5-hour Patreon Q&A show: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday/posts/patreon-q-2026-174012731

Rubin finds Neptune’s trojans and two new companions to the Milky Way, China reveals more of its plans to send humans to the Moon, finding the seeds of supermassive black holes. And on Space Bites+, how Mars has microclimates near its North Pole.

🔵 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

00:00 Intro

00:18 Rubin finds Neptune's trojans https://www.universetoday.com/articles/queens-university-belfast-students-find-neptunes-elusive-trojan-asteroids

02:40 Vera Rubin finds Milky Way's neighbours https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-vera-rubin-has-found-two-more-of-the-milky-ways-dim-satellites

03:58 China unveils its Moon plans https://www.universetoday.com/articles/china-unveils-their-plan-for-a-crewed-moon-landing

05:45 Splitting a black hole https://www.universetoday.com/articles/what-could-split-a-black-hole-in-two

07:29 Seeds of supermassive black holes

10:08 Van Gogh’s Starry Night mystery solved https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-research-resolves-the-mystery-behind-van-goghs-the-starry-night

11:47 Vote results

12:09 Earth’s “Impenetrable” Space Radiation Shield Was Just Breached From Within https://www.universetoday.com/articles/earths-impenetrable-space-radiation-shield-was-just-breached-from-within

14:03 Cat's Head nebula https://www.universetoday.com/articles/examining-the-cats-head-nebula-with-the-hubble-and-jwst

15:23 Carina's Ghost https://www.universetoday.com/articles/its-a-ghost-no-its-a-stellar-crche

16:19 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/martian-polar-crater-ice-shifts-with-seasonal-frost

18:43 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:10

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lwi6J0h2EhI

What if We Can't Detect Dark Matter? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXXqSh5qAuA Dark Matter Is Not a Theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbmJkMhmrVI

Is it better to put a base on the Moon or under the ocean? What Astronomy can you do from a light polluted city? Can a martian base realistically evolve to a martian city? And in Q&A+, thought on the LIFE mission.

00:00 Intro

00:26 [@Borg_Terraformers] Moon, Mars or ocean floors?

03:33 [@David Fries] Doing amateur astronomy in a big bright city

08:12 [@CoinPatrol] How will Japan's Phobos rover work?

09:56 [@Roderick Beck] Can a Martian city evolve out of a research base?

17:10 [@aidenweatherbee9529] Thoughts on the LIFE mission

21:52 Final thoughts

BONUS PART STARTS AT 43:53

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jiCigIHzyI8

City on Mars Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ8sZtg-Kdc

Clearly, a journey to Mars and back is the next huge leap for human space flight. We know we need new rockets, new spaceships, new technology, etc. But are the human bodies ready for that? Can humans pull it off? Finding out in this interview.

🟣 Guest: Mark Shelhamer, ScD
https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/
https://www.jhuhsl.space/

Are We Ready for Mars? https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/54095/are-we-ready-mars

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:52 SciFi vs reality for space travel

00:08:18 Dangers of going to Mars

00:13:02 Mitigation strategies

00:24:33 Beyond the magnetosphere

00:43:53 Bonus part

00:54:33 Current obsessions

01:03:04 Final thoughts

🔵 Vote in the poll https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:46

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DIqlwbuEE4g

Which space event would I want to observe firsthand? How will artificial gravity systems work? What’s the direction for future space telescopes? And in Q&A+, how does astronomy adopt AI?

00:00 Intro

00:25 [@paigepotter4682] A space event to observe firsthand

01:55 [@TelephoneJack] How will artificial gravity systems combat the Coriolis effect?

09:06 [@caerdwynmagni] Bigger mirrors VS interferometers?

15:46 [@p0tatobiden350] How does Astronomy adopt AI?

21:20 Final thoughts

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 23:19

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube:

Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

Vera Rubin finds a new dwarf planet, while Webb sees dwarf planets colliding in another system, Valles Marineris might still be volcanically active, and Hera gets its first picture of Didymus and Dimorphus. And on Space Bites+, a planet that shouldn't have an atmosphere, but does.

Part 1: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-brief-ish-history-of-meti-part-i-early-ideas-and-experiments

Part 2: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-brief-ish-history-of-meti-part-ii-from-interplanetary-to-interstellar

00:00 Intro

00:21 Rubin’s First Dwarf Planet Candidate https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-rubin-observatory-finds-its-first-dwarf-planet-candidate

02:56 Colliding Dwarf Planets https://www.universetoday.com/articles/colliding-dwarf-planets-created-a-cats-tail-1000-astronomical-units-long

05:54 Dead Planets Orbiting a Dead Star https://www.universetoday.com/articles/dead-planets-orbiting-a-dead-star

08:54 Largest Canyon in The Solar System is Still Active https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-largest-canyon-in-the-solar-system-is-still-tectonically-active

11:23 Even More Evidence of The BetelBuddy https://www.universetoday.com/articles/betelgeuse-is-disturbed-by-its-companion-star

13:17 Vote results

13:43 NASA’s Next UV Telescope https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-new-uv-space-telescope-will-launch-in-2031

17:38 Potential Targets For The Lazuli Private Telescope https://www.universetoday.com/articles/27-exoplanet-targets-for-the-worlds-first-private-space-telescope

20:07 Hera’s Almost There https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/First_light_Hera_resolves_two_asteroids_instead_of_one

21:32 More space news https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-brief-ish-history-of-meti-part-i-early-ideas-and-experiments

23:19 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-oddbal-reflective-lava-world-is-challenging-to-understand

26:06 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 13:12

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DCUndRxFz7M

00:00 Intro

00:26 [@iancudmore9795] when do we get research on what low G does to our health as compared to micro gravity?

05:27 [@JacobBouchard] Could we use Buoyancy Tests to simulate low gravity?

