Star Trails: From Backyard Astronomy to Cosmic Wonder
Published by Single Malt Sky
Leisure
Hobbies
Science
Astronomy
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.
What happens when a black hole spins? According to general relativity, it doesn't simply rotate in space, it actually drags spacetime around with it. This episode explores the strange phenomenon known as frame dragging, from its first predictions more than a century ago to new observations that may let astronomers watch it at work around supermassive black holes. We'll visit a distant black hole where the remains of a shredded star appear to be wobbling through twisted spacetime, then return to the center of our own Milky Way to meet S301, a star racing around Sagittarius A* at more than eight percent of the speed of light. Its extreme orbit may eventually help astronomers measure the spin of our galaxy's central black hole. And there's plenty happening closer to home. A spent Falcon 9 rocket stage is expected to crash into the Moon on August 5, Comet 10P/Tempel is making a favorable pass through the inner Solar System, and the Perseid meteor shower arrives under nearly perfect dark-sky conditions thanks to the New Moon. We'll also look at Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter in the August sky, plus the total solar eclipse of August 12. Finally, we look back fifty years to Viking 1 and the extraordinary moment when Mars stopped being merely a world seen from afar and became a place with rocks, dirt, sky, and a horizon. It's a packed couple of weeks beneath the stars. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
Most amateur astronomers spend their nights collecting light. But what if you could study our galaxy without looking through a telescope at all? In this episode, we sit down with amateur astronomer and radio enthusiast Hap Griffin to explore the fascinating world of backyard radio astronomy. Using a homemade radio telescope consisting of a recycled microwave dish, and less than $100 worth of electronics, Hap is recreating one of the classic experiments that revealed the Milky Way's spiral structure. Along the way, you'll learn how astronomers use the natural radio emission from hydrogen gas to map our galaxy, why radio astronomy works day or night, and why this remarkable corner of the hobby is far more accessible than most people realize. Later in the episode, we'll head outside for a look at the night sky from July 19 through August 1, including the Full Buck Moon, Saturn's return to the late evening sky, the Double-Double in Lyra, M13, the Lagoon Nebula, and two summer meteor showers. Links mentioned in this episode: RTL-SDR (Amazon.com) Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) for 21 cm use (Amazon.com) SDR# (SDRSharp) software Parabolic antenna for hydrogen line applications (Amazon.com) Hap's presentation on radio astronomy (PDF) Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
What if the mysterious "Planet Nine" isn't a planet at all? In this episode, we journey to the distant frontier of our Solar System to explore one of astronomy's strangest modern hypotheses: the possibility that the unseen object influencing the orbits of distant icy worlds could actually be a primordial black hole, an ancient relic formed in the first moments after the Big Bang. Along the way, we'll revisit the discovery of Neptune, learn how astronomers detect objects they can't even see, and discover why gravity often reveals secrets long before telescopes do. We'll also look at the real observatories and sky surveys that may one day solve the mystery once and for all. Then we'll head outside for your complete night sky guide for July 5-18, 2026, featuring the upcoming New Moon, Saturn in the morning sky, a beautiful crescent Moon meeting Venus, prime Milky Way observing, deep-sky targets including M13 and the Ring Nebula, and the first hints of summer meteor activity. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
For generations, we've pictured the Solar System as a stable and orderly place: planets forming where they are today and quietly orbiting the Sun for billions of years. But what if that picture is wrong? In this episode, we explore the Grand Tack Hypothesis, a fascinating idea suggesting that Jupiter may have migrated deep into the young Solar System before reversing course and heading back outward. Along the way, the giant planet may have reshaped the asteroid belt, influenced the formation of Mars, and helped determine whether Earth as we know it could exist at all. We'll also take a closer look at Jupiter's complicated reputation as both protector and troublemaker. Does the Solar System's largest planet shield Earth from dangerous impacts, or does it sometimes send trouble our way? Later, we'll celebrate the arrival of summer with a look at the summer solstice and explore what's happening in this week's night sky, including the Moon, the bright evening planets, the Summer Triangle, and the first great views of the summer Milky Way. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
