Universe Today Podcast

Fraser Cain
  • 4.7 (576)
  • Astronomy
  • Updated Daily

Public feed with [Space Bites+], [Q&A+], [Interview+] and other episodes. Free for everyone.

  1. 1d ago

    [Space Bites+] Swift Will Now Inevitably Die // China Lands a Rocket (again) // Starship Survived

    BONUS STORY STARTS AT 26:33 Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ccPtQeURDzM 🔵 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts Interview with Vasiliy Kokorev about Little Red Dots https://youtu.be/zoHtCmCbcEU Interview with Nobel Prize Winner Adam Riess about JWST https://youtu.be/hmJOz9qCk0M Interview with Lee Feinberg about HWO and LIFE Telescopes https://youtu.be/0R3ykUkxH5M We have more pictures of the Falcon 9 crater on the moon. Starship arrives at port after landing in the ocean. The Link mission to save Swift has failed. Another reusable Chinese rocket lands. And in Space Bites Plus, a really clever way to redirect an asteroid with a nuclear weapon. 00:00 Intro 00:37 The Falcon Crater https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/nasas-lro-images-falcon-9-crater-on-moon-learns-new-details/ 03:08 Starship Arrives to a Port https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/its-christmastime-at-spacex-as-company-salvages-starship-from-indian-ocean/ 05:33 Mars' Field of Polygons https://www.universetoday.com/articles/mars-curiosity-rover-discovers-massive-field-of-polygons 07:41 Link Failed. Swift Will Die Soon https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-updates-next-steps-for-commercial-swift-boost-mission/ 08:59 China Lands A Rocket (Again) https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/the-floodgates-are-open-after-another-chinese-company-lands-a-reusable-rocket/ 10:41 Fastest Star In The Milky Way https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-fastest-star-in-the-milky-way-will-test-relativity 13:21 LRD = Black Hole Star? https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-jwst-little-red-dots-could-be-black-hole-stars 15:47 Early Galaxies Are Bigger Than We Thought https://www.universetoday.com/articles/whoa-the-jwsts-ancient-galaxies-are-much-more-massive-than-thought 17:56 Three Supermassive Black Holes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/another-first-for-the-jwst-it-detects-three-supermassive-black-holes-in-the-same-galaxy 19:20 JWST Looks at Callisto https://www.universetoday.com/articles/jwst-peeks-at-callistos-ancient-scars 20:49 Vote results 21:45 Star Formation is Slowing Down in the Andromeda Galaxy https://www.universetoday.com/articles/hubble-reveals-that-star-formation-is-slowing-down-in-the-andromeda-galaxy 23:35 Helix Nebula https://www.universetoday.com/articles/mothra-shows-us-a-star-being-recycled-in-the-helix-nebula 24:38 Carina Nebula https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-captures-the-treasure-chest-at-the-heart-of-the-carina-nebula 25:49 Lion Nebula https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-captures-clearest-image-yet-of-the-lion-nebula 26:33 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nuking-an-asteroid-on-short-notice-could-save-us 30:31 Final thoughts

    [Space Bites+] Swift Will Now Inevitably Die // China Lands a Rocket (again) // Starship Survived

  2. 3d ago

    [Q&A+] Earth’s True Path Through The Galaxy | Q&A 451

    BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:13 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aX16AFy_Y9Q Do we go through same places in the Milky Way every rotation? How should we celebrate the first contact? Will artificial magnetosphere help creating an atmosphere on Mars? And in Q&A+, how much does YouTube really pay for views. 00:00 Intro 00:27 [@JamesMcIntosh-r7j] Will an artificial magnetosphere help retain Mars' atmosphere? 03:36 [@1000dots] Wouldn't that cut off heat and light from the sun too? 04:20 [@emilianolaneri] Does the Earth always follow the same path through on the milky way? 07:07 [@sciencecompliance235] How should we celebrate the first contact? 11:16 [@drewd2] How old is the Universe if you include pre-big bang? 14:13 [@JohnnyApplleseed] How much does 3M views pay? 15:55 Final thoughts

