Podcasts about Hubble Space Telescope

Kelli Fitzpatrick is a science fiction writer, gamewriter, and teacher. She is the author of Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers Declassified (from BenBella Books, 2025) and is a contributing writer for the Star Trek Adventures role-playing game from Modiphius. Her Star Trek story “The Sunwalkers” won the 2016 Strange New Worlds contest from Simon and Schuster. Her short fiction has been published by Baen Books, Crazy 8 Press, Flash Fiction Online, and others, and her essays on sci-fi pop culture appear at StarTrek.com, Women at Warp, and in anthologies from Sequart and ATB Publishing. She has written for NASA's Hubble Space Telescope outreach team and Arizona State University's Interplanetary Initiative. She has over a decade of experience teaching high school and college courses. Find her at KelliFitzpatrick.com and on Bluesky @KelliFitzWrites. Derek Tyler Attico is a speculative fiction author, essayist, and award-winning photographer. In fiction, Derek has won the Excellence in Playwriting Award from the Dramatist Guild of America, and he is a two-time winner of the Star Trek Strange New Worlds short story contest (“Alpha & Omega,” “The Dreamer and the Dream”) published by Simon and Schuster. Derek is also the author of the bestselling, critically acclaimed “Star Trek novel The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko” by Titan Publishing. Jim Johnson was born about the same time Apollo XII landed on the moon (and has always been kinda spacey) and shares a birthday with the Kindle. He is the author of the Pistols and Pyramids weird western series and the Potomac Shadows urban fantasy series. He's also written a bunch of other stuff in and around the SFF genres and pen and paper RPGs. He's currently the project manager and line editor for Modiphius's Star Trek Adventures RPG. Michael Dismuke is a Certified Professional in Talent Development and Certified Leadership Development and Succession Strategist. He is a national speaker/trainer and consultant, a freelance writer for the Star Trek Adventures RPG, and a published comic creator. Please check out this relevant link: Star Trek: Timelines Welcome to Dice in Mind, a podcast hosted by Bradley Browne and Jason Kaufman to explore the intersection of life, games, science, music, philosophy, and creativity through interviews with leading creatives. All are welcome in this space. Royalty-free music "Night Jazz Beats" courtesy of flybirdaudio.

The star Vega is a bit of a puzzler. Over the years, astronomers reported evidence of several planets orbiting the bright star. But none of the planets has been confirmed. And observations by two space telescopes revealed nothing. But they left open the possibility of planets. Vega is low in the east-northeast at nightfall, and soars high overhead later on. It’s about 25 light-years away. It’s a bit bigger, brighter, and heavier than the Sun. And it’s younger – just 10 percent the Sun’s age. A disk of dust encircles Vega. It’s tens of billions of miles wide. Hubble Space Telescope recently found a “halo” of tiny dust grains that extends tens of billions of miles beyond the disk. Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope took a good look at the system. They showed that the disk is quite smooth. It’s probably renewed by comets and asteroids. They shed material as they orbit the star, and even more when they slam together. The smoothness of the disk means there are no giant planets orbiting within it. If there were, they would clear out wide gaps. There is one gap. But it’s not completely open. So a planet several times the mass of Earth could orbit in that zone, partially clearing it out. And there could be smaller planets elsewhere in the system – especially close to Vega. But so far, there are no confirmed planets – leaving Vega to travel through space alone. Script by Damond Benningfield

Are there really exoplanets with where it rains ruby and emerald raindrops? How do we measure the atmospheres of exoplanets light years away? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Munazza Alam of the Space Telescope Science Institute. The STScI performs science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope when it launches in 2026. As always, though, we start off with the day's joyfully cool cosmic thing. On Feb 24, 2026, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory activated the alert system it will use to notify astronomers of noteworthy events and sent out 800,000 alerts on that single day! Munazza tells us about how she studies the atmospheres of exoplanets like Wasp 121-b, a gas giant thought to have ruby and sapphire rain. Dr. Alam describes exoplanets with surface oceans made of magma, and she and Chuck talk about the importance of plate tectonics. You'll hear about Hot Jupiters, Super-Earths, and Sub-Neptunes – and the theories about why we don't have any of them in our solar system despite the fact that they're incredibly common in the Milky Way galaxy. Then it's time for audience questions, which for this episode come from students at Notre Dame Academy on Staten Island, where Munazza is an alum. Not only does past guest Dr. Betty Jensen teach there, as well, but she was a critical influence on Munazza's career path. (You can listen to our episode with Dr. Jensen here.) The first question is from Charlotte, who asks, “How far have we gone in space?” Munazza, Allen, and Chuck discuss Voyager 1, which at a current distance of nearly 16 billion miles is the man-made object that has gone furthest from Earth. Next up, Gabby asks, “What was the best advice you were given when you were preparing for college?” Dr. Alam's answer: Pick something you enjoy and are good at - in spite of any pressure you might get from friends, family, and others. A second piece of advice Munazza got was to maintain your breadth, i.e., developing other interests besides your primary focus. For Munazza, that was art and writing, and she shares some of her art later in the show. Finally, Gisella asks if it was hard picking a college. Dr. Alam shares her process, with the caveat that it might not be good advice for everyone. Charles and Munazza reflect on the tradition of scientific exploration, observation, discovery and analysis of which she's part. Munazza recounts the excitement when JWST observations of transmission spectra of the exoplanet Wasp 39b confirmed their predictions – and also detected something unexpected: sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of the planet which is a by-product of photochemistry between light from its star and water molecules in the atmosphere of the planet. Finally, Chuck asks Munazza to share some of her art. She shows us one of the first paintings she ever did, a peacock, and tells us a little about it and a portrait she has displayed at the Lowell Observatory. If you'd like to know more about what Dr. Alam is up to, you can follower her on LinkedIn or visit her website . We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.   Credits for Images Used in this Episode: Artist impression of Wasp 121-b, an exoplanet thought to have ruby and sapphire rain. – Credit: NASA, ESA, Q. Changeat et al., M. Zamani (ESA/Hubble) Quake epicenters Digital Tectonic Activity Map of the Earth (DTAM). – Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Illustration comparing the sizes of sub-Neptune exoplanets TOI-421 b and GJ 1214 b to Earth and Neptune. – Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Dani Player (STScI) Illustration of the inferred size of the super-Earth CoRoT-7b (center) in comparison with Earth and Neptune. – Credit: Creative Commons / Aldaron Location of the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft. – Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech JWST transmission spectra of the exoplanet Wasp 39b. – Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI) Radial velocity method to detect exoplanets. – Credit::ESA Transit method for discovering exoplanets (animation). – Credit: NASA PlanetQuest Artist's concept of WASP-107b, a gas giant, orbiting a highly active K-type star about 200 light-years from Earth. – Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA, M. Kornmesser   CHAPTERS 00:00 - We welcome Dr. Munazza Alam of the Space Telescope Science Institute 02:50 - Joyfully cool cosmic thing: Vera C. Rubin Observatory Alert System 07:00 - How Do We Know What Exoplanets Are Like? 10:37 - The Importance of Plate Tectonics 11:45 - Hot Jupiters, Super Earths, and Sub-Neptunes 19:56 - How Far Have We Gone In Space, i.e., Where is Voyager now? 22:44 - Best advice when preparing for college? 25:32 - Was it hard picking a college? 31:00 - Confirming Theories and Discovering the Unexpected 36:33 - Munazza Alam Shares Her Painting of a Peacock 38:49 - What data and measurements are used to study exoplanets?

The Lazuli Space Telescope is slated to be the first of its kind to be completely funded by private dollars. University of Arizona planetary scientist Ewan Douglas discusses the spacecraft designed to be larger than the Hubble Space Telescope, which was launched in 1990. Ewan Douglas spoke with Tim Swindle, professor emeritus of Planetary Science at the University of Arizona.

The UnFragmented Bible breaks down the modern value of precision and how the Bible makes it clear that the ancient biblical authors (and God!) did not share this value when they wrote Genesis. When we force our human demands onto God's word, it becomes our word instead of His. We end up missing the message He has for us, creating unnecessary crises of faith and competitions with modern science and archeology.    The UnFragmented Bible is a video podcast. Watch on:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0QmopRSmuGXGz9zIcTMIJ6  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL68DZtq1Lm90viLAG94CzzKrHGcz6_MAu    Show notes:  There's an error starting between 23:44 and 24:01 (timelines vary based on podcast player) where I say "each star is the sun of its own galaxy, with planets encircling it like the Milky Way." Correction: -Each star is the sun of its own solar system. -Planets don't circle the Milky Way / galaxies, they circle their sun, which we call a solar system. -There are an estimated 100-400 billion suns in our galaxy, the Milky Way. -There are an estimated 2 trillion galaxies like the Milky Way. -The Andromeda Galaxy is one we can see with the naked eye. Hundreds of billions of galaxies have been observed through The Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope. The point in the podcast remains the same, I just said the wrong word accidentally, and now you have much more (amazing) scientific information about the universe than you asked for! https://bibleproject.com/podcasts/series/ancient-cosmology/  The Bible Project Podcast Ancient Cosmology Series Ep. 1: Genesis 1 and the Origins of the Universe May 17, 2021    Support and interact:  www.patreon.com/noahfilipiak 

Sponsor Link:To grab our special NordVPN listener deal, Click HereWelcome to Astronomy Daily, Season 5 Episode 91 — Thursday 23 April 2026. Hosted by Anna and Avery for the Bitesz.com Podcast Network. Today: NASA's Roman Space Telescope locks in a September 2026 launch date eight months ahead of schedule; new research reveals Uranus's rings are hiding secrets — and possibly hidden moons; Hubble returns to the Trifid Nebula nearly 30 years on; Jordan becomes the 63rd nation to sign the Artemis Accords; the Artemis III rocket core stage ships to Kennedy Space Center; and Southern Hemisphere skywatchers get their best shot at Comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS this week.   Story Summaries 1. Roman Space Telescope — September 2026 Launch Confirmed NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now targeting a September 2026 launch — eight months ahead of its formal May 2027 deadline, and under budget. The 300-megapixel infrared observatory will survey the cosmos with a field of view at least 100 times wider than Hubble's, observing over a billion galaxies and discovering more than 100,000 new worlds in its first five years. It will travel to the Sun-Earth L2 point aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.   2. Uranus's Mysterious Rings Hint at Hidden Moons A study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, using combined data from Keck Observatory, Hubble and JWST, has produced the first complete reflectance spectrum of Uranus's two outermost rings. The mu-ring is made of water ice sourced from moon Mab; the nu-ring contains carbon-rich organic compounds from unseen rocky bodies — suggesting undiscovered moonlets may orbit Uranus. Researchers say a dedicated spacecraft mission will be needed to solve the mystery fully.   3. Hubble Revisits the Trifid Nebula NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has re-imaged the spectacular Trifid Nebula, approximately 5,000 light-years away, nearly three decades after its original 1997 image. By comparing the two images, astronomers have tracked measurable changes in young stellar behaviour — demonstrating the power of long-lived space observatories as cosmic time-lapse cameras.   4. Jordan Signs the Artemis Accords The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan signed the Artemis Accords today at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC, becoming the 63rd nation to commit to the framework for peaceful space exploration. The Accords — established in 2020 — cover transparency, interoperability, data sharing, heritage preservation and resource extraction principles for Moon, Mars and beyond.   5. Artemis III Rocket Core Stage on the Move Just ten days after Artemis II's historic lunar flyby concluded, NASA rolled out the core stage of the Artemis III SLS rocket from Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans onto the Pegasus barge for shipment to Kennedy Space Center. Artemis III is targeting 2027 for an Earth-orbit crewed rendezvous and docking test with commercial lunar landers, with a Moon landing pushed to Artemis IV in 2028.   6. Comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS — Southern Hemisphere Viewing Window Comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS reached perihelion on April 19 and is now entering its best viewing window for Southern Hemisphere observers. From late April through early May, the comet will appear in the evening sky after sunset, potentially reaching magnitude 3.5 or brighter. Its orbit may be hyperbolic — meaning this could be humanity's only ever encounter with this object. Closest Earth approach: April 26, at approximately 73 million kilometres.   Links & Resources: •       Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: roman.gsfc.nasa.gov •       Artemis Accords signatories: nasa.gov/artemis-accords •       Comet C/2025 R3 tracking: theskylive.com/c2025r3-info •       New research — Uranus rings: doi.org/10.1029/2025je009404 •       Astronomy Daily: astronomydaily.io | @AstroDailyPodBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

