Meteorites and "Wrongs" This episode of Starcast, recorded on the anniversary of the first known person to be injured by a falling meteorite, covers an active space weather forecast featuring Sunspot 4294, news of a supermoon and the Geminids, and a deep dive into how to distinguish actual meteorites from "meteor-wrongs" using four key tests and the work of the New Mexico Meteor Array…

Hubble Tension This week's Starcast dives into the Hubble Tension, exploring how conflicting measurements of the universe's expansion rate—one from the early cosmos and one from the local universe—challenge the standard model of cosmology and hint at new physics. Episode Links:

We've Got Green! (Northern Lights) The Starcast for the week of November 16, 2025, covers the past week's spectacular geomagnetic storm and aurora display, the upcoming Leonid meteor shower peak, and the successful launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket on the Escapade mission to Mars. Episode Links: Mike's Time-Lapse: Jay's Time-Lapse:      

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Dark Energy This week's Starcast dives deep into groundbreaking research suggesting the universe's expansion is actually slowing down, prompting a major reconsideration of the nature and evolution of dark energy away from the standard cosmological model. Episode Links:

Dark Mass Mike and Jay discuss recent astronomical observations, including the departure of Comet 3I/Atlas and Taurid meteor activity, before diving into a detailed overview of dark matter, its historical discovery, observational evidence through gravity, and its inferred distribution in the universe as a cosmic web. Episode Links: Taurid threat: Dark Matter:

Candle Stars The podcast episode discusses how the pioneering work of Henrietta Swan Leavitt on Cepheid variables—giant pulsating stars whose period of pulsation directly relates to their true luminosity—provided the first reliable standard candle for astronomers like Edwin Hubble to measure vast cosmic distances and understand the expansion of the universe.

Wayback Machine This week Mike and Jay discuss a new study about the early, warmer-than-expected universe, which leads to a deep dive into the properties of cosmic microwave background radiation and listening to the Big Bang. Also, a launch of Kuiper satellites, and an update on space weather and the night sky.

KEEP IT REAL! Mike and Jay discuss the profound importance of direct observation in astronomy. The hosts share personal anecdotes, emphasizing how witnessing phenomena like the Orion Nebula or space launches firsthand provides an undeniable, grounding connection to the reality of the universe. The episode also explores the week's celestial events, including a Super Harvest Moon and a close asteroid flyby. Episode Links: NMPBS ¡COLORES!: Thomas Ashcraft

This episode of StarCast discusses the intersection of astronomy and wildlife, revealing how migrating birds, sea turtles, and even dung beetles use stellar navigation—like the North Star and the Milky Way—to find their way at night. The hosts also cover current space weather, celestial events like the Zodiacal Light, and issue a call to action for "lights out" to protect these migrating species from the dangers of increasing light pollution. EPISODE LINKS:    

Balloons in Space! This week, hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski discuss the potential for a G1-class solar storm and what's visible in the night sky. The episode also delves into astronomical balloons, their scientific applications, and the citizen science projects that use them for research. Episode Links: Younger Dryad Impact Hypothesis articles - ASTHROS - Fort Sumner launches - …

Fun with Comets! On this week's StarCast, join hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski as they discuss comets!. They'll also review the week's best celestial viewing,  including a potential G1 or G2 class geomagnetic storm that may produce aurorae, and a newly discovered comet named SWAN25B. Then, they'll dive deep into the world of comets, explaining what they are, where they come from, how they're named, and how to best observe them.

Far Out! Join hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski as they discuss the week in space, including a geomagnetic storm and a total lunar eclipse. They also explore the vastness of space by explaining astronomical distances, from light seconds to light years and beyond. Episode Links: › wiki › Astronomical_unit     

It's All Relative This episode explores the fascinating connections between Albert Einstein's theories of relativity and modern technology, like GPS. The hosts, Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski, explain how both special relativity (which deals with time dilation from speed) and general relativity (which explains how gravity warps spacetime) are essential for the accurate functioning of GPS satellites.  The episode also delves into two recent astronomical discoveries: a new tiny moon orbiting Uranus, named S/2025 U1, and a study suggesting that the dwarf planet Ceres may have once been habitable.

Mike Lewinski and Jay Shaffer discussing the “Holy Grail” of astrophotography, a term used for capturing time-lapses that transition smoothly from day to night.

Twilight and the Holy Grail Mike and Jay discuss the "Holy Grail" of astrophotography, a term used for capturing time-lapses that transition smoothly from day to night. They explain the challenges of this type of photography, as it requires continuous adjustment of camera exposure as the light fades. Mike shares his personal experience with both budget-friendly and professional methods, including using a camera's aperture priority mode and more advanced external camera triggers.