Hey everyone, I’m looking for some good in-depth space podcasts. I got into Startalk with Neil DeGrasse Tyson a few months ago and have listened to a ton of the episodes, but I’ve been trying to branch out and find more information heavy podcasts and ended up checking out the Cool Worlds podcast which is much more informative than Startalk IMO, while I still like that it definitely feels like they lean more into entertainment rather than informational content.
I’d like to find some more in-depth discussions about Astronomy and Astrophysics, I’m a huge space nerd so I prefer it to be more in-depth even if some of it will potentially go above my head. I’ve been reading Astronomy stack exchange questions for months now as my bedtime reading, and even though a ton of the answers go into complicated math/physics that I can’t understand, I still love it, so I’d like to find the same thing in podcast format if possible.
Any recommendations for some good podcasts about space?
Bonus question, what are some good space audiobooks? Not sci-fi, I already have a big list of things I want to listen to/read but actual informative books based on Astronomy/Astrophysics. I’ve already gone through Welcome to the Universe by Michael Strauss but it’s not the greatest as a strict audiobook since it frequently references diagrams in the accompanying PDF. I have a job that allows me to listen to whatever I want all day, but I can’t be stopping what I’m doing to look at something, merely listen.
Thanks!
Edit: Already getting some great answers, thank you all for the suggestions! It’s much appreciated.
Edit 2: You guys are awesome, thanks for all the recommendations!
Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe, which recently became Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
About half of their podcasts are about astrophysics, another third is quantum mechanics, and the last bit is an eclectic mix of science.
Daniel is an incredible science communicator and a tenured experimental particle physicist, but has friends in many fields to bring in and follows astrophysics developments enthusiastically.
Astronomy Cast
And the Universe Today Podcast
13 Minutes to the Moon.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttx2/episodes/downloads
Season one covers the last 13 minutes of Apollo 11s descent to the lunar surface in incredible detail. Not astronomy, but if you love all things space then give it a listen.
13 Minutes to the Moon is fantastic. Great suggestion!
The Supermassive Podcast by the Royal Astronomical Society is very good: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-supermassive-podcast/id1495324190
This isn’t at all what you asked for, but since you mentioned something to potentially listen to at work, you might want to check out Third Rock Radio which is a music station that NASA collaborates on. Instead of “DJs” you get mission updates and “space stuff” between playlists.
Space Nuts. Much more chill than Startalk. Professor Fred sometimes goes very deep in depth indeed.
If you speak German you might want to listen to Raumzeit. It’s an interview podcast with long interviews focusing on specific missions and/or institutions.
A bit more spaceflight than astronomy, but I enjoy Main Engine Cut Off by Anthony Colangelo. Roughly half an hour of spaceflight news/updates, a couple times a month.
Spacepod by Carrie Nugent is hands down the best podcast about space. She interviews a different expert every week and gets them to share and explain their research. Fantastic. Hooked me from the beginning.
https://www.listentospacepod.com/
Some episodes are better than others, but they are always jam packed full of information.
Edit: Also, Carrie is an astronomer, so sometimes her and the guest fully geekout on a topic.
