AWESOME ASTRONOMY

Paul & Dr Jeni

Awesome Astronomy explores the frontiers of science, space and our evolving understanding of the universe. Join Paul & Dr Jeni for informative and fun astronomy programmes dedicated to space and astronomy news and occasional podcast extras covering hot topics and special interviews in the world of science and astronomy. read less

Our Editor's Take

The AWESOME ASTRONOMY podcast shares news and interviews about the world of space. The show team includes Ralph, Jen, Paul, John, and Damien. Each panel member is passionate about understanding more about the night sky. Listeners should expect a round-up of astronomy news, from possible signals on an exoplanet to updates on cosmology. The team also interviews experts, from astronauts to astrophysicists, about their latest discoveries.

The first episode in 2012 started the podcast in style with legend Sir Patrick Moore. He shares his advice for amateur astronomers to start their stargazing adventures. Sir Patrick reveals how seeing Saturn through a space telescope for the first time excited him about space exploration. The episode also includes a solar system tour based on space mission discoveries.

Another episode explores imagery taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. Jen talks to Dr Robert Wessen, who investigated this Messier planetary nebula. He tells podcast listeners they can see the Ring Nebula from Earth with a standard telescope. An image from the Hubble telescope showed this ring to be more complex than it first appeared. This discovery led to further exploration by the team.

Other podcast guests include nuclear physicist turned astronaut Dr. Kathy Thornton. She discusses an exciting Space Shuttle mission to fix the Hubble telescope. Chris Lee, who led international space policy at the UK Space Agency, joins in an episode. He shares his highlights and how agencies work together for space exploration.

In another podcast episode, the team shares their live Astrocamp panel shows. They answer audience questions and provide a guide to viewing the Aurora. For passionate amateurs, there is also news of events, including Astronomy Cruise Holidays.

The AWESOME ASTRONOMY podcast chats all things NASA and astronomy with expert guests. They provide night sky guides for amateur astronomers and answer questions from listeners. New episodes premiere twice a month.

read less

ScienceScience

Start Here

Totally Eclipse

Totally Eclipse

Dustin and Jeni talk about their Eclipse adventures from last month.

Episodes

Totally Eclipse

Totally Eclipse

Dustin and Jeni talk about their Eclipse adventures from last month.

Nova predictions and China to the Moon

Nova predictions and China to the Moon

This month excitement builds for the predicted Nova outburst in Corona Borealis as well as looking forward to China launching a sample return mission to the far side of the Moon. We have our usual skyguide and chat about upcoming missions and some fun insights into the methane on Mars.

Episode 142 Awesome Astronomy April 2024

Episode 142 Awesome Astronomy April 2024

This month Dr Jen is off to the US for the Solar Eclipse while Paul is just back from Goonhilly Earth Station. We chat about the imminent demise of the Chandra Space Telescope, more news on the Hubble tension, and of course the Great North American Eclipse. Chinese Lunar ambitions, Starship making it to space and the first Boeing Starliner crew make the news while in this months history moment we talk about the brightest Stellar event witnessed by humans.

Britain's First Astronaut

Britain's First Astronaut

This podcast extra is our full length interview with Dr Helen Sharman, Britain's First astronaut and the first woman to visit the Russian Mir Space Station in 1991.

Wet Moons and Tippy landers

Wet Moons and Tippy landers

This month our intrepid crew of the good ship Awesome investigate sub surface oceans on the moons of the solar system, smoking stars, distant blackholes, oversized structures and of course tippy over lunar landers. There is also the monthly skyguide and a look at the astro history of March!

Blasting Soil - Interview with Dr Phil Metzger

Blasting Soil - Interview with Dr Phil Metzger

This month Dr Jen talks to Dr Phil! Dr Phil Metzger, 30 years at NASA where he has worked on various missions and programmes including the ISS snd Space Shuttle, while more recently he has been investigating how rocket efflux interacts with soil and what this will mean for future landings on the Moon and Mars…

Awesome Astronomy Episode #140

Awesome Astronomy Episode #140

This month we explore the exciting announcements from the European Space Agency as they outline their new missions for the 2030s. LISA, a space based gravitational wave detector and EnVision, a Venus mission that will map the surface and under-surface of that planet in unprecedented detail. We have the usual skyguide, chat about recent lunar missions and emails from the listeners.

#139 Awesome Astronomy January 2024

#139 Awesome Astronomy January 2024

This episode, it’s Jen and a special guest exploring the inexplicable Big Ring, the first proof connecting supernovae to black holes and neutron stars, cyclones on a far-away world, dazzling images of Io, and the true colour of Neptune. We also take a deep dive into humanity’s efforts to explore the Moon – the failing Peregrine lander and Artemis pushbacks. There’s also a sky guide for the second half of January, and our discussion topic this time involves a most impossible restaurant. Produced by Paul, Jen, Dustin, John & Damien.

Awesome Astronomy Panto and Review of the Year 2023!

Awesome Astronomy Panto and Review of the Year 2023!

Festive silliness (bit naughty!), a review of the Space and astronomy year and a look ahead to what 2024 has in store for us. Not forgetting the outakes!

