Podcasts about astronomers

A brilliant “new” star blazed into view more than a thousand years ago. It’s the brightest star ever recorded, and may be the brightest ever seen by human eyes. Supernova 1006 first appeared in late April of the year 1006. For a few weeks it shined many times brighter than Venus, which is the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon. It was bright enough to see during the day, and remained visible at night for more than two years. It was recorded by cultures around the world. At the time, nobody knew what the star actually was. Today, though, we know it was a supernova. It formed in a binary system. At least one of the two stars was a white dwarf – a stellar corpse. It might have pulled gas from a living companion star. Or perhaps the companion was another white dwarf, and the two stars rammed together. Either way, a white dwarf was pushed beyond its critical weight limit. That caused a runaway nuclear explosion that blasted the star to bits. Debris from the blast continues to race outward at millions of miles per hour. Astronomers watch this debris, mainly in radio waves and X-rays, to learn more about the star and its demise. Supernova 1006 was along the border between the constellations Lupus and Centaurus. The spot is low in the south-southwest at nightfall. But the residue of this brilliant outburst has faded away. Large telescopes reveal only a colorful ribbon at the edge of the expanding bubble. Script by Damond Benningfield

# James Webb Space Telescope Celebrates 3 Years with Stunning Cat's Paw Nebula Image | The Space Cowboy PodcastDiscover the breathtaking new imagery of the Cat's Paw Nebula released to celebrate the James Webb Space Telescope's third anniversary of scientific operations. In this fascinating episode, The Space Cowboy explores how Webb's near-infrared capabilities have revealed thousands of newborn stars within this cosmic star nursery located 4,000 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.Learn how these young stellar objects are actively shaping their environment through powerful winds and radiation, creating a delicate balance in the star formation process. Astronomers have identified over 700,000 stars in various stages of birth within this remarkable nebula, making it a prime example of a "mini-starburst" region.The episode also covers Webb's other groundbreaking discoveries, including unexpectedly large early galaxies that are challenging our understanding of cosmic evolution, potential signals from beyond the observable universe, and detailed studies of exoplanet atmospheres in the search for potentially habitable worlds.Join The Space Cowboy for this cosmic exploration as we celebrate three years of Webb's revolutionary observations that continue to transform our understanding of the universe. #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #Astronomy #CosmicDiscoveries #SpaceExploration #CatsPawNebulaSome great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.ai

Newly forming planetary systems are busy and messy. They contain disks of gas, ice, and dust that are broken into wide bands. The supply of dust is replenished by frequent collisions between “exocomets” – balls of ice and rock up to a few miles across. And the bands may be stirred by the back-and-forth shifting of newborn planets. There’s a similar band in our own solar system – the Kuiper Belt. It begins beyond the edge of Neptune, the outermost major planet, and extends billions of miles from the Sun. Because the solar system has been around for billions of years, the belt is quiet – there are few collisions and little stirring. Astronomers recently studied the bands in about 300 young star systems. They contain a lot of leftover debris from the birth of the planets. So collisions between larger bodies are much more frequent. The impacts blast out a lot of dust, feeding the bands. In many systems, there’s more than one band. Gaps between them might have been cleared out by orbiting planets. And the bands come in different sizes. Wider ones might have been “pumped up” as giant planets moved toward and away from the parent star. The gravity of those planets would have kicked many of the exocomets into different orbits, causing them to spread out. The study didn’t see any planets. But the configurations of the bands suggest the planets are there – taking shape in the busy space around young stars. Script by Damond Benningfield

Jackie Faherty, astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History, talks about the many meteor showers on view in the night sky this month, plus a return of 'Manhattanhenge.'=> EVENT: On Friday, July 11 at 7 pm, Jackie Faherty gives a lecture and 3D presentation about the science and history of the "Manhattanhenge" phenomenon in AMNH's LeFrak theater, followed by an outdoor viewing event with salsa music.  Tickets available here.

Julian LaNeve, CTO at Astronomer, discusses data pipelines, Apache Airflow, Astronomer's managed offering, and the benefits of data pipelines for both developers and operations.SHOW: 939SHOW TRANSCRIPT: The Cloudcast #939 TranscriptSHOW VIDEO: https://youtube.com/@TheCloudcastNET NEW TO CLOUD? CHECK OUT OUR OTHER PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS" SPONSORS:[VASION] Vasion Print eliminates the need for print servers by enabling secure, cloud-based printing from any device, anywhere. Get a custom demo to see the difference for yourself.[FCTR] Try FCTR.io (that's F-C-T-R dot io) free for 60 days. Modern security demands modern solutions. Check out Fctr's Tako AI, the first AI agent for Okta, on their websiteSHOW NOTES:Astonomer.io websiteApache AirflowTopic 1 - Welcome to the show, Julian. Give everyone a quick introduction.Topic 2 - Our topic today is Data Pipelines with Apache Airflow.  For those unfamiliar, provide an introduction to Apache Airflow and how Airflow manages data pipelines.Topic 3 - What are the advantages of Apache Airflow vs. others in the space? What are the downsides? How does Airflow fit in with other Apache projects?Topic 4 - I would imagine this is where Astronomer potentially comes into play. What makes Astonomer different from Airflow? What problems are you trying to solve for both developers and operations folks?Topic 5 - What does a typical implementation look like? What growing pains do developers typically face when they need to introduce pipelining tools and begin standardization? Is it a scale issue? A complexity of tools issue? Integrations with infrastructure?Topic 6 - One aspect I typically see with automation is security, especially at scale. What recommendations do you have for developers regarding security, particularly in the context of multi-tenancy, for data pipelines?Topic 7 - If anyone is interested, what's the best way to get started?FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netBluesky: @cloudcastpod.bsky.socialTwitter/X: @cloudcastpodInstagram: @cloudcastpodTikTok: @cloudcastpod

The Light Gate welcomes guest: Astronomer, Marc Dantonio Date: July 7, 2025. Time: 5-7pm pacific / 8-10pm eastern Episode: 115 Discussion: “Astronomy and the Universe: Reality and UFOs.” Tonight, The Light Gate welcomes leading astronomer, Marc Dantonio. Marc has a degree in Astronomy and is chief photo/video analyst for the largest aerial anomaly organization on Earth. He is the host of SkyTour Radio on KGRA radio and is the host and creator of SkyTour LiveStream with Marc Dantonio on YouTube where people can go to watch live as beautiful deep night sky objects materialize before their eyes in mere seconds, courtesy of very sensitive cameras and the SkyTour Observatory research telescopes. Marc is the CEO of FX Models, a model-making and visual/special effects company specializing in digital/physical models, and organic special effects in the film industry. He is the author of the book, “The Populated Universe: Life May Very Well Be the Rule and Not The Exception,” available on Amazon. LINKS Youtube: youtube.com/marcdantonio Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@STLS FXModels: https://fxmodels.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/fxmodels Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marc.dantonio.58 Website: https://www.skytourlive.com/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Populated-Universe-Life-Very-Exception/dp/1655075608/ctoc

Episode: 3318 Vera C. Rubin: The astronomer who brought dark matter to light.  Today, meet Vera Rubin.

