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Institute of Astronomy - Public

The Astropod

Launching in February 2020, the Astropod is our new space science podcast.

Each month, we speak to the staff and students at the Institute of Astronomy and Kavli Institute of Cosmology to bring you the latest news from the worlds of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology.

You can listen and subscribe to the Astropod on Spotify (just click here), and on Apple Podcasts (here).

 

Latest episode

December 2020: Gaia EDR3 goes live

We celebrate the release of Gaia Early Data Release 3 - the most detailed ever census of the stars in the Milky Way - with the people who compiled the data at the Institute of Astronomy. They explain the challenges they faced making such precise measurements, and they tell us how the new data can be used to learn about the history of our galaxy. The release includes the first ever measurement of the Sun's motion through space made at visible wavelengths.
With thanks to: Dafydd Wyn Evans, Floor van Leeuvan, Francesca de Angeli, Giorgia Busso
Presenters: Dominic Ford, Nicole Pawellek
Producer: Dominic Ford
 

Previous episodes

March 2020: Will Starlink ruin the night sky?

Will mega-constellations of satellites soon destroy the night sky for astronomers? In the past year, Elon Musk's company SpaceX has launched over 300 Starlink satellites, with perhaps thousands more on the way. We'll be looking into why so many astronomers are up in arms about it, and look into the regulation which goes into such projects.
With thanks to: Giorgia Busso, Carlos Gonzalez Fernandez, Nikita Chui, Aybuke Kupcu Yoldas
Presenters: Dominic Ford, Nicole Pawellek
Producer: Dominic Ford
 

February 2020: Is Betelgeuse about to go supernova?

Is Betelgeuse about to go supernova? Probably not, but in recent weeks it has faded sharply, and it is now fainter than at any time since records began. We ask why this might have happened, and what it might do next. Also, Amy Bonsor updates us on the science of rocky planets, and we hear about a particularly unusual gamma ray burst (GRB).
With thanks to: Carlos Gonzalez Fernandez, Amy Bonsor, Sunny Vagnozzi, Aybuke Kupcu Yoldas
Presenters: Dominic Ford, Nicole Pawellek
Producer: Dominic Ford

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