This week we kick things off with a deceptively simple listener question: What exactly is mass? From beach balls to black holes, we explore how mass shapes the universe, and our understanding of gravity.

Then we turn our eyes to the night sky, where the Full Buck Moon rises low on the horizon, showing off the inspiring Moon Illusion. We’ll cover what planets are visible, what to look for in the coming nights, and keep in mind, meteor shower season is right around the corner.

Finally, we journey to the outermost reaches of the solar system, to the Kuiper Belt and the distant, mysterious Oort Cloud. These frozen zones may hold the keys to our cosmic past and are home to icy relics like Comet Bernardinelli–Bernstein, one of the largest comets ever discovered.

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own. Highlights include a close encounter between the Moon and Mars, a subtle meteor shower, and a dazzling pre-dawn lineup of planets.

In the second half of the show, we check out some of the most fascinating space news of the season, including:

• An asteroid that could impact the Moon in 2028
• The largest comet ever discovered, already active far beyond Saturn
• A distant spiral galaxy challenging our ideas about how galaxies form
• And a breakthrough in the decades-long search for the universe’s missing matter

Then, we zoom in on the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which just released its first images from the largest astronomical camera ever built. From new asteroids to deep galaxy clusters, Rubin is poised to change everything we know about the dynamic sky.

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This week we explore one of the darkest, and most dynamic, weeks of the season for stargazing. With a New Moon on June 25th, we get a prime window to explore the deep sky, from the glowing heart of the Milky Way to the subtle shimmer of noctilucent clouds and the unpredictable June Bootids meteor shower.

There’s also a stunning series of planetary pairings, including Venus and the Moon at dawn, and a twilight dance featuring Mercury, Mars, and Regulus. Plus, we preview a lunar occultation of Mars and offer tips for timing the event in your local sky.

Later we venture far beyond the Solar System to investigate blazars: relativistic jets from feeding black holes in distant galaxies. We break down how these dynamic cosmic particle accelerators are helping scientists unlock secrets of the universe, one ghost particle at a time.

For more episodes and resources for backyard astronomers, visit www.startrails.show. Share the wonder of the stars with friends and continue your cosmic journey with us. Also, connect with us on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social, or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast.

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The week of June 15th to the 21st includes a waning Moon approaching perigee, a lineup of bright planets at both dusk and dawn, and the breathtaking rise of the Milky Way’s galactic core in the southeastern night sky.

But we’re also turning back the celestial clock. To honor the summer solstice on June 21st, the longest day of the year. We’ll explore how ancient cultures around the world used the sky to tell time, navigate, worship, and survive. From Stonehenge’s solar alignment to the jaw-dropping mechanics of the Antikythera device, we’ll journey through the earliest forms of astronomy and the tools that shaped humanity’s understanding of the cosmos.

Along the way, we’ll marvel at Polynesian star compasses, Babylonian eclipse charts, Chinese supernova records, and the mythological constellations that connected skywatchers across continents.

For more episodes and resources for backyard astronomers, visit www.startrails.show. Share the wonder of the stars with friends and continue your cosmic journey with us. Also, connect with us on Mastodon @star_trails, on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social, or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast.

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Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

This week there’s a sky full of surprises. From the lowest full moon in nearly two decades—the golden-hued Strawberry Moon—to the elusive Arietid meteor shower peaking in broad daylight, there’s a lot to see… or at least know is happening above.

We’ll also track the current planetary lineup, including Mercury’s brief appearance next to Jupiter and some early morning views of Venus and Saturn. Then, in the second half, we shift our focus to the Sun, which is ramping up toward solar maximum.

We’ll explore the Sun’s 11-year magnetic cycle, why we’ve been seeing auroras farther south than usual, and what all of this means for ham radio operators and other technology.

For more episodes and resources for backyard astronomers, visit www.startrails.show. Share the wonder of the stars with friends and continue your cosmic journey with us. Also, connect with us on Mastodon @star_trails, on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social, or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast.

If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee!

Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

As June begins, the night sky greets stargazers with a blend of familiar favorites. This week we highlight a picturesque conjunction between Mars and the crescent moon, and Venus shines brightly as the Morning Star. Saturn lingers low in the early morning hours, and the Summer Triangle begins to dominate the eastern sky, signaling the slow approach of summer nights.

We take a look at some of the action around the Galactic Core, home to deep sky gems like the Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae, and the supermassive black hole known as Sagittarius A*, before taking a detour into New York City, where the phenomenon of Manhattanhenge dazzles viewers. Plus, learn what other cities experience similar solar alignments, and how to find out if your own town has its own “henge” using the Photographer's Ephemeris!

Finally, we explore the gravitational architecture of space by introducing the Lagrange Points—those curious and incredibly useful spots in the Earth–Sun system where spacecraft can "park" with minimal effort.

For more episodes and resources for backyard astronomers, visit www.startrails.show. Share the wonder of the stars with friends and continue your cosmic journey with us. Also, connect with us on Mastodon @star_trails, on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social, or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast.

If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee!

Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

This week the New Moon arrives—perfect conditions for spotting deep-sky wonders. Discover five must-see celestial objects to track down while the skies are dark, from ancient globular clusters to swirling galaxies.

Then, we dig into a colorful cosmic mystery: why do we see red, blue, and yellow stars—but never green ones? We explain how star temperatures and light spectra play a role in the colors we perceive in the night sky.

It’s a shorter episode this week (Drew’s voice is a bit under the weather), but there’s still plenty to marvel at above. So let your eyes adjust, and come along for the view.

For more episodes and resources for backyard astronomers, visit www.startrails.show. Share the wonder of the stars with friends and continue your cosmic journey with us. Also, connect with us on Mastodon @star_trails, on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social, or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast.

If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee!

Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.

As the Moon wanes and the morning planets take center stage, we turn our gaze to a part of the sky rarely discussed on Star Trails: the Southern Hemisphere. In this episode, we take a journey through time and space to uncover the story of Argo Navis, the largest constellation that no longer exists.

We explore the celestial ship’s breakup into Carina, Vela, and Puppis, and dive into the nebulae, star clusters, and pulsars that remain in its wake. Along the way, we also meet a few other retired constellations, including a long-lost housecat named Felis.

We’ll offer up some tips for viewing Mars, Venus, Saturn, and Mercury, and mention deep sky gems to chase under moonless skies.

For more episodes and resources for backyard astronomers, visit www.startrails.show. Share the wonder of the stars with friends and continue your cosmic journey with us. Also, connect with us on Mastodon @star_trails, on Bluesky @startrails.bsky.social, or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast.

If you're enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee!

Podcasting is better with RSS.com! If you're planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.