Naked Astronomy, from the Naked Scientists

What are the mysterious blue straggler stars? In this month's Naked Astronomy we'll find out why some stars stand out from the crowd, as well as investigate the polarity of the universe. Plus, we hear the latest news from the Royal Astronomical Society, and take on your questions on rocket stability, detecting dark matter and our place in the universe. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Are the foundations of Dark Matter crumbling? How can a planet be blacker than black paint? What are the sunsets like on a planet with 2 suns? In this month's Naked Astronomy, we'll discover Kepler-16b; a planet with two suns, we look to recent experimental results to see if the Cold Dark Matter theory still stands, and we explore the least reflective planet ever found... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

We look back over the last few months of Astronomy interviews. We'll hear how scientists search for planets in the glare of their parent star, why a simulated mission to Mars will help us to understand how astronauts will cope with isolation, and the challenges of communicating astronomy on television. Plus, what our solar system looks like to a distant observer, and how antique globes tell the story of our understanding. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

What happens when a black hole rips a star to shreds? What can a solar science mission tell us about other stars? And is South Africa prepared for the largest radio telescope ever planned? This month on Naked Astronomy, we explore a unique gamma ray burst, discover the useful extra info in data from STEREO, and discuss the South African bid for the Square Kilometre Array. Plus, news of CoGeNT's search for Dark Matter, Enceladus' salty sub-surface sea, and clues on the creation of the solar system gathered from the remains of the Genesis mission. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

How are sunspots born? What does a black hole collision look like? How long does it take to make a full-size galaxy? This month on Naked Astronomy, we find out why people searching for pulsars might spot colliding black holes in their data, how galaxies may form quicker than predicted, and where in the sun sunspots first arise. Plus, news from gravity probe B, why there's no more space on the moon for craters, and how as many as half of all hot Jupiters may be spinning the wrong way. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this special podcast from the National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno, we hear how twisted sunspots cause solar flares, how 17th century poetry can put a date on a supernova, and why some pulsars are part-timers. We'll find out how CANDELS and LOFAR can probe the early universe, while DEBRIS looks for dusty disks around stars. Plus, we shed light on your solar science questions! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this special edition of the Naked Astronomy podcast we look at the astronomical events held at the Cambridge Science Festival. We'll hear from Dr Dan Stark about exploring the early Universe, find out what tooth x-rays and telescopes have to do with the man who coined the term "Big Bang" and ask if our Universe is but one of many... Plus, we catch up with Carolin Crawford, Andrew Pontzen and Dominic Ford to find out what they've been doing this month to bring space science to the wider public. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

In this month's Naked Astronomy, we explore the unique system of six planets orbiting the star Kepler 11, and find out what to expect from the James Webb Space Telescope. Plus news of the runaway star spotted by WISE - the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, a STEREO view of the whole Sun and how a galaxy spotted at a redshift of 10 can teach us about star formation in the early universe. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month on Naked Astronomy, we discover the streams of antimatter coming from lightning on Earth, and find out how to study the stars that ended the dark ages and brought light to the universe. We hear about Jupiter's role in Earth asteroid impacts, Cassini's flypast of Saturn's moon Rhea and the first science results from the Planck mission. Plus, your questions on light speed route planning, outrunning sunset and why the solstice doesn't coincide with the earliest dawn! Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month, we read the history of Martian science in a collection of globes, and find out why it's important to understand ancient and aboriginal astronomy. We find out why some Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are shrouded in darkness, discuss the recent controversy around arsenic-using bacteria and get the high-speed low-down on the Hubble Space Telescope. Plus, we tackle your questions on gravity, relativity and the edge of the universe. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists