Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ astronomy explainers and interviews • astrobiology, exoplanets, aliens, Drake Equation • black holes, cosmology theories • asteroids, impacts, planetary defense • observing, spectroscopy, astrophotography • dark-sky conservation • spaceflight perspectives • science–art–Indigenous storytelling intersections • history, education, science communication
This podcast from Lowell Observatory explores astronomy and space science through conversations with astronomers, educators, historians, artists, and occasional high-profile guests. Across episodes, the hosts unpack how scientists investigate the universe—from observing techniques like spectroscopy and astrophotography to behind-the-scenes looks at what happens during a night at the telescope and how historic instruments are restored. Listeners also encounter big-picture cosmic questions and theories, including black holes and their collisions, the Sun and stellar lifecycles, multiverse and simulation ideas, and how Earth formed.
A recurring theme is the search for life beyond Earth. The podcast discusses astrobiology, exoplanets in habitable zones, and tools for thinking about extraterrestrial civilizations, alongside debates about ambiguous objects and popular “alien” narratives. Planetary defense and near-Earth hazards also appear prominently, with attention to asteroids, impact history, and efforts to detect or deflect threatening objects.
The show often connects astronomy to culture and place. It highlights dark-sky protection and public astronomy experiences at sites like the Grand Canyon, including programs that bring scientists and communicators into parks and communities. Several conversations focus on the intersection of science with storytelling and the arts—public murals, documentary filmmaking, poetry, and how spaceflight and night skies influence creative work. There are also episodes that touch on the human side of science, including career paths, education access, and how people reconcile scientific perspectives with religion, as well as broader reflections on identity, legacy, and community engagement around space.
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Episodes:
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Introducing Star Stuff: A Space Poddity
2021-Nov-18
15 minutes
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Black Holes, Spacetime, and Bread
2022-Jan-04
42 minutes
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A Case For The Sky Egg
2022-Jan-11
39 minutes
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The Secrets of Lowell Observatory
2022-Jan-18
48 minutes
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What Would “Armageddon” Really Be Like?
2022-Jan-25
40 minutes
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“My Other Vehicle Explored Pluto” – We Talk To Dr. Alan Stern
2022-Feb-01
46 minutes
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The Adventures of a Shadow Chaser and Asteroid Hunter: We Talk to Dr. Cathy Olkin
2022-Feb-08
57 minutes
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The Real Indiana Jones: We Talk to Dr. Johanson, the Lucy Discoverer
2022-Feb-15
52 minutes
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Clyde Tombaugh, From The Eyes of His Son: We Talk to Alden Tombaugh
2022-Feb-22
44 minutes
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Life On Other Planets, In Art And In Our Universe: We Talk to Dr. Dan Durda
2022-Mar-01
46 minutes
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Capturing Dark Energy On Camera: We Talk to Dr. Kyler Kuehn
2022-Mar-08
39 minutes
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Life on Mars (Human and … Otherwise)
2022-Mar-15
60 minutes
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Star Stories (The Constellations Of Spring)
2022-Mar-22
49 minutes
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The Life of Stars: We Talk to Lowell Astronomer Gerard van Belle
2022-Mar-29
51 minutes
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The $10 Billion Origami Project: We Review the Basics of the James Webb Space Telescope
2022-Apr-05
44 minutes
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What Does It Mean To Imagine? We Talk To Ed Finn of ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination
2022-Apr-12
40 minutes
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Comets, Asteroids, and Centaurs
2022-Apr-19
63 minutes
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Exploring Dark Skies with Grand Canyon “Dark Sky Ranger” Rader Lane
2022-Apr-26
54 minutes
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Sol’s Planets – We Talk To Two Lowell Planetary Scientists
2022-May-03
61 minutes
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The Total Lunar Eclipse: Myth, Lore, and History
2022-May-10
58 minutes
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Uncovering 50-Year-Old Moon Rock: We Talk to Dr. Chip Shearer
2022-May-17
57 minutes
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The Career Path of an Astronomer
2022-May-24
50 minutes
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The Sound of Science in Movies: We Review Sci-Fi Scores
2022-May-31
48 minutes
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Finding Your Unicorn Career in STEM: We Talk To Alaina Levine
2022-Jun-07
81 minutes
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Car Trouble and the Rings of Uranus
2022-Jun-14
76 minutes
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The Lowell Iceberg: Strange Sightings, Observatory Lore, and Clown Man
2022-Jun-21
60 minutes
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Talking With Grown-Ups About Pluto (And Other Fun Controversies) | We Talk To Dean Regas
2022-Jun-28
67 minutes
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Star Stories (the Constellations of Summer)
2022-Jul-05
49 minutes
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How The James Webb Space Telescope Will Change The Way We Look At The Cosmos
2022-Jul-12
66 minutes
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Astronomy in Poetry with Author Julie Swarstad Johnson
2022-Jul-19
47 minutes
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The Art of the Night Sky – We Talk to “NightVisions” Artist Arline Martens and Exhibit Co-Creator Chris Luginbuhl
2022-Jul-26
42 minutes
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Saturn Opposition: What It Means and Why It’s So Cool
2022-Aug-02
26 minutes
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The Path of a Female Scientist
2022-Aug-09
57 minutes
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Guess That Sci-Fi Movie: We Play A Podcast Game
2022-Aug-16
59 minutes
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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: An Astronomer’s Review
2022-Aug-23
73 minutes
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Academic Burnout
2022-Aug-30
74 minutes
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Dr. Vera Rubin: Discoveries, Stories, and Good Memories
2022-Sep-06
67 minutes
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Asteroids: How Love, Fear, and Greed Will Determine Our Future in Space
2022-Sep-13
70 minutes
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Throwing DARTs: Exploring NASA’s Planetary Defense Mission
2022-Sep-20
46 minutes
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When Black Holes Collide
2022-Sep-27
49 minutes
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How Would You Remember The Stars? | We Talk to Rader Lane, Dark Sky Ranger at Grand Canyon National Park
2022-Oct-05
55 minutes
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Debating Space Conspiracy Theories
2022-Oct-11
46 minutes
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Searching for New Worlds with Jake Clark
2022-Oct-18
70 minutes
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We Got Astronomers to Review ‘The Thing’
2022-Oct-25
58 minutes
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The Fear and Beauty of the Night: We Talk to Grand Canyon’s Astronomer in Residence Lauren Camp
2022-Nov-01
56 minutes
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‘Oumuamua: The Extrasolar Asteroid… Or Alien Craft
2022-Nov-09
59 minutes
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The Modern Hunt for Aliens: What Is Astrobiology?
