Astrophiz Astronomy Podcasts

About Astrophiz Astronomy Podcasts

Astrophiz: In-Depth Interviews with Astronomers and Astrophysicists Discover the wonders of the universe with Astrophiz, the podcast for space enthusiasts and researchers. Join host Brendan O’Brien as he sits down with world-leading scientists to explore the frontiers of astrophysics, radio astronomy, and space science. From the evolution of the Milky Way and the mechanics of solar flares to the cutting-edge technology of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), we break down complex academic research into engaging stories of discovery. Whether you’re interested in cosmic dust, galaxy evolution, or the latest in telescope technology, Astrophiz brings the experts directly to your ears. Subscribe for deep dives into: Astrophysics & Galactic Research Radio Astronomy & Space Weather Latest research & Dark Sky Preservation Interviews with NASA, ESA, Australian and International Researchers New episodes feature in-depth conversations that go beyond the headlines to reveal the real science shaping our understanding of the cosmos. Refreshingly Independent and totally ad-free

Publisher

Brendan O'Brien: Astronomers, Astrophysicists & Space Scientists

Category

science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Jun 2016

Latest episode

28 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

246 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Oct 2026

   Astrophiz 245: November Sky Guide – Jupiter Occultation, Mars & Jupiter, Uranus Opposition, Leonid Storms

   Dr Ian 'Astroblog' Musgrave returns with your essential guide to the November 2026 night sky for Australian skies, including a daylight occultation of Jupiter on the 3rd, Mars and Jupiter just one degree apart on the 16th, Uranus at opposition on the 26th, and the Leonid meteor shower on the 18th. Venus returns to the morning sky alongside Spica and reaches greatest brilliancy on the 30th, Saturn still graces the evening sky, and the Full Moon on the 25th is almost a perigee Moon, a harbinger of December's proper one. Ian also has tips for finding Uranus between the Pleiades and the Hyades, and an update on T Coronae Borealis, which still hasn't gone bang. In the Tangent, Ian explains why the Leonids are famous for their spectacular storms in 1833, 1966, 1999, 2001 and 2002, and how new models of the dust trails from Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle predict meteor storms in 2033 and 2034 and a strong outburst in 2035. When we watch a meteor shower, we are seeing the memories of comets past. IN THIS EPISODE: • Moon phases and perigee/apogee dates • Evening skies: Saturn • Morning skies: Venus and Spica, Mars and Jupiter in Leo • Daylight occultation of Jupiter, Nov 3 (with safe observing tips) • Uranus at opposition, Nov 26 • The Leonid meteor shower, Nov 18 • Southern skies highlights • The Tangent: Leonid storms and the dust of comets past Full human-curated transcript and resources: https://astrophiz.com Follow Astrophiz: Website: https://astrophiz.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/astrophiz.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astrophiz #Astrophiz #SkyGuide #NovemberSky #Jupiter #Leonids #Uranus #Venus #AstronomyPodcast #Australia Astrophiz is an independent, non-commercial, ad-free astrophysics podcast, running since 2016, with over 240 episodes featuring space scientists from around the world. Twice monthly we explore the universe with the world's leading scientists. Produced on Yorta Yorta, Pangarang and Kaurna country. We celebrate and honour the first astronomers of this land, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

2. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Gravitational Waves, LISA & Dark Matter Black Holes: Laura Burn | Astrophiz 244

   What are gravitational waves, and could primordial black holes be dark matter? Astrophysicist Laura Byrne (University of Auckland) explains how the LISA space mission could detect them. Astrophiz podcast Episode 244. Laura Byrne is a PhD candidate modelling gravitational waves from merging black holes ahead of LISA, the first gravitational wave observatory in space. Her current work asks whether tiny primordial black holes orbiting supermassive black holes like Sagittarius A* could produce gravitational wave signals loud enough for LISA to detect, and what that would tell us about dark matter. She won the Kerr Prize for best student talk at the Australasian Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation. IN THIS EPISODE - What are gravitational waves? Ripples in spacetime, "hearing the universe", and over 300 detections since 2015 - The LISA mission: a gravitational wave detector 2.5 million kilometres long vs 5 km for LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA - Primordial black holes as a dark matter candidate - Modelling gravitational waves in Python: hyperbolic orbits, signal-to-noise ratios and the LISA global fit - Machine learning and AI in gravitational wave data analysis - Planetarium presenting, science education research and equity in physics - Early career advice: why universities should value teaching - What to watch next: Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Roman Space Telescope ABOUT LAURA BYRNE PhD candidate, University of Auckland (supervisor Prof Richard Easther). Integrated master's degree, University of Exeter. Planetarium presenter at Stardome, teaching fellow, and equity advocate in physics. FULL TRANSCRIPT AND SHOW NOTES astrophiz.com Laura's Study with Laura videos: YouTube Lecture: A Human History of Looking Up: From Stargazing to Space Lasers ABOUT ASTROPHIZ Astrophiz is an independent, ad-free, unsponsored astrophysics podcast hosted by Brendan O'Brien, with over 240 episodes featuring the world's leading space scientists. New interviews on the 15th of each month, and Dr Ian Musgrave's SkyGuide on the 1st. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud and YouTube. Produced on Yorta Yorta Country. Clear skies!

3. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Astrophiz 243: October Sky Guide – Saturn Opposition, Orionids & Life on Venus?

   Dr Ian 'Astroblog' Musgrave returns with your October 2026 Sky Guide for Australian skies, including Saturn at opposition (October 4), Mars crossing the Beehive Cluster (M44), the Orionid meteor shower, a daylight Lunar X on the 18th, and the occultation of Elnath (Beta Tauri) on October 29–30. Venus becomes a wire-thin crescent on its way to inferior conjunction on the 24th, Mercury reaches greatest elongation, and T Coronae Borealis still hasn't gone bang. In the Tangent: could life be hiding in the clouds of Venus? Ian explores the "unknown absorber" in Venus's sulfuric acid clouds, a new peptide candidate, the phosphine debate, and the microbes living in Earth's 'black smokers' (deep ocean vents). Full human-curated transcript and resources: WWW.astrophiz.com Follow: https://astrophiz.com | Bluesky: https://web-cdn.bsky.app/profile/astrophiz.bsky.social | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astrophiz #Astrophiz #SkyGuide #OctoberSky #Saturn #Orionids #Venus #AstronomyPodcast #Australia Astrophiz is an independent, non-commercial, ad-free astrophysics podcast, running since 2016, with over 240 episodes featuring space scientists from around the world. Also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Who has been a guest on Astrophiz Astronomy Podcasts

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dr Ian Musgrave
• Ian Musgrave
• us

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 59 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

82

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

89

Contact Astrophiz Astronomy Podcasts

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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