Universe Today Podcast

Fraser Cain
  • 5.0 (2)
  • ASTRONOMY
  • UPDATED DAILY
Universe Today Podcast

Space news, interviews, Q&As, and exclusive content from Universe Today. Audio versions of Fraser Cain YouTube channel.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    [Q&A] Best Possible Space Mission, Sea Launches, Sun's Siblings

    What would be the best possible space mission if budget restrictions didn't exist? Why don't we launch all rockets from ships in the sea? Where are the stars that formed with our Sun? And in Q&A+ where is the center of the Universe? 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question. FREE: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:30 [John Hoy] Dream space mission when budget isn't a concern? 04:20 [Adam Redwine] Which places are best for launching rockets to different altitudes? 06:20 [Chris Nelsynels] How are we looking for the Sun's siblings? 07:48 [MouseDestruction] Stirling engines in space? 10:23 [Ivan M] What's the density of a black hole? 14:37 [xXPhiliPXx6541] What are the pros and cons of launching rockets from ships? 17:49 [Aaron ball] What's coming after the ISS? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/wLaLk808SpU 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER [email protected] ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
    22 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    [Interview] How to Find Your Way Home in Space

    If you were dropped in a random place in space, how would you find your way home? New Horizons tackled this problem with a first interstellar navigation demonstration. Using parallax in real time to determine its position in space. How did they pull it off and what other interesting things can spacecraft do? Finding out in this interview. 😍 [Interview+] Bonus Part. No YT ads. https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🟣 Guest: Dr Tod Lauer https://staff.noirlab.edu/tod.lauer/ 📜 A Demonstration of Interstellar Navigation Using New Horizons https://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.21666 00:00 Intro 01:48 Finding your way home from a random place in the galaxy 05:58 Test with New Horizons 19:19 Science with New Horizons after its main mission 26:02 The era of JWST 34:49 The Question to ask 37:58 Current obsessions 43:07 Final thoughts 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/YcHchdHwBpw 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER [email protected] ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
    46 min

  3. 3 DAYS AGO

    [Q&A] Enforcement of Space Treaties, Mars vs O'Neil Cylinders, India's Space Ambitions

    Can somebody really enforce any space treaties and do they make any sense? What's a better future, colonies on Mars or on giant rotating spaceships? What's India's space program been up to lately? And in Q&A+, would I take a one-way ticket to Mars? 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:28 [Iamsick] Mars vs O'Neil cylinders 02:08 [busybillyb33] How enforceable is the Outer Space Treaty? 06:04 [Tarun Pulikanti] Thoughts on India's space station ambitions 08:23 [Doogle] How difficult is it to see the Orion Nebula? 10:21 [Larry Tilghmon] Why did Oumuamua leave our solar system so easily while we cannot? 11:58 [GTP_VEXD] What is a light year and why do we use them? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/cya7EXYCBCo 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER [email protected] ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
    16 min

  4. 11 JUL

    [Space Bites] Double Supernova // Impossible Rings // Dark Brown Dwarfs

    A star detonated as a supernova, twice. Trump chooses his new NASA Administrator. Why deflecting asteroids is much more complex than we thought.And on Space Bites Plus, how your flight home could signal an alien civilization. 🚀 [Space Bites+] No ADS. BONUS Story. For FREE: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 👉 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community 00:00 Intro 00:19 Star detonated as supernova ... twice https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-star-detonated-as-a-supernova-twice 02:27 Rogue planet hiding in Hubble data https://www.universetoday.com/articles/old-hubble-space-telescope-photos-unlock-the-secret-of-a-rogue-planet 03:44 Deflecting asteroids is harder than we thought https://www.universetoday.com/articles/deflecting-asteroids-isnt-simple-according-to-new-data-from-dart 05:23 Dark matter in brown dwarfs https://www.universetoday.com/articles/dark-matter-could-create-dark-dwarfs-at-the-center-of-the-milky-way 06:36 New interim NASA Administrator https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/09/politics/sean-duffy-named-interim-nasa-administrator 07:38 2100+ Senior NASA Employees Gone https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/09/nasa-staff-departures-00444674?utmcampaign=FIRST+UP+2025-07-10&utmcontent=China+s+increasingly+sophisticated+maneuvers+in+space&utmmedium=email&utmsource=ActiveCampaign 08:53 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts 09:22 "Impossible" rings of Quaoar https://www.universetoday.com/articles/quaoars-atmosphere-doesnt-exist-and-its-rings-shouldnt 11:08 Hubble vs JWST https://www.universetoday.com/articles/two-powerful-space-telescopes-are-better-than-one 12:10 Sprite from the ISS https://x.com/Astro_Ayers/status/1940810789830451563 13:30 3I/Atlas from VLT https://www.eso.org/public/videos/potw2527a/ 14:35 Newsletter https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter 15:48 Bonus story: signalling aliens about us https://www.universetoday.com/articles/how-your-flight-home-could-be-broadcasting-earths-location-to-aliens 16:21 Huge Patreon Q&A https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-questions-133776836 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/v1HQGRh-Wrw 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER [email protected] ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
    19 min

