Walkabout the Galaxy

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An irreverent and informative tour of the latest, greatest and most interesting discoveries in astronomy.

Joshua Colwell, Adrienne Dove and James Cooney


    • May 21, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 44m AVG DURATION
    • 338 EPISODES

    4.8 from 104 ratings Listeners of Walkabout the Galaxy that love the show mention: professor, science, space, fun, conversation, keep up the great, interesting, love, always, listening, good, guys, work, show, like.


    Ivy Insights

    The Walkabout the Galaxy podcast is an absolute delight for anyone interested in space and science. Each episode is eagerly anticipated, with Wednesdays becoming 33.3% more exciting as listeners await the drop of a fresh episode. The hosts, particularly Jim, bring a fun and engaging energy to the show, and when all four hosts come together, there is a wonderful synergy that adds an extra level of enjoyment. The podcast strikes the perfect balance between being smart and nerdy while remaining spontaneous and refreshing. It's often outright hilarious, making it a joy to listen to.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is its ability to simplify complex concepts. The hosts have a knack for breaking down complicated ideas into easily understandable terms, making it accessible for listeners with varying levels of knowledge. Whether you're an avid space enthusiast or just have a passing interest in science, this podcast does an excellent job of catering to all audiences. It covers a wide spectrum of space-related topics, providing trivia, mind-bending stumpers, and even featuring big-name sponsors.

    While there are countless positive aspects to The Walkabout the Galaxy podcast, one potential downside could be that it may not be suitable for hardcore scientists seeking extensive technical discussions. However, this can also be seen as one of the strengths of the podcast - it presents hardcore science in a fun and conversational way without pandering to the public. This approach makes it enjoyable for both casual listeners and those with a deeper understanding of scientific concepts.

    In conclusion, The Walkabout the Galaxy podcast is an absolute gem for anyone interested in space and science. It combines informative content with witty banter and provides an enjoyable listening experience reminiscent of having a conversation among friends. Whether you're listening during rush hour traffic or simply exploring new interests during pandemic times, this podcast is sure to captivate your attention and keep you coming back for more. Highly recommended!



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    Latest episodes from Walkabout the Galaxy

    The End of the Universe As We Know It and We Feel Fine

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 47:17


    A major update to the predicted end of the universe has it coming much earlier than previously anticipated. However, we still have plenty of time to get our affairs in order, and the update has to do with spaghettification, and anything with spaghettification can't be all bad. We also talk about active asteroids, your ideal night sky, and cosmological trivia. 

    A Slurping Black Hole and a Win for the Streaming Instability

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 41:55


    We get lucky and catch a rogue supermassive black hole in the act of slurping up a star as it meanders through a distant galaxy. Closer to home, the detection of a second trinary, or triple, system in the Kuiper Belt beyond the orbit of Neptune bolsters the streaming instability theory of planet formation. We talk about all that and what it has to do with the Tour de France, as well as space news and trivia.

    Vesta Chip Off the Old Block and a Nearby Dark Molecular Cloud

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 49:28


    The asteroid Vesta may be a fragment of a much larger protoplanet, and astronomers examine old data to discover a large molecular cloud lurking right in the solar system's backyard. Get all the details, plus habitable exoplanets get another look, space news, and trivial matters with your friendly neighborhood astroquarks.

    Ultralight Dark Matter and Peanut Asteroid Hot Take

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2025 40:47


    NASA's Lucy mission had a picture perfect encounter with the asteroid Donaldjohanson on its way to the first ever flybys of Trojan asteroids. Discoveries of ancient supermassive black holes challenge theories of their formation. If dark matter is composed of ultralight particles (lighter than a neutrino), that could resolve the mystery. Join us for these and other cosmic discoveries, space news, trivia, and more.

    Hot Takes on Water on Earth and Black Hole Singularities

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 42:40


    The astroquarks discover hot takes and explore the nature of ice, the origin of Earth's water, and the trouble with the singularities at the hearts of black holes. Plus, we have a stumper, astronomical trivia, and much more. 

