Dyson Spheres and a Molten Planet

Dyson Spheres and a Molten Planet

Author: Joshua Colwell, Adrienne Dove, and James Cooney May 15, 2024 Duration: 42:39

The Astroquarks delve into the possibility of giant alien constructs around stars, and the strange weather on a planet that is unreasonably close to its star. Join us for space news, trivia, and a fun exploration of odd topics in astronomy on Walkabout the Galaxy.


Ever wondered what it would be like to grab a coffee with a few planetary scientists who can’t help but find the humor in the cosmos? That’s the feeling you get with Walkabout the Galaxy. Hosted by Joshua Colwell, Adrienne Dove, and James Cooney, this isn’t a dry lecture from a distant lecture hall. Instead, it’s a lively, often funny conversation that feels like you’re right there with them, unpacking the universe’s latest headlines. Each episode digs into the newest and most fascinating discoveries in astronomy and space science, but the approach is grounded and genuinely curious. You’ll hear the hosts’ real excitement and occasional friendly debates as they translate complex ideas from recent papers or major missions into stories anyone can connect with. The tone is naturally irreverent, which makes the science stick, and their camaraderie turns each discussion into an engaging journey. Tuning into this podcast means getting a front-row seat to a casual yet deeply informative chat about everything from quirky asteroids to the profound mysteries of distant galaxies, all delivered with a warmth that reminds you why looking up at the stars is so compelling in the first place. It’s a perfect blend of solid science and natural comedy, making the vastness of space feel a little more like home.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Walkabout the Galaxy
Podcast Episodes
Lunar Caves for Future Habitation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:42
In this light episode of Walkabout the Galaxy, Josh and Audrey discuss the first confirmation of open spaces in lava tubes connected to lunar pits on the Moon. 200 lunar pits have been observed on the Moon, and now scien…
Dark Matter, Deuterons, and a Mixed-Up Protoplanetary Disk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:38
You'll be amazed at how much we can learn from iron meteorites. Who would have guessed that analysis of the compositions of these humble metallic remnants of asteroids would be able to tell us about the shape of the prot…
Cygnus X-3 and a Naked-Eye Nova [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:52
The clock is ticking on T Coronae Borealis which seems primed to undergo a nova explosion this summer. That will make this otherwise faint star as bright as Polaris thanks to a burst of nuclear fusion reactions on the ex…
Primordial Black Holes Make the Galaxy Go 'Round [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:44
We take a look at some Beta Pic Disk shots before journeying back to the earliest era of the universe and the possible formation of primordial black holes. Some of these may have been only the size of an atom and would h…
Full Circle to the Origins of Carbon and Exotic Gravity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:18
The Astroquarks celebrate their 360th episode with discoveries showing carbon much earlier in the universe than previously thought possible, and an exotic new proposal as an alternative to dark matter. Plus, we have radi…
Volcanic Activity on Venus RIGHT NOW! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:43
There is a mountain - or should we say a volcano - of evidence, building that suggests volcanic activity on Venus during the time of the Magellan mission in the 1990s. We'll dig into that, struggle to get our script righ…
Watery Erigone and Rogue Stars in the Milky Way [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:18
New observations of Erigone, the parent body of an asteroid family, indicate its rocks are juicy with water. That makes it both a potential resource for future missions but also shows that asteroids may have played a big…
The Low Down on Big G and the Young Moon of Dinkinesh [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:19
NASA's Lucy mission discovered a surprising moon of the small asteroid Dinkinesh on its way to the orbit of Jupiter. New studies of that moon, a contact binary, suggest it may have a surprisingly young age. Meanwhile, co…
Dark Matter Wins Again [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:48
A clever test of dark matter and an alternative theory of gravity to explain the motions of stars around galaxies results in another check in the win column for dark matter. Simulations with the modified model of gravity…
Surprises from Bennu and the Milky Way [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:16
Analysis of the samples returned from the asteroid Bennu have revealed surprising assemblages of minerals that put new constraints on the origin of the solar system. And once Top Quark Jim Cooney stops giggling, he tells…