Allan I Carswell Observatory Presents: York Universe

York Universe is a weekly astronomy and astrophysics program written and presented by the students, faculty, alumni, and friends of the Allan I Carswell Observatory at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Image credits: AICO, Elaina Hyde, Max Neumann

20260810_Space Junk and Collision Skies 08/11/2026

20260810_Space Junk and Collision Skies Join our crew for a journey in the skies. We look at our sky at night; it is meteor month in August, so there is a lot to enjoy! We also discuss a bit of history and the growing issue of space junk, whether as a threat to modern astronomy, an asset for interconnectivity, or a space traffic hazard. Image Credit: AICO, KPPO, Bruce Waters, 2026 Astronomer in Residence Program /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/42389615

20260727_Into August we go!!! Perseids and a New Moon! 07/28/2026

20260727_Into August we go!!! Perseids and a New Moon! Join our crew for a journey in the skies. We look at our sky at night; it is meteor month in August, so there is a lot to enjoy! We also cover some fun manmade objects at the International Space Station, from cancer treatment material to semiconductors, lunar space missions from China and much more! Image Credit: AICO, KPPO, Ryan Marciniak, 2026 Astronomer in Residence Program /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/42236760

20260720_Beginnings and Endings 07/21/2026

20260720_Beginnings and Endings Julie Tomé and Dr. Elaina Hyde do a deep dive into the Solar System's past and future. They discuss the Moon landings and the work of Chushiro Hayashi in This Week in Space & Astronomy History. In the news, why mirrors in space are a terrible idea if they are not telescopes, what the solar system looked like in the past, and what it might look like when the Sun dies. Episode image: Mars Opposition 2020, credit, Bruce Waters, KPPO, AICO /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/42160135

20260713_Satellites in the Night 07/14/2026

20260713_Satellites in the Night Join Dr. Elaina Hyde and Sunna Withers for an exploration of excellent (and bad) satellites both past and present. We look at the James Webb Space Telescope, Rohini Satellite 1, Euclid and talk about the proposed Reflect Orbital. Science both past and present has used both ground based and space telescopes, what will the future hold? Note: Link to Astro Fair 2026 Tickets mentioned in this episode is: Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Macarena Garcia Marin (ESA Office at STScI) /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/42065620

20260629_Asteroids and The Summer sky 06/30/2026

20260629_Asteroids and The Summer sky With the Tunguska impact having happened over 100 years ago, June 29/30 is Asteroid day. Here we focus mainly on asteroid relate topics and some great objects we can see in the sky over the summer months. /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/41900855

20260622_Its Summer! and some smaller solar system objects 06/23/2026

20260622_Its Summer! and some smaller solar system objects Mary and Julie discuss the discovery of Pluto’s moon Charon, the summer solstice, then go on several side quests while discussing missions that have side quests. Image by A. Dunn from /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/41735030

20260615_X-ray vision for Galaxies 06/16/2026

20260615_X-ray vision for Galaxies Join our host Maheen Hemani and cohost Dr. Elaina Hyde for a high-energy x-ray investigation of galaxies and history. We discuss the recent news from Chandra, MeerKat, JWST and of course York University. Did you know that the fastest wind near a supermassive black hole ever found (as of yet) at ultraviolet wavelengths was by YorkU researchers? /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/41658655

20260608_Summer is here! Well, almost!! 06/09/2026

20260608_Summer is here! Well, almost!! Tune into this weeks episode to learn about how to explore the summer skies, and hear about exciting space news in our galaxy and beyond! Image: The Milky Way over the 16’’ telescope at Killarney Provincial Park Observatory. Image credit: Anna Skrinnik and Sunna Withers /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/41580610

20260601_A rocky time with asteroids and meteors 06/02/2026

20260601_A rocky time with asteroids and meteors Rocky asteroids, planets and meteors make for dynamic objects. Tonight we talk about sky viewing for Mercury and Venus as well as asteroids and the recent Ontario meteorite. The host is Dr. Elaina Hyde and we are joined by special guest Mahesh Aravamudan, a RASC Toronto Center member and astronomy enthusiast to investigate. Image Credit: The general shape of Psyche viewed from the south pole with an ellipsoidal overlay. Its major and intermediate axes with longitudes are labeled, and three major deviations from the ellipsoid, labeled Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie, are shown. By Michael K. Shepard et al. (see for full list of authors). /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/41502505

