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Science & Medicine

The Supermassive Podcast

Izzie Clarke

This is The Supermassive Podcast from the Royal Astronomical Society. Every month, science journalist Izzie Clarke and astrophysicist Dr Becky Smethurst take you through the universe with th...

Episodes

20 of 122 episodes

The Kuiper Belt...Revisited

Yes, it’s a welcome return for the giant doughnut at the edge of the solar system filled with lumpy space potatoes. Dr Becky and Izzie are j...

46:10Sep 3, 2026

Colanders and is space a stew?

How many colanders can you fit in a field? In, yet another, bonus episode Izzie Clarke, @DrBecky and producer Richard Hollingham share their...

28:44Aug 20, 2026

Top Tips To See The Eclipse

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 a...

25:03Aug 7, 2026

Q&A: Could Dark Matter Be Space Vampires?

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...

49:38Jul 24, 2026

What the heck are neutrinos?

Is this the toughest subject we’ve ever tackled? Izzie certainly thinks so and it’s even making Dr Becky and Dr Robert's brains hurt. Helpin...

54:52Jun 23, 2026

Why Is There Motion in the Universe?

What happens if two diamond core stars collide? Will the Moon drift away from Earth? Why is there motion in the universe? And why we need a...

18:34Jun 12, 2026

How Do Space Telescope Work?

Nancy Grace Roman. Ariel. The next generation of space telescopes are here. Astrophysicist Dr Becky Smethurst and science journalist Izzie C...

1:03:49May 28, 2026

Did Gravity Wipe Out The Dinosaurs?

How do we calculate a black hole's event horizon? Does Mercury's tail impact Earth? Can we name a planet Rupert? And did gravity wipe out th...

19:24May 13, 2026

Into the Space Debris Swamp

Izzie & Dr Becky think that space needs a spring clean, so this episode is all about space debris. What is it? How big of a problem is it? A...

49:01Apr 30, 2026

Our Artemis II Debrief

What. A. Mission. The Supermassive Team are in AWE of the Artemis II Crew and the people that helped them to loop around the Moon. From scie...

33:07Apr 15, 2026

When Space Goes Rogue....

The Supermassive Team are going rogue (more so that usual!) This time, it’s all about the non-conforming objects in space. Black holes, plan...

47:20Apr 1, 2026

What is the Hubble Tension?

There's a crisis in cosmology when it comes to understanding a little thing like the acceleration of our universe, aka The Hubble Tension. A...

1:05:11Feb 26, 2026

2026: The year in space... And at sea?!

What are the biggest space missions of 2026? And what are the best stargazing opportunities this year? The Supermassive Team - Izzie Clarke,...

26:24Feb 11, 2026

How to Time Travel

Fire up your flux capacitor and dematerialise your Tardis because The Supermassive Podcast is traveling in time. Is it possible? How does it...

54:49Dec 23, 2025

Protecting Our Dark Skies

What are the threats to our dark night skies? And what needs to be done to protect them? Izzie, Dr Becky and Robert explore this important t...

49:58Dec 1, 2025

BONUS - Supermassive Gone Rogue

Can JWST detect exomoons? How can black holes keep absorbing more mass? How big is our cosmic neighbourhood? And what is a rogue black hole?...

22:00Nov 14, 2025