Chris North and Edward Gomez
119 episodes listed below
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>Astronomy news and interviews with scientists involved in the discoveries.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Chris North and Edward Gomez make astronomy news useful by tracing discoveries back to instruments, measurements and the limits of each claim.
Pythagorean Astronomy turns astronomy news into a working conversation between Chris North and Edward Gomez, moving from major observations and space missions to the instruments and uncertainties behind them.
Borisov gives up its gas and dust, and suddenly you want the measurements behind the headline.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A clear astronomy roundup on a gamma-ray burst, telescope teamwork, and comet Borisov.
A brief gamma-ray flash in a distant galaxy and the interstellar comet Borisov give this single-episode astronomy review a clear shape. The strongest thread is the gamma-ray burst story, which treats discovery as a relay: Swift and Fermi catch the high-energy signal, MAGIC…
A brisk, clear episode connecting an overdue spacewalk milestone with the discipline behind gravitational-wave detection.
An overdue milestone gives this astronomy episode its human scale. Christina Koch and Jessica Mayer's all-female spacewalk is framed as both a real achievement and a reminder of how long such a moment took to arrive, especially after an earlier attempt was delayed by a shortage…
A lively astronomy roundup where water vapour, quarks and interstellar visitors sit under the same open sky.
Habitable worlds are framed as a question of evidence, starting with K2-18b, a planet slightly larger than Earth whose atmosphere appears to show water vapour.
A brisk, grounded astronomy survey linking Orion, Europa, exoplanets, black holes, and a possibly interaction-shaped warped galaxy.
Pythagorean Astronomy starts with the long-delayed Orion rocket and uses a 12-minute engine burn to frame the larger challenge of getting away from Earth and toward a theoretical space station.
A grounded look at how robotic missions may shape solar system exploration.
Robotic exploration comes through as both a practical way to keep learning about the solar system and a measure of how nations share the work behind it.
Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-hosts field Cosmic Queries on physics, space, and beyond.
Rotating StarTalk scientist-hosts and a comedian co-host tackle listener-submitted cosmic questions.
ABC Radio National pairs daily Artemis II updates with its five-part Challenger Legacy investigation.
Patient space coverage with real mission context.
This episode discusses new research suggesting that plumes on Jupiter's moon Europa might originate from impacts rather than geothermal activity, exploring the implications for potential subsurface oceans and life.
This episode discusses the Winchcombe meteorite that fell in the UK in February 2021, featuring interviews with scientists from the Natural History Museum about its discovery and analysis.
This episode discusses the discovery of a potential water world exoplanet in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star, exploring its characteristics and the scientific methods used to study it.
This episode discusses the discovery of a new type of astronomical event called a micro nova, exploring its relation to other novae like supernovae and kilonovae.
The host visits the LIGO Hanford Observatory in Washington state for a teacher conference, describing the site and its role in gravitational wave detection.
This episode explores how amateur astronomers contribute to scientific research through a recent discovery, featuring an interview with amateur astronomer Ian Sharp about his background and inspiration.
This episode celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope, exploring its mission history, scientific achievements, and discoveries over the past three decades.
This episode discusses the European Space Agency's JUICE spacecraft mission to Jupiter's icy moons and the creative engineering solution used to fix a stuck antenna during its journey.
This episode discusses the SpaceX Starship launch, comparing its chemical rocket design to traditional NASA and ESA launchers with solid boosters, and exploring the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
This episode revisits the 2020 discovery of phosphine in Venus's atmosphere, which hinted at possible microbial life, and discusses new developments with biochemist Dr.
This episode discusses the upcoming arrival of three new spacecraft at Mars—NASA's Perseverance, China's Tianwen-1, and the UAE's Hope—exploring their significance and the broader context of Mars exploration.
This episode explores the latest research linking black holes to dark energy, featuring an interview with Dr.
This astronomy podcast episode reviews major 2020 space discoveries including Betelgeuse's dimming, asteroid sample return missions, telescope anniversaries, and upcoming galactic structure analysis.
This episode discusses recent aurora sightings in the UK, explaining the science behind the northern lights and connecting it to increased solar activity as we approach solar maximum.
This episode discusses the launch and significance of the James Webb Space Telescope on Christmas Day 2021, including its development challenges and personal viewing experiences.
This episode discusses the failed Virgin Orbit rocket launch from Cornwall, UK in early 2023, where the upper stage experienced an anomaly preventing it from reaching orbit.
This episode discusses the discovery of the high-energy cosmic ray particle named Amaterasu, comparing it to the earlier Oh My God particle and explaining its detection by the Telescope Array.
This episode discusses recent developments in space exploration, including Mars rover activities, upcoming Venus missions, and new gravitational wave detections.
This episode discusses how the Russian invasion of Ukraine has impacted international scientific collaborations, particularly in astronomy and space travel.
This episode explores mysterious astronomical phenomena, focusing on a peculiar 2019 gravitational wave detection and upcoming discussion of fast radio bursts, featuring expert insights on data analysis techniques.
This episode discusses the renaming of the WFIRST telescope to the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, its features and contributions to astrophysics, and recent space developments including the Crew Dragon launch.
This episode explores how the European Space Agency is managing operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, with insights from Professor Mark McCorkran on prioritizing critical missions while reducing on-site staff.
This episode discusses the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A-star at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, exploring its characteristics, scale, and the relationship between black holes and galaxy formation.
