astro[sound]bites

How fast is the universe expanding? It turns out this important value, the Hubble constant (H0), is under constant debate. The two main teams have numbers that disagree by over 5 standard deviations! Today on a[s]b, we resolve the Hubble tension once and for all, as Cormac and Kiersten square off in the Great H0 Debate. Cormac comes in with feist and facts while Kiersten engages with rebuttal and reason. In the end, there can only be 1 winner, and that’s for you to decide! Vote here for the winner of the debate, what the true value of H0 should be, and what we got wrong in the episode (we tried our best!). https://forms.gle/3dybtrhysS9Lvia37 Timeline of the Hubble tension: https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/format:webp/1*oekTYTkZQmw7DxzUaLqDVw.png Astrobites used for this episode: https://astrobites.org/2016/04/20/conflicts-between-expansion-history-of-the-local-and-distant-universe/ https://astrobites.org/2020/05/12/magnets-and-hubble/ https://astrobites.org/2021/04/01/south-polarization/ https://astrobites.org/2021/04/27/bursting-the-hubble-trouble-bubble-measuring-h0-with-fast-radio-bursts/ https://astrobites.org/2023/03/29/multi-messenger-constraints-on-the-hubble-constant/ https://astrobites.org/2023/10/04/holy-cow-is-our-journey-through-the-universe-the-reason-for-the-hubble-tension/ https://astrobites.org/2024/04/16/sn_h0pe/ Space sound: https://www.system-sounds.com/earth-day/. Credit: SYSTEM Sounds/Matt Russo/Andrew Santaguida Article by Subir Sarkhar: https://inference-review.com/article/heart-of-darkness Cool Wikipedia page Will references: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numeral_prefix Chart Kiersten references: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_distance_ladder#/media/File:Extragalactic_Distance_Ladder_en.svg

In this episode, we hear about Kiersten and Will’s epic adventures in both hemispheres! Both Kiersten and Will watched the eclipse that passed through North America on April 8, 2024 and are still buzzing with excitement. Kiersten tells us about a recent paper that explores why planets might act so indecisive about sitting between being a super-Earth or mini-Neptune. Will’s astrobite describes a similarly chaotic exoplanetary tale about a very slow moving planet which “came in like a wrecking ball” and “never hit habitability so hard” (everything in quotations must be sung in Miley Cyrus’ singing voice). All in all, we all share a laugh and an emotionally charged episode! Kiersten’s astrobite: https://astrobites.org/2024/03/28/template-post-22/ Will’s astrobite: https://astrobites.org/2024/03/06/exoplanet-hr-5183-b/ Eclipse XKCD: https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/2914:_Eclipse_Coolness Eclipse Astronomy Photo of the Day: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240409.html Sonification: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8al9FRz-VKY Sonification description: https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/listen-eclipse Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2FRPA3Gf8

In celebration of the a-bit-over-a-week after St. Patrick’s (definitely not Patty’s) Day, we bring you another Ireland-related episode. Due to historically unsupported stereotypes about the Irish being lucky, we bring you two astrobites busting with cosmic coincidences and a dash of luck. Kiersten tells about a plucky planet that avoided a hangry host star, while Will brings us yet another binary black hole bonanza. Cormac shares a bit of an infamous Irish space sound that you could call cosmic comic relief. In the spirit of luck, we talk about the role of luck in our own journeys to space and in the field of astronomy as a whole. This week’s “space sound” - https://www.tiktok.com/@ladbibleireland/video/7278649311334780192?lang=en

In celebration of St. Patrick’s (not Patty’s) Day, we share a super short sneak peek at next week’s episode, featuring fun Irish astronomical facts. We’re calling it the Shamrock Shake-up! In addition to the astronomical facts, Will takes us on a journey to the past with some wild Irish lore of his own! We hope you enjoy what might be our first “Beyond the beyond” episode, and Lá Fhéile Pádraig faoi mhaise daoibh go léir! Intro music excerpt: “Granny hold the candle while I shave the chicken’s lip” - Bodega https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz4IxFy27dw

