Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast

Single Malt Sky
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Star Trails is a weekly astronomy podcast that begins in your backyard and expands outward to the edge of the universe. Each episode features a guide to the night sky visible across North America — constellations, planets, moon phases, and celestial events — along with deeper explorations of the science, history, and perspective that make astronomy one of humanity’s greatest adventures. From ancient skywatchers to modern spacecraft, from quiet stargazing to the violent deaths of stars, Star Trails reveals the beauty, mystery, and sometimes haunting reality of the cosmos.

  1. 12 HRS AGO

    When Galaxies Collide

    This week we continue our month-long journey through the world of galaxies, but this time, we move beyond what galaxies are and explore what galaxies actually do. It turns out these vast islands of stars are anything but static. They collide, merge, exchange gas and dust, fling stars into deep space, and sometimes grow by consuming smaller neighbors in a process astronomers call galactic cannibalism. We begin close to home with the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy, a hidden companion galaxy currently being torn apart by the gravity of our own Milky Way. From there, we travel some 70 million light-years away to the spectacular Antennae Galaxies, where two spiral galaxies are locked in a slow-motion collision that is both destructive, and strangely creative. Along the way, we recall my recent conversation with astrophysicist Enrique López Rodríguez to explore the possibility of magnetic bridges and “superhighways” carrying gas, dust, and charged particles between galaxies, raising the astonishing possibility that the raw ingredients of future planets may sometimes originate far beyond their home galaxy. And finally, we return to the question we teased last week: What about us? Is the long-predicted collision between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy still inevitable? New observations from Hubble Space Telescope and Gaia suggest the answer may be far less certain than we once believed. We'll also check in with this week's night sky, and wrap up our discussion of NightWatch. Connect with us on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

    29 min

  2. MAY 3

    Where the Milky Way Begins… and Ends

    This week, we begin a new month-long journey into one of the most awe-inspiring subjects in astronomy: Galaxies. We start close to home by exploring our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and asking a deceptively simple question: where does a galaxy actually end? Along the way, we’ll explore spiral arms, dark matter, supermassive black holes, the hidden structure of our galactic halo, and the faint ghostly glow of Integrated Flux Nebula, dust clouds illuminated by the combined light of billions of stars. We’ll also discover why our solar system doesn’t align with the Milky Way the way you might expect, how astronomers mapped our galaxy from the inside using radio waves, and what the night sky might look like if the Milky Way simply vanished. Later in the episode: I report on a backyard observation of Amazon’s recent Leo satellite launch, plus, this week’s night sky highlights, the Eta Aquariid meteor shower, Jupiter and Saturn, and a trio of deep-sky galaxies perfect for spring observing. Connect with us on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast. If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

    23 min

  3. APR 26

    The Invisible Architecture of the Universe, with Dr. Enrique Lopez Rodriguez

    In this episode we step behind the scenes of modern astronomy to explore a side of the universe you can’t see, at least not directly. We sit down with Professor Enrique López Rodríguez, an extragalactic astronomer at the University of South Carolina and one of the leading researchers in the United States studying magnetic fields in galaxies. The conversation also dives into the complex behavior of supermassive black holes, some actively feeding and driving powerful outflows, others surprisingly quiet, and how these cosmic engines influence the evolution of entire galaxies. Along the way, we’ll look at how modern astronomy is mapping the hidden forces that connect the universe. And later in the show, we return to something a little closer to home with this week’s night sky, featuring the rising Flower Moon, bright evening planets, and a deep-sky tour through one of the richest regions of galaxies visible from Earth. Links mentioned: Enrique Lopez Rodriguez onlineSurvey of Extragalactic Magnetism with SOFIAConnect with us on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast. If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

    38 min

  4. APR 19

    From Gears to Code: Computing the Cosmos

    In this episode, we explore the role of computers in astronomy. From the ancient Antikythera Mechanism and the human “computers” of the Harvard College Observatory, to the rise of electronic machines, supercomputers like the Cray-2, and modern programming languages like Fortran and Python, we trace the evolution of how we’ve learned to model and understand the universe. Along the way, we dive into concepts like data reduction, radio interferometry, distributed computing with SETI@home, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in making new discoveries. We also take a hands-on detour, compiling a simple N-body simulation in Fortran and visualizing the results with Python—bringing a tiny gravitational universe to life. Later in the show, we step outside for this week’s night sky, featuring a delicate crescent Moon with Earthshine, the Lyrid meteor shower, a beautiful pairing of Venus and the Moon, and a selection of deep sky targets for patient observers. Links mentioned: My N-Body Fortran simulationUsing AI to identify objects from Hubble dataConnect with us on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast. If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

