Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast

About Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast

Star Trails is a weekly astronomy podcast that begins in your backyard and expands outward to the edge of the universe. Each episode features a guide to the night sky visible across North America — constellations, planets, moon phases, and celestial events — along with deeper explorations of the science, history, and perspective that make astronomy one of humanity’s greatest adventures. From ancient skywatchers to modern spacecraft, from quiet stargazing to the violent deaths of stars, Star Trails reveals the beauty, mystery, and sometimes haunting reality of the cosmos.

Publisher

Single Malt Sky

Category

leisure · science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Feb 2024

Latest episode

8 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

131 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Nov 2026

   The Case of the Martian Meteorite

   Somewhere in the Sahara Desert, someone picked up an unusual, rose-colored stone. It wasn't particularly impressive to look at, but scientists would eventually discover that this little rock had traveled across millions of miles of space, survived a violent escape from another planet, and preserved evidence of events more than four billion years old. It came from Mars. In this episode, we're investigating the remarkable science of Martian meteorites. How can researchers identify a rock from another planet with such confidence? What do the Viking landers have to do with meteorites discovered on Earth? And what kind of cosmic catastrophe could send a piece of the Martian crust hurtling across the solar system? Along the way, we'll revisit one of the biggest astronomy stories of the 1990s: the sensational announcement that a Martian meteorite might contain evidence of ancient microbial life. We'll also examine the newly studied Teghaza 001 meteorite, whose minerals preserve clues to the earliest chapters of Martian history, including the role of water on the young Red Planet. Then, we'll turn our attention to one of the world's most famous paintings. New astronomical research suggests that Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night may have been inspired by a particular arrangement of the Moon, Venus, and the stars of Taurus in July 1889. Could modern astronomy help solve a 137-year-old artistic mystery? Finally, in our night sky report for November 8–14, 2026, we'll explore excellent dark-sky observing conditions around the new Moon, the Northern Taurid meteor shower, Saturn in the evening sky, Jupiter and Mars drawing closer before dawn, and some of autumn's finest celestial sights, including the Pleiades, Hyades, Andromeda Galaxy, and Orion Nebula. Connect with us on Bluesky @ (https://bsky.app/profile/startrails.bsky.social)startrails.bsky.social (http://startrails.bsky.social) If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/startrails)! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp (https://liminalhorizon.bandcamp.com/) page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com (http://RSS.com)! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our (https://rss.com/?via=c89b5b)RSS.com (http://RSS.com) affiliate link (https://rss.com/?via=c89b5b) for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

2. 

   1 Nov 2026

   The Darkroom at the Edge of the Universe

   There was a time when photographing a distant galaxy required enormous telescopes, glass photographic plates, exotic chemistry, and almost unimaginable patience. But capturing the light was only half the battle. Sometimes the greatest discoveries were hiding inside the photographs themselves, waiting for someone clever enough to bring them into view. This week we explore the extraordinary work of David Malin, the photographic scientist whose ingenious darkroom techniques helped transform our view of the universe. Working with massive telescopes at the Anglo-Australian Observatory, Malin developed ways to reveal faint cosmic structures and assemble breathtaking color photographs from black-and-white negatives. His work helped uncover previously unseen features of distant galaxies, including an enormous, ghostly spiral that now bears his name. We'll also revisit the sometimes miserable world of film astrophotography, from manually guiding telescopes through hours-long exposures to treating photographic film to make it more sensitive to faint light. And we'll consider how Malin's legacy lives on in today's digital cameras, image-stacking software, and remarkable little smart telescopes that can photograph galaxies from our own backyards. Plus, in our night sky report for November 1–7, 2026: The waning Moon brings darker evenings, Mars and Jupiter brighten the morning sky, Venus returns to the dawn, and Saturn remains a rewarding evening target. We'll also visit some of autumn's finest binocular sights, including the Andromeda Galaxy, the Double Cluster, and the Pleiades. Connect with us on Bluesky @ (https://bsky.app/profile/startrails.bsky.social)startrails.bsky.social (http://startrails.bsky.social) If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/startrails)! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp (https://liminalhorizon.bandcamp.com/) page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com (http://RSS.com)! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our (https://rss.com/?via=c89b5b)RSS.com (http://RSS.com) affiliate link (https://rss.com/?via=c89b5b) for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

3. 

   25 Oct 2026

   The Telescope is Full of Water!

   What began as an innocent evening of stargazing quickly descended into a strange expedition through the peculiar subcultures of amateur astronomy. Armed with little more than an inexpensive pair of binoculars, I ventured into the darkness among veteran telescope operators, technological evangelists, observatory aristocrats, and one particularly determined defender of old-school astronomy. There were passionate disagreements about computerized telescopes, unexpected debates over lawn furniture, and an aging Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope slowly transforming itself into a rainwater collection system. Somewhere along the way, a humble pineapple cake achieved legendary status, and the Andromeda Galaxy proved considerably easier to find with binoculars than with a telescope. But beneath the absurdity lies something worth remembering. Whether we're navigating by printed star charts, collecting photons with sophisticated digital instruments, or simply wandering the Milky Way with a pair of binoculars, we're all looking for the same thing: a little wonder beneath the stars. There's no single correct way to enjoy the universe, and sometimes the best observing equipment is whatever makes you happiest. Also in this episode: Remember when we said there were no green stars? Well, astronomers have discovered a remarkable white dwarf that may force us to qualify that statement. Drew revisits the science of stellar colors and explains how a dead star contaminated by the remains of its planetary system can appear ghostly green. And in our Halloween-themed Night Sky Report for October 25–31, 2026, we'll explore the Hunter's Moon, a visit to the Pleiades, the eerie eclipses of Algol, the Demon Star, and the possibility of a few spectacular Taurid fireballs. Connect with us on Bluesky @ (https://bsky.app/profile/startrails.bsky.social)startrails.bsky.social (http://startrails.bsky.social) If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/startrails)! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp (https://liminalhorizon.bandcamp.com/) page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com (http://RSS.com)! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our (https://rss.com/?via=c89b5b)RSS.com (http://RSS.com) affiliate link (https://rss.com/?via=c89b5b) for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

Reach and audience

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

YouTube views

3,459

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 65 / 100

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

Quality

79

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

60

Contact Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

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

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