Astronomy Astrophiz Podcast

Brendan O'Brien: Astronomers, Astrophysicists & Space Scientists

Astrophiz: In-Depth Interviews with Astronomers and Astrophysicists Discover the wonders of the universe with Astrophiz, the podcast for space enthusiasts and researchers. Join host Brendan O’Brien as he sits down with world-leading scientists to explore the frontiers of astrophysics, radio astronomy, and space science. From the evolution of the Milky Way and the mechanics of solar flares to the cutting-edge technology of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), we break down complex academic research into engaging stories of discovery. Whether you’re interested in cosmic dust, galaxy evolution, or the latest in telescope technology, Astrophiz brings the experts directly to your ears. Subscribe for deep dives into: Astrophysics & Galactic Research Radio Astronomy & Space Weather Latest research & Dark Sky Preservation Interviews with NASA, ESA, Australian and International Researchers New episodes feature in-depth conversations that go beyond the headlines to reveal the real science shaping our understanding of the cosmos. Refreshingly Independent and totally ad-free

  1. Galaxy Forensics: Decoding Galaxy Evolution with Dr. Elisabete da Cunha (Astrophiz 230)

    MAR 23

    Galaxy Forensics: Decoding Galaxy Evolution with Dr. Elisabete da Cunha (Astrophiz 230)

    How do we "autopsy" a galaxy from billions of light-years away? Join world-renowned astrophysicist Dr. Elisabete da Cunha as she sits down with Astrophiz host Brendan O’Brien to explore the life, evolution, and eventual "death" of the most massive structures in the universe. From her early inspirations under the stars of Portugal to her groundbreaking work in Extragalactic Astronomy, Elisabete shares her personal journey and the high-tech tools used to decode Starlight, Cosmic Dust, and Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs). In this episode, we dive into: Galaxy Evolution: How star systems grow and transform over billions of years. Radio Astronomy: Using invisible light to peer into the deep universe. Stellar Populations: What the chemistry of stars tells us about the history of space. Cosmology & Dark Matter: The invisible forces shaping our galactic neighborhood. Whether you are a student of astrophysics or a casual stargazer, this conversation offers a unique, charming, and deeply insightful window into the forensic evidence of our universe. Read the full transcript and see the show notes at: https://astrophiz.com/2026/03/18/galaxy-forensics-with-dr-elisabete-da-cunha-astrophiz-230/ Subscribe to Astrophiz for your monthly dose of space science, telescope technology, and expert interviews.

    50 min
  2. Astrophiz 229 | March SkyGuide with Dr Ian Musgrave

    FEB 28

    Astrophiz 229 | March SkyGuide with Dr Ian Musgrave

    Welcome to the Astrophiz March SkyGuide, where Ian tells us about the Total Lunar Eclipse and all the observation and astrophotography tips that go with it. Also you get highl;ights of the morning and evening skies and how to find the Variable star, Mira.

    18 min
  3. Astrophiz 228: Pulsar Secrets with Dr Garvit Grover

    FEB 14

    Astrophiz 228: Pulsar Secrets with Dr Garvit Grover

    A fantastic interview with an amazing pulsar astrophysicist who is unravelling the secrets of misbehaving pulsars using his phenomenal coding skills. Subscribe and/or Listen here... or read the transcript on Astrophiz.com

    38 min
  4. Astrophiz#227FebruarySkyGuide

    JAN 30

    Astrophiz#227FebruarySkyGuide

    Dr. Ian ‘Astroblog’ Musgrave give us 'February' in his monthly SkyGuide series. This month you get moon phases, the Beehive Cluster, nice planetary action, Lunar X, the Pleiades and the Southern Pleiades. Our audio files and transcripts are available on our website at Astrophiz.com, and our MP3 files can be freely streamed or downloaded to your favourite device from our SoundCloud channel, our free Amazon Audible stream, YouTube podcasts, Podbean, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

    10 min
  5. Solar Fireworks: Inside the Sun with Dr. Laura Hayes (ESA)

    JAN 14

    Solar Fireworks: Inside the Sun with Dr. Laura Hayes (ESA)

