The Supermassive Podcast

Black holes in the lab and meeting Ryan Gosling

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a massive bonus episode this month with both listener questions and an extended interview with the producer/directors of the new Ryan Gosling f...

What is the Hubble Tension?

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There's a crisis in cosmology when it comes to understanding a little thing like the acceleration of our universe, aka The Hubble Tension. And in this...

2026: The year in space... And at sea?!

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What are the biggest space missions of 2026? And what are the best stargazing opportunities this year? The Supermassive Team - Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky ...

Q&A: Meteors, Artemis II, and Space Bathtubs

29 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Supermassive Podcast is back for 2026, and we've got a MEGA Q&A. What happens when two nebulae collide? Where did Neptune and U...

How to Time Travel

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Fire up your flux capacitor and dematerialise your Tardis because The Supermassive Podcast is traveling in time. Is it possible? How does it work...

BONUS - Slingshots, Christmas Presents & Alien Communication

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What would it be like to feel gravitational waves? How are satellites protected from extreme solar storms? How do gravity slingshots work? Are aliens ...

Protecting Our Dark Skies

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What are the threats to our dark night skies? And what needs to be done to protect them? Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert explore this important topic and h...

BONUS: Supermassive Gone Rogue

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Can JWST detect exomoons? How can black holes keep absorbing more mass? How big is our cosmic neighbourhood? And what is a rogue black hole?! Izzie, D...

A Watery History of Mars

01 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Grab your space swimsuit, Izzie and Dr Becky explore Mars' wet past. When did the red planet have water? Where did it go? And were there canals on Mar...

BONUS - Mercury, Gemini and Pringles

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s space book club time, featuring the latest book by author and photography expert Andy Saunders: Gemini and Mercury Remastered. Producer Richard...

Don't Panic…but a solar storm could be a disaster

24 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's been 166 years since scientists recorded the world's most powerful solar explosion. Izzie, Dr Becky and Dr Robert Massey are big fans of annivers...

BONUS - Are we Living in a Black Hole?

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What would happen if the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy disappeared? Dr Becky is back to tackle your toughest of black hole quest...

Supermassive Q and A...Live!

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We are live at the National Astronomy Meeting in Durham with questions on everything from white holes and fuzzy stars, to solar storms and time travel...

BONUS - What Shape is Space?

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie Clarke is joined by Dr Robert Massey to tackle your questions on the shape of space, measuring gravitational waves and planet spotting. We also ...

Astronauts. Do we need them?

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a brave question to put to three astronauts live on stage but it’s a risk we are prepared to take. Recorded in front of a live audience at th...

BONUS - Where are Earth's rings?

19 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What would happen if asteroid Bennu impacted Earth? Can we timelapse Saturn's rings developing? Where are Earth's rings? Plus the solar wind on Mars.....

Why isn't Pluto a planet?

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie and Dr Becky decided that little ol’ Pluto doesn’t get much attention anymore. So we’re giving the dwarf planet some time in the spotlight...

BONUS - Why aren’t stars closer together?

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What would happen if planets collided at a snail's pace? How much of Avengers Endgame regarding time is scientifically acceptable? Why aren't sta...

Is Time Real?

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Start your stopwatches, set your timers, turn back your clocks because Izzie and Dr Becky are talking time. What is it? How, and why, do we measure it...

BONUS - Mole People on Mars

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Should astronauts live underground on the Moon or Mars? Black hole jets, rogue planets, the big crunch (or freeze) and the Ontario question. Dr Becky,...

What is Gravity?

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is a weighty one. Some might say massive. It’s all about gravity. What is it? Why does it matter? Izzie and Dr Becky explore ...

BONUS - Can we gravitationally "hitch hike" out of the Solar System?

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What the bloomin’ hell is a Gravastar? Are fast radio bursts like solar flares on steroids? Plus an interesting question on multiverses that can't b...

Returning to the Moon - with ESA Astronaut Matthias Maurer

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Climb aboard The Supermassive Rocket, Izzie and Becky are (talking about) sending humans back to the moon. Joining them on their trip is European Spac...

BONUS - Can A Star Orbit Another Star?

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If black holes are so dense, how can gamma rays jet shoot out from it? At what point in space does our sun become invisible to the naked eye? And...

Sample Return Missions - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This time Dr Becky Smethurst and Izzie Clarke discover why it’s touch and go when it comes to returning asteroid samples to Earth and hear how we’...

