could contain the answers to everything, all of it. Sophia Lilleengen’s website: sophialilleengen.me Twitter: twitte...
Mar 12, 2022•50 min•Season 3Ep. 52
How are your sunglasses like the stars, planets, and galaxies that comprise our universe? Not only do they look cool – they’re also no stranger to polarization! In today’s episode, Will describes a mysterious transient lurking within our own galaxy, while Malena shares how baby magnetic fields might have polarized the baby Universe. Alex guides us through a trashy symphony of delightful debris, showing that even space junk can be eerily beautiful. Astrobites: astrobites.org/2021/10/18 astrobites...
Feb 26, 2022•43 min•Season 3Ep. 52
Pop the champagne and blow out the candles, it’s our fiftieth episode!! To celebrate, we’ve prepared a list of fifty different paths that you can take with a degree in physics or astronomy. What’s the difference between soft money and hard money? What does Sir David Attenborough think about the moon? How do you really pronounce the word “potpourri”? Listen to this episode to have two of these questions answered. Career Resources: https://beyondprof.com/ https://myidp.sciencecareers.org/?AspxAuto...
Feb 12, 2022•50 min•Season 3Ep. 51
For the first time ever, astro[sound]bites is holding a hiring call. We’re looking to add a new co-host to the show! Why is that? Listen to this bite-sized episode to find out, and head over to astrosoundbites.com to learn more about the application process and what our team is looking for. Applications are due March 5th, 2022. We’re delighted to be adding a new voice to the team – and it might just be yours! Link to application: astrosoundbites.com/astrosoundbites-is-hiring2022
Feb 05, 2022•7 min•Season 3Ep. 50
Alex and Malena sit down for a gourmet meal and Will, with curved mustache and slicked hair, pours the wine. Alex enjoys his star cluster soup as he tells us about the state-of-the-art in star formation simulations. The gang then enjoys a space sound entremet (served chilled) before moving onto a main course of freshly seared planet. Malena explains how we might tell if a sun-like star has dined on a planet, and shockingly enough, we learn that these stars like to eat. Malena also tells us all a...
Jan 30, 2022•49 min•Season 3Ep. 49
We’re kicking off the new year by spinning a record from a few months back, about all the ways that rotation teaches us about the universe. Malena describes a few energetic stars lurking around the Main Sequence, and Will keeps his opinions about MOND to himself. Alex brings us home with an orchestral sonification to rival Stravinsky’s best. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2020/05/20/blue-lurkers-and-blue-stragglers-rapidly-rotating-stars-and-their-fountain-of-youth/ https://astrobites.org/20...
Jan 15, 2022•45 min•Season 3Ep. 48
In today’s episode, we learn all about the clues that Kevin has benevolently placed within the Universe to teach us about the graceful and multifaceted field of galaxy evolution. Alex describes how much the galaxies of today can learn from their wise, high-redshift ancestors through Lyman-alpha emission, while Will segues into the mysterious properties of one of the most nearby aged galaxies. Malena shares a snazzy sonification of a hidden neighbor, as well as her school bus seating habits. Astr...
Dec 19, 2021•43 min•Season 3Ep. 47
Ever misplace a brown dwarf? If re-tracing your astrophysical steps doesn’t help, it’s probably where you least expect to find it. In this episode, Alex and Malena bring us some brown dwarfs discovered in truly unusual locations. Alex sees the glass half full when he tells us how brown dwarfs could explain long secondary periods in red giants, solving a longstanding mystery. Malena guides us to a brown dwarf oasis in the phase space desert and manages to still talk about planets. (Listen to the ...
Dec 04, 2021•39 min•Season 3Ep. 46
It’s time to talk radio on the radio! In this episode, we explore some of the research beaming out of the world's largest fully steerable radio dish -- the Green Bank Telescope (GBT)! We hear from Brenne Gregory, a Scientific Data Analyst at GBT, about her trek from the rolling hills of Scotland to the heart of the Allegheny Mountains. Will keeps his finger on the pulse of a pair of neutron stars, and Alex listens for a lawn mower at the heart of the Crab Nebula. Astrobite: https://astrobites.or...
