SpaceTime with Stuart Gary

Join us for SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 68, where we explore the latest cosmic discoveries and technological advancements shaping our understanding of the universe. First, we uncover new evidence suggesting that Venus is volcanically active. By analysing data from NASA's Magellan radar, scientists have identified two volcanoes on Venus that erupted in the early 1990s. This discovery adds to the gr...

Join us for SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 67, where we delve into the latest cosmic events and groundbreaking discoveries shaping our understanding of the universe. First, we discuss the return of last month's powerful solar storms. The active sunspot region AR 364, now renumbered as AR 3697, has reappeared, bringing with it more geomagnetic storms and spectacular solar flares. We explore the intric...

Join us for SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 66, where we delve into the latest cosmic discoveries and technological challenges shaping our understanding of the universe. First, we explore a glitch aboard the BepiColombo spacecraft bound for Mercury. The joint ESA-JAXA mission faced a sudden issue with its thrusters, impacting its journey towards the innermost planet. Despite the setback, mission contr...

Join us for SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 65, where we uncover the latest cosmic revelations and scientific advancements. First, we delve into the intriguing new features discovered in high-resolution images of Jupiter's icy moon Europa. Captured by NASA's Juno spacecraft, these images reveal signs of plume activity and ice shell disruption, providing clues about the moon's subsurface ocean and its...

Join us for SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 64, where we delve into the latest cosmic discoveries and technological advancements shaping our understanding of the universe. First, we explore new research uncovering the origins of sunspots and their formation closer to the Sun's surface than previously thought. Scientists are now examining the complex interactions of magnetic fields and plasma within th...

Venture into the cosmic depths with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 63, where we unearth some of the universe's most ancient stars hiding in the halo of our very own Milky Way. These celestial elders, dubbed SAS stars, are remnants from a time when galaxies were just beginning to coalesce, offering a unique window into the universe's formative years. With their discovery, we edge closer to unraveling...

Set sail through the cosmic seas with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 62, as we chart a course to a newly discovered Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting an ultra-cool red dwarf star just a stone's throw away in the galactic neighborhood. The discovery of Speculos-3b, a mere 55 light-years from Earth, stirs intrigue with its eternal days and nights due to likely tidal locking, offering a unique glimpse into...

Embark on a celestial odyssey with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 61, where we witness the Sun unleash its most powerful solar flare in nearly two decades, sparking a series of geomagnetic storms that dazzled the skies with extraordinary auroras. The flare, an enormous X8.7 class eruption, marked the pinnacle of a week of solar ferocity, with the Earth enduring a bombardment that produced northern an...

Journey through the cosmic tapestry with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 60, where we unearth the echoes of creation by discovering one of the most ancient stars ever seen in another galaxy. This remarkable find could lead us to the elusive first generation of stars that illuminated the universe from darkness to the dawn of clarity. These celestial ancestors, born from the pure elements of the Big Ban...

Embark on an interplanetary journey with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 59, where we unravel the enigmatic atmosphere of Venus and its waterless environment. Discover the startling new study that suggests Venus lost its water reserves to space, leaving it with a mere fraction of Earth's water despite their similar origins. The episode dives into the complex chemical reactions in Venus's atmosphere th...

Embark on a cosmic expedition with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 58, where we delve into the mysteries of Earth’s ancient magnetic field and its role in the diversification of life.  Join us as we explore a pivotal period over half a billion years ago when a weakening magnetic shield may have paved the way for a dramatic increase in atmospheric oxygen, fostering the rise of complex organisms and set...

Embark on a celestial odyssey with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 57, where we unravel the rapid evolution of spiral galaxies. Our cosmic journey begins over 10 billion years ago, as new observations from the Webb Space Telescope reveal the early formation of star bars. These stellar structures, pivotal in the maturation of galaxies, were once thought to emerge in a chaotic young universe. Yet, they...