    Weird Convection on Venus and a Wrinkle in the Lambda Cold Dark Matter Model

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 43:37


    Venus's extra-thick crust may be extra chewy, allowing convection to occur and helping power volcanoes into the current era. New observations of the distant universe, meanwhile, show that dark energy may not have behaved as expected in the standard cosmological model. We'll break it all down for you together with space news and trivia with your friendly neighborhood astroquarks.

    Supernovas and Mass Extinctions

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2025 49:04


    A survey of nearby stars establishes the rate of supernovas in our general neighborhood. Evidence indicates we had nearby stellar explosions at the times of two mass extinctions. Those supernovas may have decimated the ozone layer and contributed to extinctions and climate changes. Plus, we recorded on April 1 and take a look at silly April 1 science papers, and we get tilted with our trivia and space news. Join us, won't you?

    Life on Hycean Worlds, Interstellar Debris, and Dark Matter Survey

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 43:38


    If there are Hycean worlds and if they have a certain kind of microbial life and if there is enough of it, JWST might be able to see the chemical products of that in the planet's atmosphere. We take a look at that, debris from neighboring stars entering our solar system, and the first results from the Euclid space telescope. Join us for all this plus a hilarious double stumper and more.

    Are We Inside a Black Hole?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2025 51:43


    There are exciting new observations from recent lunar missions, a possible chunk of the Moon keeping us company, and an intriguing observation supporting the theory that the entire universe is inside a black hole! Get inside the event horizon with the astroquarks for all the space updates, trivia, and more.

    Oort Cloud Spiral, the Color of Mars, and a New Dwarf Galaxy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 41:15


    We take a look at the formation and structure of the Oort cloud of comets which is spherical at large distances but has a spiral structure in its inner regions. And, after all this time, there's a surprising twist on the nature of the iron mineral that gives Mars its reddish hue. Also hiding in plain sight is a dwarf galaxy in the neighborhood of the Andromeda galaxy, our largest companion galaxy. Join us for a discussion of these discoveries, trivia, space news and more.

    Did You Quipu?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 36:31


    Lunar exploration continues to accelerate, and there's a new longest "structure" in the universe. Quipu is a quasi-alignment of clusters of galaxies stretching over 1 billion light years. Structure is in cynical quotation marks because these objects are not bound or connected to each other in any way, but their arrangement is a natural consequence of the evolution of the universe. If we happen to be in a Quipu-like structure ourselves, that may help us get out of our Hubble tension problem. Join us for cosmological mind-benders like this, and updates on ocean worlds and other moons closer to home, as well as space news and trivia.

    Hubble Tension Won't Go Away But Some Exoplanets Do

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2025 42:04


    The more measurements we make of the expansion of the universe, the more it seems as though Hubble Tension is not a problem with our data but a problem with our understanding of the expansion of the universe. We'll talk about that, and some cool new observations closer to home, including a disintegrating exoplanet that is giving us a unique peak into a planet's insides. Join us for all this and more, including space news and trivia.

    Exocomets, Io, and the Great Dimming of T Tauri

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2025 44:21


    Juno reveals a surprise about the interior of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io, and the OG young variable star T Tauri is getting ready to fade from view thanks to its dusty neighbors to the south. Speaking of dust, that's what gets kicked up when comets collide, and a new survey examines the cometary belts around dozens of star systems, providing a detailed look at the outer reaches of exoplanetary systems. Join us for all this, sample return stumpers, and Top Quark trivia.

    Little Red Dots and Big Black Holes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 44:32


    The discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope keep coming. After showing that galaxies formed far earlier than we thought, we now have a better understanding of what was going on in the early universe. Those little red dots spied by JWST are actually the glow of heated dust and gas from supermassive black holes, and not the glow from billions of stars as had been thought. Closer to home, did the Earth sport a ring for a few million years? Analysis of ancient craters suggests it may have. Tune in to get the full story, plus gravitational trivia, space news, and more.

    Kiss and Capture for Pluto and Charon and Dark Energy Remains Dark

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 46:03


    Pluto and its largest moon, Charon, orbit each other with gazes lovingly fixed on each other, held in place by a romantic tidal attraction. But Charon's large size has always been difficult to explain. New simulations show that their love affair may have started at the beginning with a "Kiss and Capture" collision, much gentler than the devasting impact that formed our own Moon. Hear all about that, Centaurs, space news, space trivia, and a new way to explain away Dark Energy with your friendly neighborhood astroquarks.

