Episode notes
The Supermassive Team are going rogue (more so that usual!) This time, it’s all about the non-conforming objects in space. Black holes, planets and the other rogue objects Izzie and Dr Becky can think of... Plus, Dr Robert Massey takes on your questions and shares his stargazing tips for April. A big thank you to Gavin Coleman from Queen Mary's University, and Astronomy Now magazine editor and owner, Stuart Clark. For more accessible astronomy, the recommend you read their brilliant articles on astronomynow.com. Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening, forum access, and extra…
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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12 Jun 2026 · 19 min
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What happens if two diamond core stars collide? Will the Moon drift away from Earth? Why is there motion in the universe? And why we need a space AND time machine. Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert dive into The Supermassive Mailbox to answer your questions. For ad-free listening and to view Izzie's trajectory to becoming a better astronomer, join The Supermassive Club . Every 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…
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28 May 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
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Nancy Grace Roman. Ariel. The next generation of space telescopes are here. Astrophysicist Dr Becky Smethurst and science journalist Izzie Clarke explore how they work, what they can tell us and why they might unravel our current understanding of the universe. Plus Dr Robert has your stargazing tips for June. Thank you to Dr Tom Barclay from NASA's Roman telescope and Dr Chris Pearson from RAL Space. 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.
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13 May 2026 · 19 min
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30 Apr 2026 · 49 min
Into the Space Debris Swamp
Izzie & Dr Becky think that space needs a spring clean, so this episode is all about space debris. What is it? How big of a problem is it? And what is being done to remove it? With thanks to PhD student Megan Perks from the University of Southampton, who studies how safe all these new satellite constellations are, and photographer Max Alexander, who has created an exhibition all about space debris. It’s called Our Fragile Space and it’s on for free outside of the Royal Astronomical Society until 10th May 2026. Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening, forum access, and extra content…
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15 Apr 2026 · 33 min
Our Artemis II Debrief
What. A. Mission. The Supermassive Team are in AWE of the Artemis II Crew and the people that helped them to loop around the Moon. From scientific aims to societal impact, Izzie Clarke, Richard Hollingham and Dr Robert Massey reflect on this latest step to returning to the Moon and their experiences of watching it unfold. Richard was at the launch, Robert is pen pals with Reid Wiseman, and Izzie... is extremely jealous of them both! 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…
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18 Mar 2026 · 38 min
Black holes in the lab and meeting Ryan Gosling
It’s a massive bonus episode this month with both listener questions and an extended interview with the producer/directors of the new Ryan Gosling film: Project Hail Mary. Dr Becky and Dr Robert are joined by editor Richard to tackle questions on creating a black hole in the lab, how long a planet lasts and the size of the biggest black hole. Guest reporter, Sue Nelson, chats to Phil Lord and Chris Miller about Project Hail Mary and Becky reveals what she chatted about with Ryan Gosling. Join The Supermassive Club for ad-free listening, forum access, and extra content from the team. And…
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26 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
What is the Hubble Tension?
There's a crisis in cosmology when it comes to understanding a little thing like the acceleration of our universe, aka The Hubble Tension. And in this episode, Izzie Clarke and Dr Becky Smethurst are digging into what this is and (trying to) explain the science behind it. A huge thank you to our guests, (Nobel Prize winning-) Professor Adam Riess from John Hopkins University and Professor Silvia Galli from Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris. 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…
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11 Feb 2026 · 26 min
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29 Jan 2026 · 52 min
Q&A: Meteors, Artemis II, and Space Bathtubs
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…
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23 Dec 2025 · 55 min
How to Time Travel
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…
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