Universe Today Podcast

By Fraser Cain

Space news, interviews, Q&As, and exclusive content from Universe Today.

Audio versions of Fraser Cain YouTube channel.... more

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FAQs about Universe Today Podcast:

How many episodes does Universe Today Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 1,381 episodes available.

Universe Today Podcast episodes:

February 01, 2025 [Interview] Here's Why We Need A Venus Exploration Program
Venus is closer than Mars. It's more Earth-like. We can bring back samples from it. But it's chronically underexlored. This is why we need a Venus Exploration Program!
👉 Watch the bonus part about Mars Sample Return:
https://www.patreon.com/universetoday
🟣 Guest: Dr Paul Byrne
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2412.06830
00:00 Intro
01:35 Current state of Venus exploration
08:08 Venus Exploration Program
16:41 Technological advancements
23:32 Venus Sample Return
27:05 Why Venus at all
38:36 Big scientific question
57:07 Current obsessions
📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/qshaDSStFPY
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
📩 CONTACT FRASER
[email protected]
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Support Universe Today Podcast
...more
1h 3min
January 31, 2025[Space Bites] Building Blocks of Life // Giant Volcanic Activity of Io // Bacteria Outside the ISS
The building blocks of life have been found in asteroid samples, the most volcanic activity ever seen on Io, astronauts are searching for bacteria on the outside of the space station, and Ingenuity found surprisingly fast wind speeds on Mars.
🚀 Watch our videos with no ads:
https://www.patreon.com/c/universetoday/posts
👉 TRAPPIST-1 Interview
https://youtu.be/B8H4EnbKkgU?si=yx3T0c04AC2fRg8c
00:00 Intro
00:19 Building blocks for life in OSIRIS-REx samples
https://www.universetoday.com/170693/the-building-blocks-for-life-found-in-asteroid-bennu-samples/
03:08 First launch for an asteroid mining company
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/01/astroforge-selects-target-for-high-risk-seat-of-the-pants-asteroid-mission/
05:47 Record-breaking volcanic activity on Io
https://www.universetoday.com/170655/juno-sees-a-massive-hotspot-of-volcanic-activity-on-io/
07:08 2 planets 1 star
https://www.universetoday.com/170673/massive-gas-giant-planets-locked-in-a-gravitational-struggle/
08:39 Microbes outside the ISS
https://www.universetoday.com/170658/astronauts-are-going-to-check-if-there-are-microbes-on-the-outside-of-the-station/
10:31 Vote results
https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community
11:04 Ingenuity and wind speeds
https://www.universetoday.com/170619/ingenuity-measured-windspeeds-on-mars-during-its-flights/
12:43 M87 changing over time
https://www.universetoday.com/170642/watching-the-changing-m87-black-hole-event-horizon/
14:45 Predicting solar flares with AI
https://www.universetoday.com/170687/machine-learning-could-have-predicted-the-powerful-solar-storms-in-2024/
17:02 More space news
17:42 Flood of interviews
📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/heXfIiyl0GU
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
📩 CONTACT FRASER
[email protected]
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Support Universe Today Podcast
...more
20min
January 30, 2025[Q&A] Biggest Possible Crowbar, Sun Illusion, Measuring Temperature on the Moon
How big can a space crowbar be? Why does the Sun look bigger near the horizon? How do we measure temperature on the Moon? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show.
👉 Watch the extended Overtime Q&A:
https://patreon.com/universetoday
00:00 Start
00:23 How do we measure temperature on the Moon or in space?
03:51 Can you see more of the Milky Way in the Southern Hemisphere?
06:07 What is metallic hydrogen?
10:16 Is the Sun bigger near the horizon?
12:45 What's Gaia's role in the distance ladder?
15:45 How big can a crowbar be in space?
📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/aMrsKgJPnxA
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
📩 CONTACT FRASER
[email protected]
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Support Universe Today Podcast
...more
21min
January 29, 2025[Interview] Alien Atmosphere Inspector. The Pandora Telescope
NASA is launching a new telescope this year called Pandora. It'll be specifically inspecting atmospheres of exoplanets. It even uses spare parts from JWST. Learning more about the Pandora telescope in this interview.
🟣 Guest: Dr Ben Hord
https://pandorasat.com/
🦄 Support us on Patreon:
https://patreon.com/universetoday
00:00 Intro
01:31 What is the Pandora mission
07:37 Target selection
13:38 Spare detector from JWST
16:59 Fighting stellar contamination
26:32 An alternative for TRAPPIST-1
28:57 What's next for Pandora
35:05 Current obsessions
38:18 Final thoughts
📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/96Ee8Z-sbSU
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
📩 CONTACT FRASER
[email protected]
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Support Universe Today Podcast
...more
40min
January 28, 2025 [Q&A] Riding a Comet, Moon Ore Veins, Internet on Mars
Did we find ore veins on Moon or Mars? Can we see astronomical objects in 3D? Can we catch a ride on a comet? How will the internet work on Mars? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A.
👉 Watch the extended Overtime Q&A:
https://patreon.com/universetoday
00:00 Start
00:23 Did we find ore veins on Moon or Mars?
05:13 Is it harder to land on the Moon or on Mars?
10:40 What are the potential supernovae we could see in our lifetime?
12:41 Can we hitch a ride on a comet?
14:16 What will the Mars colony internet be like?
17:45 How to communicate with Mars when it's blocked by the Sun?
📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/d-0WXmUKPRU
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
📩 CONTACT FRASER
[email protected]
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Support Universe Today Podcast
...more
22min
January 27, 2025[Interview] An Ultimate Guide to TRAPPIST-1 System
What's going on with the TRAPPIST-1 system? Did James Webb find atmospheres or not? Do any of the planets have a chance to be habitable? When should we expect more information? Answering all these questions in this interview.
👉 Get the extra part for free here:

