The Supermassive Podcast

By The Royal Astronomical Society

History

What's The Supermassive Podcast about?

This is The Supermassive Podcast from the Royal Astronomical Society. Every month, science journalist Izzie Clarke and astrophysicist Dr Becky Smethurst take you through the universe with the latest research, history from the society’s archives and astronomy you can do from your own home.

Support the team by buying their book, The Year in Space - https://geni.us/jNcrw

You can send your questions to the team via [email protected], tweet @RoyalAstroSoc or follow them on Instagram @SupermassivePod.

The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media Production by Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham.

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LAST EPISODE

47: Neptune... At Last!

11.28.2023

They've done it. It has taken them all year but Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst have reached the final planet in our solar system; Neptune. Dr Leigh Fletcher from the University of Leicester is back to cover the basics ...

The Supermassive Podcast episodes:

11.28.2023 47: Neptune... At Last! They've done it. It has taken them all year but Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst have reached the final planet in our solar system; Neptune. Dr Leigh Fletcher from the University of Leicester is back to cover the basics ...
11.14.2023 46: BONUS - Space News Bulletin Bizarre free-floating planets in space, the retrieval mission from a 4.6 billion year old asteroid, and the first images from our dark universe. Join Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst, and Dr Robert Massey as they take you through the latest ...
10.27.2023 46: Q&A - Spice Girls, Black Holes, and Ice-Cream in Space It's been a while, so Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert dive into The Supermassive Mailbox for a Q&A; Special. How is the mass of a star determined? Does JWST have fuel to come back? And is it possible for Voyager ...
10.13.2023 45: BONUS - Have you heard of "Ploonets"? What is the furthest distance away we’ve ever observed? Why hasn't Venus lost its atmosphere from solar winds? Is Mercury a Ploonet? And how stable is the moon's orbit? It's another bonus episode with Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and ...
09.29.2023 45: Uranus the Oddball Izzie and Dr Becky have done episodes on Mars, gas giants, Saturn and Jupiter individually, so it’s about time that Uranus gets its own episode. And just so we're clear, it's UranUs, not UrAnus. Professor Leigh Fletcher from the University ...
09.18.2023 44: BONUS - Team Enceladus or Team Europa? What does Saturn look like? Why is Venus hotter than Mercury? Can the solar wind generate electricity on the Moon? Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert dive into The Supermassive Mailbox and answer your questions. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin ...
08.28.2023 44: Here Comes the Sun...with NASA's Head of Science This month, Izzie and Dr Becky are off to the Sun…Partly because the UK summer has been rubbish but mostly because there are a lot of things we still don’t know about our local star. Joining them on their voyage ...
08.11.2023 43: BONUS - Aimless telescopes & beyond the Milky Way Could we detect exoplanets outside of the Milky Way? Could the Euclid Telescope disprove what we know about dark energy and matter? Are we just pointing telescopes aimlessly at patches of space? And is it possible for two black holes ...
07.28.2023 43: Most of the Universe is missing... The Supermassive Team have spent the last three years attempting to talk about ALL the stuff in space. But that only makes up 5% of our universe. Where the heck is the rest? This month, Izzie and Dr Becky dive ...
07.06.2023 42: BONUS – White holes, astrology and why is Venus so hot? What’s a white hole and could one appear above the Earth tomorrow? Do different cultures sort stars into similar patterns? Why is Venus so hot and how do the Supermassive team cope when someone calls them an astrologer? Dr Becky ...
06.22.2023 42: A (brief) History of Astronomy Dr Becky and Izzie dust-down the Supermassive Tardis to explore the history of astronomy. From fossilised baboon bones and baby lamas to Einstein and black holes, the Supermassive team discovers how we came to understand the Universe the way we ...
06.13.2023 41: BONUS - Why do Gas Giants exist? Can JWST see galaxies at different life stages? What is a "former" constellation? And why do we see Jupiter in monochrome? This month, Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey take on your questions from The Supermassive Mailbox. ...
05.27.2023 41: BIG Observatories We love stargazing on The Supermassive Podcast, so we thought it was about time we had an episode on the future of ground-based telescopes. From the brilliant named Extremely Large Telescope to the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, Dr Aprajita Verma ...
05.13.2023 40: BONUS - Are Lunar Poles Arbitrary? What's the most efficient way of space travel? How does longitude change your night sky view? Why does M87* look different? This month, Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey take on your questions in The Supermassive Mailbox. ...
