Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
Pale Blue Pod is an astronomy podcast for people who are overwhelmed by the universe but want to be its friend. Astrophysicist Dr. Moiya McTier and comedian Corinne Caputo demystify space one topic at a time with open eyes, open arms, and open mouths (from so much laughing and jaw-dropping). By the end of each episode, the cosmos will feel a little less “ahhh too scary” and a lot more “ohhh, so cool!” New episodes every Monday.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Accessible astronomy education with humor • Universe origins and fate • Exoplanets, moons, galaxies • Telescopes, spacecraft, NASA history • Light/UV/CMB, gravitational waves, dark energy • Space culture: myths, art, media, law, astrologyThis podcast is a conversational astronomy show designed to make space feel approachable, mixing an astrophysicist’s explanations with a comedian’s curiosity, jokes, and occasional pop-culture detours. Across the episodes, the hosts break down big cosmic ideas into digestible stories, often emphasizing how scientists know what they know and what remains uncertain.
A major throughline is “scale,” from the tiniest constituents of matter to galaxy-wide structure and the overall history and fate of the universe. Listeners are guided through foundational topics such as the early universe and relic light from the Big Bang, as well as long-term cosmic endings and speculative scenarios. The show also spends time on stars and their life cycles, extreme astrophysical environments, and the kinds of phenomena that stretch intuition, like black holes, dark energy, and gravitational-wave astronomy.
Another recurring focus is the tools and people behind discovery. Episodes frequently highlight observatories, spacecraft, sky surveys, and telescope design, along with the practical benefits astronomy has contributed to everyday life. The podcast also draws on astronomy history, profiling influential figures and exploring how astronomical knowledge developed in different times and cultures. Along the way, it touches on how scientists communicate, name projects, and build community through conferences and institutions like NASA.
The series regularly invites guests from science, comedy, art, music, law, and writing, using their perspectives to connect space to wider human concerns. That includes conversations about data and visualization, art inspired by astronomy, and even legal and ethical questions raised by space activity and potential colonization. Interspersed with the science are lighter formats such as audience Q&As, themed holiday or “spooky” discussions, and occasional reviews of space-related movies and TV, which serve as a springboard for discussing what fiction gets right or wrong about space.
| Episodes: |
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Moiya's 31 Favorite Space Facts 2026-Jan-26 45 minutes |
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Nope Review 2026-Jan-19 50 minutes |
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Moiya's Birthday Episode! 2026-Jan-12 50 minutes |
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First things in the universe 2026-Jan-05 53 minutes |
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Last things in the universe 2025-Dec-29 60 minutes |
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Astronomy's Greatest Gifts 2025-Dec-22 55 minutes |
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Chemical Rays to Ultraviolet Light 2025-Dec-15 61 minutes |
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Hipparchus, the first star mapper 2025-Dec-08 47 minutes |
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Caution: Hot Jupiters Ahead 2025-Dec-01 58 minutes |
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Cosmic Thanksgiving 2025-Nov-24 58 minutes |
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Gaia Maps the Galaxy 2025-Nov-17 60 minutes |
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The Moon is So Pretty 2025-Nov-10 62 minutes |
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ConStar Intro Game Show Extravaganza! 2025-Nov-03 73 minutes |
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Monsters in Space with ConStar 2025-Oct-27 34 minutes |
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Supernova Rerun 2025-Oct-21 52 minutes |
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#150: PBP's Greatest Hits! 2025-Oct-13 62 minutes |
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Scariest Planets with Brandon Grugle 2025-Oct-06 58 minutes |
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The Week NASA Started with Dr. Deboki Chakravarti 2025-Sep-29 65 minutes |
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Collisions in Space with Maria DeCotis 2025-Sep-22 56 minutes |