Astronomer Howard Parkin explains what we might see in the July skies over the Island - and could space exploration really be grounded through cancelled projects and budget restraints?

Astronomers have discovered a third interstellar object. NASA missions are getting prepared to be shut down. The most massive white dwarf has been found. And in Space Bites Plus, a capsule containing human remains and cannabis seeds crashes into the ocean.

In this storytelling episode, I am taking you into the Neolithic world of the Orkney Islands.  Together we will explore sacred sites, sound chambers, and stone circles of a spiritual advanced civilisation that thrived there from 6000-2500 BC. The main character of my episode takes you along to: an initiation inside a dark resonance chamberthe teachings of the ancient mystery school Skara Braethe magic of the solstice at the Ring of Brodgar, the largest stone circle on Orkney. Recently I traveled to Orkney to study the neolithic sites. What I share comes from archeological evidence, historical research and what I perceived and read in the memory of the stones and land. With over 3000 sacred sites, Orkney holds one of the highest density of Neolithic monuments on Earth, only matched by Malta. These two ancient cultures were connected, both home to male and female druids who studied astronomy, geometry, sound healing and consciousness. They built temples and initiation chambers to align with the stars and to support Earth's energy grid. This episode brings you back to the past when science and honour for Mother Earth were one. LINKS Humanity the Reclamation - Course on humanities history Book a Soul Reading - discover your purpose, gifts and spiritual lineage Follow me on Instagram - videos on the ancient sites in OrkneySkara Brae Orkney - Video visit Solstice Visualisation to protect children at Ring of Brodgar Orkney - Join me #orkney #neolithic #history #travel #scotland 

Merkwaardige flitsen die de aarde bereiken na miljarden lichtjaren te hebben afgelegd zijn nog tot daaraan toe. Maar de flits van vandaag kwam wel van héél dichtbij...!Astronomers thought a mysterious radio burst came from deep space. It was actually a dead NASA satellite:https://www.space.com/astronomy/astronomers-thought-a-mysterious-radio-burst-came-from-deep-space-it-was-actually-a-dead-nasa-satelliteA nanosecond-duration radio pulse originating from the defunct Relay 2 satellite:https://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.11462The Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transient incoherent-sum survey:https://arxiv.org/pdf/2408.02083Relay program:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relay_programThe Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transients Survey (CRAFT):https://research.curtin.edu.au/cira/our-research/science/craft-survey/Space Track:https://www.space-track.org/Skyfield python module:https://rhodesmill.org/skyfield/De Zimmerman en Space podcast is gelicenseerd onder een Creative Commons CC0 1.0 licentie.http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0

Now amateur astronomers can join NASA in celebrating Hubble's thirty-five years of eyes on the universe by looking through their own telescopes.

Jacob and Drew Review another adaptation of Treasure Island, Disney's Treasure Planet! Plus the Batman The Animated Series "Birds of a Feather" and " What Is Reality?"    

In this episode of SpaceTime, we uncover significant advancements in our understanding of the universe and ongoing developments in space exploration.Astronomers Find the Universe's Missing MatterA groundbreaking study reveals that the universe's elusive normal matter is concealed within hot intergalactic gas filaments. This discovery, detailed in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, identifies a massive filament of gas, ten times the mass of the Milky Way, connecting four galaxy clusters. Utilizing the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton and JAXA's Suzaku X-ray space telescopes, researchers have successfully characterized this filament, providing crucial insights into the cosmic web's structure and supporting existing models of the universe.Concerns Grow Over Leaks Aboard the International Space StationFresh concerns regarding leaks aboard the International Space Station have led to delays in the SpaceX Axiom Spaceflight 4 mission. NASA is closely monitoring cabin pressure in the Russian segment of the station, where ongoing structural issues have been identified. Despite recent repairs, the situation remains a top safety priority as astronauts prepare for their upcoming mission.European Space Agency's Mars Rover ProgressThe European Space Agency's ExoMars rover, Rosalind Franklin, is back on track to land on Mars in 2028, seven years later than originally planned. This mission aims to search for signs of past life on the Red Planet and investigate its geochemical environment. With new funding and NASA's agreement to provide launch services, the Rosalind Franklin rover is undergoing final tests to ensure its success on the Martian surface.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesAstronomy and Astrophysicshttps://www.aanda.org/European Space Agencyhttps://www.esa.int/NASAhttps://www.nasa.gov/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-space-astronomy--2458531/support.00:00 This is Space Time Series 28, Episode 76 for broadcast on 25 June 202501:00 Astronomers find the universe's missing matter12:15 Concerns grow over leaks aboard the International Space Station22:30 European Space Agency's Mars rover progress30:00 Science report: New insights into conversion therapy and health impacts

 Perched high on a ridge in the South American Andes, a new observatory aims to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos and unravel some of the mysteries it holds. Featuring the world’s largest digital camera, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will spend the next 10 years continuously surveying and recording time-lapse movies of the stars, galaxies, asteroids and other objects moving across the southern hemisphere. The ultra-high-definition images will help create a kind of “Google Maps” of the night sky, according to Mario Jurić, a University of Washington astronomy professor and member of the observatory’s international science team.  Jurić and his team are creating an online database that amateur and professional astronomers can access to track changes across space and time and zoom into celestial objects of interest – including asteroids that may be on a collision course with Earth. Jurić joins us to share more about the observatory’s capabilities and the first set of images it will reveal on June 23.

