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Astronomy Cast

Science Podcasts

Take a fact-based journey through the cosmos. Tune in to hear weekly discussions on astronomical topics ranging from planets to cosmology. Hosted by Fraser Cain (Universe Today) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (Planetary Science Institute), this show brings the questions of an avid astronomy lover direct to an astronomer. Together Fraser and Pamela explore what is known and being discovered about the universe around us. Astronomy Cast is supported thru patreon.com/AstronomyCast.

Location:

United States

Description:

Take a fact-based journey through the cosmos. Tune in to hear weekly discussions on astronomical topics ranging from planets to cosmology. Hosted by Fraser Cain (Universe Today) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (Planetary Science Institute), this show brings the questions of an avid astronomy lover direct to an astronomer. Together Fraser and Pamela explore what is known and being discovered about the universe around us. Astronomy Cast is supported thru patreon.com/AstronomyCast.

Language:

English


Episodes

Ep. 700: The Things We Got Wrong

12/4/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 700: The Things We Got Wrong by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Nov 27, 2023. Astronomers talk about all the amazing discoveries they’re making but sometimes, it turns out, they were wrong. After decades and centuries of discoveries, how have they changed their minds? This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Ed BogieNet Brian Cagle David Truog Gerhard Schwarzer David Nicholas Cunningham THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:29:24

Ep. 699: Holiday Gift Giving Ideas for Astronomy and Space Fans

11/27/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 699: Holiday Gift Giving Ideas for Astronomy and Space Fans by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Nov 20, 2023. Just a warning, the holidays are rapidly approaching. It’s time, once again, to think about what to buy all the space nerds on your lists. Here’s what we like. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Ed BogieNet Brian Cagle David Truog Gerhard Schwarzer David Nicholas Cunningham THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:32:26

Ep. 698: Insights Into the Universe

11/20/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 698: Insights Into the Universe by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay From Nov 5, 2023. How the time flies. It’s been over a year since JWST went operational, with other missions joining the fun. What new insights have we gained about the Universe thanks to these powerful new tools? Recorded live during the 2023 Hangout-a-Thon on November 5. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Ed BogieNet Brian Cagle David Truog Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:31:44

Ep. 697: Mission Roll Call Part 6: The Outer Solar System and Beyond

11/13/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 697: Mission Roll Call Part 6: The Outer Solar System and Beyond by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live November 4th, 2023.. Finally, we reach the end of our tour through the missions in the Solar System. Out beyond Mars, to Jupiter, the Kuiper Belt and Beyond. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Ed BogieNet Brian Cagle David Truog Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:30:45

Ep. 696: Mission Roll Call Part 5: The Science at Mars

11/6/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 696: Mission Roll Call Part 5: The Science at Mars by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Oct 30, 2023. Another week, another review of space missions in the Solar System. Today we set our sights on the red planet. What are all the active missions at Mars today? This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:40:17

Ep. 695: Mission Roll Call Part 4: Lunar Exploration

10/30/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 695: Mission Roll Call Part 4: Lunar Exploration by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Oct 23, 2023. Our journey through missions continues, this time we focus on the Moon. There are many nations on the Moon, near the Moon, around the Moon, traveling to the Moon. It’s a lot. We’ll talk about it today. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:35:46

Ep. 694: Mission Roll Call Part 3: Sun, Mercury, and Venus

10/23/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 694: Mission Roll Call Part 3: Sun, Mercury, and Venus by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Oct 16, 2023. Our journey through space missions continues. Now we move away from the Earth to the rest of the solar system. What’s out there orbiting, roving and flying on other worlds and in interplanetary space. Today we look inward and we’ll talk about the missions studying the Sun, Mercury and Venus. Thank you to all of our patrons who allow us to do this! This week I'd like to thank Jeremy Kerwin, Stuart Mills, Slug!, Harold Bardenhogan, Matthew Horstman, Kimberly Reich, Georgie Ianov, Scott Bieber, Jim Schooler. Marco Yarasi, David Gates, Alex Cohen, Justin Proctor, Claudia Mastriani, Scott Cohen, Disastrina, Kinsaya Pianflinko, Mathias Hayden, The Big Squish Squash!, Tim Garish, Gregory Singleton, Tim McMackin, Jeff Wilson Cooper, Paul D Disney, Benjamin Mueller, Ninja Nick, Kenneth Ryan, Eran Segev, Scott Briggs and Bruce Amazine. Thank you all so much!

Duration:00:33:54

Ep. 693: Mission Roll Call Part 2: Looking Outward from Earth

10/16/2023
Astronomy Cast Episode 693: Mission Roll Call, Part 2: Looking Outward from Earth by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Oct 9, 2023. Last week, we brought you up to speed on the spacecraft which are helping to study Earth from above. Many of our missions are in Earth orbit but looking outward to study the Universe. Today, we’ll talk about the missions close to home, helping us understand our place in the cosmos. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:29:55

Ep. 692: Mission Roll Call Part 1: Earth Orbit

10/9/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 692: Mission Roll Call Part 1: Earth Orbit by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay It’s time for another series! This time we’re gonna look at the missions that’re currently in place across the solar system. Today we’ll start with the key missions here on Earth, studying the planet from above and looking out into the Universe.