https://www.patreon.com/universetoday
🟣 Guest: Megan Gialluca
https://depts.washington.edu/astrobio/wordpress/profile/megan-gialluca/
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:43 TRAPPIST-1b
00:17:45 TRAPPIST-1c
00:35:12 TRAPPIST-1d
00:40:06 TRAPPIST-1e, f, g, h
00:42:19 The problem of stellar contamination
01:03:50 Current obsessions
📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/B8H4EnbKkgU
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
📩 CONTACT FRASER
[email protected]
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Support Universe Today Podcast
...more
1h 13min
January 24, 2025[Space Bites] Flapping Moon Flag // Real-Time Black Hole Jets // Insane Exoplanet Winds
What happened to Starship during test flight 7? Astronomers see a black hole’s jets forming in real-time. Curiosity finds ripples of an ancient shore, and an insanely high-resolution image of Andromeda captured by Hubble.
🚀 Watch our videos with no ads:
https://www.patreon.com/c/universetoday/posts
00:00 Intro
00:19 What happened to Starship during Flight 7
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-7
02:25 Black Hole jets forming in real-time
https://www.universetoday.com/170504/black-hole-jets-seen-forming-in-real-time/
03:37 Flapping flag on the Moon
https://www.universetoday.com/170350/chinas-change-7-will-include-a-flag-that-will-flap-on-the-moon/
05:35 Super fast winds on an exoplanet
https://www.universetoday.com/170549/supersonic-winds-blowing-on-an-extreme-exoplanet/
06:55 Non-solo hot Jupiters
https://www.universetoday.com/170538/hot-jupiters-can-co-exist-with-other-planets/
08:19 Vote results
09:06 Predicting solar flares
https://www.universetoday.com/170547/coronal-loops-flicker-right-before-the-sun-unleashes-big-flares/
10:56 Why Mars has two different hemispheres
https://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/new-marsquake-data-could-help-solve-one-of-our-solar-systems-biggest-mysteries
12:35 Open water marks from Curiosity
https://www.universetoday.com/170532/curiosity-finds-ancient-wave-ripples-on-mars/
14:13 2.5 Billion pixels of Andromeda
https://www.universetoday.com/170498/hubble-takes-a-2-5-gigapixel-image-of-andromeda/
15:45 NIAC season
📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/EOe9tozfYn4
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
📩 CONTACT FRASER
[email protected]
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Support Universe Today Podcast
...more
18min
January 23, 2025 [Q&A] Using Jupiter's Lagrange Points, JWST Staying in Place, Fighting Mars' Low Gravity
How does JWST stay in L2 and not drift away? What is the wait calculation for Alpha Centauri? How can we use Jupiter's Lagrange points? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show.
👉 Get an extra Overtime Q&A episode:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/overtime-for-qa-120485354
00:00 Start
00:26 How does JWST stay in L2?
02:57 What is the 'wait calculation' for Alpha Cen?
06:49 Why don't they just ... wear weights to compensate for low gravity?
08:57 Can two telescopes act as an Earth-sized binocular?
14:25 Why so few timelapses?
16:15 Can we do anything interesting at Jupiter's Lagrange points?
📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/xfS9_1li3XE
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
📩 CONTACT FRASER
[email protected]
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Support Universe Today Podcast
...more
21min
January 22, 2025[Interview] Fundamental Limits of Life
To look for lifer in space we need to understand it. What fundamental boundaries does it have? What limits are imposed on life? Finding out in this interview.
🦄 Get the extra part for free here:

https://www.patreon.com/universetoday
🟣 Guest: Dr Ricard Solé
https://santafe.edu/people/profile/ricard-sole
📜 Fundamental constraints to the logic of living systems
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsfs.2024.0010
👉 More interviews:
This Element Is Critical for Extraterrestrial Life. And It's Not Carbon https://youtu.be/Ppc3zzMTJTs
What The Hell Is Life? And How Do We Search For It? https://youtu.be/Eaa_b2tkiKQ
What Happens If We Find Extraterrestrial Life? https://youtu.be/2_buH0GXFx8
00:00 Intro
01:26 Fundamental constraints
08:28 Information as a limiting factor
16:16 Fundamental logic of cell structure
23:25 Computer programming VS life
24:56 Limits for life
33:57 Current obsessions
38:16 Bonus part and more interviews
📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/b7D2AhNTprU
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
📩 CONTACT FRASER
[email protected]
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Support Universe Today Podcast
...more
41min
January 21, 2025[Q&A] Galactic Age of the Sun, Evidence for Dark Matter, Contamination of Mars
Did we already contaminate Mars with life from Earth? When will we find the first intergalactic object? How do we know dark matter is in the center of the Milky Way? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show.
👉 Get an extra Overtime Q&A episode:
https://patreon.com/universetoday
00:00 Start
00:26 Did we already contaminate Mars?
06:42 When will we discover a first intergalactic object?
11:19 How do we know that dark matter in at the center of the Milky Way?
14:44 Biggest night sky events of 2025?
15:57 What's the Solar System's ecliptic orientation in our galaxy?
17:57 How many laps did the Sun make around the Milky Way?
19:00 How do astronomers use JWST?
21:40 Why don't more people work with the data from telescopes?
📺 VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/SU3_svRJYUc
📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter
🎧 PODCASTS
Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/
Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
📩 CONTACT FRASER
[email protected]
⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Support Universe Today Podcast
...more
30min

FAQs about Universe Today Podcast:

How many episodes does Universe Today Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 1,381 episodes available.

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