Spacepod

Hear stories about alien moons, cold stars, and the future of space exploration. Hosted by Dr. Carrie Nugent, it's the only show that gets NASA experts to try unusual drinks.

219: Breaking the models with Dr. Merrison 04/22/2024

219: Breaking the models with Dr. Merrison Dr. Jon Merrison talks about the Mars Simulation Laboratory. Here, scientists study what happens in low temperature, low pressure, windy environments. He says visiting scientists often "come to our lab with some idea based on the conventional model and go away with data which makes no sense to them." /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/30930933

218: Anything we try is new with Dr. Cable 03/24/2024

218: Anything we try is new with Dr. Cable Dr. Morgan Cable returns to the show after nine years! She tells us how she creates new minerals in her laboratory. She explains how this work helps shape NASA's Dragonfly mission. She encourages listeners to have confidence in their results. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/30475853

217: A beautiful experience with Dr. Villanueva 02/19/2024

217: A beautiful experience with Dr. Villanueva Dr. Geronimo Villanueva tells us about solar system discoveries with JWST. He talks about several projects, including observing water plumes from Saturn's moon Europa and looking for rings around Mars. He shares what it feels like to use this incredible space telescope. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/30002333

Bonus: Carrie's research update 01/21/2024

Bonus: Carrie's research update I was sick for a few weeks this month and had to delay the scheduled interview. In the meantime, I've got a bonus episode for you. In this episode I talk about FindPOTATOs, which is software written by Nicole Tan and me, Carrie Nugent, to find asteroids and comets. I share some challenges we faced and how we overcame them. We hope that findPOTATOs can help astronomers find more asteroids, comets, and trans-Neptunian objects in their images of the sky! /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/29572878

216: Right and wrong theories in planetary science with Prof. McKinnon 12/24/2023

216: Right and wrong theories in planetary science with Prof. McKinnon Professor Bill McKinnon, 2023 recipient of the Kuiper Prize, reflects on his career as a planetary scientist. He tells us about a theory of his that was proven right, one that was proven wrong, and what he thinks might be proven wrong in the future. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/29218283

215: Naming asteroids with Dr. Williams 11/19/2023

215: Naming asteroids with Dr. Williams Dr. Gareth Williams tells us about asteroid names. He explains the rules around naming asteroids and tells us how an asteroid name lead to a surprise trip to meet one of his heroes. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/28706053

214: Astronauts on the moon with Dr. Denevi 10/27/2023

214: Astronauts on the moon with Dr. Denevi Dr. Brett Denevi talks to us about the planned Artemis missions to the moon's South Pole. There, astronauts will collect rocks and other samples. She describes how geologists are working with the astronauts to ensure that the best, most interesting samples are collected. These samples will create a legacy set that scientists will study for decades. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/28442384

213: The Six with Loren Grush 09/12/2023

213: The Six with Loren Grush Loren Grush talks about her new book, "The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women in Space." She explains why Sally Ride was chosen to be the first American woman to go to space, and how the resulting attention was difficult for her. Loren also tells us how she researched and wrote the book during the pandemic. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/27818805

212: A scientific legacy with Dr. Blaney 08/20/2023

212: A scientific legacy with Dr. Blaney We hear from Dr. Diana Blaney, the principal investigator of the mapping imaging spectrometer on Europa Clipper. Europa Clipper will travel to Jupiter to see if its moon Europa is habitable. She describes how they tested the spectrometer in special rooms to make sure it will work at Europa. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/27797217

211: The Sparkler Galaxy with Prof. Mowla 08/06/2023

211: The Sparkler Galaxy with Prof. Mowla Professor Lamiya Mowla tells us about an exciting JWST discovery. She describes gravitational lensing as "nature's magnifying glass." She also explains why she likes calling telescopes time machines. We discuss pretty and shiny things, and why prettiness might indicate something is scientifically interesting. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/27660954

Bonus episode: The upcoming American total solar eclipse 07/24/2023

Bonus episode: The upcoming American total solar eclipse A quick bonus episode about the April 8th, 2024 total solar eclipse in Mexico, the US, and Canada! I talk about the difference between a partial and total solar eclipse, and share some tips in case you want to travel to see it. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/27552186

210: Wonders of the Night Sky with Prof. Prinja 06/27/2023

210: Wonders of the Night Sky with Prof. Prinja Professor Raman Prinja talks about his new book, "Wonders of the Night Sky." He tells us how we are lucky to live on a planet with a transparent atmosphere. He also shares stargazing tips for city dwellers as well as long-haul truck drivers. The book is Note: I received a free copy of the book. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/27278376

209: Mission to the largest moon in the solar system with Dr. Witasse 05/21/2023

209: Mission to the largest moon in the solar system with Dr. Witasse Dr. Olivier Witasse tells us about the Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer, or JUICE mission, which is currently traveling through space. JUICE will conduct 34 flybys of Jupiter's moons before orbiting Ganymede. Ganyemede may have significant liquid water, and perhaps the elements needed for life. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/26882091

208: Cosmic tug of war with Dr. Plazas Malagón 04/23/2023

208: Cosmic tug of war with Dr. Plazas Malagón Dr. Andrés Plazas Malagón tells us about a field of astronomy called cosmology. He explains that either our universe is mostly made of mysterious stuff called dark energy, or the laws of physics are wrong. He also explains the difference between dark matter and dark energy. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/26623923

207: One of the stranger surfaces in the solar system with Dr. Cartwright 03/26/2023

