00:00

Up next

    Science FridayWhy Astronomers Are Excited About Comet 3I/ATLAS’ Close Approach
    18 minEpisode 1192

    Why Astronomers Are Excited About Comet 3I/ATLAS’ Close Approach

    Listened

    In progress

    This year, comet 3I/Atlas broke into our solar system, but also the zeitgeist. This dirty snowball is a visitor from another solar system, and it’s only the third interstellar object we’ve ever spotted. And today, it's closer to us than ever before—just 170 million miles away.

    Astronomy experts Stefanie Milam and Hakeem Oluseyi join Host Flora Lichtman to dish about 3I/ATLAS and how it captured the spotlight in a way that maybe no other big hunk of rock ever has.

    Read more
    Listen now18 min

    © Science Friday and WNYC StudiosLength 18 min19 December 2025Episode 1192ScienceFactsEducationalUSAEpisodic

    Agricultural Bees, China’s Energy Future, Frankenstein In Class. Feb 2, 2018, Part 1

    Agricultural Bees, China’s Energy Future, Frankenstein In Class. Feb 2, 2018, Part 1

    This is an episodic podcast, so you can listen to it in any order, but episode one is a great place to start.

    Listen to episode one here
    11+ScienceFactsEducationalUSAEpisodic19 December 2025© Science Friday and WNYC Studios

    This year, comet 3I/Atlas broke into our solar system, but also the zeitgeist. This dirty snowball is a visitor from another solar system, and it’s only the third interstellar object we’ve ever spotted. And today, it's closer to us than ever before—just 170 million miles away.

    Astronomy experts Stefanie Milam and Hakeem Oluseyi join Host Flora Lichtman to dish about 3I/ATLAS and how it captured the spotlight in a way that maybe no other big hunk of rock ever has.

    Plus, the sun is setting on the ISS, and the plan is to eventually crash it into the ocean. But wouldn’t it be cooler to send it into deep space instead? A listener pleads his case.

    Guests: Dr. Stefanie Milam is an astrochemist at NASA and a project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope. She studies comets and interstellar objects.

    Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi is an astrophysicist and CEO of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

    Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.

    Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that’s keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374

    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


    © Science Friday and WNYC Studios |Original Episode URL. The content, artwork and advertising within this podcast is not owned or affiliated with Sound Carrot and remain the property of their respective owners.


    Find your next favourite Podcast

    Sound Carrot is your source for Family Podcast Discovery. Verified awesome, 0% boring.

    Privacy Focused

    Distraction free website, no flashing banners or adverts to steal your attention.
    (Some shows do contain their own ads however).

    Kid verified

    At first I made this site for my kids, but like any dad I got a little over excited. I hope you find it as useful as they do.

    Family Friendly

    Whether you want to listen to them together in the car, or alone in your room - the content is all safe for younger ears.