Episode notes
In yet another mind-bending episode, we take on antimatter – What is it? How do you make it? And can you use it to power a spaceship? Dr Becky, Izzie and Dr Robert Massey (he’s back!) are joined by Professor Jeffrey Hangst from CERN in Switzerland, home of an antimatter factory. We also discover that every time you eat a banana, antimatter is being destroyed. For ad-free listening, join The Supermassive Club on Supporting Cast. Every paying member helps keep the show running, so thank you! https://supermassive.supportingcast.fm/ Send us your astronomy attempts, questions (and nonsense!) to…
Podcast
The Supermassive Podcast
The Royal Astronomical Society · Tech & Science · English
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…
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21 Sep 2026 · 26 min
More space vampires and tea in orbit
The bonus Q and A that tackles some of the biggest questions in cosmology including: How many space vampires would you need to explain dark matter? and can you make a decent cup of tea on a space station? Dr Becky, Izzie and producer Richard also tackle questions on neutrinos, Lagrange points and black hole stars. Becky’s cake recipe in strange science units is here . For ad-free listening, join The Supermassive Club on Supporting Cast . Every paying member helps keep the show running, so thank you! Send us your astronomy attempts, questions (and nonsense!) to [email protected], on Instagram…
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3 Sep 2026 · 46 min
The Kuiper Belt...Revisited
Yes, it’s a welcome return for the giant doughnut at the edge of the solar system filled with lumpy space potatoes. Dr Becky and Izzie are joined by Meg Schwamb from Queen’s University to discuss all things Kuiper Belt, the New Horizons mission, Rubin telescope and mysterious planet 9. For ad-free listening, join The Supermassive Club on Supporting Cast. Every paying member helps keep the show running, so thank you! Send us your astronomy attempts, questions (and nonsense!) to [email protected] , on Instagram at @supermassivepod or post in The Supermassive Club. The Supermassive Podcast is a…
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20 Aug 2026 · 29 min
Colanders and is space a stew?
How many colanders can you fit in a field? In, yet another, bonus episode Izzie Clarke, @DrBecky and producer Richard Hollingham share their experiences of the eclipse. Plus is space a stew? Pocket universes, and how fit do you have to be to be an astronaut? For ad-free listening, join The Supermassive Club on Supporting Cast. Every paying member helps keep the show running, so thank you! Here is the visualisation of space that Becky mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrwgIjBUYVc Send us your astronomy attempts, questions (and nonsense!) to [email protected] , on Instagram at…
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7 Aug 2026 · 25 min
Top Tips To See The Eclipse
There's an eclipse on Wednesday 12th August 2026. So where can you see it? And how do you do that safely? Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey from have it covered. Plus, The Supermassive Book Club makes a return for your summer reading. We're (finally) on Youtube, watch us here . For ad-free listening, join The Supermassive Club on Supporting Cast. Every paying member helps to keep the show running, so thank you! Send us your eclipse photos, questions (and nonsense!) to [email protected], on Instagram at @supermassivepod or post in The Supermassive Club. The Supermassive…
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24 Jul 2026 · 50 min
Q&A: Could Dark Matter Be Space Vampires?
It's Q&A time! Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and the Royal Astronomical Society's Dr Robert Massey dive into The Supermassive Mailbox to answer your brilliant and ridiculous questions. 🌑 Do meteors hit the Moon during showers? ⏳ Could black holes create different 'eras' of time? ☄️ Where did the Kuiper belt come from? 🧛♂️ If space telescopes use mirrors and vampires don't have a reflection, could dark matter actually be space vampires? Want more of The Supermassive Podcast? Here are the previous episodes we mentioned and you can now watch us on Youtube ! Do We Live in a Multiverse?…
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