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The Supermassive Podcast

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Rating
★★★★★
4.6
from
315 reviews
This podcast has
107 episodes
Language
English
Date created
2020/01/17
Latest episode
2026/01/29
Average duration
37 min.
Release period
17 days

Description

The UK's #1 space podcast. Science journalist Izzie Clarke and astrophysicist Dr Becky Smethurst whizz through the universe to explore the latest research with leading experts, dive to history from the society’s archives and take on your weird and wonderful questions about all things space. Can we gravitationally hitch-hike out of the solar system? Do we live in a multiverse? What is time? Plus Dr Robert Massey is on hand with his top star-gazing tips. Want to support the show? Join The Supermassive Club for exclusive content, star-gazing forums and ad-free listening... supermassive.supportingcast.fm And keep adding to The Supermassive Mailbox with your pictures and questions for the team. Send them to [email protected] or follow them on Instagram, @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production for the Royal Astronomical Society. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Podcast episodes

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Q&A: Meteors, Artemis II, and Space Bathtubs
2026/01/29
The Supermassive Podcast is back for 2026, and we've got a MEGA Q&A.  What happens when two nebulae collide? Where did Neptune and Uranus form? What’s the procedure for a medical emergency on the ISS? And more. Plus, Izzie, Dr Becky, Robert and Richard cover everything you need to know ahead of the launch of Artemis II.  And here are the links to things we promised you in this episode...  Our episode "How to Time Travel"Our episode "Do We Live in a Multiverse?"Richard's brilliant Space Boffins podcast Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening, forum access, and extra content from the team. And email your questions to [email protected] or follow us on Instagram, @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to Time Travel
2025/12/23
Fire up your flux capacitor and dematerialise your Tardis because The Supermassive Podcast is traveling in time. Is it possible? How does it work? And, crucially, which films got the physics right (or wrong!)?  Thank you to Dr Emma Osborne from the University of York, and Dr Alfredo Carpinetti from IFLScience for their help on this episode. Alfredo's upcoming book, Invisible Rainbows, will be available for pre-order soon.  Here's the Time Travel in Fiction Rundown from Minute Physics Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening, forum access, and extra content from the team. And email your questions to [email protected] or follow us on Instagram, @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BONUS - Slingshots, Christmas Presents & Alien Communication
2025/12/15
What would it be like to feel gravitational waves? How are satellites protected from extreme solar storms? How do gravity slingshots work? Are aliens potentially communicating outside of the electromagnetic spectrum? Plus Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert share their annual Christmas present recommendations. Keep sending your questions to [email protected], Instagram @SupermassivePod or members can post on The Supermassive Club's forum. Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening, forum access, and extra content from the team. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Protecting Our Dark Skies
2025/12/01
What are the threats to our dark night skies? And what needs to be done to protect them? Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert explore this important topic and head outside (...and the weather was not on their side!)  Thank you to Dr Samantha Lawler at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan and Andy Lawrence, the Regis professor of astronomy at the University of Edinburgh.  Don't forget to join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening, forum access, and extra content from the team.  The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BONUS - Supermassive Gone Rogue
2025/11/14
Can JWST detect exomoons? How can black holes keep absorbing more mass? How big is our cosmic neighbourhood? And what is a rogue black hole?! Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert answer YOUR questions. You can add to The Supermassive Mailbox by emailing [email protected] or messaging us on instagram @SupermassivePod. To support the show join The Supermassive Club and access ad-free listening, forum discussions, and member's only content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Watery History of Mars
2025/11/01
Grab your space swimsuit, Izzie and Dr Becky explore Mars' wet past. When did the red planet have water? Where did it go? And were there canals on Mars?  Thank you to Joe McNeil from the Natural History Museum and Sian Prosser from the Royal Astronomical Society.  If you like this topic, you might want to check out the NHM's new exhibition Space: Could life exist beyond Earth? Don't forget to join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening, forum access, and behind the scenes from the team.  The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BONUS - Mercury, Gemini and Pringles
2025/10/16
It’s space book club time, featuring the latest book by author and photography expert Andy Saunders: Gemini and Mercury Remastered. Producer Richard enthuses about these mid-60s missions and we talk to the author. Meanwhile, Dr Becky, Izzie and Dr Robert also discuss Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith. With questions on the size of space and why the centres of galaxies are brighter, it really is quite the bonus episode.   You can hear a longer version of the interview with Andy Saunders in the latest Space Boffins Podcast.   Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening and share your questions, images and more. Or email reach us at [email protected] or on Instagram @SupermassivePod (particularly if you discover a comet). The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Don't Panic…but a solar storm could be a disaster
2025/09/24
It's been 166 years since scientists recorded the world's most powerful solar explosion. Izzie, Dr Becky and Dr Robert Massey are big fans of anniversaries, so they investigate how the Carrington Event affected the Earth - and why something similar today could be devastating. Thanks to Kate Bond from the Royal Astronomical Society and Matthew West from ESA's Vigil for joining us on this episode. Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening and to share you questions, images and more. Or email them to [email protected] or on Instagram @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BONUS - Are we Living in a Black Hole?
2025/09/09
What would happen if the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy disappeared? Dr Becky is back to tackle your toughest of black hole questions. Alongside science journalist Izzie Clarke and Dr Robert Massey, the team also discuss what the night sky would look like in an elliptical galaxy…and are we living inside a black hole?   Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening and share your questions, images and more. Or email them to [email protected] or on Instagram @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Supermassive Q and A...Live!
2025/08/26
We are live at the National Astronomy Meeting in Durham with questions on everything from white holes and fuzzy stars, to solar storms and time travel. Science journalist Izzie Clarke is joined by Dr Ziri Younsi – part of the team that took the first picture of a black hole. Also on the panel, Jim Wild, Professor of Space Physics at Lancaster University and president-elect of the Royal Astronomical Society…and the one and only Dr Robert Massey, Deputy Director of the Royal Astronomical Society.   Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening and share your questions, images and more. Or email them to [email protected] or on Instagram @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BONUS - What Shape is Space?
2025/08/12
Izzie Clarke is joined by Dr Robert Massey to tackle your questions on the shape of space, measuring gravitational waves and planet spotting. We also have another - another! - astronaut: Producer Richard chats to British ESA astronaut Rosemary Coogan about her background as an astrophysicist.  Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening and share your questions, images and more. Or email them to [email protected] or on Instagram @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Astronauts. Do we need them?
2025/07/29
It’s a brave question to put to three astronauts live on stage but it’s a risk we are prepared to take. Recorded in front of a live audience at the UK Space Conference in Manchester, European Space Agency astronauts Tim Peake, Meganne Christian and John McFall discuss the future of human space exploration. Could robots or AI take their place? Will a trip to the Moon be as common as flying across the Atlantic? And can humans be trusted to not mess with Mars?   Host Izzie Clarke asks the big questions, producer Richard Hollingham threatens the audience, and (soft sceptic) Dr Robert Massey is prepared to be unpopular as they contemplate the role of astronauts in the 21st century.   Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening and share your questions, images and more. Or email them to [email protected] or on Instagram @SupermassivePod.   The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BONUS - Where are Earth's rings?
2025/07/19
What would happen if asteroid Bennu impacted Earth? Can we timelapse Saturn's rings developing? Where are Earth's rings? Plus the solar wind on Mars... The Supermassive team answer YOUR questions. Keep sending questions to [email protected], on Instagram @SupermassivePod or join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening and to support the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Why isn't Pluto a planet?
2025/06/30
Izzie and Dr Becky decided that little ol’ Pluto doesn’t get much attention anymore. So we’re giving the dwarf planet some time in the spotlight. Why isn't Pluto a planet? How small is it? And what makes it so unique? Thank you to Prof Alan Fitzsimmons from Queens University of Belfast joining us episode. Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening and share you questions, images and more. Or email them to [email protected] or on Instagram @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
BONUS - Why aren’t stars closer together?
2025/06/11
What would happen if planets collided at a snail's pace? How much of Avengers Endgame regarding time is scientifically acceptable? Why aren't stars closer together? And the team discuss a listener's theory to terra-form Mars. Want to support the show? Join The Supermassive Club for exclusive content, star-gazing forums and ad-free listening... supermassive.supportingcast.fm And keep adding to The Supermassive Mailbox with your pictures and questions for the team. Send them to [email protected] or follow them on Instagram, @SupermassivePod. The Supermassive Podcast is a Boffin Media production for the Royal Astronomical Society. The producers are Izzie Clarke and Richard Hollingham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast reviews