    22 min

  5. APR 12

    Radio Astronomy: Listening to the Universe

    In this episode, we move beyond what the eye can see and into a universe that has been quietly speaking all along. Radio astronomy has transformed our understanding of the cosmos, not by capturing images, but by detecting faint signals that have traveled across space for billions of years. From the accidental discovery of radio waves from the Milky Way by Karl Jansky, to the detection of the afterglow of the Big Bang, this field has revealed a hidden layer of reality that optical astronomy alone could never uncover. We’ll explore how radio telescopes actually work, from signal capture and amplification to digitization and frequency analysis using the Fast Fourier Transform. Along the way, we’ll break down concepts like interferometry, beamforming, and deconvolution—techniques that allow astronomers to reconstruct images from incomplete data and even map the structure of our own galaxy using hydrogen emissions. We’ll also take a look at one of the most remarkable achievements in modern astronomy: the first image of a black hole, created by the Event Horizon Telescope, a global network of observatories that effectively turned Earth itself into a single telescope. And we’ll connect these advanced techniques back to everyday life. The same math and signal processing used to study the universe are also at work in your phone, your Wi-Fi router, and your headphones. Later in the show, we reflect on a striking new image from the Artemis II mission, and step outside for a look at this week’s night sky, featuring dark skies, distant galaxies, and a subtle planetary alignment for early risers. Links mentioned: Artemis II Wake-Up playlist on Spotify"Hello World" image from Artemis IIConnect with us on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast. If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

    26 min

  6. APR 8

    Space Oddity: The Harmony of Isolation

    What makes a song feel like space? In this special bonus episode of Star Trails, we take a deep dive into the song "Space Oddity," not just as a piece of music, but as a story of distance, disconnection, and drift. Released in 1969 at the height of the space race, Bowie’s breakout hit arrived alongside humanity’s first steps on the Moon. The BBC even used it during their coverage of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, a strange pairing for a song about an astronaut who never makes it home. But the real story of Space Oddity goes deeper. Through subtle harmonic shifts, borrowed chords, and unconventional production techniques, the song itself begins to drift, mirroring the fate of its protagonist, Major Tom. We’ll explore: How the song quietly abandons its musical “home,” why instruments like the Mellotron and Stylophone create a sense of distance, the role of stereo mixing, reverb, and tape-era studio tricks in shaping its sound, and how Bowie’s use of characters allows the story to resonate on a deeper level. Along the way, we trace the song’s journey beyond Earth itself, including Chris Hadfield’s performance aboard the International Space Station. More than 50 years after its release, Space Oddity remains a haunting reflection on what it means to leave home, and what happens when you don’t come back. Connect with us on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast. If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

    25 min

  7. APR 5

    Photon by Photon: A Journey Through Observatories

    This week we step inside one of astronomy’s most iconic spaces: the observatory. Drew visits Melton Memorial Observatory and sits down with director Martin Bowers to explore what a nearly 100-year-old, urban observatory still offers today. From public viewing nights to hands-on learning, we look at how these classic domes continue to connect people with the night sky, even under city lights. Then, we zoom out to the bigger picture. From Mount Wilson Observatory and Palomar Observatory to Mauna Kea Observatories and Paranal Observatory, we trace how observatories evolved from simple telescopes into powerful instruments that reshaped our understanding of the universe. All of it built on a simple idea: gathering light, photon by photon. Plus, a quick look at what’s in the night sky for the week of April 5th. Links mentioned in this episode: Melton Memorial Observatory WebsiteMelton Facebook PageConnect with us on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast. If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

    26 min

  8. MAR 29

    The Edge of the Solar System

    This week we leave the familiar planets behind and venture into the farthest reaches of our Solar System, into regions where the Sun’s influence begins to fade and the boundaries of our cosmic neighborhood grow uncertain. We explore the Kuiper Belt, a vast disk of icy remnants left over from the formation of the planets, and travel even farther into the mysterious Oort Cloud, a distant, spherical halo of objects that may extend halfway to the nearest stars. Along the way, we uncover the discoveries that reshaped our understanding of the Solar System, from the first detection of Kuiper Belt objects to the controversial reclassification of Pluto after the discovery of Eris. We also follow the journey of the Voyager spacecraft, now drifting through interstellar space yet still deep within the Sun’s extended domain, and examine the ongoing search for the elusive Planet Nine, a world that may exist only as a gravitational whisper in the darkness. And then there are the visitors: interstellar objects like ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov, fragments from other star systems passing briefly through our own. In this week’s night sky report, we look ahead to the April 1 Full Moon, known as the Pink Moon, and highlight what you can still observe under bright moonlight, including Jupiter, several star clusters, and a beautiful close pairing of the Moon and Regulus. Connect with us on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast. If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

    18 min
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About

Star Trails is a weekly astronomy podcast that begins in your backyard and expands outward to the edge of the universe. Each episode features a guide to the night sky visible across North America — constellations, planets, moon phases, and celestial events — along with deeper explorations of the science, history, and perspective that make astronomy one of humanity’s greatest adventures. From ancient skywatchers to modern spacecraft, from quiet stargazing to the violent deaths of stars, Star Trails reveals the beauty, mystery, and sometimes haunting reality of the cosmos.

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