As we’ve mentioned before, the Universe is trying to kill you. And for astronauts, that’s truer than ever. One step out into the vacuum of space would be a world of hurt for an unprotected astronaut: the freezing cold temperature, the lack of atmospheric pressure, and the deadly radiation, just to name a few hazards. That’s why the smart astronaut always puts on a spacesuit first. Let’s take a look at the smallest spaceship around.

Our Hosts
Fraser Cain
Universe Today
Dr. Pamela Gay
CosmoQuest
Production by
- Richard Drumm, Audio Engineer
- Ally Pelphrey, Video Engineer
Ep. 120: The Christmas Star
With Christmas just around the corner, we thought we’d investigate a mystery that has puzzled historians for hundreds of years. In the bible, the birth of Jesus was announced by a bright star in the sky that led the three wise men to his birthplace. What are some possible astronomical objects that might look like such a bright star in the sky? And were there any unusual events that happened at that time?
Questions Show: Different Fields of Astronomy, Our Sibling Stars, and Hidden Lagrange Points
This week we find out the difference between an astronomer, an astrophysicist, and a cosmologist, the search for the stars that shared our nebula, hidden objects in Lagrange points, and much more..
If you’ve got a question for the Astronomy Cast team, please email it in to info@astronomycast.com and we’ll try to tackle it for a future show. Please include your location and a way to pronounce your name.
Ep. 119: Robots in Space
Space is totally inhospitable. If the freezing temperatures don’t get you, the intense radiation will kill you. Or the vacuum, or the lack of breathable atmosphere, or meteoroid impacts. Well… you get the idea. That’s why most space exploration is done by hardy robots. They don’t need to eat, drink or breathe. They get their energy from the Sun, and they’ve proven they’ve got the right stuff to explore every planet and major moon in the Solar System. Let’s hear it for the space robots.
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