Izzie and Dr Becky are exploring shaky ground, whether that’s on Earth, other planets and even on our neighbour the Moon. This month is all about quakes. With special thanks to Mark Panning, the project scientist for NASA's InSight mission, and Dr Jess Johnson from the University of East Anglia. Join Izzie and the UK Space Education Office for Mars Day on Tuesday 5th March , sign up to the virtual event here . Explore the North Tyneside Solar Trail and discover models representing planets from o...
Feb 28, 2024•54 min•Ep. 50
Do we see black hole mergers as a result of galaxy mergers? What did the night sky look like to the dinosaurs? Is a gas giant just a rocky planet with a huge and dense atmosphere? Do all orbits eventually end up in resonance? The Supermassive Team is back with the first bonus episode for 2024! Send in your questions to [email protected] or find us on Instagram, @SupermassivePod . The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production for the Royal Astronomical Society . The producers are Izzie Cl...
Feb 12, 2024•13 min•Ep. 49
The Supermassive Podcast is back for 2024 and putting the "happy" in Happy New Year! What could be a cheerier start to the year than an episode about the End of the World… Astronomically speaking!? From supernova explosions, to super volcanoes, Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey are running through the checklist of big bad things that put our planet at risk. Special thanks goes to Professor Chris Impey from the University of Arizona and author of How It Ends, and Dr Mike Cassi...
Jan 30, 2024•48 min•Ep. 49
Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst are rounding off 2023 with a biggie. Arguably the biggest of them all. This episode is ALL about the Multiverse. What is it? What does it mean? Does it even exist? A big thank you to Andrew Pontzen from UCL and author of "Universe in a Box" for explaining the basics, Katie Mack from The Perimeter Institute for going from physicist to film reviewer, and to listener Wendy Entwistle who suggested the Supermassive team cover this topic. The Supermassive Podcast is...
Dec 22, 2023•48 min•Ep. 48
From barbie dolls, to birds baths, what will happen to all the stuff we have made between now and the end of time? Could a large black hole spaghettify a small black hole? Could more satellites block JWST's view? And what came first, the Big Bang or Inflation? It's time for another deep dive into The Supermassive Mailbox with Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media Production for the Royal Astronomical Society. The producers are Izzie Cla...
Dec 21, 2023•14 min•Ep. 47
They've done it. It has taken them all year but Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst have reached the final planet in our solar system; Neptune. Dr Leigh Fletcher from the University of Leicester is back to cover the basics of the planet and Carolyn Kennett, Chair of the Society for the History of Astronomy, tells Izzie about its controversial discovery. Plus, Dr Robert Massey is on hand for some winter stargazing. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production by Izzie Clarke and Richard ...
Nov 28, 2023•50 min•Ep. 47
Bizarre free-floating planets in space, the retrieval mission from a 4.6 billion year old asteroid, and the first images from our dark universe. Join Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst, and Dr Robert Massey as they take you through the latest space news. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media Production by Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Follow or subscribe for free so you never miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 14, 2023•29 min•Ep. 46
It's been a while, so Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert dive into The Supermassive Mailbox for a Q&A Special. How is the mass of a star determined? Does JWST have fuel to come back? And is it possible for Voyager 1 or 2 to switch their cameras back on? Here's the link for space-related jobs that Becky mentioned: https://jobregister.aas.org/ Got a question for the team? Email it to [email protected] or find us on Instagram, @SupermassivePod . The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media Production for...
Oct 27, 2023•40 min•Ep. 46
What is the furthest distance away we’ve ever observed? Why hasn't Venus lost its atmosphere from solar winds? Is Mercury a Ploonet? And how stable is the moon's orbit? It's another bonus episode with Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey. See Micheal Brill's brilliant photos from Antarctica here . Read listener Andrew Street's article of Cassini's final moments: Tracing Cassini's fiery death was like seeing a heart monitor flatline Send in your questions to The Supermassive Mail...
Oct 13, 2023•19 min•Ep. 45
Izzie and Dr Becky have done episodes on Mars, gas giants, Saturn and Jupiter individually, so it’s about time that Uranus gets its own episode. And just so we're clear, it's UranUs, not UrAnus. Professor Leigh Fletcher from the University of Leicester takes the team through the basics. Plus, Izzie pays a visit to the Royal Astronomical Society’s archive to see the Herschels' notebooks from when the planet was discovered. Recommends Late Prom 15: Moon and Stars https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/en8fb...
