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 (SIUE), 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 through individual donations and the sponsorship of Swinburne Astronomy Online.
http://www.astronomycast.com
episode 586: Astronomy Cast Ep. 586: Life As We Know It: Habitable Exoplanets & Extremophiles
As scientists continue to explore the Earth. They're discovering life, surviving and even thriving in extreme environments. What hints can this give us about what we might find as we search for live on other worlds.
episode 585: Astronomy Cast 585: Super Earths, Mini-Neptunes & Gas Dwarfs
Astronomers are finding even more new extrasolar planets and they're starting to discover entirely new categories. There are classes of planets out there that we just don't have any analog here in the solar system. Let's talk about them!
episode 584: Astronomy Cast Ep. 584: Sample Return Missions From Asteroids
Astronomy Cast Ep. 584: Sample Return Missions From Asteroids by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay So with a sample of asteroid Bennu firmly inside OSIRIS-REx's return capsule, it's time to bring this treasure home. So scientists can study the...
episode 583: Astronomy Cast Ep. 583: The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics
This year's Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three brilliant researchers who worked out some of the secrets of black holes. Today we're going to talk about the chain of discoveries that led to this award.
episode 582: Astronomy Cast Ep. 582: Building Bigger Black Holes
Did you hear the news? Nobel prizes for Black Holes! Now, we know there are stellar mass black holes and supermassive black holes, but how do you get from one to the other? How do black holes get more massive?
episode 581: Astronomy Cast 581: Other Kinds Of Novae
Don't ever accuse us of not comprehensively covering every kind of exploding star. This week we gather up all the left over ways that stars partially or fully explode or don't. Probably. Enjoy!
episode 580: Astronomy Cast Ep. 580: Exploding Dwarfs
Astronomy Cast Ep. 580: Exploding Dwarfs By Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay So you think that a white dwarf star is the end of a stellar life, and it's all downhill from there, a long, slow cool down towards the end of everything. But in some...
episode 579: Astronomy Cast 579: White and Black Dwarf Stars
Astronomy Cast 579: White and Black Dwarf Stars by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay I've got some bad news for you. Stars die. At some point in the next few billion years or so our Sun is going to start heating up, using up all the fuel in its core,...
episode 578: Ep. 578: Venus Updates - or - Life on Venus?!?
So have you heard the news? Of course you have. Evidence of phosphene on Venus. Which could be a biosignature of life on our evil twin planet. There have been a lot of surprising stories about Venus, so let's get you all caught up!
episode 577: Astronomy Cast Ep. 577: Mars in Opposition
Astronomy Cast 577: Mars in Opposition by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Every 2 years or so Mars lines up nicely with the Earth. It takes only 2 minutes to communicate with the rovers. You can see the polar ice caps in a small telescope. And it's...