    Quasi Particles, Pluto's Moons, and Cosmic Rays

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025 45:25


    We kick off 2025 with oddities from quasi particles, to cosmic rays, to the moons of Pluto. What has mass when it moves in one direction and doesn't when it moves in another direction? How do thunderstorms on Earth interact with cosmic rays? What is up with Pluto's moons? Join us as we tackle these questions as well as the stumper and special top quark trivia. It's all part of the package in an episode of Walkabout the Galaxy.

    Mysterious Dark Comets

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2024 39:22


    We know about extinct comets and active asteroids, but now we've got something in between: dark comets, whose orbits indicate cometary activity, but we can't see it! We'll get the scoop on these interesting objects, a flare from a supermassive black hole, and a twist on the question of the age of Saturn's rings. Plus, we have our end-of-the-year rocket launch roundup, and a special astrophysical FLOD stumper for top quark Jim Cooney. 

    Making Big Blobs is Hard

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2024 37:48


    Top quark Jim Cooney explains why making big blobs is hard and how new observations are helping us understand how the universe made big immensely big blobs more commonly known as giant elliptical galaxies. Nature loves to make a disk, and we love to tell you all about the cool things nature does, including a solid state greenhouse on ancient Mars that may have produced a huge buried supply of water to create giant rivers near its south pole. Join us for this and more mind-blowing stuff. It's all part of our Walkabout the Galaxy.

    Neutrino Fog and the Hunt for Dark Matter

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 43:44


    It's a good news bad news story with the detection of the neutrino fog. This signal from solar neutrinos may confound our search for certain dark matter candidates, but at least we know our detectors are very, very sensitive! We also take a look at magnetic fields in the outer solar system, specifically why Uranus's magnetosphere was so weird when we visited in 1986, and what tiny grains from a near Earth asteroid may be telling us about the magnetic field four and a half billion years ago. Join us for all that, and of course space news and stupid trivia.

    Not All Supernovae Are Created Equal

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 41:34


    If you're speaking English, not Latin, do you really have to say "supernovae" instead of "supernovas"? Also, they are, in some sense, created equally: explosion of a white dwarf, but the outcomes are not all equal. You are welcome for this grammatical tangent, and please enjoy our fun discussion about weird tesserae (more Latin!) on Venus and the whole standard candle story of type 1a supernovae gets a rewrite. On this episode of Walkabout the Galaxy, you can also enjoy solar energy/spacecraft trivia, space news, and general hilarity at no extra charge.

    Is There Another Belt of Comets?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 42:02


    New observations contradict earlier studies about the possibility of another belt of comets orbiting the Sun twice as far away as Pluto. We'll take a look at what's what in the outer solar system and also explore whether black holes may help explain the Hubble tension. We also play FLOD (Flyby, Land, Orbit, Destroy) and have some "how many planets" trivia.

    Trojan Asteroids Everywhere

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2024 28:14


    Join Strange and Down quarks for a close look at Trojan asteroids, the forgotten asteroids of the solar system. NASA's Lucy mission is en route to take our first close look at these denizens of the outer solar system and has an Earth gravity assist in December 2024. As you'll see in our trivia, the numbers of Trojans may surprise you. Jupiter is the king of the Trojans, but we'll take a closer look at the first comfirmed Trojan of Saturn.

    Basin Instinct - Cosmological Structure and Edible Asteroids

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 45:09


    We get a tour of our place in the grand cosmological scheme of things with new mapping of the local Basin of Attraction. Spoiler: also Jim's new stage name. And we explore the final frontier of In Situ Resource Utilization with studies of how to get edible nutrients from the raw materials in asteroids. It's a little bit gross. Plus space news, trivia, and more. Join us to learn about all this (and all of our new stage names).