The number of confirmed planets in other star systems has reached about 6,000. But few of those planets are likely homes for life. Most are too hot, too cold, too “gassy,” or they’re zapped by too much radiation by their star. A few planets are in the “well, maybe” category. They might be suitable for life, but the conditions aren’t perfect. An example is a planet in the star system 82 Eridani. The system is about 20 light-years from Earth, and its star is similar to the Sun. Astronomers have confirmed three planets in the system, with hints of more. Two of the planets are quite close to the star, so they’re too hot for life like that on Earth. But the third planet is more intriguing. It’s about six times the mass of Earth, so it could be dense and rocky. Its average distance from the star is about a third farther than Earth’s distance from the Sun. At that range, the planet spends most of its time in the star’s habitable zone – the region where conditions are most comfortable for life. But the planet’s orbit is so lopsided that the distance varies by more than a hundred million miles. So as the planet moves around 82 Eridani, surface temperatures range from hot enough to boil water to cold enough to freeze the entire surface. That makes it unlikely that anything lives on the planet. It is possible that life could exist below the surface – avoiding the extremes on this “yo-yoing” planet. Script by Damond Benningfield

Astronomers have discovered an object light-years away that's emitting timely pulses like nothing ever seen before. Plus, the next private space crew is grounded. How are they dealing with the delay?

Astronomers have been searching for planets around one of our closest neighbor stars for decades. And they’ve reported the discovery of several. But the reports have come to naught – until now. Earlier this year, a team confirmed the presence of four planets – all of them smaller than Earth. Barnard’s Star is six light-years away. Only the three stars of the Alpha Centauri system are closer. The star is much smaller and less massive than the Sun, and less than one percent as bright. In fact, it’s so faint that it wasn’t discovered until a little more than a century ago. Barnard’s Star is ancient – probably twice the age of the Sun or older. So if it has planets, there’s been plenty of time for life to take hold. That’s made finding planets a high priority. Last year, a team of astronomers confirmed one planet, and said there might be three more. All of those were confirmed in March. None of the planets is more than a third the mass of Earth. And they’re so close in that they orbit the star in a week or less. So even though Barnard’s Star is faint, the planets are all too hot to provide comfortable conditions for life. Barnard’s Star is in Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer. The constellation stretches across the east and southeast in early evening, and stands high in the south later on. But Barnard’s Star is too faint to see without a telescope. We’ll have more about exoplanets tomorrow. Script by Damond Benningfield

Welcome back to The 'X' Zone Radio Show, broadcasting from our studios in St. Catharines, Ontario, on the 'X' Zone Broadcast Network and our affiliated partners across North America and around the world. I'm your host, Rob McConnell. Joining me now for our second hour tonight is a man who has spent decades scanning the skies and listening to the stars for signs that we're not alone—Dr. Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the SETI Institute. Seth is not only a leading figure in the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence but also a prolific speaker, writer, and host of the long-running podcast Big Picture Science. With a background in radio astronomy, Seth has become one of the most recognizable and respected voices in the field of astrobiology. His mission? To find the evidence—hard data—that intelligent life exists beyond Earth. And tonight, we'll explore that quest with him in depth. Seth's official website is www.sethshostak.com, and tonight, he's here to discuss SETI, alien life, technology, and whether that signal from the stars might be closer than we think. Seth, welcome to The 'X' Zone!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-x-zone-radio-tv-show--1078348/support.

John A. Read is no stranger to reaching for the stars—both figuratively and literally. Fresh off earning his Master's in Space Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins (without an undergrad in engineering—yes, really), John joins Beth to explore his fascinating journey from finance to astrophysics, and from a $15 pharmacy telescope to founding Stargaze Nova Scotia, a public dark-sky observatory. Along the way, John shares how a spark of curiosity from a Chris Hadfield novel launched him into grad school, how he's helping democratize astronomy through smart telescopes and best-selling books, and why his family's space-inspired creative projects continue to inspire new generations of stargazers. Beth and John also explore the rapid evolution of space tech, investing in emerging space companies, and what celestial sights to look forward to this summer—including a can't-miss list of stellar showstoppers for both casual observers and seasoned skywatchers. About John A. Read: John is an award-winning astronomy author, YouTuber, and outreach educator whose books—including 50 Things to See with a Telescope—have helped thousands learn to stargaze. His company, Learn to Stargaze, creates accessible astronomy resources and experiences for all ages. John also leads Stargaze Nova Scotia and helps manage the historic Abbey Ridge Observatory, bringing the wonders of the cosmos to the public through tours, events, and online content. John's family is equally starry-eyed—his wife and daughter create space-themed art and poetry, including the first augmented-reality space poetry book inspired by a trip to orbit! Mentioned in this episode:

The Strawberry Moon's name doesn't come from it's color but from what time of year strawberries are at peak ripeness. Japan's Resilience spacecraft has slammed into the Moon. Astronomers have dicovered an object "unlike anything we've seen before". Axiom's Ax-4 has been delayed again. Axiom has partnered with NASA to study DNA of fruit flies. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/made-of-stars--4746260/support.

There was a lot of talk earlier this year about an asteroid with the highest odds of hitting Earth ever calculated. The chances of an impact by asteroid 2024 YR4 in December of 2032 peaked at about three percent. The asteroid is big enough to cause major damage if it hit. As astronomers tracked it a little longer, though, they realized that’s not going to happen – the asteroid will miss by at least 60,000 miles. Such close calls aren’t rare. Hundreds of asteroids pass within a few million miles of Earth every year. This weekend, in fact, asteroid 2014 LL26 will miss us by just two million miles. Its orbit overlaps Earth’s orbit, so it passes close fairly often. And it could hit our planet at some point in the future – though not anytime soon. Astronomers have discovered more than 27,000 potentially hazardous asteroids. And they discover more all the time. The one that caused the kerfuffle earlier this year, in fact, was just discovered in December. Several automated searches scan the sky every night. Those efforts yield thousands of asteroids every month. But it takes observations over a period of days or weeks to give us a good measurement of an asteroid’s orbit. Most of the new discoveries are in the asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. But some are close enough to keep an eye on – potential hazards to life on Earth. Script by Damond Benningfield

