Our Strange Cosmos
Our Strange Cosmos
Aishwarya Lahari
The known universe is a vast, mysterious entity, spanning several light-years and filled with incredible structures and objects. This podcast aims at exploring some of the rare phenomenons occurring in the universe.
Episode 11 - The Biggest Objects
Some structures in the universe are larger than expected. Be it stars, galaxies, or superclusters, our universe has multiple objects in various sizes. This episode explores the biggest star, galaxy, nebula, supercluster and the biggest structure observed in our universe, and how massive they are in comparison to other objects.
Aug 15, 2020
5 min
Episode 10 - The Edge of the Solar System
Where do comets come from? If their surface material evaporates as they approach the sun, they must have formed far away from the Sun. Comets, along with several icy planetesimals are believed to originate from a theoretical spherical cloud located almost 2 light-years from the sun, called the Oort Cloud. This episode explores this massive structure, the most distant part of our Solar System, and how it came to be.
Jun 14, 2020
6 min
Episode 9 - Quasars: The Brightest Objects
One of the most brightest objects in the Universe is a Quasar. Quasars are extremely luminous disks of light and gases generated when dust and gases come too close to a supermassive black hole at the center of galaxies. Powerful jets of light generated above and below this disk can extend many light-years into space. This episode explores these objects, and how they can help scientists understand the early universe.
Jun 7, 2020
6 min
Episode 8 - The Heart of the Milky Way
Have you ever wondered what resides in the center of our galaxy? At the very heart of the Milky Way is a region known as Sagittarius A, known to be the home of a supermassive black hole. So, what is a supermassive black hole and how are they formed? This episode aims at exploring these enormous structures and discusses the possibilities of how they came to be.
May 31, 2020
6 min
Episode 7 - Boundaries
Does our Solar System have an edge or a boundary? Or does it extend indefinitely into space? The solar wind emanating from our Sun creates one kind of protective boundary around our Solar System, know as the Heliosphere. This episode aims at exploring the significance of the Heliosphere, and how it protects the Solar System from the hard environment of Interstellar space.
May 24, 2020
7 min
Episode 6 - Space Clouds
Nebulae are massive clouds formed in space. They come in many shapes and beautiful colors, and sometimes stretch thousands of light years in size. There are many kinds of nebulae, classified according to how they are formed. They form an important part of galaxies, as they are the birthplace of stars and planets. This episode aims at exploring nebulae an what makes them an essential part of our space neighborhood.
May 17, 2020
6 min
Episode 5 - Enceladus
Our solar system contains many unique and diverse moons. Saturn's moon Enceladus, is an important world, as it may be a potential candidate for extraterrestrial life. This episode explores the features of Saturn's 6th biggest moon, its subsurface oceans and how it helps in the formation of Saturn's E ring.
May 10, 2020
4 min
Episode 4 - Galilean Moons
One of the most common features of our solar system is Moons. Moons orbit both planets and asteroids. Our solar system has about 200 moons, with the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn dominating the moon count. Jupiter has around 79 recorded moons, however, the 4 biggest moons of Jupiter discovered by Galileo Galilei, are the most remarkable moons of Jupiter, and possibly some of the most unique moons in our solar system. This episode explores these Galilean moons and what makes them so different from other moons in our solar system.
May 1, 2020
6 min
Episode 3 - Cosmic Explosions
The life cycle of different stars varies based on several factors. Stars the size of our sun, towards the end of their lives will expand to red giants, and eventually cool down into white, and finally, black dwarfs. But stars many times the size of the sun can explode into supernovae. This episode takes a closer look at these cosmic explosions, and what happens to massive stars at the end of their lifespan.
Apr 25, 2020
5 min
Episode 2 - Stars of the Future
There are many types of stars present in our universe. Some are commonplace, like red dwarfs, while others are rare. However, as a star goes through its lifespan, many changes occur in the structure of the star. These changes take billions of years to happen, which may give rise to an entirely new class of stars. This episode explores 4 types of stars which will form in the distant future.
Apr 19, 2020
5 min
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