Astrophiz: In-Depth Interviews with Astronomers and Astrophysicists Discover the wonders of the universe with Astrophiz, the podcast for space enthusiasts and researchers. Join host Brendan O’Brien as he sits down with world-leading scientists to explore the frontiers of astrophysics, radio astronomy, and space science. From the evolution of the Milky Way and the mechanics of solar flares to the cutting-edge technology of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), we break down complex academic research…
Trevor Barry — the Outback Astronomer — is a world-renowned planetary imager whose backyard observatory in Broken Hill, NSW, produces scientific-grade Jupiter and Saturn data used by NASA. In this episode of Astrophiz, host Brendan O'Brien travels to the outback to sit down with Trevor at his custom-built observatory. Discover how a former mining tradesman built a 16-inch high-resolution planetary…
How do we "autopsy" a galaxy from billions of light-years away? Join world-renowned astrophysicist Dr. Elisabete da Cunha as she sits down with Astrophiz host Brendan O’Brien to explore the life, evolution, and eventual "death" of the most massive structures in the universe. From her early inspirations under the stars of Portugal to her groundbreaking work in Extragalactic Astronomy, Elisabete…
Astrophiz 239: August 2026 Sky Guide — Venus at Greatest Elongation, Mars Meets the Crab Nebula, and the Eagle of Aquila Dr. Ian 'Astroblog' Musgrave returns with your essential guide to the August night sky. This month the planetary action shifts to the morning sky, with Mars sweeping past the Crab Nebula and open cluster M35, while Saturn begins opening its rings ahead of September opposition.…
In Episode 238 of the Astrophiz Podcast, we sit down with multi-wavelength astrophysicist Kovi Rose to explore a groundbreaking breakthrough in radio astronomy: the discovery of the stellar "Rosetta Stone" system, ASKAP J1745. Kovi shares the inside story of tracking down this unique system using Australia’s world-class hardware, including the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP)…
In Astrophiz Episode 237, Dr. Ian Musgrave joins host Brendan O'Brien to deliver your comprehensive July 2026 SkyGuide, detailing a spectacular month of naked-eye astronomy and astrophotography targets. Today we celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Ian's Skyguides.
Celebrate a decade of stargazing with Astrophiz! 🌟 In this milestone episode, host Brendan O'Brien is joined by acclaimed scientist, educator, and amateur astronomer Dr. Ian Musgrave to celebrate 10 years of the Astrophiz SkyGuide and the 19th anniversary of his renowned 'Astroblog'. Ian delivers your comprehensive Southern Hemisphere July Sky Guide, detailing when and where to spot the planet…
Welcome to Astrophiz! In this episode, host Brendan O'Brien sits down with the brilliant Dr. Gabriela Ligeza, an Internal Research Fellow at the European Space Agency (ESA) in the Netherlands. Dr. Ligeza works at the absolute cutting edge of planetary exploration, bridging the gap between orbital maps and physical alien terrain. As a key scientist for ESA’s ExoMars mission, she is developing the…
In Astrophiz Episode 235, Dr. Ian Musgrave joins host Brendan O'Brien to deliver your comprehensive June 2026 SkyGuide, detailing a spectacular month of naked-eye astronomy and astrophotography targets. [00:00] Introduction & Indigenous Country acknowledgment [01:05] The June Moon Phases: Apogee, Perigee, and High Tides [02:18] How to observe the Lunar X and Lunar V (June 22) [03:45] The Evening…
In May 2024, the "Mother’s Day Superstorm" slammed into Mars with a force Earth didn't experience. But how do we see a storm on a planet without a magnetic field? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jacob Parrott from the European Space Agency (ESA) to discuss his groundbreaking research recently published in Nature Communications. Jacob explains how he and his team "hacked" veteran…
Welcome to Astrophiz Episode 233 This month, we are joined by Dr. Ian Musgrave for the May Sky Guide. We explore the planetary alignments, the upcoming Eta Aquariid meteor showers, and how you can track Comet C/2025 R3 (PANSTARRS). Plus, we dive into the fascinating world of sun-grazing comets and how you can get involved in citizen science. In this episode: Planetary Watch: Venus and Jupiter…