    OG Top Goes to Europa

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2024 50:24


    Original Top Quark Dr. Tracy Becker returns to her old stomping grounds to hang with the Walkabout crew and send Europa Clipper on its way to Jupiter. Join us for a preview of this mission's ambitious goals and the exciting journey it took to the launch pad. Also, new research suggests the Earth may escape a fiery death when the Sun becomes a red giant. We have, of course, space news, space history trivia, and much more. 

    Back in Black Holes

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2024 47:58


    We've got mini black holes as potential dark matter candidates and monstrous black holes spewing jets to cosmological scales. Who better than Top quark Jim Cooney to take us through these black holes? No one, that's who. We take a deep dive into meteorites, particularly those that have come from Mars. You may be surprised to learn how many we have, and now we know more about where those free Mars samples originated from on the red planet. Join us for all this, space news, and trivia.

    Black Hole Spindown Chirp and a 9-Day Geologic Rumble

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2024 41:03


    Gravitational waves may provide a new way to observe supernovae in our own Milky Way galaxy and determine when they produce black holes and when they result merely in neutron stars. Closer to home, scientists did some clever detective work to figure out the source of a mysterious 9-day seismic shaking here on Earth. The culprit: a giant, regular sloshing in a fjord triggered by a landslide as a result of warming temperatures and melting land ice. Join us for this and other astro news including an interesting mini-moon and funny science lingo.

    Recent Lunar Volcanic Activity and the Metallicity Cliff

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 46:01


    Tiny samples brought back from the Moon hint at surprisingly recent volcanic activity. What's up with that?! Elsewhere in the galaxy, a detailed study of over 100,000 stars identifies the metallicity cliff. This is where stellar composition that is low in heavy elements seems to inhibit the formation of at least some types of exoplanets. The astroquarks have all the details for you, as well as a Polaris Dawn update and nerd trivia. Join us, won't you?

    Adventures in Space the Cady Way

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2024 38:31


    The Astroquarks are joined by former NASA astronaut, PhD Chemist, and retired USAF Colonel Cady Coleman at Dragon Con 2024 for a wide ranging discussion of space flight, institutional challenges, training, flute playing, and more. 

    Ocean World Mimas and the JUICE Slingshot

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2024 46:01


    Recent (astronomically speaking, of course!) perturbations to Mimas's orbit may be the explanation for the surprising presence of a global subsurface ocean in this tiny moon of Saturn. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency's JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer) mission successfully completed a novel gravity assist making use of the Earth's Moon and the Earth to send it towards... Venus! We have all the explanations, space travel stumpers, trivia and more.

    Barney the Dinosaur Killer from Outer Space and Water Inside Mars

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2024 40:24


    New research shows that the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs some 66 million years ago formed in the colder, more distant reaches of the solar system. The Astroquarks have taken it upon themselves to dub this asteroid Barney. We'll update you on that new research and a surprising discovery from Mars Insight data that suggests Mars has a potentially huge amount of delicious H2O not to far beneath its surface. It's just a bit dirty, is all. And we have lots of space news, stumpers, and more. Join us, won't you?  

    The Fermi Paradox - Are We Truly Alone?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2024 41:00


    When Frank Drake created his famous eponymous equation to estimate the number of advanced communicative civilizations in the Milky Way, we had little more than educated guesses for most of the factors in that equation. Decades later we have much better data, and the answer seems to reinforce Fermi's famous paradox: why is our galaxy so silent? The role of plate tectonics in enabling evolution of advanced life forms is examined in new research were a revision to the Drake Equation is proposed, and the unsettling answer may be that we are truly alone.

    Chemical Whispers of Life on Mars

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2024 41:24


    The astroquarks assemble for their 365th episode, about 10 years after their first, with a look at a canceled mission to the Moon and tantalizing observations from an ongoing mission at Mars. The Perseverance rover has spied a particularly unusual rock sample with some tantalizing features. Join us for the deets as well as historical astronomy trivia, space news, and more.

    Lunar Caves for Future Habitation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024 25:42


    In this light episode of Walkabout the Galaxy, Josh and Audrey discuss the first confirmation of open spaces in lava tubes connected to lunar pits on the Moon. 200 lunar pits have been observed on the Moon, and now scientists have used radar data to demonstrate that these pits are in fact connected to caverns that could provide future astronauts with a safe haven beneath the lunar surface. Join us on this short walkabout for the full story, trivia, and space news updates.