20260525_Cutting Edge Technology 05/26/2026

20260525_Cutting Edge Technology Julie and Maheen explore the technology that makes scientific advancement possible. From using cinematography to record solar eclipses at the turn of the last century to AI use in future space missions and using fungi to grow food in regolith, thinking outside of the box has led to some pretty amazing stuff! Episode photo: A view of the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse from Madras, Oregon. Credit: NASA/Gopalswamy /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/41420600

20260514_Happy Mother's Day 05/19/2026

20260514_Happy Mother's Day This week, we look at the night sky, some space and astronomy news, and, most importantly, celebrate some of the great mothers in the field! /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/41348255

20260504_Chasing Rainbows in the Stars 05/05/2026

20260504_Chasing Rainbows in the Stars Spectra and Light are important to all of Astronomy as we know it today. Join special guest Dr. Thomas Morris for a history and news adventure in spectroscopy with our host Dr. Elaina Hyde. What is light? What is it used for in Astronomy, and how can amateur astronomers help? Image Credit: Fraunhofer made this copper etching in 1815, He coloured the spectra and lines as well as drew the spectral response curve above. A now standard view of spectra it was revolutionary at the time! Deutsches Museum Archv 43952 /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/41151655

20260427_From One Space Telescope to Another 04/28/2026

20260427_From One Space Telescope to Another Here we talk about a few history topics and some planetary observations. Mars Express Observations /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/41041475

20260420_Dusty Tails Dusty Tales 04/21/2026

20260420_Dusty Tails Dusty Tales Julie and Elaina discuss the illustrious careers of Max Planck and Ibn al-Haytham in This Week and Space and Astronomy History. In the news, dark volcanic ash is moving across the Martian surface, the Lyrid meteor shower peak is almost here, mineral dust is increasing cloud production in the Venusian atmosphere, and NASA has found interstellar glaciers that are definitely not glaciers, but are very cool nonetheless. Image Credit: Elaina Hyde/AICO /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/40950490

20260413_All About Artemis! 04/14/2026

20260413_All About Artemis! This week's episode is all about Artemis! Join Maheen and Sunna as they discuss the historic Artemis II mission to the Moon, as well as the history and future of crewed Lunar exploration. Image: Artemis II Earthset, NASA /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/40866265

20260330_ Galaxy Season 03/31/2026

20260330_ Galaxy Season As the seasons progress through the year, they also progress through observing targets. This week, we talk about Easter and observing galaxies from home or by visiting our observatory. We also look at some Apollo history, the upcoming Artemis II Mission, and more data than you can possibly imagine from the Vera C. Rubin behemoth! Contact us at observe@yorku.ca /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/40675935

20260323_Northern Lights, Camera and Action! 03/24/2026

20260323_Northern Lights, Camera and Action! This exciting episode features special guest Dr. Rachel Ward-Maxwell from the Ontario Science Center (). We cover mysterious Aurora, lunar launches, a bit of Artemis and of course a discussion of the newest science and sci-fi crossovers, the film Hail Mary. Observing tips and science tricks, we even discuss how to break the optical illusion that we all face in our lunar companion. Image Credit: Rachel Ward-Maxwell, AICO, KPPO, 2025 An extra Northern Lights explainer from Ontario Science Center: /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/40600685

20260316_Everything is the Matter with Dark Matter 03/16/2026

20260316_Everything is the Matter with Dark Matter Dark matter and dark energy can sound gloomy but there’s no need to worry in this episode as Maheen Hemani and Dr. Elaina Hyde talk about dark matter in history, dark matter in the news, dark matter in the Milky Way…. and get very excited! The more we find out about this exciting topic, the less it seems we understand but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to try! Image Credit: JWST, from March 14th, 2023 A prelude to a supernova the Wolf-Rayet star WR 124 is shown in all it's glory /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/40507625

