Astrophiz Podcasts

Ever wonder why that "dancing" Mother’s Day solar storm of May 2024 looked so different in photos than it did to the naked eye? 🌌 🔗 Full Transcript & Show Notes: https://astrophiz.com/2026/04/15/episode-232-maria-theresia-walach/ In this episode of Astrophiz, Dr. Maria-Theresia Walach—a leading space plasma physicist and researcher at Lancaster University—deconstructs the complex physics of the auroral oval with remarkable clarity. We go behind the lens to uncover the secrets of the colours we see, from dominant oxygen green to rarer nitrogen-induced magenta curtains. As we pass the peak of the Sun’s 11-year cycle, Maria-Theresia explains the vital role of magnetometers in forecasting and the fascinating biological reasons why digital sensors often "see" what our own eyes miss. In this episode, we explore: Space Weather Secrets: The science behind the massive May 2024 geomagnetic storm. The SMILE Mission: An inside look at the upcoming Solar Wind Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Link Explorer (a joint ESA and Chinese Academy of Sciences project). Big Data in Space: Navigating the challenges of ionospheric convection research. The Human Element: Why diversity and curiosity are the true engines of modern astrophysics. Connect with the show: Web: https://astrophiz.com BlueSky: https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/astrophiz.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astrophiz

Will we see a "Headless Comet" this month? ☄️ Join Brendan O’Brien and Dr. Ian Musgrave for the April 2026 SkyGuide as we track the rare C/2026 A1 MASS Comet and a spectacular Morning Planet Parade. In this episode, you’ll discover: The "Planet Dance": How to spot Mercury, Mars, and Saturn clustering in the morning twilight. Double Comet Watch: Updates on C/2026 A1 and C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS)—will they survive perihelion? Deep Sky Targets: Finding the "Sickle of Leo" and the blue-white star Regulus. Lunar Events: When to catch the "Lunar X" and "Lunar A" on the moon’s surface. Viewing Tips: Why the April 5th end of Daylight Saving is your best friend for early stargazing. Links & Resources: Full Transcript & Imagery: astrophiz.com Detailed Star Charts: Visit Ian’s Astroblog Subscribe: Never miss an episode—follow us on SoundCloud, Youtube podcasts, Audible podcasts, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Connect with Astrophiz: https://astrophiz.com/2026/03/31/astrophiz-231-april-2026-skyguide-two-rare-comets-and-the-morning-planet-dance/ Produced on Yorta Yorta, Pangarang, and Kaurna country. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land and the first astronomers of Australia. Host: Brendan O’Brien: Astronomers, Astrophysicists & Space Scientists. Guest: Dr. Ian ‘Astroblog’ Musgrave. #Astronomy #SkyGuide #Comet #Space #Stargazing #SciencePodcast #PlanetParade #STEM

How do we "autopsy" a galaxy from billions of light-years away? Join world-renowned astrophysicist Dr. Elisabete da Cunha as she sits down with Astrophiz host Brendan O’Brien to explore the life, evolution, and eventual "death" of the most massive structures in the universe. From her early inspirations under the stars of Portugal to her groundbreaking work in Extragalactic Astronomy, Elisabete shares her personal journey and the high-tech tools used to decode Starlight, Cosmic Dust, and Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs). In this episode, we dive into: Galaxy Evolution: How star systems grow and transform over billions of years. Radio Astronomy: Using invisible light to peer into the deep universe. Stellar Populations: What the chemistry of stars tells us about the history of space. Cosmology & Dark Matter: The invisible forces shaping our galactic neighborhood. Whether you are a student of astrophysics or a casual stargazer, this conversation offers a unique, charming, and deeply insightful window into the forensic evidence of our universe. Read the full transcript and see the show notes at: https://astrophiz.com/2026/03/18/galaxy-forensics-with-dr-elisabete-da-cunha-astrophiz-230/ Subscribe to Astrophiz for your monthly dose of space science, telescope technology, and expert interviews.

Welcome to the Astrophiz March SkyGuide, where Ian tells us about the Total Lunar Eclipse and all the observation and astrophotography tips that go with it. Also you get highl;ights of the morning and evening skies and how to find the Variable star, Mira.