    [Q&A+] Earth’s True Path Through The Galaxy | Q&A 451

  3. 4d ago

    [Q&A+] How Bad Would a Super Solar Storm Be for The Moon Base? | Q&A 450

    BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 12:48 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/R8_XwBxWsn0 How dangerous would a massive solar storm be for future Moon and Mars bases? Can more exoplanet discoveries stimulate more funding? What’s the ultimate fate of galaxy clusters? And in Q&A+, would I go on a Moon voyage? 00:00 Intro 00:27 [@slowboyfuelpump5438] how devastating would a Kerrington event be to our plans for the Moon and Mars? 03:07 [@thomasstarkey8238] If we had more Earth 2.0 candidates, would governments increase astronomy funding? 05:28 [@ragetail3] @frasercain when they say the farthest galaxy we can see is 13 billion light years away, and they say it is basically right after the big bang. What would Earth 4 billion years ago have seen there? 08:18 [@MikeKalil-e4f] How did we get here before the light reached us here? 10:11 [@OneOfAMineRocks] What does dark energy imply for the gravity-bound galaxies? 12:48 [@iliketurtles7947] Would I be willing to live on a lunar base for some years? 16:49 Upcoming Nancy Grace Roman launch

    [Q&A+] How Bad Would a Super Solar Storm Be for The Moon Base? | Q&A 450

  4. Aug 14

    [Space Bites+] Bad News for Europa Exploration // Watching Pluto’s Atmosphere Fade Away // Auroras on Mars

    BONUS STORY STARTS AT 17:16 Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9XGHRoVJgYA 🔵 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts How can there be auroras on Mars? More bad news for the exploration of Europa. Watching Pluto's atmosphere. And on Space Bites Plus, could planets form right after the Big Bang? 00:00 Intro 00:17 Auroras on Mars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-maven-illuminates-new-understanding-of-auroras-at-mars 03:07 More Bad News for Europa Exploration https://www.universetoday.com/articles/europas-interior-ocean-may-harbor-life-but-could-be-hard-to-reach-says-new-research 05:46 Watching Pluto’s Atmosphere https://www.universetoday.com/articles/scientists-watch-as-a-distant-worlds-atmosphere-shrinks-and-thins 08:14 Identifying Quasars with Machine Learning https://www.universetoday.com/articles/seven-needles-800000-haystacks 10:05 First “AI-Driven” Telescope https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-telescope-that-points-itself 11:55 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts 12:41 China’s Rocket Exploded in Flight https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/one-of-chinas-workhorse-rockets-just-exploded-in-flight/ 13:41 Moonquakes to Locate Lunar Ice https://www.universetoday.com/articles/how-to-find-lunar-ice-moonquakes-to-the-rescue 15:40 More Good News for Swift https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift/2026/08/11/nasa-swift-boost-spacecraft-prepares-to-continue-mission/ 17:16 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-ingredients-for-planets-turned-up-astonishingly-early 19:58 Solar eclipse 2026 and the Perseids

    [Space Bites+] Bad News for Europa Exploration // Watching Pluto’s Atmosphere Fade Away // Auroras on Mars

  5. Aug 13

    [Q&A+] Alien Megastructures or Microbes?

    BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 11:15 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vMgKQDzRzUE My Top-100 movie list: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday/posts/my-top-100-space-153930141 Which are we more likely to find, alien megastructures or alien microbes? Why is the US racing racing China to the Moon? Will mining the asteroid belt ever become a reality? And in Q&A+, will we ever make a mega-cut video again? 00:00 Intro 00:28 [@paigepotter4682] Are we closer to discovering alien microbes or alien megastructures? 03:09 [@MelindaGreen] Why is the US even racing China to the moon? 06:05 [@darthex0] Is a space station cheaper if communists do it? 07:03 [@bladesolar1] Will mining at the asteroid belt ever be a reality? 10:23 [@goatlord51] If an amateur uses the Vera Rubin data to find planet nine do they get to name it? 11:15 [@melantorja] Will there be a Lagrange point questions mega-cut? 14:57 Final thoughts

    [Q&A+] Alien Megastructures or Microbes?