Darkness Radio presents Supernatural News/Parashare:  When a Ghost Murders  Edition w/ Mallie Fox ! This Week, Astronomers have discovered a new minor planet behind Pluto... and it ISN'T PLANET NINE!  A Man dies after claiming that a ghost tried to kill him!  A psychic's earthquake warnings trigger record travel cancellations in Japan! And, The site of an alleged alien base in Alaska has now become a UFO hotspot! See the picture of Bitsy, the six legged cat, here!  https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/387688/6-legged-cat-found-in-edmonton-canada-becomes-a-local-celebrity Check out all things Mallie here:  https://www.paranormalgirl.com/ Mallie has been spreading her wings and featured as a researcher and talking head on Strange Evidence on the Science Channel!  You can stream it on demand on Discovery + or on Max!  Get Max here:   https://bit.ly/469lcZH There are new and different (and really cool) items all the time in the Darkness Radio Online store at our website! . check out the Darkness Radio Store!   https://www.darknessradioshow.com/store/ Want to be an "Executive Producer" of Darkness Radio? email Tim@darknessradio.com for details!  #paranormal  #supernatural  #paranormalpodcasts  #darknessradio  #timdennis #malliefox #paranormalgirl #strangeevidence #supernaturalnews  #parashare  #ghosts  #spirits   #hauntings #hauntedhouses #haunteddolls #demons #supernaturalsex #deliverances #exorcisms #paranormalinvestigation #ghosthunters  #Psychics  #tarot  #ouija    #Aliens  #UFO #UAP #Extraterrestrials #alienhumanhybrid #alienabduction #alienimplant #Alienspaceships  #disclosure #shadowpeople #AATIP #DIA #Cryptids #Cryptozoology #bigfoot #sasquatch #yeti  #abominablesnowman #ogopogo #lochnessmonster #chupacabra #beastofbrayroad #mothman  #artificialintelligence #AI  #NASA  #CIA #FBI #conspiracytheory #neardeatheexperience 

The US has vetoed the UN Security Council's draft resolution calling for an "unconditional and permanent" ceasefire in Gaza. The meeting of ambassadors at the UN comes on the day the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross called the situation in Gaza "worse than hell on earth".President Trump says he's had another phone conversation with Russia's President Putin about the war in Ukraine. During the call Mr Trump said the Russian President told him that Moscow would retaliate after Ukraine attacked Russian war planes over the weekend.Also on the programme; Astronomers say they've discovered a big new planet, which is unusually orbiting around a very small star. The physicist who discovered the planet joins us.And the American novelist, Edmund White, famous for chronicling gay life in the US - has died at the age of 85. We hear from Damian Barr, Scottish Writer and broadcaster, who shares his memories of meeting White.(Photo: Smoke rises from Gaza after an explosion, as seen from Israel, 4 June, 2025. Reuters/Amir Cohen)

You can’t tell just by looking, but the universe undergoes constant change. Stars explode. Quasars flare up. Asteroids zip past Earth. And soon, astronomers will be able to generate super-high-definition movies of those changes almost every night of the year. That’s because a new telescope dedicated to “time-domain” astronomy is about ready to take its first looks at the heavens. The telescope is the centerpiece of the Vera Rubin Observatory. It’s named for an astronomer who provided strong evidence for the existence of dark matter. It’s atop an 8700-foot mountain in Chile. The telescope’s main mirror, which gathers and focuses starlight, is 8.4 meters across – almost 28 feet. It has a wide field of view, allowing it to photograph the entire southern sky every few nights. It’ll record its observations on the largest digital camera ever built – 3200 megapixels. Astronomers will use those observations to learn more about dark energy and dark matter, and to map the Milky Way Galaxy. And they’ll watch for things that change. They’ll discover asteroids and comets – both close to Earth and deep in the outer solar system. They’ll see novas, supernovas, and other brilliant flare-ups. And the observatory will send out immediate notices of each new outburst, allowing other astronomers to make detailed follow-up observations – learning much more about our constantly changing universe. Script by Damond Benningfield

Darkness Radio presents Supernatural News/Parashare:  When a Ghost Murders  Edition w/ Mallie Fox ! This Week, Astronomers have discovered a new minor planet behind Pluto... and it ISN'T PLANET NINE!  A Man dies after claiming that a ghost tried to kill him!  A psychic's earthquake warnings trigger record travel cancellations in Japan! And, The site of an alleged alien base in Alaska has now become a UFO hotspot! See the picture of Bitsy, the six legged cat, here!  https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/387688/6-legged-cat-found-in-edmonton-canada-becomes-a-local-celebrity Check out all things Mallie here:  https://www.paranormalgirl.com/ Mallie has been spreading her wings and featured as a researcher and talking head on Strange Evidence on the Science Channel!  You can stream it on demand on Discovery + or on Max!  Get Max here:   https://bit.ly/469lcZH There are new and different (and really cool) items all the time in the Darkness Radio Online store at our website! . check out the Darkness Radio Store!   https://www.darknessradioshow.com/store/ Want to be an "Executive Producer" of Darkness Radio? email Tim@darknessradio.com for details!  #paranormal  #supernatural  #paranormalpodcasts  #darknessradio  #timdennis #malliefox #paranormalgirl #strangeevidence #supernaturalnews  #parashare  #ghosts  #spirits   #hauntings #hauntedhouses #haunteddolls #demons #supernaturalsex #deliverances #exorcisms #paranormalinvestigation #ghosthunters  #Psychics  #tarot  #ouija    #Aliens  #UFO #UAP #Extraterrestrials #alienhumanhybrid #alienabduction #alienimplant #Alienspaceships  #disclosure #shadowpeople #AATIP #DIA #Cryptids #Cryptozoology #bigfoot #sasquatch #yeti  #abominablesnowman #ogopogo #lochnessmonster #chupacabra #beastofbrayroad #mothman  #artificialintelligence #AI  #NASA  #CIA #FBI #conspiracytheory #neardeatheexperience 

6/4/25: DA David Sullivan: ICE arrests here & Deerfield Academy's sex abuse victims. Serious Play Director Sheryl Stoodley, John Feffer (ISP) & actor David Keohane: “Lungs.” Brian Adams w/ Smith Coll astronomer Kimberly Ward-Duong: life on other planets. Documentary filmmakers Larry Hott & Lous Alvarez: "American Tongues" & politics.

