Universe Today Podcast

The Dark Energy Survey results are in, an asteroid strike on the Moon would be a boon to science, Mercury might not be totally dead, and NASA continued to test its nuclear rockets. And in Space Bites+ solving the mystery of cosmic expansion close to home.Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube https://youtu.be/NK-zu5eMvJU BONUS PART START AT 17:21 👉 Escape Velocity Space News (EVSN) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDtUsDJGqiI&list=PLo1j35Qh8M1xuXThFgWMJNdHYNBb9gf4U00:00 Intro 00:15 4% Change of YR4 Hitting the Moon https://www.universetoday.com/articles/asteroid-2024-yr4-has-a-4-chance-of-hitting-the-moon-heres-why-thats-a-scientific-goldmine 02:15 NASA's nuclear rockets are back https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-fires-up-nuclear-future-for-deep-space-travel 04:57 Big results from the Dark Energy Survey https://www.universetoday.com/articles/dark-energy-survey-data-reveals-the-tighest-estimates-yet-on-cosmic-expansion 10:06 It's ALIVE (maybe) https://www.universetoday.com/articles/mercury-may-not-be-dead-after-all 11:01 TESS spies 3I/ATLAS https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/3iatlas/2026/01/27/nasas-tess-reobserves-comet-3i-atlas/ 12:06 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts 12:34 Super-Eddington limit black holes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-rapidly-growing-black-hole-is-challenging-super-eddington-accretion 14:37 Circinus Galaxy https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-webb-telescope-peers-into-the-heart-of-the-circinus-galaxy 16:24 Huge gravitational lens https://www.universetoday.com/articles/an-almost-famous-galaxy-cluster-is-the-jwsts-picture-of-the-month 17:12 More space news

What will happen when Earth's magnetic poles flip? Is Andromeda launching hypervelocity stars at us? Can Vera Rubin find a new target for New Horizons? And in Q&A+, could ants evolve to develop space travel?BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 13:52Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QMf2wHMyDWcHere's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/ojaiPqDdsXU?feature=share

Magnetars are a special sauce of neutron stars. They are extremely violent with crazy magnetic fields. But how are they created? Do kilonova neutron star collisions produce them? What do we really know about that? Finding out in this interview.Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Q3JGdARjzTABONUS PART STARTS AT 28:29🟣 Guest: Dr. Genevieve Schroeder https://astro.cornell.edu/genevieve-schroeder https://sites.northwestern.edu/genevieveschroeder/ https://bsky.app/profile/genevieveschroeder.bsky.social📜 No Sign of a Magnetar Remnant Following the Kilonova-Producing Long GRB 211211A ∼1.7 Years Later https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.0974400:00 Intro 01:58 GRB 211211A 09:37 How can you get a magnetar 12:30 Searching for magnetars 16:28 Findings from GRB 211211A 24:01 What happens next 28:29 Off-axis Gamma-Ray Bursts 39:03 Current obsessions 43:18 Final thoughts

How would a rover for an icy moon look like? Which moon should we replace the Moon with? Why put a telescope on the Moon? And what's the probability of Artemis II launching this February? All this and more in this week's Q&A.Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fLMnLaR1wloHere's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/ojaiPqDdsXU?feature=share

Artemis II rolls out to the launch pad, Europe’s comet interceptor mission could fly a little earlier, NASA is racing to build a nuclear reactor for the Moon, and in Space Bites+, bacteriaphages evolved in space learn to kill bacteria in new ways.Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube https://youtu.be/o9kb5caf7vw00:00 Intro 00:19 Comet Interceptor Accelerated https://spacenews.com/esas-comet-interceptor-mission-moves-up-launch/ 02:11 Artemis II Rollout https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-enters-final-preparations-for-artemis-ii-mission 04:14 Chang'e-6 Samples https://www.universetoday.com/articles/analysis-of-change-6-samples-addresses-mysteries-about-the-far-side-of-the-moon 05:50 Moon Reactor Race https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-2030-race-for-a-moon-reactor 08:08 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts 08:31 Potential Ocean Habitability of Enceladus https://www.universetoday.com/articles/enceladus-plumes-may-hold-a-clear-clue-to-ocean-habitability 10:33 Helix Nebula https://www.universetoday.com/articles/gazing-into-the-eye-of-sauron-with-the-jwst 11:48 Lupus-3 https://www.universetoday.com/articles/hunting-for-t-tauri-stars-in-a-dark-cloud 12:43 Galaxy Evolution https://www.yorku.ca/news/2025/12/18/canadian-astronomers-use-webb-to-uncover-milky-ways-turbulent-youth-through-galactic-twins/ 14:50 More space news 17:00 My new smart telescope