  6. Aug 12

    [Interview+] Swarming The Rings of Saturn With Tiny Probes, NIAC 2026

    BONUS PART STARTS AT 21:56 Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VqBVL2vwh04 🟣 Guest: Dr. Mike Rubenstein 📜 Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations for In-situ Exploration of Saturn’s Rings, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/actively-steerable-femtosat-constellations-for-in-situ-exploration-of-saturns-rings-atmosphere-and-magnetosphere/ 👉 All 2026 NIAC Selections https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/niac-2026-selections/ Saturn's rings are dense. Sending one flagship probe through them makes no sense. It'll most probably be lost. But sending a swarm of small cheap probes does. Even if a lot of them won't survive, you're still getting lots of data. This is exactly what this NIAC project is proposing. 00:00 Intro 01:22 Observing Saturn's rings 05:21 A swarm of satellites 21:56 Invisible drones 29:33 Current obsessions 31:12 Final thoughts

    [Interview+] Swarming The Rings of Saturn With Tiny Probes, NIAC 2026

  7. Aug 11

    [Q&A+] Best Way For The Universe To End

    BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 12:37 Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/N2INt2XOCp0 My Top-100 movie list: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday/posts/my-top-100-space-153930141 If white holes exist, could we ever see one? Do SETI researches have access to Vera Rubin? Which is the best way for the Universe to end? And in Q&A+, will the Earth eventually become tidally locked to the Sun? 00:00 Intro 00:25 [@festerallday] if a civilization isn't detected by SETI did it even exist? 02:20 [@tommix6016] If White Holes were to exist, would they be detectable? 03:49 [@vistotutti6037] Does SETI have access to the Vera Rubin data stream? 06:26 [@setaihedron] So we are going to trust that the most corrupt government in modern history is honest about what it is filtering from the data? 09:00 [@MelindaGreen] How would I prefer the Universe end? 12:37 [@paulwilson1529] Will the Earth become tidally lock to the Sun? 14:56 Final thoughts

    [Q&A+] Best Way For The Universe To End

  8. Aug 7

    [Space Bites+] SpaceX Slams Into The Moon // Liquid on Pluto // Venus Isn’t Dead

    BONUS STORY STARTS AT 19:40 Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube https://youtu.be/rV0bRCA2cSs 🔵 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts Interviews mentioned: 👉 Interview with Dr Matt Weller https://youtu.be/R18W6VVZMhc?si=RasWhg-Y9sfKvXys 👉 Interview with Dr Paul Byrne https://youtu.be/VXuhaJu-GNM?si=A-lFy8XUQHJLqvL- Venus might not be completely dead. Evidence of liquid flowing on the surface of Pluto. Can primordial black holes cause supernova? And on Space Bites Plus, what happened to Neptune's rings and moons when Triton showed up? 00:00 Intro 00:18 Three Worlds Not One https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-asteroid-that-may-be-three-worlds 02:22 Venus Isn’t Dead https://www.universetoday.com/articles/venus-isnt-dead-after-all 06:04 Liquid on Pluto https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/science-news/2026/08/05/nasas-new-horizons-finds-evidence-of-recent-liquid-on-plutos-surface/ 07:47 Charon Was Spinning Much Faster https://www.universetoday.com/articles/charons-mountains-reveal-moon-once-spun-10x-faster 09:00 Primordial Black Holes and Supernovae https://www.universetoday.com/articles/primordial-black-holes-can-trigger-type-ia-supernovae-and-astronomers-should-be-able-to-find-them 12:05 SpaceX Slams a Rocket Into The Moon https://x.com/SpaceX/status/2085121782315446613 13:53 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts 14:48 Voyager 2 Avoids Shutting Down More Instruments https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-engineers-help-prolong-voyager-2s-science-mission/ 17:05 Quick Update on New Glenn https://x.com/davill/status/2085074404627915059 18:07 Rescuing the Rescuer https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/heres-how-engineers-plan-to-save-the-satellite-sent-to-save-nasas-swift-mission/ 19:40 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/smashed-ice-worlds-formed-neptunes-inner-moons-and-rings 20:50 Hank Green's AI controversy

    [Space Bites+] SpaceX Slams Into The Moon // Liquid on Pluto // Venus Isn’t Dead
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Public feed with [Space Bites+], [Q&A+], [Interview+] and other episodes. Free for everyone.

Information

  • Creator
    Fraser Cain
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.6K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Fraser Cain
  • Show Website
    Universe Today Podcast

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