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PODCAST

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast

Single Malt Sky

"Star Trails" is a weekly podcast that invites amateur astronomers to explore the enchanting night sky. Join us as we highlight constellations, planets, moon phases, and other astronomical wonders visible in North America. Whether you"re a seasoned stargazer or just starting your cosmic adventure, "Star Trails" is your guide to the captivating mysteries of the universe, all from the comfort of your own backyard.

science astronomy

All Episodes

2:35

Star Trails will return on October 5

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/09/27

It’s been a short break due to technical issues, travel, and life in general, but the show is far from gone. Thanks to everyone who wrote in asking about it — your messages mean the world.Here’s what’s happening in the night sky from September 28 – October 4:September 28: A waxing crescent Moon appears, climbing higher each evening.September 30: The Moon reaches first quarter, brightening the evening skies.Saturn is well placed for evening viewing, glowing steadily in the south.Jupiter rises late at

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13:49

Tempus Fugit: Time in Space and Sky

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/08/31

This week we explore both the night sky and the cosmic tick-tock of time itself. The Moon waxes from half-lit to nearly full, while Saturn shines golden in Pisces with its razor-thin rings. Jupiter and Venus rule the morning skies, and the faint Aurigid meteors and Comet Lemmon make cameo appearances for early risers. In the second half of the show, we dive into the strange and fascinating world of “time in space.” From NASA engineers living on Martian sols with their custom-built Mars watches, to

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13:21

A Dark Sky for Us, and a New Moon for Uranus

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/08/24

This week we head outward to the seventh planet, where the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a brand-new moonlet orbiting Uranus. Barely six miles across, this tiny world is so small you could, in theory, walk around it in a single day. But is “walking” even possible when the surface gravity is only a whisper? We run the numbers and explore what it would feel like to live in such a micro-gravity landscape, where a careless jump could fling you into orbit.Back under Earth’s skies, the nights

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13:47

The Black Moon & the Milky Way’s Hidden Companions

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/08/17

Under a rare seasonal Black Moon, this week’s sky rewards early risers and deep-sky wanderers alike. We start with a whisper-thin crescent slipping closer to the Sun each morning, then pivot to a dawn showcase where Mercury reaches greatest elongation while Venus and Jupiter stack higher above the horizon. On Tuesday and Wednesday a paper-thin crescent Moon joins the lineup—a perfect wide-field photo op—while evenings bring Saturn rising into prime viewing on its road to September opposition. With

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15:03

Perseids, Planets, and the Smell of Space

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/08/10

This week we’re chasing Perseids and planetary pairings while the Moon slowly makes room for darker skies. We’ll explore which constellations are hiding in plain sight, from the narrow spear of Sagitta to the twisting coils of Draco, and we’ll take a tour of some underappreciated deep sky objects along the way.You’ll learn when and where to spot the Venus-Jupiter conjunction, how Mercury is making its return, and why August’s meteor showers come with both brilliance and baggage this year. We’ll even

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9:33

The Sturgeon Moon and the Fossil in the Dark

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/08/03

This week we bask in the glow of the bright Sturgeon Moon, trace the shifting positions of planets from twilight to dawn, and watch as a few late-season meteors streak across the sky.Later in the show, we journey beyond Neptune to meet a newly discovered distant object named Ammonite—a cosmic fossil whose strange orbit may upend one of the most compelling mysteries in astronomy: the existence of Planet Nine.We'll explore how this icy world fits into a tiny family of ultra-distant objects known as

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12:30

Meteors, Mars, and a Betelgeuse Breakthrough

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/07/27

This week we're watching the skies—and catching up on a stellar mystery. Dual meteor showers light up the pre-dawn hours, Mars gets cozy with the Moon, and a recently discovered nova continues to shimmer faintly in the south.Later in the show, we check out a brand new discovery that may have finally cracked a thousand-year-old puzzle. Betelgeuse, the red supergiant in Orion, has long puzzled astronomers with its strange long-term brightness variations. Now, thanks to cutting-edge observations from

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12:53

The Quiet Planet and the Loud Sky

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/07/20

With the Moon going dark midweek, we take a look at some targets in deep-sky territory, plus some dazzling planetary pairings. Also, learn why now might be a good time to rise to the bold (and slightly bonkers) challenge of trying to spot Pluto! It’s not for the faint of aperture, but it’s a fun stretch goal for the ambitious skywatcher.Then, in the second half of the episode, the night gets stranger. We’ll revisit the legendary Wow! Signal from 1977—a mysterious 72-second radio burst that never

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12:32

A Star in Someone Else’s Sky

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/07/13

This week we take a look at the night sky from July 13th to the 19th, highlighting a waning Moon, brilliant morning planets, and the first whispers of the Perseid meteor shower.We’ll check in on Venus dancing near the Pleiades, Saturn’s steady climb toward opposition, and Jupiter’s quiet return to the predawn sky. You’ll also hear what deep-sky targets are best viewed under the darkening moonlight—like the Dumbbell Nebula, Ring Nebula, and the Milky Way’s glowing heart through Sagittarius.Later, we

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16:06

Weighty Matters and Wandering Worlds

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/07/06

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

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14:37

Cosmic Fireworks and a Crazy Week of Space News

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/06/29

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 2028The largest comet ever discovered, already active far beyond SaturnA distant spiral galaxy challenging our ideas about how galaxies formAnd a breakthrough in the decades-long search for the universe’s missing

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10:22

Blazars, Bootids and a Blackout Moon

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/06/22

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

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17:25

Under the Same Stars: Ancient Astronomy

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/06/15

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

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15:59

Sunspots, Moon Tricks, and Meteors at Dawn

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/06/08

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

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14:02

Urban Alignments and Cosmic Parking Spots

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/06/01

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

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9:54

New Moon Week and the Mystery of Missing Green Stars

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/05/25

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),

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13:28

Erased from the Charts, but Still Etched in the Stars

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/05/18

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

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12:24

A Crown, a Ghost Planet, and a Star That Ate Another...

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/05/11

In this week’s episode we’re chasing mysteries in all directions — from the icy edges of our solar system to the fiery hearts of dying stars.First, we explore the renewed buzz around Planet Nine, the theoretical ninth planet that may be lurking far beyond Pluto. New infrared data from decades-old space telescopes has astronomers wondering if we’ve finally glimpsed this long-suspected giant — or perhaps something even stranger.Then, it’s time to bask in the glow of May’s Flower Moon and spot a

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14:06

Tracking Vesta and Exploring Alien Worlds

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/05/04

This week we start with the waxing Moon as it heads toward May’s micromoon, the Flower Moon. Jupiter and Mars light up the western sky, while Venus, Saturn, and elusive Mercury put on a show before sunrise. Don’t miss your chance to spot Vesta — one of the brightest and biggest asteroids visible from Earth — as it reaches peak visibility this week. Later in the show, we venture far beyond our solar system to explore the wild world of exoplanets: planets orbiting other stars. From glass rainstorms to

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11:31

Cosmic Rebels & Celestial Farewells

Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast ·

2025/04/27

This week we say goodbye to Comet SWAN as it disintegrates on its first — and last — visit to the inner solar system. With a New Moon offering ideal stargazing conditions, we turn our attention to the Summer Triangle, Venus and Saturn’s pre-dawn pairing, and Mars dances near the Beehive Cluster.In the second half, we spotlight the galaxy’s rebellious loners: runaway stars. From the aftermath of supernovas to gravitational billiards near black holes, discover how some stars break free and speed

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