#753: Why is the Moon’s South Pole So Interesting?

It seems like everyone just wants to explore the Moon’s South Pole. What makes this region so special and what are the special challenges that explorers will face. Learn here!

Our Hosts

Fraser Cain
Universe Today

Dr. Pamela Gay
CosmoQuest

Production by

  • Richard Drumm, Audio Engineer
  • Ally Pelphrey, Video Engineer

18 Seasons

700+ Episodes

2018 Winner Parsec Award

#731: Neil Gehrels

#731: Neil Gehrels

Last week we talked about the Neil Gerhels Swift Telescope, this week we’ll be talking about the man behind the mission.

#729: The James Webb Space Telescope

#729: The James Webb Space Telescope

Let’s talk about that giant telescope that’s changing everything. We have been waiting our entire careers to make this episode on the James Webb Space Telescope, AKA the JWST.

Recent Episodes

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? Show...

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

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 saw the first scientific images...

Ep. 649: Why Does Everything Happen on Holidays?

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. https://youtu.be/vJ9JaMGfqsM?t=446...

Ep. 648: Summer Observing

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 for, with or without a telescope....

Ep. 647: Best Sci-Fi Beach Reading

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? NOTE: Video is incomplete due to technical difficulties. https://youtu.be/dF18aVF7mdU Show...

Ep. 646: Long Term Future in Space

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? https://youtu.be/cUZQHC-Xk7k Show Notes | Transcript Show Notes Star Trek: The Next...

Ep. 645: The Future of the ISS

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 has made things complicated....

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. 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....

Ep. 636: Blowing Bubbles

https://youtu.be/DoWq4_zIlu4 We think of space as a vacuum, but there are regions of different density. There are winds blowing from stars and other objects that clear out vast bubbles in space, and look absolutely fantastic in pictures. And might have been critical...