A fantastic interview with an amazing pulsar astrophysicist who is unravelling the secrets of misbehaving pulsars using his phenomenal coding skills. Subscribe and/or Listen here... or read the transcript on Astrophiz.com

Dr. Ian ‘Astroblog’ Musgrave give us 'February' in his monthly SkyGuide series. This month you get moon phases, the Beehive Cluster, nicve planetary action, Lunar X, the Pleiades and the Southern Pleiades. Our audio files and transcripts are available on our website at AstrophizDOTcom, And our MP3 files can be freely streamed or downloaded to your favourite device from our SoundCloud channel, our free Amazon Audible stream, YouTube podcasts, Podbean, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Dr Laura Hayes’ research focuses on solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and space weather—phenomena that can disrupt satellites, communications, power grids, and create auroras. Using data from ESA’s Solar Orbiter mission, she studies how magnetic energy is stored and explosively released in the Sun’s atmosphere, why some flares produce CMEs, and how tiny, fast-evolving structures may drive flare energy release and coronal heating. Laura highlights the collaborative nature of solar physics, the importance of mentors and community, and the challenges facing early-career researchers. Hayes is also passionate about public outreach, emphasising the value of sharing publicly funded science and inspiring future scientists during what she calls a “golden age” of solar research. Dr Laura Hayes, an eminent Irish solar physicist and research fellow at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, discusses her career path, scientific motivations, and cutting-edge research on our closest star. Growing up in coastal Ireland, Laura developed an early love of maths and physics driven by curiosity and problem-solving rather than a clear plan to become an astrophysicist. University research opportunities led her into solar physics, followed by a PhD at Trinity College Dublin and international postdoctoral work in the US and Europe. FULL TRANSCRIPT: Dr Laura Hayes interview at Astrophiz.com FULL TRANSCRIPT: Dr Laura Hayes interview at Astrophiz.com

Today’s episode features Dylan Grigg, a fabulous PhD from Perth in Western Australia. Dylan has been doing amazing work that impacts on the effectiveness of every radio telescope and array on the planet. He has revealed the presence of unintended radio frequencies leaking from the tens of thousands of low earth orbit satellites above us , and these leaking frequencies have the potential to drown out the very faintest of frequencies that tell us what was happening at the very dawn of time. Heads up … Astrophiz always takes a festive season holiday over December and January, but before we take a break, we’ll be bringing you a fabulous interview with a wonderful Irish Solar physicist, Dr Laura Hayes ..,. coming vey soon … stay tuned.

Our MP3 files can be freely streamed or downloaded free to your favorite device from our SoundCloud channel, from Pocketcasts, Spotify, our free Amazon Audible stream, YouTube podcasts and Apple Podcasts. Listen: Viewing Highlights Both morning & Evening skies are good for planets Evening Skies: Mars is very low in NW skies setting about an hour after sunset. Mercury is above Mars also down in the Sun’s glare. Mercury and Mars are 1° apart on 13 November Saturn is high in the NE, the rings are almost edge on, but becoming more obvious over the next few years until they reach maximum tilt again in 2032. Uranus, high near Pleiades, binocular viewing. Morning Skies: Jupiter (and its 4 Galilean moons) is always beautiful to look at, and can be seen for about 4 hours from about 2am till sunrise Comets: C/2023 R2 Swann – currently in Aquarius, fading, about Mag 5.6, high in evening skies, binoculars C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) – Magnitude 4, near horizon, so difficult. Leonid Meteor shower will be quite poor this year, despite the absence of the moon ☹ Astrophotography Challenge 1. Take photos of the moon at apogee and at perigee using the same camera settings to measure the difference in the moon’s apparent size when it is at its closest and furthest from earth 2. Capture the Lunar X Ian’s Tangent Comet Atlas is being misrepresented by ‘conspiracy theorists’ on social media who claim, without a shred of evidence, that Comet Atlas is an “Interstellar Spacecraft reversing its thrust” There is a long history of comets inducing panic and fear in humans. Sad. Next Episode: Our next episode, coming as soon as I finish the edit … features Dylan Grigg, a fabulous PhD from Perth in Western Australia. Dylan has been doing amazing work that impacts on the effectiveness of every radio telescope on the planet. He has revealed the presence of unintended radio frequencies leaking from the tens of thousands of low earth orbit satellites above us , and these leaking frequencies are threatening to drown out the very faintest of frequencies that tell us what was happening at the very dawn of time. This is important work, and it was great to speak with Dylan. You’ll enjoy his stories! See ya soon