#138 Awesome Astronomy December 2023 Pt1

#138 Awesome Astronomy December 2023 Pt1

This month we explore what might have happened to the Planet Theia after it hit the Earth, what Lucy saw on its first asteroid encounter, the mystery of a new double crater on the Moon and what the first images from the Elucid telescope show. We have our monthly skyguide, launch round up and emails and questions from listeners. Produced by Paul, Jen, John, Damien & Dustin

Astronomy Mythology of Wales

Astronomy Mythology of Wales

This month Jeni talks to Paul. No not our Paul Paul Cornish, planetarium and science outreach extraordinaire at Bristols We the Curious. They chat about one of our favourite topics on Awesome, constellation Mythology and this time it has a very Welsh flavour...enjoy!

#137 November 2023 Awesome Astronomy

#137 November 2023 Awesome Astronomy

This month we talk about what might have been in the Arthur C Clarke Awards, the latest weird discovery from JWST, the most detailed simulation of the Universe yet, British space plans, giggle at a Space Force painting, and have a look at what you can see in the sky this month. Produced by Paul, Jen, John, Damien & Dustin

The AstroCamp Panel!

The AstroCamp Panel!

This month we give you a recording of our live panel show from AstroCamp, held in September. The team answer questions and comments from the public about a range of space and astronomy topics.

#136 - October 2023 Awesome Astronomy

#136 - October 2023 Awesome Astronomy

This month Paul and Dr Jen talk about the recent astrocamp where yet more Aurora was seen. Later there is a guide to seeing Aurora at lower latitudes. JWST is at it again with a possible detection of biological signals on an exoplanet, AND breaking and rewriting galaxy morphology history. There is an autumnal sky guide and the low down on the Bennu return mission OSIRIS-REx.

JWST looks at the Ring - Interview with Dr Roger Wessen

JWST looks at the Ring - Interview with Dr Roger Wessen

This months interview looks at that stunning imagery that JWST took of the Ring Nebula - that familiar Messier planterary nebula in Lyra and favourite of star parties. This new study has revealed new and unexpected details and once again demonstrated the brilliant science of our golden wonder telescope in space. Dr Jeni talks to Dr Robert Wessen, Research Associate at Cardiff University who has worked on the Ring Nebula data, about what astronomers have revealed as well as talking about his career and life astronomy. He also exclusively reveals what is going to happen next in this area of study. Enjoy!

#135 - September 2023 Awesome Astronomy

#135 - September 2023 Awesome Astronomy

This month we are joined by special guest Neill Sanders from Go Stargazing who is making a special announcement about astronomy cruise Holidays. We have news of a new type of star, mud on Mars and JWST breaking cosmology once again. After our skyguide we chat about the recent Indian and Russian moon missions. In our discussion topic we have a Battle of the Planets as we decide which should get in the bin, Saturn or Jupiter.

#134 August 2023 Pt2 Awesome Astronomy

#134 August 2023 Pt2 Awesome Astronomy

For this podcast extra, we return to NAM 2023, this year held at Cardiff University. We’re delighted to bring you the conversational style of Dr Stephen Wilkins, public engagement extraordinaire. Dr Stephen is an STFC Public Engagement Fellow (so you know this talk will be just brilliant) and serves as a Director of Outreach and Public Engagement for the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Sussex. This episode, we have the Tale of Two Telescopes, exploring NASA’s new flagship James Webb Space Telescope, and ESA’s pioneering Euclid, set to uncover the Dark Universe. Enjoy! Produced by Paul, Jen, John, Damien & Dustin

#134 - August 2023 Awesome Astronomy

#134 - August 2023 Awesome Astronomy

This month we have a packed show, with stories about the European space agency launching a new space telescope to study The Dark Universe. India going to the moon with Chandrayaan-3, astereroid boulders, a key ingredient for life just 1 billion years into the Universe’s history, measuring a crater with highway seismology, hot lava piles on the moon, and a farewell to Ariane 5. We discuss observing meteor showers in our monthly skyguide and we ask the important question- where would you let superman take you in the solar system?

How to grow a supermassive black hole with Dr Becky Smethurst

How to grow a supermassive black hole with Dr Becky Smethurst

Once a year, astronomers descend upon an unsuspecting UK city in the greatest gathering of astronomically curious minds: the National Astronomy Meeting, otherwise known as NAM (no, not that ‘Nam, though it is quite the battle of the minds). Jen was lucky enough to attend this year and this episode is the first in a series of talks recorded at NAM 2023. We’re delighted to bring you the expertise of none other than Dr Becky Smethurst of Oxford University (you may know her as Dr Becky on Youtube). In this talk, Dr Becky teaches us how to grow a supermassive black hole – and it’s not as easy as you think! Always picture a black hole as a gigantic hoover, sucking up everything that dares to stray too close? Think again…

#133 Awesome Astronomy July 2023

#133 Awesome Astronomy July 2023

It's a summer vacation special with Jeni in the mountains of South America astronomising at altitude and visiting the Vera C Rubin telescope as well as obstech. We have an interview with a Vera Rubin Observatory astronomer as well as a skyguide and an astronomy news round up.