Universe Today Podcast

In this week's questions show I explain why it's still important to do science, even if it's difficult, can we use multiple methods to measure distance, and why the Trojan asteroids don't collect into a single object?

When the largest stars die, it’s usually pretty obvious. Supernovae are visible from billions of light-years away. But recently astronomers watched a massive star just disappear. No explosion, nothing, it just… vanished?

Of course, it could have been dust. It’s always dust. But one intriguing possibility is that the star just imploded directly into a black hole, without the supernova detonation. And if that’s the case, is this happening more often, we just didn’t notice it?

This episode is a segment that we did in the Weekly Space Hangout talking about how astronomers are using masers (water lasers) to measure the expansion rate of the Universe.

You'd think that another, independent way to measure the expansion rate of the Universe would be helpful, but it's only deepened the mystery of the cosmological crisis.

Earlier this year, NASA announced 4 new Discovery-class missions that they were considering. These are low-cost, rapidly-built missions that will help scientists understand some mystery in astronomy and planetary science.

One of these missions is called Trident, and it’s going to be targeting the Planet Neptune. And more specifically, it’s going to be providing close up pictures of its largest moon Triton.

This week, it'll be the last Open Space with Fraser before the show goes on its summer hiatus until September. If you've got some burning space questions, no will be your chance to ask them.

In this week's questions show, I answer what would happen if a supernova exploded right beside a black hole, how do we know that it's impossible to travel faster than the speed of light, can we hitch a ride on an interstellar object, and more...

In this week's episode, I answer questions about alien life, why the ISS is at its current altitude, and of course, many questions about black holes.

Another week, another Open Space. In this week's questions show, I talk about planets orbiting red dwarf stars, if planets could steal moons from each other, and whether or not the space shuttle should have ever been built.

Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets, and still need to confirm thousands more. And over the coming decades, we’ll probably learn of millions of planets, orbiting stars we’ve never heard of.

That’s why it’s reassuring to know astronomers are learning a tremendous amount about the closest star system to our own, Proxima Centauri. In fact, we now know of two planets orbiting the red dwarf star, one of which is in the habitable zone.

As you know, I sometimes throw interviews with me on the feed. And this is one I did about a week ago on the Interplanetary Podcast. We talk about a range of things in space and astronomy, and my portion shows up around the 30-minute mark.

https://www.interplanetary.org.uk/home