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 at a colossal 33 solar masses and residing a mere 2,000 light-years away in the constellation Aquila, BH3 redefines our understanding of stellar remnants and the mysterious dance of gravity and mass ..read more

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 universe meet a chilling big freeze, or will dark energy's relentless acceleration lead to a catastrophic big rip? With precision better than 1%, DESI's data is painting a complex picture of our cosmic ..read more

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 a story more intertwined with their luminous kin than previously thought.  Next, we peer into the future, where the clock is ticking down to an explosive cosmic event. Astronomers eagerly anticip ..read more

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, offering tantalizing clues about the elusive mass gap and challenging our understanding of stellar evolution. Next, we explore the cannibalistic tendencies of stars as a new study reveals that stars oft ..read more

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 manned flight of Boeing’s long troubled CST-100 Starliner.  The flight to the International Space Station was originally slated for this month. *Space junk slams into a Florida home NASA says ..read more

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 manned flight of Boeing’s long troubled CST-100 Starliner.  The flight to the International Space Station was originally slated for this month. *Space junk slams into a Florida home NASA says ..read more

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 --- the lunar terrain vehicle or LTV. *The largest digital camera ever built for astronomy After two decades of work, scientists and engineers at the US Department of Energy's Stanford Linear Accelerator ..read more

This episode is brought to you by NordPass...the password manager (and more) that you need in your life for not very much money. To get the deal, visit www.nordpass.com/stuart The Space, Astronomy & Science Podcast. SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 42 *Water's Persistent Presence in Mars' Gale Crater Mars' Gale Crater may have harbored water far longer than scientists previously believed, challenging our timeline of the Red Planet's arid transformation. New evidence from NASA's Curiosity rover, detailed in the journal Geology, suggests that underground water may have been present in the crater ..read more

The Space, Astronomy & Science Podcast. SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 41 *The Scandinavian Connection: Born from Greenland's Ancient Crust In a groundbreaking geological study, scientists have traced the oldest Scandinavian bedrock back to its origins in Greenland, revealing a continental connection dating back 3.75 billion years. Published in the journal Geology, this research uncovers a hidden chapter of Earth's crust beneath Denmark and Scandinavia, suggesting a tectonic detachment from Greenland that predates previous estimates by a quarter of a billion years. The discovery, locked withi ..read more

The Space, Astronomy & Science Podcast. SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 40 *Magnetic Mysteries at the Milky Way's Heart The Event Horizon Telescope has revealed organized magnetic fields swirling at the periphery of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way's core. In a groundbreaking observation, astronomers have captured these fields in polarized light, finding remarkable similarities to the black hole in galaxy M87. This discovery suggests that strong magnetic fields could be a universal trait among black holes, influencing how they interact with their surrounding matter ..read more