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Stargazing Calendar with Noah McTier 2025-Sep-15 48 minutes |
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Build-A-Telescope with Julia Schifini 2025-Sep-08 68 minutes |
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"Active Galactic Nuclei" with Rory Bricca 2025-Sep-01 61 minutes |
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Milky Way Live Lecture 2025-Aug-25 56 minutes |
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Sunshine with Sean Crespo 2025-Aug-18 65 minutes |
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LIGO with Caroline D'Angelo 2025-Aug-11 62 minutes |
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Space Colonization with Grace Johnson 2025-Aug-04 65 minutes |
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Firefly Review with Corey Rindler 2025-Jul-28 61 minutes |
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Space News with Amanda McLoughlin 2025-Jul-21 50 minutes |
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Painting the Cosmos with Dr. Nia Imara 2025-Jul-14 40 minutes |
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Cosmic Microwave Background with Ann Bartow 2025-Jul-07 62 minutes |
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Space Law with AJ Link 2025-Jun-30 49 minutes |
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Weird Universe with Dr. Erika Hamden 2025-Jun-23 51 minutes |
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Moonraker Review with Dr. Claire Aubin 2025-Jun-16 66 minutes |
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Tiny Space Matters with Dr. Sam Jones 2025-Jun-09 55 minutes |
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Space x Visual Art with J Wright 2025-Jun-02 63 minutes |
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April Fools Papers with Wow If True 2025-May-26 59 minutes |
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A Day at NASA Goddard 2025-May-19 62 minutes |
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Rerun: Carl Sagan in a Barn 2025-May-12 54 minutes |
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Mesoamerican Astronomy with Keenan Steiner 2025-May-05 69 minutes |
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Rerun: Kepler on Swan Lake 2025-Apr-28 51 minutes |
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with Christina Kann 2025-Apr-21 69 minutes |
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Data Science with Dr. Andrea Jones-Rooy 2025-Apr-14 68 minutes |
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Newton's Laws with Bijou Kabeya 2025-Apr-07 59 minutes |
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Birthcharts with Charmeé Taylor 2025-Mar-31 54 minutes |
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Audience Q&A with Mayanna Berrin 2025-Mar-24 87 minutes |
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Dark Energy with Chris Alan 2025-Mar-17 66 minutes |
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TRAPPIST-1 Planets with Chris Cook 2025-Mar-10 56 minutes |
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Astronomy Acronyms with Alana Goldstein 2025-Mar-03 50 minutes |
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Astronomy Conference with Constance Gibbs 2025-Feb-24 72 minutes |
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Voyager Mission with Alen Kolenovic 2025-Feb-17 61 minutes |
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Alpha Centauri with Bex Taylor-Klaus 2025-Feb-10 58 minutes |
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Juno Spacecraft with Charlotte Moroz 2025-Feb-03 56 minutes |
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Let's play Outer Wilds with Mischa Stanton 2025-Jan-27 78 minutes |
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Space Safety with Mimi Hayes 2025-Jan-20 60 minutes |
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Faster Than Light travel with Noah McTier 2025-Jan-13 51 minutes |
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Einstein's Relativity with Em Löwinger 2025-Jan-06 75 minutes |
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Interstellar review with Christian Royce 2024-Dec-30 68 minutes |
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Space x Theater with Victoria Male 2024-Dec-23 66 minutes |
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December Solstice with Sherrod Small 2024-Dec-16 52 minutes |
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Dark Matter with Chris Alan 2024-Dec-09 58 minutes |
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Pale Blue Pod At Night 2024-Dec-06 31 minutes |