    Dr. Laura Hayes (ESA) joins us to reveal the explosive physics of "Solar Fireworks." Discover how the Solar Orbiter is capturing the closest-ever images of our Sun. The Solar Cycle: Why we are heading toward a Solar Maximum. ESA Solar Orbiter: Insights from the front lines of heliophysics. Space Weather: How CMEs impact Earth’s technology. Dr Laura Hayes’ research focuses on solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and space weather—phenomena that can disrupt satellites, communications, power grids, and create auroras. Using data from ESA’s Solar Orbiter mission, she studies how magnetic energy is stored and explosively released in the Sun’s atmosphere, why some flares produce CMEs, and how tiny, fast-evolving structures may drive flare energy release and coronal heating. Key Takeaways from Episode 226 Decoding the Solar Cycle: Dr. Laura Hayes explains why the Sun is currently reaching its "Solar Maximum" and what these frequent "Solar Fireworks" mean for Earth. Inside the ESA Solar Orbiter Mission: A behind-the-scenes look at how this cutting-edge spacecraft captures the closest-ever images of the Sun and its mysterious polar regions. The Science of Solar Flares & CMEs: Understand the physics behind Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and how scientists track these massive bursts of solar plasma across the solar system. Space Weather Impacts: Discover how solar activity affects our satellites, GPS, and power grids, and why predicting "space weather" has become a global priority. Laura highlights the collaborative nature of solar physics, the importance of mentors and community, and the challenges facing early-career researchers. Hayes is also passionate about public outreach, emphasising the value of sharing publicly funded science and inspiring future scientists during what she calls a “golden age” of solar research. Dr Laura Hayes, an eminent Irish solar physicist and research fellow at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, discusses her career path, scientific motivations, and cutting-edge research on our closest star. Growing up in coastal Ireland, Laura developed an early love of maths and physics driven by curiosity and problem-solving rather than a clear plan to become an astrophysicist. University research opportunities led her into solar physics, followed by a PhD at Trinity College Dublin and international postdoctoral work in the US and Europe. FULL TRANSCRIPT: Dr Laura Hayes interview at Astrophiz.com Key Takeaways from Episode 226 Decoding the Solar Cycle: Dr. Laura Hayes explains why the Sun is currently reaching its "Solar Maximum" and what these frequent "Solar Fireworks" mean for Earth. Inside the ESA Solar Orbiter Mission: A behind-the-scenes look at how this cutting-edge spacecraft captures the closest-ever images of the Sun and its mysterious polar regions. The Science of Solar Flares & CMEs: Understand the physics behind Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and how scientists track these massive bursts of solar plasma across the solar system. Space Weather Impacts: Discover how solar activity affects our satellites, GPS, and power grids, and why predicting "space weather" has become a global priority.

    59 min
  6. Astrophiz225-DrDylanGrigg

    11/12/2025

    Astrophiz225-DrDylanGrigg

    Are "leaky" satellites drowning out the early universe? 🛰️ Dr. Dylan Grigg (Curtin University/ICRAR) joins Astrophiz to reveal groundbreaking research into Unintended Electromagnetic Radiation (UEMR). As satellite constellations like Starlink proliferate, their electronic "noise" is leaking into protected radio astronomy bands. In this episode, we explore: 76 Million Images: How Dr. Grigg isolated satellite signals from the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory. The SKA-Low Connection: Why the Square Kilometre Array is at risk from these "noisy" neighbours. The Epoch of Reionization: What happens when satellite interference masks the faint signals from the first stars. The Regulatory Frontier: The urgent need for new international spectrum management. Guest Bio: Dr. Dylan Grigg is a researcher at Curtin University and ICRAR, specializing in radio frequency interference and its impact on deep-space observation. Full show notes & more interviews: Astrophiz.com