EMERGENCY BONUS - Asteroid 2024 YR4

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Scientists have detected an asteroid that has a small chance of hitting Earth. Resident expert Dr Robert Massey tells Izzie Clarke and Richard Holling...

BONUS - Could we capture a primordial black hole?

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What are the implications on space exploration with a change of president? Did cosmic inflation come before the Big Bang? Are there sonic booms in spa...

The Search for Space Aliens

29 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst are starting 2025 with a biggie. The scientific search for extraterrestrial life: Where are scientists look...

Q&A - Space Potatoes and Christmas Stars

21 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our final episode of 2024 is a SUPERMASSIVE Q&A. Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey make their way through your questions.  W...

BONUS - Why can't anything go faster than the speed of light?

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From planetary alignment through the galaxy to spacetime expansion, The Supermassive Team answer your questions. Keep sending us your questions, email...

The Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Supermassive Team are investigating strange blasts of energy in space called Fast Radio Bursts. What are they and where do they come from? Dr Stua...

BONUS - Nuclear Pasta & G-Astronomy

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

... Potentially the silliest bonus episode we've ever recorded. The Supermassive Team takes on your questions; What are Brown Dwarfs? How can photons...

Strange Stars and Bizarre Binaries

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From pulsating stars to those with diamond cores, Izzie and Dr Becky are exploring weird and wonderful stars. What are the different types of stars in...

BONUS - A Bumper Edition

19 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Auroras, and comets, and launches... Oh my! Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst, and Dr Robert Massey run through a MEGA month for the astronomy communit...

Untangling the Cosmic Web

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie and Dr Becky are untangling the cosmic web - the large scale structure of the universe - with help from Dr Chiara Mingarelli from Yale Universit...

BONUS - What distorts time?

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when a black hole and gravitational wave collide? How will the moon's gravity impact tides with rising sea levels? And "the Supermassive ...

We Made It To Mercury!

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie and Dr Becky complete their tour of the solar system with a trip to Mercury, the space spirograph (copyright: Dr Becky). Join them as they explo...

BONUS - Galaxy Spin and Saving Herstmonceux Observatory

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Does an instantaneous star map exist? Where are the perfect spheres in space? How did Venus get so close to the Sun? It's a bonus episode from The Sup...

Venus aka "Earth's Evil Twin"

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is Venus’ moment in the supermassive spotlight. What do we know about this hellish planet? And what missions are going there in the near future...

BONUS - Overmassive Galaxies

20 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Supermassive Overmassive Podcast has a special bonus episode. Join Izzie, Dr Becky, Dr Robert and Richard as they discuss the last two years of JW...

Q&A - Black Hole Special

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have black holes existed since the beginning of the Universe? Could we produce a black hole in the lab? Could we use gravitational waves to probe beyo...

BONUS - Lumpy Space Potatoes

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this month's bonus episode Izzie, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey tackle questions on pulsars, woo woo sounds from black holes, imperfect s...

The Major Lunar Standstill

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Every 18.6 years, our moon reaches its farthest northern and southern point, known as a major lunar standstill. This month, Izzie and Dr Becky are exp...

BONUS - Why does the Aurora Borealis look better on my phone?

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The UK witnessed the most amazing Northern Lights in years.... And Izzie missed it. In this bonus episode, Dr Becky Smethurst, Dr Robert Massey and Iz...

Voyager: Where no-one has gone before...

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Two of the most remarkable spacecraft ever launched are the stars of this month’s episode: Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Izzie and Dr Becky talk to Dr Ja...

BONUS - Wobbly Planets and Baby Names

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can wobbly planets have more than two solstices? Are we earthlings receding from the sun and the other planets? What is dark flow and why is it contro...

Into The Interstellar

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie and Dr Becky are venturing into interstellar space. What is it? Where is it? And what do we know about it? With special thanks to Professor Mar...

BONUS - Dust, stars and alien streetlights

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is cosmic dust? Could we reignite a dying Sun with a nuclear weapon? How do we know what galaxies stars are in, and can the JWST see streetlights...

Quakes in Space

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie and Dr Becky are exploring shaky ground, whether that’s on Earth, other planets and even on our neighbour the Moon. This month is all about qu...

BONUS - Double Yolker Galaxies

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do we see black hole mergers as a result of galaxy mergers? What did the night sky look like to the dinosaurs? Is a gas giant just a rocky planet with...

