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The Supermassive Podcast

The Royal Astronomical Society
Black Holes
Mars
Royal Astronomical Society
James Webb Space Telescope
NASA
Dark Matter
Gravitational Waves
Solar System
Astronomy
Gravity
Neutron Stars
Venus
Extraterrestrial Life
Cosmology
Fast Radio Bursts
Multiverse
Mercury
SETI Institute
Supernova
Earth

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 we gravitationally hitch-hike out of the solar system? Do we live in a multiverse? What is time? Plus Dr... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes126Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
AstronomyPhysicsScience

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Artwork for The Supermassive Podcast

Latest Episodes

Eight years after its launch, BepiColombo is finally reaching the planet Mercury!

Join Dr Becky Smethurst, Izzie Clarke and Robert Massey as they explore how BepiColombo is going to study Mercury’s surface and what it hopes to reveal about the plane... more

Dr Becky, Izzie and Dr Robert Massey return for another bonus Q and A tackling some of the biggest questions in cosmology. This time, questions on the formation of the solar system, dark matter experimental results and why you can’t escape from a bla... more

In yet another mind-bending episode, we take on antimatter – What is it? How do you make it? And can you use it to power a spaceship? Dr Becky, Izzie and Dr Robert Massey (he’s back!) are joined by Professor Jeffrey Hangst from CERN in Switzerland, h... more

The bonus Q and A that tackles some of the biggest questions in cosmology including: How many space vampires would you need to explain dark matter? and can you make a decent cup of tea on a space station? Dr Becky, Izzie and producer Richard also tac... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Geraint Jones
European Space Agency project scientist responsible for the Mercury Planetary Orbiter
European Space Agency
Episode: BepiColombo's Massive Mission to Mercury
Valentina Galuzzi
Geologist at Italy's National Institute of Astrophysics who works on SIMBIO-SYS
National Institute of Astrophysics
Episode: BepiColombo's Massive Mission to Mercury
Robert Massey
Deputy Director, Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
Episode: Antimatter is Bananas!
Jeffrey Hangst
Professor of Physics, Aarhus University; Head of CERN Alpha collaboration
CERN Alpha Collaboration
Episode: Antimatter is Bananas!
Meg Schwamb
Planetary astronomer at Queen's University, Belfast
Queen's University Belfast
Episode: The Kuiper Belt...Revisited
Kumiko Kotera
Director of the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris; neutrino hunter, coordinates GRAND
Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris; GRAND project (Gobi Desert)
Episode: What the heck are neutrinos?
Kirsty Duffy
Particle physicist at University of Oxford and Queen's College; researcher on Fermilab neutrino experiments
University of Oxford, Queen's College; Fermilab experiments
Episode: What the heck are neutrinos?
Tom Barclay
Scientist from NASA Roman Space Telescope team
NASA
Episode: How Do Space Telescopes Work?
Chris Pearson
Head of Astrophysics at RAL Space, overseeing Ariel instruments
RAL Space
Episode: How Do Space Telescopes Work?

Hosts

Izzie Clarke
Science journalist and audio producer
Becky Smethurst
Astrophysicist and presenter
Robert Massey
Deputy Director of the Royal Astronomical Society
Richard Hollingham
Producer and science journalist

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.6k ratings
  • So much giggling

    This pod was strong for a long time, but in recent episodes schoolgirl giggles are swamping the science.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    macdon763
    United States4 months ago
  • Came for science, stayed for toenail moons

    Currently binging this podcast every second I’m in my car (4+ hours/day) and no regrets so far. Every episode is so reminiscent of having a drink with friends and talking about how we would climb on top of the library, except they’re competent and are talking about science. You can tell they both love the subject so much and the guests they have are similarly thrilled to learn more about our universe. This show made me want to buy binoculars, like a nerd, and I think I’m going to.

    If you love... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Russell0614
    United States4 months ago
  • Entertaining and educational.

