Fraser Cain
Universe Today
Dr. Pamela Gay
CosmoQuest
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is one of its most iconic features, first seen hundreds of years ago. Although it’s certainly long-lasting, it’s been changing in size over the last few decades, shrinking and changing in color. Is it fading away? And what can the changes tell us about storms on giant planets?
We’ve looked at Earth’s changing climate, now let’s see what it’s like for another world: Mars. Much looks familiar, but some of it is totally alien, from ice caps of frozen carbon dioxide to planetary dust storms that can obscure the entire world from view.
It’s official! June and July were the warmest we’ve seen since records began over a century ago. Fires are rampant across Canada, and we’re seeing record droughts around the world. Today, we’re going to look at 20 years of climate science, how well does reality match up with the predictions.
Once again, we’ve reached the end of a season here on Astronomy Cast, and it’s time for the summer hiatus. But the Universe never takes a break. What can we expect to happen over the summer while we’re catching up on our reading, building our gardens and planning for Season 17
Recent Episodes
Welcome back to our new season of Astronomy Cast! This episode is a special live show that took place at DragonCon 2016 in Atlanta, GA. Pamela hosted a panel of amazing scientists and engineers who all happen to be women, and they discussed the unsung women of NASA...
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One of the most familiar asterisms in the night sky is the Teapot, in Sagittarius. Today we're going to talk about that and have a bonus conversation about Bertrand Russell's Teapot Argument. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This...
In all fields of science, sometimes more is learned when you fail at what you're trying to do than when you succeed. So what new science discoveries have failed expectations given us in astronomy? Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This...
Every now and then we look up and see bright fiery balls falling from the sky. Don't panic, these are just bolides. Sometimes they leave trails, sometimes they explode, and sometimes they survive all the way to the ground. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes |...
The temperature of the Universe can vary a dramatic amount from the hot cores of stars to the vast cold emptiness of deep space. What’s the temperature of the Universe now, and what will it be in the future? Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to...
In our last episode, we talked about what it’ll take to navigate across the Solar System. In this episode we scale things up and speculate how future civilizations will navigate to other stars and even other galaxies. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump...
It’s hard enough finding your way around planet Earth, but what do you do when you’re trying to find your way around the Solar System? Today we’ll talk about how spacecraft navigate from world to world. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript...
What color is the Universe? Turns out this isn’t a simple question, and one that scientists have really been unable to answer, until now! Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is sponsored by: Swinburne Astronomy Online, 8th...
We all enjoy beautiful, multicolored sunsets. But what causes the brilliant oranges, pinks and purples that we see, and why does it change from day to day and season to season? Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is sponsored...
The discovery of Planet 9 has caused a wonderful, confusing uproar and a flood of misinformation in the news and social media. We'll sort out what we actually know, what things just aren't true, and what things might be possible! Download the show [MP3] | Jump to...
The Solar System is a spinny place. Everything’s turning turning. But if you look closely, there are some pretty strange spins going on. Today we talk about how everything started turning, and the factors that still “impact” them today. Download the show [MP3] | Jump...
We’ve talked about stellar cannibalism and galactic cannibalism, but now it’s time to take this concept to its logical extreme – universe cannibalism. In the multiverse theory of physics we live in just one of a vast range of universes which might interact with each...
Remember when we told you that the Universe is a big place, and anything that can go wrong, inevitably does? Today we talk about what happens when galaxies come together. This is particularly pertinent because our Milky Way will collide with Andromeda in the future!...
Most of the time stars hang around for billions of years. But the Universe is a big place, and anything that can go wrong, inevitably does. Today we talk about what happens when these stars come together. The outcome is violent, and fortunately for you, also...
Last week we talked about knowledge, what we do and don’t know. This week we talk about questions which are impossible to ask, where the answers don’t actually exist. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is sponsored by: ...
There the things we know, the things we don’t know, and the things we can’t know. How do we know which one is when when we’re deciding to fund research and direct our scientific inquiry. Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is...
How much of a challenge is it to get funding for large projects like LIGO? Fraser and Pamela discuss the difficult issues finding "Big Money." Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is sponsored by: Casper, Swinburne...
What kinds of things can we see using gravity, that we may not otherwise be able to see? Pamela will fill us in on the Great Attractor, etc! Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is sponsored by: Swinburne Astronomy Online,...
What do Pamela and Fraser think will happen or be discovered in 2016? What would they like to see in the near future? Download the show [MP3] | Jump to Shownotes | Jump to Transcript This episode is sponsored by: Swinburne Astronomy Online, 8th Light,...