15. Ken Croswell describes the landmark discovery of a lone black hole in the Milky Way. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers identified this massive object by its gravitational effect on light.1705

15. Ken Croswell describes the landmark discovery of a lone black hole in the Milky Way. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers identified this massive object by its gravitational effect on light.1707

SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 4-15-2026.1705 PERSIAN EMPIRE1. Captain James Fanell discusses Iran using Chinese commercial satellites for targeting US bases. He notes the US Navy's successful and complete blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to pressure Tehran's oil economy.2. General Blaine Holt suggests China may have allowed its satellite technology transfer to Iran to be discovered. He highlights the US Air Force's successful air campaign doctrine and impressive technological capabilities.3. Steve Yates analyzes Taiwan's security, noting that Beijing should be deterred by US displays of capability in Venezuela and Iran. He observes Taiwanese skepticism toward CCP dialogue and peace overtures.4. Steve Yates critiques China's unsustainable plan to subsidize tech sectors to revive its economy. He highlights the strategic importance of Taiwan's semiconductor industry and its shift away from Mainland market investments.5. Mary Kissel reports on ceasefire talks between Israel and Hezbollah at the State Department. She discusses the US Navy's blockade on Iran and regional support for neutralizing Tehran's long influence.6. Mary Kissel examines the stalling of Venezuela's transition by the Rodriguez family. She notes a significant regional shift toward right-of-center, pro-US governments in South America, including Brazil, Chile, and Colombia.7. Annie Fixler details Iranian cyber strikes against critical infrastructure, including Jordanian wheat silos and US medical firms. She explains how Tehran pairs digital attacks with psychological operations to maximize disruption.8. Annie Fixler warns of sophisticated cyber threats from China and Russia. She highlights the danger of AI discovering software vulnerabilities and China's Volt Typhoon prepositioning within US critical infrastructure.9. Colonel Jeff McCausland assesses the Strait of Hormuz blockade and China's military resupply of Iran. He notes Vladimir Putin's strategic losses in Ukraine and the impact of Viktor Orbán's electoral defeat.10. Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses the stalling of Venezuela's transition by the Rodriguez family. He questions if oil production can increase quickly enough to impact US gas prices before Labor Day.11. Jack Burnham warns about security risks in Huawei, ZTE, and Hikvision equipment. He notes Hikvision's role in the Uyghur genocide and the export of surveillance technology to various authoritarian regimes.12. Jack Burnham explains how Iran leveraged a Chinese commercial satellite for precise military strikes on US targets. He warns that rogue nations can now easily purchase advanced orbital capabilities off-the-shelf.13. Michael Bernstam explains why the Strait of Hormuz blockade has not caused an oil price spike, citing diverted pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He notes China's impending shortfall due to the blockade.14. Michael Bernstam details Russia's exhausted budget deficit and declining oil production caused by sanctions and technological backwardness. He highlights Viktor Orbán's electoral defeat as a major democratic victory for the EU.15. Ken Croswell describes the landmark discovery of a lone black hole in the Milky Way. Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers identified this massive object by its gravitational effect on light.16. Ken Croswell calculates that a black hole likely exists within fifty light-years of Earth. He reassures that the galaxy's vastness makes a catastrophic encounter with our solar system extremely unlikely.

In this episode of High Theory, Zac Zimmer talks to Kim about Decolonizing the Novum. The novum is a concept developed by Darko Suvin that names the new element of a science fiction or speculative fiction narrative. SF narratives from the Americas that rewrite archival material about colonization and first contact have begun an imaginative project of decolonizing that novum. In Zac's words, the "novum" has been part of our definition of science fiction since Darko Suvin first offered up the concept of part of his critical assessment of SF. This idea of "novelty" is linked to conquest and colonialism through the figure of the New World, i.e. the post-1492 Americas. Thus untangling the relationship between colonialism, novelty, and science fiction must pass through the historical record of the conquest. One way to do this is to focus on SF that deeply engages the archival record of the XVIth century in the Americas: texts and artworks that use speculation to depart from the knowledge that things didn't quite occur the way the dominant paradigms would lead us to believe, and to imagine other futures linked to past moments of historical contingency. In the episode, Zac references an incredible list of writers and theorists, including Edmundo O'Gorman and Walter Benjamin, Saidiya Hartman's “Venus in Two Acts,” You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue, Destrucción de todas las cosas by Hugo Hiriart, and “Decolonization is not a metaphor” by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang. The transcript lives here as a WordDoc and here as a PDF. Zac's book, First Contact: Speculative Visions of the Conquest of the Americas (Northwestern University Press 2025), is a comparative study of Latin American science fiction and narratives of the sixteenth century conquest of the Americas. It moves through a corpus of Mexican novels, Andean visual arts practices, and other cultural artifacts that have dramatized counterfactual narratives. Reimagining the early colonial period's historiography from a south-to-north directionality while inventing parallel realities, these texts, which are concerned with limit cases, alterities, and alternative temporalities, refuse any reliance on the imperial ontologies of European expansion. Zac examines these works to explore the slippage that exists between science fiction as the exemplary genre of the modern, colonial reality and literary speculation as an aesthetic tool that can be used to imagine other possible worlds. You can read a review in the Los Angeles Review of Books. Zac Zimmer works as an Associate Professor of Literature at UC Santa Cruz. His research explores questions of literature, aesthetics, politics, and technology in the Americas.In addition to his current research on the cultural infrastructure of technosystems, he co-facilitates the Ethics & Astrobiology reading group, part of UCSC's Astrobiology Initiative. In the Literature department, he teaches classes on Latin American literature, science fiction, ethics & technology, and the poetics of California infrastructure. The image for this episode is the view from the Hubble Space Telescope, showing the birth of a sun-like star, retrieved from Flicker for High Theory by Lili Epstein. Image credit: NASA, ESA, G. Duchene (Universite de Grenoble I); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode of High Theory, Zac Zimmer talks to Kim about Decolonizing the Novum. The novum is a concept developed by Darko Suvin that names the new element of a science fiction or speculative fiction narrative. SF narratives from the Americas that rewrite archival material about colonization and first contact have begun an imaginative project of decolonizing that novum. In Zac's words, the "novum" has been part of our definition of science fiction since Darko Suvin first offered up the concept of part of his critical assessment of SF. This idea of "novelty" is linked to conquest and colonialism through the figure of the New World, i.e. the post-1492 Americas. Thus untangling the relationship between colonialism, novelty, and science fiction must pass through the historical record of the conquest. One way to do this is to focus on SF that deeply engages the archival record of the XVIth century in the Americas: texts and artworks that use speculation to depart from the knowledge that things didn't quite occur the way the dominant paradigms would lead us to believe, and to imagine other futures linked to past moments of historical contingency. In the episode, Zac references an incredible list of writers and theorists, including Edmundo O'Gorman and Walter Benjamin, Saidiya Hartman's “Venus in Two Acts,” You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue, Destrucción de todas las cosas by Hugo Hiriart, and “Decolonization is not a metaphor” by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang. The transcript lives here as a WordDoc and here as a PDF. Zac's book, First Contact: Speculative Visions of the Conquest of the Americas (Northwestern University Press 2025), is a comparative study of Latin American science fiction and narratives of the sixteenth century conquest of the Americas. It moves through a corpus of Mexican novels, Andean visual arts practices, and other cultural artifacts that have dramatized counterfactual narratives. Reimagining the early colonial period's historiography from a south-to-north directionality while inventing parallel realities, these texts, which are concerned with limit cases, alterities, and alternative temporalities, refuse any reliance on the imperial ontologies of European expansion. Zac examines these works to explore the slippage that exists between science fiction as the exemplary genre of the modern, colonial reality and literary speculation as an aesthetic tool that can be used to imagine other possible worlds. You can read a review in the Los Angeles Review of Books. Zac Zimmer works as an Associate Professor of Literature at UC Santa Cruz. His research explores questions of literature, aesthetics, politics, and technology in the Americas.In addition to his current research on the cultural infrastructure of technosystems, he co-facilitates the Ethics & Astrobiology reading group, part of UCSC's Astrobiology Initiative. In the Literature department, he teaches classes on Latin American literature, science fiction, ethics & technology, and the poetics of California infrastructure. The image for this episode is the view from the Hubble Space Telescope, showing the birth of a sun-like star, retrieved from Flicker for High Theory by Lili Epstein. Image credit: NASA, ESA, G. Duchene (Universite de Grenoble I); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/latin-american-studies

