Universe Today Podcast

So far we couldn't find liquid water on Mars. But there are still places where it can hide from us. One of them is pockets under the ice. How can it exist there and which possible ways do we have to detect it? Finding out in this interview. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 🟣 Guest: Dr. Aditya Khuller https://apl.uw.edu/people/profile.php?last_name=Khuller&first_name=Aditya 00:00 Intro 01:51 Liquid water on Mars 08:16 Habitability 11:57 Where on Mars could liquid water be? 17:34 How can we detect liquid water 29:52 Current obsessions 32:49 Final thoughts and more interviews 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/5dS26HSjhyU 📰 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

ESA’s PLATO mission gets its eyes installed, Webb finds water ice in another star system, could it be dark matter and not dark energy that’s evolving over time? And in our longer [Space Bites+] on Patreon, researchers have found that hardy bacteria are evolving to thrive in spacecraft clean rooms. 🚀 [Space Bites+] No ADS. BONUS Story. For FREE: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:20 Plato gets its eyes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-plato-mission-just-got-dozens-of-cameras-installed 02:05 Cubesat telescope https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-cubesat-to-capture-a-supernovas-uv-spectrum 04:14 Water ice in another star system https://www.universetoday.com/articles/water-ice-found-in-another-star-system 06:34 Evolving Dark Matter https://www.universetoday.com/articles/could-dark-matter-be-evolving-over-time-and-not-dark-energy 09:13 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/community 09:55 Everything evaporates with Hawking radiation https://www.universetoday.com/articles/everything-in-the-universe-could-decay-from-hawking-radiation 11:25 Venus tectonics https://www.universetoday.com/articles/venus-might-have-tectonic-activity-after-all 13:25 Auroras on Jupiter https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-watches-auroras-dance-in-jupiters-atmosphere 15:23 More space news in Guide to Space 16:13 [Space Bites+] bonus story 16:28 Patreon Q&A 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/VcOfDAf9UsU 📰 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

Our current tech doesn't allow us to block light from Sun-like stars to see Earth-like planets. The brightness difference is just too high. One of the ways we can achieve it is with quantum coronagraphs. What are they and how do they work? Finding out in this interview. 👉 [Interview+] Bonus Part. No YT ads. FREE https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🟣 Guest: Nico Deshler https://github.com/NicoDeshler 📜 Experimental Demonstration of a Quantum-Optimal Coronagraph Using Spatial Mode Sorters https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.12776 00:00 Intro 02:26 What is a quantum coronagraph 10:39 How to make one 19:20 How can a quantum coronagraph be used 22:02 Applications for ground-based telescopes 27:48 What's next? 34:14 Current obsessions 38:54 Final thoughts 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/cfdMxauquec 📰 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