    Dark Matter, Deuterons, and a Mixed-Up Protoplanetary Disk

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 42:38


    You'll be amazed at how much we can learn from iron meteorites. Who would have guessed that analysis of the compositions of these humble metallic remnants of asteroids would be able to tell us about the shape of the protoplanetary disk? We'll learn about the latest clues to the early history of our solar system, the surprising abundance of deuterons in cosmic rays provides another indicator that we still have a lot to learn about the early universe, and dark matter - well it's still out there, still dark. Join us for all this, space news, nerdy trivia and more.

    Cygnus X-3 and a Naked-Eye Nova

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2024 41:52


    The clock is ticking on T Coronae Borealis which seems primed to undergo a nova explosion this summer. That will make this otherwise faint star as bright as Polaris thanks to a burst of nuclear fusion reactions on the exposed surface of this white dwarf. Another curious binary system, Cygnus X-3, is beaming x-rays toward us thanks to some nifty photon processing in the disk surrounding this black hole. Learn more about these cool systems, parallel universes, dense moons and more with your friendly neighborhood astroquarks.  

    Primordial Black Holes Make the Galaxy Go 'Round

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2024 39:44


    We take a look at some Beta Pic Disk shots before journeying back to the earliest era of the universe and the possible formation of primordial black holes. Some of these may have been only the size of an atom and would have long since evaporated through Hawking radiation. But they may have left an observable imprint for our powerful telescopes peering into the distant past, and their larger siblings are a possible contender for dark matter. Join us for all this, space news, silly trivia, and much more. 

    Full Circle to the Origins of Carbon and Exotic Gravity

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2024 43:18


    The Astroquarks celebrate their 360th episode with discoveries showing carbon much earlier in the universe than previously thought possible, and an exotic new proposal as an alternative to dark matter. Plus, we have radioactive trivia and a slew of space news with a busy week in rocket and spaceship activity.

    Volcanic Activity on Venus RIGHT NOW!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2024 39:43


    There is a mountain - or should we say a volcano - of evidence, building that suggests volcanic activity on Venus during the time of the Magellan mission in the 1990s. We'll dig into that, struggle to get our script right, ponder the Fantastic Voyage, upcoming spaceflight milestones, and much more.

    Watery Erigone and Rogue Stars in the Milky Way

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 45:18


    New observations of Erigone, the parent body of an asteroid family, indicate its rocks are juicy with water. That makes it both a potential resource for future missions but also shows that asteroids may have played a big role in delivering water to the early Earth. Watery Erigone: it rhymes! You'll have to listen for details. And students discovered three high-speed wayward stars in the Milky Way, relics from an ancient galactic collision. Join us for all this, space news, trivia, fake sponsors, and more.

    Dyson Spheres and a Molten Planet

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2024 42:39


    The Astroquarks delve into the possibility of giant alien constructs around stars, and the strange weather on a planet that is unreasonably close to its star. Join us for space news, trivia, and a fun exploration of odd topics in astronomy on Walkabout the Galaxy.

    The Low Down on Big G and the Young Moon of Dinkinesh

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2024 45:19


    NASA's Lucy mission discovered a surprising moon of the small asteroid Dinkinesh on its way to the orbit of Jupiter. New studies of that moon, a contact binary, suggest it may have a surprisingly young age. Meanwhile, cosmologists continue to wrestle with various seemingly contradictory measurements. One model suggests a modification to that old Physics 1 standby, the gravitational constant (or is it?) G. Join us for all the astronomical news near and far, including space news updates and trivia.

    Dark Matter Wins Again

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2024 45:48


    A clever test of dark matter and an alternative theory of gravity to explain the motions of stars around galaxies results in another check in the win column for dark matter. Simulations with the modified model of gravity failed to explain the motions in the inner regions of galaxies. Meanwhile the search for a hypothesized large object in the distant reaches of our solar system has so far come up empty suggesting that it may be larger and more distant than previously thought. Join us for all the intriguing and exciting space news in the universe!

