Episodes - Spacepod

229: What do asteroids smell like?

Spacepod

The asteroid Bennu, as photographed by the OSIRIS-REx mission. (Source)

A question from Sabine, age 5. Dr. Christopher Snead answers. For more on Dr. Snead's work, see Episode 184 of Spacepod.

Do other planets really have diamond rain?

Spacepod

Neptune as seen by the Voyager 2 spacecraft. Source.

Dr. Sabine Stanley answers. For more about planetary insides, check out her book, "What's Hidden Inside Planets".

227: What is the fastest asteroid?

Spacepod

3I Atlas, as imaged by Gemini Observatory. (Source)

Dr. Michael Busch answers. Do you know a kid with a space question? Upload it at listentospacepod.com and I’ll do my best to get an answer!

226: The intersection of computer science and astronomy with Dr. Kubica

Spacepod

By Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA/B. Quint - https://noirlab.edu/public/images/iotw2207a/, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128254763

" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dr. Jeremy Kubica talks about his work on the LINCC Frameworks project, and how he brings together astronomers and computer scientists to create software tools. He shares advice for students and talks about his books, which explain computing concepts in fun and accessible ways.

225: A newly discovered Martian volcano with Dr. Lee

Spacepod

Dr. Pascal Lee.

Dr. Pascal Lee tells the story of how he and his collaborators found a new volcano on Mars. He tells us about the "convergence of lines of evidence" that led to this discovery. He also explains why this site may be a good place to look for life.

224: Aurora borealis with Tina Ibsen

Spacepod

Astrophysicst Tina Ibsen. Image credit: Emil Hougaard.

Astrophysicist Tina Ibsen tells us about the northern lights. She talks about her research and gives tips on how to observe the lights. She tells us how Denmark is a space nation and shares her thoughts about the future of space exploration. We also talk about RumSnak, the space podcast she co-hosts with Anders Høeg Nissen.

223: Preparing for something we haven't seen yet with Dr. Holt

Spacepod

Dr. Carrie Holt talks about how she's getting ready for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. She explains how astronomers are using simulated and real data to prepare in advance of this new data.

222: Measuring the emptiness of space with Dr. Becker

Spacepod

Dr Tracy Becker tells us about solar system science using ultraviolet light. She explains how the color of a planet's northern lights depends on the planet's atmosphere. She also describes how scientists repurposed the New Horizons spacecraft to measure how empty space is.

221: The queens of heaven with Prof. Tauris

Spacepod

Professor Thomas Tauris explains what gravitational waves can tell us about colliding neutron stars. He corrects Carrie's misconception about how gravitational waves affect people. He also explains how the last 400 years of astronomy have been like watching a silent movie, but now with gravitational waves, we have a soundtrack.

220: Walking on the roof of hell with Prof. Stanley

Spacepod

Prof. Sabine Stanley. Image Credit: Heidi Markley.

Prof. Sabine Stanley, author of "What's Hidden Inside Planets," tells us how the interior of Earth helps make this planet a nice place to live. She tells us that the Earth's mantle is actually solid rock, not liquid rock. She also explains what the Earth's interior and birthday balloons have in common.

Spacepod listeners can get a 30% discount on "What's Hidden Inside Planets" with the code HPLAN if you order through Hopkins Press at press.jhu.edu. (This code is shared as a courtesy, Spacepod does not receive compensation if you order a book.)