Hi! I’m Diya — I study astrophysics and planetary science at Caltech, and I love breaking down complex space concepts so that anyone can understand them. Spaced Out is all about making astrophysics fun, accessible, and just the right amount of mind-blowing. Learn more at www.spacedoutpodcast.com and read about it on substack: diyasparkle.substack.com
Most planetary systems are born in beautiful orbital resonances, these elegant gravitational rhythms where planets lock into precise integer ratios.
But when those resonances break, the resulting chaos might either destroy world... or deliver the ingredients for life!
Please let me know if there are any topics you would like to break down or conversations you want to hear!
Note: This music is not mine, you can find it on Youtube and other platforms.
Title: Cosmic Storm by A Himitsu
Images: Kosmos Institute, Wikipedia, NASA, Medium, Wikipedia, and Wikipedia (respectively)
30 Aug 2025
Hot Jupiters with Professor Malena Rice
Hot Jupiters are some of the strangest planets we have discovered - they are giant planets that orbit scorchingly close to their stars. How do they exist, and what can they teach us about planetary systems? I chat with Yale Professor Malena Rice about her research into these mysterious planets and what they can reveal about planet formation. Enjoy!
Please let me know if there are any topics you would like to break down or conversations you want to hear!
Note: This music is not mine, you can find it on Youtube and other platforms.
Title: Cosmic Storm by A Himitsu
27 Jul 2025
Lunar Origins: Long Before the Landing
Long before humans left footprints on the Moon's surface, it had a much more violent beginning! In this episode we go back to the formation of the solar system to explore the Moon's origin story and understand how vital it is to life on Earth. Enjoy!
Please let me know if there are any topics you would like to break down or conversations you want to hear!
Note: This music is not mine, you can find it on Youtube and other platforms.
Title: Cosmic Storm by A Himitsu
20 May 2025
Cosmic Fireworks with Professor Mansi Kasliwal
An engaging discussion with Caltech Professor Mansi Kasliwal on what she describes as "Cosmic Fireworks" - the brightest, fastest, and most energetic events in our Universe! We break down what they are, why they are relevant, how we observe them, and what they have taught us! Enjoy!
Please let me know if there are any topics you would like to break down or conversations you want to hear!
Note: This music is not mine, you can find it on Youtube and other platforms.
Title: Cosmic Storm by A Himitsu
2 Apr 2025
Explaining the Silence: Theories for Alien Life
In this episode of Spaced Out, we dive deeper into one of the most puzzling questions: given the size and age of the universe, why haven't we found intelligent life yet?
Building on the last episode about the Drake Equation and the Fermi Paradox, we explore several theories—some grounded in science, others leaning into sci-fi—that try to explain this silence.
Whether you're curious about how fragile life might be, or wondering if aliens are deliberately hiding from us - this episode helps set the stage for even more questions about our place in the universe.
Note: This music is not mine, you can find it on YouTube and other platforms!
Title: Cosmic Storm by A Himitsu
23 Mar 2025
The Numbers Say Aliens Are Out There—So Where Are They?
In this episode of Spaced Out, we look at one of the most fascinating questions in science: why haven't we found any aliens?
Before we explore the many theories that try and explain this, I walk through the Drake equation - a super useful way to think about how many intelligent civilizations could be out there. It's not so much a strict calculation as it is a framework for searching for life. Then, we introduce Fermi's Paradox - the mystery that drives our theories,
This episode sets up everything we’ll explore next time, where I’ll go through some of the theories people have come up with to explain the silence. Enjoy!
Note: This music is not mine, you can find it on YouTube and other platforms!
Title: Cosmic Storm by A Himitsu
4 Nov 2024
Planet Formation
This is a crash course to planet formation! In this episode, you will learn how planets form from dust grains and gas, the different temperatures and compositions in the disk, and why the planets in our solar system exist where they do. This episode naturally follows the last one, the Physics of Star Formation. It is a bit longer of an episode, but is easy to follow. Enjoy!
Note: This music is not mine, you can find it on YouTube and other platforms!
Title: Cosmic Storm by A Himitsu
3 Sept 2024
The Physics Behind Star Formation
The very beginning of one of my favorite astronomy topics (planet formation) is star formation! In this episode, I explain the basics of star formation (especially the physics behind it) in simple ways, with many analogies! I hope you all enjoy it!
Note: This music is not mine, you can find it on YouTube and other platforms!
Title: Cosmic Storm by A Himitsu
28 Apr 2021
Episode 11: Stellar Evolution- How Stars Form!
This episode covers stellar evolution, specifically how stars form from nebula into protostars, failed stars, and T-tauri stars! Another episode will cover the end of a stars life. Let me know if you have any questions, suggestions for future episodes, or comments.
23 Dec 2020
Episode Ten- Mars Perseverance Rover
An overview of the Perseverance rover's mission, the helicopter Ingenuity, and what we hope this mission will reveal to us!
8 Sept 2020
Episode Nine- Podcast with Astrophysics Researcher Christine
This episode is one where I talk to an experienced researcher, Christine Ye, about black holes!
9 Jun 2020
Episode Eight- Crew Dragon Launch!
This episode is about the recent launch from the Kennedy Space Center, a short one that explains the purpose of the mission, what it will accomplish in the future, and its significance. Let me know if you have any questions or what you think! I appreciate comments about the episodes or suggestions for new topics to cover!
20 Apr 2020
Episode Seven- The Planets in our Solar System Part 2
Part 2! Some links I used:Jupiter- https://space-facts.com/jupiter/Saturn- https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/home/F_Saturn_Fun_Facts_K-4.htmlUranus- https://space-facts.com/uranus/Neptune- no specific site, but search some up!
20 Apr 2020
Episode Six- The Planets in our Solar System Part 1
This episode is about the first 4 planets in our solar system! Ask me any questions you have and I'll do my best to answer!Here are some links to the resources I used for the interesting facts:Mercury- https://space-facts.com/mercury/Venus- https://theplanets.org/venus/Mars- https://space-facts.com/mars/
15 Mar 2020
Episode Five- The Kepler Space Telescope
This episode is about the Kepler Space Telescope, its mission, the reaction wheel failure, and how the engineers and scientists overcame it.
15 Dec 2019
Episode Four- Exoplanets
This episode is about exoplanets, the most commonly known ones and their classifications!
25 Aug 2019
Episode Three - Dark Matter and Energy
This episode is on the explanation of what dark matter and dark energy are and how there is so much yet to discover about them. I hope you enjoy it and learn something new/refresh your memory!
19 Jun 2019
Episode Two -The Big Bang
This episode is about the Big Bang and other components of the theory. I hope you enjoy it and if you have any ideas on topics for future episodes, please let me know!
6 Jun 2019
Episode One - Supernovae
Welcome to the first episode of Spaced Out! Today, I am talking about Supernovae and how they are formed. Please listen to it and let me know what you think.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
18 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 37 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
53
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
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