In this episode of High Theory, Zac Zimmer talks to Kim about Decolonizing the Novum. The novum is a concept developed by Darko Suvin that names the new element of a science fiction or speculative fiction narrative. SF narratives from the Americas that rewrite archival material about colonization and first contact have begun an imaginative project of decolonizing that novum. In Zac's words, the "novum" has been part of our definition of science fiction since Darko Suvin first offered up the concept of part of his critical assessment of SF. This idea of "novelty" is linked to conquest and colonialism through the figure of the New World, i.e. the post-1492 Americas. Thus untangling the relationship between colonialism, novelty, and science fiction must pass through the historical record of the conquest. One way to do this is to focus on SF that deeply engages the archival record of the XVIth century in the Americas: texts and artworks that use speculation to depart from the knowledge that things didn't quite occur the way the dominant paradigms would lead us to believe, and to imagine other futures linked to past moments of historical contingency. In the episode, Zac references an incredible list of writers and theorists, including Edmundo O'Gorman and Walter Benjamin, Saidiya Hartman's “Venus in Two Acts,” You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue, Destrucción de todas las cosas by Hugo Hiriart, and “Decolonization is not a metaphor” by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang. The transcript lives here as a WordDoc and here as a PDF. Zac's book, First Contact: Speculative Visions of the Conquest of the Americas (Northwestern University Press 2025), is a comparative study of Latin American science fiction and narratives of the sixteenth century conquest of the Americas. It moves through a corpus of Mexican novels, Andean visual arts practices, and other cultural artifacts that have dramatized counterfactual narratives. Reimagining the early colonial period's historiography from a south-to-north directionality while inventing parallel realities, these texts, which are concerned with limit cases, alterities, and alternative temporalities, refuse any reliance on the imperial ontologies of European expansion. Zac examines these works to explore the slippage that exists between science fiction as the exemplary genre of the modern, colonial reality and literary speculation as an aesthetic tool that can be used to imagine other possible worlds. You can read a review in the Los Angeles Review of Books. Zac Zimmer works as an Associate Professor of Literature at UC Santa Cruz. His research explores questions of literature, aesthetics, politics, and technology in the Americas.In addition to his current research on the cultural infrastructure of technosystems, he co-facilitates the Ethics & Astrobiology reading group, part of UCSC's Astrobiology Initiative. In the Literature department, he teaches classes on Latin American literature, science fiction, ethics & technology, and the poetics of California infrastructure. The image for this episode is the view from the Hubble Space Telescope, showing the birth of a sun-like star, retrieved from Flicker for High Theory by Lili Epstein. Image credit: NASA, ESA, G. Duchene (Universite de Grenoble I); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/native-american-studies

In this episode of High Theory, Zac Zimmer talks to Kim about Decolonizing the Novum. The novum is a concept developed by Darko Suvin that names the new element of a science fiction or speculative fiction narrative. SF narratives from the Americas that rewrite archival material about colonization and first contact have begun an imaginative project of decolonizing that novum. In Zac's words, the "novum" has been part of our definition of science fiction since Darko Suvin first offered up the concept of part of his critical assessment of SF. This idea of "novelty" is linked to conquest and colonialism through the figure of the New World, i.e. the post-1492 Americas. Thus untangling the relationship between colonialism, novelty, and science fiction must pass through the historical record of the conquest. One way to do this is to focus on SF that deeply engages the archival record of the XVIth century in the Americas: texts and artworks that use speculation to depart from the knowledge that things didn't quite occur the way the dominant paradigms would lead us to believe, and to imagine other futures linked to past moments of historical contingency. In the episode, Zac references an incredible list of writers and theorists, including Edmundo O'Gorman and Walter Benjamin, Saidiya Hartman's “Venus in Two Acts,” You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue, Destrucción de todas las cosas by Hugo Hiriart, and “Decolonization is not a metaphor” by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang. The transcript lives here as a WordDoc and here as a PDF. Zac's book, First Contact: Speculative Visions of the Conquest of the Americas (Northwestern University Press 2025), is a comparative study of Latin American science fiction and narratives of the sixteenth century conquest of the Americas. It moves through a corpus of Mexican novels, Andean visual arts practices, and other cultural artifacts that have dramatized counterfactual narratives. Reimagining the early colonial period's historiography from a south-to-north directionality while inventing parallel realities, these texts, which are concerned with limit cases, alterities, and alternative temporalities, refuse any reliance on the imperial ontologies of European expansion. Zac examines these works to explore the slippage that exists between science fiction as the exemplary genre of the modern, colonial reality and literary speculation as an aesthetic tool that can be used to imagine other possible worlds. You can read a review in the Los Angeles Review of Books. Zac Zimmer works as an Associate Professor of Literature at UC Santa Cruz. His research explores questions of literature, aesthetics, politics, and technology in the Americas.In addition to his current research on the cultural infrastructure of technosystems, he co-facilitates the Ethics & Astrobiology reading group, part of UCSC's Astrobiology Initiative. In the Literature department, he teaches classes on Latin American literature, science fiction, ethics & technology, and the poetics of California infrastructure. The image for this episode is the view from the Hubble Space Telescope, showing the birth of a sun-like star, retrieved from Flicker for High Theory by Lili Epstein. Image credit: NASA, ESA, G. Duchene (Universite de Grenoble I); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

In this episode of High Theory, Zac Zimmer talks to Kim about Decolonizing the Novum. The novum is a concept developed by Darko Suvin that names the new element of a science fiction or speculative fiction narrative. SF narratives from the Americas that rewrite archival material about colonization and first contact have begun an imaginative project of decolonizing that novum. In Zac's words, the "novum" has been part of our definition of science fiction since Darko Suvin first offered up the concept of part of his critical assessment of SF. This idea of "novelty" is linked to conquest and colonialism through the figure of the New World, i.e. the post-1492 Americas. Thus untangling the relationship between colonialism, novelty, and science fiction must pass through the historical record of the conquest. One way to do this is to focus on SF that deeply engages the archival record of the XVIth century in the Americas: texts and artworks that use speculation to depart from the knowledge that things didn't quite occur the way the dominant paradigms would lead us to believe, and to imagine other futures linked to past moments of historical contingency. In the episode, Zac references an incredible list of writers and theorists, including Edmundo O'Gorman and Walter Benjamin, Saidiya Hartman's “Venus in Two Acts,” You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue, Destrucción de todas las cosas by Hugo Hiriart, and “Decolonization is not a metaphor” by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang. The transcript lives here as a WordDoc and here as a PDF. Zac's book, First Contact: Speculative Visions of the Conquest of the Americas (Northwestern University Press 2025), is a comparative study of Latin American science fiction and narratives of the sixteenth century conquest of the Americas. It moves through a corpus of Mexican novels, Andean visual arts practices, and other cultural artifacts that have dramatized counterfactual narratives. Reimagining the early colonial period's historiography from a south-to-north directionality while inventing parallel realities, these texts, which are concerned with limit cases, alterities, and alternative temporalities, refuse any reliance on the imperial ontologies of European expansion. Zac examines these works to explore the slippage that exists between science fiction as the exemplary genre of the modern, colonial reality and literary speculation as an aesthetic tool that can be used to imagine other possible worlds. You can read a review in the Los Angeles Review of Books. Zac Zimmer works as an Associate Professor of Literature at UC Santa Cruz. His research explores questions of literature, aesthetics, politics, and technology in the Americas.In addition to his current research on the cultural infrastructure of technosystems, he co-facilitates the Ethics & Astrobiology reading group, part of UCSC's Astrobiology Initiative. In the Literature department, he teaches classes on Latin American literature, science fiction, ethics & technology, and the poetics of California infrastructure. The image for this episode is the view from the Hubble Space Telescope, showing the birth of a sun-like star, retrieved from Flicker for High Theory by Lili Epstein. Image credit: NASA, ESA, G. Duchene (Universite de Grenoble I); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

In this episode of High Theory, Zac Zimmer talks to Kim about Decolonizing the Novum. The novum is a concept developed by Darko Suvin that names the new element of a science fiction or speculative fiction narrative. SF narratives from the Americas that rewrite archival material about colonization and first contact have begun an imaginative project of decolonizing that novum. In Zac's words, the "novum" has been part of our definition of science fiction since Darko Suvin first offered up the concept of part of his critical assessment of SF. This idea of "novelty" is linked to conquest and colonialism through the figure of the New World, i.e. the post-1492 Americas. Thus untangling the relationship between colonialism, novelty, and science fiction must pass through the historical record of the conquest. One way to do this is to focus on SF that deeply engages the archival record of the XVIth century in the Americas: texts and artworks that use speculation to depart from the knowledge that things didn't quite occur the way the dominant paradigms would lead us to believe, and to imagine other futures linked to past moments of historical contingency. In the episode, Zac references an incredible list of writers and theorists, including Edmundo O'Gorman and Walter Benjamin, Saidiya Hartman's “Venus in Two Acts,” You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue, Destrucción de todas las cosas by Hugo Hiriart, and “Decolonization is not a metaphor” by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang. The transcript lives here as a WordDoc and here as a PDF. Zac's book, First Contact: Speculative Visions of the Conquest of the Americas (Northwestern University Press 2025), is a comparative study of Latin American science fiction and narratives of the sixteenth century conquest of the Americas. It moves through a corpus of Mexican novels, Andean visual arts practices, and other cultural artifacts that have dramatized counterfactual narratives. Reimagining the early colonial period's historiography from a south-to-north directionality while inventing parallel realities, these texts, which are concerned with limit cases, alterities, and alternative temporalities, refuse any reliance on the imperial ontologies of European expansion. Zac examines these works to explore the slippage that exists between science fiction as the exemplary genre of the modern, colonial reality and literary speculation as an aesthetic tool that can be used to imagine other possible worlds. You can read a review in the Los Angeles Review of Books. Zac Zimmer works as an Associate Professor of Literature at UC Santa Cruz. His research explores questions of literature, aesthetics, politics, and technology in the Americas.In addition to his current research on the cultural infrastructure of technosystems, he co-facilitates the Ethics & Astrobiology reading group, part of UCSC's Astrobiology Initiative. In the Literature department, he teaches classes on Latin American literature, science fiction, ethics & technology, and the poetics of California infrastructure. The image for this episode is the view from the Hubble Space Telescope, showing the birth of a sun-like star, retrieved from Flicker for High Theory by Lili Epstein. Image credit: NASA, ESA, G. Duchene (Universite de Grenoble I); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/art

What does it take to go from studying the universe… to flying through it? On this episode of Casual Space, Beth welcomes Dr. Steven A. Hawley—NASA astronaut, space shuttle veteran, and author of his new book, Eyes to the Stars, A Memoir for the Space Shuttle Generation. Listen to enjoy the remarkable journey of a young astronomer from Kansas who never expected to become an astronaut—and what happened when he said "yes" anyway. Steve shares the quiet but powerful decisions that shaped his career: staying open to opportunity, embracing uncertainty, and trusting preparation when timing finally aligned. From his early fascination with astronomy to deploying the Hubble Space Telescope, this conversation reveals what spaceflight is really like—both technically and personally. You'll hear behind-the-scenes insights from the Space Shuttle era, including the realities of astronaut selection, the discipline of mission training, and the teamwork required to operate in one of the most high-risk environments humans have ever entered. Resources & Links Eyes to the Stars by Steve Hawley on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Eyes-Stars-Memoir-Shuttle-Generation/dp/1960259571  Hubble Space Telescope https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/   Artemis Program https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/  Whether you're an aspiring astronaut, a space enthusiast, or someone navigating your own uncertain path—this episode is a reminder that the journey to the stars often begins with simply staying open to possibility.  

