Solar cycle 25 is shaping up to be a doozy, with plenty of flares and coronal mass ejections blasting off the Sun. As the solar activity continues to rise, how are things shaping up?
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17 seasons and more than 600 episodes await.
Ep. 702: Moonshot 2024 – Go or No Go?
With Artemis 1 completing its robotic flight around the Moon, we know that the SLS works. Next comes Artemis 2, with a crew of astronauts flying past the Moon. If that’s successful, we could see humans set foot on the Moon in December 2025. But there is a long list of challenges to consider that could delay things considerably. Go or no go for launch?
Ep. 701: Space Science We Look Forward to in the Next 700 Episodes
Last week we looked back at some of the ideas that science has changed its mind about. This, we look forward, into the future, at some of the big ideas that astronomers are making progress in. What space science are we looking forward to?
Ep. 700: Things We Got Wrong
Astronomers talk about all the amazing discoveries they’re making but sometimes, it turns out, they were wrong. After decades and centuries of discoveries, how have they changed their minds?
Recent Episodes
Ep. 656: Smashing Asteroids for Science!
https://youtu.be/QNZmj1XfpmA This week we saw the incredible image of DART smashing into asteroid Dimorphos. Beyond avenging the dinosaurs, what can we learn scientifically from this and other asteroid/comet impact missions? Download MP3 | Show Notes | Transcript Show...
Ep. 655: 65 Years of Space: Sputnik 1 Anniversary
https://youtu.be/f1ysu0nH1eY It’s been about 65 years since the Soviets launched the first orbital satellite into low Earth orbit: Sputnik 1. Now there are thousands of satellites in orbit, with tens of thousands on the way. Let’s look at the impact that Sputnik had...
Ep. 654: Side Effects of Clean Energy
https://youtu.be/zk8JkaOdnUY To battle climate change, we’ll need to rapidly move to carbon-free sources of energy. But this technology isn’t a free lunch. They require metals, generate waste and deplete the environment. What’s the best way to balance this shift?...
Ep. 653: Climate Change: Looking at the Variables
https://youtu.be/RmqwHtTzpzM Climate change is on our minds these days, with increasing wildfires, droughts and floods. What are the variables that play into a planet’s changing climate, and what can this teach us about the search for habitable planets across the...
Ep. 652: The Rocket Race Toward Reusability
https://youtu.be/juXi4CVJBC8 Last week we talked about how single-use rocketry has changed over time, and the role it still plays in launching payloads into orbit and beyond. Today, we’ll address the stainless steel elephant in the room and talk about the shift to...
Ep. 651: Artemis and the Decline of Single Use Rockets
https://youtu.be/aXu8Hmqkz2M On the day that we’re recording this, NASA’s Space Launch System is about to blast off. But everyone is expecting it’ll be delayed to October. When it does launch, it’ll be the most powerful rocket on Earth. Well, until Starship blasts...
Ep. 650: First Light for JWST
https://youtu.be/8g8eZtvagGY?t=211 Well, this is it, we’re finally going to talk about the James Webb Space Telescope. After decades of development, delays and budget creep, the powerful infrared observatory is at its final home at the L2 Lagrange Point. Yesterday we...
Ep. 649: Why Does Everything Happen on Holidays?
https://youtu.be/vJ9JaMGfqsM?t=446 Have you ever noticed that significant space and astronomy events seem to happen during holidays? It’s not a coincidence, there’s actually a reason why. Today we’ll talk about some of the key events that happened during holidays....
Ep. 648: Summer Observing
https://youtu.be/16AOH_JFozU?t=895 Summer is officially, astronomically here. And for folks in the Northern Hemisphere, that means it’s the perfect time to head outside and see what’s happening in the sky. Today we’ll give you a good list of things to keep an eye out...
Ep. 647: Best Sci-Fi Beach Reading
https://youtu.be/dF18aVF7mdU NOTE: Video is incomplete due to technical difficulties. Summer is here and that means finally tackling your huge list of books piled up on your bedside table and filling up your Kindle. What books do we recommend for some fun reads?...
Ep. 646: Long Term Future in Space
https://youtu.be/cUZQHC-Xk7k We always say that we're living in golden age of space and astronomy, but it feels like things are just accelerating. What does the long-term future hold for our place in the Universe? Download MP3 | Show Notes | Transcript Show Notes Star...
Ep. 645: The Future of the ISS
https://youtu.be/l-8OBX6j66c The International Space Station has been continuously inhabited for over 20 years now, serving as a peaceful collaboration between space-faring nations. But it's a machine, and it's getting old. In addition, the Russian invasion of Ukraine...
Ep. 644: Is Earth… Normal?
https://youtu.be/FWmMwisoBSQ Now that we've discovered thousands of exoplanets, we're learning more and more about what kinds of planetary systems there are out there across the Universe. Are planets like Earth unique or totally rare? Download MP3 | Show Notes |...
Ep. 643: Sagittarius A*
https://youtu.be/dALXUbVaWCs All the waiting is over, we've finally seen the image of the event horizon from the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way. Today we're going to explain the picture, and what's next for the Event Horizon Telescope. Download...
Ep. 642: Is the Sun… Normal?
https://youtu.be/NFR7R6wNxcM We've always assumed that we lived in a perfectly normal system with a normal star and normal planets. It's all... normal. But with our modern understanding of billions of stars, just how normal is our Sun, anyway? Download MP3 | Show...
Ep. 641: Are Planets Alive?
https://youtu.be/VYSO-rb1iLM The Earth is teeming with life, both in the upper atmosphere to kilometers underground. There's no question that our planet has life. But is our planet itself alive? This is a question posed back in the 1970s as the Gaia hypothesis, and it...
Ep. 640: Survey Science: Newest Projects and Results
https://youtu.be/_vWn9c4WaP0 There are general-purpose telescopes and missions that astronomers can use to study specific objects. And there are survey missions that look at the entire sky, which astronomers can use to answer questions about the Universe. We've talked...
Ep. 639: Big Questions Update: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, Hubble Constant
https://youtu.be/R5kSNGxShko Knowledge moves forward, and so, we must move with it. Today we'll give you an update on some of the most fascinating, and fast-changing topics in astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. Download MP3 | Show Notes | Transcript Show Notes...
Ep. 638: Simulating Space Missions
https://youtu.be/QBAf5CVkvTM Although humans have never actually been to Mars, explorers have simulated many aspects of Mars missions here on Earth. There are missions under the ocean, on the tops of volcanoes, in the harsh Canadian north, and even in bed that...
Ep. 637: Machine Learning in Astronomy
https://youtu.be/ISg74n2B4CA Computers are a big part of astronomy, but mostly they've been relegated to doing calculations. Recent developments in machine learning have changed everything, giving computers the ability to do jobs that humans could only do in the past....