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Space Winds with Sharon Spell 2024-Dec-02 61 minutes |
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The Sun with Tiffanee Lee 2024-Nov-25 72 minutes |
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Space News with Mayanna Berrin 2024-Nov-18 76 minutes |
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Apollo Program with Tribble 2024-Nov-11 64 minutes |
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Leavitt's Law with Orli Matlow 2024-Nov-04 56 minutes |
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Cosmic horror with Jenna Stoeber 2024-Oct-28 59 minutes |
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Gravity with Joyelle Nicole Johnson 2024-Oct-21 56 minutes |
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Corinne's Graduation at the little league stadium 2024-Oct-14 35 minutes |
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How to Kill an Asteroid with Dr. Robin George Andrews 2024-Oct-07 53 minutes |
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Earth at Acadia National Park 2024-Sep-30 52 minutes |
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Distance Ladder at the fire station 2024-Sep-23 43 minutes |
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Annie Jump Cannon at Rohoboth Beach 2024-Sep-16 46 minutes |
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Pricey NASA missions at the bank 2024-Sep-09 50 minutes |
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This Week in Astronomy History 2 2024-Sep-02 40 minutes |
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Breakthrough Discuss in Oxford 2024-Aug-26 48 minutes |
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Jupiter Ascending at the dining table 2024-Aug-19 56 minutes |
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Imagining alien worlds at L2 2024-Aug-12 60 minutes |
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JWST in a cocktail bar 2024-Aug-05 50 minutes |
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Uranus in a hot air balloon 2024-Jul-29 49 minutes |
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Social roundup by the sea 2024-Jul-22 52 minutes |
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Dr. Beatrice Tinsley in the shire 2024-Jul-15 45 minutes |
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Publishing with Fraser Cain 2024-Jul-08 74 minutes |
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Galaxies colliding at the bumper cars track 2024-Jul-01 53 minutes |
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This Week in Astronomy History #1 2024-Jun-24 45 minutes |
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Aphelion sky in the ice cream shoppe 2024-Jun-17 47 minutes |
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Heat in the lecture hall 2024-Jun-10 46 minutes |
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Venus at the chocolate factory 2024-Jun-03 54 minutes |
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Paul Movie Review 2024-May-27 49 minutes |
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STARtorialist with Dr. Emily Rice 2024-May-20 61 minutes |
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Gemini telescopes at Target Field 2024-May-13 51 minutes |
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Social roundup on a train 2024-May-06 38 minutes |
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Galileo in a wine bar 2024-Apr-29 49 minutes |
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Eclipse Live Show in Erie 2024-Apr-22 87 minutes |
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April fools papers in the green room 2024-Apr-15 47 minutes |
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Reminder: Eclipses in a cabin in the woods 2024-Apr-08 55 minutes |
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Horoscopes on a back country road 2024-Apr-01 42 minutes |
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Mercury at the boba spot 2024-Mar-25 45 minutes |
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Armageddon Review by a waterfall 2024-Mar-18 51 minutes |
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astronomy community with Dra. Nicole Cabrera Salazar 2024-Mar-11 58 minutes |
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Particles in the Swiss Alps 2024-Mar-04 50 minutes |
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Social media roundup at a sleepover 2024-Feb-26 41 minutes |
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Kepler mission on a swan lake 2024-Feb-19 52 minutes |
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Leap Day in the Irish countryside 2024-Feb-12 55 minutes |
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AAS Meeting in City Park 2024-Feb-05 73 minutes |