The hosts discuss the recent National Astronomy Meeting conference in Cardiff, highlighting its scale, educational programs, and a notable plenary talk about a spacecraft mission to divert an asteroid.
This episode explores a recent astronomical discovery suggesting possible signs of life in the clouds of Venus, while reflecting on the podcast's 10-year history covering topics from exoplanets to solar system exploration.
This episode explores two black hole stories, including the latest gravitational wave detection GW190521 from LIGO and Virgo, and a supermassive black hole that isn't so super.
This episode revisits the 2020 discovery of phosphine in Venus's atmosphere and its potential implications for microbial life, featuring an interview with lead researcher Professor Jane Greaves.
This episode explores the roles and significance of learned societies in science through interviews with two professors recently elected to prestigious positions in the Royal Astronomical Society and Royal Society.
This episode explores the discovery and significance of the megacomet 2014 UN271, including an interview with an expert on the solar system's scale and composition.
This episode discusses recent Mars missions and the ongoing search for extraterrestrial life, featuring an interview with astrophysicist Professor Abel Mendez about astrobiology and technosignatures.
The episode discusses recent observations of Betelgeuse dimming, exploring theories like shape changes due to surface convection and dust clouds, while explaining cosmic dust formation around red giant stars.
The episode discusses the significant dimming of Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star in Orion, which has become the faintest it's been in over a century.
The hosts reflect on the past decade and discuss key developments in exoplanet research, including the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the first exoplanet around a sun-like star and the roles of the Kepler and TESS spacecraft in finding thousands of planets.
An astronomer discusses her work with the Murchison Wide Field Array on the GLEAM-X survey, explaining how a student project comparing repeated radio observations led to an exciting discovery.
This episode discusses NASA's Osiris Rex mission that successfully collected samples from asteroid Bennu and will return them to Earth for detailed scientific analysis.
This episode discusses the recent visibility of the northern lights across the UK, including personal experiences, light pollution challenges, and comparisons to past sightings in Iceland.
This episode explores the connection between interstellar visitors like Oumuamua and galaxy simulations, featuring insights from astronomy experts.
This episode discusses the recent launch of NASA and ESA's Artemis 1 mission, comparing the Space Launch System rocket to the historic Saturn 5 and exploring its significance for lunar exploration.
This episode discusses NASA's upcoming Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter's moon Europa, exploring its scientific goals of searching for life and the inclusion of a commemorative plaque inspired by earlier missions like Voyager and Pioneer.
This episode discusses NASA's DART mission, which intentionally crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid to test planetary defense capabilities, featuring insights from researchers at Cardiff University.
This episode discusses the history, controversy, and scientific capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope, including its international collaboration and infrared instruments.
This episode discusses recent moon mission attempts, focusing on the Peregrine mission's fuel leak and its implications for commercial space exploration.
This episode explores recent discoveries in the outer solar system by the New Horizons spacecraft and introduces the Lucy mission to study Trojan asteroids, featuring an interview with planetary scientist Dr.
This episode explores the day-to-day operations and multidisciplinary team required to run the LIGO Hanford Observatory for gravitational wave detection.
This astronomy podcast discusses the recent comet NEOWISE and upcoming Mars missions, including NASA's Perseverance rover with the Ingenuity helicopter and China's Tianwen-1 launch.
The hosts review the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission to Bennu and preview upcoming astronomy topics for 2024.
This episode explores the historical supernova of 1181 AD recorded by Chinese and Japanese astronomers, combining ancient observations with modern astronomical understanding through an interview with Professor Quentin Parker.
This episode explores small astronomical objects, focusing on the asteroid 2021 PH27's close orbit to the Sun and introducing the concept of exomoons.
This episode discusses the proposal for an all-UK astronaut mission, analyzing its patriotic appeal versus its scientific and practical value in the context of international space cooperation.
This episode features interviews from the National Astronomy Meeting, focusing on the cosmic microwave background and its polarisation to understand the early universe, with upcoming discussions on machine learning in astrophysics.
Pythagorean Astronomy moves from a January gamma-ray burst in a colliding galaxy about 5 billion light-years away to Hubble follow-up that localised the afterglow to the galaxy's center.
Christina Koch and Jessica Mayer's first all-female spacewalk took over seven hours and exposed how NASA had only male medium EVA suits when earlier plans were made.
Chris North and Edward Gomez open with K2-18b, a planet from the K2 mission that is “a bit of a telephone number” and sits in its star’s habitable zone.
NASA's Orion rocket logged a 12-minute engine burn, and Chris North and Edward Gomez frame it as a modern Saturn V for a lunar-orbit gateway.
["Pythagoras's Trousers' Pythagorean Astronomy episode opens with the 1969 Moon landing and the fact that 12 people walked on the Moon between 1969 and 1972.", "Chris North talks with Colin Wilson of the University of Oxford about Mars orbiters, Gale Crater layers, InSight micro seismometers, and methane measurements that range from below one part per billion to a 21 parts per billion plume.", "The interview then moves to Venus, where Magellan, Venus Express, Akatsuki, and the proposed Envision mission frame questions about 450-degree surface temperatures, super-rotation, and possible volcanism.", "It closes on Titan and NASA's Dragonfly, an eight-rotor autonomous lander planned for launch in 2026 and data return in 2034 or 2035."]