This week on Please Look Up, we’re climbing 2700 metres above sea level to check out a telescope so powerful it’ll basically binge watch the universe.

The Vera Rubin Observatory has a 3.2 gigapixel camera (yes, gigapixel) and a mission to scan the entire night sky every three days for the next decade. Total cost? A cool $1 billion. Worth it? We think so.

We unpack what this mega project means for science, why Vera Rubin never got a Nobel Prize (but should have), and how her work on dark matter changed the game.

Also in this episode:

• July is peak Milky Way season so rug up, head outside and look up
• Learn to spot the Dark Emu, a brilliant Aboriginal constellation made of shadows, not stars
• Venus and Jupiter are stealing the morning show if you're up early enough
• Space junk is piling up with over 130 million bits of debris bigger than a centimetre floating around. We talk about why that matters and who’s keeping an eye on it

Stuff we mention:

• emudreaming.com – for more on Aboriginal astronomy
• scitech.org.au – if you want to keep learning locally

Please Look Up Podcast | April Edition

Join Leon and Beth (with special April Fool's guest Producer Morgan!) for your monthly dose of space news, astronomy tips, and cosmic commentary—recorded at SciTech on Whadjuk Noongar land.

In this episode:

What's Up This Month? [01:00] Beth guides us through the southern sky as the Southern Cross returns, marking the rise of the spectacular Milky Way and the famous dark Emu.

Star Stories: Saturn and Too Many Moons [09:25] Beth dives into the mythology surrounding Saturn (Cronus)—god of time, agriculture, and oddly enough, Christmas traditions. Plus, what's up with Saturn's 274 moons?!

Constellation of the Month: Cancer the Crab [27:10] Leon reveals the secrets of Cancer, the faintest zodiac constellation, including how to find the famous Beehive Cluster, a nearby exoplanet system, and some strangely named stars (featuring two donkeys!).

Spaceflight Focus: Return from the ISS and Media Missteps [44:03] Leon and Beth discuss astronauts Butch and Suni's long-awaited return from the International Space Station and reflect critically on media coverage surrounding their mission.

Space Picture of the Month (01:06): The return of the favourite segment, Space Picture of the Month!

This month, Leon and Amanda delve into the fascinating story of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle debris that washed up in Greenhead in July 2023. Discover what this piece of space history is, how it got here, and its new home at Scitech. The team also explores the journey of the PSLV, its role in space missions, and the intricate process of preparing it for display. Don’t miss out on this special episode packed with intriguing insights and cosmic fun!