Why risk sending big space missions instead of swarms of cubesats? Can NASA protect future Mars astronauts from radiation with EM-rockets? How close are we to discovering our first exomoon? And in our Q&A+ version, which sci-fi tech is the closest to becoming a reality? Answering all that and more in this Q&A show. 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question, totally free : https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:31 [Ramon Martinez] How will NASA protect astronauts from radiation on Mars? 02:01 [First Ninja] Why launch space missions instead of swarms of cubesats? 05:07 [J Bell] Is it normal to be not interested in life beyond Earth? 08:23 [Xander Schnoebbe] How close are we to discovering exomoons? 10:05 [Jamie Doe] Can we combine a Solar Gravitational Lens and an interferometer? 10:59 [Mandahl] Visible light interferometers on Earth 13:01 [Christopher “Fiss” Brummet] Will CSA/ASC step up after NASA budget cuts? 14:44 [Web Fiji] If we go through space, will we inevitably hit something? 15:31 [Silas Miller] Is the Sun made of the same elements as the planets? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/OOOPpw11Z1U 📰 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 keeping the Voyagers active a waste of money and time on the Deep Space Network? Could you play catch with a baseball-mass black hole? How confident are we in the distance ladder? And in our Q&A+ version, does it make sense to film a movie in space? Answering all that and more in this Q&A show. 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question, totally free : https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:29 [Bentation Funkiloglio] Could we play catch with a really tiny black hole? 01:24 [Aturuxo] How confident are we in the "distance ladder"? 08:03 [Pelican666] Is continuing the Voyager missions just a waste of money? 09:53 [Cooper Levesque] What will finding life in the Solar System actually mean? 12:10 [Edward] Would a microbe without DNA even be alive? 13:48 [Cooper Levesque] The topic I'm bored to cover 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/6egvw2jEHVQ 📰 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 Kerbal Space Program is a fun game, but also an incredible tool for simulating a realistic space exploration program. According to a new paper, people playing the game can help develop innovative ideas that can turn into real missions, especially with the development and integration of reusable rockets like Starship and New Glenn. 👉 [Interview+] Bonus Part. No YT ads. FREE https://patreon.com/universetoday 🟣 Guest: Rodrigo Schmitt https://rodrigo-schmitt.github.io/ 📜 Design of space systems and operational mission architectures using sandbox games https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576525002048 00:00 Intro 01:14 KSP as a learning tool 12:26 Why is KSP useful for mission planning 21:17 From gamers to mission architects 22:54 Useful mods for KSP 25:08 Alternatives to KSP 26:52 Gaming meta and AI 33:22 Current obsessions 37:00 Final thoughts 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/DIFnf0UCZUk 📰 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 official NASA cuts are here. Several missions reach big milestones. The Solar Gravitational Lens will be challenging to use, and in our special bonus version on Patreon, [Space Bites+] an additional story about New Horizons scanning the clouds of hydrogen around the Solar System. 🦄 Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 00:19 NASA budget cuts are official https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-white-house-releases-its-2026-budget-request-for-nasa-cuts-to-sls-gateway-and-orion 03:31 Milestones for Dragonfly and Roman https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/dragonfly/2025/04/24/nasas-dragonfly-passes-critical-design-review/ https://www.nasa.gov/missions/roman-space-telescope/key-portion-of-nasas-roman-space-telescope-clears-thermal-vacuum-test/ 05:22 Satellite occultations https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.03474 06:34 Complications with SGL https://www.universetoday.com/articles/using-the-solar-gravitational-lens-will-be-extremely-difficult 09:27 Vote results 10:09 Hakuto-R 2 arrives at Moon orbit https://www.universetoday.com/articles/ispaces-resilience-enters-lunar-orbit-itll-try-to-land-in-early-june 11:32 Rogue binary planets https://www.universetoday.com/articles/free-floating-binary-planets-cant-last-long 13:09 Strange object on the edge of the Milky Way https://www.universetoday.com/articles/its-either-the-milky-ways-farthest-known-star-cluster-or-the-smallest-known-galaxy 14:30 Guide to Space 15:50 Space Bites+ 16:09 Importance of keeping up space missions 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/M96tqKyVx_Q 📰 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

Which evidence will be a definite smoking gun when it comes to finding extraterrestrial life? Why is a Dyson sphere more realistic than warp drives? Will America ever adopt the metric system? And in our Q&A+ version, will China be collaborating with other nations in space? Answering all these questions and more in this Q&A show. 🎁 [Q&A+] Same video. No YT ads. BONUS question, totally free : https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 🚀 [Overtime] Even more Q&As https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Start 00:32 [Ross] What will be a sufficient enough evidence of life on another world? 06:07 [Mikael Biilmann] Will North America ever switch to the metric system? 08:11 [LeMonkDog] Why is a Dyson sphere considered more rational than FTL travel? 12:34 [Conspiracy_Theory_Enthusiast] Are there any filters that help cope with light pollution? 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/Z31aWzrlOb0 📰 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

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Vera Rubin Telescope (aka LSST) is finally ready. We're expecting first light in the coming months. It will find Planet 9 (if it exists), discover thousands of new asteroids, millions of new supernovae and will change the way we do astronomy with its surveys of the night sky. Here's how it will do all that. 👉 Watch this interview with no YT ads: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday 00:00 Intro 01:25 What's happening with Vera Rubin 08:20 What will Vera Rubin be able to see 23:35 Northern Rubin Wen? 30:23 Survey telescopes 45:50 Light pollution and satellite constellations 50:18 Current obsessions 52:54 Final thoughts 📺 VIDEO VERSION https://youtu.be/FIJLCwtnKKI 📰 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