Episodes

  • Astrophiz226-DrLauraHayes~Solar Fireworks

    Astrophiz226-DrLauraHayes~Solar Fireworks
    Jan 14 2026
    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
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    59 mins
  • Astrophiz225-DrDylanGrigg

    Astrophiz225-DrDylanGrigg
    Nov 12 2025
    Are satellites quietly drowning out the Universe? 🛰️📡 As Earth’s orbit fills with satellites, radio telescopes are picking up something they shouldn’t: unintended electromagnetic radiation. In this 33-minute Astrophiz interview, astrophysicist Dr Dylan Grigg (Curtin University / DUG) explains how unintended satellite emissions can disrupt radio astronomy — and why this growing problem matters right now. 🔭 You’ll learn: • What unintended electromagnetic radiation is • How satellites affect radio telescopes • Why this threatens key astronomical discoveries • What (if anything) can be done about it 🎙️ Guest: Dr Dylan Grigg 📍 Curtin University, Perth 📝 Full transcript: astrophiz.com Essential listening for anyone interested in astronomy, satellites, or the future of science in an increasingly crowded sky.
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    33 mins
  • NovemberSkyGuide224

    NovemberSkyGuide224
    Oct 31 2025
    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
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    28 mins
  • Astrophiz223-OctoberSkyGuide

    Astrophiz223-OctoberSkyGuide
    Sep 28 2025
    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,
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    7 mins
  • Astrophiz222-JenniHäkkinen

    Astrophiz222-JenniHäkkinen
    Sep 27 2025
    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!
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    45 mins
  • Astrophiz221 - September SkyGuide

    Astrophiz221 - September SkyGuide
    Sep 1 2025
    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.
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    30 mins
  • Astrophiz220-Dr Emil Lenc-Imaging Radio Skies

    Astrophiz220-Dr Emil Lenc-Imaging Radio Skies
    Aug 14 2025
    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.
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    51 mins
  • Astrophiz219-August SkyGuide

    Astrophiz219-August SkyGuide
    Jul 30 2025
    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 ( <1° apart) 12 & 13 August: Saturn rising very close ro the waning Moon 26 August: Mars near to thin crescent Moon (just 4° apart) Morning Skies: All of August: Saturn is lowering close to Neptune (1-2°) in morning sky 3 & 4 August:Venus close to star Propus (𝝶 Geminorum, 1°) 19 August - Lineup of Jupiter, Venus and Mercury 20 August: Jupiter near crescent Moon (6° apart) 5:45am East 21 August: Venus near thin crescent Moon (7° apart) TCoronaBorealis still hasn’t gone nova, so keep watching it, Two Novae are currently observable in Southern Skies. Nova V462 Lupi is still 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) Nova V572 Velorum A nova has erupted in the constellation of Vela, the sail. Known as Nova V572 Velorum it is faint (around magnitude 5.7-5.8, at the unaided eye threshold) and may be glimpsed by those with good visual acuity under dark sky conditions. However, it is best with binoculars of a small telescope. It is well placed for southern hemisphere observers and visible from the early evening on. It is close to the Southen Pelaides (Theta Carina) and the eta Carina nebula. (see Ian's ‘Astroblogger’ website for the chart) Ian’s Tangent: Bogong Moths using the Milky Way to navigate 1000 kilometre flights Ian’s astrophotography Challenge: ’Shooting the Core'
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    25 mins