Which space object would I want to see with my own eyes? Can you meaningfully contribute to science without an Astronomy degree? Has dark matter always been around? And in Q&A+, my weird relationship with Venus as a planet.BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:39Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube:Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/SiGmJkeCPl8?feature=share

Europa is considered one of the most promising places in the solar system to look for extraterrestrial life. But new studies suggest that we were wrong. That the sub-surface ocean is most probably uninhabitable and lifeless. Why is it so and what does it mean for future missions and search for life? Finding out in this interview. BONUS PART STARTS AT 43:02🟣 Guest: Dr. Paul Byrne https://bsky.app/profile/theplanetaryguy.bsky.social 📜 Europa May Be Lifeless and Unihabitable After All https://www.universetoday.com/articles/europa-may-be-lifeless-and-unihabitable-after-allWatch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Sj3JwQde-b800:00 Intro 00:57 Why life could exist on Europa 10:48 Details of the research 17:57 Potential conditions for life 23:52 Crushing hopes 30:21 What it means for other sub-surface ocean worlds 36:30 The emotional response 43:02 Venus updates 56:32 Current obsessions 01:02:35 Final thoughts

Has AI already written any good science papers? Which are the primary targets for the Extremely Large Telescope? Which is scarier, finding aliens or not finding them? And in Q&A+, what happens if you keep feeding a black hole forever?BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 16:54Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/55VE01fptAMHere's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/SiGmJkeCPl8?feature=share

Gravitational waves revolutionised Astronomy. But LIGO, VIRGO and KAGRA only operate in one spectrum. To detect longer waves we need bigger telescopes. Much bigger. Ones that don't fit on Earth. That is where LISA comes in, which will be humanity's biggest telescope.🟣 Guest: Dr. Stefano Vitale Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AUS8A9J3d5g00:00 Intro 02:43 The evolution of gravitational wave search 05:33 Proving the concept with LISA Pathfinder 15:34 What will LISA see? 31:09 What are the next steps for LISA? 43:17 What happens after LISA? 50:02 Current obsessions 51:43 Final Thoughts

Rubin spots a rapidly spinning asteroid, Congress restores NASA’s funding, Crew 11 is back on Earth for a medical emergency, the Pandora Space Telescope launches. And in Space Bites+, two new exoplanets around a red dwarf could help push the habitable zone out.Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube https://youtu.be/ZBlzQWyhf84🌶️ Add to The Pile of Spice https://www.patreon.com/posts/pile-of-spice-147346705 00:00 Intro 00:15 Rubin Discovers A Record-Breaking Asteroid https://www.universetoday.com/articles/rubin-observatory-spots-fastest-spinning-asteroid-ever 02:15 NASA Budget Is Safe For Another Year https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/01/nasas-science-budget-wont-be-a-train-wreck-after-all/ 04:57 First Ever Medical Evacuation from The ISS https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-to-return-spacex-crew-ahead-of-schedule https://www.universetoday.com/articles/follow-spacexs-returning-crew-11-mission-wednesday-night 07:04 Pandora Launched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Ee8Z-sbSU 09:09 Vote Results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts 09:38 A Supernova That Shouldn’t Exist https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-supernova-that-shouldnt-exist 11:43 Solving the Mystery of Blue Flashes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/solving-the-mystery-of-blue-flashes 14:06 Cool Space Images https://www.universetoday.com/articles/young-stellar-objects-are-prominent-in-a-new-hubble-image https://www.universetoday.com/articles/when-baby-stars-throw-tantrums 16:54 BONUS STORY19:03 AI as the Great Filter https://www.patreon.com/posts/147346705

Does Europa Clipper have realistic chances to find traces of life at Jupiter? Can humans stop the Kessler syndrome? How long would Earth survive if it was thrown away from the Solar System? And in Q&A+, what's the current situation with RTG nuclear fuel?BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:11Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GJGctXIYZ-wHere's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/yUqB8vkD4cE

Would we even notice if 3I/ATLAS smashed into Jupiter? What are the plans for next gen space stations? Is it okay that most succesful space corporations are run by billionaires? And in Q&A+, what the hell is a Thorne–Żytkow object?BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:04Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZHdlHSv-OgQHere's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/yUqB8vkD4cE