Summer is almost here, and with it comes one of the richest observing seasons of the year. In this episode, we take a road trip through the summer sky, exploring the constellations, deep-sky objects, planets, meteor showers, and celestial events that will define the next three months of stargazing. Along the way we'll visit the Summer Triangle, cruise through the star clouds of the Milky Way, stop at famous landmarks like the Great Hercules Cluster and the Lagoon Nebula, and look ahead to the Perseid meteor shower and a deep partial lunar eclipse later this summer. Summer astronomy has its own character. The nights are warm, the Milky Way is bright, and some of the best observing experiences come not from reaching a destination, but from wandering beneath the stars and discovering something unexpected along the way. In this episode: The Summer Triangle and why it signals the arrival of summer Exploring the Milky Way with binoculars The Great Rift and the crowded heart of our galaxy M13, the Lagoon Nebula, the Trifid Nebula, the Ring Nebula, and other summer favorites The myths and stories behind Scorpius, Sagittarius, Cygnus, and Hercules Venus, Saturn, and notable summer conjunctions The Southern Delta Aquariids and Perseid meteor showers August's deep partial lunar eclipse Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
Back in November of 2024, I attended a star party hosted by the Midlands Astronomy Club and recorded what became one of my favorite episodes of Star Trails. This week, while taking a short break to recharge and prepare future episodes, I thought it would be the perfect time to revisit that night under the stars. In this remastered archive presentation, we’ll head out to a dark-sky observing site where amateur astronomers gather with telescopes, guitars, stories, and a shared fascination with the cosmos. Along the way, you’ll hear conversations with longtime stargazers, club members, and curious newcomers as we explore what makes star parties so special — and why astronomy is often just as much about community as it is the night sky itself. You’ll hear stories about first telescopes, vintage gear, cloudy-night camaraderie, public outreach, and the unforgettable experience of seeing Saturn or the Moon through a telescope for the very first time. Even when the weather refuses to cooperate, the sense of wonder remains. This episode features newly recorded narration and updated audio production, but otherwise remains preserved as originally released in 2024. Whether you’re hearing it for the first time or revisiting it alongside me, I hope it reminds you why we gather beneath the stars in the first place. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
This week we conclude our month-long journey through galaxies by exploring one of the biggest questions in astronomy: how galaxies are born, evolve, and eventually die. We begin in the aftermath of the Big Bang, tracing how tiny fluctuations in matter slowly grew into the first galaxies. Along the way, we explore starburst galaxies, galactic recycling, and the remarkable realization that the elements making up planets, oceans, and even human beings were forged inside ancient generations of stars. Then we dive into one of the universe’s greatest mysteries: supermassive black holes. Why do most galaxies appear to contain them? Where did these enormous black holes come from? And did galaxies create black holes, or did black holes help create galaxies? We’ll also explore active galactic nuclei, quasars, and the astonishing discovery that some black holes may have formed far earlier than astronomers once believed possible. Finally, we examine the groundbreaking discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope and the ancient galaxies it has revealed, galaxies appearing surprisingly massive and chemically evolved only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. We close by looking toward the distant future, where galaxies fade into quiet “red and dead” remnants, and where strange objects like jellyfish galaxies reveal that even galaxies themselves can slowly suffocate and die. Plus: This week’s night sky for May 24–30, 2026 The mythology and zodiac lore of Leo A look at the Blue Moon arriving on May 31st Planet visibility for Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn And a deep sky visit to Messier 87 — the galaxy whose supermassive black hole became the first ever directly imaged by humanity. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
This week we continue our month-long journey through the world of galaxies, but this time, we venture into one of astronomy’s darkest frontiers. Beyond the glowing spirals and brilliant star clouds lies a universe filled with hidden structures, invisible matter, and mysteries that continue to challenge modern science. We venture into the Zone of Avoidance, a cosmic blind spot created by the dust and stars of our own Milky Way, and ask whether entire galaxies may still be hiding just beyond our view. From ghostly ultra-diffuse galaxies like Dragonfly 44, to the invisible gravitational scaffolding of dark matter, we’ll follow the clues that reveal a universe far stranger than it first appears. Along the way, we’ll look at the mind-bending beauty of gravitational lensing, the mysterious pull of the Great Attractor, and the breathtaking scale of the cosmic web, an immense network of filaments, nodes, and voids that connects galaxies across billions of light-years. Later in the show, we step back outside for your weekly night sky report, featuring dark skies after the new moon, evening views of Venus and Jupiter, pre-dawn glimpses of Saturn and Mars, early Milky Way core season, and a few lesser-known galaxy targets hiding in Canes Venatici. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