From September 20, 2023. Hosted by Tony Darnell. Episode 39. In recent years, scientists have made great strides in the search for extraterrestrial life. They have discovered thousands of exoplanets. And some of them are located in the habitable zone of their star, which means that liquid water could exist on their surface and is essential for life as we know it.   The search for life however, is a little more involved than finding planets, measuring their location and distance around the star and figuring out their location within a habitable zone.  Astronomers need more information to learn if life may be there.   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

In this episode, the (domestic) American sector of Astro[sound]bites covers the recent proposed budget cuts to NASA, the largest in NASA's entire history. We cover the downsides that these cuts would have for science and the economy, and what you can do to speak out.   How to reach out: Find your representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative   AAS Letter Writing Guidelines for Astronomers:  https://aas.org/advocacy/get-involved/action-alerts/action-alert-2025-support-science   Planetary Society Letter Writing Guidelines for the General Public https://www.planetary.org/advocacy-action-center#/53   Astrobite with Guidelines for Letter Writing https://astrobites.org/2025/04/15/help_nasa/   Sources:  The Budget Request (NASA Stuff begins on page 39 of the pdf) https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Fiscal-Year-2026-Discretionary-Budget-Request.pdf   Original ArsTechnica Report: https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/04/trump-white-house-budget-proposal-eviscerates-science-funding-at-nasa/   NASA's economic output: https://www.nasa.gov/fy-2023-economic-impact-report/#:~:text=NASA%20Boosts%20the%20U.S.%20Economy,D.C.%2C%20in%20fiscal%20year%202023.   NASA's economic output reaches all 50 states: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-economic-benefit-reaches-all-50-states/   NASA's research on climate change https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/   NASA's research on asteroid defense https://science.nasa.gov/planetary-defense/   NASA Education and Outreach https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/space/education-outreach/   Cuts disproportionately affect marginalized groups: https://www.fastcompany.com/91328007/trumps-federal-layoffs-are-disproportionately-impacting-women-and-people-of-color  

Thanks to our sponsor, Venice.AI. Get 20% off a pro plan using our link: venice.ai/coolstuff and code coolstuff. Experimental painkiller could outsmart opioids -- without the high The first US solar storm emergency drill did not go well | Popular Science Our Planet Is Woefully Unprepared For A Bad Solar Storm, Says Report By NASA And NOAA | IFLScience Mysteriously Perfect Sphere Spotted in Space by Astronomers : ScienceAlert Astronomers Discover Sphere Teleios: A Perfect Sphere Found In Deep Space | The Lifesciences Magazine Contact the Show: coolstuffcommute@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Host: Christine) In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, siblings William and Caroline Herschel dedicated their lives to studying the stars. Among their accomplishments were discovering a planet (William) and comets (Caroline), causing them to leave their marks on the field of astronomy forever. This episode of Footnoting History explores their fascinating lives from their surprisingly musical beginnings to their astronomical achievements. ​ For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

The “halo” that surrounds the Milky Way Galaxy is dark but heavy. It’s much more massive than the galaxy’s bright disk, but we don’t see much there. So the halo must be filled with dark matter. It produces no detectable energy, but it reveals its presence through its gravitational pull on the matter we can see. The leading idea says dark matter consists of some type of exotic particle. But efforts to find such particles have come up empty. Astronomers have also looked to see if the dark matter might consist of MACHOs – massive compact halo objects. The list of candidates includes faint stars, dead stars, black holes, free-floating planets, and brown dwarfs. Such objects are extremely faint. But they can sometimes brighten – not directly, but by magnifying the light of stars behind them. The technique is known as gravitational lensing. When one massive body passes in front of another, it causes the background object to get much brighter. The flare-up can last from hours to months. How long it lasts, and how much the background star brightens, reveals details about the lensing object. And that reveals the type of object. Searches for gravitational lenses have found many planets, faint stars, and even the first “rogue” black hole – one that couldn’t be seen any other way. But there just aren’t enough MACHOs to account for more than a small fraction of the dark matter – leaving us in the dark about its nature. Script by Damond Benningfield

Sponsor Details:Incogni...if you don't like sharing your details with all and sundry online, then you need Incogni. To get our SpaceTime listener deal, visit www.incogni.com/stuartgary or use the coupon code STUARTGARY at checkout.Insta360 - the leaders in 360 degree video shooting. Check out their gear and get your SpaceTime free offer with purchase by visiting www.store.insta360.com and use the coupon code SpaceTime at checkout.This episode of SpaceTime explores remarkable discoveries and urgent cosmic events that are reshaping our understanding of the universe.New Giant Galaxies DiscoveredAstronomers unveil the discovery of 15 new giant radio galaxies, each spanning over 3 million light years and hosting supermassive black holes. Utilizing the advanced capabilities of the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASCAP), researchers reveal the unique characteristics of these galaxies, including their powerful jets and lobes traveling at superluminal speeds. We delve into the implications of these findings for our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution.Changes on TitanNext, we discuss the intriguing changes occurring on Saturn's moon Titan, which is experiencing rapid orbital changes on geological timescales. Scientists explore the factors influencing Titan's tidal dissipation rate and what it reveals about the moon's internal structure and history. This study provides insights into the dynamic processes at play in our solar system's moons.Failed Soviet Spacecraft ReturnsWe also cover the dramatic re-entry of the Kosmos 482, a failed Soviet spacecraft that spent 53 years in orbit before crashing back to Earth. Launched in 1972 on a mission to Venus, the spacecraft's uncontrolled descent raises concerns about space debris and its potential impact on Earth.AI and Humanity's FutureFinally, we tackle the controversial topic of artificial intelligence and its potential risks to humanity. With AI evolving at an unprecedented pace, we examine the findings of a new study that assesses the likelihood of AI leading to human extinction. As science fiction warns of a future dominated by AI, we explore the reality of these threats and what they mean for our future.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesScience Advanceshttps://www.science.org/journal/sciadvJournal of the American Medical Associationhttps://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-space-astronomy--2458531/support.00:00 This is space time series 28, episode 57 for broadcast on 12 May 202500:54 Astronomers have discovered 15 giant radio galaxies each hosting a supermassive black hole09:35 You're still learning about these galaxies11:57 Now you, uh, mentioned starburst galaxies earlier. What are we seeing in elliptical galaxies when this happens15:04 Foreign astronomers have discovered that the orbit of the moon Titan is changing quickly18:49 A failed Soviet era spacecraft has crashed back to Earth21:24 New study claims there's still little chance of artificial intelligence actually exterminating humanity25:39 Using cannabis during pregnancy may increase risk of several adverse birth outcomes, study finds