    Surprises from Bennu and the Milky Way

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2024 41:16


    Analysis of the samples returned from the asteroid Bennu have revealed surprising assemblages of minerals that put new constraints on the origin of the solar system. And once Top Quark Jim Cooney stops giggling, he tells us about the discovery of an itsy-bitsy galaxy, if you can call it that, orbiting the Milky way. It has only dozens of stars, plus, probably some dark matter. Join us for these surprising discoveries, space news updates, variable star trivia, and a generally good time.

    The Dark Ages of the Universe

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2024 41:54


    We peer back in time both to the murky history of our own solar system and to the dark ages of the universe. The JWST has confirmed that dwarf galaxies were the first to illuminate the universe, putting an end to the dark ages that followed the cooling after the big bang. In our own corner of the universe, new research highlights how nearby stars can lead to dramatic changes in our planet's climate by affecting the Earth's orbit. Join us for all this, nerd news, space news, and eclipse trivia.

    A Nova Visible this Year?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2024 39:49


    One of only a handful of recurrent novas, white dwarf stars that undergo a periodic explosive brightening as they accrete material from a neighboring star, is showing signs that it may be ready to blow sometime in 2024! Visible in the northern hemisphere, T CrB may become visible to the naked eye for a few days this year, repeating a cycle that occurs roughly every 80 years. Closer to home, new analysis of structures and composition on Mars' Tharsis bulge reveal what may be a previously unknown and now-extinct volcano. Join us for explanations, space news, spaceflight trivia and more.

    Psyche Revisited and Two Giant Black Holes

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2024 44:35


    The presumed metallic asteroid Psyche gets a new look before the spacecraft of the same name gets there in 2029, and it reveals different spectral characteristics than were observed in previous studies. We discuss the mystery of metallic asteroids and what we might see at Psyche. Top quark educates us about the largest binary black hole system, with two supermassive black holes orbiting each other from an ancient galactic collision. Join us for all this, space news, and tiny rocket trivia.  

    The Tiniest Ocean World and the Brightest Quasar

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2024 45:36


    Saturn's so-called Death Star moon Mimas may harbor a global subsurface ocean based on analysis of Cassini data of the tiny moon's orbit and rotation. And in the distant universe, what was previously thought to be a run-of-the-mill star in our own galaxy turns out to be a quasar thousands of times brighter than our entire galaxy itself. Join us on our 350th episode for breakthroughs in astronomy near and far, space news, sci-fi trivia, and more.

    Space Oddities in the Solar System

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2024 41:09


    Water molecules have been observed on the surface of an asteroid for the first time, and new studies help explain some of the odd behavior of planetary ring systems, including why they even exist around small objects in the outer solar system. Join us for a clear and fun explanation, the latest from Mars, upcoming missions, space trivia and more.

    When Will We Walk on Mars?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2024 41:41


    In this special episode recorded live at MegaCon Orlando 2024, we are joined by NPR space reporter Brendan Byrne to take a close look at where we are in the mission to get people to the red planet. We take a look at the next steps in the Artemis program, and the history and future of robotic exploration of Mars. Find out when we will walk on Mars, where the best places to walk are, and we answer a listener question on the three body problem.

    Large Cosmological Structures and JWST Spies a Binary TNO

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2024 37:43


    There's another claim for a violation of the cosmological principle - that all parts of the universe are basically the same on large scales - but Top quark Jim Cooney explains all is not lost for the standard model of the universe, and more observations are needed. The JWST is providing amazing observations near and far, and has now separately measured the composition of two orbiting trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), confirming that they are made of the same stuff. We explain the implications of this together with the latest space news, a time loop stumper, and walkabout trivia.

    Trojan Mysteries and Titan Snowbergs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2024 49:07


    Strange disappearing islands in the hydrocarbon lakes of Saturn's giant moon Titan may be fluffy icebergs of hydrocarbon snow. If you're on Titan, definitely don't eat the snow, yellow or not. As the Lucy mission heads towards the Trojan asteroids, questions remain about how this strange population of objects formed. We catch up with all the space news, a time travel stumper, and lunar exploration trivia.

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