    A very entertaining friendly conversation of astronomy topics. No one talked over each other and it easy to listen to.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tacllem
    United States4 months ago
  • Is this pitched at children?

    Over excitable giggling presenters and GCSE level explanations make what should be a flagship show for the RSA into something more puerile. A real shame. Could be so much more.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Sherbet Revolver
    United Kingdom5 months ago
  • Ban 3

    Great info in your casts, don’t worry about the magas they hate everyone

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jeffbanner3
    United States6 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many appreciate clear, accessible explanations of astronomy and technical research.
Some listeners find the frequent giggling distracting or the explanations too basic.
Listeners often praise the hosts' enthusiasm, humor and friendly conversational style.
A few reviews criticize Robert Massey's low or unclear audio and complain about advertising.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#10
United States/Science/Astronomy
Apple Podcasts
#114
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#5
United Kingdom/Science/Astronomy
Apple Podcasts
#8
Canada/Science/Astronomy
Apple Podcasts
#51
United Kingdom/Science
Apple Podcasts
#88
Canada/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

BepiColombo's Massive Mission to Mercury
Q: What exactly is SIMBIO-SYS and what is it going to do?
Valentina Galuzzi explains that SIMBIO-SYS combines stereo imaging, detailed high-resolution images and spectroscopy to map the planet's shape, surface features and composition.
BepiColombo's Massive Mission to Mercury
Q: What are they hoping to discover?
Geraint Jones says the mission will investigate Mercury's interior, surface and surrounding space, including its global magnetic field and how its magnetosphere interacts with the solar wind.
Has dark matter been discovered? And why black holes are black...
Q: Is there any chance that the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope would be able to take a photo of JWST out there in their L2 orbits?
The telescopes will be hundreds of thousands of kilometers apart, farther from each other than Earth is from the Moon. Roman would not be able to resolve JWST, which would appear too small and faint, possibly only as a pixel.
Has dark matter been discovered? And why black holes are black...
Q: What makes the planets orbit in the same plane, and would it be possible for a planet to orbit in a plane perpendicular to the others?
The solar system formed from a rotating cloud of gas and dust that collapsed into a disk, so its planets formed in roughly the same plane. A possible perpendicular-orbit planet has been reported in the 2M1510 brown-dwarf system, though its formation remains uncertain.
Antimatter is Bananas!
Q: If a galaxy were made of antimatter, could we tell from the light we receive?
Theoretically antimatter galaxies would produce dramatically bright gamma-ray signatures due to widespread annihilations with surrounding matter, which we do not observe, implying such antimatter-dominated regions are unlikely.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Supermassive Podcast

What is The Supermassive Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Accessible astronomy and space science, from planetary missions and black holes to the latest research in cosmology. Science journalist Izzie Clarke and astrophysicist Becky Smethurst lead a friendly, curious conversation, often joined by Royal Astronomical Society deputy director Robert Massey. Episodes combine interviews with researchers and mission specialists, explanations of current discoveries, and answers to listeners' questions. Practical stargazing advice and lighthearted exchanges sit alongside subjects such as antimatter, neutrinos, space telescopes and the Kuiper Belt. The mix suits curious beginners and amateur stargazers as well as science enthusiasts who want to hear from people working in the field, though the explanations g... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Supermassive Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Supermassive Podcast:

1. SpaceTime with Stuart Gary
2. Universe Today Podcast
3. Why This Universe?
4. The Astrophysics Podcast
5. Ask a Spaceman!

How many episodes of The Supermassive Podcast are there?

The Supermassive Podcast launched 7 years ago and published 126 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Supermassive Podcast?

Recent guests on The Supermassive Podcast include:

1. Geraint Jones
2. Valentina Galuzzi
3. Robert Massey
4. Jeffrey Hangst
5. Meg Schwamb
6. Kumiko Kotera
7. Kirsty Duffy
8. Tom Barclay

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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