This week we continue our month-long journey through the world of galaxies, but this time, we move beyond what galaxies are and explore what galaxies actually do. It turns out these vast islands of stars are anything but static. They collide, merge, exchange gas and dust, fling stars into deep space, and sometimes grow by consuming smaller neighbors in a process astronomers call galactic cannibalism. We begin close to home with the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy, a hidden companion galaxy currently being torn apart by the gravity of our own Milky Way. From there, we travel some 70 million light-years away to the spectacular Antennae Galaxies, where two spiral galaxies are locked in a slow-motion collision that is both destructive, and strangely creative. Along the way, we recall my recent conversation with astrophysicist Enrique López Rodríguez to explore the possibility of magnetic bridges and “superhighways” carrying gas, dust, and charged particles between galaxies, raising the astonishing possibility that the raw ingredients of future planets may sometimes originate far beyond their home galaxy. And finally, we return to the question we teased last week: What about us? Is the long-predicted collision between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy still inevitable? New observations from Hubble Space Telescope and Gaia suggest the answer may be far less certain than we once believed. We'll also check in with this week's night sky, and wrap up our discussion of NightWatch. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
This week, we begin a new month-long journey into one of the most awe-inspiring subjects in astronomy: Galaxies. We start close to home by exploring our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and asking a deceptively simple question: where does a galaxy actually end? Along the way, we’ll explore spiral arms, dark matter, supermassive black holes, the hidden structure of our galactic halo, and the faint ghostly glow of Integrated Flux Nebula, dust clouds illuminated by the combined light of billions of stars. We’ll also discover why our solar system doesn’t align with the Milky Way the way you might expect, how astronomers mapped our galaxy from the inside using radio waves, and what the night sky might look like if the Milky Way simply vanished. Later in the episode: I report on a backyard observation of Amazon’s recent Leo satellite launch, plus, this week’s night sky highlights, the Eta Aquariid meteor shower, Jupiter and Saturn, and a trio of deep-sky galaxies perfect for spring observing. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast . If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
In this episode we step behind the scenes of modern astronomy to explore a side of the universe you can’t see, at least not directly. We sit down with Professor Enrique López Rodríguez, an extragalactic astronomer at the University of South Carolina and one of the leading researchers in the United States studying magnetic fields in galaxies. The conversation also dives into the complex behavior of supermassive black holes, some actively feeding and driving powerful outflows, others surprisingly quiet, and how these cosmic engines influence the evolution of entire galaxies. Along the way, we’ll look at how modern astronomy is mapping the hidden forces that connect the universe. And later in the show, we return to something a little closer to home with this week’s night sky, featuring the rising Flower Moon, bright evening planets, and a deep-sky tour through one of the richest regions of galaxies visible from Earth. Links mentioned: Enrique Lopez Rodriguez online Survey of Extragalactic Magnetism with SOFIA Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast . If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
In this episode, we explore the role of computers in astronomy. From the ancient Antikythera Mechanism and the human “computers” of the Harvard College Observatory, to the rise of electronic machines, supercomputers like the Cray-2, and modern programming languages like Fortran and Python, we trace the evolution of how we’ve learned to model and understand the universe. Along the way, we dive into concepts like data reduction, radio interferometry, distributed computing with SETI@home, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in making new discoveries. We also take a hands-on detour, compiling a simple N-body simulation in Fortran and visualizing the results with Python—bringing a tiny gravitational universe to life. Later in the show, we step outside for this week’s night sky, featuring a delicate crescent Moon with Earthshine, the Lyrid meteor shower, a beautiful pairing of Venus and the Moon, and a selection of deep sky targets for patient observers. Links mentioned: My N-Body Fortran simulation Using AI to identify objects from Hubble data Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast . If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
