White dwarf stars should be cooling down practically till the end of the Universe. But yet, they don't. They stop cooling at some point. Why does this happen? Figuring out the answers with Dr Simon Blouin from the University of Victoria. 📜 Buoyant crystals halt the cooling of white dwarf stars https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07102-y 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-toda...
Mar 12, 2024•40 min
How do we plan a mission that can go to Enceladus and grab a sample of its plumes? How fast does it need to go? Will it bring samples to Earth or analyse them on the spacecraft? Figuring out the answers with Professor Mark Burchell from the University of Kent. 📜 Hypervelocity impact induced light flash experiments on single and dual layer Kapton targets to develop a time of flight space dust and debris detector https://kar.kent.ac.uk/104841/ 👉 We Must Go Back To Enceladus! Here's Why https://y...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Understanding the surface of Betelgeuse, James Webb’s third observing cycle has been announced, Starship’s upcoming third test, and the most massive pair of black holes ever seen. 👉 Interviews: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmnK1xmCRad_8bn0uOcmLiIE 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Intro 00:14 Betelgeuse is boiling https://www.universetoday.c...
Mar 08, 2024•22 min
Why won't NASA send a copy of Perseverance to the Moon? Can life exist on a planet around a blue giant star? How do satellites stay safe in orbit and don't collide with each other? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show. 👉 Ad Astra Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@adastraspace 👉 Oxygen Bottleneck paper https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.01160 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Mar 05, 2024•47 min
Self-replicating space robots seems as an obvious way to explore the Universe. How close are we to such a scenario and what do we need to fill outer space with Von Neumann probes? Figuring out with Professor Alex Ellery. 👉 Realistic Scenario of Interstellar Travel https://youtu.be/SkGRVvA23qI 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Intro 02:07 How sustainable is the...
Mar 04, 2024•1 hr 2 min
What is cosmic dust? What is it made of and what can it tell us about the Universe? Could cosmic dust be responsible for life starting on Earth? Figuring it all out with Dr Craig Walton from Cambridge University. 👉 Dr Craig Walton: https://craigwaltongeosci.wordpress.com/ 👉 How Did Early Earth Get The Ingredients for Life? https://youtu.be/SkWNmkoCelY 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-univ...
Mar 02, 2024•1 hr 11 min
We’ve learned what happened to the Odysseus Lander. SLIM survived the lunar night. Experience a fiery trip from orbit to the Utah desert. James Webb completes one of its major science goals. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Intro 00:15 What really happened with Odysseus https://www.universetoday.com/165896/odysseus-moon-lander-pictures/ 03:19 SLIM woke up! htt...
Mar 01, 2024•19 min
How serious is the threat from space weapons? How should we handle the situation with international treaties? Is there a way to ensure the enforcement of them and what are the risks if somebody breaks them? Figuring out the answers with Dr Matthew Powell from the University of Portsmouth. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Intro 01:49 How serious is the threat f...
Feb 27, 2024•55 min
Where do auroras come from on rogue planets? Can we refuel the Sun to make it last longer? What's going on with space nuke tests? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Start 00:25 [Andoria] Where do auroras come from on rogue planets 05:54 [Vulcan] How can we get water on the Moon? 09:37 [Risa] Wha...
Feb 26, 2024•46 min
Odysseus lands successfully on the Moon, China is planning to build bricks on the lunar surface, James Webb finds the neutron star at the heart of supernova 1987 A, and Blue Origins finally rolls out New Glenn. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Intro 00:17 USA's first Moon landing in 21st century https://www.universetoday.com/165834/intuitive-machines-odysseus-...
Feb 23, 2024•23 min
Why doesn't JWST look at Apollo landing sites? What happened to TRAPPIST-1 atmospheres? What's the biggest thing we can measure our velocity relative to? Will the Universe ever start bouncing back? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Start 00:27 [Andoria] What's the biggest thing we can measure o...