The NASA Kepler Spacecraft has discovered more than 2,000 planets which have been confirmed to be orbiting distant stars. It performs this remarkable feat by imaging more than 145,000 stars simultaneously to observe and measure the tiny dips in light which occur as a planet passes in front of its star. Astronomers have long known that many of the solar systems in the Milky Way have more than one star. To investigate the possibilities for life in a double star system, Dr Max Popp a scholar at Princeton University and Dr. Siegfried Eggl of Germany's Max Plank Institute substituted the real giant planet orbiting the stellar pair Kepler 35A and B with an Earth sized one orbiting the Kepler AB pair with periods between 341 and 380 days. Their detailed analysis is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Astronomers recently detected a signature of life on a distant planet. This does not mean that we have discovered aliens, but it's reasonable to wonder what is giving off this signal. We discuss the mission to find planets that are brimming with life — or are at least habitable. We also talk about why the search for life remains so intriguing to so many scientists. Our guest:Adam Frank, Ph.D., author and Helen F. and Fred H. Gowen Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester

The beginnings of our end — where the anus came from Our distant evolutionary ancestors had no anuses. Their waste was excreted from the same orifice they used to ingest food, much like jellyfish do today. Now a new study on bioRxiv that has yet to be peer-reviewed, scientists think they've found the evolutionary link in a worm with only a single digestive hole. Andreas Hejnol, from Friedrich Schiller University Jena, said he found genes we now associate with the anus being expressed in the worms in the opening where its sperm comes out, suggesting that in our evolutionary history a similar orifice was co-opted as a butt hole. Deepfake videos are becoming so real, spotting them is becoming increasingly diceyDetecting deepfake videos generated by artificial intelligence is a problem that's getting progressively worse as the technology continues to improve. One way we used to be able to tell the difference between a fake and real video is that subtle signals revealing a person's heart rate don't exist in artificially generated videos. But that is no longer the case, according to a new study in the journal Frontiers in Imaging. Peter Eisert, from Humboldt University and the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institute HHI in Germany, said detecting manipulated content visually is only going to become a lot more difficult going forward. Crows can use tools, do math — and now apparently understand geometryCrows are known to be among the most intelligent of animals, and a new study has explored their geometrical sophistication. Researchers including Andreas Nieder from the University of Tübingen found that crows can recognize and distinguish different kinds of quadrilateral shapes, an ability we had thought was unique to humans. The research was published in the journal Science Advances.There's gold in them thar magnetically charged neutron stars!Astronomers have discovered a new source of the universe's heavy elements — things like gold, platinum and uranium. A study led by astrophysicist Anirudh Patel found that magnetars — exotic neutron stars with ultra-powerful magnetic fields — may produce these elements in a process analogous to the way solar flares are produced by our Sun. The research, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, found that a single flare from a magnetar could produce the mass equivalent of 27 moons' worth of these heavy elements in one burst.It may not be big, but it's small — and stroppyYou might not expect an insect so tiny you need a magnifying glass to see it properly to be an aggressive defender of its territory, but that's because you haven't met the warty birch caterpillar. Its territory is just the tip of a birch leaf, but it defends it by threatening intruders with vigorous, if not precisely powerful, vibrations. Jayne Yack at Carleton University has been studying this caterpillar since 2008. This research was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.Criminals beware — the microbiome leaves fingerprintsScientists have developed a new tool that can track location based on traces of the bacteria characteristic to different places. Eran Elhaik, from Lund University in Sweden, trained the AI tool using nearly 4,500 microbiome samples collected around the world from subway systems, soil and the oceans. He said they could identify the city source in 92 per cent of their urban samples, and in Hong Kong, where a lot of their data came from, they could identify the specific subway station samples were taken from with 82 per cent accuracy. The study was published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution.

From October 29, 2021. (Halloween) Astronomers researching the G237 protocluster find 63 galaxies within, all producing stars and more galaxies at a high rate, acting as a “shipyard” for their region of the cosmos. Plus, Juno looks inside Jupiter's cloud bands and a review of “Invasion” on AppleTV+   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

The star Spica, which is quite close to the Moon tonight, is quite different from the Sun. It consists of two stars, not one. Both stars are many times bigger and heavier than the Sun. And their surfaces are tens of thousands of degrees hotter, so the stars shine blue-white. On the other hand, the Sun and Spica are made of almost exactly the same ingredients: mainly hydrogen and helium, with only a smattering of heavier elements. That composition was figured out by an astronomer who was born 125 years ago tomorrow, in England. Cecilia Payne caught the astronomy bug when she saw a lecture by Arthur Eddington, one of the world’s leading astronomers. She started her education in England, then finished in the United States. She earned a Ph.D. in 1925. And her doctoral thesis shook up the field. Decades later, in fact, Otto Struve, the first director of McDonald Observatory, called it the most brilliant thesis ever written in the field. Astronomers already had the techniques for measuring what stars are made of. Their work led them to believe that stars contain the same mixture of elements as Earth. But Payne used a new way to analyze the readings, taking into account the charge of atoms. She concluded that stars were made mainly of hydrogen and helium – elements formed in the Big Bang. By a few years later, just about everyone accepted her analysis – completely changing our concept of the stars. Script by Damond Benningfield

The surface of the Sun is like a pot of boiling water. Millions of bubbles of hot gas churn across it, constantly rising and falling. But the bubbles are a little bigger than those on your stovetop. The bubbles are known as granules. They form as energy from deep inside the Sun works its way to the surface. That heats the gas in the Sun’s top layer, forming bubbles. As they reach the surface, their gas cools and drops back into the Sun. This non-stop activity creates an easy-to-see pattern of bright blobs – the hot gas – with dark lanes between them – the cooler gas. The size of the granules varies from about a hundred miles to more than a thousand – big enough to swallow Texas. And each granule lasts for no more than about 20 minutes. A recent study said the granulation changes a bit during the Sun’s 11-year cycle of magnetic activity. Just after the peak of the cycle, there are slightly more granules than average, but they’re a little smaller than average. Other stars are so far away that we can’t see the granulation on most of them. But several types of observations confirm that they, too, are boiling away. Astronomers have seen granulation on a few stars. The stars are much bigger than the Sun. And they’re late in life, so they’re undergoing big changes. The granules on those stars are tens of millions of miles across – dozens of times the diameter of the Sun – giant bubbles of hot gas on giant stars. Script by Damond Benningfield

