Best Spacepod Podcasts (2025)

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229: What do asteroids smell like? 6:41

Play Pause

24d ago6:41

6:41

A question from Sabine, age 5. Dr. Christopher Snead answers. For more on Dr. Snead's work, see Episode 184 of Spacepod. Do you know a kid with a space question? Upload it at listentospacepod.com and I'll do my best to get an answer!By Carrie Nugent

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228: Do other planets really have diamond rain? 7:16

1M ago7:16

7:16

Dr. Sabine Stanley answers. For more about planetary insides, check out her book, "What's Hidden Inside Planets". Do you know a kid with a space question? Upload it at listentospacepod.com and I'll do my best to get an answer!By Carrie Nugent

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227: What is the fastest asteroid? 5:58

2M ago5:58

5:58

Dr. Michael Busch answers. Do you know a kid with a space question? Upload it at listentospacepod.com and I'll do my best to get an answer!By Carrie Nugent

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226: The intersection of computer science and astronomy with Dr. Kubica 21:57

10M ago21:57

21:57

Dr. Jeremy Kubica talks about his work on the LINCC Frameworks project, and how he brings together astronomers and computer scientists to create software tools. He shares advice for students and talks about his books, which explain computing concepts in fun and accessible ways.By Carrie Nugent

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225: A newly discovered Martian volcano with Dr. Lee 41:02

1y ago41:02

41:02

Dr. Pascal Lee tells the story of how he and his collaborators found a new volcano on Mars. He tells us about the "convergence of lines of evidence" that led to this discovery. He also explains why this site may be a good place to look for life.By Carrie Nugent

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224: Aurora borealis with Tina Ibsen 54:17

1y ago54:17

54:17

Astrophysicist Tina Ibsen tells us about the northern lights. She talks about her research and gives tips on how to observe the lights. She tells us how Denmark is a space nation and shares her thoughts about the future of space exploration. We also talk about RumSnak, the space podcast she co-hosts with Anders Høeg Nissen.…

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223: Preparing for something we haven't seen yet with Dr. Holt 23:27

1y ago23:27

23:27

Dr. Carrie Holt talks about how she's getting ready for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. She explains how astronomers are using simulated and real data to prepare in advance of this new data.By Carrie Nugent

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222: Measuring the emptiness of space with Dr. Becker 21:59

1+ y ago21:59

21:59

Dr Tracy Becker tells us about solar system science using ultraviolet light. She explains how the color of a planet's northern lights depends on the planet's atmosphere. She also describes how scientists repurposed the New Horizons spacecraft to measure how empty space is.By Carrie Nugent

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221: The queens of heaven with Prof. Tauris 30:17

1+ y ago30:17

30:17

Professor Thomas Tauris explains what gravitational waves can tell us about colliding neutron stars. He corrects Carrie's misconception about how gravitational waves affect people. He also explains how the last 400 years of astronomy have been like watching a silent movie, but now with gravitational waves, we have a soundtrack.…

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220: Walking on the roof of hell with Prof. Stanley 23:39

1+ y ago23:39

23:39

Prof. Sabine Stanley, author of "What's Hidden Inside Planets," tells us how the interior of Earth helps make this planet a nice place to live. She tells us that the Earth's mantle is actually solid rock, not liquid rock. She also explains what the Earth's interior and birthday balloons have in common. Spacepod listeners can get a 30% discount on "…

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219: Breaking the models with Dr. Merrison 32:14

1+ y ago32:14

32:14

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."…

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218: Anything we try is new with Dr. Cable 26:32

2y ago26:32

26:32

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.By Carrie Nugent

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217: A beautiful experience with Dr. Villanueva 27:29

2y ago27:29

27:29

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.By Carrie Nugent

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Bonus: Carrie's research update 9:37

2y ago9:37

9:37

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 …

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216: Right and wrong theories in planetary science with Prof. McKinnon 25:22

2y ago25:22

25:22

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.By Carrie Nugent

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215: Naming asteroids with Dr. Williams 25:37

2y ago25:37

25:37

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.By Carrie Nugent

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214: Astronauts on the moon with Dr. Denevi 43:48

2y ago43:48

43:48

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.…

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213: The Six with Loren Grush 36:51

2+ y ago36:51

36:51

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.…

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212: A scientific legacy with Dr. Blaney 31:22

2+ y ago31:22

31:22

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.By Carrie Nugent

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211: The Sparkler Galaxy with Prof. Mowla 32:32

2+ y ago32:32

32:32

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.…

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Bonus episode: The upcoming American total solar eclipse 4:27

2+ y ago4:27

4:27

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.By Carrie Nugent

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210: Wonders of the Night Sky with Prof. Prinja 22:52

2+ y ago22:52

22:52

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 available at Simon and Schuster's website. Note: I received a free copy of the book.…

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209: Mission to the largest moon in the solar system with Dr. Witasse 24:31

2+ y ago24:31

24:31

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.By Carrie Nugent

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208: Cosmic tug of war with Dr. Plazas Malagón 42:28

2+ y ago42:28

42:28

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.By Carrie Nugent

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207: One of the stranger surfaces in the solar system with Dr. Cartwright 30:20

3y ago30:20

30:20

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.By Carrie Nugent

Spacepod Podcasts

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Spacepod

Carrie Nugent

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Tales From The Spacepod

Ron Evans, Christopher Hart, Jon Mark Pitts, Lyle Thompson

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Star Trek Trek

SpacePod Network

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One Out of Three Premeds

Wait Pods

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229: What do asteroids smell like? 6:41

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228: Do other planets really have diamond rain? 7:16

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227: What is the fastest asteroid? 5:58

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226: The intersection of computer science and astronomy with Dr. Kubica 21:57

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225: A newly discovered Martian volcano with Dr. Lee 41:02

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224: Aurora borealis with Tina Ibsen 54:17

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223: Preparing for something we haven't seen yet with Dr. Holt 23:27

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222: Measuring the emptiness of space with Dr. Becker 21:59

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221: The queens of heaven with Prof. Tauris 30:17

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220: Walking on the roof of hell with Prof. Stanley 23:39

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219: Breaking the models with Dr. Merrison 32:14

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218: Anything we try is new with Dr. Cable 26:32

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217: A beautiful experience with Dr. Villanueva 27:29

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Bonus: Carrie's research update 9:37

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216: Right and wrong theories in planetary science with Prof. McKinnon 25:22

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215: Naming asteroids with Dr. Williams 25:37

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214: Astronauts on the moon with Dr. Denevi 43:48

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213: The Six with Loren Grush 36:51

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212: A scientific legacy with Dr. Blaney 31:22

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211: The Sparkler Galaxy with Prof. Mowla 32:32

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Bonus episode: The upcoming American total solar eclipse 4:27

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210: Wonders of the Night Sky with Prof. Prinja 22:52

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209: Mission to the largest moon in the solar system with Dr. Witasse 24:31

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208: Cosmic tug of war with Dr. Plazas Malagón 42:28

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207: One of the stranger surfaces in the solar system with Dr. Cartwright 30:20