Nov 21, 2021•50 min•Season 3Ep. 45
All speeds are relative—especially in astrophysics. In today’s episode, we learn about the timescales of different transients and explore what the fastest and slowest events can teach us. Alex describes the fastest koala in the universe, Will shares the slowest rotating lighthouse known to date, and Malena tosses in a magnetic curveball to bring us home. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2019/05/20/radio-pulsars-how-slow-do-they-go/ https://astrobites.org/2020/04/20/a-fast-blue-koala-shines-bri...
Nov 06, 2021•42 min•Season 3Ep. 44
Do you enjoy reading and listening to science communication? Are you ready to get involved with it yourself? From chatting with friends to podcasting, blogging to writing magazine stories, the world of SciComm is more accessible and more diverse than you may have thought. We share some personal stories about how we got started in scicomm and hear from 2 SciCommers who made the leap from being PhD students to full-time communicators. Kerry shares her experience pitching magazine articles and disc...
Oct 23, 2021•54 min•Season 3Ep. 43
This is Episode #42, so it might just contain the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. Today we set our phasers to stun and dig into some astrophysics research that brings science fiction one step closer to becoming science fact! Will teaches us what it takes to become a class II civilization on the Kardashev scale, and Malena gently reminds us that we can’t stop the change, any more than we can stop the suns from setting. Plus, Alex has a space sound that’ll leave you all starry-eared....
Oct 09, 2021•48 min•Season 3Ep. 42
How do we figure out the masses of astronomical objects far too large to fit on any human-made scale? In this episode, Alex tracks the paths of planets to figure out which ones are winning a gravitational game of tug-of-war, while Will describes a mysterious little galaxy that seems to be missing a key component. And, you won’t want to miss our spectacular sonification contest runner-up from Tharindu Jayasinghe, who brought to sound the most extreme heartbeat star known to date! Astrobites: http...
Sep 25, 2021•46 min•Season 3Ep. 41
We’re back from vacation! We play 2 truths and a lie about what we did this summer and learn that the truth might be subjective. Alex brings a BBQ-themed Astrobite about the brightest galaxies, teaching us that “astronomical Hot DOG” is a state of being. Malena discusses how planets vacation to the outer solar system (spoiler: they never return home). For this week’s space sound, we speak with the winner of the 2021 Sonification Competition, Misty Bentz. Listen to and view her winning sonificati...
Sep 11, 2021•50 min•Season 3Ep. 40
Billions of years before Van Gogh put paint to canvas and immortalized them forever, the stars in the sky were nothing more than an intricate tangle of magnetic fields and swirling gas. Turn the clock back with us as we learn about the physics of these protostellar systems! Northwestern/CIERA postdoctoral associate Erin G. Cox teaches us about the polarization patterns of Class 0 and Class I systems, and Will gets all turbulated as he discovers how HII regions might drive star formation. Astrobi...
Jul 03, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 39
Tired of vacations being ruined by cloudy weather? Alex the travel agent can book your next trip to brown dwarf binary 1416B, where it’s always a balmy 2000 degrees and never cloudy. Or maybe a sojourn to a hot Jupiter is more your style? Malena the meteorologist has you covered with your 10-million year forecast: cloudy and lopsided. In recognition of Juneteenth and the start of #BlackInAstro week, both papers featured in this episode were led by Black astronomers. Read our new Astrobite about ...
Jun 19, 2021•49 min•Season 2Ep. 38
In this episode, we discuss the varied methods used to determine stellar ages. Alex shares how planetary companions can slow the spin of twirling stars, Will compares the spectroscopic fingerprints of binary systems (thanks, Barium!), and Malena provides some peaceful pulsations to enjoy on your next afternoon walk. Astrobites: astrobites.org/2021/05/24 astrobites.org/2019/05/21 Space sound: http://www.classicalmusicsentinel.com/KEEP/keep-talman.html Credit: Jeff Talman and Daniel Huber...
Jun 06, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 37
How can astronomers study something that nobody has ever seen? In this episode, we switch to the dark side to shine a light on one of the biggest questions in all of astrophysics: the nature of dark matter. Malena teaches us how dark matter helps galaxy clusters glow up, and Will takes a journey to the center of the Earth to find prehistoric prints from a big WIMP. Plus, Alex brings us our most romantic space sound yet. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2019/02/12 https://astrobites.org/2018/06...