In 2012 as it crossed the orbit of Neptune heading towards the Sun a small space rock was 250 times fainter than can be detected by the Hubble Space Telescope. Five years later, after it had rounded the Sun, it became visible in asteroid hunter's telescopes for about 16 days, as it streaked across our planet's orbit at 37 miles per second, as it continued to move away from the Sun. During that brief period of time it was discovered by the PanSTARRS group in Hawaii, tracked by telescopes around the world, and given the name Oumuamua (“Oh-moo-ah-moo-ah”). Turns out that previous to the discovery observations, sightings too sparse to report, were obtained by my team using the Catalina Sky Survey's Schmidt telescope on Mt. Bigelow, Arizona. In 2024 this unusual space rock will cross Pluto's average distance from the Sun traveling on a path which will take it into deep interstellar space. Since we don't know how Oumuamua could obtained it's current trajectory from processes in our solar system, it is safe to presume that it originated in truly deep space. The mystery of Oumuamua deepened when astronomers measured it's brightness to change regularly by nearly 10 times over a 7.3 hour period of time. If these brightness variations are due to it's shape, and thus the amount of sun light reflected as it rotates, Oumuamua looks like a cigar. Even though Elon Musk's SpaceX Mars rocket could catch Oumuamua, it is more cost effective is to simply wait to discover another one of the several interstellar asteroids which pass by us each year.

# SEO-Friendly Podcast Episode Description## James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Diamond Rain Planet & Saturn's Aurora Mystery | Space Cowboy PodcastJoin the Space Cowboy for an exciting journey through the latest groundbreaking discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In this episode, explore two remarkable findings that are revolutionizing our understanding of the cosmos.**Featured Discoveries:**

Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, often called the “Mother of the Hubble Space Telescope,” was NASA's first Chief of Astronomy and helped lead the development of the space telescope program that revolutionized modern astronomy. Despite barriers in science, she opened doors for generations of women in astrophysics. Her legacy reminds us that exploration begins with curiosity, and the courage to follow it.#WomensHistoryMonth

Wednesday, March 25, 2026   In today's episode of Astronomy Daily, Anna and Avery cover six major stories from the last 24 hours in space and astronomy — including two landmark NASA announcements that could reshape the future of human space exploration.   Story 1: NASA Cancels Lunar Gateway — Pivots to $20 Billion Moon Base NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced at the agency's 'Ignition Day' event that the Lunar Gateway orbital space station has been paused, with resources redirected toward a phased $20 billion base on the lunar surface. The three-phase plan runs from 2026 to beyond 2032 and involves international partners including JAXA, the Italian Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/nasas-lunar-gateway-space-station-is-out-moon-bases-are-in Story 2: NASA's SR-1 Freedom — The First Nuclear-Powered Interplanetary Spacecraft Also announced at Ignition Day, Space Reactor-1 Freedom is planned for a December 2028 launch to Mars. It will use Nuclear Electric Propulsion and carry the Skyfall payload — three Ingenuity-class helicopters designed to scout future human landing sites and map subsurface water ice. Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/nasas-1st-nuclear-powered-interplanetary-spacecraft-will-send-skyfall-helicopters-to-mars-in-2028 Story 3: Two Planets Forming Around Infant Star WISPIT 2 Astronomers using the ESO's Very Large Telescope have directly imaged two gas giant planets forming around the 5.4-million-year-old star WISPIT 2, located 437 light-years away in Aquila. The system is described as a mirror of our early solar system, with potential for more planets yet to be discovered. Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/scientists-discover-mirror-of-our-solar-system-in-2-exoplanets-forming-around-a-star Story 4: Hubble Revisits the Crab Nebula — 25 Years On NASA has released new Hubble Space Telescope images of the Crab Nebula, taken 25 years after the telescope first observed the object. The images reveal the nebula's continued expansion — the still-evolving remnant of a supernova first observed by astronomers in 1054 AD. Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/hubble-revisits-a-cosmic-crab-after-25-years-space-photo-of-the-day-for-march-23-2026 Story 5: Fiber-Optic Cables Could Detect Moonquakes Two new studies from Los Alamos National Laboratory suggest that fiber-optic cables deployed directly on the lunar surface could detect moonquakes using Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS). The technique could replace expensive individual seismometers, with a single cable acting as thousands of sensors across hundreds of kilometres of lunar terrain. Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/future-artemis-missions-could-use-fiber-optic-cables-to-monitor-moonquakes Story 6: Rocket Lab 'Daughter of the Stars' — Europe's First Celeste Navigation Satellites Rocket Lab's Electron rocket launched the first two satellites for ESA's Celeste LEO-PNT constellation from Māhia, New Zealand on March 25. The mission is ESA's first foray into low-Earth orbit navigation, designed to complement and strengthen Europe's Galileo system. The constellation is named after Maria Celeste, daughter of Galileo Galilei. Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/rocket-lab-electron-launch-european-space-agency-celeste-navigation-satellitesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

In this episode of Future Tech, I speak with former NASA Flight Director and Johnson Space Center Associate Director Milt Heflin about the real engine behind space exploration — the thousands of engineers, contractors, and problem-solvers working behind the scenes. From Apollo recovery missions to the historic Hubble Space Telescope repair, Milt shares what it was like leading teams responsible for some of NASA's most complex missions. We discuss how teams prepare for the unknown, how mission control solves problems in real time, and why trust, preparation, and teamwork were the true secrets behind NASA's greatest successes. This episode is a masterclass in leadership and execution from one of the people who helped guide humanity's most ambitious missions. 

How do stars die? And what happens when they do? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome Dr. Ashley Villar, who teaches astronomy at Harvard and whose team studies supernovas as they happen. As always, though, we start off with the day's joyfully cool cosmic thing, the release of a set of new Hubble Space Telescope images of the Crab Nebula and the pulsar at its center. Needless to say, it's a great start to an episode about a team of scientists who actually study the moment a star explodes and the immediate aftermath. Ashley explains how they have been able to use LIGO, the gravitational wave detector, as a sort of early warning detector that twice gave them enough time to set up their instruments to observe the explosion over the next few hours and days as it unfolds. Professor Villar talks about how neutron star mergers and magnetars may be the source of heavy elements like gold and uranium. Or, as Chuck says, “A gold-filled smoke ring puffing off of a highly spinning, highly magnetic neutron star - what a great picture that would be.” Ashley is looking forward to how the Vera Rubin Observatory is going to change the observation of these events. In the process of explaining, Professor Villar answers an audience question from Jamison, who asks how often stars explode in space. It turns out, in our observable universe, there's a supernova every 2 seconds! We currently detect about 10,000 of these explosions every year - Vera Rubin will be able to detect 10,000 of these explosions in just two weeks. In order to get a handle on this flood of data, Dr. Villar and her team will be looking for these exotic physics needles in a haystack using machine learning models to look for patterns and abnormalities and “go fishing.” Charles asks Ashley for her take on AI and whether we should be afraid of it or not.(And yes, take the opportunity to plug co-host Allen Liu's forthcoming book, “The Handy Artificial Intelligence Answer Book.”) Allen and Ashley discuss the difference between how a chatbot like ChatGPT operates and how she trains her models. There was a second part to Jamison's question about exploding stars: Are we in any danger. Dr. Villar explains that when we just look at our Milky Way, supernovas occur only once a century, so we're not in any danger. Next, Jessie asks, “How do we know the universe is infinite?” Our answer is, we don't. That doesn't stop us from discussing it, though, and the conversation takes us to, among other places, the Nazca lines in Peru and the quantum effect that creates iridescent blue butterfly wings. (You can read the scientific research mentioned in the episode here: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8959) We end with a discussion about supernovas, neutrinos, space dust, gamma ray bursts, and what kind of event it would take to interrupt the normal activities of space telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope or the Vera Rubin and hijack them for a disruptive observation. And we get a book recommendation from Ashley, “Katabasis” by R. F. Kuang, about a grad student who journeys to hell to get a letter of reference from her deceased advisor. If you'd like to know more about what Professor Villar is up to, you can check out her lab's website at http://astrotimelab.com/. We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon. Credits for Images Used in this Episode: New Hubble mosaic of the Crab Nebula. – Credit: William P. Blair et al 2026 ApJ 997 81 Previous Hubble photo of the Crab Nebula. – Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Hester and A. Loll (Arizona State University) The Vera Rubin Observatory. – Credit: RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/P. Horálek (Institute of Physics in Opava), CC BY 4.0 Nazca line “The Condor”. – Credit: Photo by Roger Canals Blue butterfly wings in an electron microscope. – Credit: Radislav A. Potyrailo et al. Aragonite plates in a shell. – Credit:  Fabian Heinemann SN 1987A (Bright central “star”). – Credit: European Southern Observatory Artist's illustration of Gamma Ray Burst jets. – Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva; Image processing: M. Zamani (NSF's NOIRLab) CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Welcome to The LIUniverse 02:14 - Joyfully Cool Cosmic Thing of the Day - Hubble Crab Nebula Images 07:06 - Neutron Star Mergers, Magnetars, and Space Gold 09:18 - How Often Do Stars Explode? 12:35 - Can AI Help Us Find Supernovas? 17:11 - Are We In Danger From Exploding Stars? 19:48 - How Do We Know the Universe Is Infinite? 24:01 - How Does Quantum Physics Impact Color in Butterflies and Supernovas? 31:16 - How to Hijack a Space Telescope