04.29.2023 40: Becky Loves Saturn It's FINALLY happening. Izzie is letting Dr Becky have an entire episode about her favourite planet, Saturn. Professor Geraint Jones from UCL's Mullard Space Science Laboratory tells the Supermassive Team about the Saturnian system. Plus, Professor John Zarnecki shares his ...
04.07.2023 39: BONUS - Do black holes stop time? Are gravitational waves destructive? Will the universe ever expand faster than the speed of light? Should we only send robots to space? This month, Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey take on the BIG questions in The ...
03.24.2023 39: Jupiter The Monster Izzie and Dr Becky explore the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. What do we know about this big ol’ planet? And what are the missions that will find out even more? The team is joined by Scott Boulton, ...
03.10.2023 38: BONUS - More Comets, Less Asteroids Is there a Cosmological Horizon? Can we change a comet's orbit to see more of them? What's the most distant human-made object in space? Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert dive into The Supermassive Mailbox to answer your questions. Want to ...
02.24.2023 38: Gettin' Gravitational Wave-y The Supermassive team take on their toughest challenge (and most tenuous title) yet…Gravitational Waves. Izzie and Dr Becky explore what they are and ask how the heck to detect something so small? With special thanks to Prof. Mark Hannam from ...
02.11.2023 37: BONUS - The Supermassive Mailbox You spoke. We listened. We're releasing more episodes! Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert answer your questions in this first bonus episode of The Supermassive Podcast. How hard is life for an astronomer that's a morning person? How do we know ...
01.31.2023 37: Q&A - Black Hole Burps and Space Station Pacman Can a black hole eat a black hole, whole? Is there a Universal now? Which household appliances wouldn't work on the International Space Station? Izzie Clarke puts your questions to Dr Becky Smethurst, Dr Robert Massey and Richard Hollingham. Here ...
12.21.2022 36: Stargazing with Team Supermassive Find out what happened when Izzie Clarke and Dr Robert Massey used a 12 tonne telescope at an observatory in Herstmonceux, Sussex. Plus, Dr Becky Smethurst explains the benefit of using space telescopes and takes on your questions. With special ...
11.25.2022 35: Astronaut Special: Returning to the Moon The Astronaut Alarm is in overdrive... Izzie, Dr Becky, and his excellency Richard Hollingham have not one but TWO astronauts on this month's episode. From the archive, Richard speaks to NASA astronaut Gene Cernan about Apollo 17 and being the ...
10.27.2022 34: How to Deflect an Asteroid Terrified that an asteroid could wipe out the planet? Don’t panic…the Supermassive team are here to help. Izzie and Dr Becky talk to Professor Alan Fitzsimmons about the results of the DART asteroid deflection mission and Samuel L Jackson (who ...
09.30.2022 33: Q&A - The Year in Space It's been an exciting time for space exploration, so Izzie and Dr Becky celebrate the year in space.... co-incidentally the title of The Supermassive Podcast's book which is out in October. How do plants grow in the ISS? Has JWST ...
08.27.2022 32: JWST First Images... FINALLY! Izzie and Dr Becky freak out over the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope. From seeing the deep (not so deep) field with Steve Wilkins from the University of Sussex, to exploring exoplanet atmospheres with Dr Hannah Wakeford ...
07.29.2022 31: Life on Mars - LIVE from Standon Calling The Supermassive team dust off their wellies and peg down their tents for Standon Calling. And to celebrate 10 years of NASA's Curiosity rover landing on Mars, Izzie and Dr Becky are asking the question everyone at the festival wants ...
07.01.2022 30: Rocky Planets Rock Izzie and Dr Becky are flying closer to home to look at the Rocky Planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. How are they different? How are they similar? And can understanding their past tell us anything about Earth’s future? Plus, ...
05.31.2022 29: Gas Giants are Weird From hexagonal shaped storms to spinning sideways, Izzie and Dr Becky are exploring our weird and wonderful Gas Giants. Joining them are Dr Tom Stallard from the University of Leicester and Dr Robert Massey, Deputy Director of the Royal Astronomical ...
04.30.2022 28: How to Kill a Galaxy How does a galaxy evolve and die? Izzie and Dr Becky find out with help from Tim Davis at Cardiff University. Plus, Dr Robert Massey from the Royal Astronomical Society answers your questions and explains how to spot galaxies in ...
03.25.2022 27: How to Build a Galaxy Izzie and Dr Becky are attempting to tackle the massive subject of building a galaxy. Professor Mike Merrifield from The University of Nottingham explains how galaxies form and our very own galaxy expert, Dr Becky, tells us why they come ...
02.25.2022 26: The Marvellous Moon Who doesn’t love looking up at the moon?! Joining Izzie and Dr Becky, Professor Katherine Joy from the University of Manchester explains what past and future lunar missions can tell us, and Dr Megan Barford from Royal Museums Greenwich gives ...
