Ep. 301: Planetary Migration

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB) We’re so familiar with the current configuration of the planets in the Solar System, but did the planets always orbit in this way? Did they form further out and then migrate inward to their current positions? And what about other star systems out...

Ep. 295: The Observable Universe

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB) We understand our place in the Universe because of our direct observations. We can see the light that traveled billions of light years across space to reach us. This sphere of space is the observable universe; everything we can detect. But it’s really...

Ep. 294: The Arecibo Observatory

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (0.0KB) The mighty Arecibo Radio Observatory is one of the most powerful radio telescopes ever built – it’s certainly the larger single aperture radio telescope on Earth, nestled into a natural sinkhole in Puerto Rico. We’re celebrating the 50th...

Ep. 293: Earthquakes

We always say that the Universe is trying to kill you, but actually, the Earth isn't so fond of you either. Certain parts of planet Earth are prone to earthquakes, where the planet's shifting plates can cause the ground to shake violently. We've had a few devastating earthquakes in recent years, but do they also happen on other worlds?

Ep. 292: The Oort Cloud

The very outer reaches of the Solar System is a region of space known as the Oort Cloud, which may extend as far as a light-year from the Sun. We only know about the Oort Cloud because that's where long-period comets come from, randomly falling into the inner Solar System from time to time.

Ep. 291: Shockwaves

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (23.2MB) As a meteor crashed into the atmosphere above Russia, the world discovered the importance of shock waves; how they’re caused and how they propagate through the atmosphere. Today we’ll discuss the topic in general and find many examples where...