207: One of the stranger surfaces in the solar system with Dr. Cartwright Dr. Richard Cartwright tells us about the moons of Uranus and explains why we should visit Uranus with an orbiting spacecraft. This mission would take decades to design, build, and travel to the planet. He also shares what he thinks about Uranus jokes. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/26331369

206: Every asteroid observation ever taken with Dr. Veres 02/19/2023

206: Every asteroid observation ever taken with Dr. Veres Dr. Peter Veres talks about asteroids, comets, and meteors. He describes how the Minor Planet Center keeps track of observations and orbits. This data is publicly available, and non-scientists make valuable contributions. He also tells us about the AMOS meteor network, and how meteors connect to asteroids and comets. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/25963242

205: The moon's right to exist with Dr. Prem 01/22/2023

205: The moon's right to exist with Dr. Prem Dr. Parvathy Prem tells us about lunar ice. She says, "the moon records the history of our solar system neighborhood in a way that the Earth doesn't." Her simulations show that rocket landings can change lunar ice. We discuss different perspectives on the moon, and how those perspectives might change how we explore. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/25633335

204: Light Pollution with Kelly Beatty 12/25/2022

204: Light Pollution with Kelly Beatty Kelly Beatty shares easy things we can do to reduce light pollution. He tells us how artificial night light can harm humans, birds, and insects. He shares the five principles of good lighting, and explains how addressing light pollution can save money. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/25418661

203: 11 hours and 23 minutes with Dr. Chabot 11/28/2022

203: 11 hours and 23 minutes with Dr. Chabot Dr. Nancy Chabot returns to the show to talk about the DART mission, which changed the orbit of an asteroid moon. This was the first demonstration of asteroid deflection technology. She explains how the mission worked, what scientists are discovering, and why a small nudge is all you need when it comes to moving an asteroid out of Earth's way. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/25148457

202: Making atmospheres with Prof. Telus 10/23/2022

202: Making atmospheres with Prof. Telus Professor Myriam Telus shares how she studies atmospheres using meteorites. These experiments can teach us about exoplanet atmospheres and planet formation. She says science feels like a playground, with so much to explore. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/24762510

201: International space law with Cordula Panosch 09/18/2022

201: International space law with Cordula Panosch International space law expert Cordula Panosch explains what is and is not legal when it comes to deflecting an Earth-bound asteroid. Although much depends on the individual circumstances, she explains how existing laws govern what countries can and cannot do when it comes to outer space. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/24399066

200: Pluto is a planet, and so is its moon with Dr. Runyon 08/21/2022

200: Pluto is a planet, and so is its moon with Dr. Runyon Dr. Kirby Runyon shares his definition of "planet"-- a round celestial body that was never a star. Using this definition, there are over 150 planets orbiting our sun. He explains why the word planet matters, and why little planets might be the most common planets in our universe. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/24111435

199: Why can't we find Planet Nine with Prof. Lawler 07/24/2022

199: Why can't we find Planet Nine with Prof. Lawler Professor Lawler discusses why planet nine might not exist. She explains why reporting not finding something is as important as reporting a discovery. She tells us how satellite internet is getting in the way of astronomical observations. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/23832641

198: Dragonfly with Dr. Turtle 06/19/2022

198: Dragonfly with Dr. Turtle Dr. Zibi Turtle is the Principal Investigator of NASA's Dragonfly mission. She tells us what it is like to design and build an octocopter that will roam the surface of Saturn's moon Titan. She also tells us about Titan's exciting chemistry. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/23449220

197: A massive asteroid hit at tremendous speed with Prof. Richardson 05/22/2022

197: A massive asteroid hit at tremendous speed with Prof. Richardson Professor Derek Richardson gives us an update on the DART mission, which is headed towards tiny asteroid moon Dimorphos. If all goes well this fall, DART will crash into Dimorphos at four miles per second! This experiment will be a test of asteroid deflection technology. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/23182520

196: Spinning universe with Dr. Cheng 04/17/2022

196: Spinning universe with Dr. Cheng Dr. Jon Cheng tells us about his fluid flow experiments. These experiments investigate fundamental physics. They can be applied to the movement of the Earth's core as well as things like liquid batteries. Is electro-vortex flow the coolest phrase said on the show yet? Listen and decide! /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/22796816

195: Dark and quiet skies with Dr. Rawls 03/20/2022

195: Dark and quiet skies with Dr. Rawls Dr. Meredith Rawls talks about the unintended consequences of artificial satellite constellations. Satellites change the night sky, impacting the people and animals that rely on it. Hundreds of thousands of these satellites may be launched, which could create more orbital debris and endanger future space missions. She explains how people are coming together to help fix this problem. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/22481669

194: Exoplanet next door with Prof Whitten 02/20/2022

194: Exoplanet next door with Prof Whitten Prof Jenny Whitten tells us about VERITAS, a NASA mission that will orbit Venus. She explains how scientists will use radar to learn about the surface, and how they picked exactly which radar band to use. She also talks about how VERITAS will shed light on Venus' evolution, the history of water on the planet, and its geologic processes. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/22193639

193: Orbital parking spots with Larissa Markwardt 01/23/2022

193: Orbital parking spots with Larissa Markwardt Larissa Markwardt talks about Trojan asteroids-- asteroids that orbit the sun a little before or after planets. She describes the special technique she uses to find these asteroids, and why not finding any is an interesting result. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/21848657

192: Craters on Titan with Prof. Neish 12/21/2021

192: Craters on Titan with Prof. Neish Professor Catherine Neish explains why there's so few craters on Saturn's moon Titan. She explains why Titan's craters may contain the organic molecules needed for life, and how the Dragonfly mission will test that hypothesis. /episode/index/show/spacepod/id/21560783

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