Today on Astronomy Daily: NASA's Artemis II moon rocket has arrived at Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, with a launch target of April 1st — the first crewed mission beyond Earth orbit in over 53 years. Plus: astronomers have discovered the first-ever mass-transferring brown dwarf binary; Hubble accidentally caught a comet disintegrating in real time; 15 new moons have been confirmed around Jupiter and Saturn; our Moon is accumulating over 100 metric tons of human-made debris; and a dramatic spacecraft double-header — ESA's Proba-3 has been recovered from a month-long blackout, while NASA's MAVEN Mars orbiter remains missing after more than three months of silence.   Story 1: Artemis II Arrives at Launch Pad 39B NASA's Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft completed an 11-hour overnight journey to Launch Pad 39B on March 20, 2026. Launch is targeted for no earlier than April 1. The crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — will fly a 10-day free-return trajectory around the Moon, making this the first crewed deep-space mission since Apollo 17 in December 1972. Source: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/03/20/nasas-artemis-ii-rocket-arrives-at-launch-pad-39b/   Story 2: First Mass-Transferring Brown Dwarf Binary Researchers at Caltech have identified ZTF J1239+8347, a brown dwarf binary system with an orbital period of just 57.41 minutes in which one brown dwarf is actively pulling material from its companion — a first for this class of objects. The system, only ~1,000 light-years away, is a prime candidate for JWST follow-up observations. Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Source: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-pair-of-brown-dwarfs-cant-get-enough-of-each-other   Story 3: Hubble Catches Comet C/2025 K1 Breaking Apart In a remarkable stroke of luck, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) fragmenting into at least four pieces over three consecutive days in November 2025. The comet was not the original target of the observation. The findings, published in Icarus, reveal the comet is unusually carbon-depleted and raise new questions about the delay between fragmentation and visible brightening. Source: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-unexpectedly-catches-comet-breaking-up/   Story 4: 15 New Moons Confirmed for Jupiter and Saturn The Minor Planet Center announced on March 16, 2026 that four new moons have been confirmed around Jupiter (bringing its total to 101) and 11 new moons around Saturn (bringing its total to 285). All are small irregular moons, discovered by combining archival telescope data with new observations. With the Vera C. Rubin Observatory now operational, further discoveries are expected. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/more-moons-for-jupiter-and-saturn-total-satellite-discoveries/   Story 5: Human Debris on the Moon — Over 100 Metric Tons and Counting More than 100 metric tons of human-made objects now litter the lunar surface — spacecraft hardware, scientific instruments, and even waste from Apollo missions. With a wave of crewed and commercial lunar missions approaching under Artemis and beyond, space policy researchers are urging the development of international agreements to protect scientifically sensitive lunar sites before they are damaged or contaminated by human activity. Source: https://www.universetoday.com — lunar debris policy   Story 6: MAVEN Still Missing / Proba-3 Recovered NASA's MAVEN Mars orbiter, lost since December 6, 2025, remains uncontacted despite three months of recovery efforts using the Deep Space Network, Green Bank Observatory, and the Curiosity rover. An anomaly review board is assessing options. Meanwhile, ESA's Proba-3 coronagraph spacecraft — silent since February 14 after a power failure — has been successfully recovered after engineers exploited a brief window when the tumbling spacecraft's solar panels briefly faced the Sun. MAVEN source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/nasa-wont-give-up-hope-on-silent-maven-mars-probe-were-still-looking-for-it Proba-3 source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/03/europe-restores-contact-lost-spacecraft/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

https://cosmoquest.org/x/dailyspace/2020/01/07/planets-stars-and-death-to-dark-energy/ From January 7, 2020. The Hubble Space Telescope continues to give us amazing views and science, 30 years later. Here are a couple of new stories that help us appreciate this amazing tool of science.   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.

Shortly after the Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990, astronomers realised its primary mirror, designed to focus minute amounts of light from distant planets, stars and galaxies, had the wrong curve. 

Sponsor Link:This episode of Spacetime is brought to you with the support of Squarespace...when it's time to get online, it's time to visit Squarespace. Free trial. To find out more visit squarespace.com/spacetime SpaceTime with Stuart Gary Gary - Series 29 Episode 23In this episode of SpaceTime, we investigate the discovery of a nearly invisible galaxy dominated by dark matter, the latest delays in the Artemis 2 mission to the Moon, and the anticipated launch of Australia's new hypersonic scramjet.A Dark Matter Galaxy UnveiledAstronomers have identified an almost invisible galaxy, catalogued as CDG2, located in the Perseus galaxy cluster approximately 300 million light years away. This galaxy is believed to be composed of about 99% dark matter, making it one of the most dark matter-dominated galaxies ever detected. The findings, published in Astrophysical Research Letters, reveal that dark matter constitutes roughly 80% of the universe's total matter, and CDG2's faint presence was confirmed through observations of its globular clusters using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency's Euclid Space Observatory.Artemis 2 Mission Delayed AgainNASA has announced another delay for the Artemis 2 mission, which aims to return humans to lunar orbit for the first time in over 50 years. A helium leak discovered in the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's upper stage has prompted the agency to roll back the launch vehicle to the vehicle assembly building for repairs. This setback eliminates the potential for a March launch, with the next available windows opening in early April. The Artemis 2 mission will carry a crew of four on a 10-day journey to the Moon, including critical system tests and satellite deployments.Australia's Hypersonic Scramjet Launch ImminentAn Australian company is set to test its new hypersonic scramjet-powered aircraft, the Dart AE, before the end of the month. This innovative vehicle will utilize a 3D printed Spartan Scramjet engine, designed to operate at speeds exceeding Mach 5 with liquid hydrogen fuel. The mission, codenamed Cassowary Vex, will launch aboard a Rocket Lab electron rocket and aims to validate the scramjet propulsion system under real hypersonic flight conditions while producing zero carbon emissions.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesAstrophysical Research LettersBecome a supporter of this podcast:  https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-with-stuart-gary--2458531/support.

 This episode's guests:Shweta Kulkarni, AstronEra.Josh Dury, Award Winning Photographer.Jim Webster, Advocate.Bill's News Picks:Explore NASA's most detailed map of the night sky yet, Andrew Paul, Popular Science. Satellite megaconstellations will threaten space-based astronomy, Nature. Minimizing aviation lighting duration reduces bat attraction to wind turbines, Journal of Applied Ecology. Tawny owls are turning to street lighting to help them hunt, British Ecological Society. Impact of artificial light at night on obesity and overweight: a systematic review and meta-analysis, BMC Public Health. Send Feedback Text to the Show!Support the showA hearty thank you to all of our paid supporters out there. You make this show possible. For only the cost of one coffee each month you can help us to continue to grow. That's $3 a month. If you like what we're doing, if you think this adds value in any way, why not say thank you by becoming a supporter! Why Support Light Pollution News? Receive quarterly invite to join as live audience member for recordings with special Q&A session post recording with guests. Receive all of the news for that month via a special Supporter monthly mailer. Satisfaction that your support helps further critical discourse on this topic. About Light Pollution News: The path to sustainable starry night solutions begin with being a more informed you. Light Pollution, once thought to be solely detrimental to astronomers, has proven to be an impactful issue across many disciplines of society including ecology, crime, technology, health, and much more! But not all is lost! There are simple solutions that provide for big impacts. Each month, Bill McGeeney, is joined by upwards of three guests to help you grow your awareness and understanding of both the challenges and the road to recovering our disappearing nighttime ecosystem.

In today's episode of Astronomy Daily, Anna and Avery unpack six major space stories. China has achieved a crucial milestone in its crewed lunar programme, successfully testing the Mengzhou capsule's abort system at maximum dynamic pressure while also demonstrating SpaceX-style rocket recovery with the Long March 10 first stage. ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket is set to launch its longest mission yet, delivering GSSAP space surveillance satellites directly to geosynchronous orbit for the US Space Force. We explain why NASA's Artemis 2 Moon mission has remarkably few launch opportunities — just 11 dates across March and April — and what orbital mechanics, solar power constraints, and hydrogen leaks have to do with it. In astronomy news, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has produced its clearest image yet of the Egg Nebula, a pre-planetary nebula offering a rare glimpse of a Sun-like star in its death throes. A provocative new study in the journal Astrobiology argues that the 1976 Viking missions may have detected signs of Martian life after all, with perchlorates masking the organic signatures. And finally, astronomers continue searching for remnants of Comet C/2019 Y4 ATLAS, which spectacularly disintegrated during the 2020 pandemic — but may not be entirely gone.   Timestamps [00:00] Introduction [01:30] China's Mengzhou capsule abort test & Long March 10 rocket recovery [05:30] ULA Vulcan USSF-87 launch — GSSAP satellites for Space Force [08:30] Artemis 2 launch windows — why only 11 chances in 2 months [11:30] Hubble's stunning Egg Nebula image — a dying star's final act [14:00] Did NASA's Viking missions find life on Mars? New evidence says maybe [16:30] The mystery of 'dead' Comet ATLAS — could fragments survive? [18:00] Sign-offBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope indicate a 2.6 km or 1.6 miles nucleus, with methane emerging only after perihelion, suggesting it was buried under outer layers.Rogue planets, also known as free-floating planets, are celestial nomads that wander through interstellar space without being gravitationally bound to any star. Once thought to be rare, recent studies suggest our galaxy may be home to trillions of these lonely worlds, potentially outnumbering the stars in the Milky Way. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-tempest-universe--4712510/support.Follow the #podcast on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thetempestuniverse

Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope indicate a 2.6 km or 1.6 miles nucleus, with methane emerging only after perihelion, suggesting it was buried under outer layers.Rogue planets, also known as free-floating planets, are celestial nomads that wander through interstellar space without being gravitationally bound to any star. Once thought to be rare, recent studies suggest our galaxy may be home to trillions of these lonely worlds, potentially outnumbering the stars in the Milky Way. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-tempest-universe--4712510/support.Follow the #podcast on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thetempestuniverse

Hotel Mars Dr. Paul Kalas for Weds, Jan. Jn. 28, 2026, #4495Quick SummaryJohn Batchelor and I presented Professor Paul Kalas of the University of California at Berkeley, who discussed his groundbreaking observations of the Fomalhaut star system using the Hubble Space Telescope. Kalas explained how he discovered evidence of asteroid collisions creating massive dust clouds, which occur approximately every 100,000 years and last only 5-10 years. The discussion explored how planetary systems form through collisions between smaller objects, with Fomalhaut serving as a “time machine” to Earth's early history when similar collisions shaped our own solar system. The conversation concluded with a broader discussion about the uniqueness of our solar system and the ongoing search for Earth-like planets around other stars, with David Livingston and Dr. Space highlighting their show's focus on both space science and commercial space development.Detailed SummaryProfessor Paul Kalas from the University of California at Berkeley discussed his recent discovery using the Hubble Space Telescope of a star system called Fomalhut Dr. Pau, which is 25 light years away. He explained how they used techniques to cancel out the star's bright light and revealed the presence of dust belts and a planet with a ring system, initially thought to be similar to Saturn. However, a new point of light appeared in 2023, challenging their previous understanding of the system, as planets are not supposed to suddenly appear.Dr. Kalas discussed the formation of Earth and the moon, explaining that a collision with a Mars-sized object created the moon and that Earth was subject to frequent impacts during the Great Bombardment. He mentioned ongoing research into a debris belt around a star 25 million light years away, suggesting a planet might be responsible for the belt's structure. Our guest said his colleagues have imaged the star with the James Webb Space Telescope but have not yet detected any planets as large as Jupiter. He noted that smaller planets, like Uranus and Neptune, might exist but are beyond current detection limits.This was a one segment Hotel Mars program but after Dr. Kalas spoke, John talked with me about The Space Show, Hotel Mars and more. Continue listening for this short discussion.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223 (Not in service at this time)For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4498: Zoom Dr. Greg Autry | Tuesday 03 Feb 2026 700PM PTGuests: Dr. Greg AutryZoom: Dr. Autry on policy, economics, commercial and space missions/projectsBroadcast 4499 Hotel Mars TBD | Wednesday 04 Feb 2026 930AM PTGuests: John Batchelor, Dr. David LivingstonHotel Mars TBDBroadcast 4500: Zoom Overview Energy with Dr. Paul Jaffe | Friday 06 Feb 2026 930AM PTGuests: Dr. Paul JaffeZoom: Dr. Jaffe with others talks about Overview EnergyBroadcast 4501 Zoom Dr. Scott Solomon | Sunday 08 Feb 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Dr. Scott SolomonZoom: Settlement, humans in space, reproduction and more Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

