Astronomy Cast

Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay

About

Take a fact-based journey through the cosmos. Tune in to hear weekly discussions on astronomical topics ranging from planets to cosmology. Hosted by Fraser Cain (Universe Today) and Dr. Pamela L. Gay (Planetary Science Institute), this show brings the questions of an avid astronomy lover direct to an astronomer. Together Fraser and Pamela explore what is known and being discovered about the universe around us. Astronomy Cast is supported thru patreon.com/AstronomyCast.

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594 episodes

Ep. 712: How Peer Review Fails

Astronomy Cast Ep. 712: How Peer Review Fails by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Mar 11, 2024.   You’ve probably heard that the best kind of science is peer-reviewed research published in a prestigious journal. But peer review has problems of its own. We’ll talk about that today.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

38m
Mar 18
Ep. 711: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC)

Astronomy Cast Ep. 711: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live March 4, 2024. NASA works on many missions using tried and true technology, but they also invest in creative ideas that could drive the future of space exploration. It’s called NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts or NIAC.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

31m
Mar 11
Ep. 710: NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Program

Astronomy Cast Ep. 710: NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Program by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Feb 26, 2024. In the olden days, NASA developed its missions using a variety of in-house engineers and external suppliers. As more commercial companies are targeting the Moon, NASA is working with partners to deliver its payloads to the lunar surface. Today let’s talk about NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Program.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

35m
Mar 04
Ep. 709: Space Weapons

Astronomy Cast Ep. 709: Space Weapons by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Feb 19, 2024. [My apologies for Fraser’s audio dropouts. We’re not sure how it happened as it wasn’t happening at his studio. Audio is a black art, IMHO. Rich) Last week we learned that Russia might be planning nuclear weapons to take out satellites in space. What is the current and future possibility of weapons in space and what are the treaties designed to prevent them?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit (rhymes with right) Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

32m
Feb 26
Ep. 708: What Goes Into Sample Return Missions From Asteroids & Comets?

Astronomy Cast Ep. 708: What Goes Into Sample Return Missions From Asteroids & Comets? by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live Feb 12, 2024. Last week we talked about sample return missions from the Moon and Mars, but scientists have retrieved samples from other objects in the Solar System, including comets and asteroids. What does it take to return a piece of rock from space, and what have we learned so far?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit ( rhymes with right) Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

36m
Feb 19
Ep. 707: What Goes Into A Sample Return Mission? Moon & Mars

Astronomy Cast Ep. 707: What Goes Into A Sample Return Mission? Moon & Mars by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Feb 5, 2024. We’ve sent robots to other worlds, but the amount of science we can deploy to another planet can’t compare with the vast science labs we have on Earth. That’s why more and more missions are for a sample return, bringing pieces of alien worlds back to Earth, where we study them with proper equipment.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit ( rhymes with right) Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

32m
Feb 12
Ep. 706: China’s Space Program

Astronomy Cast Ep. 706: China’s Space Program by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Jan 30, 2024. We’re so familiar with NASA’s exploration efforts in space, but you might be surprised to learn that China launches almost as many rockets as the US. They’ve got their own space exploration program that could soon bring humans to the surface of the Moon. Let’s give a brief overview of China’s space exploration plans.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

38m
Feb 05
Ep. 705: Water Worlds - Looking For Life Beyond Earth

Astronomy Cast Ep. 705: Water Worlds - Looking For Life Beyond Earth by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live January 17, 2024. Wherever we find liquid water on Earth, we find life, so it makes sense to search for water across the Universe, and hopefully we can find evidence of life. But what about worlds which are completely covered in water, oceans hundreds of kilometers deep. Can there be too much water?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

32m
Jan 22
Ep. 704: NASA's Juno Releases New Images

Astronomy Cast Ep. 704: NASA's Juno Releases New Images by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live January 8, 2024. NASA’s Juno spacecraft has completed dozens of flybys of Jupiter, seeing the planet from many angles and delivering some of the most beautiful images we’ve ever seen of the Jovian world. Now it’s focusing in on Io, sending home images of the tiny volcanic world from just 1,500 km away. And the best is yet to come.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed David Gerhard Schwarzer THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

29m
Jan 15
Ep. 703: Solar Maximum of Doom? Maybe

Astronomy Cast Ep. 703: Solar Maximum of Doom? Maybe by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Dec 20, 2023. Solar cycle 25 is shaping up to be a doozy, with plenty of flares and coronal mass ejections blasting off the Sun. As the solar activity continues to rise, how are things shaping up?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed Gerhard Schwarzer David Nicholas Cunningham THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

33m
Jan 08
Ep. 702: Moonshot 2024 - Go or No Go?

