Looking Up

Cincinnati Public Radio

Join Dean Regas, astronomer, author, and space expert on a journey through the stars! Guests from all over the globe bring their knowledge and passion about today’s latest scientific discoveries and advancements. From eclipses to supernovas, from rockets to rovers; there’s a whole universe to explore! Dean is the author of “How to Teach Grown-Ups About Pluto” and “100 Things to See in the Night Sky” and was the longtime host of PBS' Stargazers television program. Looking Up is a production of Cincinnati Public Radio.

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24 episodes
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English

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Friday · 17 min
Turning the Milky Way into Music (with Mara Helmuth)
When NASA and other space agencies release sounds from space, what are we actually hearing? The answer: data sonifications. Scientists take data from telescopes, often across multiple wavelengths of light, and translate them into audible soundscapes. Host Dean Regas talks with Mara Helmuth, a composer and professor of music at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, about how researchers turn cosmic data into music.
September 11 · 20 min
Launching a Probe into the Sun (with Dr. Joe Westlake)
The sun is our closest laboratory for understanding how stars work. Decades of space missions have studied the sun, yet its outer atmosphere, the corona, remains a mystery. NASA's Parker Solar Probe was built to change that. Dean Regas talks with Dr. Joe Westlake, heliophysics division director at NASA Headquarters, about what we're learning from humanity's closest approach to a star.
August 28 · 19 min
Downloading the Universe (with Dr. Mario Jurić)
Astronomers say the shiny new Vera C. Rubin Telescope will be able to map the entire universe with remarkable precision in no time. Already, it has located tens of thousands of asteroids close to home. Dean Regas chats with Dr. Mario Jurić, the solar system lead scientist for the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile, to find out more.
August 14 · 19 min
Who Voted to Demote Pluto? (with Dr. Bob Stencel and Dava Sobel)
What really happened when Pluto was demoted? Twenty years after the International Astronomical Union's 2006 vote, Dean Regas revisits the decision that reshaped our solar system, with insider accounts from science writer Dava Sobel and astronomer Bob Stencel.
July 31 · 18 min
A Total Eclipse of Dean's Heart (with Gísli Sigurðsson)
Chasing solar eclipses is a great excuse to travel. In 2026, August 12th's eclipse presents a challenge: which beautiful destination offers the best view? The path of totality will be visible in both Spain and Iceland. Join Dean as he makes his decision, and pays tribute to a poignant song he's come to love.
July 17 · 19 min
Posing for a Picture with the Earth (with astronaut Tracy Dyson)
Still buzzing with excitement from the Artemis II launch, Dean Regas waxes poetic about that special view of our home planet that only astronauts get to see. A chat with NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson is the closest experience to the real thing.
July 3 · 17 min
What did NASA find on Asteroid Bennu? (with Dr. Daniella Mendoza DellaGiustina)
What is a potentially hazardous asteroid like? Up close and personal? Very few space missions have visited asteroids and fewer still have touched an asteroid and brought some of it back to Earth. Dean chats with NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission's image processing lead scientist, Dr. Daniella Mendoza DellaGiustina, to learn more. Let’s go to the asteroid Bennu!
June 19 · 17 min
Bringing the universe down to Earth (with Kat Troche)
How do you feel about the universe? Is it scary, you know with how large it is? How far way everything is? Is it intimidating when astronomers talk about time in millions and billions of years? Okay, on the surface it’s intimidating. But there are lots of people out there who have made it their mission, sometimes dedicating years to volunteering, and a few well-paying careers, just to bring the universe down to Earth. Dean Regas chats with Kat Troche, project coordinator for the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, to learn more.
June 5 · 20 min
Is most of the universe actually invisible? (with Dr. Stacy McGaugh)
By some counts as much as 96% of everything in the universe comes from dark matter and dark energy. And, up to now, both are completely invisible. Few in the field question this theory, but could there be alternatives? Dean chats with Professor Stacy McGaugh from the Department of Astronomy at Case Western Reserve University to learn more.
May 22 · 14 min
3000 Astronomers, One Thrilling Event
What happens when 3000 astronomers gather in one place? The annual American Astronomical Society meeting puts this question to the test. In this episode, Dean Regas shares what makes a gathering like this so special, reflecting on conversations he had with like-minded astronomers at his first AAS meeting. Special thanks this episode to Diana Hannikainen, Christina Williams, Kevin Legore, Aaron Yung, Allyn Smith and Alex Thomas. Leave us a voicemail by calling (513) 352-9188 and you might hear yourself in a future episode! You can also send us your thoughts on this episode at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast Find Us Online: Twitter: @lookinguppod @deanregas, Instagram: @917wvxu @deanregas, Tiktok: @cincinnatipublicradio @astronomerdean, Episode transcript: www.wvxu.org/podcast/looking-up More from Dean: www.astrodean.com #lookingup #lookinguppod #deanregast #astronomy #cincinnatipublicradio #NPR #lookinguppodcast