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4.6 out of 5
315 reviews
★★★★★
Greg L Law 2025/11/23
Long time listener, first time reviewer
I continue to enjoy listening to your podcast on my daily walks in Alexandria, VA, USA. As a very amateur/backyard stargazer, I really appreciate how ...
★☆☆☆☆
EvanWagnerATL 2026/01/30
Liberals.
I liked this show alright I guess till they got into POLITICS and rewrote history. Pluto was a panel until Barack HUSSEIN O’Bummer cancelled it becaus...
★★★★★
Griswold Bookbinder 2025/07/07
Outstanding podcast
Great podcast, very well thought out. Great cast and fantastic insight. Love the show, please keep up the excellent work. I look forward to your new e...
★★★★☆
Carneades 2025/08/15
Interesting but simple
It is a bit surprising that a podcast representing the Royal Astronomical Society would be at such a simple level and have such giggling hosts.
★★★★★
MaxWoodstock 2025/03/17
Absolutely wonderful podcast
Fun to listen to
★★★★★
Paige 1033 2024/08/10
Love, love, love...
Thank you for this wonderful dive into a field that fascinates me. If I could go back in life, I would become an astrophysist! You the invited this fl...
★☆☆☆☆
Jason18224 2025/02/20
Chased me away
I was liking and enjoying this podcast. Until they started supporting the mentally ill. There are only 2 genders nothing else. And bashing Trump and E...
★★★★★
SkienceGuy 2024/07/07
Amazing and Intriguing for all Levels
As a physics and astronomy major in college who has to drive a lot, I have been looking for a good podcast to listen to on my daily commute. Even with...
★★★★★
@Dharma0ne 2024/05/23
So enjoyable!
Thank you all for such a great podcast! You always have interesting topics, fun guests and the dynamic and style between the host is really enjoyable ...
★★★★★
riggity34 2024/04/10
Awesome podcast
Very interesting and breaks down hard concepts for simple minds. Love this.
check all reviews on apple podcasts

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