Astronomy Cast

Running since 2006, Astronomy Cast is one of those rare podcasts that actually gets better with age. Fraser Cain, the publisher of Universe Today, pairs up with Dr. Pamela Gay, an astronomer at the Planetary Science Institute, and they just talk through space topics like two old friends at a particularly nerdy dinner party. Each week they pick a subject—luminous fast blue optical transients, say, or the lifecycle of stars—and spend about 30 to 40 minutes breaking it down without dumbing it down. Fraser asks the questions a curious non-scientist would ask, and Pamela answers with the precision of someone who has published actual research papers on the topic. The show earned a 4.8 rating from nearly 3,000 reviews, which is pretty telling. Over 780 episodes in, they still manage to find fresh angles on subjects they covered a decade ago because, well, science keeps moving forward. Their Patreon-supported model means the show stays ad-light, though some listeners have noted the occasional sponsor read. The episodes feel like attending a really good college lecture, except nobody is grading you and you can listen in your pajamas.