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Titans of Science is back with John Zarnecki, a towering figure in the UK's space community. He has played a crucial role in designing instruments for groundbreaking space missions, and has also helped shape Europe's planetary science programme. In this episode, John shares compelling stories from his career with Chris Smith - including the significance of the Cassini-Huygens mission to Titan, the value of the Hubble Space Telescope, and his early work on rockets in Australia... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

NASA attempts to contact the silent MAVEN Mars orbiter after 40 days—but prospects look grim. Plus: the first-ever ISS medical evacuation succeeds, Europe debuts its powerful Ariane 64, scientists crack asteroid defense secrets, China releases lunar timekeeping software, and Hubble reveals where planets are born. Your daily space news for January 15, 2026.### Extended Episode Description (for podcast websites/apps)After more than a month of silence, NASA is making what may be its final attempt to contact the MAVEN Mars orbiter. Mission leaders are pessimistic, but the veteran spacecraft has surprised them before. We break down what happened, what's at stake, and what MAVEN's potential loss means for Mars exploration.On a brighter note, the SpaceX Crew-11 astronauts have safely returned to Houston following the first-ever medical evacuation from the International Space Station—a historic operation that went flawlessly. We explore how NASA executed this unprecedented mission.Europe's taking a major step forward with the announcement that the first Ariane 64 rocket will launch February 12th. This four-booster beast can carry more than double the payload of its predecessor, and its debut mission will deploy 32 satellites for Amazon's Kuiper constellation.Scientists using CERN's particle accelerators have discovered that iron-rich asteroids are tougher than we thought—and they actually get stronger under stress. This surprising finding could reshape how we approach planetary defense.China has released the world's first practical software for keeping time on the Moon. It sounds like science fiction, but lunar timekeeping is becoming essential as multiple nations prepare for sustained lunar operations.And after 35 years in orbit, the Hubble Space Telescope is still delivering stunning science, with a new gallery of images showing protoplanetary disks where planets are being born around young stars.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Sponsor Links:This episode of SpaceTime is brought to you with the support of Squarespace. When it's time to get a presence online, go with the folks who support us...and build the best websites easily. No hassles. You can check out their special offer for SpaceTime listeners by visiting our special URL....Click HereSpaceTime with Stuart Gary Gary - Series 29 Episode 6In this episode of SpaceTime, we explore groundbreaking discoveries in astrophysics, including the confirmation of Betelgeuse's elusive companion star, a spectacular black hole event, and the BepiColombo spacecraft's approach to Mercury.Betelgeuse's Companion Star ConfirmedAstronomers have finally confirmed that the red supergiant star Betelgeuse has a companion star, named Saguara. Utilizing data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories, researchers traced the influence of Saguara as it interacts with Betelgeuse's outer atmosphere. This discovery sheds light on the star's peculiar brightness variations and its eventual fate as it nears a supernova explosion, which could occur at any time in astronomical terms.A Black Hole's Powerful FeastIn a remarkable observation, astronomers witnessed a black hole shredding a massive star in what is described as the most powerful event of its kind ever recorded. Known as a gravitational tidal disruption event, this phenomenon released energy equivalent to 400 billion times that of our Sun, surpassing even the most energetic supernovae. The event, cataloged as AT 2024WPP, offers new insights into black hole behavior and the dynamics of stellar destruction.BepiColombo's Journey to MercuryThe BepiColombo spacecraft is nearing its orbit insertion around Mercury after a seven-year journey. Launched in 2018, this multi-spacecraft mission will study Mercury's surface, magnetic field, and interaction with solar activity. The mission consists of two orbiters that will work in tandem to gather comprehensive data about this enigmatic planet, promising to enhance our understanding of planetary formation and evolution.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesAstrophysical JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical SocietyEuropean Space Agency ReportsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-your-guide-to-space-astronomy--2458531/support.

