Podcast
The Supermassive Podcast
Hosted by The Royal Astronomical Society · EN
The UK's #1 space podcast.
Science journalist Izzie Clarke and astrophysicist Dr Becky Smethurst whizz through the universe to explore the latest research with leading experts, dive to history from the society’s archives and take on your weird and wonderful questions about all things space. Can we gravitationally hitch-hike out of the solar system? Do we live in a multiverse? What is time? Plus Dr Robert Massey is on hand with his top star-gazing tips.
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And keep adding to The Supermassive Mailbox with your pictures and questions for the team. Send them to podcast@ras.ac.uk or follow them on Instagram, @SupermassivePod.
The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production for the Royal Astronomical Society. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
31episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Don't Panic…but a solar storm could be a disaster
Sep 2400:47:22Tap to summarizeIt's been 166 years since scientists recorded the world's most powerful solar explosion. Izzie, Dr Becky and Dr Robert Massey are big fans of anniversaries, so they investigate how the Carrington Event affected the Earth - and why something similar today could be devastating.Thanks to Kate Bond from the Royal Astronomical Society and Matthew West from ESA's Vigil for joining us on this episode.Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening and to share you questions, images and more. Or email them to podcast@ras.ac.uk or on Instagram @SupermassivePod.The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →What is Gravity?
Apr 24, 202500:53:54Tap to summarizeThis episode is a weighty one. Some might say massive. It’s all about gravity. What is it? Why does it matter? Izzie and Dr Becky explore Einstein and Newton’s different ideas on the subject, plus Izzie visits the Royal Society to see Isaac Newton's original manuscript for his works on gravity and the laws of motion.Special thank you to listener Hanna_m_e for suggesting this episode topic and to Professor Tessa Baker, at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at the University of Portsmouth, and to Keith Moore, head of collections at the Royal Society for appearing on the show.See THAT coffee table here: https://youtu.be/5XlTkGEO564?si=9Z8KwTqOPk-Sf0xMIf you have a question for the team, or an episode suggestion, send them to podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on Instagram, @SupermassivePod.The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production in partnership with the Royal Astronomical Society. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →BONUS - Can we gravitationally "hitch hike" out of the Solar System?
Apr 11, 202500:15:01Tap to summarizeWhat the bloomin’ hell is a Gravastar? Are fast radio bursts like solar flares on steroids? Plus an interesting question on multiverses that can't be summed up in a short sentence. Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey dive into The Supermassive Mailbox and take on your questions. Keep sending in your wonderful ponderings. Email them to podcast@ras.ac.uk or via Instagram @SupermassivepodThe Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Returning to the Moon - with ESA Astronaut Matthias Maurer
Mar 31, 202500:52:08Tap to summarizeClimb aboard The Supermassive Rocket, Izzie and Becky are (talking about) sending humans back to the moon. Joining them on their trip is European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer and Jacki Mahaffey, the Chief Training Officer for NASA’s Artemis II mission. Plus, Dr Robert Massey, the Deputy Director of the Royal Astronomical Society, is there as well to answer your questions and share his top stargazing tips.For more supermassive astronaut episodes, here's our episode with Samantha Cristoforetti and another with Gene Cernan.Keep sending your questions to The Supermassive Podcast at podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on Instagram, @Supermassive Pod.The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →BONUS - Can A Star Orbit Another Star?
Mar 12, 202500:12:03Tap to summarizeIf black holes are so dense, how can gamma rays jet shoot out from it? At what point in space does our sun become invisible to the naked eye? And a question about CubeSats, black holes and detecting alien civilisations... It time for Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey to take on your questions!Got a question to add to The Supermassive Mailbox? Email it to podcast@ras.ac.uk or message us on Instagram, @SupermassivePod. There's no such thing as a silly question. In fact, the sillier, the better! The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Sample Return Missions - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Feb 28, 202500:46:40Tap to summarizeThis time Dr Becky Smethurst and Izzie Clarke discover why it’s touch and go when it comes to returning asteroid samples to Earth and hear how we’ve been exchanging spit with Mars since the dawn of the Solar System. The team is joined by Dr Sara Russell, a meteorite researcher at the Natural History Museum in London, and Dr Albert Haldemann, Mars Chief Engineer for the European Space Agency. As ever, Dr Robert Massey is with us to answer your questions and look ahead to the next month in the night sky. Keep you questions coming…you can email podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on instagram, @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →EMERGENCY BONUS - Asteroid 2024 YR4
Feb 19, 202500:13:09Tap to summarizeScientists have detected an asteroid that has a small chance of hitting Earth. Resident expert Dr Robert Massey tells Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham why we shouldn't be worried.Want to suggest a topic to the team? Contact podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on Instagram @SupermassivePod.The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →BONUS - Could we capture a primordial black hole?
Feb 12, 202500:16:34Tap to summarizeWhat are the implications on space exploration with a change of president? Did cosmic inflation come before the Big Bang? Are there sonic booms in space? Izzie, Becky and Robert take on your questions! Keep sending your questions to podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on instagram @SupermassivePod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →The Search for Space Aliens
Jan 29, 202500:55:21Tap to summarizeHosts Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst are starting 2025 with a biggie. The scientific search for extraterrestrial life: Where are scientists looking? How do they search for potential signals? And what the heck is the plan if they find one?! The Supermassive team hears from Seth Shostak from the SETI Institute about the search for life beyond Earth, and Dr John Elliot from the University of St Andrews explains what would happen if we were to detect them. Thanks for all of your brilliant questions - keep them coming! You can email podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on instagram, @SupermassivePod.And, as promised, here's more information on National Astronomy Week 2025, running from 1st-9th February: https://astronomyweek.org.ukThe Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Q&A - Space Potatoes and Christmas Stars
Dec 21, 202400:53:30Tap to summarizeOur final episode of 2024 is a SUPERMASSIVE Q&A. Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey make their way through your questions. What’s the farthest star we can see with the naked eye? Why do black holes expand and shrink? And what would happen if we accelerated an uncompressed medium sized potato to 99% the speed of light? And remember, do not confuse the ISS with Santa's Sleigh in the run up to Christmas. To avoid any confusion, find out when the ISS is flying over your home using https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/home.cfmIf you have any questions for a future episode, email podcast@ras.ac.uk or find us on instagram @SupermassivePod. And thank you to anyone who has listened or reviewed the podcast this year, we really appreciate it. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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