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The Supermassive Podcast

Latest episodes

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6 snips
Sep 29, 2023 • 53min

45: Uranus the Oddball

Learn about the unique characteristics of Uranus, including its tilt and icy composition. Discover the challenges faced in studying this enigmatic planet and explore its peculiar moons. Hear the intriguing story of William Herschel's discovery of Uranus in 1781 and the significance of his notebooks. Get space-related recommendations and learn about the Moon and Stars event and the Herschel Museum. The hosts discuss their experience of seeing Starlink satellites and share insights on the night sky observation.
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Sep 18, 2023 • 13min

44: BONUS - Team Enceladus or Team Europa?

What does Saturn look like? Why is Venus hotter than Mercury? Can the solar wind generate electricity on the Moon? Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert dive into The Supermassive Mailbox and answer your questions.  The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production by Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham.
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Aug 28, 2023 • 50min

44: Here Comes the Sun...with NASA's Head of Science

Dr Nicola Fox, Head of Science at NASA, and Dr Daniel Mueller, Project Scientist for Solar Orbiter, join hosts Izzie and Dr Becky to discuss the latest efforts in studying the sun. They delve into the importance of understanding the sun's relationship with Earth, unraveling the mysteries of the solar cycle, and the potential impact of solar weather on technology and life on Earth. Dr Robert Massey answers questions about the structure of the sun and its composition.
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Aug 11, 2023 • 11min

43: BONUS - Aimless telescopes & beyond the Milky Way

Could we detect exoplanets outside of the Milky Way? Could the Euclid Telescope disprove what we know about dark energy and matter? Are we just pointing telescopes aimlessly at patches of space? And is it possible for two black holes to merge and separate into two branches? Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey tackle your burning questions.  Still, have an unanswered question? Send it to podcast@ras.ac.uk, tweet @RoyalAstroSoc, or find us on Instagram @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast from the Royal Astronomical Society is a Boffin Media Production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham.
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Jul 28, 2023 • 46min

43: Most of the Universe is missing...

The Supermassive Team have spent the last three years attempting to talk about ALL the stuff in space. But that only makes up 5% of our universe. Where the heck is the rest?  This month, Izzie and Dr Becky dive into the topic of Dark Matter and Dark Energy... The stuff that makes up that missing 95% of the universe. With special thanks to Dr Alex Hall from the University of Edinburgh for covering the basics, and to Dr Stephen Wilkins from the University of Sussex for explaining how ESA's new space telescope Euclid will give us new insights to the field.  If you enjoy The Supermassive Podcast, please rate, review and follow us. Even better, why not vote for us at The British Podcast Awards?! https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production by Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. 
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Jul 6, 2023 • 18min

42: BONUS – White holes, astrology and why is Venus so hot?

This podcast explores topics such as white holes and their potential appearance above Earth, cultural differences in constellation representations, the reasons behind Venus being hotter than Mercury, the presence of ice on Mercury, and the hosts' choices for a celestial object to replace the Moon in the Earth's sky.
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Jun 22, 2023 • 49min

42: A (brief) History of Astronomy

Dr Becky and Izzie dust-down the Supermassive Tardis to explore the history of astronomy. From fossilised baboon bones and baby lamas to Einstein and black holes, the Supermassive team discovers how we came to understand the Universe the way we do today. Editor Richard talks to astronomer and science writer, Dr Stuart Clark, who reveals where the phrase ‘the dog days of summer’ comes from. And Izzie chats to President of the Royal Astronomical Society, Professor Mike Edmunds, about the amazing Antikythera astronomical calculator. As usual, Dr Robert Massey is on hand to take on your questions.  Stuart’s latest book is Beneath the Night: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beneath-Night-Stuart-Clark/dp/1783351535 Send your questions or astrophotography to podcast@ras.ac.uk, tweet @RoyalAstroSoc, or find us on Instagram @SupermassivePod.  The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production for The Royal Astronomical Society. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. 
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Jun 13, 2023 • 15min

41: BONUS - Why do Gas Giants exist?

Exploring the history and variations of constellation naming, creating your own constellations, observing galaxies at different life stages, the existence of gas giants, the position of black holes in galaxies, the monochromatic appearance of Jupiter, Taylor Swift's space references, and astronomical namesakes.
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May 27, 2023 • 46min

41: BIG Observatories

We love stargazing on The Supermassive Podcast, so we thought it was about time we had an episode on the future of ground-based telescopes. From the brilliant named Extremely Large Telescope to the Square Kilometre Array Observatory, Dr Aprajita Verma from Oxford University and science journalist, Sarah Wild, tell Izzie and Dr Becky about the observatories that will transform our understanding of the universe. Searching African Skies by Sarah Wild - https://www.waterstones.com/book/searching-african-skies/sarah-wild/9781431404728 Send your questions or astrophotography to podcast@ras.ac.uk, tweet @RoyalAstroSoc, or find us on Instagram @SupermassivePod.  The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production for The Royal Astronomical Society. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. 
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May 13, 2023 • 16min

40: BONUS - Are Lunar Poles Arbitrary?

What's the most efficient way of space travel? How does longitude change your night sky view? Why does M87* look different? This month, Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey take on your questions in The Supermassive Mailbox. Want to support The Supermassive Podcast? Why not buy our book The Year In Space - https://geni.us/jNcrw The Supermassive Podcast from the Royal Astronomical Society is a Boffin Media Production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. 

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