07:28 [@604Nighthawk] and can humanity breed in low gravity?

08:28 [@alextruffle] Space nukes vs space lasers

12:06 [@kimbarron4239] Could you 'drop' a bomb from orbit?

13:12 [@alextruffle] What is the next upcoming best celestial event that can be seen with the naked eye?

16:59 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:25

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YLR1oYfXD3Q

Which cool telescopes are coming after Nancy Grace Roman? Is the Planet 9 data already taken and is waiting to be discovered? Do we have the supermassive black hole or does it have us? And in Q&A+, is there anything in the Universe that's static?

00:00 Intro

00:27 [@iancudmore9795] Next telescopes to be excited about

07:34 [@smkolins] Any update on Vera Rubin pics for the public?

10:39 [@darthex0] do we have a supermassive black hole in the milky way, or does it have us? 11:59 [@joeyhoser] Is planet 9 already in the Rubin data?

14:02 [@Frosty.Winnipeg] So someone with Vera Rubin gets to name it right?

16:25 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 20:35

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/B9P_8oZ4rCA

The Japanese mission is off to Phobos. Actually, there are green stars. Explaining the most mysterious cloud on Mars. Euclid discovers a comet. And in Space Bites+, how the shrinking Moon could be a danger for astronauts.

00:00 Intro

00:17 MMX Goes to Mars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/jaxas-martian-moons-exploration-mission-is-on-its-way-to-mars-and-phobos

03:09 Self-Interacting Dark Matter https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-distant-supercluster-of-galaxies-points-to-self-interacting-dark-matter

06:25 Actually, there are Green Stars https://warwick.ac.uk/news/pressreleases/astronomers-reveal-true-colours-of-white-dwarf-stars/

08:08 Mars’s Most Mysterious Cloud https://www.universetoday.com/articles/marss-most-mysterious-cloud-might-be-defying-textbook-cloud-physics

10:06 Euclid Discovers a Comet https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-esas-euclid-space-telescope-has-discovered-a-new-comet

12:21 How the Milky Way's Disk Formed https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-stubborn-question-answered-new-research-reveals-how-the-milky-ways-disk-formed

14:40 Vote results

15:06 Microblazar Confirmed https://www.universetoday.com/articles/achievement-unlocked-microblazar-confirmed

17:39 Cool pictures https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-captures-stars-in-the-early-stages-of-life-in-a-nearby-stellar-nursery https://noirlab.edu/public/news/noirlab2625/?lang

20:35 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-moon-is-still-shrinking-as-it-cools-that-could-create-a-hazard-for-lunar-mission

23:59 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:54

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/a0t-G4LKiMU

What does "the present" mean in space? Why do we have the laws of Physics we have? Was there a rime when all the Universe was accessible? And in Q&A+, are all black holes perfect spheres?

00:00 Intro

00:25 [@idodekkers9165] Was there a time when all the universe was visible?

06:02 [@madmillion91920110] Does the 'present' actually mean anything a cosmic scale?

09:42 [@LDEKSOCH] Why these particular laws of physics?

14:54 [@georgegherghinescu] Do event horizons of fast rotating black holes have a flattened sphere shape?

17:43 Final thoughts

BONUS PART STARST AT 21:45

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sx-qjgeslfQ

A new mission that was just proposed to NASA is an extreme UV telescope that will observe hundreds of stars to find the conditions for planets with atmospheres. How exactly will it work? Finding out in this interview.

Interview with Lee Feinberg about the HWO https://youtu.be/0R3ykUkxH5M?si=DhJxA32PyHr3ypUh

Huge interview about TRAPPIST-1 system https://youtu.be/B8H4EnbKkgU?si=_mGhpuR5w2G0bCtX

🟣 Guest: Dr. Allison Youngblood https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sci/bio/allison.a.youngblood

📜 ESCAPE: a small explorer mission to study the stellar drivers of exoplanet evolution https://arxiv.org/pdf/2608.00683

00:00 Intro

02:19 M-dwarf stars and their planets

07:10 ESCAPE mission

17:27 Next steps

21:45 TESS

30:40 Current obsessions

35:46 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:22

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MhJFyC_vdtk

Why are there no binary planets? Should you buy into dark energy and dark matter? What apps are best for stargazing? And in Q&A+, why don't NASA just bring put wipers on Mars solar panels?

00:00 Intro

00:25 [@EdSceptic-y2e] Why are there no binary planets?

02:39 [@andrewczski1969] Do you buy into dark matter?

08:46 [@alcalbg] Does total dark energy increase as space expands?

10:11 [@Noonyuh] What are your favorite apps or sites for real-time maps of the sky?

15:22 [@andrewczski1969] just couldn't send along swiffers, huh?

20:00 Final thoughts

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 14:37

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Qpthhx9svK8

Do hypernovae actually exist? The science is in from the Artemis 2 mission. A second generation planet found around a white dwarf. Starship 40 finally makes it home. And Space Bites Plus, a red dwarf feasting on a brown dwarf.

🔵 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

00:00 Intro

00:17 Hypernovae May Be All Hype, No Nova https://www.universetoday.com/articles/hypernovae-may-be-all-hype-no-nova

02:19 Artemis 2 Lunar Science Report https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-preliminary-lunar-science-report-for-artemis-ii-is-out

04:00 Potential Second Generation Planet https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-detect-potential-second-generation-planet-around-dying-stellar-white-dwarf

06:45 Supernova Remnant https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-uncover-more-intriguing-detail-in-an-ancient-supernova-remnant

08:28 Vote results

08:53 Primordial Helium https://www.universetoday.com/articles/primordial-helium-further-confirms-our-understanding-of-the-big-bang

11:02 Ship 40 Made it Home

11:53 Jupiter from Juno https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-data-from-the-juno-spacecraft-reveals-that-jupiters-has-a-rippling-wavy-magnetodisk

12:54 Limb Darkening on Other Stars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-observe-the-limb-darkening-effect-on-nearby-stars

14:37 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-red-dwarf-is-taking-its-time-eating-a-brown-dwarf

17:32 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:25

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/99euKNYNKIE

Are interferometers the future of telescopes? Can we aim at stars by knowing only where they were billions of years ago? Is the Apophis asteroid still dangerous? And in Q&A+, can we just sent the SG-1 to it?