We talk about gravitational waves again, but this time, in ways you wouldn’t expect. Cormac tells us how you could use gravitational waves to study the interior of the Sun, if the alignment is just right. Sabrina explores whether gravitational waves could be detected by Earth’s magnetosphere through the Gertsenshtein effect. Simultaneously, we learn that Sabrina knows how to pronounce Russian names properly and Will isn’t the biggest fan of theory. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2023/06/20/using-planetary-magnetospheres-to-detect-gravitational-waves/ https://astrobites.org/2023/11/11/using-gravitational-waves-to-peer-inside-of-the-sun/ Additional thematic material: https://astrobites.org/2023/02/08/detecting-gravitational-waves-with-the-moon/ https://astrobites.org/2022/12/22/gravitational-wave-parallax/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273117723009171?via%3Dihub Space sound: https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/sounds-of-the-sun/ Ultra-high-frequency gravitational wave conference: https://www.ctc.cam.ac.uk/activities/UHF-GW.php

In the second episode of the astro[sound]bites series focusing on Indigenous astronomy, we interview Duane Hamacher, a physics professor at the University of Melbourne and a world leading researcher in Indigenous astronomy. Duane shares his journey from Missouri to pursuing a PhD in Australia and immersing himself in the study of astronomy within the Torres Strait community, learning from Indigenous knowledge holders. He tells us how Indigenous peoples around the world have seen astronomy more as a way of life that’s embedded in their culture. Through our discussion, we challenge common misconceptions and gain insight into the profound significance that Indigenous astronomy has held for humanity, long preceding the invention of telescopes. However, our interview only scratches the surface of the field of Indigenous astronomy. Thank you to Prof. Duane Hamacher for taking the time to be interviewed for this episode! (Also sorry for the construction noise in the background of this episode! We hope the exciting interview makes up for it.) Duanes’ book The First Astronomers: https://www.thefirstastronomers.com/

Did you know that Indigenous communities around the world have been doing astronomy since ancient times? Indigenous peoples studied the night sky with great precision. In this episode, we talk to five indigenous astronomers from across the world to understand how their identity and communities shaped their journey to science. Their interviews tell us about their cultures from who their Elders are to how they used the constellations to harvest emu eggs. Thank you to Kirsten Banks, Krystal de Napoli, Hilding Nielson, Bridget Kimsey, and Corey Gray for taking the time to be interviewed for this episode! Check out these astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2018/10/26/additional-arguments-that-aboriginal-australians-observed-variable-stars/ https://astrobites.org/2022/11/11/book-review-the-first-astronomers/ https://astrobites.org/2023/07/01/betelgeuse-betelgeuse-betelgeuse-is-it-supernovatime/ The First Astronomers Book: https://www.thefirstastronomers.com/

Did we mention we’re recruiting two new co-hosts? And also our new Mars Office Manager and Chief Astrologer? Lots of exciting things are happening on a[s]b (and on Mars) in 2024 and we want you to be a part of it! Find out more and apply to be a co-host here: https://astrosoundbites.com/recruiting-2024/. We can’t wait to hear from you.

It’s all about ice, ice, baby! In this episode, Sabrina takes us on a trek to Antarctica. While we hide from Cthulhu, she tells us how the frigid observatory IceCube is using elusive neutrinos to tell us about the Milky Way. Meanwhile, our meteorologist Will does some investigation of the flavors of ice we can expect to find on some potentially habitable planets. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2023/06/29/ https://astrobites.org/2022/01/07/ Space sound: https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/videos/2022/040/01GA960MD71VJ5ZE3EDFRT72NE