  5. 10 JUL

    [Q&A] Dust VS Interstellar Travel, Nuclear Reactors on the Moon, My Favourite Lagrange Point

    Will dust make interstellar travel impossible? Is Oumuamua unique in its weird cigar-like shape? How many nuclear reactors will we need on the Moon? And in Q&A+, does studying the Universe have no endgame? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show. 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question. FREE: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:27 [@scottycartercom] My favourite planet and moon 00:51 [@Beedubz76] Are there any objects that are similar to Oumuamua? 03:52 [@askani21] Will dust make interstellar travel impossible? 06:29 [@fredjonestowns4213] How long until we reach Enceladus? 08:41 [HammmmerFan] How will society respond if we actually find evidence of alien life? 10:31 [@anniealexander9911] What's my favourite Lagrange point? 11:25 [@johnrasnic195] Will people put Moon bases in caverns? 12:31 [Encodedpr] How many nuclear reactors will we need on the Moon? 13:42 [@gangsterdaddy510] Data rates from distant spacecraft 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/kVUxqNkwyfI 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER [email protected] ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
    19 min

  6. 8 JUL

    [Q&A] Vera Rubin & Planet 9 SPECIAL

    Will there be a northern hemisphere version of Vera Rubin? Or maybe we can put one straight in space? Can Vera Rubin detect alien spacecraft if they ever visit? And if it finds planet 9, how fast will we be sending a mission there? And in Q&A+, how many planets will be out there if we reinstate Pluto as one? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show. 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question. FREE: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:32 [@richardg1577] How do astronomers track newly discovered asteroids by Vera Rubin? 01:56 [@rodtolosa4594] Will Vera Rubin detect an alien spacecraft? 02:58 [@estraume] Are there plans for a Northern hemisphere version of Vera Rubin? 05:07 [skygunner777] Vera Rubin telescope but in space? 08:08 [@nigeldawson5960] How do they keep Vera Rubin's mirrors clean? 09:15 [@austinsapp5867] Could Planet 9 be geologically active? 11:26 [@kasieream1248] Would we be able to launch a mission to Planet 9? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/rXl8k7DEhKw 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER [email protected] ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
    18 min

  7. 7 JUL

    [Interview] Revealing the Secrets of Cosmic Dark Ages

    What are the cosmic dark ages and what do we know about them? Why are the so hard to study? How can the Dark Age Explorer help with it and why does it need to go on the far side of the Moon? Finding out in this interview. 😍 [Interview+] Bonus Part. No YT ads. https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🟣 Guest: Dr Christiaan Brinkerink https://www.ru.nl/en/externals/services/radboud-radio-lab 📜 The Dark Ages Explorer (DEX): a filled-aperture ultra-long wavelength radio interferometer on the lunar far side https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.03418 00:00 Intro 02:31 Cosmic dark ages 14:23 21cm line 19:03 Current instruments 25:00 Dark Ages Explorer 41:20 Science objectives 50:47 Working with EHT 58:09 Current obsessions 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/6OJhhPxzd5U 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER [email protected] ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
    59 min

  8. 4 JUL

    [Space Bites] A THIRD Interstellar Object // Pack of Quasars // Tianwen-2 Looks Back

    Astronomers have discovered a third interstellar object. NASA missions are getting prepared to be shut down. The most massive white dwarf has been found. And in Space Bites Plus, a capsule containing human remains and cannabis seeds crashes into the ocean. 🚀 [Space Bites+] No ADS. BONUS Story. For FREE: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 👉 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community 00:00 Intro 00:19 Third interstellar object https://www.universetoday.com/articles/inbound-astronomers-discover-third-interstellar-object 03:01 NASA budget cuts https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/07/trump-administration-moves-to-tighten-the-noose-around-nasa-science-missions/ 05:17 Nancy Grace Roman telescope progress https://www.universetoday.com/articles/roman-telescope-core-components-complete-vibration-testing 06:26 Exoplanet around a quiet red dwarf https://www.universetoday.com/articles/gj-12-b-earth-sized-planet-orbiting-a-quiet-m-dwarf-star 08:13 Citizen scientists help observe exoplanet transit https://www.universetoday.com/articles/worldwide-team-of-citizen-scientists-help-confirm-a-tricky-exoplanet 09:27 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community 10:07 Chonkiest white dwarf https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-supermassive-white-dwarf-is-pulsating-rapidly-revealing-details-of-its-interior 12:00 Pack of quasars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-dense-group-of-quasars-form-the-cosmic-himalayas 13:23 Tianwen-2 looks back https://www.universetoday.com/articles/tianwen-2-looks-back-at-the-earth 14:44 More space news 15:51 Bonus story 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/4Bx96IKAfhs 📰 GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter No ads. Subscribe for FREE: https://universetoday.com/newsletter 🎧 PODCASTS Universe Today: https://universetoday.fireside.fm/ Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/ 📩 CONTACT FRASER [email protected] ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
    19 min
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5
out of 5
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About

Space news, interviews, Q&As, and exclusive content from Universe Today. Audio versions of Fraser Cain YouTube channel.

Information

  • Creator
    Fraser Cain
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2025
  • Episodes
    1.4K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Fraser Cain
  • Show Website
    Universe Today Podcast

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