Feb 21, 2024•44 min
Huge Kuiper Belt discovery! With James Webb astronomers were able to see that Eric and Makemake show signs of geothermal activity. How exactly did that happen? Figuring out with Dr Christopher Glein, Lead Scientist at Southwest Research Institute. 👉 Dr Christopher Glein https://www.christopherglein.com/ 📜 Measurement of D/H and 13C/12C Ratios in Methane Ice on Eris and Makemake: Evidence for Internal Activity https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.05085 📜 Moderate D/H Ratios in Methane Ice on Eris and Ma...
Feb 20, 2024•35 min
Solar sails aren't just a tool to send tiny spacecraft to Alpha Centauri. They can also be used to optimise exploration of the Solar System. How can we do that? Figuring it out with Alexander Alvara. 📜 BLISS: Interplanetary Exploration with Swarms of Low-Cost Spacecraft https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.11226 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Intro 01:08 Thousands of...
Feb 19, 2024•31 min
More oceans across the Solar System. The Event Horizon Telescope zooms into an active galactic nucleus. Another lunar lander sets off to the Moon. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Intro 00:13 Mimas has an ocean https://www.universetoday.com/165722/saturns-death-star-moon-mimas-probably-has-an-ocean-too/ 02:37 Eris and Makemake geothermal activity https://www.s...
Feb 16, 2024•21 min
What are the main problems of modern-day science? Why there's a growing trust gap between the scientists and the public? How can we fix those problems and restore the trust? Figuring out with Dr. Paul M. Sutter. 📖 Rescuing Science: Restoring Trust in an Age of Doubt https://www.pmsutter.com/store/yourplace-zrd55 👉 Paul M. Sutter's website: https://www.pmsutter.com/ 👉 Paul M. Sutter's YouTube: @PaulMSutter 👉 Ask A Spaceman podcast: https://www.pmsutter.com/shows/askaspaceman 🦄 Support us on ...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 5 min
How sure can astronomers be when estimating asteroid strikes? Why is Jupiter so radioactive? What happened to the methane on Mars story? Are black holes 2D or 3D? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Start 00:24 [Andoria] Can you prove that there's no life in the Universe? 04:14 [Vulcan] How certa...
Feb 13, 2024•46 min
Big layoffs at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. Testing spacesuits for the Moon. Another flyby of Io. And our final look at Ingenuity. 🎙️ INTERVIEWS: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmnK1xmCRad_8bn0uOcmLiIE 👉 NASA Layoffs: https://youtu.be/yFuHdZNZ6-Y 👉 Io Exploration: https://youtu.be/3YpbDZQHkCk 👉 Measuring Space Distances: https://youtu.be/hmJOz9qCk0M 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/sh...
Feb 10, 2024•18 min
BREAKING NEWS. JPL is laying off about 530 people. Why did that happen and what it means for major NASA missions like Artemis and Mars Sample Return? Figuring it out with Casey Dreier, Chief of Space Policy at The Planetary Society. 🎙️ Planetary Radio Podcast: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/space-policy-edition 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00:00 I...
Feb 08, 2024•1 hr 11 min
We all know the Hubble Deep Field as one of the most important astronomy images of all time. But when will we get a similar attempt from Webb? What will we be able to get from it and what are the limits of JWST? Finding out with Dr Viraj Pandya from NASA. 👉 Nobel Prize Winner Explains JWST vs The Crisis in Cosmology https://youtu.be/hmJOz9qCk0M 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-tod...
Feb 07, 2024•54 min
Could we detect life on Earth from Neptune's orbit? Is the Moon shrinking over time? Why don't we send an orbiter the the Kuiper belt? What should we call Planet 9 if we find it? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Start 00:24 [Andoria] Could we detect Earth life from Neptune's orbit? 04:47 [Vulc...
