Universe Today Podcast

How did supermassive black holes get so big so early? There are two main models for that, and JWST just got a huge boost for the one that suggests they can form via a direct collapse of gas clouds. How did the researchers pull the first observations of a potential birth of a SMBH? Finding out in this interview. 👉 [Interview+] SECRET Bonus Part. No YT ads. It's FREE https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 😍 PROMO -57% OFF your first month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/join-my-patreon-134941769 🟣 Guest: Dr. Pieter van Dokkum https://physics.yale.edu/people/pieter-van-dokkum 📜 The JWST Might Have Found the First Direct-Collapse Black Hole https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-jwst-might-have-found-the-first-direct-collapse-black-hole 📜 The ∞ Galaxy: A Candidate Direct-collapse Supermassive Black Hole between Two Massive, Ringed Nuclei https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/addcfe 00:00 Intro 02:18 Supermassive black holes 11:57 The Discovery 21:38 Implications for cosmology 34:17 Current obsessions 42:35 Final thoughts 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/JoqjFqakszI 📰 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 happen if we moved a jovian moon to Mars? What are black holes spitting out as those jets? What's the best case scenario for Europa Clipper's search for life? And in Q&A+, how are we searching for Sun-like stars? 😍 PROMO -57% OFF your first month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/join-my-patreon-134941769 👉 [Q&A+] No YT ads. Bonus Question https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:28 [Ademnon's Couch] What if we took one of Jupiter's moons to Mars? 03:28 [John Divita] How do gravitational slingshots work? 06:12 [Trevor] What is the best case scenario for Europa Clipper's search for life? 10:22 [Steve Babarik] What are black holes spitting out? 13:40 [Ahmad Canrang] What's the difference between a comet and a meteoroid? 15:21 [Santiago Kaderian] Does Canada use F or C? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/YKAepCYrA30 📰 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 there an upper size limit for black holes? Why don't we build multiple identical missions to increase the chance of success? Is the Universe considered finite or infinite? And in Q&A+, is the Universe expanding or is everything else just shrinking? 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:28 [Ascendant Construct] Why don't we build multiple identical space missions at once? 01:36 [Lubo in China] My automated telescope 05:27 [Kasie Ream] Radiation in space 09:50 [Abdul Samad Kholia] Is space considered infinite? 11:56 [Brenda Kalt] Why changed our perspective on the Universe? 13:49 [Steven Lewis] How fast can a wired communication with the Moon be? 14:24 [Dark Jedi Order] My favourite galaxy 17:15 [paul wilson] How big can black holes get? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/Yrl0UL_UEhM 📰 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 Planet Found at Alpha Centauri. Webb Revisits the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Little Red Dots don't break the laws of physics. In Space Bites Plus, showing that the Earth's magnetosphere was here for a long time. 😍 PROMO -57% OFF your first month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/join-my-patreon-134941769 🚀 [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 00:20 Planet at Alpha Centauri 02:58 Webb revisits Hubble's Ultra Deep Field https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-revists-hubbles-classic-ultra-deep-field 04:23 NGC 6072 by JWST https://www.universetoday.com/articles/jwst-traces-details-of-complex-planetary-nebula 05:45 Little red dots VS the Eddington limit https://www.universetoday.com/articles/little-red-dots-eat-fast-but-not-faster-than-eddington 08:25 Solar array for Nancy Grace Roman Telescope 09:26 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts 09:58 Six more helicopters for Mars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/six-of-ingenuitys-successors-could-be-exploring-mars-in-4-years 11:36 Rogue planetary systems https://www.universetoday.com/articles/rogue-planets-can-spawn-their-own-planetary-systems 13:02 Newsletter 14:10 Bonus story: early Earth magnetosphere 14:37 Huge Q&A 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/7ioJvlWBg58 📰 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