May 8 · 17 min
FROM THE ARCHIVE: Can Elon Musk Even Go to Mars? (with Oliver Morton)
With Artemis II's recent launch, we are revisiting this conversation. Dean gets to the root of this question with guest Oliver Morton, Senior Editor for The Economist and author of the book The Moon: A History for the Future. They discuss Musk's likelihood for a Mars landing, and what the future of private space travel could mean for present Earthlings.
April 24 · 22 min
FROM THE ARCHIVE: Problem Solving in Space (with Andy Weir)
With the recent release of the "Project Hail Mary" film adaptation, we are revisiting a favorite episode of "Looking Up." Dean chats with science fiction novelist Andy Weir about what it takes to solve problems in the cosmos or as a stay-at-home dad. The acclaimed author of "The Martian" (which itself became an acclaimed film) also updates listeners on the eagerly anticipated film adaptation of another of Andy's books: "Project Hail Mary."
April 10 · 18 min
Ancient Martian microbes left behind a chemical "fingerprint" (with Dr. Katie Stack Morgan)
Last fall, NASA announced that it found something incredible in a rock on Mars. A core sample obtained by the Mars Perseverance rover discovered a potential biosignature. In other words, a potential sign of ancient life on Mars. Dean Regas chats with Kathryn Stack Morgan, Perseverance project scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, about this chemical "fingerprint." Leave us a voicemail by calling (513) 352-9188 and you might hear yourself in a future episode! You can also send us your thoughts on this episode at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast Find Us Online: Twitter: @lookinguppod @deanregas, Instagram: @917wvxu @deanregas, Tiktok: @cincinnatipublicradio @astronomerdean, Episode transcript: www.wvxu.org/podcast/looking-up More from Dean: www.astrodean.com
March 27 · 18 min
Searching for Life in Mars' Watery Past (with Dr. Andy Czaja)
What was the planet Mars like in the past? Was it a dry desolate world like the one we see today, or was it a watery oasis filled with oceans, lakes, and rushing rivers? Was it Earthlike? Dean Regas chats with University of Cincinnati Professor of Geosciences, and NASA Advisory Board Member, Dr. Andy Czaja, to find out more. Send us your thoughts at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast Find Us Online: Twitter: @lookinguppod @deanregas, Instagram: @917wvxu @deanregas, Tiktok: @cincinnatipublicradio @astronomerdean, Episode transcript: www.wvxu.org/podcast/looking-up More from Dean: www.astrodean.com
March 13 · 17 min
Somewhere Over the Moonbow (with Jeff Pfaller)
What is a moonbow, and what does it take to get a picture of one? And do rare events in the night sky lose their appeal after you've seen a bunch of them? Dean chats with Jeff Pfaller, astro-photographer and author of "Dark Skies: Rare Phenomena in America’s Public Lands" to learn more. We want to hear from you! Leave us a voicemail by calling 513-352-9188 and you might hear yourself in a future episode! You can also send us your thoughts on this episode at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast
February 27 · 15 min
How a 1925 Airship Crash Shaped an Ohio Town (with Kendall Crawford)
What might it be like to watch an alien spacecraft fall from the sky? Residents of Ava, Ohio, in 1925 experienced something close to this, when the USS Shenandoah, a naval airship, crashed down on rural farmland. Dean Regas chats with Ohio News Room journalist, Kendall Crawford, after her visit to Ava's mobile museum. We want to hear from you! Send us your thoughts on this episode at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast
February 13 · 16 min
Eating Like an Astronaut (with Mark Borison)
How do you eat in space? Simple everyday chores like sleeping or going to the bathroom take on all new challenges when you're weightless and floating in mid-air. Dean is joined by Mark Borison, Host of The Jungle Jims Podcast to do a space food taste test.We want to hear from you! Send us your thoughts on this episode at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast
January 30 · 15 min
Early Astrophotography was Controversial (with Anika Burgess)
The question seems completely absurd to us in the 21st century: should we use cameras to help with astronomical research? Well, of course. Why wouldn’t we? But in the early 20th century, this was a heated debate that echoed in the domes of many established observatories around the world. So when did the camera really outshine the eye for documenting things in space? Dean Regas and Flashes of Brilliance author Anika Burgess explore examples of early photography and how it transformed art, science, and history.
January 16 · 18 min
Trappist-1 is Not Like Our Sun (with Dr. Néstor Espinoza)
The universe is enormous and time to observe it is limited. This means planet-hunters have to be extra picky in their search for habitable worlds. Dean chats with Dr. Néstor Espinoza, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute who has his eye on one specific star system, Trappist-1. We want to hear from you! Send us your thoughts on this episode at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast
January 2 · 16 min
The Martian Craze of the Gilded Age (with David Baron)
Mars and Martians. They go together in the public's mind. The Earthling fascination with "alien invaders" goes back a long time. But why? And what does it say about all of us here on Earth? Dean explores this cultural phenomenon with David Baron, author of "The Martians." Send us your thoughts at lookingup@wvxu.org or post them on social media using #lookinguppodcast

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