A galaxy without stars, the wake of Betelgeuse’s companion star, a privately-funded Hubble class telescope, and could there be exomoons at TRAPPIST-1? And on Space Bites+, seeing an event horizon in 3D.Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ilHG9OvMdmo🌶️ Add to The Pile of Spice https://www.patreon.com/posts/pile-of-spice-147346705 👉 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts00:00 Intro 00:17 A galaxy with no stars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-galaxy-that-never-was 02:08 Hubble detects the wake of Bettelbuddy https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasa-hubble-helps-detect-wake-of-betelgeuses-elusive-companion-star/04:31 JWST finds new objects astonomers can't explain https://www.universetoday.com/articles/as-puzzling-as-a-platypus-the-jwst-finds-some-hard-to-categorize-objects 06:25 Private initiative for a Hubble replacement https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/01/eric-schmidt-will-massively-invest-in-private-telescopes-including-hubble-replacement/ 08:48 Problems for potential life on Europa https://www.universetoday.com/articles/europa-may-be-lifeless-and-unihabitable-after-all 10:52 Rare lensed supernova https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-discover-a-bright-supernova-using-gravitational-lensing-for-the-first-time 12:36 Vote results 13:12 A mathematical solution for lunar dust problem https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-sticky-problem-of-lunar-dust-gets-a-mathematical-solution 15:28 Potential for exomoons in TRAPPIST-1 system https://www.universetoday.com/articles/could-trappist-1s-seven-worlds-host-moons 17:02 Decades-long supernova timelapse https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-releases-the-long-awaited-video-of-keplers-supernova-remnant 18:16 BONUS STORY19:57 Pile of Spice https://www.patreon.com/posts/pile-of-spice-147346705

Can we find a use for the L3 Lagrange point? How long do the Voyagers have left? Which goals do we have for telescopes that are being built? And in Q&A+, arguably the most important technology we can focus on?BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:07Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/59zez1t-Xo8Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/gENBle2AVDk

What exciting science can we expect in 2026? Can dark matter be black holes or even something else? Does light travel forever? And in Q&A+, could a rogue planet pass through the Solar System?BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 16:10Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bPQWwQFcNmUHere's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/gENBle2AVDk

There is growing mistrust in experts and expertise. Not just in space but in practically any field. Why do people stop trusting experts? What processes are behind it? What can we do to fix it? Finding out in this interview.🟣 Guest: Dr. Frederic Bertley https://www.fredericbertley.com/Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/N3e2oISXWqU

Can we find siblings of the Sun? Is the expansion of the Universe symmetrical in all directions? Which molecules can be considered biosignatures? And in Q&A+, I answer a tricky question about Star Wars vs Star Trek.BONUS QUESTION START AT 18:33Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IGbFcmWjYd4Here's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/gENBle2AVDk

Will Titan become habitable when the Sun expands? What is the next target for the Event Horizon Telescope? Could we see light from the Sun's past? And in Q&A+, a quick update on the search of Planet 9.BONUS QUESTION START AT 18:00Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Bk3JZCNzdPwHere's a link to the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/gENBle2AVDk

LLM and Generative AI seems to be everywhere. But at the same time it generates a lot of AI slop in all forms. However, there are really good ways we can use LLMs for science. How can we do it in astronomy? Can we teach ChatGPT or Gemini to do good science? Finding out in this interview. Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LF22szp7ouoBONUS PART STARTS at 40:59🟣 Guest: Nolan Koblischke https://nolank.ca👉 AION Search https://astronolan-aion-search.hf.space/ 00:00 Intro 02:30 Using LLMs for Astronomy purposes 10:30 Training LLMs 31:42 LLMs potentially contributing to new science knowlegde 40:59 Which part of astronomy is it most useful in 49:48 Current obsessions 58:11 Final thoughts

The best spacecraft images of 3I/ATLAS, maybe Titan doesn’t have a liquid ocean, planetesimals crashing in a nearby star system, and the first superkilonova. And in Space Bites+, astronomers are finding more exoplanet candidates that might have atmospheres.Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/35YuMlCSgQg00:00 Intro 00:14 More Activity from 3I/ATLAS https://www.universetoday.com/articles/esas-juice-mission-reveals-more-activity-from-3iatlas 02:28 We May Have Lost an Ocean World https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-solar-system-loses-an-ocean-world 04:48 Catastrophic Collision Spotted in Fomalhaut https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-hubble-witnesses-catastrophic-collisions-in-the-fomalhaut-system 07:34 Crashing Exocomets https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-hubble-witnesses-catastrophic-collisions-in-the-fomalhaut-system 09:30 Superkilonova https://www.universetoday.com/articles/did-astronomers-just-find-a-superkilonova-double-explosion-maybe 11:47 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts 12:15 "They Live" galaxies https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-jwst-found-a-jekyll-and-hyde-galaxy-in-the-early-universe 14:02 BONUS STORY https://www.universetoday.com/articles/five-new-planets-and-the-battle-for-their-atmospheres17:08 More space news 17:50 Wrapping up 2025