Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast

This week we explore both the night sky and the cosmic tick-tock of time itself. The Moon waxes from half-lit to nearly full, while Saturn shines golden in Pisces with its razor-thin rings. Jupiter a…

This week we head outward to the seventh planet, where the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a brand-new moonlet orbiting Uranus. Barely six miles across, this tiny world is so small you could,…

Under a rare seasonal Black Moon, this week’s sky rewards early risers and deep-sky wanderers alike. We start with a whisper-thin crescent slipping closer to the Sun each morning, then pivot to a daw…

This week we’re chasing Perseids and planetary pairings while the Moon slowly makes room for darker skies. We’ll explore which constellations are hiding in plain sight, from the narrow spear of Sagit…

This week we bask in the glow of the bright Sturgeon Moon, trace the shifting positions of planets from twilight to dawn, and watch as a few late-season meteors streak across the sky.

Later in the sho…

This week we're watching the skies—and catching up on a stellar mystery. Dual meteor showers light up the pre-dawn hours, Mars gets cozy with the Moon, and a recently discovered nova continues to shi…

With the Moon going dark midweek, we take a look at some targets in deep-sky territory, plus some dazzling planetary pairings. Also, learn why now might be a good time to rise to the bold (and slight…

This week we take a look at the night sky from July 13th to the 19th, highlighting a waning Moon, brilliant morning planets, and the first whispers of the Perseid meteor shower.

We’ll check in on Venu…

This week we kick things off with a deceptively simple listener question: What exactly is mass? From beach balls to black holes, we explore how mass shapes the universe, and our understanding of grav…

own. Highlights include a close encounter between the Moon and Mars, a subtle meteor shower, and a dazzling pre-dawn lineup of planets.

In the second half of the show, we check out some of the most fa…

This week we explore one of the darkest, and most dynamic, weeks of the season for stargazing. With a New Moon on June 25th, we get a prime window to explore the deep sky, from the glowing heart of t…

The week of June 15th to the 21st includes a waning Moon approaching perigee, a lineup of bright planets at both dusk and dawn, and the breathtaking rise of the Milky Way’s galactic core in the south…

This week there’s a sky full of surprises. From the lowest full moon in nearly two decades—the golden-hued Strawberry Moon—to the elusive Arietid meteor shower peaking in broad daylight, there’s a lo…

As June begins, the night sky greets stargazers with a blend of familiar favorites. This week we highlight a picturesque conjunction between Mars and the crescent moon, and Venus shines brightly as t…

This week the New Moon arrives—perfect conditions for spotting deep-sky wonders. Discover five must-see celestial objects to track down while the skies are dark, from ancient globular clusters to swi…

As the Moon wanes and the morning planets take center stage, we turn our gaze to a part of the sky rarely discussed on Star Trails: the Southern Hemisphere. In this episode, we take a journey through…

In this week’s episode we’re chasing mysteries in all directions — from the icy edges of our solar system to the fiery hearts of dying stars.

First, we explore the renewed buzz around Planet Nine, the…

This week we start with the waxing Moon as it heads toward May’s micromoon, the Flower Moon. Jupiter and Mars light up the western sky, while Venus, Saturn, and elusive Mercury put on a show before s…

This week we say goodbye to Comet SWAN as it disintegrates on its first — and last — visit to the inner solar system. With a New Moon offering ideal stargazing conditions, we turn our attention to th…

Not every week is packed with drama in the skies, but that doesn’t mean it’s empty! This short episode covers the best of what is happening: the Lyrids peaking, a rare comet making an appearance, and…