365 Days of Astronomy - Weekly Edition

Ep. 779: Milankovitch Cycles

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Jan 12, 2026. Hosted by: Fraser Cain (@frasercain ) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (@CosmoQuest ) Humans live short lives, and from our perspe...

Ep. 778: Dyson Swarms

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Jan 5, 2026. Freeman Dyson asked a fascinating question. What would it look like if a civilization was using all the energy coming fr...

Ep. 777: The Eddington Limit

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Dec 29, 2025. How big can a star get? This is a calculation made by one of the original pioneers of modern astronomy, Sir Arthur Eddi...

Ep. 776: The Matter - Antimatter Dichotomy

29 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Dec 22, 2025. Shortly after the big bang there were almost exactly the same amounts of matter and antimatter in the Universe, but the...

Ep. 775: The Hydrogen 21-cm Line

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Dec 15, 2025. Atomic hydrogen is the raw material for stars, but there’s a problem. It’s cold & dark, but it can do a very rare t...

Ep. 774: How Does Bad Science Happen?

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. Streamed live on Nov 8, 2025. [Editor's Note: Fraser says "Episode 773" at the head of the show. Not to ...

Ep. 773: What Would You Do With $1 Billion For Astronomy?

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. Streamed live on Nov 9, 2025. We are powerless fans of space exploration. But what if some fool gave us ...

Ep. 772: 2025 Gift Guide

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. Streamed live on Nov 9, 2025. It’s time once again for our annual gift giving guide. We’ve got recom...

Ep. 771: Comet Tails

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Nov 8, 2025. With the arrival of the comet 3I/Atlas (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System), the world is getting a crash cou...

Ep. 770: The Ethics of Mars Exploration

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Nov 3, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. It is arguable that humanity now has the technological ability to live on ...

Ep. 769: Little Red Dots

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Oct 20, 2025. New instruments bring new mysteries, and when James Webb came on line it uncovered a collection of strange, compact, br...

Ep. 768: Comets' Unpredictability

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Oct 13, 2025. So it’s been decades since we’ve seen a bright comet in the sky. And actually there was a pair — Hale-Bopp and Hy...

Ep. 767: Black Holes in Extreme Circumstances

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay Streamed live on Oct 6, 2025. You can only describe a black hole by its mass and its spin. And maybe it’...

Ep. 766: How Spacecraft End

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

End-of-Life Planning for Your Spacecraft! Streamed live October 1, 2025. Your spacecraft has reached the end of its mission. You’ve done everything ...

Ep. 765: Rockets vs The Environment

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Sep 22, 2025. We don’t launch a lot of rockets every year, so their impact on the environment is minimal compared to other forms of...

Ep. 764: Cleared For Launch!

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live September 17, 2025. This week, we look at the process behind rockets getting licensed to launch, and everyone around the pad getting not...

Ep. 763: Interstellar Comets

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live Sep 8, 2025. Welcome to the first episode of our 19th season! This week we look at objects coming from other solar systems that come pas...

Ep. 762: Science in Crisis - NASA’s New Budget

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Jun 30, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay Normally we try to end the season on a high note. But there’s unfolding ...

Ep. 761: It's Here! The Vera Rubin Observatory

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live June 25, 2025. The time has come. The mighty Vera Rubin Observatory has finally come on line and delivered its “first light” images....

Ep. 760: What to Look For This Summer

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay Streamed live on Jun 16, 2025. It’s almost time for our annual summer hiatus, but before we go, we want...

Ep. 759: The Commercial Space Program

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Jun 9, 2025. Humanity has turned its focus back to the Moon, sending a fleet of spacecraft to the lunar surface. Some are run by the ...

Ep. 758: Non-Roving Rovers

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on May 26, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay Some of our favorite robots are rovers currently roving around the surface...

Ep. 757: CubeSats

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on May 19, 2025. Computers are getting smaller, faster and more capable, which has enabled an entirely mew class of satellites: CubeSats...

Ep. 756: SphereX

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on May 12, 2025. NASA’s newly launched SphereX mission is up & operational and has completed its initial checkout and “first light”...

Ep. 755: Intermediate Mass Black Holes

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on May 5, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. There are stellar-mass and supermassive black holes. But very little evide...

Ep. 754: K2-18b

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Apr 28, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay You’ve heard the news! Astronomers are reporting the discovery of biosig...

Ep. 753: Why is the Moon's South Pole So Interesting?

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Apr 21, 2025. I’m sure you’ve heard that all eyes are on the Moon’s southern pole. This is where various  NASA and Chinese mis...

Ep. 752: Should We Go to the Moon or Mars Next?

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Apr 16, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay There is an ongoing debate on where NASA should go next with humans: to th...

Ep. 751: Vacuum Energy

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Apr 7, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. Even empty space isn’t empty. It’s filled with the quantum fluctuation...

Ep. 750: Supernova Early Warning System

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Mar 31, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay When enormous stars detonate as supernovae they release a burst of neutrin...