May 22, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 36
In this Beyond episode, we veer off the traditional path to a PhD with three interviews from early-career astronomers who did things a little bit differently. Tim Holt shares his transitions from zoology to teacher and, finally, to astronomer. Ashley Walker describes how perseverance helped her to realize her dream as Chicago State University’s very first astrochemistry major. Natalia Guerrero paints a story of her journey leaving a graduate program, taking a leadership role on the TESS team, an...
May 08, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 35
You’ve heard about planets, stars, galaxies, and other “types” of astronomical objects on the show -- but what about the objects that defy our classification schemes? Will discusses how a mysterious system of massive planets(?) came to be, Alex puts on his thinking cap and tells us about the Universe’s biggest hat, and we top it all off with a discussion of the benefits and shortcomings of classifications in astronomy. Astrobites: astrobites.org/2021/02/05 astrobites.org/2020/03/07 Classifying t...
Apr 24, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 34
Do we have to explore astronomy data with our eyes? What if we used our ears? In this episode, we explore these and other questions in the growing field of sonification. Find out what an interstellar pancake sounds like, discover the piano sonatas of a Martian atmosphere and an unusual stellar explosion, and learn how astronomer Garry Foran at Swinburne University, despite a visual impairment, sees deeper into space than most to study the properties of high-redshift star-forming galaxies. Plus, ...
Apr 11, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 33
In this episode we zip through a flurry of exciting undergraduate research Astrobites. Malena weaves a tale of solar tornadoes and cometary corkscrews, Alex spins a yarn of spiders and snowy telescopes, and Will answers the age-old question of nature versus nurture...for stars. We offer some of our favorite astronomy resources, provide tips on doing a literature search, and lend advice on balancing coursework and research. Submit your own research as an undergraduate Astrobite: astrobites.org/ab...
Mar 28, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 32
Episode 31: Hypervelocity Heavens Today we pump the gas to get up to speed on the hypervelocity objects of our universe. Alex divulges how hypervelocity stars tell us about their black hole origins, Will discusses a beehive of stars marching to the tune of its own drummer, and Malena shares plans for our first shot at reaching another stellar system. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2020/03/25 https://astrobites.org/2021/02/16 https://astrobites.org/2021/02/02 Space Sound: https://www.nasa.gov...
Mar 13, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 31
It’s a harsh world out there, as the gang learns by trekking out to observe accretion in the wild. Will peers through his simulation binoculars to see whether tidal disruption events can really satisfy a hungry black hole, and Malena grabs her spectroscopic scalpel to pick apart a white dwarf’s last meal. Plus, we learn a few life lessons from planetesimals. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2021/01/07 https://astrobites.org/2020/07/07 Astrobites Advisors Conference: https://astrobites.org/advi...
Feb 27, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 30
In this episode, we’re blown back and blown away by the solar wind. Will offers a historical overview of how Eugene Parker discovered the solar wind without running a single experiment. Malena covers early results and next steps for the eponymous and incredibly hot Parker Solar Probe, as it ~enters the Sun~. Postdoc Chris Spalding also discusses Mercury’s (literally) impactful and (solar) windy childhood. Astrobites: astrobites.org/2020/02/13/visiting-the-sun/ astrobites.org/2020/09/03/parker-so...
Feb 13, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 29
We were going to write show notes, but it’s been a little while since we recorded and we forgot what we talked about. I guess you could call our memory…. transient! In this episode we discuss some of the quickest, most high-energy astrophysical phenomena in the Universe. Will describes a possible explanation for some of the speediest and most mysterious flashes of energy ever detected, while Alex describes a bizarre and brilliant stellar explosion. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2019/03/05 h...
Jan 17, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 28
We’re starting off the new year right by getting ahead of the curve! In this topsy-turvy episode, we tackle the stretching and curving of non-Euclidean geometry -- where it came from, why it teaches us about black holes and the shape of the universe, and how conformal diagrams help us wrap our minds (and our spacetime) around it all. Alex amazes with ascending audio, Will gives the all-clear to keep eating Pringles and Malena explains how theorists can help save trees. Astrobites: https://astrob...
Jan 02, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 27
![astro[sound]bites - podcast cover](https://assets.metacast.app/images/podcast/artwork/4CN4fD4z)