In 1816, 18-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (later Shelley) birthed science fiction during a rainy vacation on Lake Geneva. Inspired by a vision of a man crouched beside the corpse he reanimated, Frankenstein warned of what happens when man tries to play God. Two centuries later, the monsters are real, and they're called Musk, Altman, and Zuckerberg. Today's tech titans, like Frankenstein's Victor, race to build superintelligent machines in their image: soulless wannabe-gods with devastating reach. Gil Duran, of the Nerd Reich newsletter, connects this to A.I. worship, quoting a billionaire obsessed with “creating God” through algorithms. M.I.T.'s annotated Frankenstein likens Victor's horror to Oppenheimer's nuclear regret. We've entered a new atomic age, but instead of bombs, it's information weapons and hacked minds. As Pulitzer-nominated journalist Carole Cadwalladr warns, this is what a digital coup looks like. A.I. is trained to replace journalists, strip away privacy, and deepen inequality, just as Gaslit Nation has warned since 2018. What's the answer? Community. Skill-sharing. Nature. The real world. Jack Welch, once worshipped like Musk is today, gutted G.E. with fear-based leadership. Now he's a cautionary tale. So will today's tech gods be. Mary Shelley saw it coming. “Frightful must it be,” she wrote. We agree. But there's power in human connection, in rejecting the machine's illusions. Frankenstein's monster was abandoned. Let's not abandon each other. Join our resilience salons. Find your people. Build the future together. Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit! Show Notes   The song you heard in this week's episode is “Unspoken Word” by Evrette Allen: https://soundcloud.com/user-726164627/unspoken-word-mix-13/s-GEvlnfQnmh4?si=954f31de09d644948d51a225224bd7ba&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing   Nerd Reich: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/12/the-strange-and-twisted-life-of-frankenstein   After two hundred years, are we ready for the truth about Mary Shelley's novel? https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/12/the-strange-and-twisted-life-of-frankenstein   Astronomers have determined the exact hour that Mary Shelley thought of Frankenstein. https://lithub.com/astronomers-have-determined-the-exact-hour-that-mary-shelley-thought-of-frankenstein/   AI's Energy Demands Are Out of Control. Welcome to the Internet's Hyper-Consumption Era Generative artificial intelligence tools, now part of the everyday user experience online, are causing stress on local power grids and mass water evaporation. https://www.wired.com/story/ai-energy-demands-water-impact-internet-hyper-consumption-era/   Short-term profits and long-term consequences — did Jack Welch break capitalism? https://www.npr.org/2022/06/01/1101505691/short-term-profits-and-long-term-consequences-did-jack-welch-break-capitalism   Carole Cadwalladr TED Talk: This Is What a Digital Coup Looks Like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZOoT8AbkNE   Self-styled prophets are claiming they have "awakened" chatbots and accessed the secrets of the universe through ChatGPT https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ai-spiritual-delusions-destroying-human-relationships-1235330175/

The gusty winds of spring make it a good season for flying a kite. But you might not want to try it on the planet Wasp-127 b – it would be hard to hang on. Winds high above the surface blow at an astounding 20,000 miles per hour – a hundred times faster than winds in the strongest category five hurricanes on Earth. The star – Wasp-127 – is a lot like the Sun. But the planet isn’t much like any planet in the solar system. It’s much wider than Jupiter, the largest planet. But it’s only one-sixth of Jupiter’s mass. That makes it one of the “puffiest” planets yet seen. Wasp-127 b was discovered because it passes in front of its parent star every four days. As it does so, starlight filters through the atmosphere. Astronomers use that effect to learn something about the atmosphere. Recent observations revealed that material in the upper atmosphere is moving extremely fast – blown by the fastest winds yet seen on any planet. The observations also suggested that there’s a big temperature difference between the dawn and evening skies – more than 300 degrees Fahrenheit – one more reason the planet isn’t a good place to fly a kite. The Wasp-127 system is in the constellation Sextans, the sextant. This evening, it’s well to the lower right of the Moon. But the system is more than 500 light-years away, so the star is too faint to see without a telescope. Script by Damond Benningfield

Sponsor Details:Insta360 X5 Camera. To bag a free invisible selfie stick worth US$24.99 with your purchase, head to store.insta360.com and use the promo code "spacetime", available for the first 30 standard package purchases only.This episode of SpaceTime explores fascinating new discoveries and urgent updates from the cosmos.First, astronomers have identified a vast molecular gas and dust cloud named Eos, located just 300 light years away from Earth. This remarkable finding, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, marks the first detection of a molecular cloud using far ultraviolet emissions of molecular hydrogen. Eos, which is composed primarily of hydrogen, presents unique opportunities for studying the interstellar medium and the processes of star formation. We discuss the implications of this discovery and how it could reshape our understanding of molecular clouds across the galaxy.Jupiter's Polar Cyclones Under the MicroscopeNext, we delve into the latest revelations from NASA's Juno mission, which is providing new insights into Jupiter's ferocious polar cyclones and the volcanic activity on its moon Io. With fresh observations, scientists are uncovering the dynamics of Jupiter's atmosphere and the subsurface temperature profile of Io, shedding light on the gas giant's extreme weather patterns and the moon's geological activity.Out of Control Russian SpacecraftFinally, we discuss the impending re-entry of the Venera 8 spacecraft, a remnant of the Soviet era, which is expected to crash back to Earth on May 10. Launched in 1972, this spacecraft has been tumbling in low Earth orbit for over five decades. We examine the risks associated with its uncontrolled descent and the potential impact it may have upon re-entry.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesNature Astronomyhttps://www.nature.com/natureastronomy/NASA Juno Missionhttps://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/main/index.htmlBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-space-astronomy--2458531/support.00:00 This is space Time Series 28, episode 54 for broadcast on the 5th May, 202500:48 Astronomers have discovered a vast invisible molecular, gas and dust cloud near Earth12:40 Two key experiments are needed to help us understand the origin of Jupiter15:42 A failed Soviet spacecraft designed to land on Venus is about to crash on Earth19:00 New study claims people who use cannabis have higher risk of heart attack21:12 New study claims ghost lanterns in South Carolina may be caused by earthquakes