    33 min
  7. NovemberSkyGuide224

    10/31/2025

    NovemberSkyGuide224

    Our MP3 files can be freely streamed or downloaded free to your favorite device from our SoundCloud channel, from Pocketcasts, Spotify, our free Amazon Audible stream, YouTube podcasts and Apple Podcasts. Listen: Viewing Highlights Both morning & Evening skies are good for planets Evening Skies: Mars is very low in NW skies setting about an hour after sunset. Mercury is above Mars also down in the Sun’s glare. Mercury and Mars are 1° apart on 13 November Saturn is high in the NE, the rings are almost edge on, but becoming more obvious over the next few years until they reach maximum tilt again in 2032. Uranus, high near Pleiades, binocular viewing. Morning Skies: Jupiter (and its 4 Galilean moons) is always beautiful to look at, and can be seen for about 4 hours from about 2am till sunrise Comets: C/2023 R2 Swann – currently in Aquarius, fading, about Mag 5.6, high in evening skies, binoculars C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) – Magnitude 4, near horizon, so difficult. Leonid Meteor shower will be quite poor this year, despite the absence of the moon ☹ Astrophotography Challenge 1. Take photos of the moon at apogee and at perigee using the same camera settings to measure the difference in the moon’s apparent size when it is at its closest and furthest from earth 2. Capture the Lunar X Ian’s Tangent Comet Atlas is being misrepresented by ‘conspiracy theorists’ on social media who claim, without a shred of evidence, that Comet Atlas is an “Interstellar Spacecraft reversing its thrust” There is a long history of comets inducing panic and fear in humans. Sad. Next Episode: Our next episode, coming as soon as I finish the edit … features Dylan Grigg, a fabulous PhD from Perth in Western Australia. Dylan has been doing amazing work that impacts on the effectiveness of every radio telescope on the planet. He has revealed the presence of unintended radio frequencies leaking from the tens of thousands of low earth orbit satellites above us , and these leaking frequencies are threatening to drown out the very faintest of frequencies that tell us what was happening at the very dawn of time. This is important work, and it was great to speak with Dylan. You’ll enjoy his stories! See ya soon

    28 min
  8. Astrophiz223-OctoberSkyGuide

    09/28/2025

    Astrophiz223-OctoberSkyGuide

    Welcome to episode 223 of the Astrophiz podcasts. October is a fabulous month with lots of highlights for telescopers, astrophotographers, binocular and naked eye observers. We have 'The International Observe the Moon' night, the Orionid Meteor Shower and some fine planetary action. There is also a new comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) Comet C/2025 R2 (Swan) is a very recently discovered comet that is around magnitude 7 (which means it is binoculars only), but it is well placed near some very bright guide stars so it will be easy to find. Ian’s Comet R2 page shows where you can find its locations up till October 10, and there is some evidence the nucleus has split. What this means for brightness is uncertain, but it might either get brighter of disintegrate. You can find Ian’s Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) page at tinyurl-DOT-com/cometr2 Comet watchers will also hunt for Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) which will be visible to the Southern Hemisphere low in the evening sky from mid-November 2025, with the best chances for viewing in the northern parts of Australia. While the comet will pass Earth in October, it remains a northern hemisphere object during that time; however, observers in the Southern Hemisphere can still catch it after sunset in mid-to-late November. and finally TCoronaBorealis still hasn’t gone nova, so keep watching it,

    7 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Astrophiz: In-Depth Interviews with Astronomers and Astrophysicists Discover the wonders of the universe with Astrophiz, the podcast for space enthusiasts and researchers. Join host Brendan O’Brien as he sits down with world-leading scientists to explore the frontiers of astrophysics, radio astronomy, and space science. From the evolution of the Milky Way and the mechanics of solar flares to the cutting-edge technology of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), we break down complex academic research into engaging stories of discovery. Whether you’re interested in cosmic dust, galaxy evolution, or the latest in telescope technology, Astrophiz brings the experts directly to your ears. Subscribe for deep dives into: Astrophysics & Galactic Research Radio Astronomy & Space Weather Latest research & Dark Sky Preservation Interviews with NASA, ESA, Australian and International Researchers New episodes feature in-depth conversations that go beyond the headlines to reveal the real science shaping our understanding of the cosmos. Refreshingly Independent and totally ad-free

Information

  • Creator
    Brendan O'Brien: Astronomers, Astrophysicists & Space Scientists
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    230
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Astronomy Astrophiz Podcast

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