00:00 Intro

00:37 [@PerryM-vy4fe] Are Interferometers the future of space telescopes?

03:36 [@Frosty.Winnipeg] If we can see stars a billion light years away can we guesstimate where they are now?

05:29 [@PeterYannick] Where do we have to aim a laser if we want to sent a message to Alpha Centauri?

07:19 [@andrewczski1969] Apophis in 2029 can shut the WHOLE show down, no?

12:43 [@kairon156] Are there any plans on getting rock samples from Mar's moons?

14:25 [@Frosty.Winnipeg] Can’t we just send SG-1 to face Apophis?

18:20 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:14

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bmthiCOpbMQ

If SpaceX no longer want Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon, why won't NASA just buy them for themselves? What would a perfect space station look like? What is being done to improve the deep space network? And in Q&A+, finally, a Lagrange Point question.

00:00 Intro

00:27 [@kairon156] What would a perfect space station look like?

08:13 [@endigo2007] Can NASA buy the remaining Falcon 9's and operate them to send Dragon to ISS?

10:57 [@musicover5] Is there work being done to increase the bandwidth of the deep space network?

14:14 [@jamessobek196] Does the Moon jiggle L2 Lagrange points?

18:04 Final thoughts

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 17:14

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/S7Vbh0p5Vfc

Team Human https://www.teamhuman.org/

A Moon lava tube mission. Remnants of the Moon’s magnetosphere. Where are the wondering supermassive black holes. And on Space Bites+, why Mars’ ice caps are mostly dust free.

00:00 Intro

00:14 Finally, A Moon Lava Tube Mission https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasa-selects-gimli-to-search-the-marius-lunar-pit-for-a-potential-lunar-base-site

03:06 Possible lunar dynamo https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-buried-volcano-on-the-moon-hints-at-an-ancient-lunar-dynamo

06:11 Pulsar Feeding from a Companion's Stellar "Wind" https://www.universetoday.com/articles/xrism-makes-first-ever-detection-of-a-pulsar-feeding-from-a-companions-stellar-wind

07:45 Origin of Mars and Earth https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-study-shows-that-earth-and-mars-had-different-origins

10:10 Vote results 10:36 Wandering Black Holes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/wandering-black-holes-may-hold-clues-to-the-evolution-of-the-universe

12:30 Searching for black holes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/thousands-of-black-holes-could-be-lurking-in-our-backyardand-you-can-help-find-them

14:57 Hubble's 200,000th orbit https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-hubble-marks-its-200000th-orbit-by-watching-lensed-supernova

16:09 Supernova near Sag A* https://www.universetoday.com/articles/chandra-x-ray-observatory-drops-new-view-of-our-galaxys-unruly-centre

17:14 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/mars-north-pole-ice-is-far-cleaner-than-expected

18:14 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:42

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/B_h8kKdiHe8

Why do star shades look like flowers? Is Mars colonization just a Ponzi Scheme? Why would it be worth doing? And on Q&A+, should you scream into the void?

00:00 Intro

00:23 [@silasmiller4417] Why are renders of orbital star shades shaped like flower pedals?

05:37 [@illyakuryakin5024] Anyone notice no one is talking about the Ponzi scheme called "Mars Colonization" anymore?

12:13 [@illyakuryakin5024] why would it be so "amazing"?

17:42 [@Alienalloy] If I scream in the vacuum of space have I gone beyond compony health and safety procedures so already a lost cause?

20:20 Final thoughts

BONUS PART STARTS AT 25:44

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube https://youtu.be/B8xbSUstIhA

🟣 Guest: Dr. Artur Davoyan https://samueli.ucla.edu/people/artur-davoyan/

Solar sails are great. It's a propulsion method that doesn't require carrying fuel. But the need to be really big to be efficient. How do you fold them on Earth and unfold in space? What's a reliable way to do that? NASA recently awarded a NIAC grant specifically for that.

📜 Coilable Stacked Solar Sails for Very High delta-V Missions https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/coilable-stacked-solar-sails-for-very-high-delta-v-missions/

👉 All 2026 NIAC Selections https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/niac-2026-selections/

00:00 Intro

01:31 Solar sail as a propulsion method

25:44 Alternative propulsion methods

38:38 Current obsessions

44:54 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:37

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eLHeqk2Yh1Q

How bright is space? What's the best way to go under the ice on Europa? Are there new gravitational wave detectors in the works? And on Q&A+, have we actually seen black holes grow?

00:00 Intro

00:23 [@Noxelius] What's the best way to get under the ice of Europe or Enceladus?

01:46 [@jvan120] how bright is it in space?

05:16 [@luiscarneiro4123] How can we make governments invest more money in space?

09:11 [@rJaune] Are there any plans to make new Gravitational Wave detectors?

12:27 [@AproposOfWetSnow] What if Pluto got into Mercury's orbit?

14:37 [@GeraldBlakefield] Have we actually seen black holes grow?

17:39 Final thoughts

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 15:56

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/y9Iknlzbn5s

NASA is working on a new far-infrared space telescope, Starship finally makes it to orbit, a nuclear reactor for the Moon, and an exoplanet orbiting backwards. On Space Bites plus, a galaxy with a disconnected center.