Welcome to episode 223 of the Astrophiz podcasts. October is a fabulous month with lots of highlights for telescopers, astrophotographers, binocular and naked eye observers. We have 'The International Observe the Moon' night, the Orionid Meteor Shower and some fine planetary action. There is also a new comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) Comet C/2025 R2 (Swan) is a very recently discovered comet that is around magnitude 7 (which means it is binoculars only), but it is well placed near some very bright guide stars so it will be easy to find. Ian’s Comet R2 page shows where you can find its locations up till October 10, and there is some evidence the nucleus has split. What this means for brightness is uncertain, but it might either get brighter of disintegrate. You can find Ian’s Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) page at tinyurl-DOT-com/cometr2 < all lowercase all one word with the number 2> Comet watchers will also hunt for Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) which will be visible to the Southern Hemisphere low in the evening sky from mid-November 2025, with the best chances for viewing in the northern parts of Australia. While the comet will pass Earth in October, it remains a northern hemisphere object during that time; however, observers in the Southern Hemisphere can still catch it after sunset in mid-to-late November. and finally TCoronaBorealis still hasn’t gone nova, so keep watching it,

We are honored to meet Jenni Häkkinen, a fabulous PhD candidate from Finland who has been working with an amazing small team who have done a very big thing. They have turned science on its head with their new paper in Nature Astronomy that changes our understanding of the fate of the Andromeda Galaxy and our very own Milky Way Galaxy. Enjoy!

September Moon Phases: September 8 - Full Moon and Total eclipse of the moon around 2am for those who will be getting up very early to see it (Best viewed in WA) September 8 - Saturn close to the Full Moon (4° apart) in evening sky (also close during the Lunar eclipse in the early hours of the morning.2am central max 4am. wa has best view 2am max 3am September 10 – Moon at perigee (closest to earth) September 14 – Last Quarter Moon – Ideal for Stargazing September 22 – New Moon – ideal for Stargazing all night September 26 – Moon at apogee (furthest from earth) September 30 – 1st Quarter Moon September Highlights: Mars is still in the early evening North-Western skies. 1 September - ‘The Eyes of Clavius’ shadow effect on the moon is visible September 20 - Venus very close to Regulus in the morning twilight (0.5° apart) and close to the thin crescent Moon (4° apart). Will need binoculars and a level horizon September 17 - Jupiter near crescent moon September 22 - Earth at Equinox 29 September - ‘Luna X’ is quite visible for about 4 hours in the early evening starting on the East Coast from 6:45pm, Central States from 5:25pm and on the West Coast from 4:45pm ======================== Evening Skies: Mars is still in the early evening North-Western skies, setting around 9pm Saturn at Opposition (biggest and brightest) and very nice viewing in evening skies from now till late October. TCoronaBorealis still hasn’t gone nova, so keep watching it, ======================== Morning Skies: Uranus in the morning twilight Venus is falling in the east as the month progresses and gibbous in shape Jupiter is climbing higher in morning skies in the east ======================== Ian’s Tangent: A 3rd interstellar comet visits our system, and its tail is pointing in the wrong direction! . Arriving from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, the interstellar comet has been officially named 3I/ATLAS. And Ian introduces us to the nature of cometary ‘ices’ as revealed by spectroscopy, and the chemical/metal composition of Comet 3I/ATLAS. The comet, 3 Km in diameter, poses no threat to Earth and will remain at a distance of at least 1.6 astronomical units (about 150 million miles or 240 million km). It is currently about 4.5 au (about 416 million miles or 670 million km) from the Sun. 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest approach to the Sun around Oct. 30, at a distance of 1.4 au (about 130 million miles or 210 million km) — just inside the orbit of Mars. The interstellar comet’s size and physical properties are being investigated by astronomers around the world. 3I/ATLAS should remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September, after which it will pass too close to the Sun to observe. It is expected to reappear on the other side of the Sun by early December, allowing for renewed observations. ======================== Ian’s Astrophotography Challenge: Capture the Lunar Eclipse Top Tip: As the eclipse progresses you will need to adjust your exposure settings as the brightness of the moon changes.