In this week’s episode, Cormac has somehow made it to hosting a second time (applause). This time, we discuss the smallest, reddest and exoplanetiest(?) stars - M dwarfs! Find out why we call them that, and why these temperamental ‘tars are interesting for exoplanets. Sabrina tells us about not-so-boring M stars showing complex and periodic behaviour, and Will shares some *gasp* lab work-based results showing that M dwarfs may be more habitable than we think… This week’s episode rounds off with a discussion about what the “Search for Life” really means, and how it’s (sometimes mis)used in astronomy. Astrobites: astrobites.org/2023/11/02/ripples-in-time-the-transient-nature-of-mysterious-m-stars/ astrobites.org/2023/03/22/could-some-earthlings-survive-in-exoplanets-around-m-dwarfs/ Space Sound: “The Sound of Two Black Holes Colliding” by LIGO Lab Caltech : MIT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyDcTbR-kEA

This week, our astro[sound]bites co-host crew starts a dance crew with the help of Kiersten, a former professional ballerina. We get a sample of Kiersten’s ballet skills through her astrobite, which tells us all about the secret spinning life of black holes. Our space sound sounds like something only those black holes could dance to! Cormac takes us through our first ever physics education astrobite on viewing solar eclipses with a disco ball. Do not fret if our dancing analogy still did not get you to put on your tap shoes as we also discuss the importance and diversity of analogies within astronomy and the podcast. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2023/09/01/bhballet/ https://astrobites.org/2023/10/13/doing-astronomy-with-disco-balls/ Space Sound: https://www.mso.anu.edu.au/pfrancis/Music/library/QSOcomp.mp3 Paper on space sound: https://www.mso.anu.edu.au/pfrancis/Music/

In this week’s episode, Cormac makes his hosting debut as we talk about the most pressing threat to modern Astronomy (other than a worldwide coffee shortage) – megaconstellations! Despite sharing a majority of syllables with the collective noun of asterisms we all know and pretend to remember, these formations of hundreds of satellites are becoming more and more of an issue for astronomers. Will tells us about how satellites are sprinkling spectra with a side of the Sun and Kiersten reveals how even the Hubble Space Telescope is not safe from the multi-headed monsters of Musk et al. Join us as we find out that things might not be as bad as they seem, and discuss the pros and cons of these developments. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2023/09/07/satellites-in-weave/ https://astrobites.org/2023/08/10/telescopes_in_orbit/ Space Sound: Handcrafted by Cormac using twotone.io, based on a MESA stellar evolution model by Harim Jin.

In this week’s episode, we meet some of the animals in the neutron star zoo through astrobites with two surprising observations. Will tells us about a mysterious signal from a magnetar that appeared two years ago for 20 minutes and has yet to come back. Meanwhile, Cormac provides Will’s magnetar with some hope by telling us the story of a pulsar signal that appeared 20 years ago and just reappeared recently. Come along for a boomerang of a journey as we discuss observing pulsars from Earth, what it’s like at the pulsars themselves, and all the way back to Earth for a discussion of bad naming and bad programming languages. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2023/07/31/disappearing-pulsar/ https://astrobites.org/2023/08/21/long-period-magnetar/ Space Sound: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/musicshow/the-black-of-the-star--for-percussion-and-pulsar/5011294 Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okeBqktyyS4

Spooky season is here! In this episode, we’re investigating the ghostly disappearances of astrophysical objects. Sabrina does some detective work to solve the mystery of a missing black hole, and Kiersten tries to convince her that Halloween is the best holiday. Meanwhile, Cormac convenes with ghosts of stars to figure out where they have vanished off to. It turns out that gravitational waves are the perfect medium for an astrophysical seance! Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2022/05/10/missing-black-hole/ https://astrobites.org/2023/08/12/vanishing-stars-massive-island/ Space sound: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Xo3HajfkrKQ

We went on summer break (or winter break for our astronomer down under) but JWST did not! In our first episode back, we report on two new JWST Astrobites about exoplanet atmosphere. Kiersten tells us about the search for an atmosphere in a famous planetary system, Sabrina explains how poisonous gasses can signal “pre-life,” and Will appreciates null results that aren’t his own. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2023/08/08/vibe-checking-trappist-1c/ https://astrobites.org/2023/08/19/signs-of-pre-life-jwst/ Space sound: https://chandra.si.edu/photo/2022/sonify5/animations.html

