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!

Join Leon and Beth for your monthly dose of stargazing tips, mythological deep dives, and cosmic commentary, recorded at SciTech on Whadjuk Noongar land.

*Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault and a survivor’s experience. This content occurs between 40:00 and 52:40.

In this episode:

What’s Up This Month? [01:00] Celebrate Star Wars Day by heading outside on May 4th at exactly 7:13pm! Beth and Leon walk us through how to spot a perfect first quarter moon, locate Mars, and catch the International Space Station fly directly between Castor and Pollux in Gemini. Also featuring: the tiny Canis Minor, and the surprisingly lion-like Leo constellation.

Constellation of the Month: Leo the Lion [10:00] It’s Leon’s time to shine! The crew explores Leo, a constellation that actually resembles its namesake. Learn how to find it in the northern sky this month, how its stars form a backwards question mark, and how both ancient Greeks and Arab astronomers imagined the same great lion in the sky.

Star Stories: The Nemean Lion and Regulus [20:10] Dive into the mythology behind Leo, including Hercules’ impossible battle against the Nemean Lion and the clever trick (or divine advice) that helped him skin the beast. Plus: Harry Potter trivia, the meanings behind Regulus and Denebola, and what Arabic star names reveal about ancient cross-cultural astronomy.

Meteor Showers and Planet Gazing: The Eta Aquarids [33:40] Set your alarms! The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks in the early morning hours of May 5th and 6th. With the moon out of the way and meteors zipping by at 70 km/s, this is one of the best sky shows of the year. Bonus: look east to spot Venus, Saturn, and even distant Neptune (with a telescope).

Star Stories II: Neptune the Freshwater God [40:55] Neptune wasn't always the god of the sea! Beth explains how this Roman deity originally ruled over springs and rivers, and only later took on Poseidon's oceanic identity. Hear about Neptunalia—the ancient summer festival of shade, wine, and cool water—and the odd tale of how Neptune ended up inside his father Saturn.

Space Picture of the Month [TBA] …Was there one? Maybe. Possibly. We were distracted by imaginary sausage dogs in the sky. (Sorry, Canis Minor.)

Beth and Leon discuss what's in the night sky in May. Why Boeing starliner is having so many troubles, the oddly shaped radio telescope that was an important part of WA Broadcast history, and listen to the creepy sound of Vela's pulsar.

Our host Leon is joined by Damon, one of Scitech's expert Planetarium Presenters, to highlight the different constellations and planets visible in the March night sky. The duo also ponder upon the role of 3D printers in space exploration, as well as the question of 'Why should we care about space exploration?'

To find out more about WA space news, visit: https://particle.scitech.org.au/category/space/

Credits Host: Leon Smith Guest: Damon Hill Producers: Zaya Altangerel & Michael Gatt

Leon is joined by Amanda to give you tips on how to spot Saturn, Jupiter, Venus and Mercury alongside a peculiar constellation known as Pavo the Giant Space Slug.

The duo also update us on the Chandrayaan-3 mission. And give us the hot details on India's newest space mission to study the Sun with ADITYA-L1.

To find out more about the WA space news, visit: www.particle.scitech.org.au/category/space/

Credits

Host: Leon Smith

Guest: Amanda Hunter

Producer: Zaya Altangerel

This month, Leon and Amanda guide you through the night sky of Boorloo for August. Discover the constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius and learn why the “Teapot” is must-see. The team also dives into Space Flight Fails, Deep Sky Dictionary, and the Space Picture of the Month. Don’t miss out on the cosmic fun!