Embark on an interstellar odyssey with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 56, where we delve into the enigmatic geysers of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. Unravel the mystery behind these spectacular jets as new research draws parallels with Earth's own San Andreas Fault, suggesting a strike-slip motion akin to our tectonic shifts may be powering these icy eruptions. Discover how this celestial phenomenon c...

The Space, Astronomy and Science Podcast. SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 55 *New findings point to an Earth-like environment on ancient Mars A new study using data from NASA’s Mars curiosity rover suggests there was once an Earth-like environment on ancient Mars. *Could purple be the new green in search for alien life A new study suggests that life on other planets with different atmospheres and orbi...

Dive into the cosmic depths with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 54, where we journey back 3.7 billion years to uncover the oldest evidence of Earth's magnetic field. Join us as we explore pristine ancient rocks from Greenland, revealing a magnetic strength similar to today's, and potentially extending the known age of our planet's protective shield by hundreds of millions of years. This discovery cou...

Embark on an interplanetary investigation with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 53, as we delve into the perplexing presence of methane on Mars. The red planet's mysterious emissions have puzzled scientists for years, with seasonal spikes and unpredictable behavior sparking debates on their origin. Could biological activity be the source, or are geological interactions to blame? Join us as we explore a...

Dive into the cosmos with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 52, as we traverse the stellar seas to discover a groundbreaking revelation: stardust from a supernova, harboring secrets from a newly identified type of star. An extraordinary find in an ancient meteorite has led scientists to a hydrogen-burning supernova, a stellar phenomenon only recently recognized by astronomers. This episode sheds light o...

Embark on a celestial journey with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 51, as we unravel the mysteries of Pluto's heart. Scientists, armed with sophisticated computer simulations, have finally pieced together the enigmatic origins of the dwarf planet's heart-shaped feature, Sputnik Planitia. This episode delves into the colossal impact that sculpted Pluto's icy facade, challenging previous assumptions abo...

Venture into the unknown with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 50, as we embark on an interplanetary adventure that transcends the boundaries of our earthly skies. NASA confirms its bold mission to dispatch a pioneering rotocopter to the enigmatic Saturnian moon, Titan. The Dragonfly mission is set to soar through Titan's dense atmosphere, exploring its organically rich landscapes in search of prebioti...

Prepare for a cosmic revelation in SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 49, as we journey through the Milky Way to uncover a celestial heavyweight—the most massive stellar black hole ever discovered in our galaxy. Detected by the vigilant eyes of the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, this black hole, known as Gaia BH3, imposes a peculiar wobble on its companion star, betraying its presence. Weighing in...

Embark on an astronomical odyssey with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 48, as we unveil the most detailed view of the expanding universe to date. The first-year data from DESI, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument survey, is in, and it's changing the cosmic game. This groundbreaking five-year study is mapping the universe in 3D, charting the enigmatic influence of dark energy over time. Will the u...

Prepare to illuminate the shadowy frontiers of space in SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 47. We begin by shedding light on new findings that reveal brown dwarfs, those celestial enigmas straddling the line between the largest planets and the smallest stars, are far more star-like than we ever imagined. Born from the same intricate dance of gas and dust that gives rise to stars, these failed stars have...

SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 46: The Cosmic Dance of Neutron Stars and Black Holes Join us on a thrilling journey through the cosmos in SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 46, where we delve into the mysteries of a possible neutron star-black hole merger detected in gravitational waves. The LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration may have stumbled upon a cosmic ballet between the densest objects in the universe, of...

SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 45 *Perseverance collects its 24th sample on Mars NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover has just collected its 24 geological sample from the surface of the red planet.  The drill core offers new clues about Jezero Crater and the lake it may have once held. *New date set for Starliner's first manned mission NASA has set May 6 as the opening of the launch window for the first ma...

The Space, Astronomy and Science Podcast. SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 44 *New Clues About Mars’ Ancient Water NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover has arrived at an area in Gale Crater’s Mount Sharp that may show evidence liquid water flowed on the red planet for much longer than previously thought. *NASAs new Moon buggies NASA has selected three companies to help it develop its proposed new Moon buggy ---...