Feb 06, 2024•41 min
If exoplanets exist, so should exomoons. However, to this day we still did not find any. Even more than that, there's a pretty big controversy regarding the potential discovery of exomoons. What's going on and what can we do about it? Finding the answers with Dr David Kipping. 👉 Dr David Kipping's channel https://www.youtube.com/@CoolWorldsLab 👉 Previous interview with Dr Kipping https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx1276dpHe4 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest ...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 40 min
Whenever we search for life, we're searching for 'life as we know it". But are there alternative options? Non-carbon based life? Or life that doesn't use water as a solvent? It turns out, things like that can be as close as on Venus. Figuring it out with Dr William Bains. 📜 Venus' Atmospheric Chemistry and Cloud Characteristics Are Compatible with Venusian Life https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371507931 More interviews: 👉 When Did Evolution Start on Earth https://youtu.be/MeVvreDPI6c?s...
Feb 05, 2024•59 min
Science fiction taught us that Mars cities are inevitable. That we will sooner or later have those cool looking glass domes with spaceports and stuff. But the world is a cruel place and reality is unforgivable. So, how will a realistic Mars habitat of the future will look like? Discussing it with Kelly and Zach Weinersmith. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00:00 ...
Feb 04, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Understanding dark matter is one of the most interesting challenges in modern cosmology. Upcoming new telescopes, such as Nancy Grace Roman, can help us solve this mystery. How exactly will it happen? Finding out with Dr Christian Aganze from Stanford University. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Intro 00:48 How Do We See Dark Matter 08:30 Shape of Milky Way's ...
Feb 03, 2024•36 min
SLIM woke up but briefly., Turning a forest into a giant particle detector. Another explanation for that hycean world. And some stunning new pictures from Webb. 🏅 Nobel Prize Winner Explains JWST VS Hubble Tension: https://youtu.be/hmJOz9qCk0M 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Intro 00:13 SLIM woke up briefly https://www.universetoday.com/165552/japan-moon-lan...
Feb 02, 2024•19 min
Recently astronomers made an unexpected discovery. They found a planet called WASP-69b with a giant comet-like gas tail that was bigger than ever. What's causing such behaviour and what can we learn about hot Jupiters? Finding out with Dakota Tyler from the University of LA. 📜 WASP-69b's Escaping Envelope Is Confined to a Tail Extending at Least 7 Rp https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ad11d0 👉 Weekly Space Hangout playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSzmIOQZ9aanp...
Feb 01, 2024•34 min
Solar energy is simple the best energy source we have access to. But how can we make it even better? With space tech, of course! In this interview I'm talking about a project that suggests putting giant solar reflectors in orbit to extend daytime for solar farms on Earth with my guest, Dr Onur Celik. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Intro 01:19 Space reflector...
Jan 31, 2024•41 min
Why can't Starship reach the Moon without refuelling? How big can black holes get? What space station will replace the ISS? How big do Lagrange points get? Answering all these questions and more in this week's Q&A show. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Start 00:26 [Andoria] What are my thoughts on panspermia? 06:02 [Vulcan] Which upcoming Earth-based teles...
Jan 30, 2024•46 min
The Hubble Tension is one of the most exciting mysteries in modern day science. Different methods give different results for the expansion of the Universe. So, how can we solve this and can James Webb help us with that? Or will it make things even worse? Finding out with Physics Nobel Prize laureate, Dr Adam Riess. 🏅 Nobel Prize Winner John Mather Explains JWST https://youtube.com/live/S1dOwht6D30 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: htt...
Jan 29, 2024•1 hr 6 min
Ingenuity is over. SLIM landed on the Moon, but it’s upside-down. Webb sees planets orbiting white dwarf stars. And we finally know why Starship exploded. 🎈 Sierra Space inflatable habitat interview: https://youtu.be/C3bd4fdY3DY 🚀 Starship IFT-2 discussion with Marcus House and Scott Manley: https://youtu.be/ReXZvXPak4U 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 📚 Suggest books in the book club: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1198440-universe-today-book-club 00:00 Intro...
Jan 26, 2024•22 min