00:00 Intro

00:18 New far-infrared NASA telescope coming https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-first-selection-for-a-new-class-of-mission-the-prima-far-infrared-telescope

02:11 Starship goes orbital https://www.universetoday.com/articles/spacexs-starship-rocket-does-its-job-during-first-orbital-flight

04:09 Power for the Moon https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-1000c-lunar-microreactor-could-power-the-next-era-of-moon-bases

07:28 Sub-Neptune orbiting the wrong way https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-find-a-sub-neptune-orbiting-completely-backward-around-a-red-dwarf

09:37 Vote results

10:03 Dynamic structural evolution in Chariklo’s rings https://www.universetoday.com/articles/jwst-finds-dynamic-structural-evolution-in-chariklos-rings

11:14 Finding life on Enceladus could be easier than we thought https://www.universetoday.com/articles/finding-life-on-enceladus-could-be-easier-than-we-thought-says-new-research

13:08 Getting even more from the CMB https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-new-test-looks-for-a-subtle-twist-in-ancient-light

15:56 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/diving-into-an-out-of-sync-galaxy

16:46 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:23

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BWKrIT28Uk0

We orbit the Sun, Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way, but what does the Milky Way orbit? Can we still catch up with Oumuamua? Is the Big Crunch a ruled-out theory? And in Q&A+, have we seen a phenomenon we can't yet explain?

00:00 Intro

00:26 [@jonathanchamberlain6260] What does the Milky Way orbit?

04:21 [@paulwilson1529] Could we still catch up with Oumuamua?

08:28 [@bakkos_bakkos] Is The Big Crunch a ruled out theory?

13:35 [@kamleshpatel6817] Why can't gravitational waves travel faster than light?

15:23 [@paigepotter4682] Is there an astronomical phenomenon where you think we’ve probably seen the evidence already, but haven’t realized what we’re looking at yet?

18:51 Final thoughts

BONUS PART STARTS AT 43:25

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/izP3FsO9u8o

PBS Spacetime video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OM0zTfdsPo
Professor David Kipping's channel:  @CoolWorldsLab 

We've done a lot of searching for extraterrestrial life over the years. But how good was it? Did we look hard enough or deep enough? Is it too early for conclusions? Could do a better job? If so, how? Figuring out in this interview.

🟣 Guest: Dr. Ben Zuckerman

📜 Broadband Searches for Extraterrestrial Technological Intelligence: a New Strategy To Find Nearby Alien Civilizations https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.07333

00:00 Intro

01:36 SETI

05:07 How deep did we look

24:12 What could we have done differently

36:57 Most satisfying answer to the Fermi Paradox

43:25 BONUS PART: pollution of white dwarfs

53:01 Current obsessions

57:14 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 13:56

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cdHAMQf1Fnk

When will we see the surfaces of exoplanets? What non-western telescopes should we expect? Where are all the big promised results from Vera Rubin? And in Q&A+, how to get in space journalism and is it worth it now?

00:00 Intro

00:33 [@theindianking3000] Will Roman see exoplanets better than JWST?

03:13 [@fwd79] Which non-western space telescopes are coming?

05:55 [@paulwilson1529] How packed is the asteroid belt?

07:35 [@GadZookz] Are there any calories on the Moon or Mars?

10:26 [@rilanfelnar2698] Results from Vera Rubin. When?

13:56 [@absolute-doink] Any advice for someone interested in space journalism?

20:31 Final thoughts

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 15:59

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pkZ5tjeeiS0

00:00 Intro

00:33 Superflares are on the table https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-sun-is-physically-capable-of-producing-a-superflare-according-to-a-new-study

04:10 Direct image of the youngest exoplanet ever https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-directly-image-the-youngest-exoplanet-ever

05:56 Weather report for exoplanets https://www.universetoday.com/articles/researchers-develop-a-way-to-check-the-weather-on-a-exoplanet

07:34 Zombie white dwarf https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-zombie-white-dwarf-star-is-born-again-hallelujah

08:55 More on LRDs https://www.universetoday.com/articles/little-red-dots-are-the-seeds-of-quasars-and-supermassive-black-holes

11:10 Vote results

11:35 Smashed icy moons https://www.universetoday.com/articles/smashed-icy-moons-cool-too-rapidly-to-retain-oceans

13:57 Early galaxies https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-rare-distant-clump-of-early-galaxies-reveals-ancient-cosmic-secrets

15:59 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/earths-center-of-mass-drifts-less-than-we-thought

18:47 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:04

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XukdOeLfIgQ

What does matter and antimatter annihilate into? How do we know what happened before the CMB? Is outer space dirty? And in Q&A+, initial thoughts about Seestar S50 pro.

00:00 Intro

00:48 [@SirIke49] What do matter and antimatter annihilate into?

05:00 [@nitstyles13] How do we know what happened before the CMB?

12:36 [@Wackyg6] Question from a 6 yr old. Is outer space dirty?

15:04 [@HavoJavo] Thoughts on the Seestar s50 pro

17:42 Final thoughts

BONUS PART STARTS AT 31:55

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OVcy19IcuIg

🟣 Guest: Dr. Dave Deboer

📜 The Lunar Farside Transients and Technology Telescope (LFT3) Mission https://arxiv.org/pdf/2607.25762

https://lft3.space/

A radio telescope on the far side of the Moon should become a reality very soon. How will it operate? What science will it do? Who and how will deliver it? Finding out in this interview.

00:00 Intro

01:59 Why the far side of the Moon?

08:01 Possible science

20:47 The potential survey

23:20 Getting to the Moon

31:55 Epoch of reionization

43:27 Current obsessions

46:03 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 17:28

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6utGiIvm2LE

Is combining multiple space telescopes the way to go? Can we detect ice-shell exoplanets? How feasible would a Starship space base be? And in Q&A+, why didn't CMB go past us?

00:00 Intro

00:39 [@estraume] Space telescopes flying in formation

08:53 [@goatlord51] Do we have anything that can detect ice shell exo-planets?