20260309_Into Spring! 03/10/2026

20260309_Into Spring! Tune into this week's episode to learn about the history of the Voyager and Cassini missions, and important discoveries about Uranus! This week’s hosts also discuss several recent news headlines, including an update on the Artemis program and the Vera Rubin Observatory. /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/40377345

20260223_The Moon and Beyond 02/23/2026

20260223_The Moon and Beyond Join this week's hosts Gagan Sidhu and Sunna Withers as they discuss exploration of the solar system and Moon, a historic supernova, and recent news about the Artemis II launch. Image: Supernova 1987A by JWST. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/40200810

20260209_That pesky Hydrogen Molecule 02/10/2026

20260209_That pesky Hydrogen Molecule We look at this week in history and have a discussion on Artemis II and other worthy news items! Please note that we had a bit of a technical glitch on the recording near the beginning of the show but all the important bits are there. Illustration of Orion in Low Earth Orbit - Image Credit: ESA /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/40054290

20260202_Challenges 02/03/2026

20260202_Challenges A possible Challenge to Cold Dark Matter? A sad anniversary for the Space Shuttle Challenger Hubble solves the mystery of Blue Straggler stars Groundhog Day! /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/39972670

20260119_About that budget cut! 01/20/2026

20260119_About that budget cut! This week, we look at astronomy and space history, including important events in space exploration. We then follow up on the restoration of NASA and other science funding by US Congress, and give updates on manned space exploration. Image: Veritas Spacecraft in orbit around Venus - Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/39792315

20260112_Into the New Year 01/13/2026

20260112_Into the New Year Here we touch on some brief history and then go onto what kind of astronomy we are looking forward to in 2026 including the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, Artemis as well as the Pandora and Plato missions to find exoplanets. /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/39709475

20251215_Solstice and other news 12/16/2025

20251215_Solstice and other news Welcome to our last broadcast of 2025. We will be looking at the solstice this week and some of the ways it has been marked in the past as well as moon and venus landings and other current news. Image : Heart O'Ireland - Cropped version of: File:Newgrange 053.jpg, CC BY 2.5, from Wikimedia commons /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/39419760

20251208_Bennu and Beyond 12/09/2025

20251208_Bennu and Beyond Tonight we discuss some fun history items, and of course the recent news about sugars and more on Bennu! The host is Dr. Elaina Hyde and we are joined by special guest Mahesh Aravamudan, a RASC Toronto Center member and astronomy enthusiast to investigate. The allsky camera for AICO mentioned in this episode can be found at: Image credit: Aview across asteroid Bennu’s southern hemisphere and into space. The image was obtained on March 7, 2019, by the PolyCam camera on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/39333475

20251201_HolidayShow 12/02/2025

20251201_HolidayShow Welcome to our holiday show! What was the star of Bethlehem? What is a great gift for an astronomer? /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/39231385

20251124_ Mars and more 11/25/2025

20251124_ Mars and more Here we look at a few Mars related topics, including possible karstic (water eroded) caves and other findings around the solar systems. Image (open access) from Ravi, Sharma et al 2025 APJL 993 L36 /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/39159240

20251117_MeteorShower! 11/18/2025

20251117_MeteorShower! Tonight the Leonid meteor shower peaks. Here we look at the Leonids in detail as well as comets and Frank Drake. Image: Leonid meteor storm of 1833 (Public Domain) find out more about the observatory at /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/39071580

20251110_Good Satellites, Bad Satellites... 11/11/2025

20251110_Good Satellites, Bad Satellites... Julie Tomé and Dr. Elaina Hyde discuss many satellites - most good, some bad! From Lunar Orbiter 2, San Marco 1, and Sputnik to giant space mirrors (shudder) and the JWST (hurray!), explore some of the history and news around satellites. Podcast Image: AICO, Sunna Withers, Zena Khadour /episode/index/show/c7ec35a8-3f2d-4423-99cf-045f514be0b7/id/38988630

Allan I Carswell Observatory Presents: York Universe

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