The Space Show Presents A Special Open Lines Discussion, Sunday, 1-11-26Quick summaryThis program focused on discussing space industry developments and future predictions for 2026, with participants exploring topics like advancements in AI, robotics, and space technology. They debated the influence of private sector leaders like Elon Musk and Eric Schmidt on space policy and innovation, while also examining educational requirements needed to support future space endeavors. The group discussed the potential for breakthroughs in propulsion and energy solutions, as well as the search for extraterrestrial life, though they agreed current technologies would not yield significant results by 2026. The conversation concluded with reflections on how space advocacy might evolve over the next decade, particularly as costs decrease and more private sector involvement emerges.SummaryOur program got underway by discussing Dr. Phil Metzger's list of 20-21 important developments for the space industry in 2026, with John Jossy presenting key items. The discussion highlighted significant developments such as declining launch costs, reusable rocket technology, satellite broadband constellations, and AI-driven applications of satellite data. Negative impacts were also discussed, including supply chain volatility for semiconductors and potential delays in mega constellations due to AI demand and export rules. The Wisdom Team also touched on upcoming programs, including a special edition of the space show and a new Tuesday program featuring a CEO from a European company.We discussed Elon Musk's vision for medical robots and AI, with Marshall expressing both optimism and discomfort about the rapid pace of technological advancement. They explored Musk's plans for Starlink satellites, including in-space maintenance and potential cost savings, though settlement on Mars and the Moon was not extensively discussed. The conversation covered broader topics including AI's impact on labor, universal basic income, and the role of education in a changing world, with John Jossy noting that the discussion was part of Peter Diamandis' Moonshot podcast series.I believe that a valuable part of our overall discussion looked at the influence of innovative leaders in the space sector, with Manuel expressing concerns about the dominance of a few individuals, while David and John Jossy highlighted the need for ethical regulations and oversight. They debated the challenges of supervising innovative leaders like Elon Musk and David Sachs, with John Jossy emphasizing Sachs's role in advising the administration on AI regulations. Marshall agreed with David's point about the difficulty of overseeing geniuses, suggesting that market forces often limit harmful innovations. The part of the program concluded with a discussion on the future of space, including the role of private sectors and state actors, and the potential for partnerships between governments and the private sector.The Space Show Wisdom Team discussed future space exploration and technology developments over the next 10 years. Ryan predicted increased automation and robotics in orbital operations, while Marshall envisioned multiple lunar bases and the construction of space cities for manufacturing and AI development. David noted the absence of discussion on breakthrough propulsion technologies and emphasized the need for innovations that could benefit humanity on Earth. John Hunt mentioned Jared Isaacman's interest in nuclear propulsion for NASA, and Marshall suggested that nuclear fusion could be developed and used for space exploration, though primarily for pushing exploratory satellites.Future space technology and innovation was a topic, focusing on the potential of fusion energy, space solar power, and reduced costs for launching payloads to low Earth orbit (LEO). Marshall highlighted the significance of Starship Block 3, which is expected to significantly lower the cost per kilogram to LEO, enabling more projects and innovations. John Jossy mentioned ongoing developments in wireless power transmission and space-based solar power for AI data centers. David raised questions about the dependency of space innovation on government policies, suggesting a needed potential relationship between public sector support and private sector progress. The group agreed that 2026 could mark a significant breakthrough in space technology, driven by advancements in Starship and reduced launch costs.W also pointed to the potential political influence on emerging technologies, particularly in sectors like transportation and communications, with Ryan noting the significant financial interests at play. Marshall highlighted the challenges of adapting government agencies to innovations like robo-taxis and robo-airplanes, predicting major shifts in how air traffic control and state regulations function. John Jossy emphasized AI as the primary driver of current innovation, citing its impact on industries and venture capital investments, while Marshall and David agreed that AI development is closely linked to changes in energy production and societal education. David stressed the need for a strong educational foundation to support advancements in space and AI, expressing concern about the United States' declining educational performance compared to countries like China and Japan.The Wisdom Team discussed educational challenges in the United States, with John Jossy emphasizing the need to address root causes of poor educational outcomes at local and state levels. Manuel shared examples from Peru and Europe, including a public sector initiative for high-performing students and apprenticeship programs, while John Hunt noted increased STEM requirements in Missouri schools. The discussion highlighted the importance of educating competent individuals to meet future innovation and technology demands, with no clear consensus on specific solutions.The group discussed educational changes over time, with David and Marshall sharing their experiences with calculus and practical applications. They explored the possibility of using AI to improve education systems. The conversation then shifted to the search for extraterrestrial life, with John Jossy stating that current technologies are not advanced enough to detect extraterrestrial life in 2026. The group also discussed the recent announcement by Eric Schmidt of Relativity Space regarding funding for a replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope and three additional telescopes, with a projected cost of at least half a billion dollars. Finally, David posed a question about the future of space advocacy over the next 5-10 years, but the group did not reach a consensus on this topic.Also discussed were future trends in space advocacy and conferences, with Marshall suggesting that in 10 years, conferences might focus more on financing and promoting personal space projects rather than academic presentations. Dr. Zubrin's potential future involvement in space advocacy was mentioned, noting that at 74, he could continue his Mars advocacy work for another 20-25 years. The conversation ended with David announcing upcoming guests for the show, including Guy Schumann from Luxembourg, and a discussion about foreign spaceports, with Mark Whittington preparing a program about international spaceport developments.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223 (Not in service at this time)For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4487 ZOOM Guy Schumann | Tuesday 13 Jan 2026 930AM PTBroadcast 4488 Zoom, DR. ARMEN PAPAZIAN | Friday 16 Jan 2026 930AM PTGuests: Dr. Armen PapazianArmen presents his latest space economics paper which is posted on The Space Show blog for this program.Broadcast 4489 Zoom Dan Adamo | Sunday 18 Jan 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Dan AdamoZoom: Dan discusses the special lunar orbit being used for the Artemis program Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvdZpZuz-WQ Hosted by Tony Darnell. From  Feb 13, 2025. The deep fields taken by the Hubble Space Telescope are now legendary.  Astronomers used the most complicate and expensive instrument ever put into space to stare at nothing, a very risky move, but one that paid off.   What happened when we did the same thing with the James Webb Space Telescope?   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 addition, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is examining a newly discovered cloud of gas and dark matter that may represent a long-predicted but never-before-observed “failed” galaxy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This show has been flagged as Clean by the host. In our next look at the game mechanics for Civilization V we examine the topic of Science and how to win a Science victory. This is something that has been in Civilization from the very beginning, but in Civilization V there are some changes worth addressing. Playing Civilization V, Part 7 Science In most respects this is not all that different in Civ 5. Most of the techs are the same, there is a tech tree that is pretty similar, and you need to keep up in Science for any victory condition you are seeking. You may want to just beat your enemies into submission, but if you are using Chariots while they have Tanks, you aren't going to have success. But also it is obvious that if you are going for a Science victory, you need to really focus on this. So many of these tips should be followed for any victory condition, but should be mandatory if you are going for a Science victory. The mechanics of researching technologies is that you have to accumulate a certain amount of Science to discover a new technology, but this amount goes up over time, so you have be continuously looking to increase your output of Science to keep up. for instance, one of your first Techs would be Pottery, which has a cost of 35 Science. But in your Capital city you get 3 Science from your Palace, and let's say you have a population of 2, so you are generating 5 Science per turn. That means you will research Pottery in 7 turns. But the Education tech costs 485 Science, Astronomy costs 780, Scientific Theory costs 1650, Plastics 4700, and Particle Physics 6000. These are all key techs to advance your Science to a Science Victory. So you can see that you need to be continually increasing your Science. To start with, Population=Science. You get one Science for every one point of population. That does not, however, mean that you need to have a lot of cities to get there. 4-5 well developed cities are quite sufficient, and adding more cities can cause Unhappiness problems. Since higher population itself can cause Unhappiness there is no good reason to add to the problem. Buildings The next boost you can give to Science is by building city improvements. The first, which comes early in the game, is the Library, which is available once you research Writing. A Library boosts the Science output of a city by one Science for every two citizens (roughly a 50% boost, rounded down), so building those early pays off. Because advancing through the tech tree is a process of accumulating Science, the earlier you can get these boosts the better. The other population-based boost is the Public School (available when you research Scientific Theory), which also boosts Science by one for every two citizens, and also offers a Specialist slot for a Science Specialist. And since more population means more Science, the Granary (available when you research Pottery) is a good building because it helps to grow your population. There is one other building worth mentioning which is the Observatory (available when you discover Astronomy). It doesn't depend on population, but on location. You have to have a city that is located directly next to a Mountain to build this, but it adds 50% to the Science output of the city. Mountains are otherwise useless (unless you are the Incas), but if you want a Science boost and happen to see good location (the ideal spot is an isolated mountain that is not part of a mountain range so you don't lose farming and mining production) this can be great boost. Scientist Specialists You can at a certain point take some of your citizens out of the farming and mining and turn them into Specialists, but you have to have a slot for them, and those slots come in buildings as well. We've already mentioned Public Schools providing one slot. Universities (available when you discover Education) provide 2 slots, as well as boosting the city output of Science by 33%. The other Science building, which comes late in the game, is the Research Lab (available when you discover Plastics) which adds another Specialist slot, plus 4 Science, and then adds 50% to the Science Output of the city. It comes too late to help much in most of the Tech Tree, but is essential to research the Space techs, which are very expensive. Wonders The first one to try for is the Great Library. It gives you a free Library in the city, +3 Science per turn, and a free tech. Use the free tech to get an expensive tech like Philosophy. Oracle provides 1 Great Person Point per turn towards a Great Scientist. Hanging Gardens provides +6 Food per turn (boosting your population), and a free Garden which boosts your Great Person Points by 25%. Leaning Tower of Pisa increases your Great Person Points by 25% in all cities, plus a free Great Person of your choice when you build it. Porcelain Tower gives you +50% from Research Agreements, plus a free Great Scientist. and Hubble Space Telescope provides two Great Scientists, a free Spaceship Factory in the city where it was built, and +25% production for spaceship parts. All of the above are World Wonders, which means you are in competition with other players to build them, and only one player can be successful in each case, so you won't get them all. You can sometimes rush a World Wonder by “chopping”, i.e. using your workers to cut down Forests for added production, but you need to have high production cities to build Wonders in general. There is one National Wonder to focus on, though, the National College. Every player can build their own version of any National Wonder. The National College can be built only when you have a Library in every one of your cities. Your strategy should be to build it as soon as possible, so don't build more than 3-4 cities before you get to this. It gives you +3 Science, plus an increase of 50% in the Science output of the city you build it in. Great Scientists As you work on your Science you will accumulate Great Person Points towards getting a Great Scientist. Some wonder produce Great Person Points, and all of your Science Specialists produce Great Person Points as well. As these add up you will suddenly see a Great Scientist appear. In the early game, the best thing to do is use this Great Scientist to build an Academy. Move the GS to any tile within your city and create the Academy there. It will yield at least +8 Science, bu there are also modifiers that can add to that. The alternative which is better later in the game is to use the Great Scientist to get a free Tech discovery. The reason is that early in the game that +8 Science is very significant, and it can accumulate over time. Combine that with things like an Observatory and a University that increase the city output and it can add up nicely over time. But by perhaps the Medieval Era, and certainly the Renaissance Era, you start running out of time for that accumulation. Meanwhile, the techs have gotten so expensive that a free Tech is the better option. Research Agreements These become available once you research Education. You have to have a Declaration of Friendship with the other player to create one. You each put a certain amount of gold into the pot to fund the research, and after a period of time (usually 30 turns) you each get an amount of Science from it. The way it is calculated is based on the partner that produced the least amount of Science during the agreement. From a science standpoint if you are ahead in Science it probably won't benefit you to enter into the agreement. But it does build your relationship with the other player so I wouldn't avoid them altogether. If you are behind in Science it can help you, of course. Policies and Ideologies Given that you should probably be building tall (4-5 cities) instead of wide (8-12 cities), it makes sense to start out with Tradition instead of Liberty. But once you get to the Renaissance you will want to enable the Rationalism tree to maximize your Science. When you get to Ideologies, you have a choice to make. Ignore Autocracy as that is not a Science-oriented choice. If you have 3-5 cities, Freedom is the best Ideology because Specialists require less food (Civil Society), and have reduced Unhappiness (Universal Suffrage). With a wide strategy (more than 5 cities) Order starts to look better. Getting Worker's Faculties will give +25% Science from every Factory. Exploration and Techs Exploration is generally a good idea for a variety of reasons, but one to focus on here is the effect of meeting other players. In the first place, if you find other players who have researched techs you do not yet have, you can trade for them. You do this whenever possible. Remember, the other players will all be trading with each other anyway, so if you don't participate you will simply fall behind. If you have a nice tech and can trade it to just two other players, you will jump up two techs along the tech tree, and that can be huge. If you hold onto it as a secret, some other player will research it, and they will trade it and get that boost instead. So trade whenever you can. Another advantage is that when you discover that another player has a tech you don't have yet, your cost to research it goes down. Trade This is the next Science boost we will cover. when you set up a trade route with either another player or a City-State, one of the benefits can be an increase to your Science. The main benefit of trade routes is money, at least the way I play, so I will always start by looking for the best addition to my Treasury, but if I can choose between equivalent monetary rewards but one trade route offers more Science I might prefer that if I am going for a Science victory. Choosing an Empire There are many Empires you can play, and some of them are oriented to a Science victory. The two obvious choices are Babylon and Korea. Babylon gets a free Great Scientist when you discover Writing, which is very early, so you should use it to put down an Academy. And it earns Great Scientists 50% faster. Korea's advantage comes from +2 Science from all specialists and from all Great Person tile improvements, plus you get a tech boost each time a Science building or wonder is built in the Capital. Of course, you can win a Science victory with any Empire if you are careful about leveraging your Empire's strengths. For example, Venice and Portugal can rake in the gold in huge amounts, and you can buy a lot of stuff that way. Or with the Celts you generate a ton of Faith, and that can be used to buy buildings and Great Scientists with the right Social Policies. Conclusion This is just a quick overview of the Science path, and there is always more to learn. If you really want to dive into the Science options and get a Science Victory, the Civilization Fanatics site has a pretty good strategy guide at https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/science-victory-guide-any-difficulty.530940/. Links: https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/science-victory-guide-any-difficulty.530940/ https://www.palain.com/gaming/civilization-v/playing-civilization-v-part-7/ Provide feedback on this episode.

Trump orders the U.S.' withdrawal from 66 international groups, Rubio outlines a three-phase plan for Venezuela, Trump invites Colombia's Petro to the White House, Lebanon says that Hezbollah has been disarmed in the south, Trump proposes raising the military budget over 50% to $1.5 trillion, state investigators ‘reluctantly' withdraw from a probe into the fatal ICE shooting of a woman in Minneapolis, a study links weight-loss injections to rapid weight regain, U.K. police face scrutiny over last year's banning of Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans, Japan's nuclear agency loses a phone with sensitive data in China, and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirms the first starless ‘failed galaxy.'  Sources: Verity.News

In November of 2006, University of Arizona's Spacewatch astronomers on Kitt Peak discovered a faint moving point of light in the night sky which appeared to be a garden variety main belt asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. The Minor Planet Center calculated it's orbit and gave it the name 2006 VW139. Five years later when it again moved closest to the Sun the Pan-STARRS group in Hawaii discovered that 2006 VW139 is surrounded by a gas cloud like a comet and it was given a comet designation, 288P. My Catalina Sky Survey teammate Steve Larson is a member of the team of astronomers who use the Hubble Space Telescope to observe asteroids which have comet like burps. Observations by the Hubble Space Telescope between August 2016 and January 2017 clearly show 288P to be two similar, mile diameter, asteroids orbiting each other about 60 miles apart, surrounded by a gas cloud, as they move about the Sun. The Hubble team estimates that about 5,000 years ago this strange object was formed when a rapidly rotating comet nucleus came apart into two large pieces. It's gas cloud is likely to come from volatile ices like carbon dioxide and water vapor which were liberated by solar heating. Objects like this one are very interesting since they may have had a role in bringing water to a bone dry Earth in the early days of our solar system.

