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The Supermassive Podcast

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

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 monthlyEpisodes121Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
AstronomyPhysicsScience

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Artwork for The Supermassive Podcast

Latest Episodes

How many colanders can you fit in a field? In, yet another, bonus episode Izzie Clarke, @DrBecky and producer Richard Hollingham share their experiences of the eclipse. Plus is space a stew? Pocket universes, and how fit do you have to be to be an as... more

There's an eclipse on Wednesday 12th August 2026. So where can you see it? And how do you do that safely? Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and Dr Robert Massey from have it covered. Plus, The Supermassive Book Club makes a return for your summer read... more

It's Q&A time! Izzie Clarke, Dr Becky Smethurst and the Royal Astronomical Society's Dr Robert Massey dive into The Supermassive Mailbox to answer your brilliant and ridiculous questions.

🌑 Do meteors hit the Moon during showers?

⏳ Could black hol... more

What is the Bootes Void? Why do we only see one side of the Moon? Can time travel be sped up? And what's the smallest amount of visible space debris? The Supermassive Podcast team answer your questions... And work on their Australian accents!?

For t... more

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

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Recent Guests

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?
Emma Chapman
Radio astronomer and author (Radio Universe)
University/Research context not specified
Episode: How Do Space Telescopes Work?
Megan Perks
Researcher at University of Southampton studying space debris safety
University of Southampton
Episode: Into the Space Debris Swamp
Max Alexander
International photographer focusing on space and debris; organizer of Our Fragile Space exhibition
Photographer
Episode: Into the Space Debris Swamp
Dr Robert Massey
Deputy Director of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
Episode: Into the Space Debris Swamp
Stuart Clark
Editor of Astronomy Now magazine
Astronomy Now
Episode: When Space Goes Rogue....

Hosts

Izzie Clarke
Science journalist and host with Royal Astronomical Society ties; associated with Boffin Media for RAS
Becky Smethurst
Astrophysicist and co-host; active in science communication and outreach
Robert Massey
Deputy Director of the Royal Astronomical Society; frequent institutional guest for policy and public outreach topics

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.5k 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 Statesa month 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 Statesa month 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 Statesa month 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 Kingdom3 months ago
  • Ban 3

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

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jeffbanner3
    United States4 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Entertaining and informative; great balance of banter and science.
Giggles and light banter polarize some listeners; others find it endearing and friendly.
Audience enjoys accessible explanations and strong guest lineups.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#2
United States/Science/Astronomy
Apple Podcasts
#70
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#1
United Kingdom/Science/Astronomy
Apple Podcasts
#4
Canada/Science/Astronomy
Apple Podcasts
#33
United Kingdom/Science
Apple Podcasts
#49
Canada/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What the heck are neutrinos?
Q: Where do neutrinos come from and why are there so many?
Kirsty Duffy describes neutrinos arising from beta decays and nuclear processes, including the Sun, bananas via potassium decay, and various cosmic sources; the sheer abundance comes from numerous ongoing beta decays in the universe.
How Do Space Telescopes Work?
Q: What are the limitations when using telescopes in space, excluding weight and size?
The major challenges are keeping the instruments operating in harsh space conditions, performing repairs or upgrades when possible, and ensuring long-term stability and calibration; some telescopes (like Hubble) have had service missions to fix issues, while others (like JWST) rely on extensive pre-launch testing and cannot be serviced as easily if something goes wrong.
How Do Space Telescopes Work?
Q: How important is it that Roman works in concert with JWST?
Roman surveys the sky quickly to build large catalogs and identify interesting targets; JWST then conducts deep, precise follow-up observations on a smaller patch of the sky, creating a powerful complementary workflow between a wide-field surveyor and a deep-dive observatory.
How Do Space Telescopes Work?
Q: But can we take it back a bit? What can space telescopes do that ground-based telescopes can't?
They provide unfettered access to wavelengths blocked by Earth's atmosphere (gamma rays, hard ultraviolet, infrared) and can observe without atmospheric blurring, yielding spectra and images of much higher fidelity; space telescopes also enable rapid, wide-area surveys and systemic, large-scale studies that are impractical from the ground.
Did Gravity Wipe Out The Dinosaurs?
Q: Does the gas tail from Mercury reach Earth and could it affect Earth in any noticeable way?
Becky and the team respond that Mercury's tail is extensive but extremely tenuous and would not affect Earth; Venus also has a tail, but likewise with negligible impact on Earth due to vast distances and low particle densities.

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?

- A high-energy space podcast that blends accessible, curiosity-driven science with guest expertise across astronomy, cosmology, and space policy. Regular hosts discuss current research, upcoming missions, and big questions about the universe, often grounding complex topics in practical explanations and informal banter. Noteworthy is the strong emphasis on outreach, public engagement, and collaboration with the Royal Astronomical Society, plus a prominent role for guests from universities, research institutes, and space agencies to broaden the conversation for a broad, curious audience.

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How many listeners does The Supermassive Podcast get?

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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. Why This Universe?
3. Universe Today Podcast
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 121 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Supermassive Podcast?

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What guests have appeared on The Supermassive Podcast?

Recent guests on The Supermassive Podcast include:

1. Kumiko Kotera
2. Kirsty Duffy
3. Tom Barclay
4. Chris Pearson
5. Emma Chapman
6. Megan Perks
7. Max Alexander
8. Dr Robert Massey

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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