Star Diary

BBC Sky at Night Magazine

Venus

Saturn

Jupiter

Uranus

Vesta

Neptune

Pleiades

Mercury

Full Moon

Milky Way

Monkey Head Nebula

Spica

Moon

Mars

Zubin El-Ghanoubi

Regulus

Crescent Moon

Scorpius

Ganymede

BBC Sky At Night Magazine

The astronomy podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

168 ratings

Publishes	Twice monthly	Episodes	358	Founded	18 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	ScienceAstronomy

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Guests Hosts Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

New Year, new stargazing – January 2026

Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal the best things to see in the night sky to kick off a new year of stargazing. Happy 2026 everyone!

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Yesterday • 29 min

3D-mapping an alien world

Astronomer Anjali Piette reveals how she and colleagues created a 3D view of a scorching gas giant around a distant star.

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15 Dec 2025 • 22 min

Christmas stargazing 2025

Pete Lawrence and Paul Abel reveal what you should be looking at in the December 2025 night sky, including the best planets, the Geminid meteor shower, Orion and top times to see the Moon.

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28 Nov 2025 • 26 min

Have scientists solved Webb’s ‘impossible’ black holes?

Astronomers say the James Webb Space Telescope has seen black holes at the dawn of time that shouldn't exist. But a new study may be able to explain what's going on. Astronomer Seb Hoenig reveals how a new look at the early Universe could show that J... more

14 Nov 2025 • 20 min

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners

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

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Ask a Spaceman!Paul M. Sutter

Recent Guests

Anjali Piette

Assistant professor at the University of Birmingham focusing on exoplanets' atmospheres

University of Birmingham

Episode: 3D-mapping an alien world

Belinda Damian

Postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St. Andrews

University of St. Andrews

Episode: Can a planet have a planet?

Dr. Tom Killestein

Price Fellow at the University of Warwick, focused on time domain astronomy and machine learning techniques

University of Warwick

Episode: Can YOU help astronomers find exploding stars?

Professor Alis Deason

Professor at Durham University in the Astronomy Department.

Durham University

Episode: Will our Galaxy collide with its neighbour?

Penny Boston

A scientist from NASA's Ames Research Center, leading expert in astrobiology

NASA's Ames Research Center

Episode: Earth, aliens and astronomy

Lisa Kaltenegger

Director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University and author of Alien Earths

Cornell University

Episode: Searching for life on alien planets

David Lagatuta

Research scientist at Durham University studying dark matter and the evolution of galaxies and stars.

Durham University

Episode: Webb uses space-bending gravity trick to discover distant stars

Rayssa Martins

Post-doctoral research associate studying nucleosynthetic anomalies and meteorites.

University of Cambridge

Episode: How did life emerge on Earth?

Huw Morgan

Astronomer from Aberystwyth University

Aberystwyth University

Episode: The mission to make solar eclipses

Hosts

Paul Abel

Host and knowledgeable figure in astronomy, often interacting with various guests and co-hosts to provide insights on celestial topics.

Pete Lawrence

Co-host with a deep passion for astronomy, contributing to discussions about planet visibility and astronomical events.

Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars from 168 ratings

Host bored?
It’s astronomy! Why does the guest or host sound so utterly bored? Exhausting to listen to. Get someone who can rally enthusiasm for your interviews.
Apple Podcasts
2
outraged American
United States10 months ago
Sad times!
Great podcast destroyed by intrusive advertising, don’t bother
Apple Podcasts
1
Ivorydawn
United Kingdoma year ago
Great podcast. Change the title
Just add Sky at Night to the title and gets a lot more listens.
Apple Podcasts
5
Sburke102
Ireland6 years ago
Heard much better
Why do presenters constantly talk over each other? Why is the guests’ sound quality non-existent? Why are scientists always giggling?
Give me the magazine, this podcast iis a waste of time.
Apple Podcasts
1
Sir Giffs
United Kingdom6 years ago
Rubbish Presenter
The Podcast is superb apart from the woman presenter...whilst very knowledgeable...she insists of making loud false laughs after everything she comments on...very annoying.
A replacement presenter would make it 4 stars.
Apple Podcasts
5
IMM62
United Kingdom6 years ago

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Listeners Say

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

There's recognition of the engaging hosts who bring humor and insights into scientific discussions, making learning enjoyable.

Some express concerns about audio quality and minor issues with over-talking by hosts during episodes.

Critics mention that intrusive ads may disrupt the overall listening experience.

Listeners appreciate the informative content and find it excellent for keeping up with astronomical events and discoveries.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts	#62	United States/Science/Astronomy
Apple Podcasts	#17	United Kingdom/Science/Astronomy
Apple Podcasts	#24	Canada/Science/Astronomy
Apple Podcasts	#210	United Kingdom/Science
Apple Podcasts	#34	Italy/Science/Astronomy
Apple Podcasts	#82	Australia/Science/Astronomy

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

3D-mapping an alien world

Q: When you mention the 3D mapping, what are the benefits of using this new technique?

Eclipse spectroscopy allows for understanding both the chemistry of the atmosphere and its thermal structure, giving a more comprehensive view than transit spectroscopy.

3D-mapping an alien world

Q: What did it actually tell you about the atmosphere of Marsby 18b?

The analysis indicated the presence of water vapor and unexpected thermal structures, particularly that the hotspot region has a more extreme temperature profile compared to the rest of the planet.

Have scientists solved Webb’s ‘impossible’ black holes?

Q: Are there sort of follow up observations that you would want to do to really nail it down and prove the point?

We plan to observe a bigger sample of objects using the new instrument Gravity Plus to gather more data and potentially correct past estimates regarding black hole masses.

Have scientists solved Webb’s ‘impossible’ black holes?

Q: What did you actually find? Did you find that Webb was way out? That what it thought of the mass of these early black holes was completely wrong?

We found the masses, the real masses, dynamical masses, that we measure a factor of 10 smaller than what Webb found, indicating that those impossible supermassive black holes may not be as massive as we initially thought.

Can a planet have a planet?

Q: What motivated your study on free-floating planets?

The study of free-floating planets is interesting because it is relatively new and there is still much to learn about these mysterious objects.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Star Diary

What is Star Diary about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Focusing on astronomy and celestial phenomena, this podcast offers insightful discussions on various astronomical events, discoveries, and theories. With a strong emphasis on stargazing and observation tips, listeners can expect to hear about the best visibility times for planets such as Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn, as well as meteor showers and other engaging topics. Featuring expert guests from academia and beyond, the podcast also delves into current research related to black holes, cosmic evolution, and the potential for life beyond Earth. Unique for its blend of expert commentary and accessibility, this podcast caters to both seasoned astronomers and curious newcomers alike.

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To see how many followers or subscribers Star Diary has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Star Diary?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Star Diary:

1. The Supermassive Podcast
2. The 365 Days of Astronomy
3. The Astrophysics Podcast
4. Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights & Cosmic Discoveries
5. Ask a Spaceman!

How many episodes of Star Diary are there?

Star Diary launched 18 years ago and published 358 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 Star Diary?

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What guests have appeared on Star Diary?

Recent guests on Star Diary include:

1. Anjali Piette
2. Belinda Damian
3. Dr. Tom Killestein
4. Professor Alis Deason
5. Penny Boston
6. Lisa Kaltenegger
7. David Lagatuta
8. Rayssa Martins

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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