The Supermassive Podcast
The Royal Astronomical Society
The UK's #1 space podcast.Science journalist Izzie Clarke and astrophysicist Dr Becky Smethurst whizz through the universe to explore the latest research with leading experts, dive to history from the society’s archives and take on your weird and wonderful questions about all things space. Can we gravitationally hitch-hike out of the solar system? Do we live in a multiverse? What is time? Plus Dr Robert Massey is on hand with his top star-gazing tips.Want to support the show? Join The Supermassive Club for exclusive content, star-gazing forums and ad-free listening... supermassive.supportingcast.fmAnd keep adding to The Supermassive Mailbox with your pictures and questions for the team. Send them to podcast@ras.ac.uk or follow them on Instagram, @SupermassivePod.The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production for the Royal Astronomical Society. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 19, 2025 • 13min
EMERGENCY BONUS - Asteroid 2024 YR4
Scientists have detected an asteroid that has a small chance of hitting Earth. Resident expert Dr Robert Massey tells Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham why we shouldn't be worried.Want to suggest a topic to the team? Contact podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on Instagram @SupermassivePod.The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 12, 2025 • 17min
BONUS - Could we capture a primordial black hole?
What are the implications on space exploration with a change of president? Did cosmic inflation come before the Big Bang? Are there sonic booms in space? Izzie, Becky and Robert take on your questions! Keep sending your questions to podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on instagram @SupermassivePod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 29, 2025 • 55min
The Search for Space Aliens
Hosts Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst are starting 2025 with a biggie. The scientific search for extraterrestrial life: Where are scientists looking? How do they search for potential signals? And what the heck is the plan if they find one?! The Supermassive team hears from Seth Shostak from the SETI Institute about the search for life beyond Earth, and Dr John Elliot from the University of St Andrews explains what would happen if we were to detect them. Thanks for all of your brilliant questions - keep them coming! You can email podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on instagram, @SupermassivePod.And, as promised, here's more information on National Astronomy Week 2025, running from 1st-9th February: https://astronomyweek.org.ukThe Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 21, 2024 • 54min
Q&A - Space Potatoes and Christmas Stars
Our final episode of 2024 is a SUPERMASSIVE Q&A. Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey make their way through your questions. What’s the farthest star we can see with the naked eye? Why do black holes expand and shrink? And what would happen if we accelerated an uncompressed medium sized potato to 99% the speed of light? And remember, do not confuse the ISS with Santa's Sleigh in the run up to Christmas. To avoid any confusion, find out when the ISS is flying over your home using https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/home.cfmIf you have any questions for a future episode, email podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on instagram @SupermassivePod. And thank you to anyone who has listened or reviewed the podcast this year, we really appreciate it. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 13, 2024 • 14min
BONUS - Why can't anything go faster than the speed of light?
From planetary alignment through the galaxy to spacetime expansion, The Supermassive Team answer your questions. Keep sending us your questions, email us on podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on instagram @SupermassivePod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 5, 2024 • 41min
The Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts
The Supermassive Team are investigating strange blasts of energy in space called Fast Radio Bursts. What are they and where do they come from? Dr Stuart Ryder from Macquarie University in Australia joins Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert to help explain. Christmas Present Ideas Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s talk - A Journey into The CosmosAstronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition at Royal Museums GreenwichTelescope SeeStar S50 Image stabilising binocularsCosmos (book) from DKThe Impossible Man by Patchen Barrs. The Little Book of Cosmic Catastrophes by Sarah WebbThe Night Sky Almanac for 2025 by Radmila Topalovic, Storm Dunlop and Wil TirionKeep sending your brilliant questions and photos to podcast@ras.ac.uk or on Instagram @SupermassivePod.The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production for the Royal Astronomical Society. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 19, 2024 • 18min
BONUS - Nuclear Pasta & G-Astronomy
... Potentially the silliest bonus episode we've ever recorded. The Supermassive Team takes on your questions; What are Brown Dwarfs? How can photons have different energies? Do frozen stars exist? And they get extremely distracted by the concept of nuclear pasta. Even Producer Richard gets involved. Here's the paper mentioned by listener Hanna, Thermodynamics of Frozen StarsThe Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 6, 2024 • 48min
Strange Stars and Bizarre Binaries
From pulsating stars to those with diamond cores, Izzie and Dr Becky are exploring weird and wonderful stars. What are the different types of stars in our universe? And what are the oddballs? Plus Dr Robert Massey is here for your top stargazing tips. With thanks to Professor Andrew Norton from the Open University for joining the team this episode. Keep sending your brilliant questions and photos to podcast@ras.ac.uk or on Instagram @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production for the Royal Astronomical Society. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 19, 2024 • 32min
BONUS - A Bumper Edition
Auroras, and comets, and launches... Oh my! Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst, and Dr Robert Massey run through a MEGA month for the astronomy community. Plus, there's just enough time to squeeze in a few listener questions. Here's our recommendations on news or journals sites to keep up with all things space and science: space.comUniverse TodayAstronomy NowSky at NightSky and TelescopeNASAESAESOThe RAS Website and JournalsDr Becky's YouTube channelAstrobites.orgTheConversation.com The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 2, 2024 • 44min
Untangling the Cosmic Web
Izzie and Dr Becky are untangling the cosmic web - the large scale structure of the universe - with help from Dr Chiara Mingarelli from Yale University. What the heck is it? What do we know about it? And can we use gravitational waves to "see" it? Plus, Dr Robert Massey is on hand to answer your questions. Got a question for the team? Contact us on podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on Instagram, @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media Production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