Duration:00:29:36

Ep. 691: Jupiter’s Changing Red Spot

10/2/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 691: Jupiter’s Changing Red Spot by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Sep 25, 2023. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is one of its most iconic features. First seen hundreds of years ago. Although it’s certainly long lasting, it’s been changing in size over the last few decades. Shrinking, changing in color. Is it fading away? And what can the changes tell us about storms on giant planets?

Duration:00:29:14

Ep. 690: Climate on Mars - From Ice Caps to Dust Storms

9/25/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 690: Climate on Mars - From Ice Caps to Dust Storms by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Sep 18, 2023. We’ve looked at Earth’s changing climate, now let’s see what it’s like for another world: Mars. Much looks familiar, but some of it is totally alien, from ice caps of frozen carbon dioxide to planetary dust storms that can obscure the entire world from view. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:29:46

Ep. 689 - Our Warming World: 20 Years of Climate Science

9/18/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 689 - Our Warming World: 20 Years of Climate Science by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Sep 11, 2023. It’s official! June and July were the warmest we’ve seen since records began over a century ago. Fires are rampant across Canada, and we’re seeing record droughts around the world. Today we’re going to look at 20 years of climate science, how well does reality match up with the predictions. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:37:55

Hiatus Message

7/10/2023
Astronomy Cast - Hiatus Message by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Once again, we’ve reached the end of a season here on Astronomy Cast, and it’s time for the summer hiatus. See you in September!

Duration:00:04:24

Ep. 688: What’s Next? Looking Ahead to Season 17

7/3/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 688: What’s Next? Looking Ahead to Season 17 by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Jun 26, 2023. Once again, we’ve reached the end of a season here on Astronomy Cast, and it’s time for the summer hiatus. But the Universe never takes a break. What can we expect to happen over the summer while we’re catching up on our reading, building our gardens and planning for Season 17? This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:32:48

Ep. 687: Prepping for the Moon

6/26/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 687: Prepping for the Moon by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay We’re going back to the Moon. In the next few years humans will set foot on the Moon again, ideally this time to stay. But this will be different than the Apollo era, going to the scientifically fascinating, and difficult southern pole of the Moon. What needs to be done to prepare the way back to the Moon? This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:34:02

Ep. 686: Ice In The Shadows

6/19/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 686: Ice In The Shadows by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Ga Streamed live on Jun 12, 2023. The permanently shadowed craters on the Moon are the focus of so much research. That’s because they seem to contain vast reserves of water ice. Water we could use for oxygen, propellant and so much more, but also, to help us understand where the Earth’s water came from. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:27:20

Ep. 685: Manufacturing In Space

6/12/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 685: Manufacturing In Space by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Jun 5, 2023. Launching satellites from Earth is counter-productive. You’ve got to make a satellite that can handle Earth gravity, then the brutal flight to space, then deployment in orbit. What if you could build your spacecraft in space? This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:29:32

Ep. 684: Too Big, Too Soon: Massive Early Galaxies Defy Expectations

6/5/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 684: Too Big, Too Soon: Massive Early Galaxies Defy Expectations by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on May 29, 2023. One of JWST’s top jobs is to peer deeper into the Universe than ever before, watching as the first galaxies came together. Surprisingly, astronomers found galaxies that seemed much more mature than expected, much earlier than it was believed possible. What’s going on and what does it mean for cosmology? This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Venkatesh Chary Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Jeanette Wink Gerhard Schwarzer David BogieNet THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:29:13

Ep. 683: Cosmic Dawn

5/29/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 683: Cosmic Dawn by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on May 22, 2023. After the cosmic microwave background radiation was released, the Universe returned to darkness, cloaked in this clouds of primordial hydrogen and helium. Gravity pulled these vast clouds into the first stars, and then the first galaxies. This is Cosmic Dawn, and JWST will help us probe this mysterious time in the Universe. This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Venkatesh Chary Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Jeanette Wink Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:26:54

Ep. 682: Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies & Dark Matter

5/22/2023
Astronomy Cast Ep. 682: Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies & Dark Matter by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Ga Streamed live on May 15, 2023. Astronomers first noticed the strange behaviors of rotating galaxies almost 100 years ago, suggesting there’s an invisible dark matter hold them together with gravity. Or maybe we just don’t understand how gravity works at the largest scales. Observations are much better now, and astronomers have found examples of galaxies that are almost entirely made of dark matter. Does this tell us anything? This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Venkatesh Chary Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Jeanette Wink Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

Duration:00:28:33