2022-Nov-16
50 minutes
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Arecibo Observatory: A Message To The Unknown
2022-Nov-23
51 minutes
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Tales from the Drinking Horn: We Talk Norse Mythology with the Meadcast
2022-Nov-30
44 minutes
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Fostering Education Resources in Communities
2022-Dec-06
51 minutes
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How Realistic Were These Popular Sci-Fi Movies? A Scientist’s Review
2022-Dec-14
59 minutes
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Learning Science Through Historic Literature
2022-Dec-20
46 minutes
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Season 1 Finale: What We Learned On Season 1
2022-Dec-27
58 minutes
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Seeing The Unseen: We Talk About Spectroscopy
2023-Jan-04
48 minutes
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Beyond The Event Horizon: We Talk About Black Holes
2023-Jan-17
40 minutes
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From The Farm To The Stars: We Talk About Clyde Tombaugh
2023-Feb-07
42 minutes
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The Math of the Universe & Elements of Awe with Astronomer Dr. Daniel Fleisch
2023-Feb-22
52 minutes
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Exploring the Drake Equation: We Talk About Aliens
2023-Mar-07
38 minutes
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Let’s Take A (Conversational) Look at the Sun – We Talk to Dr. Jeff Hall
2023-Mar-22
63 minutes
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Star Stuff Podcast Nominated for a 2023 Viola Awards
2023-Mar-30
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What Is Life?
2023-Apr-04
41 minutes
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Capturing The Cosmos: We Talk About Astrophotography
2023-Apr-18
38 minutes
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What Is Life Really Like In Space? – We Talk To Astronaut Nicole Stott
2023-May-03
31 minutes
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Apollo Astronauts At The Grand Canyon? We Talk To Dark Sky Ranger Rader Lane
2023-May-17
50 minutes
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What Astronomers Do In The Dark
2023-Jun-07
51 minutes
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Theories of the Universe Part 1
2023-Jun-21
38 minutes
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Theories of the Universe Part 2
2023-Jul-04
42 minutes
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Making Science Accessible
2023-Jul-19
33 minutes
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Making an Impact
2023-Aug-01
31 minutes
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Choosing Between Sciences and Humanities: We Talk to Journalist Melissa Sevigny
2023-Aug-16
36 minutes
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The Life and Times of Percival Lowell
2023-Sep-06
32 minutes
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Life Beyond Our Solar System
2023-Sep-27
52 minutes
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Bringing Astronomy to the People
2023-Oct-05
33 minutes
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How the Earth Formed
2023-Oct-18
34 minutes
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A Moving Portrait
2023-Nov-08
31 minutes
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Reconciling Religion and Astronomy
2023-Nov-22
36 minutes
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CSI: Mechanical Forensics
2023-Dec-06
33 minutes
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How Common is Life on Other Planets?
2023-Dec-20
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Makers, Menders, and Writers | We Talk to Diana Gabaldon
2024-Apr-24
43 minutes
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LIVE from Grand Canyon: Turning the Park Dark
2024-Jul-26
55 minutes
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Does Venus Have A Moon? | We Talk To Zoozve Discoverer Brian Skiff
2024-Aug-20
30 minutes
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The Most Human: Adam Nimoy on Legacy, Love, and Spock
2025-Jul-10
27 minutes
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Are We Safe From Asteroids? | We Talk To Astronaut Rusty Schweickart
2025-Jul-25
39 minutes
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It is Something Worth Doing: Art and Astronomy with Gerald Dawavendewa
2026-Feb-25
41 minutes
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Bridging Stars and Storytelling with Nanibah Chacon
2026-Apr-02
36 minutes
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May Closures- Exhibit Hall
2016-Apr-26
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