Today we're bringing you a fabulous interview with an amazing astrophysicist, Dr. Emil Lenc, who works on commissioning new capabilities on telescope arrays like the ATCA, the MWA, ASKAP, and the beautiful new SKA-Low Array over in the harsh scrublands in outback Western Australia, which is part of the multi-billion dollar Square Kilometer Array He has some great stories and insights into this golden age of radio astronomy.

Astrophiz Astronomy 219 ~ Dr Ian Musgrave’s August SkyGuide & Astrophotography Challenge August Moon Phases: August 1 - 1st Quarter Moon August 2 - Moon at apogee (furthest from earth) August 9 - Full Moon August 15 - Moon at perigee (closest to earth) August 16 - Last Quarter Moon - Ideal for Stargazing August 23 - New Moon - also ideal for Stargazing August 30 - Moon at apogee again! (furthest from earth) August 31 - 1st Quarter (Blue) Moon again! 'Luna X’ is quite visible in early evening on August 1st 3 August - Occultation of 2 Scorpii and 3 Scorpio by the moon Evening Skies: Mars is fading, but obvious in the Western evening sky, setting around 9PM 3 August - Mars and Beta Virginis are extremely close (

I'm your host, Brendan O’Brien, and today we're taking a journey through the life and achievements of a truly remarkable astronomer who quite literally changed how we see the universe. Today we're enjoying examining the legacy of Dr Nancy Grace Roman, who spent over 30 years fighting, and winning, to give humanity the greatest space telescope ever built. She's the woman who literally changed how we see the universe. Her name is Nancy Grace Roman, though she's probably better known by a title that would make any scientist proud: the Mother of Hubble.

July SkyGuide: Moon Phases: July 3 - 1st Quarter Moon Note: July 4 - Earth is at aphelion (furthest) with respect to our sun July 5 - Moon at apogee (furthest from earth)) July 10 - Full Moon July 18 - Last Quarter Moon - Ideal Stargazing July 20 - Moon at perigee (closest to eart) July 25 - New Moon - also ideal Stargazing Evening Skies: Mercury is high in the early evening twilight July 3 - Mercury close to the Beehive cluster (in binoculars) Mars is getting lower in the North-west, and close to the crescent moon on 28 and 29 July. Morning Skies: Uranus (in binoculars) near to the Pleiades cluster Venus is falling back to the horizon, and is a distinct half-moon shape and is near Uranus 3-6 July Towards the end of the month, Venus comes close to Jupiter. Saturn is very high in the morning sky and near Neptune (in binoculars) TCoronaBorealis still hasn’t gone nova, so keep watching it, A new Nova V472 Lupi is now visible in the constellation Lupus, just above the constellation Scorpius, it’s quite obvious if you age a chart and binoculars (see Ian's ‘Astroblogger’ website for the chart) Occultation of Antares on July 8 (best seen in Perth) Southern Delta Aquariid Meteor shower peaks 3am in the NE five handspans west of Saturn on the morning of Sunday July 31st ( active 12 July - 23 August) Ian’s Tangent: Observing the Dark Emu and understanding how different cultures record ‘dark constellations’. Ian's Astrophotography Challenge: ‘Backyard Astrophysics’ Capturing Nova V472 Lupi, and recording how it fades over time.

10th Anniversary Special ~ The history of satellites from Sputnik 1 to mega-constellations of Satellites Swarming Our Once Quiet and Dark Skies - Dark Sky Parks are fighting back