01.28.2022 25: A Supermassive Q&A! The Supermassive team is finally doing something about all the questions that have been sent in. It’s Q&A; time! From "fluffy" planets, to cake on the moon, join Izzie Clarke as she puts your questions to Dr Becky Smethurst, Dr ...
12.24.2021 24: Eclipses & Expeditions Join Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey as they explore eclipses; what are they and how have they been studied throughout history? Plus Izzie Clarke visits the Royal Astronomical Society Library to discover what the society has in the ...
11.26.2021 23: The End of the Universe What will the end of days actually look like? And how will it happen? This month, Izzie and Dr Becky explore the end of the Universe with cosmologist Dr Katie Mack - author of The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking). ...
10.29.2021 22: JWST - Seeing the First Stars Finally, Izzie and Dr Becky are talking about the James Webb Space Telescope but why is this telescope so impressive? NASA’s Keith Parrish, the observatory manager for Webb, covers the basics and Professor Gillian Wright, the principal investigator for the ...
10.01.2021 21: Icy Worlds Wrap up warm, because this month Izzie and Dr Becky are exploring the icy worlds in the solar system. To help, they're joined by Caroline Harper, Head of Space Science at the UK Space Agency, to discuss the new mission ...
08.27.2021 20: Firey Worlds Izzie and Dr Becky are turning up the heat and exploring the fiery worlds in our solar system. From planets close to the Sun to a distant world of volcanoes and lava. Joining them are planetary scientist Professor David Rothery ...
07.30.2021 19: Radiation Belts and Billionaires This month it’s all about the trapped charged particles around our planet - the Van Allen radiation belts. Izzie and Dr Becky find out all about them with the help of Dr Maria Theresia Walach from Lancaster University, and Dr ...
06.25.2021 18: A Hunk of Space Junk Grab your dustpan and brush… This month, Izzie and Dr Becky get to grips with the leftovers from space activity, it's all about space junk. Joining them are engineer Dr Hugh Lewis from the University of Southampton, who models how ...
05.28.2021 17: Hunting for Planet 9 Is it a planet? Is it a black hole? Is it even real? This month, Izzie and Dr Becky try and get to the bottom of the mysterious planet nine - an enigmatic - and so far invisible - ninth ...
04.23.2021 16: Mysteries of the Kuiper Belt “It’s like the evidence left over after a crime.” This month Izzie and Dr Becky venture into the outer Solar System to explore a sea of weird rocks, a squashed snowman and ice volcanoes on a demoted planet. They are ...
03.26.2021 15: Neutron Stars - with Jocelyn Bell Burnell "I was tracking down every signal that it picked up, and there was one signal that I couldn't make sense of." Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell gives Izzie and Dr Becky a neutron star 101 and tells them how she ...
02.26.2021 14: A Star Is Born This month, Izzie and Dr Becky are shining a light on the first stars in the Universe. When did they form? And could any still exist today? Plus, they explore the life of Cecelia Payne Gaposchkin, the astrophysicist who discovered ...
01.22.2021 13: New Year, New Universe Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst are kicking off the new year with the beginning of everything, the Big Bang. They speak with Professor David Wands who explains how our universe began, and dive into the historical debate behind this ...
12.18.2020 12: Gamma Rays & Christmas Stars This month, Izzie & Becky are taking astronomy to the extremes with gamma ray expert, Professor Paula Chadwick, and Professor Julian Osborne from the SWIFT Observatory. Plus, Robert Massey shares his top tips for stargazing at home and how best ...
11.20.2020 11: Radio Skies & Strange Signals It’s about time we gave optical telescopes a break! This month, Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst explore radio astronomy with Professor Tim O'Brien from the UK's Jodrell Bank Telescope and Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith, former project scientist for the Australian ...
10.23.2020 10: Humans In Space - with Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti Why do we need astronauts? And where are we hoping to send them in the future? This month, Dr Becky Smethurst and Izzie Clarke explore the role of humans in space exploration and are joined by European Space Agency Astronaut ...
09.25.2020 9: The Power of Space Probes Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst travel through our solar system; where exactly have we sent probes and rovers? Plus, they speak with Professor Jane Greaves, the scientist behind that Venus discovery, and Robert Massey joins to chat about all ...
08.28.2020 8: Journey to the Centre of the Earth Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst explore the importance of Earth's core and magnetic field. Plus, the team finds out about the astronomer who sailed the seas in the name of science and Robert Massey joins to chat about all ...

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