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American Astronomical Society on Bourbon Street 2024-Jan-29 55 minutes |
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Planetaria! outside the disco 2024-Jan-22 51 minutes |
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Neptune in a diner 2024-Jan-15 42 minutes |
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Laws of motion under an orrery 2024-Jan-08 51 minutes |
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Caroline Herschel at the Symphony 2024-Jan-01 50 minutes |
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Things that go Bump in the Universe with Dr. Renée James 2023-Dec-25 51 minutes |
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Winter Sky in a cozy cabin 2023-Dec-18 51 minutes |
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Arrival review in a hot tub 2023-Dec-11 68 minutes |
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Chandra Observatory in a beachside cafe 2023-Dec-04 49 minutes |
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Astronaut training in a cave 2023-Nov-27 54 minutes |
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Dr. Moiya's research in a school library 2023-Nov-20 61 minutes |
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UFO sightings in a cow field 2023-Nov-13 55 minutes |
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Mars in a cranberry bog 2023-Nov-06 45 minutes |
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Spooky space stuff in a Salem cemetery 2023-Oct-30 63 minutes |
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Ask us anything in the Multitude studio 2023-Oct-23 67 minutes |
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Arthur C. Walker in a rose garden 2023-Oct-16 49 minutes |
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NASA operations in a coffee shop 2023-Oct-09 52 minutes |
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Contact on a Pensacola Beach 2023-Oct-02 65 minutes |
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Very Large Array at J.P. Wynne High 2023-Sep-25 54 minutes |
Supernovae in a canyon2023-Sep-18 56 minutes |
Loren Grush's The Six at mission control2023-Sep-11 46 minutes |
Saturn in his temple2023-Sep-04 55 minutes |
Dr. Beth Brown on the football field2023-Aug-28 46 minutes |
Messaging aliens in a newsroom2023-Aug-21 65 minutes |
The Milky Way book on the ISS2023-Aug-14 50 minutes |
Gravitational waves in the Barbie dreamhouse2023-Aug-07 58 minutes |
Galaxy Quest review in a church2023-Jul-31 60 minutes |
Green Bank Telescope in a lighthouse2023-Jul-24 56 minutes |
Northern constellations at the north pole2023-Jul-17 41 minutes |
Southern constellations at the Sydney Opera House2023-Jul-10 43 minutes |
Stellar ages at medieval times2023-Jul-03 45 minutes |
The Possibility of Life with Jaime Green2023-Jun-26 48 minutes |
Summer skygazing at the cookout2023-Jun-19 44 minutes |
Starstruck with Sarafina El-Badry Nance2023-Jun-12 52 minutes |
Valerian & the City of 1000 Planets by a mountain stream2023-Jun-05 71 minutes |
End of the universe on the 6 train2023-May-29 51 minutes |
Dr. Claudia Alexander in a horse-drawn carriage2023-May-22 49 minutes |
Jupiter in the Mall of America2023-May-15 49 minutes |
Spherical Earth on a boat2023-May-08 54 minutes |
Neutron stars at the botanical garden2023-May-01 51 minutes |
Hubble space telescope by a campfire2023-Apr-24 54 minutes |
Prospect review in a lush forest2023-Apr-17 59 minutes |
Carl Sagan in a horse barn2023-Apr-10 55 minutes |
Space water in a seaside cottage2023-Apr-03 59 minutes |
Finding exoplanets at the racetrack2023-Mar-27 56 minutes |
Making Moons in an Italian Restaurant2023-Mar-20 55 minutes |
Space Brains in a Neuro Lab2023-Mar-13 66 minutes |
Redshift at the Batting Cages2023-Mar-06 45 minutes |
Black Holes in Central Park2023-Feb-27 68 minutes |
Moonfall at the ALMA Observatory2023-Feb-20 75 minutes |
Star Types in a Movie Theater2023-Feb-13 66 minutes |
Fundamental Force in a Bathhouse2023-Feb-06 62 minutes |
Katherine Johnson at the Kitchen Table2023-Jan-30 41 minutes |
Universal Speed in an Elephant Sanctuary2023-Jan-23 56 minutes |
Aurora in a Ski Lodge2023-Jan-16 44 minutes |
SETI in a Beauty Salon2023-Jan-09 60 minutes |
Space Junk in a Bookstore2023-Jan-02 56 minutes |
Fluid Motion at a Carnival2022-Dec-26 50 minutes |
Light on a Feather Down Couch2022-Dec-19 65 minutes |
Vera Rubin in a Glass Greenhouse2022-Dec-12 50 minutes |
Eclipses in a Cabin in the Woods2022-Dec-05 55 minutes |
Big Bang in a Rain-Lashed Tent2022-Nov-28 50 minutes |
Galaxy Shapes in an Attic2022-Nov-21 50 minutes |
Pluto in Grandma's Living Room2022-Nov-21 50 minutes |
Hello from Pale Blue Pod2022-Nov-07 less than a minute |