In this episode, we move beyond what the eye can see and into a universe that has been quietly speaking all along. Radio astronomy has transformed our understanding of the cosmos, not by capturing images, but by detecting faint signals that have traveled across space for billions of years. From the accidental discovery of radio waves from the Milky Way by Karl Jansky, to the detection of the afterglow of the Big Bang, this field has revealed a hidden layer of reality that optical astronomy alone could never uncover. We’ll explore how radio telescopes actually work, from signal capture and amplification to digitization and frequency analysis using the Fast Fourier Transform. Along the way, we’ll break down concepts like interferometry, beamforming, and deconvolution—techniques that allow astronomers to reconstruct images from incomplete data and even map the structure of our own galaxy using hydrogen emissions. We’ll also take a look at one of the most remarkable achievements in modern astronomy: the first image of a black hole, created by the Event Horizon Telescope, a global network of observatories that effectively turned Earth itself into a single telescope. And we’ll connect these advanced techniques back to everyday life. The same math and signal processing used to study the universe are also at work in your phone, your Wi-Fi router, and your headphones. Later in the show, we reflect on a striking new image from the Artemis II mission, and step outside for a look at this week’s night sky, featuring dark skies, distant galaxies, and a subtle planetary alignment for early risers. Links mentioned: Artemis II Wake-Up playlist on Spotify "Hello World" image from Artemis II Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast . If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
What makes a song feel like space? In this special bonus episode of Star Trails, we take a deep dive into the song "Space Oddity," not just as a piece of music, but as a story of distance, disconnection, and drift. Released in 1969 at the height of the space race, Bowie’s breakout hit arrived alongside humanity’s first steps on the Moon. The BBC even used it during their coverage of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, a strange pairing for a song about an astronaut who never makes it home. But the real story of Space Oddity goes deeper. Through subtle harmonic shifts, borrowed chords, and unconventional production techniques, the song itself begins to drift, mirroring the fate of its protagonist, Major Tom. We’ll explore: How the song quietly abandons its musical “home,” why instruments like the Mellotron and Stylophone create a sense of distance, the role of stereo mixing, reverb, and tape-era studio tricks in shaping its sound, and how Bowie’s use of characters allows the story to resonate on a deeper level. Along the way, we trace the song’s journey beyond Earth itself, including Chris Hadfield’s performance aboard the International Space Station. More than 50 years after its release, Space Oddity remains a haunting reflection on what it means to leave home, and what happens when you don’t come back. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast . If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
This week we step inside one of astronomy’s most iconic spaces: the observatory. Drew visits Melton Memorial Observatory and sits down with director Martin Bowers to explore what a nearly 100-year-old, urban observatory still offers today. From public viewing nights to hands-on learning, we look at how these classic domes continue to connect people with the night sky, even under city lights. Then, we zoom out to the bigger picture. From Mount Wilson Observatory and Palomar Observatory to Mauna Kea Observatories and Paranal Observatory, we trace how observatories evolved from simple telescopes into powerful instruments that reshaped our understanding of the universe. All of it built on a simple idea: gathering light, photon by photon. Plus, a quick look at what’s in the night sky for the week of April 5th. Links mentioned in this episode: Melton Memorial Observatory Website Melton Facebook Page Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast . If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
This week we leave the familiar planets behind and venture into the farthest reaches of our Solar System, into regions where the Sun’s influence begins to fade and the boundaries of our cosmic neighborhood grow uncertain. We explore the Kuiper Belt, a vast disk of icy remnants left over from the formation of the planets, and travel even farther into the mysterious Oort Cloud, a distant, spherical halo of objects that may extend halfway to the nearest stars. Along the way, we uncover the discoveries that reshaped our understanding of the Solar System, from the first detection of Kuiper Belt objects to the controversial reclassification of Pluto after the discovery of Eris. We also follow the journey of the Voyager spacecraft, now drifting through interstellar space yet still deep within the Sun’s extended domain, and examine the ongoing search for the elusive Planet Nine, a world that may exist only as a gravitational whisper in the darkness. And then there are the visitors: interstellar objects like ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov, fragments from other star systems passing briefly through our own. In this week’s night sky report, we look ahead to the April 1 Full Moon, known as the Pink Moon, and highlight what you can still observe under bright moonlight, including Jupiter, several star clusters, and a beautiful close pairing of the Moon and Regulus. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast . If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