Astronomy Cast Ep. 702: Moonshot 2024 - Go or No Go? by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Dec 11, 2023. With Artemis 1 completing its robotic flight around the Moon, we know that the SLS works. Next comes Artemis 2, with a crew of astronauts flying past the Moon. If that’s successful, we could see humans set foot on the Moon in December 2025. But there is a long list of challenges to consider that could delay things considerably. Go or no go for launch‽   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed Gerhard Schwarzer David Nicholas Cunningham THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

32m
Dec 18, 2023
Ep. 701: Space Science We Look Forward to in the Next 700 Episodes

Astronomy Cast Ep. 701: Space Science We Look Forward to in the Next 700 Episodes by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Dec 4, 2023. Last week we looked back at some of the ideas that science has changed its mind about. This week we look forward, into the future, at some of the big ideas that astronomers are making progress in. What space science are we looking forward to?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young BogieNet Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra David Truog Brian Cagle Ed Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

33m
Dec 11, 2023
Ep. 700: The Things We Got Wrong

Astronomy Cast Ep. 700: The Things We Got Wrong by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Nov 27, 2023. Astronomers talk about all the amazing discoveries they’re making but sometimes, it turns out, they were wrong. After decades and centuries of discoveries, how have they changed their minds?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Ed BogieNet Brian Cagle David Truog Gerhard Schwarzer David Nicholas Cunningham THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

29m
Dec 04, 2023
Ep. 699: Holiday Gift Giving Ideas for Astronomy and Space Fans

Astronomy Cast Ep. 699: Holiday Gift Giving Ideas for Astronomy and Space Fans by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Nov 20, 2023. Just a warning, the holidays are rapidly approaching. It’s time, once again, to think about what to buy all the space nerds on your lists. Here’s what we like.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Ed BogieNet Brian Cagle David Truog Gerhard Schwarzer David Nicholas Cunningham THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

32m
Nov 27, 2023
Ep. 698: Insights Into the Universe

Astronomy Cast Ep. 698: Insights Into the Universe by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay From Nov 5, 2023. How the time flies. It’s been over a year since JWST went operational, with other missions joining the fun. What new insights have we gained about the Universe thanks to these powerful new tools?   Recorded live during the 2023 Hangout-a-Thon on November 5.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Ed BogieNet Brian Cagle David Truog Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

31m
Nov 20, 2023
Ep. 697: Mission Roll Call Part 6: The Outer Solar System and Beyond

Astronomy Cast Ep. 697: Mission Roll Call Part 6: The Outer Solar System and Beyond by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live November 4th, 2023.. Finally, we reach the end of our tour through the missions in the Solar System. Out beyond Mars, to Jupiter, the Kuiper Belt and Beyond.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Jordan Young Stephen Veit Jeanette Wink Siggi Kemmler Andrew Poelstra Ed BogieNet Brian Cagle David Truog Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

30m
Nov 13, 2023
Ep. 696: Mission Roll Call Part 5: The Science at Mars

Astronomy Cast Ep. 696: Mission Roll Call Part 5: The Science at Mars by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Oct 30, 2023. Another week, another review of space missions in the Solar System. Today we set our sights on the red planet. What are all the active missions at Mars today?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

40m
Nov 06, 2023
Ep. 695: Mission Roll Call Part 4: Lunar Exploration

Astronomy Cast Ep. 695: Mission Roll Call Part 4: Lunar Exploration by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Oct 23, 2023. Our journey through missions continues, this time we focus on the Moon. There are many nations on the Moon, near the Moon, around the Moon, traveling to the Moon. It’s a lot. We’ll talk about it today.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

35m
Oct 30, 2023
Ep. 694: Mission Roll Call Part 3: Sun, Mercury, and Venus

Astronomy Cast Ep. 694: Mission Roll Call Part 3: Sun, Mercury, and Venus by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Oct 16, 2023. Our journey through space missions continues. Now we move away from the Earth to the rest of the solar system. What’s out there orbiting, roving and flying on other worlds and in interplanetary space. Today we look inward and we’ll talk about the missions studying the Sun, Mercury and Venus.   Thank you to all of our patrons who allow us to do this! This week I'd like to thank Jeremy Kerwin, Stuart Mills, Slug!, Harold Bardenhogan, Matthew Horstman, Kimberly Reich, Georgie Ianov, Scott Bieber, Jim Schooler. Marco Yarasi, David Gates, Alex Cohen, Justin Proctor, Claudia Mastriani, Scott Cohen, Disastrina, Kinsaya Pianflinko, Mathias Hayden, The Big Squish Squash!, Tim Garish, Gregory Singleton, Tim McMackin, Jeff Wilson Cooper, Paul D Disney, Benjamin Mueller, Ninja Nick, Kenneth Ryan, Eran Segev, Scott Briggs and Bruce Amazine. Thank you all so much!

