astro[sound]bites

In this episode, Shashank and Cormac introduce our new ASB cohost Vivasvaan! Vivasvaan gives us a broad strokes overview of what galaxy mergers are and why astronomers love to study them while giving us a glimpse into his research involving galaxy mergers and machine learning. We also hear about some of the fun things Vivasvaan likes to do such as playing chess, and watching sports.

In this episode, Shashank, Cole and Cormac take a look at the periodic side of time-domain astronomy through the famed, fabled Fourier transform. Cole entreats us to the time lags in blazars and Cormac gives us a weather update on a brown dwarf. Along the way, we discuss some of the instruments, challenges and patterns in periodicity. Flashy and Fashionably Late: the Fascinating Time Lag in Blazar Flares: https://astrobites.org/2026/04/16/flashy-and-fashionably-late-the-fascinating-time-lag-in-blazar-flares/   How’s the Weather Looking on our Nearest Brown Dwarf Neighbors? https://astrobites.org/2026/03/13/hows-the-weather-looking-on-our-nearest-brown-dwarf-neighbors/   Space sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBxn6QGWJNM

In this episode, we take a break from our usual astronomical antics to reflect on sustainability in the cosmos. Cormac, Cole and Shashank explore how the Universe manages to recycle material across all scales, from pepping up prostrated pulsars to cleaning up our orbital backyard. We conclude with a discussion of how analogies are (sometimes over)used in astronomy, and ponder when exactly a supernova remnant begins. Astrobites: Recycle your paper, plastic, and… pulsars? https://astrobites.org/2026/03/31/transitional_millisecond_pulsar The Final Frontier for the Circular Economy https://astrobites.org/2026/04/24/the-final-frontier-for-the-circular-economy Video about Swift boost mission: https://youtu.be/Up0LNTMPnjI

We’ve known about the existence of galaxies for about a hundred years, but how well do we actually know the extragalactic universe? In today’s episode, we dive deep on the earliest galaxies in the universe. Sanika covers her first bite on paradoxical galaxies that seem to be the deadest where we expect them to be alivest, and Shashank shows us a source of hidden mass in ancient galaxies that for once isn’t dark matter.    Astrobites:   The Walking Red: Why are you so quiet and overdense? https://astrobites.org/2026/04/03/walking-red/   Too Massive, Too Early… and Still Not Massive Enough? https://astrobites.org/2026/04/07/too-massive-too-early/   Space Sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BPFHTVMmbQ

In this episode, we dive into the ripples of spacetime with a special focus on gravitational waves. Cole and Cormac are joined by a new host, Sanika, who introduces her research in gravitational wave astrophysics and sets the stage for the discussion. Together, they explore the role of neutron star and black hole mergers in producing gravitational waves, how we detect them, and what they reveal about some of the most extreme events in the universe. The conversation highlights major achievements from detectors like LIGO and Virgo, from the first historic detection to the growing catalog of binary mergers. Looking ahead, they discuss the exciting future of the field, including next-generation observatories and space-based missions like LISA. By the end, you’ll be tuned into the gravitational vibes shaping modern astrophysics. Fact sheet: https://ligo.org/detections/gw250114-10-years-of-gravitational-wave-astronomy/ Questions? [email protected]