Ep. 749: Dark Energy Changing Over Time

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Mar 24, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay The Hubble Tension is a vexing problem, with astronomers measuring the exp...

Ep. 748: Fast Radio Bursts

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Mar 17, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. For the briefest of moments, some dead stars can flash brighter than thei...

Ep. 747: Rogue Planets

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Mar 10, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay Most planets orbit stars. That’s the rule, right? Well, maybe not. In fa...

Ep. 746: Dust Storms

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live Feb 24, 2025. We have dust storms on Earth and of course the famous dust storms on Mars. There are even dust storms on Titan. What cause...

Ep. 745: How We Know If Asteroids Will Attack

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live Feb 20, 2025. I’m sure you’ve heard the news, asteroid 2024 YR4 has a tiny chance of hitting Earth in 2032. How do astronomers disco...

Ep. 744: Lunar Time

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Feb 10, 2025. What time is it? OK, fine, what time is it on the Moon? The Moon orbits the Earth, so it doesn’t fall into a specific...

Ep. 743: What Else Can We Learn From Gravitational Waves?

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Feb 3, 2025. Just a few years ago LIGO detected the first direct evidence of gravitational waves coming from colliding black holes. A...

Ep. 742: Atmospheric Gravity Waves

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Jan 27, 2025. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay Gravity Waves ... not gravitational waves ... move atmospheres and make pr...

Ep. 741: Technosignatures

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Jan 20, 2025. Pollution will ultimately give away a society.   SUPPORTED BY YOU This Episode is made possible thanks to our Patrons ...

Ep. 740: Sneaky Stars!

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Jan 13, 2025. Why stars can’t be trusted! If you’re an astronomer you depend on accurate observations of stars, but there’s a p...

Ep. 739: Drones!

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live January 9, 2025. From little Ingenuity to the future Firefly and all our Earth Science fliers, let's look at the buzzy scientists. NASA’...

Ep. 738: Looking Ahead to 2025

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What can we hope (or dread) to see in 2025? Last week we talked about the 2024 strangeness. Now we’re gonna talk about the upcoming space stories fo...

Ep. 737: Weird Science Stories From 2024

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live December13, 2024. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. 2024 was a strange year! I’ll let your imagination take flight and con...

Ep. 736: Gift Guide 2024

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Dec 2, 2024 Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay It’s time for our Holiday Gift Guide, where we suggest ideas for presents ...

Ep. 735: Albert Einstein

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Nov 25, 2024. Last week we talked about the Einstein probe. So this week it is only natural that we talk about the man himself, Alber...

Ep. 734: The Einstein Mission

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Nov 11, 2024. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela L. Gay. Another day, another space telescope! Today we’re looking at the newly ...

Ep. 733: Euclid Of Alexandria

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Nov 5, 2024. Last week we talked about the mission. This week we’ll talk about Euclid of Alexandria, the ancient Greek mathematicia...

Ep. 732: The Euclid Telescope

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Let's look at the Euclid Space Telescope. The Euclid 208-Gigapixel image! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86ZCsUfgLRQ

Ep. 731: Neil Gehrels

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Oct 21, 2024. Let's look at the man whose name is carried by the Neil Gehrels Swift Telescope. Hosted by: Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela ...

Ep. 730: The Neil Gehrels Swift Telescope

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live October 15, 2024. Let's look over the long life of the  Neil Gehrels Swift Telescope as it watches for the multi-spectral flashes of hi...

Ep. 729: The James Webb Space Telescope

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Sep 30, 2024. Let's talk about that giant telescope that's changing everything. We have been waiting our entire careers to make this ...

Ep. 728: Solar Scientist Eugene Parker

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Sep 23, 2024. Last week, we talked about the Parker Solar Probe. As always, we like to talk about the person who inspired the mission...

Ep. 727: Parker Solar Probe

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Sep 16, 2024. Let's look over the long life of the Parker Solar Probe as it explores the Sun and nearby worlds. The Sun! It’s that ...

Ep. 726: Looking Back Over The Summer

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live Sep 9, 2024. We made all sorts of predictions, and some of the stuff we didn't know about last July, somehow, we still don't know about ...

Ep. 725: Looking Ahead

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Jun 24, 2024. Normally Pamela refuses to think about the future. But today, on our final episode before hiatus, she’s throwing out ...

Ep. 724: Summer (Science & Sci Fi) Reads

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live Jun 20, 2024. Fraser & Pamela list their favorite books! Take notes! I also have a favor to ask - I'm working on a research project with...

Ep. 723: Exoplanets by the Numbers

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Jun 10, 2024. Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets, revealing entirely new types of worlds that we just don’t have i...

Ep. 722: Weather on Exoplanets

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Here’s a familiar question: How’s the weather? We’re familiar with the weather on Earth and telescopes and missions are watching the weather on ...

Ep. 721: Rogue Planets

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Most of the exoplanets we’ve found are around stars, where they belong. But a few have been found free-floating in interstellar space. The evidence ...