The most intriguing places in our solar system might not be planets at all. This week we turn our attention to some of the most fascinating and unusual worlds in our solar system: its moons. For most of human history, we assumed moons were quiet, lifeless companions like our own. But as spacecraft ventured deeper into the outer solar system, a very different picture emerged. Some moons erupt with volcanoes. Some hide vast oceans beneath miles of ice. Some have weather, rivers, and lakes, made not of water, but methane. And a few of them may have the ingredients necessary for life. We’ll explore these strange worlds, from Io and Europa to Titan and Enceladus, and take a closer look at what makes them so dynamic. Along the way, we’ll revisit Pluto and its surprisingly complex family of moons, and consider why the outer solar system is teeming with these objects while the inner planets remain mostly bare. Finally, we’ll step outside for a guided tour of the night sky for the week of March 22–28, including a waxing crescent Moon, brilliant Venus in the evening sky, Jupiter and its Galilean moons, and the arrival of spring’s galaxy season. We'll also check in on our book discussion with a look at Chapters 8 and 9 in Nightwatch. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast . If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
In 2006, a group of astronomers gathered in Prague and made a decision that shocked the world: Pluto was no longer a planet. But the story of Pluto is far more complicated—and far more fascinating—than that single vote. In this episode of Star Trails, we reopen the case. From Percival Lowell’s search for the mysterious “Planet X” to Clyde Tombaugh’s painstaking discovery using a blink comparator, we trace the strange history of the ninth planet. We’ll examine the discoveries that led to Pluto’s controversial demotion, meet the astronomers who helped redefine what a planet is, and follow NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft as it revealed Pluto to be a dynamic and surprisingly complex world. Along the way we explore Pluto’s bizarre orbit, its giant moon Charon, its icy surface and hidden mysteries—and the poetic moment when the ashes of its discoverer finally returned to the distant world he found. And later in the show, we step outside for a look at the night sky for the week of March 15–21, including dark skies near the new moon, the arrival of the vernal equinox, brilliant Jupiter in Gemini, and a few deep-sky treasures worth tracking down with your telescope. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast . If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
This week we leave the rocky inner planets behind and journey into the deep cold of the outer solar system. From the storm-wracked atmosphere of Jupiter to the ringed elegance of Saturn and the mysterious ice giants Uranus and Neptune, these distant worlds reveal how strange and varied our planetary neighborhood truly is. Along the way we explore how the solar system formed, why the inner planets are rocky while the outer planets became giants of gas and ice, and why the distant ice giants remain some of the least explored worlds we know. Later in the episode we share a personal observing report after attempting to spot a SpaceX rocket launch from hundreds of miles away, offer up tips on how you might see one yourself, and we'll walk through what’s visible in the night sky for the week of March 8–14. We’ll also continue our NightWatch book club with Chapters 6 and 7, exploring the realities of visual astronomy and how patient observation reveals the subtle beauty of the deep sky. Mentioned in this episode: Spaceflight Now website Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast . If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
In this milestone 100th episode of Star Trails, we bring the cosmos back home. After months of exploring distant stars, nebulae, and black holes, March begins with a tour of our own neighborhood: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, four rocky worlds born from the same protoplanetary disk 4.5 billion years ago, yet shaped into radically different outcomes. We’ll visit Mercury, the tiny planet that helped confirm Einstein’s General Relativity and inspired the hunt for a phantom world called Vulcan. We’ll step into Venus, Earth’s “twin” turned runaway greenhouse furnace, and then we’ll zoom out on Earth itself as if we’re alien astronomers reading its oceans, oxygen, and technosignatures from afar. Finally, we’ll head to Mars, a planet that once hosted flowing water, may have been habitable long ago, and still tempts us with the unresolved question of past life. After the break, I nerd out about my electric car and trace an unexpected history of EVs in space, from the lunar rovers parked on the Moon to a Tesla Roadster orbiting the Sun. In the sky report, the week’s headline event is a total lunar eclipse: the Full Worm Moon turns coppery red in Earth’s shadow, the only total lunar eclipse of 2026 visible across much of North America. Plus: Jupiter shines in the evening sky, and Mercury and Venus linger low in twilight. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.