SpaceTime with Stuart Gary Gary - Series 28 Episode 153In this episode of SpaceTime, we dive into thrilling new missions and groundbreaking discoveries in the universe.Ramses Mission to Asteroid ApophisThe European Space Agency has greenlit an exciting new mission to study the infamous doomsday asteroid Apophis. The Ramses spacecraft will closely observe the 450-meter-wide asteroid as it makes a close flyby of Earth on April 13, 2029, at a mere 32,000 kilometers away—closer than many satellites. Initially feared to be on a collision course with Earth, further observations have since ruled out the threat of impact. However, the Ramses mission aims to understand how Earth's gravitational forces might affect Apophis during this close encounter, potentially setting the stage for future impacts. The spacecraft will deploy smaller probes to monitor changes in Apophis's orbit, rotation, and surface, providing vital data for planetary defense and insight into the evolution of asteroids.Solving the Mystery of ExistenceIn a groundbreaking study, scientists at CERN have made strides in explaining the universe's existence by observing a slight imbalance in the behavior of matter and antimatter. This charge parity (CP) violation suggests that a tiny difference favored matter over antimatter during the Big Bang, allowing the universe to evolve into its current state. The findings, based on 80,000 decays of the Lambda beauty particle, indicate a significant deviation that could reshape our understanding of the cosmos.The Largest Planetary Nursery Ever SeenAstronomers have discovered the largest planetary nursery ever observed, located in a massive protoplanetary disk around a young star. This chaotic environment, cataloged as IRAS230776707, spans an astonishing 650 billion kilometers and showcases intricate structures that hint at the complex processes of planet formation. The observations, made using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, reveal a unique perspective on how planetary systems may develop in extreme conditions, raising new questions about the dynamics shaping these disks.www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com✍️ Episode ReferencesAstrophysical JournalNatureCERN ReportsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-your-guide-to-space-astronomy--2458531/support.(00:00:00) This is Space Time Series 28, Episode 153 for broadcast on 29 December 2025(00:00:47) ESA's Ramses mission to study asteroid Apophis(00:12:30) CERN's discovery of matter-antimatter imbalance(00:20:10) Astronomers observe the largest protoplanetary disk ever found(00:25:00) New insights into sleep apnea and mental health risks(00:28:30) Potential discovery of a new ancient human species

00:46 How satellite mega-constellations could ruin space-based astronomyThe ability of space-based telescopes to image the distant Universe could be in peril, according to new research investigating the impacts of light-pollution from future satellites. Streaks of reflected light from satellites currently in low-Earth orbit are already seen in telescope images, and planned launches could raise the number of satellites from around 15,000 to over half-a-million. Computer modelling revealed that this drastic increase would result in images taken by instruments like the Hubble Space Telescope becoming unusable by astronomers. The team propose a series of strategies to help mitigate these impacts, preventing this future becoming reality.Research Article: Borlaff et al.11:08 Research HighlightsHow researchers have sped up the trapping of antimatter atoms — plus, how hydrogen fuel emission benefits vary considerably from sector to sector.Research Highlight: Laser cooling traps more antimatter atoms than ever beforeResearch Highlight: Hydrogen fuel isn't always the green choice13:41 The negative consequences of video call glitchesGlitches in video calls are an annoying feature of everyday life, but these brief interruptions could have serious real-world impacts, according to analysis from a team of researchers. In one experiment, the team found that video calls with glitches decreased the likelihood of someone being hired for a job. Analysis of other data suggested glitchy calls were associated with lower chances of individuals being granted parole. The team behind the work think that these visual errors break the illusion that a video call is a real face-to-face conversation, potentially impairing judgements about the quality of the information discussed.Research article: Brucks et al.Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BOqF2XknOc From Jan 12, 2018. Hosted by Tony Darnell. Like this content? Please consider becoming a patron:  https://www.patreon.com/profile/creators?u=2493405 On January 11, 2017 the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescope missions released an amazing flythrough of the Orion Nebula, or M42.  Never before have we had such a detailed look at this naked eye object in two wavelengths.   Using actual scientific imagery and other data, combined with Hollywood techniques, a team at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and the Caltech/Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) in Pasadena, California, has created the best and most detailed multi-wavelength visualization yet of this photogenic nebula.    [Editor's note: You really do want to click on the YouTube link above.]   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 Moon shoots the gap between some bright companions tonight: the planet Jupiter and the star Pollux, the brighter “twin” of Gemini. They climb into good view by about 10:30 or 11, and stand high overhead at dawn tomorrow. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, and it has the most turbulent atmosphere. Hurricane-like storms as big as continents twirl across it. Thunderstorms can produce lightning bolts far more powerful than any on Earth, as recorded by a passing spacecraft. And the storms might produce their own giant hailstones: “mushballs” as big as softballs. The idea was first proposed in 2020. And a study published earlier this year supports it. The study used observations by the Juno spacecraft, which is orbiting Jupiter, along with Hubble Space Telescope and a radio telescope on Earth The study says the mushballs may begin as droplets of frozen water far below the cloud deck. They get caught in updrafts that howl at 200 miles an hour. They’re carried to the tops of the clouds, which can be tens of miles thick. Along the way, the ice mixes with ammonia, forming a slushy liquid. When the balls get heavy enough, they begin to drop. As they descend, they’re coated with fresh ice, giving them a hard shell around a slushy middle – mushballs. The mushballs plunge hundreds of miles below the clouds, where they vaporize – “mushing” into the depths of the giant planet. Script by Damond Benningfield

What is space? What is time? Where did the universe come from? The answers to mankind's most enduring questions may lie in science's greatest enigma: black holes.A black hole is a region of space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. This can occur when a star approaches the end of its life. Unable to generate enough heat to maintain its outer layers, it shrinks catastrophically down to an infinitely dense point.When this phenomenon was first proposed in 1916, it defied scientific understanding so much that Albert Einstein dismissed it as too ridiculous to be true. But scientists have since proven otherwise. In 1971, Paul Murdin and Louise Webster discovered the first black hole: Cygnus X-1. Later, in the 1990s, astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope found that not only do black holes exist, supermassive black holes lie at the heart of almost every galaxy, including our own. It would take another three decades to confirm this phenomenon. On 10 April 2019, a team of astronomers made history by producing the first image of a black hole.A Crack in Everything: How Black Holes Came in from the Cold and Took Cosmic Centre Stage (Apollo, 2025)is the story of how black holes came in from the cold and took cosmic centre stage. As a journalist, Marcus Chown interviews many of the scientists who made the key discoveries, and, as a former physicist, he translates the most esoteric of science into everyday language. The result is a uniquely engaging page-turner that tells one of the great untold stories in modern science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

What is space? What is time? Where did the universe come from? The answers to mankind's most enduring questions may lie in science's greatest enigma: black holes.A black hole is a region of space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. This can occur when a star approaches the end of its life. Unable to generate enough heat to maintain its outer layers, it shrinks catastrophically down to an infinitely dense point.When this phenomenon was first proposed in 1916, it defied scientific understanding so much that Albert Einstein dismissed it as too ridiculous to be true. But scientists have since proven otherwise. In 1971, Paul Murdin and Louise Webster discovered the first black hole: Cygnus X-1. Later, in the 1990s, astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope found that not only do black holes exist, supermassive black holes lie at the heart of almost every galaxy, including our own. It would take another three decades to confirm this phenomenon. On 10 April 2019, a team of astronomers made history by producing the first image of a black hole.A Crack in Everything: How Black Holes Came in from the Cold and Took Cosmic Centre Stage (Apollo, 2025)is the story of how black holes came in from the cold and took cosmic centre stage. As a journalist, Marcus Chown interviews many of the scientists who made the key discoveries, and, as a former physicist, he translates the most esoteric of science into everyday language. The result is a uniquely engaging page-turner that tells one of the great untold stories in modern science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

How do very small galaxies form? What's going on inside them? And what happens when black holes collide? To find out, Dr. Charles Liu and co-host Allen Liu welcome astrophysicist and “Galaxy Detective” Dr. Charlotte Olsen from New York City College of Technology – and you can call her Chuck, too! As always, though, we start off with the day's joyfully cool cosmic thing, the latest announcement from LIGO about the detection of a gravitational wave event in 2023 from the loudest collision we've heard so far. In this case, the wave was caused by the collision of two black holes that created one new black hole about 60x the mass of our Sun and released an entire sun's worth of energy. Charlotte explains why there are many black hole collisions going on, and how LIGO detections are now being combined with data from other gravitational wave detectors to give us more precise measurements. You'll also hear about Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) and their negative impact on Charlotte's research. Charlotte talks about what she looks for in her research, and why it all comes down to “wanting to see more photons” to better validate her modeling. Our first question from the audience comes from Joe, who asks, “What does it mean for the Milky Way to have a bar? Why does it have a bar? And how can such a long bar form?” It turns out that many spiral galaxies like ours have bars, and Charlotte explains a little about bar structure. She brings up the current debate about the stability of these bars, and points out that they actually come in slightly different configurations and that star formation at the ends of the bar has an impact, too. Unlike previous thinking, these bars can develop earlier in galactic evolution and can last a very long time. In other words, as Charlotte puts it, “The bar is always open.” Next, Chuck asks what got Charlotte into astronomy. She describes the inspiration she drew from both the dark skies of Northern California, where she grew up, and from the science fiction she read. She shares a few of her “million and one jobs” she did, including her stint as a bassist in a band. That tees up our next audience question, from Shivani, who asks, “How do you mix music and science? I can't decide if I want to be a scientist or a musician someday – can I be both?” Yes, Charlotte says, and explains why doing both might actually be better. She talks about the value of music, and passion, and hobbies that are more than just hobbies, as well as some of the live music she's been seeing in Brooklyn, Long Island and Queens. Finally, Chuck asks Charlotte about the current passion project she's working on. She tells us how she's looking at a handful of galaxies in multiple wavelengths and comparing them to each other to figure out “what's going on under the hood.” If you'd like to know more about Charlotte, you can connect with her on Bluesky at @charlotteeureka.bsky.social or on her GitHub page charlotteolsen.github.io. We hope you enjoy this episode of The LIUniverse, and, if you do, please support us on Patreon.   Credits for Images Used in this Episode: Visualization of a binary black hole merger consistent with the gravitational-wave event called GW250114. (Note: this is to illustrate the collision of 2 black holes and the subsequent gravity waves generally, it is not specific to the GW230814 event Chuck mentions in the episode) – Credit: H. Pfeiffer, A. Buonanno (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), K. Mitman (Cornell University) Animation of an active galactic nucleus. – Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team. Hubble Space Telescope image barred galaxy NGC 1300. – Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team STScI/AURA Data from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) used to trace the shape of the Milky Way's spiral arms. – Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech #liuniverse #charlesliu #allenliu #sciencepodcast #astronomypodcast #charlotteolsen #blackholes #ligo #gravitationalwave #blackholecollisions #activegalacticnuclei #agns #milkyway #spiralgalaxies #barredgalaxies

When will the last supernova be? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explore types of novas, freaky binary star systems, core collapse, standard candles, and the explosive future of Betelgeuse with astrophysicist Michael Shara.NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: https://startalkmedia.com/show/super-duper-novas-with-michael-shara/Thanks to our Patrons Devon Gromko, Ron C, Blake Flynn, michelle slaughter, Mia Ham, Ryan Jacobs, Philipp Fallon, Ashley Sandfort, Sam, John Munn, Fred Rubin, TJ Kochhar, Zeraka, Jason Huddleston, Richard Ireland Jr, Judy, Darren Lawson, Bob, Rahul Phatak, Santiago Salas Ventura, Nicholas Bartlett, John D Sostrom, Byron E, Jeremy Corbello, Josh Kirkman, Daniel Carneiro, Tommyboi711, Thomas Hall, Keith Rogers, Luke Hargrett, Darren, Tassos Souris, Patrick GRindol, Erin Anthony, Duane Wolfe, PcuriousJ, Greg Gredvig, Trey Nicholson, Torsten Diekhoff, Sergiu Neacsu, Scott Woodman, FredDawg, Corey He, Kolja Milankovic, Jim Ransom, Kris Waygood, Suvi Irvine, Sarath, Cody Knotts, Jose Trejo, Lauren, Maverick91, Gloss, James, AComatoseLemur, and Ivan Dsouza for supporting us this week. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.