Spacepod

Dr. Peter Veres talks about asteroids, comets, and meteors. He describes how the Minor Planet Center keeps track of observations and orbits. This data is publicly available, and non-scientists make va...

19 Feb 202327min

Dr. Parvathy Prem tells us about lunar ice. She says, "the moon records the history of our solar system neighborhood in a way that the Earth doesn't." Her simulations show that rocket landings can cha...

22 Jan 202333min

Kelly Beatty shares easy things we can do to reduce light pollution. He tells us how artificial night light can harm humans, birds, and insects. He shares the five principles of good lighting, and exp...

25 Des 202225min

Dr. Nancy Chabot returns to the show to talk about the DART mission, which changed the orbit of an asteroid moon. This was the first demonstration of asteroid deflection technology. She explains how t...

28 Nov 202226min

Professor Myriam Telus shares how she studies atmospheres using meteorites. These experiments can teach us about exoplanet atmospheres and planet formation. She says science feels like a playground, w...

23 Okt 202224min

International space law expert Cordula Panosch explains what is and is not legal when it comes to deflecting an Earth-bound asteroid. Although much depends on the individual circumstances, she explain...

18 Sep 202224min

Dr. Kirby Runyon shares his definition of "planet"-- a round celestial body that was never a star. Using this definition, there are over 150 planets orbiting our sun. He explains why the word planet m...

21 Aug 202229min

Professor Lawler discusses why planet nine might not exist.  She explains why reporting not finding something is as important as reporting a discovery. She tells us how satellite internet is getting i...

24 Jul 202228min