The End of the World

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Supermassive Podcast is back for 2024 and putting the "happy" in Happy New Year! What could be a cheerier start to the year than an episode about ...

Do We Live In A Multiverse?

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst are rounding off 2023 with a biggie. Arguably the biggest of them all. This episode is ALL about the Multiverse. W...

BONUS - Could Space Junk Block JWST's View?

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From barbie dolls, to birds baths, what will happen to all the stuff we have made between now and the end of time? Could a large black hole spaghettif...

Neptune... At Last!

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

They've done it. It has taken them all year but Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst have reached the final planet in our solar system; Neptune.Dr Leig...

BONUS - Space News Bulletin

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bizarre free-floating planets in space, the retrieval mission from a 4.6 billion year old asteroid, and the first images from our dark universe. Join ...

46: Q&A - Spice Girls, Black Holes, and Ice-Cream in Space

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a while, so Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert dive into The Supermassive Mailbox for a Q&A Special. How is the mass of a star determined? Does ...

45: BONUS - Have you heard of "Ploonets"?

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is the furthest distance away we’ve ever observed? Why hasn't Venus lost its atmosphere from solar winds? Is Mercury a Ploonet? And how stable ...

45: Uranus the Oddball

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie and Dr Becky have done episodes on Mars, gas giants, Saturn and Jupiter individually, so it’s about time that Uranus gets its own episode. And...

44: BONUS - Team Enceladus or Team Europa?

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What does Saturn look like? Why is Venus hotter than Mercury? Can the solar wind generate electricity on the Moon? Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert dive int...

44: Here Comes the Sun...with NASA's Head of Science

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This month, Izzie and Dr Becky are off to the Sun…Partly because the UK summer has been rubbish but mostly because there are a lot of things we stil...

43: BONUS - Aimless telescopes & beyond the Milky Way

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Could we detect exoplanets outside of the Milky Way? Could the Euclid Telescope disprove what we know about dark energy and matter? Are we just pointi...

43: Most of the Universe is missing...

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Supermassive Team have spent the last three years attempting to talk about ALL the stuff in space. But that only makes up 5% of our universe. Wher...

42: BONUS – White holes, astrology and why is Venus so hot?

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What’s a white hole and could one appear above the Earth tomorrow? Do different cultures sort stars into similar patterns? Why is Venus so hot and h...

42: A (brief) History of Astronomy

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Becky and Izzie dust-down the Supermassive Tardis to explore the history of astronomy. From fossilised baboon bones and baby lamas to Einstein and ...

41: BONUS - Why do Gas Giants exist?

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can JWST see galaxies at different life stages? What is a "former" constellation?  And why do we see Jupiter in monochrome? This month, Izzie Clarke,...

41: BIG Observatories

27 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We love stargazing on The Supermassive Podcast, so we thought it was about time we had an episode on the future of ground-based telescopes. From the b...

40: BONUS - Are Lunar Poles Arbitrary?

13 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What's the most efficient way of space travel? How does longitude change your night sky view? Why does M87* look different? This month, Izzie Clarke, ...

40: Becky Loves Saturn

29 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's FINALLY happening. Izzie is letting Dr Becky have an entire episode about her favourite planet, Saturn. Professor Geraint Jones from UCL's Mulla...

39: BONUS - Do black holes stop time?

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Are gravitational waves destructive?  Will the universe ever expand faster than the speed of light? Should we only send robots to space? This month, ...

39: Jupiter The Monster

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie and Dr Becky explore the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. What do we know about this big ol’ planet? And what are the missions tha...

38: BONUS - More Comets, Less Asteroids

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is there a Cosmological Horizon? Can we change a comet's orbit to see more of them? What's the most distant human-made object in space? Izzie, Dr Beck...

38: Gettin' Gravitational Wave-y

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Supermassive team take on their toughest challenge (and most tenuous title) yet…Gravitational Waves. Izzie and Dr Becky explore what they are an...

37: BONUS - The Supermassive Mailbox

11 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You spoke. We listened. We're releasing more episodes! Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert answer your questions in this first bonus episode of The Supermassiv...

37: Q&A - Black Hole Burps and Space Station Pacman

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can a black hole eat a black hole, whole? Is there a Universal now? Which household appliances wouldn't work on the International Space Station? Izzie...

36: Stargazing with Team Supermassive

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Find out what happened when Izzie Clarke and Dr Robert Massey used a 12 tonne telescope at an observatory in Herstmonceux, Sussex. Plus, Dr Becky Smet...