33m
Oct 23, 2023
Ep. 693: Mission Roll Call Part 2: Looking Outward from Earth

Astronomy Cast Episode 693: Mission Roll Call, Part 2: Looking Outward from Earth by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Oct 9, 2023. Last week, we brought you up to speed on the spacecraft which are helping to study Earth from above. Many of our missions are in Earth orbit but looking outward to study the Universe. Today, we’ll talk about the missions close to home, helping us understand our place in the cosmos.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

29m
Oct 16, 2023
Ep. 692: Mission Roll Call Part 1: Earth Orbit

Astronomy Cast Ep. 692: Mission Roll Call Part 1: Earth Orbit by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay It’s time for another series! This time we’re gonna look at the missions that’re currently in place across the solar system. Today we’ll start with the key missions here on Earth, studying the planet from above and looking out into the Universe.

29m
Oct 09, 2023
Ep. 691: Jupiter’s Changing Red Spot

Astronomy Cast Ep. 691: Jupiter’s Changing Red Spot by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Sep 25, 2023. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is one of its most iconic features. First seen hundreds of years ago. Although it’s certainly long lasting, it’s been changing in size over the last few decades. Shrinking, changing in color. Is it fading away? And what can the changes tell us about storms on giant planets?

29m
Oct 02, 2023
Ep. 690: Climate on Mars - From Ice Caps to Dust Storms

Astronomy Cast Ep. 690: Climate on Mars - From Ice Caps to Dust Storms by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Sep 18, 2023. We’ve looked at Earth’s changing climate, now let’s see what it’s like for another world: Mars. Much looks familiar, but some of it is totally alien, from ice caps of frozen carbon dioxide to planetary dust storms that can obscure the entire world from view.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

29m
Sep 25, 2023
Ep. 689 - Our Warming World: 20 Years of Climate Science

Astronomy Cast Ep. 689 - Our Warming World: 20 Years of Climate Science by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Sep 11, 2023. It’s official! June and July were the warmest we’ve seen since records began over a century ago. Fires are rampant across Canada, and we’re seeing record droughts around the world. Today we’re going to look at 20 years of climate science, how well does reality match up with the predictions.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

37m
Sep 18, 2023
Hiatus Message

Astronomy Cast - Hiatus Message by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Once again, we’ve reached the end of a season here on Astronomy Cast, and it’s time for the summer hiatus. See you in September!

4m
Jul 10, 2023
Ep. 688: What’s Next? Looking Ahead to Season 17

Astronomy Cast Ep. 688: What’s Next? Looking Ahead to Season 17 by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Jun 26, 2023. Once again, we’ve reached the end of a season here on Astronomy Cast, and it’s time for the summer hiatus. But the Universe never takes a break. What can we expect to happen over the summer while we’re catching up on our reading, building our gardens and planning for Season 17?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

32m
Jul 03, 2023
Ep. 687: Prepping for the Moon

Astronomy Cast Ep. 687: Prepping for the Moon by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay We’re going back to the Moon. In the next few years humans will set foot on the Moon again, ideally this time to stay. But this will be different than the Apollo era, going to the scientifically fascinating, and difficult southern pole of the Moon. What needs to be done to prepare the way back to the Moon?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

34m
Jun 27, 2023
Ep. 686: Ice In The Shadows

Astronomy Cast Ep. 686: Ice In The Shadows by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Ga Streamed live on Jun 12, 2023. The permanently shadowed craters on the Moon are the focus of so much research. That’s because they seem to contain vast reserves of water ice. Water we could use for oxygen, propellant and so much more, but also, to help us understand where the Earth’s water came from.   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

27m
Jun 19, 2023
Ep. 685: Manufacturing In Space

Astronomy Cast Ep. 685: Manufacturing In Space by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on Jun 5, 2023. Launching satellites from Earth is counter-productive. You’ve got to make a satellite that can handle Earth gravity, then the brutal flight to space, then deployment in orbit. What if you could build your spacecraft in space?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Jeanette Wink Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog BogieNet Gerhard Schwarzer David THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

29m
Jun 12, 2023
Ep. 684: Too Big, Too Soon: Massive Early Galaxies Defy Expectations

Astronomy Cast Ep. 684: Too Big, Too Soon: Massive Early Galaxies Defy Expectations by Fraser Cain & Dr. Pamela Gay Streamed live on May 29, 2023. One of JWST’s top jobs is to peer deeper into the Universe than ever before, watching as the first galaxies came together. Surprisingly, astronomers found galaxies that seemed much more mature than expected, much earlier than it was believed possible. What’s going on and what does it mean for cosmology?   This video was made possible by the following Patreon members: Burry Gowen Stephen Veit Jordan Young Venkatesh Chary Andrew Poelstra Brian Cagle David Truog Jeanette Wink Gerhard Schwarzer David BogieNet THANK YOU! - Fraser and Dr. Pamela

29m
Jun 05, 2023