In this episode, astro[sound]bites gets even more international as we welcome our new co-host, Cormac Larkin, based in Europe! We sit down in three different time zones and continents to learn more about Cormac and discuss what we’re each excited about for the next year of astro[sound]bites. Introduction to research with astro[sound]bites: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ztsQ92NeV0Nzhg0ZaohNB?si=a5a06325cb444076 Introduction to exoplanets with astro[sound]bites: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4YQaowzQUGlSiyQdtdglUy?si=9e1201dbabf34ba8

We take a deep breath of exoplanet atmospheres, discussing what JWST is capable of and what it already has accomplished using transmission spectroscopy. In this episode, we learn that Sabrina misses SOFIA, brown dwarfs have sandy clouds, and Will knows a thing or two about Picaso (yes, that’s with one “s”). AND as a tribute to Black Space Week, following up from Episode 76, the papers we presented in this episode were both written by Black astronomers. Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2021/12/22/atmospheres-small-planets-big-telescope/ https://astrobites.org/2022/09/02/jwsts-first-direct-spectrum/ Space sound: HARP. You can sign up to be a part of this amazing citizen science research! https://listen.spacescience.org/

Only 1% of Physics PhDs awarded to US citizens were to Black students in 2019 (according to the American Institute of Physics). In celebration of Juneteenth, we’ve invited the Black In Astro team to chat about their mission to support and highlight Black people in space science-related fields. We hear about their trajectories in space sciences and astronomy and their perspectives on the future. This episode’s release also marks the beginning of Black Space Week hosted by Black in Astro! They tell us how the celebration will be bigger and better in 2023 to continue celebrating Black scientists worldwide. Black In Astro: https://www.blackinastro.com/ Black Space Week 2023: https://www.blackinastro.com/posters-and-advertisements-for-bsw2023 Juneteenth: https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-day-celebration.html Black Representation in Physics & Astronomy: https://astrobites.org/2020/06/12/blackinastro-black-representation-in-astro-physics-and-the-impact-of-discrimination/ American Institute of Physics Report: https://www.aip.org/statistics/reports/trends-physics-phds-171819 Articles: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-021-00361-5 https://hbr.org/2019/11/the-costs-of-codeswitching https://onezero.medium.com/a-break-up-letter-with-astronomy-from-a-young-black-woman-a30de24fe209 https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2022/02/11/does-academia-actually-want-black-professors/?sh=6af2a1b1f4ca https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-diversity-makes-us-smarter/

Did you know that talking about astronomy can actually make you hungry? In this episode, Kiersten and Will take us on a culinary adventure through food themed astrobites. Instead of starting with the main course, Will takes us to Mars for dessert where we dine on a meteorite that initially got confused for a huge piece of chocolate. Then, Kiersten takes us to a stellar cooking class where we learn about the ingredients needed to make small exoplanets and its striking similarities to baking a cake. Sonification & Visualization: Sounds of Exoplanet Systems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idlB8JgKGU4 Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2023/04/29/cacao-meteorite-and-other-fe-ni-meteorites-on-mars/ https://astrobites.org/2022/10/21/the-great-planet-bake-off/

Before we bid our tearful farewells to Alex, Sabrina and Kiersten present and discuss two of his three publications. We learn how Alex developed and deployed a machine learning model to classify supernovae using only photometry from their host galaxies! Now that Alex is a *doctor*, he’s taking his machine learning and supernova expertise to MIT and Harvard. During the episode, Will peppers Alex with some important and some…less than important interview questions. Together the gang explores what happens when you try to replace your friend with an AI. Paper Kiersten presented: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2105.09963.pdf Paper Sabrina presented: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2305.08894.pdf Another of Alex’s papers (for the supernova lovers): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2008.09630.pdf Alex’s inspiration for Will’s space sound: https://twitter.com/alexgagliano/status/1648034047942066176?cxt=HHwWgICw1YSP_94tAAAA