Sep 29, 2023•53 min•Ep. 45
What does Saturn look like? Why is Venus hotter than Mercury? Can the solar wind generate electricity on the Moon? Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert dive into The Supermassive Mailbox and answer your questions. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production by Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 18, 2023•13 min•Ep. 44
This month, Izzie and Dr Becky are off to the Sun…Partly because the UK summer has been rubbish but mostly because there are a lot of things we still don’t know about our local star. Joining them on their voyage is the Head of Science at NASA, Dr Nicola Fox, to explain the latest efforts to study the sun, the Project Scientist for Solar Orbiter, Dr Daniel Mueller, and Dr Robert Massey is on hand to answer your questions. Watch ESA's Solar Orbiter video, featuring the Supermassive's editor Richar...
Aug 28, 2023•50 min•Ep. 44
Could we detect exoplanets outside of the Milky Way? Could the Euclid Telescope disprove what we know about dark energy and matter? Are we just pointing telescopes aimlessly at patches of space? And is it possible for two black holes to merge and separate into two branches? Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey tackle your burning questions. Still, have an unanswered question? Send it to [email protected], tweet @RoyalAstroSoc, or find us on Instagram @SupermassivePod. The Superm...
Aug 11, 2023•11 min•Ep. 43
The Supermassive Team have spent the last three years attempting to talk about ALL the stuff in space. But that only makes up 5% of our universe. Where the heck is the rest? This month, Izzie and Dr Becky dive into the topic of Dark Matter and Dark Energy... The stuff that makes up that missing 95% of the universe. With special thanks to Dr Alex Hall from the University of Edinburgh for covering the basics, and to Dr Stephen Wilkins from the University of Sussex for explaining how ESA's new spac...
Jul 28, 2023•46 min•Ep. 43
What’s a white hole and could one appear above the Earth tomorrow? Do different cultures sort stars into similar patterns? Why is Venus so hot and how do the Supermassive team cope when someone calls them an astrologer? Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey take on your questions from the Supermassive mailbox. Send your questions to [email protected], tweet @RoyalAstroSoc, or find us on Instagram @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast from the Royal Astronomical Society is a Boffin Media P...
Jul 06, 2023•18 min•Ep. 42
Dr Becky and Izzie dust-down the Supermassive Tardis to explore the history of astronomy. From fossilised baboon bones and baby lamas to Einstein and black holes, the Supermassive team discovers how we came to understand the Universe the way we do today. Editor Richard talks to astronomer and science writer, Dr Stuart Clark, who reveals where the phrase ‘the dog days of summer’ comes from. And Izzie chats to President of the Royal Astronomical Society, Professor Mike Edmunds, about the amazing A...
Jun 22, 2023•49 min•Ep. 42
Can JWST see galaxies at different life stages? What is a "former" constellation? And why do we see Jupiter in monochrome? This month, Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey take on your questions from The Supermassive Mailbox. Want to support The Supermassive Podcast? Why not buy our book The Year In Space - https://geni.us/jNcrw The Supermassive Podcast from the Royal Astronomical Society is a Boffin Media Production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted...
Jun 13, 2023•15 min•Ep. 41
We love stargazing on The Supermassive Podcast, so we thought it was about time we had an episode on the future of ground-based telescopes. From the brilliant named Extremely Large Telescope to the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, Dr Aprajita Verma from Oxford University and science journalist, Sarah Wild, tell Izzie and Dr Becky about the observatories that will transform our understanding of the universe. Searching African Skies by Sarah Wild - https://www.waterstones.com/book/searching-afr...
May 27, 2023•46 min•Ep. 41
What's the most efficient way of space travel? How does longitude change your night sky view? Why does M87* look different? This month, Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey take on your questions in The Supermassive Mailbox. Want to support The Supermassive Podcast? Why not buy our book The Year In Space - https://geni.us/jNcrw The Supermassive Podcast from the Royal Astronomical Society is a Boffin Media Production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted ...
May 13, 2023•16 min•Ep. 40
It's FINALLY happening. Izzie is letting Dr Becky have an entire episode about her favourite planet, Saturn. Professor Geraint Jones from UCL's Mullard Space Science Laboratory tells the Supermassive Team about the Saturnian system. Plus, Professor John Zarnecki shares his experiences of being involved with the Cassini-Huygens mission. And, as always, Dr Robert Massey is on hand to take on listener questions and share his stargazing tips for the month. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media ...
Apr 29, 2023•50 min•Ep. 40
Are gravitational waves destructive? Will the universe ever expand faster than the speed of light? Should we only send robots to space? This month, Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey take on the BIG questions in The Supermassive Mailbox. Want to support The Supermassive Podcast? Why not buy our book The Year In Space - https://geni.us/jNcrw The Supermassive Podcast from the Royal Astronomical Society is a Boffin Media Production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Holl...
