ScienceAstronomy

Star Diary

BBC Sky at Night Magazine

The astronomy podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

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23 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 26 min
English

Episodes 23

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September 6 · 24 min
The mystery of comet 3I/ATLAS
Astronomer Cyrielle Opitom reveals what she’s learned about the interstellar visitor via Earth’s most powerful telescopes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
August 30 · 32 min
The Harvest Moon and the autumn equinox
Dark skies are back as we head into September 2026. Astronomers Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best things to see this month, including a lunar occultation of the Beehive Cluster, how to see the planets and tips for observing deep-sky objects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
August 9 · 24 min
Discovery beneath the surface of Mars
Tobermory Mackay-Champion reveals a game-changing find in the search for signs of life on Mars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 30 · 33 min
August 2026 solar eclipse and Perseid meteor shower
Astronomers Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best things to see in the night sky this month, including the August 2026 solar eclipse and the peak of one of the year's best meteor showers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
July 13 · 18 min
How do you weigh a planet that hasn’t formed yet?
Amena Faruqi reveals how she uses cosmic dust rings to measure the mass of planets around distant stars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 25 · 30 min
Mercury and Saturn return!
Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best things to see in the night sky in July 2026, from the Moon and planets to constellations and deep-sky objects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
June 11 · 20 min
How to build a planet-hunting spacecraft
Dr Rachel Drummond reveals how engineers are crafting a new space mission, called Ariel, that will study alien worlds across the Galaxy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 30 · 32 min
Summer stargazing
Summer is here! Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best things to see in the night sky, June 2026, including the close meeting of Venus and Jupiter just after dawn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 7 · 19 min
How spaceflight hammers the human body
Scientist Tim Etheridge talks Artemis II, crewed spaceflight and the toll of weightlessness on astronauts spending long periods of time in space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 29 · 28 min
May's 'blue Moon’ – what we'll really see
Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal what's in the sky in May 2026, including the ever-improving return of Venus and what astronomers really think about the 'blue Moon' on 31 May. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
April 16 · 17 min
Strange signals from the galactic centre
Astronomer Shyam Balaji reveals how three cosmic signals could be an invisible dark force in deep space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
March 29 · 29 min
The Evening Star is back
Venus is slowly returning to the evening sky, marking the re-emergence of one of the best naked-eye objects. Find out what else is happening with the planets, the Moon, stars constellations and deep-sky objects in April 2026 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
March 16 · 32 min
Exploring the radio Universe
Radio astronomer Dr Emma Chapman reveals how radio waves enable scientists to explore the cosmos, from mapping Venus to searching for alien life and discovering the origins of the Universe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
March 2 · 31 min
Spring stargazing is here
Find out which planets are best in the night sky in March 2026, plus key times to observe the Moon, stars and constellations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
February 9 · 30 min
Revealing the secrets of Mercury
The European Space Agency's BepiColombo mission arrives at Mercury later this year. Planetary scientist Emma Bunce reveals the mysteries the mission could uncover. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
January 30 · 28 min
Jupiter dominates the night sky in February 2026
Find out the best things to see in the sky this month, from the planets and constellations to deep-sky targets for your telescope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
January 12 · 23 min
Listening to black holes colliding
Tessa Baker discusses newly-discovered cosmic collisions and how they’re helping her unlock the secrets of the Universe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
January 6 · 29 min
New Year, new stargazing – January 2026
Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best things to see in the night sky to kick off a new year of stargazing. Happy 2026 everyone! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 15, 2025 · 22 min
3D-mapping an alien world
Astronomer Anjali Piette reveals how she and colleagues created a 3D view of a scorching gas giant around a distant star. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 28, 2025 · 26 min
Christmas stargazing 2025
Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal what you should be looking at in the December 2025 night sky, including the best planets, the Geminid meteor shower, Orion and top times to see the Moon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Showing 1–20 of 23 episodes