14:26 [@kipnielsen8752] How feasible would a starship space station be?

17:28 [@zephyr9673] Why didn't CMB go past us?

19:59 Final thoughts

BONUS PART START AT 15:19

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hCgllDUvjMk

Interview with Martin Elvis about the Moon: https://youtu.be/CvFMw-kXIzs
Astronomy Cast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZdAB_hwPeA

Maybe we won’t be living on cities on the Moon. A fresh new crater on the Moon, and it’s a biggie. Roman perfect launch adds years to its mission. Did the Sun eat a planet? And in Space Bites+, Mercury is shrinking faster than we thought.

00:00 Intro

00:42 Problems for Moon Cities https://www.universetoday.com/articles/dont-get-your-hopes-up-for-a-city-on-the-moon

03:32 New Crater https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/nasas-moon-orbiter-spots-new-once-in-century-moon-crater/

04:44 Roman Mission Already Extended https://www.universetoday.com/articles/from-10-to-22-years-the-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescopes-mission-has-just-been-extended
https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/2026/09/15/nasa-activates-romans-primary-instrument-checks-out-coronagraph/

08:34 Black Hole Hair https://www.universetoday.com/articles/if-black-holes-have-hair-we-will-see-it-in-the-ringdown-of-their-mergers

10:23 Vote results 10:45 The Sun May Have Swallowed a Planet https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-sun-may-have-swallowed-a-planet

13:17 Beauty by Webb https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-searches-for-brown-dwarfs-in-a-stunning-star-forming-region

15:19 BONUS STORY

17:40 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 09:07

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/koZUXaCXpYA

When Kepler failed, why didn't we just build another one? Do we know about all the potentially dangerous asteroids? Could one just come out of nowhere? And in Q&A+, which planets are more difficult to visit (the answer will surprise you)?

00:00 Intro

00:22 [@paulcockerill4260] Why didn't NASA build another Kepler?

05:16 [@SeanMann-o6v] Are the near earth asteroids all known?

09:07 [@davew1959] Which planets are easier to visit?

13:49 Final thoughts

BONUS PART STARTS AT 32:27

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6h5It3GnTGI

Titan Dragonfly is one of the most exciting missions in development. But it'll have its limits. For example, it won't go into caves on Titan. Which are super interesting. But this NIAC project will study a robot that should be able to go there.

🟣 Guest: Dr. Daniel Drew https://danieldrew.me/

📜 Solid-state Propulsion for Autonomous Reconnaissance of Karst (SPARK) https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/solid-state-propulsion-for-autonomous-reconnaissance-of-karst-spark/

👉 All 2026 NIAC Selections https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/niac-2026-selections/

00:00 Intro

01:31 What is karst

05:59 The NIAC project

23:28 Alternative use cases

27:48 Earth-based version

32:27 Using robots in Hawaii

39:15 Current obsessions

46:36 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 15:01

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UjOkLC6N9cY

Can someone launch a regular small telescope into space? Are Moon caves stable enough for a permanent base? What happened to the Swift rescue mission? And in Q&A+, was the asteroid belt a planet at some point?

00:00 Intro

00:41 [@Noonyuh] Could affordable consumer smart telescopes be easily retrofitted to survive in space?

05:06 [@user-kx2fc2mw5v] Are Moon caves stable enough to build in them?

08:47 [@surrender_monkey] What happened to the Swift rescue mission?

15:01 [@EdSceptic-y2e] Is the asteroid belt a destroyed planet or is it forming into a planet or neither?

18:15 Final thoughts

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 16:05

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fA75k6U2HYg

Is this a supernova ready to explode, or is it just a trick of the light. A mission to Halley’s Comet in 2060. An amazing new image from Vera Rubin. Webb fails to find an exomoon. And in Space Bites Plus, some black holes formed much faster than their galaxies. All this and more in this week’s Space Bites.

00:00 Intro

00:36 Supernova Impostor https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-unmask-a-supernova-impostor

03:10 No Exomoon https://www.universetoday.com/articles/jwst-ruled-out-finding-tiny-moons-around-an-exoplanet-thats-great-news

05:20 Possible Rendezvous With Halley's Comet In 2061 https://www.universetoday.com/articles/jwst-ruled-out-finding-tiny-moons-around-an-exoplanet-thats-great-news

07:31 Remember 3I/ATLAS? https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-revelations-about-the-origin-of-interstellar-comet-3iatlas

09:02 Largest 2-D Map of the Universe https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-desi-legacy-imaging-survey-releases-the-largest-2-d-map-of-the-universe

10:32 The 20th Data Release of the SDSS https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-20th-data-release-dr-20-of-the-sloan-digital-sky-survey-sdss-is-here

12:04 Vote results 12:28 Chang’e-7 Postponed https://www.universetoday.com/articles/china-postpones-the-change-7-mission

13:18 Firing Lasers At An Asteroid https://www.universetoday.com/articles/japans-hayabusa2-achieves-first-ever-laser-ranging-experiment-with-an-asteroid

14:28 Rubin Peers Deep Into the COSMOS Field https://www.universetoday.com/articles/rubin-observatory-peers-deep-into-the-famous-cosmos-field

16:05 Bonus Story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/some-black-holes-grow-much-faster-than-their-galaxies

18:58 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 13:32

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tdTe2acoWKc

Should SpaceX be concerned about China's reusable rocket designs? Have we ever found meteorites coming from Mercury? Why is it called the speed of light, not the speed of gravity? And in Q&A+, when should we start building a Monolith?

00:00 Intro

00:26 [@rwarren58] What would it take to image the surface of a planet at Proxima Centauri?

03:07 [@churchdiscography] Does SpaceX mind that China basically duplicated the Falcon 9 design for a reusable rocket?