Apr 07, 2023•14 min•Ep. 39
Izzie and Dr Becky explore the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. What do we know about this big ol’ planet? And what are the missions that will find out even more? The team is joined by Scott Boulton, Principal Investigator of NASA's Juno mission, and Professor Emma Bunce from the University of Leicester, also involved with ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (aka JUICE). Plus Robert Massey shares his top stargazing tips for spring. Everyday STEM Science - Space! by Izzie Clarke https://...
Mar 24, 2023•47 min•Ep. 39
Is there a Cosmological Horizon? Can we change a comet's orbit to see more of them? What's the most distant human-made object in space? Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert dive into The Supermassive Mailbox to answer your questions. Want to support The Supermassive Podcast? Why not buy our book The Year In Space - https://geni.us/jNcrw The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media Production by Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 10, 2023•13 min•Ep. 38
The Supermassive team take on their toughest challenge (and most tenuous title) yet…Gravitational Waves. Izzie and Dr Becky explore what they are and ask how the heck to detect something so small? With special thanks to Prof. Mark Hannam from Cardiff University and Prof Sheila Rowan, Director of the Institute for Gravitational Research at the University of Glasgow. Plus Dr Robert Massey takes on your questions and shares his stargazing tips for spring. Get your copy of our book, The Year in Spac...
Feb 24, 2023•44 min•Ep. 38
You spoke. We listened. We're releasing more episodes! Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert answer your questions in this first bonus episode of The Supermassive Podcast. How hard is life for an astronomer that's a morning person? How do we know if a star is really red or just red-shifted? And more. To add your questions, photos, messages to The Supermassive Mailbox then email [email protected], tweet @RoyalAstroSoc or find us on Instagram @SupermassivePod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...
Feb 11, 2023•14 min•Ep. 37
Can a black hole eat a black hole, whole? Is there a Universal now? Which household appliances wouldn't work on the International Space Station? Izzie Clarke puts your questions to Dr Becky Smethurst, Dr Robert Massey and Richard Hollingham. Here are the websites to help find Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) https://theskylive.com/ https://in-the-sky.org/ If you have a burning question for the team email it to [email protected] , tweet @RoyalAstrocSoc or finds us on Instagram @SupermassivePod This is a Bof...
Jan 31, 2023•48 min•Ep. 37
Find out what happened when Izzie Clarke and Dr Robert Massey used a 12 tonne telescope at an observatory in Herstmonceux, Sussex. Plus, Dr Becky Smethurst explains the benefit of using space telescopes and takes on your questions. With special to Dr Sandra Voss at The Observatory Science Centre in Hertsmonceux: https://www.the-observatory.org/ Get The Year In Space for a month-by-month guide to the night sky: https://geni.us/jNcrw If you have a question for the team, email [email protected] or ...
Dec 21, 2022•47 min•Ep. 36
The Astronaut Alarm is in overdrive... Izzie, Dr Becky, and his excellency Richard Hollingham have not one but TWO astronauts on this month's episode. From the archive, Richard speaks to NASA astronaut Gene Cernan about Apollo 17 and being the last man on the Moon. ESA Astronaut Matthias Maurer talks about the upcoming Artemis missions which will see humans (hopefully, Matthias himself) return to our rocky neighbour. Plus, Robert Massey is on hand to answer your questions and share his stargazin...
Nov 25, 2022•51 min•Ep. 35
Terrified that an asteroid could wipe out the planet? Don’t panic…the Supermassive team are here to help. Izzie and Dr Becky talk to Professor Alan Fitzsimmons about the results of the DART asteroid deflection mission and Samuel L Jackson (who knew he’s studying for a Phd at the Open University?) tells us how scientists plan to track and tackle threatening space rocks. Plus why the Deep Impact movie terrifies both Izzie and Dr Becky, but for very different reasons, and Dr Robert Massey takes us ...
Oct 27, 2022•46 min•Ep. 34
It's been an exciting time for space exploration, so Izzie and Dr Becky celebrate the year in space.... co-incidentally the title of The Supermassive Podcast's book which is out in October. How do plants grow in the ISS? Has JWST changed ideas about cosmology? And when will we get a home gravitational wave detector? The honourable Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst, Dr Robert Massey, and (his excellency) space and science journalist Richard Hollingham take on your questions. Pre-order our upcoming...
Sep 30, 2022•54 min•Ep. 33
