

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

Aug 22, 2025 β’ 0sec
[Space Bites] Origin of Ryugu and Bennu // JWST's Big Discovery // A Star Ate a Black Hole
Ryugu and Bennu are related, a star tried to eat a black hole and it didnβt go well, using moons to save fuel, and China tests its new human lunar lander. In Space Bites+, how climate change will impact satellite orbits.
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00:00 Intro
00:20 Asteroids Siblings
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/its-official-asteroids-ryugu-and-bennu-are-siblings
02:16 Star Explodes While Eating a Black Hole
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-distant-star-explodes-while-swallowing-its-black-hole-companion
04:14 Moon Flybys
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/moon-flybys-could-save-fuel-on-interplanetary-missions
06:22 Universeβs Greatest Fireworks Show
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-theory-points-to-the-universes-greatest-fireworks-show
08:34 Vote results
https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts
08:57 China Tests Its Lunar Lander
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/chinas-crewed-lunar-lander-passes-key-test-milestone
10:32 Webb Finds Uranusβ 29th Moon
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/uranus-29th-moon-cant-hide-from-the-jwst
11:22 Psycheβs Version of The Pale Blue Dot
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-commanded-psyche-to-turn-around-and-capture-images-of-earth-and-the-moon
12:42 More space news
13:42 Bonus story: Climate change impacting space
13:59 Current state of NASA
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/p6RWUT8fEW8
π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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Aug 21, 2025 β’ 0sec
[Q&A] Starships on Mars, Molten Salt Moon Batteries, Observable Universe
Why do people believe Starships will go to Mars? Can we use molten salt batteries on the Moon? What's the difference between the Universe and the Observable Universe? And in Q&A+, what's the chance of hitting an stone during an interstellar voyage?
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00:00 Start
00:25 [Dean T] Why people believe that Starships will land on Mars?
05:01 [Michael Stanley] What is does "observable Universe" mean?
06:46 [Dixie Q] When will we be able to see into the Oort cloud?
07:39 [puffcrusader696] How big can a telescope mirror get?
09:31 [kLONDIKE69 NONE] Can we use molten salt batteries on the Moon?
10:12 [Andrea Lencione] Which classic scifi author was best at predicted the future?
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
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π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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Aug 20, 2025 β’ 0sec
[Interview] Fighting Light Pollution from Satellites with Ultra Black Paint
Satellites are causing light pollution. Every year there a more of them. So, why don't they just paint them all vantablack, the ultra-black coating that doesn't reflect almost any light? Finding out in this interview.
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00:00 Intro
02:25 The problem of satellite pollution
08:35 Counter measures so far
11:36 Vantablack
24:15 Satellite project
33:42 Current obsessions
38:43 Final thoughts
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/1yQegWQWtUo
π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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Aug 19, 2025 β’ 0sec
[Q&A] Living on Venus VS Mars, Biosphere 2 for Mars, Dangers of Space Junk
Is living in the clouds of Venus better than living in sub-surface habitats on Mars? Can we really lock ourselves from orbit with space junk? Should we build another version of Biosphere before going to Mars? And in Q&A+, is abiogenesis really unlikely?
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00:00 Start
00:29 [Mr Kyle] How do we distinguish the motions of galaxies and the expansion of the Universe?
02:14 [Melinda Green] Biosphere 2 before going to Mars?
03:38 [Adam Redwine] Are there any plans for Biosphere 3?
05:43 [A.SmollZz] Can we really trap ourselves on orbit because of space junk?
07:50 [Nick Stokes] What kind of space mission would I get on?
09:21 [name] Floating habitat on Venus VS sub-surface habitat on Mars
10:11 [Kyle] Hostile aliens
11:25 [Ken Sole] Rarest phenomena in our universe
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/S4Nj0kJ7ZMo
π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
π© CONTACT FRASER
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Aug 15, 2025 β’ 0sec
[Space Bites] JWST's Results from TRAPPIST-1d // Water from 3I/ATLAS // Biggest Black Hole Ever Found
Finally, Webbβs analysis of TRAPPIST-1d, new Hubble images comet 3I/ATLAS, the most massive black hole ever discovered, why Mars sand is so dangerous. And in Space Bites+, staring right down the jet of an actively feeding supermassive black hole.
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00:00 Intro
00:20 Webb's Analysis of Trappist-1d
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-jwst-shows-us-that-trappist-1d-is-not-as-earth-like-as-we-hoped
04:30 Stellar flares at Trappist-1
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/stellar-flares-unveil-hidden-magnetic-secrets-of-trappist-1
06:22 3I/ATLAS is actively releasing water
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/3iatlas-is-very-actively-releasing-water
08:41 Hubble looks at 3I/ATLAS
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/hubble-captures-stunning-view-of-third-interstellar-visitor
10:03 More on Little Red Dots
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/mystery-of-the-little-red-dots-may-finally-be-solved
12:05 Biggest Supermassive Black Hole ever found
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-36-billion-solar-mass-black-hole-detected-thanks-to-gravitational-lensing
14:07 Ultramassive white dwarf
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-white-dwarf-merged-with-another-star-to-form-an-ultra-massive-white-dwarf
15:49 Vote results
https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts
16:23 Offroading on Mars
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-could-prevent-rovers-from-getting-stuck-in-sand-or-dust
18:09 Mars from above
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-martian-landscape-reveals-climate-secrets
19:56 Mars mosaic from Percy
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/perseverance-takes-a-new-panoramic-image-of-mars-on-a-clear-day
20:55 More space news
22:05 Bonus story: Eye of Sauron Blazar
22:27 CLICKBAIT!
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
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π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
π© CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com
βοΈ LICENSE
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Aug 13, 2025 β’ 0sec
[Interview] The Infinity Galaxy: First Evidence of a Direct Collapse Supermassive Black Hole?
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.
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π£ Guest: Dr. Pieter van Dokkum
https://physics.yale.edu/people/pieter-van-dokkum
π 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
π The β 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
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/JoqjFqakszI
π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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Astronomy Cast: http://www.astronomycast.com/
π© CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com
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Aug 13, 2025 β’ 0sec
[Q&A] New Moons for Mars, Black Hole Jets, Best Case Scenario for Europa Clipper
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?
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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?
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
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π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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π© CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com
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Aug 12, 2025 β’ 0sec
[Q&A] Black Hole Size Limit, Economies of Scale for Space Missions, Favourite Galaxy
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?
π¦ Support us on Patreon:
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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?
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
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π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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Aug 8, 2025 β’ 0sec
[Space Bites] New Planet at Alpha Centauri // Webb Ultra Deep Field // Six Mars Helicopters
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.
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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
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
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π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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π© CONTACT FRASER
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Aug 7, 2025 β’ 0sec
[Q&A] Aiming an Asteroid at The Moon, Mars Babies, Absolute Stillness
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?
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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?
πΊ VIDEO VERSION
https://youtu.be/eTQDaMZhxbc
π° GUIDE TO SPACE Newsletter
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π© CONTACT FRASER
frasercain@gmail.com
βοΈ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Support Universe Today Podcast