07:54 [@paigepotter4682] Have we ever found anything from Mercury on Earth like we have from the Moon and Mars?

09:33 [@Mefodon] Why is the speed of light not called the speed of gravity?

13:32 [@geohondo] What should we leave behind?

17:45 Final thoughts

BONUS PART STARTS AT 33:01

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wk7ccTP9Aag

🟣 Guest: Mat Kaplan https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio

Mat Kaplan is a huge inspiration for me. We talked about the Planetary Society, his career hosting The Planetary Radio, most exciting upcoming missions, destinations we should visit and much more.

00:00 Intro

01:31 Meet Mat Kaplan

11:47 The Planetary Society

22:03 Interesting mission ideas

27:54 Which places should we explore

33:01 Science communication

48:03 Current obsessions

52:38 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 16:31

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lG_soURwfxk

Will new telescopes continue bringing up new discoveries? Why doesn't the CMB get blocked by galaxies? Where did the first stars form? And in Q&A+, the truth about Roman's mirror.

00:00 Intro

00:25 [@XxMyNameIsTAOxX] Will new telescopes bring new discoveries?

07:18 [@Zeldaborg_Galactic_Defender] Why don't galaxies block the CMB?

10:33 [@MistSoalar] Were first gen stars were born in opaque dust clouds behind CMB?

16:31 [@MistSoalar] The truth behind Roman's mirror

21:26 Final thoughts

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 18:53

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube https://youtu.be/AvoSIyuVXWM

Nancy Grace Roman has launched. Webb sees little red dots merging. Black holes make a mess when eating, there's a 10 sided feature at Saturn South Pole. And on Space Bites Plus, figuring out how a supermassive black hole got kicked out of its galaxy.

Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

00:00 Intro

00:18 Nancy Grace Roman launched https://www.universetoday.com/articles/roman-rises-five-things-to-know-about-nasas-new-space-telescope

05:28 Merging LRDs https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-find-little-red-dots-about-to-merge

08:12 Mars’ Temperature Differences https://www.universetoday.com/articles/marss-interior-is-400c-hotter-under-southern-hemisphere

10:35 Black Hole Burping https://www.universetoday.com/articles/astronomers-catch-black-hole-spewing-matter-after-feeding

12:58 Saturn’s Decagon https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-tracks-new-decagon-encircling-saturns-south-pole/

14:22 Vote results 14:55 Surprising Result in the Search for Dark Matter https://www.universetoday.com/articles/scientists-intrigued-by-a-surprising-result-in-the-search-for-dark-matter

17:45 BepiColombo Arrives at Mercury https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/BepiColombo/Latest_updates_BepiColombo_s_arrival_at_Mercury

18:53 Bonus Story. Runaway SMBHs https://www.universetoday.com/articles/physicists-determine-cause-of-runaway-supermassive-black-hole

21:28 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:06

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TvXlCBcnOgc

How much stuff falls on the Moon every day? What if Von Neumann probes had AI? How did studying the Universe change my world views? And in Q&A+, should I grind my own telescope mirror?

00:00 Intro

00:23 [@BMichaelNeal] If Von Neumann probes had independent AI, would they be Von Neumann probes?

04:24 [@christiandesalliers] The meteorite problem for a future moon base

09:06 [@paigepotter4682] Has studying the universe changed any of my personal philosophies or values? How?

14:06 [@sciencecompliance235] Do I have plans to grind my own telescope mirror?

17:53 Final thoughts

BONUS PART STARTS AT 24:48

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0RvsOFWZFtw

There soon will be tens of thousands of satellites in orbit. Possibly, even millions. Does it mean that ground-based Astronomy is a lost cause? How can we make it work? Also, how is New Horizons doing?

🟣 Guest: Dr. Alan Stern https://alanstern.space/

New Horizons: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/new-horizons/

LUCY: https://lucy.swri.edu/

00:00 Intro

00:57 How's New Horizons doing

02:17 Next target

08:43 More science for New Horizons

11:07 Possible follow-up missions

13:18 Funding issues

19:05 New Horizons continues to do science

23:48 LUCY mission

30:00 Mega-constellations vs ground-based astronomy

46:06 Current obsessions

50:38 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 11:23

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1E7v7lv0U-o

Can you DYI a binocular telescope at home? Which binoculars should you get for stargazing? How many supernovae it took to create the Solar System? And in Q&A+ what happens is the Voyagers come back?

00:00 Intro

00:25 [@evandotpro] Does it make sense to DIY a binocular telescope?

03:30 [@JackRay-1] What magnification level and lens size would be good for binoculars used to stargaze?

08:24 [@szolosiseb773] How many stars went supernova before the formation of our current Solar System?

11:23 [@OneOfAMineRocks] What Happens When We See Voyager Coming Back From The Other Direction?

17:30 Final thoughts

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 25:06

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8eMctTM-dug

Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

My sister's website: https://haislacollins.com/

Japan’s Phobos mission is almost ready to launch and so is Roman, NASA needs help re-inventing the wheel, why Earth is inevitable, and on Space Bites+, melting diamonds to learn more about ice giant interiors. All this and more in this week’s Space Bites.