Astronomy Cast Ep. 754: K2-18b By Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Apr 28, 2025. You've heard the news! Astronomers are reporting the discovery of biosignatures at K2-18b. Is this proof of life or should we all be more skeptical? It's in the news and people are claiming aliens... but is it aliens? Let's see what the data actually says.    SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons on Patreon. Join at the Galaxy Group level or higher to be listed in our YouTube videos. Thanks to: BogieNet, Stephen Vei, Jeanette Wink, Siggi Kemmler, Andrew Poelstra, Brian Cagle, David Truog, Ed, David, Gerhard Schwarzer, Sergio Sancevero, Sergey Manouilov, Burry Gowen, David Rossetter, Michael Purcell, Jason Kwong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z34YkwKA6N0 Streamed live on Apr 28, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay You've heard the news! Astronomers are reporting the discovery of biosignatures at K2-18b. Is this proof of life or should we all be more skeptical? It's in the news and people are claiming aliens... but is it aliens? Let's see what the data actually says.    SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons on Patreon. Join at the Galaxy Group level or higher to be listed in our YouTube videos.   Thanks to: BogieNet, Stephen Vei, Jeanette Wink, Siggi Kemmler, Andrew Poelstra, Brian Cagle, David Truog, Ed, David, Gerhard Schwarzer, Sergio Sancevero, Sergey Manouilov, Burry Gowen, David Rossetter, Michael Purcell, Jason Kwong   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

I'm Rob, your Last Minute Astronomer, bringing astronomy to normies and nerds, with little time to spare. We'll start by talking about this month's big events, then highlight the naked eye planets, and finish up with the lunar phases, so you can plan ahead better than me.    5th – ETA AQUARID METEOR SHOWER – Around 10-20 meteors per hour if we're lucky, the Eta Aquarids are a minor shower that favors those in the southern hemisphere.  The best time this year is after midnight (when the Moon sets) and before dawn. Just remember each meteor is a piece of debris left over from Halley's comet, and we're crashing into it at over 100,000 miles per hour, which crushes the atmosphere it hits, heating it up and causing the bright flash. You never know when you'll see something awesome! Some advice for watching:  Find a dark location and lie down in a reclining chair or something that insulates you from the ground. Check the weather to see if the skies will be clear  Adapt your eyes to the dark by staying away from light sources or using a red light if you need to look at a star chart or not trip over something.     Naked-eye PLANETS Sunset: Jupiter - About 30˚ up the sky in the W after sunset, above Taurus' head, in between its horns, setting around 11pm.  Later in the month, Jupiter is lower in the sky and sets around sunset.   Mars - Almost straight above us after sunset, but toward the SW, between Gemini and Leo (in Cancer), setting by 2am. Throughout the month, Mars will move away from Cancer and toward Leo, a little lower in the sky, setting around 1am.   Music was produced by Deep Sky Dude and used with permission.    We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.

The universe can be frustrating. Roughly two-thirds of everything in the universe appears to consist of dark energy. Despite decades of study, though, scientists haven’t been able to explain what dark energy is. Astronomers discovered dark energy by studying a type of supernova – exploding stars. The supernovas brighten and fade in a predictable way. That allows astronomers to measure their distance and their motion away from us. Stars that are farther were moving away faster than expected. That suggested that something was causing the universe to expand faster over time: dark energy. But a recent study said that dark energy might not exist. Instead, the researchers proposed a new model to explain what we see, called timescape. The model notes that matter clumps together in clusters of galaxies, with huge “voids” between them. Time passes more slowly in the presence of stronger gravity – like that exerted in the denser regions. So the voids, with less gravity, could be billions of years older than the clusters – creating “bubbles” of spacetime. If that’s correct, then it would be tough to know just when the supernovas in different parts of the universe exploded. And that makes it tough to know how fast they’re moving away from us. So the study says we don’t need dark energy to explain what we see in the universe. But there’s still a lot of work to be done to understand dark energy – including whether it even exists. Script by Damond Benningfield

Preview: Astronomer Marc Hon recalls the moment he recognized there was something new in a signal of data from a system 140 light years distant. More later. 1995 Exoplanets

Preview: Colleague Dr. Ken Croswell, astronomer, explains a fresh discovery of a solitary black hole in the constellation Sagittarius. More later. 2007 HST

Dune. Star Wars. Alien. Science fiction movies love alien worlds, and so do we. But how do scientists find planets outside our solar system in real life? One way is by looking for the stars that wiggle. Historically, astronomers have measured those wiggles via the Doppler method, carefully analyzing how the star's light shifts. Thanks to new data from the GAIA telescope, scientists have a much better picture of distant stars' wiggles — and the exoplanets that cause them.Want to hear more about exoplanet discoveries? Send us an email at shortwave@npr.org. Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Are UAPs real? Is an extraterrestrial sighting even possible on Earth? What are the scientific explanations for alien sightings? Is a human-like civilization possible on another planet? Astronomer and astrophysicist Adam Frank (author of Little Book of Aliens) joins Mayim and Jonathan for an MBB Explores to discuss the scientific possibilities of aliens, UFOs, and why we all need to be more excited about what recent technological advances are enabling us to discover in space. Adam Frank discusses his feelings on the government reports on Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (UAPs), his and fellow scientists' analysis of UFO videos, and why SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) took so long to be funded and taken seriously. Find out the staggering percentage of planets that likely hold potential for intelligent life and why we all feel such wonder looking at the stars. Plus, Adam Frank discusses his time consulting on Marvel's “Dr. Strange” and his feelings on the possibility of a metaverse in real life. You don't want to miss this mind-blowing exploration of what space has to offer! Check out Adam Frank's website to learn more about his books & research: https://www.adamfrankscience.com/ BialikBreakdown.comYouTube.com/mayimbialik