Astrophiz 215: Dr Ian Musgrave’s June SkyGuide Summary: Mars close to thin crescent moon. Occultation of Antares behind the moon in the early evening sky. The moon comes close to some of the bright planets. … and Mars is close to the moon again at the end of the month. Moon Phases: June 3 ~ 1st Quarter Moon, and another time to catch the ‘Lunar X’ late in the night, about 11pm for Australian Eastern states. 10:30 for central states and 9pm in the West. Lunar X Tip: take an image each 1/2 hour from moonrise. June 7 ~ Apogee, furthest from earth June 11 ~ Full Moon June 19 ~ Last Quarter Moon ~ ideal for stargazing June 23 ~ Perigee, closest to earth June 25 ~ New Moon ~ ideal for stargazing June 21 ~ Solstice: shortest day in Southern Hemisphere. longest day in Northern Hemisphere Evening Skies: Jupiter is lost into the twilight Mercury returns to evening skies mid-month, on the 27th it’s 3°from the moon an hour after sunset, and will continue to be excellent until mid-July. Mars is low in the NW evening skies, and is still readily visible T Coronae Borealis is visible in late evening skies and still has not ‘Gone Nova’ so the challenge is still … to capture a Nova before and after it blows! This Nova iswell ‘overdue’ so all eyes are on it! Tuesday 10 June ~ The Occultation of Antares by the Moon is easily seen in binoculars and telescopes (for times, check Ian’s Astroblogger website) Also June is a great opportunity to see The Dark Emu in the south, the Southern Cross and the magnificent globular cluster Omega Centauri is also at it’s highest in the south. Morning Skies: Venus is furthest from the sun on 1 June, and is a half-moon shape in telescopes, and beside the crescent moon on 22 June Saturn is climbing higher in the morning sky, Scorpius is a feature in the dark morning sky in the east Saggitarius and the Heart of the Milky Way are also rising, a good opportunity to catch the Triffid and Lagoon nebulas in Saggitarius. Ian’s ’Tangent’ Ian discusses long-lived aspects of Indigenous astronomy like The Eagle, Stingray and Dark Emu, and how Western constellation names have changed over time. eg Argo was declared obsolete in 1930. Ian’s Astrophotography Challenges: 1. Capture The Occultation of Antares on June 10th (almost full moon) 2. Then on a dark night with no moon, have a go at The Dark Emu, with your mobile phone/DSLR/camera, conveniently at 8pm in the south near Scorpius, the Pointers and the Southern Cross. Tips: Use your device's highest ISO (ASA) Under urban skies, take 10 x1second exposures, and stack them using a free stacking program or app. Under dark skies, you can take longer exposures If stacking in RAW, do a ‘dark frame’ subtraction If stacking in JPEG, don’t use dark frame subtraction.

Please meet Dr Anya Nugent … she is amazing … and she has some beautiful stories for us … let’s hear all about unbelievably powerful Gamma Ray bursts and their host galaxies from an amazing Harvard and Smithsonian astrophysicist who uses incredible observatories like CHANDRA, XMM-Newton, ALMA, CHIME, MEERKAT, the VLA and even our old friend Hubble … to reveal new understandings of how our universe works.

May Moon Phases: May 4 ~1st Quarter May 11 ~ Moon at Apogee May 13 ~ Full Moon May 20 ~ Last Quarter Great for star gazing May 26 ~ Moon at Perigee May 27 ~ New Moon Great for star gazing What’s Up in May? Planets: Evening Skies Jupiter is difficult to see this month Mars is visible, and nice to see just an hour after sunset Uranus will return in a couple of months Most of the planetary action is in the morning sky, Mercury Saturn and Venus are the standouts, but Mercury is lost in the twilight by mid month, returning to evening skies in June. May 2  ~ Asteroid Vesta (almost a dwarf planet) is at opposition (closest to earth) May 8 ~ Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower should be pretty good this year (debris from Halley’s Comet) Great meteor spotting tips in the audio Will TCrB go Nova this month? Keep watching Ian recommends VESTA watching with naked eye under dark skies, in Binocs & ’scopes in the ‘Burbs. See his Astroblog, the Astrophiz FB page or Southern Skywatch for photos and easy finder charts Ian’s Tangent: The Clouds of Mars. Ian tells us how earth's clouds were named, and about the clouds on other planets Websites to visit: * https://cloudatlas.wmo-DOT-int/en/home.html * https://europlanet-society-DOT-org/cloud-atlas-of-mars-showcases-array-of-atmospheric-phenomena/ ( * copy & paste, then replace the DOT with an actual dot) Ian’s Astrophotography Challenge: Capture asteroid VESTA on your phone or camera. Great tips in the audio _______________________________ Next Up on Astrophiz: In two weeks were zooming over 14 timezones to speak with Dr Anya Nugent who is an enthusiastically awesome astrophysicist who does exciting research into some of the most powerful phenomena in our universe.  You’ll love her stories about how she uses some of the world's most powerful optical and near-infrared observatories to hunt down the host galaxies of supernovae, kilonovae, and gamma-ray bursts to understand their unique origins … see you in two weeks