Walkabout the Galaxy

The center of our galaxy is producing more gamma rays than we can account for. Some say dark matter is the explanation, and others say no way. We explore the different scenarios for the high energy source of this extra light, and closer to home check in on Mars with updates from Perseverance, the Ingenuity drone, and Mars Insight quakes. 

We explain the polarization of light in the context of the image of the black hole event horizon in M87 and take a new look at the interstellar object Oumuamua and what may have powered its peculiar motion through our solar system. Was it the dark side of the force? Tune in for a Dark Side themed episode to find out.

A supermassive black hole seems to be going on a walkabout its own galaxy, and dust from Mars (or its moons) seems to be going on a walkabout the solar system. We explain how that's possible and how we know about it on this episode which features space news updates and an elemental and historical trivia question.

If space is the final frontier, where does it begin? That deceptively simple question is one of many topics the Astroquarks ponder in this episode, as well as unusual supernovae, and planets that recycle their atmospheres. There's some other completely random and inappropriate trivia, and some nerd news ranting. In other words, your typical Walkabout the Galaxy.  

The astroquarks explain the physics behind Warp Drive and a new solution to Einstein's general theory of relativity. Closer to home, the Moon showers the Earth with sodium atoms, and ancient comets may have provided the carbon necessary for life. Plus, we have a brain-twisting math trivia that unites economics and cosmology. Only on Walkabout the Galaxy.

The search for the elusive intermediate mass black hole (hundreds to thousands of times the mass of the Sun) has instead turned up a cluster of black holes within a cluster of stars. Just a few thousand light years from home, globular cluster NGC 6397 has a swarm of black holes at its core. Hear how astrophysical sleuths figured this out as well as catch up on space news, elemental trivia, and mus...

NASA's Perseverance rover successfully touched down on Mars last week, capping a perfect set of three arrivals at the red planet. Dr. David Brain joins us to tell us about the plans for one of those missions, and how it will help us unravel Mars' complicated climate history. Plus, we have a series of Mars trivia questions and a look at what the future holds for Mars exploration.

The astroquarks debate the relative merits of hair and baldness in the grand context of black holes and the ultimate question of the nature of information in the universe. Not bad for a cheeky title! We also take a look at some ancient craters on the Earth, and the Ham Sandwich Theorem, among others.

Dr. Zoe Landsman rejoins the Astroquarks to explain how creating simulated regolith or dirt helps scientists and engineers prepare for missions to the Moon, Mars, asteroids, and Phobos. We also take a look back in time on planet Earth to a continental growth spurt 3 billion years ago. 

Three missions, including two rovers, are arriving at Mars this month. We preview some of the unique aspects of the Mars Perseverance rover, and we explore the curious case of a giant galaxy with, apparently, no central black hole. Hear how merging black holes might use gravitational waves to shoot across the cosmos, plus a poetic sponsor, and the word Scutum is said way too many times.

We go deep on this episode of Walkabout, with new analysis of the lakes on Titan showing the largest may be more than 300 meters deep. In deep space, the long, low rumble of spacetime from interactions of supermassive black holes may have revealed itself in subtle changes in the timing of pulsars. Check it all out, plus find out just how long two shakes of lamb's tail really is. We've got the whol...

The galaxy has been making rocky planets for longer than we thought, and a new study shows us how black holes can tell us just how symmetric the universe is using a bumblebee field. You'll have to listen to find out! Plus, we have nerd news, space news, and trivia. Don't miss it.

We welcome special guest Heather Archuletta, a NASA pillownaut, who tells us what it's like to spend weeks simulating space travel in a slightly inverted bed. While time may have seemed to slow down last year, the Earth has actually been speeding up a bit. We'll explain it all, along with news from our neighboring star, sleep trivia, and nerd news as we kick off the third annual Year of the Astroq...

A planetary explorer in deep space turns its eyes outward and faints a brighter glow from distant galaxies than expected, while an alternative theory to dark matter suffers a blow. (Natural) radio emissions from an exoplanet may have been detected for the first time. The astroquarks explain it all and have a year-end space news trivia round up to close out our 2020 season.

Astrometry, what is it good for? Among other things it tells us where the heck we are, and that turns out to be only 25,000 light years away from the monster black hole at the center of the galaxy. Closer to home, the astroquarks discuss the exciting return of samples from an asteroid and the Moon by two robotic explorers, plus astronomy trivia and more space news from the venerable Voyager probes...

We are not only star stuff, we are also Big Bang stuff! We learn about how the formation of deuterium in the first few minutes after the Big Bang has left a lingering mark on the universe and each of us. A mysterious blue nebula has been explained as the Yo-Yo like aftermath of the merger of two small stars, Jim and Addie choose between the Moon and Mars for their vacation destinations, and our tr...

Learn about a catastrophic merger of neutron stars that resulted in a weird beast known as a magnetar. Also, your Astroquarks take a look at a new model for geysers on Jupiter's moon Europa, and challenge you with some Einstein trivia. The odds are improving for axions being dark matter, plus, Jim does a 180 on Baby Yoda!

A Fast Radio Burst (we like to call them Furbies) has been seen coming from a highly magnetic neutron star right here in our own galactic backyard. A new analysis of Kepler data tells us how many of Star Trek's "Class M" (Earthlike) planets are nearby, and Top quark Jim Cooney provides the stumpers. Plus, we have a special astronomy election trivia question, for the most famous case of voting on a...

Charm quark Addie Dove is over the Moon about the announcement that water molecules have been found in minerals all over the lunar surface. We also take a look back at our friend the Philae lander which bounced several times on a comet before coming to rest in a nook or a cranny. The surface of the comet is softer than fresh snow. Join us for a tour of the solar system, with spacecraft trivia and...

Join us for a behind-the-scenes blow-by-blow discussion of the activities of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission as it made contact with the asteroid Bennu and captured a sample of material from the ancient solar system. We are joined by Dr. Humberto Campins, a Co-Investigator on the mission, for an in-depth examination of this literally ground-breaking event. And we also have a Halloween-theme for our triv...

We celebrate the Nobel Prize in Physics for Roger Penrose and Andrea Ghez and Reinhard Genzel for discoveries about black holes, but Strange quark has some grievances to air about the Netflix show Away and Penrose's penchant for exclamation marks. We also see how the Sun is helping us better understand observations of distant stars and learn about the Astroquarks' very own satellite getting ready...

A nifty story about complexity from the simplicity of gravity helps reveal the origins of the comets in the Oort Cloud and explain their current distribution. If that's not far out enough, we also take a look at the mysteries of quantum entanglement and explore the story of the long-forgotten fourth Rice Krispies elf, Jerk!

New research shows that Enceladus's ocean may have produced geysers at different locations on the small moon in the past, and the odd shapes of stellar remnants known as planetary nebulae finally get an explanation. We also get a special Charm Quark trivia from Addie to celebrate International Observe the Moon Night. 

With all the excitement about the potential discovery of a biomarker, Phosphine, on Venus, we take a close look at the observations with Venus expert Dr. Brad Sandor who explains the challenges and problems with the observations. And we take a look at a system where the planet is larger than its own star! Join us for two fascinating science topics and a planetary volcanology trivia question.

Hugo and Nebula Award winning author Mary Robinette Kowal joins us for a wide ranging discussion from her Lady Astronauts novels to her work as a puppeteer and writing mentor. We also have math professor Dr. Pat Hooper join us to explain the answer to our math trivia.