Spacepod

Spacepod

Every scientist knows that kids ask the toughest (and best!) questions. What do asteroids smell like? Do other planets really have diamond rain? Spacepod features questions from kids and answers from scientists. Good questions help everyone learn - even the experts!

Episodes

October 1, 2026 • 10 mins

A question from Laura, age 12. Professor Catherine Neish answers. For more on Prof. Neish, listen to episode 192. Also check out her podcast with John Moores, Popcorn Science.

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A question from Jacob, age 7. Dr. Andrés Plazas Malagón answers. For more on Dr. Malagón's work, see episode 208 or listen to his podcast, Visión Cósmica.

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A question from Lyla, age 5. Dr. Federica Spoto answers. For more on Dr. Spoto's work, see episode 190.

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We try, a second time, to answer a question from Maeve, who is almost 3 years old. Dr. Matthew Kenworthy answers. For more on rainbows on other planets, see episode 232.

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June 1, 2026 • 9 mins

A question from Ida, age 4. Miho Janvier answers. Find out more about the Solar Dynamics Observatory, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), Solar Orbiter, and Proba-3. For more on Dr. Janiver's work, see episode 121.

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A question from Kellan, age 6. Professor Kim McLeod answers. To learn more about Wellesley College's Whitin Observatory, including public visit nights, go here. For more on what you can do to reduce light pollution, see these resources from Dark Sky International.

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A question from Maeve, who is almost 3 years old. Dr. Alejandro Soto answers. For more on Dr. Soto's work, see episodes 44 and 136.

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A question from Issac, age 5. Dr. Nancy Chabot answers. For more on Dr. Chabot's work, see episodes 7 and 152. For more on the Planetary Defense, see this NASA website. For more on the DART mission, see the mission website.

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February 1, 2026 • 9 mins

A question from Issac, age 4. Dr. Jeff Rich answers. For more on Dr. Rich's work, see episodes 14, 81, 118, or 159, or visit the Carnegie Observatories website. Find the pocket solar system instructions here.

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January 1, 2026 • 5 mins

A question from Renny, age 4. Dr. Jessie Christensen answers. For more on Dr. Christensen's work, see episodes 42 and 102.

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December 1, 2025 • 6 mins
A question from Sabine, age 5. Dr. Christopher Snead answers. For more on Dr. Snead's work, see Episode 184 of Spacepod. Do you know a kid with a space question? Upload it at listentospacepod.com and I'll do my best to get an answer!
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Dr. Sabine Stanley answers. For more about planetary insides, check out her book, "What's Hidden Inside Planets". 

Do you know a kid with a space question? Upload it at listentospacepod.com and I'll do my best to get an answer!

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October 15, 2025 • 5 mins

Dr. Michael Busch answers. Do you know a kid with a space question? Upload it at listentospacepod.com and I'll do my best to get an answer!

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Dr. Jeremy Kubica talks about his work on the LINCC Frameworks project, and how he brings together astronomers and computer scientists to create software tools. He shares advice for students and talks about his books, which explain computing concepts in fun and accessible ways.

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Dr. Pascal Lee tells the story of how he and his collaborators found a new volcano on Mars. He tells us about the "convergence of lines of evidence" that led to this discovery. He also explains why this site may be a good place to look for life.

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October 30, 2024 • 54 mins

Astrophysicist Tina Ibsen tells us about the northern lights. She talks about her research and gives tips on how to observe the lights. She tells us how Denmark is a space nation and shares her thoughts about the future of space exploration. We also talk about RumSnak, the space podcast she co-hosts with Anders Høeg Nissen.

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Dr. Carrie Holt talks about how she's getting ready for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. She explains how astronomers are using simulated and real data to prepare in advance of this new data.

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Dr Tracy Becker tells us about solar system science using ultraviolet light. She explains how the color of a planet's northern lights depends on the planet's atmosphere. She also describes how scientists repurposed the New Horizons spacecraft to measure how empty space is.

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Professor Thomas Tauris explains what gravitational waves can tell us about colliding neutron stars. He corrects Carrie's misconception about how gravitational waves affect people. He also explains how the last 400 years of astronomy have been like watching a silent movie, but now with gravitational waves, we have a soundtrack. 

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Prof. Sabine Stanley, author of "What's Hidden Inside Planets," tells us how the interior of Earth helps make this planet a nice place to live. She tells us that the Earth's mantle is actually solid rock, not liquid rock. She also explains what the Earth's interior and birthday balloons have in common.

Spacepod listeners can get a 30% discount on "What's Hidden Inside Planets" with the code HPLAN if you order through Hopkins Press ...

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