Could we aim asteroid YR4 at the Moon on purpose? What would happen to babies born and raised on Mars? Should we use water as an insulation layer for our spacecraft? And in Q&A+, could we mine an asteroid that's stuck in a Lagrange point? 😍 PROMO -57% OFF your first month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/join-my-patreon-134941769 👉 [Q&A+] No YT ads. Bonus Question https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:28 [Goatlord] Could we direct an asteroid into the Moon to study the effects? 01:00 [MadmonkeyOz] Mars' ancient coast line 04:53 [Christian DesAlliers] Expanding advanced civilizations 07:52 [Web Fiji] Is there such thing as absolute stillness in the Universe 08:46 [TELE KOMIK] What will happen to babies born and raised on Mars? 10:52 [Len Kelter] Tackling the wait calculation 11:28 [Kasie Ream] Is it possible to do an X-Ray telescope? 12:06 [Jul Kar 'Cerum] Can we use water as an insulation layer for spacecraft? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/eTQDaMZhxbc 📰 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 nothing escapes a black hole, how does gravity escape? Could we detect a faster-than-light spaceship cruising through the Solar System? What does JWST really orbit at L2? And in Q&A+, could the Universe have started as a black hole? 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question. FREE: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:29 [Shahbaz Rezaei] If nothing can escape the black hole, how does gravity come out of it? 01:57 [fleshmagi] How long until we realistically start mining asteroids? 05:35 [nakedhand] What if the Sun collides with a black hole? 06:26 [Ashley O'Brien] Was there a time in the early universe where the conditions were like STP? 09:27 [kiwibacon99] Could we detect an FTL spacecraft passing through our solar system? 11:34 [Uğur E.] What does JWST orbit at L2? 12:29 [York] What do I think about the dark forest theory? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/rELZM0xt4ko 📰 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

More evidence that dark energy is weakening, cosmic rays could keep life alive under the ice, NASA is building fuel depots in space, and a radio telescope is going to the far side of the Moon. On Space Bites+, how brines could form on the surface of Mars, providing a habitat for life. 😍 PROMO -57% OFF your first month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/join-my-patreon-134941769 🚀 [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 00:20 More evidence of Dark Energy weakening https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-new-supernova-study-suggests-dark-energy-might-be-weakening 03:11 Cosmic rays might define a whole new habitable zone https://www.universetoday.com/articles/cosmic-rays-could-support-life-just-under-the-ice 05:30 Zero-Boil Fuel Storage Test https://www.universetoday.com/articles/zero-boil-fuel-storage-undergoes-system-testing 07:59 AI and Lunar Lava Tubes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/ai-uncovers-subsurface-entrances-on-the-moon 09:49 Volcanic activity on the Moon https://www.universetoday.com/articles/lava-existed-in-the-moons-subsurface-longer-than-previously-thought 11:09 Lunar telesdcope telescope https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-new-lunar-far-side-radio-telescope-is-ready-for-testing 14:08 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts 14:46 From primordial black holes to SMBH https://www.universetoday.com/articles/primordial-black-holes-could-act-as-seeds-for-quasars 17:47 Organic molecules in space https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-findings-indicate-that-the-origin-of-life-started-in-space 19:45 Parachute test for ExoMars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/exomars-tests-its-parachute-by-dropping-from-the-stratosphere 21:12 Even more space news 22:13 Secret bonus story: brines on Mars 22:28 What are YOU obsessed with right now? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/04AJW2jVsW0 📰 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

Do gravitational waves deflect like waves on the water? Which type of comet would cause the most destruction for Earth? Will we see humans on Mars in our lifetime? And in Q&A+ could AI become religious? 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question. FREE: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:25 [Web Fiji] Which type of comet will cause the most devastation if it hits Earth? 04:04 [James Sobek] Do gravitational waves reflect off objects? 07:09 [Pat Ludwig] Are there rogue gravitational waves? 07:27 [Rob Wright] Can a planet exist at the barycenter of a binary system? 09:28 [Clockwork Rex] Betelegeuse explosion wen? 11:41 [TJ] Will we see humans on Mars in your lifetime? 12:17 [Aiden Weatherbee] What would be my PhD research project? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/GltwBRguTWc 📰 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

Do we predictions when will the Universe stop its expansion? Did we find hypervelocity stars in M31? What does it mean when planets go retrograde? And in Q&A+ could the Big Bang be a white hole? 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question. FREE: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:27 [Peter Keyson] When will the Universe stop expanding? 02:54 [John De Keizer] Hypervelocity stars in M31 06:20 [kindness] What does it mean that planets are retrograde? 08:31 [J E] Are we working on strategies to mitigate the effect of satellites? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/F5cmyeN1N9k 📰 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

FRBs are a great example of a modern day space mystery. We've seen a lot of them. We know a fair amount about them. But we still don't really know for sure how do they work and what's their true source. Some of them can be super weird. How exactly? Finding out in this interview. 😍 [Interview+] Bonus Part. No YT ads. https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🟣 Guest: Dr. Fengqui Adam Dong 📜 A ‘Unicorn’ Object Defies Astrophysics https://public.nrao.edu/news/unicorn-object/ 📜 CHIME/FRB Discovery of an Unusual Circularly Polarized Long-Period Radio Transient with an Accelerating Spin Period https://arxiv.org/pdf/2507.05139 00:00 Intro 01:52 FRB on a conference 10:10 Source of FRB 19:59 New research 32:21 Current obsessions 36:03 Final thoughts 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/xr7okMr9WIY 📰 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