Podcast Episodes
Back to SearchPhoton by Photon: A Journey Through Observatories
Episode 105
This week we step inside one of astronomy’s most iconic spaces: the observatory.
Drew visits Melton Memorial Observatory and sits down with director M…
2 months ago
The Edge of the Solar System
Episode 104
This week we leave the familiar planets behind and venture into the farthest reaches of our Solar System, into regions where the Sun’s influence begi…
2 months, 1 week ago
Moons: The Solar System’s Secret Worlds
Episode 103
The most intriguing places in our solar system might not be planets at all. This week we turn our attention to some of the most fascinating and unusu…
2 months, 2 weeks ago
The Case of Pluto: Discovery, Demotion, and Redemption
Episode 102
In 2006, a group of astronomers gathered in Prague and made a decision that shocked the world: Pluto was no longer a planet.
But the story of Pluto is…
2 months, 3 weeks ago
Beyond the Frost Line: The Giant Planets of Our Solar System
Episode 101
This week we leave the rocky inner planets behind and journey into the deep cold of the outer solar system. From the storm-wracked atmosphere of Jupi…
2 months, 4 weeks ago
Four Worlds, One Sun; Plus, a Total Lunar Eclipse
Episode 100
In this milestone 100th episode of Star Trails, we bring the cosmos back home.
After months of exploring distant stars, nebulae, and black holes, Marc…
3 months ago
How Stars Die (Including the One That Keeps Us Alive)
Episode 99
In this episode, we wrap up our month-long series on stars by exploring their final acts.
Most stars don’t explode. They grow old. We’ll follow the Su…
3 months, 2 weeks ago
The Quiet Majority of Stars
Episode 98
This week we take a nerdy detour into the lives of stars by building a tiny simulated galaxy in Python. We form half a million stars, roll the clock …
3 months, 3 weeks ago
What Stars Do While They’re Alive
Episode 97
Stars are easy to take for granted. They rise, they set, and they seem unchanged from one night to the next. But in this episode of Star Trails, we s…
3 months, 4 weeks ago
What a Star Is (and What It Isn’t)
Episode 96
This week, we begin a month-long exploration of the most familiar objects in the night sky, and wonder why they’re still so often misunderstood.
In th…
4 months ago