Double Astronaut Special: Returning to the Moon

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Astronaut Alarm is in overdrive... Izzie, Dr Becky, and his excellency Richard Hollingham have not one but TWO astronauts on this month's episode....

34: How to Deflect an Asteroid

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Terrified that an asteroid could wipe out the planet? Don’t panic…the Supermassive team are here to help. Izzie and Dr Becky talk to Professor Ala...

33: Q&A - The Year in Space

30 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's been an exciting time for space exploration, so Izzie and Dr Becky celebrate the year in space.... co-incidentally the title of The Supermassive ...

32: JWST First Images... FINALLY!

27 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie and Dr Becky freak out over the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope. From seeing the deep (not so deep) field with Steve Wilkins fr...

31: Life on Mars - LIVE from Standon Calling

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Supermassive team dust off their wellies and peg down their tents for Standon Calling. And to celebrate 10 years of NASA's Curiosity rover landing...

30: Rocky Planets Rock

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie and Dr Becky are flying closer to home to look at the Rocky Planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. How are they different? How are they simila...

29: Gas Giants are Weird

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

From hexagonal shaped storms to spinning sideways, Izzie and Dr Becky are exploring our weird and wonderful Gas Giants. Joining them are Dr Tom Stalla...

28: How to Kill a Galaxy

30 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How does a galaxy evolve and die? Izzie and Dr Becky find out with help from Tim Davis at Cardiff University. Plus, Dr Robert Massey from the Royal As...

27: How to Build a Galaxy

25 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie and Dr Becky are attempting to tackle the massive subject of building a galaxy.  Professor Mike Merrifield from The University of Nottingham ex...

26: The Marvellous Moon

25 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Who doesn’t love looking up at the moon?! Joining Izzie and Dr Becky, Professor Katherine Joy from the University of Manchester explains what past a...

25: A Supermassive Q&A!

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Supermassive team is finally doing something about all the questions that have been sent in. It’s Q&A time! From "fluffy" planets, to cake o...

24: Eclipses & Expeditions

24 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Join Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey as they explore eclipses; what are they and how have they been studied throughout history? Plus Izzie Cla...

23: The End of the Universe

26 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What will the end of days actually look like? And how will it happen? This month, Izzie and Dr Becky explore the end of the Universe with cosmologist ...

22: JWST - Seeing the First Stars

29 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Finally, Izzie and Dr Becky are talking about the James Webb Space Telescope but why is this telescope so impressive? NASA’s Keith Parrish, the obse...

21: Icy Worlds

01 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Wrap up warm, because this month Izzie and Dr Becky are exploring the icy worlds in the solar system. To help, they're joined by Caroline Harper, Head...

20: Firey Worlds

27 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie and Dr Becky are turning up the heat and exploring the fiery worlds in our solar system. From planets close to the Sun to a distant world of vol...

19: Radiation Belts and Billionaires

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This month it’s all about the trapped charged particles around our planet - the Van Allen radiation belts. Izzie and Dr Becky find out all about the...

18: A Hunk of Space Junk

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Grab your dustpan and brush… This month, Izzie and Dr Becky get to grips with the leftovers from space activity, it's all about space junk. Joining ...

17: Hunting for Planet 9

28 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is it a planet? Is it a black hole? Is it even real? This month, Izzie and Dr Becky try and get to the bottom of the mysterious planet nine - an enigm...

16: Mysteries of the Kuiper Belt

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“It’s like the evidence left over after a crime.” This month Izzie and Dr Becky venture into the outer Solar System to explore a sea of weird r...

15: Neutron Stars - with Jocelyn Bell Burnell

26 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

"I was tracking down every signal that it picked up, and there was one signal that I couldn't make sense of." Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell give...

14: A Star Is Born

26 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This month, Izzie and Dr Becky are shining a light on the first stars in the Universe. When did they form? And could any still exist today? Plus, they...

13: New Year, New Universe

22 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst are kicking off the new year with the beginning of everything, the Big Bang. They speak with Professor David Wands...

12: Gamma Rays & Christmas Stars

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This month, Izzie & Becky are taking astronomy to the extremes with gamma ray expert, Professor Paula Chadwick, and Professor Julian Osborne from ...

11: Radio Skies & Strange Signals

20 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It’s about time we gave optical telescopes a break! This month, Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst explore radio astronomy with Professor Tim O'Bri...