Universe Today Podcast

This is an interview with me on The Last Easy Mile podcast with Josh Farahi. Video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_FR_ZvPc3U&ab_channel=TheLastEasyMilePodcast THE LAST EASY MILE: https://linktr.ee/TheLastEasyMilePodcast In this episode, Fraser Cain—founder of Universe Today and co-host of Astronomy Cast—shares why space still matters. From watching meteor showers with your kids to seeing Saturn’s rings through binoculars in a city, Fraser offers practical ways to reconnect with awe. He reflects on raising science-minded kids, his love of tabletop RPGs, and how parents can create deeper imaginative experiences than screens can provide. We also talk about the James Webb Space Telescope, the Mars rovers, and the Vera Rubin Observatory, which will capture time-lapse images of the sky. Fraser warns against the growing distrust of experts, advocating for humility, critical thinking, and Carl Sagan’s “baloney detection toolkit.” 📰 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 frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

Is the Earth at the center of a giant void? Did a star fly through the Solar System billions of years ago messing up the orbits of some objects? Comet 3i/ATLAS is the oldest comet ever seen. Look at the picture to celebrate the third anniversary of Webb. And in Space Bites Plus, covering a crater on the moon with a concrete dome to build a pressurised habitat. 🚀 [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 Are we in a void? https://www.universetoday.com/articles/are-we-in-a-giant-void-that-would-help-explain-the-hubble-tension 02:57 Dwarf galaxies https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-milky-way-could-be-surrounded-by-100-satellite-galaxies 04:08 Orbital resonance with Uranus https://www.universetoday.com/articles/scientists-discover-uranus-has-a-dancing-partner 05:25 Clues of an ancient stellar flyby https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-use-the-colours-of-trans-neptunian-objects-to-track-an-ancient-stellar-flyby 06:57 Oldest comet in history https://www.universetoday.com/articles/newly-discovered-interstellar-comet-is-billions-of-years-older-than-the-solar-system 08:24 Sunspots https://www.universetoday.com/articles/scientists-solve-400-year-old-solar-mystery 09:44 Vote results 10:19 Source of Earth's water https://www.universetoday.com/articles/earth-was-born-with-water-no-delivery-needed 12:12 DUUUUUST https://www.universetoday.com/articles/where-does-cosmic-dust-come-from-the-jwst-provides-an-answer 13:58 Portrait of a galaxy cluster https://www.universetoday.com/articles/portrait-of-a-galaxy-cluster 14:44 Closest pic of the solar atmosphere https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-is-the-closest-picture-ever-taken-of-the-sun 15:37 JWST 3rd anniversary https://www.universetoday.com/articles/celebrate-the-jwsts-third-anniversary-with-this-stunning-image 16:35 Guide to space 17:24 [Space bites+] https://www.patreon.com/collection/125670 18:03 What's the deal with Patreon 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/2bsKBzYtX2U 📰 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 frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

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 frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

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 frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

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 frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

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?utm_campaign=FIRST+UP+2025-07-10&utm_content=China+s+increasingly+sophisticated+maneuvers+in+space&utm_medium=email&utm_source=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 frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

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 frasercain@gmail.com ⚖️ LICENSE Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast

The discussion kicks off with the impressive capabilities of the Vera Rubin Observatory, pondering its potential to detect alien visitors. Curious minds consider a northern hemisphere version and even a space-bound telescope. They explore the intriguing notion of Planet 9's geological activity, while questions about sending a mission there spark excitement. The conversation wraps up with stargazing tips, highlighting the beauty of meteor showers and urging listeners to gaze at the early morning sky for planetary wonders.

Christiaan Brinkerink, an instrumentation systems engineer at Radboud University and member of the Radboud Radio Lab, discusses the cosmic dark ages—an era shrouded in mystery following the Big Bang. He dives into the Dark Ages Explorer mission, revealing how a lunar telescope will help study this epoch by utilizing the unique advantages of the far side of the Moon. Brinkerink also explores innovative antenna designs and the challenges of capturing low-frequency radio waves, offering insights into the early universe's formation.

Astronomers have discovered a third interstellar object exhibiting comet-like behavior. NASA's budget cuts pose a threat to crucial science missions, with potential cancellations on the horizon. They also discuss the discovery of the most massive white dwarf, shedding light on the life cycle of stars. In a quirky twist, a capsule containing human remains and cannabis seeds has unexpectedly crashed into the ocean. Plus, learn about exciting updates from the Tianwen-2 spacecraft as it continues its journey through the cosmos.