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Podcast Profile: Looking Up

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20 episodes
2025 to 2026
Median: 16 minutes
Collection: Physics, Math, and Astronomy


Description (podcaster-provided):

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.Subscribe:AppleSpotifyNPRiHeartRadioAmazonPocket CastsRSS Feed


Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

➤ Astronomy and space science discoveries • Mars and Venus watery histories • Exoplanets, habitability, Trappist-1, Planet Nine • Black holes and cosmic endings • Astrophotography and observatories • Spaceflight, astronauts, Apollo legacy • Comets and planetary impacts • Cultural and historical space stories

This podcast explores astronomy and space science through conversations with researchers, authors, journalists, photographers, and spaceflight participants. Hosted by astronomer Dean Regas, it focuses on how scientists investigate the solar system and the wider universe, often using current discoveries as a starting point for explaining the underlying methods and questions. Topics frequently center on planetary environments and habitability, including what past water on Mars or Venus might imply and how astronomers evaluate potentially life-supporting worlds around other stars.

A recurring theme is how observation and technology shape what we know, from the evolution of astrophotography to the practical realities of running major observatories and conducting nighttime research. The show also digs into landmark phenomena and extreme physics—such as black holes, comets impacting planets, and possible scenarios for the universe’s ultimate fate—while translating these ideas into accessible thought experiments and vivid descriptions.

Alongside the science, the podcast regularly examines the human and cultural side of space: public fascination with Mars and “Martians,” the legacy of historical figures and overlooked contributors in astronomy, and personal perspectives tied to major exploration milestones like the Moon landing or private spaceflight. It also touches on space-adjacent stories in aviation history, documentary filmmaking, and even everyday challenges of living in microgravity, including how astronauts eat. Overall, listeners can expect a mix of astrophysics, planetary science, science history, and space culture grounded in interviews and storytelling.


Episodes:
Ancient Martian microbes left behind a chemical "fingerprint" (with Dr. Katie Stack Morgan)
2026-Apr-10
18 minutes
Searching for Life in Mars' Watery Past (with Dr. Andy Czaja)
2026-Mar-27
18 minutes
Somewhere Over the Moonbow (with Jeff Pfaller)
2026-Mar-13
17 minutes
How a 1925 Airship Crash Shaped an Ohio Town (with Kendall Crawford)
2026-Feb-27
15 minutes
Eating Like an Astronaut (with Mark Borison)
2026-Feb-13
16 minutes
Early Astrophotography was Controversial (with Anika Burgess)
2026-Jan-30
15 minutes
Trappist-1 is Not Like Our Sun (with Dr. Néstor Espinoza)
2026-Jan-16
18 minutes
The Martian Craze of the Gilded Age (with David Baron)
2026-Jan-02
16 minutes
FROM THE ARCHIVE: Space 2 Inspire (with Dr. Sian Proctor)
2025-Dec-19
18 minutes
FROM THE ARCHIVE: How will the universe end? (with Dr. Katie Mack)
2025-Dec-05
13 minutes
The Forgotten Water on Venus (with Dr. Rakesh Mogul)
2025-Nov-21
15 minutes
On Top of the World (with Peter Hillary and Mark Armstrong)
2025-Nov-07
16 minutes
Over 6000 New Worlds; Do Any of them Contain Life? (with Dr. Malena Rice)
2025-Oct-24
19 minutes
What Happens if You Fall Into a Black Hole? (With Dr. Janna Levin)
2025-Oct-10
16 minutes
It's All Fun and Games Until You Discover a Planet (with Dr. Konstantin Batygin)
2025-Sep-26
18 minutes
Night at the Observatory (with Thomas Lennon)
2025-Sep-12
15 minutes
Buzzkill Astronomers and Star Hustlers (with James Albury)
2025-Aug-29
15 minutes
Shh... Astronomers are Sleeping! (with Vannessa Gressieux)
2025-Aug-15
17 minutes
The Human Computer Who Changed Fluid Dynamics (with Anne Saker)
2025-Aug-02
16 minutes
Watching Your Dad Land on the Moon (with Mark Armstrong)
2025-Jul-11
18 minutes