00:00 Intro

00:17 MMX Is Ready

03:18 Possible Origin of Deimos https://www.universetoday.com/articles/marss-funky-moon-deimos-was-shaped-by-an-impact

05:36 Phobos Transit https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/perseverance-captures-another-phobos-transit/

07:09 Starship aboard https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:255286

08:40 SpaceX's $100B expansion plan https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/spacex-intends-to-invest-up-to-100-billion-in-massive-louisiana-spaceport/

10:30 Reinventing the Wheel for NASA https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/johnson/nasa-challenge-tests-wheel-designs-for-moon-base-mobility/

13:20 Skyfall Drones https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-skyfall-mars-helicopters-will-feature-a-revolutionary-antenna-design

16:45 More Leads for Dark Matter https://www.universetoday.com/articles/a-distant-stream-of-stars-may-offer-new-clues-to-dark-matter

18:56 Vote results

19:34 Earth is inevitable https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-solar-system-models-show-earth-is-no-fluke

21:33 Roman's ready to launch

23:23 New image of Betelgeuse https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/audiences/alma-reveals-long-lived-hotspots-on-betelgeuses-bubbling-surface/

25:06 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/scientists-melted-a-diamond-and-cracked-a-secret-of-ice-giants

27:08 More space news

27:56 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:37

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2gtlfvI9JJ0

How much of the Universe's life has already passed? Is the Universe spinning? How do binary planets work? And in Q&A+, does solar wind influence the orbits of planets?

00:00 Intro

00:24 [@adamredwine774] What percent of the Universe's total lifetime have already passed?

05:41 [@DamingoFlave] Do you think that Deja Vu and Dreams could be glimpses into our multiverse versions of our lives we live?

07:45 [@ragetail3] Is the idea of adding a slingshot connected to earth for slinging rockets in to space a realistic idea?

12:26 [@HudsonAnsley] How do binary planets work??

14:37 [@danielguite3914] Do solar winds influence planet orbits?

17:23 Final thoughts

BONUS PART STARTS AT 20:51

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QD5sJ636wxM

More interviews: https://www.patreon.com/collection/44300/

🟣 Guest: Dr. Sanjoy Som https://www.bluemarblespace.org/

📜 Multistage Rocket Optimization, Geophysics, and the Spacefaring Envelope of Habitable Super-Earths https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.02691

Rockets fight against gravity to help us as a civilization escape into space. But what if a planet is much heavier? How big and dense does it need to get before a civilization gets permanently trapped and can't go to space?

00:00 Intro

01:16 Escaping the gravity well

06:53 Limiting factors

09:47 Rockets

15:18 Can a civilizations get trapped

20:51 Geology-driven civilization

32:54 Current obsessions

39:11 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 21:21

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xrMsuZTdfAM

Couldn’t we use the entire moon as a data center? Does the vastness of space ever scare me? Do solar systems have Lagrange points? And in Q&A+, will we ever get to a Jetsons reality?

00:00 Intro

00:23 [@rwarren58] Couldn’t we use the entire moon as a data center?

03:58 [@jonathanchamberlain6260] Is the vastness of space and the unknown nature ever unnerving for you. I love space content but sometimes it gives me major anxiety.

11:16 [@ashstar42] How do you stay motivated when the world seems to be turning its back on progress?

20:04 [@DamingoFlave] Do Solar Systems have Lagrange points?

21:21 [@Stanton415] How quickly do you believe the robots will be able to give us Jetsons reality?

25:04 Final thoughts

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 26:33

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ccPtQeURDzM

🔵 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

Interview with Vasiliy Kokorev about Little Red Dots https://youtu.be/zoHtCmCbcEU
Interview with Nobel Prize Winner Adam Riess about JWST https://youtu.be/hmJOz9qCk0M
Interview with Lee Feinberg about HWO and LIFE Telescopes https://youtu.be/0R3ykUkxH5M

We have more pictures of the Falcon 9 crater on the moon. Starship arrives at port after landing in the ocean. The Link mission to save Swift has failed. Another reusable Chinese rocket lands. And in Space Bites Plus, a really clever way to redirect an asteroid with a nuclear weapon.

00:00 Intro

00:37 The Falcon Crater https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/nasas-lro-images-falcon-9-crater-on-moon-learns-new-details/

03:08 Starship Arrives to a Port https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/its-christmastime-at-spacex-as-company-salvages-starship-from-indian-ocean/

05:33 Mars' Field of Polygons https://www.universetoday.com/articles/mars-curiosity-rover-discovers-massive-field-of-polygons

07:41 Link Failed. Swift Will Die Soon https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-updates-next-steps-for-commercial-swift-boost-mission/

08:59 China Lands A Rocket (Again) https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/the-floodgates-are-open-after-another-chinese-company-lands-a-reusable-rocket/

10:41 Fastest Star In The Milky Way https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-fastest-star-in-the-milky-way-will-test-relativity

13:21 LRD = Black Hole Star? https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-jwst-little-red-dots-could-be-black-hole-stars

15:47 Early Galaxies Are Bigger Than We Thought https://www.universetoday.com/articles/whoa-the-jwsts-ancient-galaxies-are-much-more-massive-than-thought

17:56 Three Supermassive Black Holes https://www.universetoday.com/articles/another-first-for-the-jwst-it-detects-three-supermassive-black-holes-in-the-same-galaxy

19:20 JWST Looks at Callisto https://www.universetoday.com/articles/jwst-peeks-at-callistos-ancient-scars

20:49 Vote results

21:45 Star Formation is Slowing Down in the Andromeda Galaxy https://www.universetoday.com/articles/hubble-reveals-that-star-formation-is-slowing-down-in-the-andromeda-galaxy

23:35 Helix Nebula https://www.universetoday.com/articles/mothra-shows-us-a-star-being-recycled-in-the-helix-nebula

24:38 Carina Nebula https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-captures-the-treasure-chest-at-the-heart-of-the-carina-nebula

25:49 Lion Nebula https://www.universetoday.com/articles/webb-captures-clearest-image-yet-of-the-lion-nebula

26:33 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nuking-an-asteroid-on-short-notice-could-save-us

30:31 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 14:13

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aX16AFy_Y9Q

Do we go through same places in the Milky Way every rotation? How should we celebrate the first contact? Will artificial magnetosphere help creating an atmosphere on Mars? And in Q&A+, how much does YouTube really pay for views.