Ep. 720: Galaxy Series - Elliptical Galaxies

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Apr 30, 2024. Our galaxy series continues with elliptical galaxies. Unlike other types, these are large, smooth with very few disting...

Ep. 719: Galaxy Series - Spiral Galaxies

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our galaxy series continues, on to spiral galaxies. In fact, you’re living in one right now, but telescopes show us the various shapes and sizes the...

Ep. 718: Galaxy Series - Dwarf Galaxies

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Apr 30, 2024. It’s time to begin a new mini-series, where we’ll look at different classes of galaxies. Today, we’ll start with ...

Ep. 717: Understanding the Ages of Distant Cosmic Objects

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How old is that star? That planet? That nebula? Figuring out the ages of astronomical objects is surprisingly challenging. Fortunately, astronomers ha...

Ep. 716 - The God**** Particle - Remembering Peter Higgs

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, we learned about the death of Peter Higgs, a physicist and discoverer of the particle that bears his name. The Large Hadron Collider was bu...

Ep. 715: Total Eclipse of the Science: Experiments During the Eclipse

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How to watch a solar eclipse and do some science! The next great eclipse is upon us, with viewers across North America witnessing the moon passing in ...

Ep. 714: Orbital Resonances

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Several of the planets and moons in the Solar System are in orbital resonance, orbiting in a geometric lockstep. And not just the Solar System, astron...

Ep. 713: Solar System Volcanoes

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last week was one of the most exciting meetings we’ve seen from the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, with hundreds of announcements and disco...

Ep. 712: How Peer Review Fails

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You’ve probably heard that the best kind of science is peer-reviewed research published in a prestigious journal. But peer review has problems of it...

Ep. 711: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC)

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

NASA works on many missions using tried and true technology, but they also invest in creative ideas that could drive the future of space exploration. ...

Ep. 710: NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Program

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the olden days, NASA developed its missions using a variety of in-house engineers and external suppliers. As more commercial companies are targetin...

Ep. 709: Space Weapons

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Feb 19, 2024. [My apologies for Fraser’s audio dropouts. We’re not sure how it happened as it wasn’t happening at his studio. A...

Ep. 708: What Goes Into Sample Return Missions From Asteroids & Comets?

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last week we talked about sample return missions from the Moon and Mars, but scientists have retrieved samples from other objects in the Solar System,...

Ep. 707: What Goes Into A Sample Return Mission? Moon & Mars

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve sent robots to other worlds, but the amount of science we can deploy to another planet can’t compare with the vast science labs we have on E...

Ep. 706: China’s Space Program

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re so familiar with NASA’s exploration efforts in space, but you might be surprised to learn that China launches almost as many rockets as the ...

Ep. 705: Water Worlds - Looking For Life Beyond Earth

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Wherever we find liquid water on Earth, we find life, so it makes sense to search for water across the Universe, and hopefully we can find evidence of...

Ep. 704: NASA's Juno Releases New Images

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

NASA’s Juno spacecraft has completed dozens of flybys of Jupiter, seeing the planet from many angles and delivering some of the most beautiful image...

Ep. 703: Solar Maximum of Doom? Maybe

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Dec 20, 2023. Solar cycle 25 is shaping up to be a doozy, with plenty of flares and coronal mass ejections blasting off the Sun. As t...

Ep. 702: Moonshot 2024 - Go or No Go?

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Streamed live on Dec 11, 2023. With Artemis 1 completing its robotic flight around the Moon, we know that the SLS works. Next comes Artemis 2, with a ...

Ep. 701: Space Science We Look Forward to in the Next 700 Episodes

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last week we looked back at some of the ideas that science has changed its mind about. This week we look forward, into the future, at some of the big ...

Ep. 700: The Things We Got Wrong

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Astronomers talk about all the amazing discoveries they’re making but sometimes, it turns out, they were wrong. After decades and centuries of disco...

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

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep. 698: Insights Into the Universe

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

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

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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.

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

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 Mar...

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

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep. 694: Mission Roll Call Part 3: What's Beyond Earth

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Episode 693: Mission Roll Call, Part 2: Looking Outward from Earth

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 looki...

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

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 691: Jupiter’s Changing Red Spot

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

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

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 fami...

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

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Hiatus Message

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hiatus Message 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!

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

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep. 687: Prepping for the Moon

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Ep. 686: Ice In The Shadows

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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. Wate...

Ep. 685: Manufacturing In Space

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

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

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 683: Cosmic Dawn

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After the cosmic microwave background radiation was released, the Universe returned to darkness, cloaked in this clouds of primordial hydrogen and hel...

Ep. 682: Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies & Dark Matter

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Astronomers first noticed the strange behaviors of rotating galaxies almost 100 years ago, suggesting there’s an invisible dark matter hold them tog...

Ep. 681: Kilonovae

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2017, astronomers detected the gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation from colliding neutron stars. This had been long theorized as one ...