00:00 Intro

00:27 [@JamesMcIntosh-r7j] Will an artificial magnetosphere help retain Mars' atmosphere?

03:36 [@1000dots] Wouldn't that cut off heat and light from the sun too?

04:20 [@emilianolaneri] Does the Earth always follow the same path through on the milky way?

07:07 [@sciencecompliance235] How should we celebrate the first contact?

11:16 [@drewd2] How old is the Universe if you include pre-big bang?

14:13 [@JohnnyApplleseed] How much does 3M views pay?

15:55 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 12:48

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/R8_XwBxWsn0

How dangerous would a massive solar storm be for future Moon and Mars bases? Can more exoplanet discoveries stimulate more funding? What’s the ultimate fate of galaxy clusters? And in Q&A+, would I go on a Moon voyage?

00:00 Intro

00:27 [@slowboyfuelpump5438] how devastating would a Kerrington event be to our plans for the Moon and Mars?

03:07 [@thomasstarkey8238] If we had more Earth 2.0 candidates, would governments increase astronomy funding?

05:28 [@ragetail3] @frasercain when they say the farthest galaxy we can see is 13 billion light years away, and they say it is basically right after the big bang. What would Earth 4 billion years ago have seen there?

08:18 [@MikeKalil-e4f] How did we get here before the light reached us here?

10:11 [@OneOfAMineRocks] What does dark energy imply for the gravity-bound galaxies?

12:48 [@iliketurtles7947] Would I be willing to live on a lunar base for some years?

16:49 Upcoming Nancy Grace Roman launch

BONUS STORY STARTS AT 17:16

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9XGHRoVJgYA

🔵 Vote for the best story here: https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

How can there be auroras on Mars? More bad news for the exploration of Europa. Watching Pluto's atmosphere. And on Space Bites Plus, could planets form right after the Big Bang?

00:00 Intro

00:17 Auroras on Mars https://www.universetoday.com/articles/nasas-maven-illuminates-new-understanding-of-auroras-at-mars

03:07 More Bad News for Europa Exploration https://www.universetoday.com/articles/europas-interior-ocean-may-harbor-life-but-could-be-hard-to-reach-says-new-research

05:46 Watching Pluto’s Atmosphere https://www.universetoday.com/articles/scientists-watch-as-a-distant-worlds-atmosphere-shrinks-and-thins

08:14 Identifying Quasars with Machine Learning https://www.universetoday.com/articles/seven-needles-800000-haystacks

10:05 First “AI-Driven” Telescope https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-telescope-that-points-itself

11:55 Vote results https://www.youtube.com/@frasercain/posts

12:41 China’s Rocket Exploded in Flight https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/one-of-chinas-workhorse-rockets-just-exploded-in-flight/

13:41 Moonquakes to Locate Lunar Ice https://www.universetoday.com/articles/how-to-find-lunar-ice-moonquakes-to-the-rescue

15:40 More Good News for Swift https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift/2026/08/11/nasa-swift-boost-spacecraft-prepares-to-continue-mission/

17:16 Bonus story https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-ingredients-for-planets-turned-up-astonishingly-early

19:58 Solar eclipse 2026 and the Perseids

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 11:15

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vMgKQDzRzUE

My Top-100 movie list: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday/posts/my-top-100-space-153930141

Which are we more likely to find, alien megastructures or alien microbes? Why is the US racing racing China to the Moon? Will mining the asteroid belt ever become a reality? And in Q&A+, will we ever make a mega-cut video again?

00:00 Intro

00:28 [@paigepotter4682] Are we closer to discovering alien microbes or alien megastructures?

03:09 [@MelindaGreen] Why is the US even racing China to the moon?

06:05 [@darthex0] Is a space station cheaper if communists do it?

07:03 [@bladesolar1] Will mining at the asteroid belt ever be a reality?

10:23 [@goatlord51] If an amateur uses the Vera Rubin data to find planet nine do they get to name it?

11:15 [@melantorja] Will there be a Lagrange point questions mega-cut?

14:57 Final thoughts

BONUS PART STARTS AT 21:56

Watch here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VqBVL2vwh04

🟣 Guest: Dr. Mike Rubenstein

📜 Actively Steerable Femtosat Constellations for In-situ Exploration of Saturn’s Rings, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/actively-steerable-femtosat-constellations-for-in-situ-exploration-of-saturns-rings-atmosphere-and-magnetosphere/

👉 All 2026 NIAC Selections https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/niac/niac-studies/niac-2026-selections/

Saturn's rings are dense. Sending one flagship probe through them makes no sense. It'll most probably be lost. But sending a swarm of small cheap probes does. Even if a lot of them won't survive, you're still getting lots of data. This is exactly what this NIAC project is proposing.

00:00 Intro

01:22 Observing Saturn's rings

05:21 A swarm of satellites

21:56 Invisible drones

29:33 Current obsessions

31:12 Final thoughts

BONUS QUESTION STARTS AT 12:37

Watch the video here (with no ads) or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/N2INt2XOCp0

My Top-100 movie list: https://www.patreon.com/universetoday/posts/my-top-100-space-153930141

If white holes exist, could we ever see one? Do SETI researches have access to Vera Rubin? Which is the best way for the Universe to end? And in Q&A+, will the Earth eventually become tidally locked to the Sun?

00:00 Intro

00:25 [@festerallday] if a civilization isn't detected by SETI did it even exist?

02:20 [@tommix6016] If White Holes were to exist, would they be detectable?

03:49 [@vistotutti6037] Does SETI have access to the Vera Rubin data stream?

06:26 [@setaihedron] So we are going to trust that the most corrupt government in modern history is honest about what it is filtering from the data?

09:00 [@MelindaGreen] How would I prefer the Universe end?

12:37 [@paulwilson1529] Will the Earth become tidally lock to the Sun?

14:56 Final thoughts