Podcast

Cosmically Curious

Astronomy, Science

A space-focused segment from NHPR hosted by Patrick McNameeKing. It's all about celebrating the night sky with a healthy dose of joy, curiosity and zero pretension.

Each week we’ll cover topics ranging from the latest NASA missions, to events happening in the night sky, to space in pop culture. It’s science for everyone—whether you’re an amateur astronomer or someone who’s never held a telescope.

Astronomy chart
#136
Episodes
35
Releases
Weekly
Typical length
2 min
On air since
2026
Latest episode
4 days ago

Episodes

35 episodes, newest first

  1. Weight vs. Mass

    Show notes

    From Earth to the Moon, astronomer Nicole Gugliucci explains how gravity changes your weight while your mass stays the same—and why that could mean a lot more chocolate.

    2 min
  2. The Official List

    Show notes

    In this episode of Cosmically Curious, St. Anselm's Nicole Gugliucci explains how astronomers settled on the official list of constellations, and what the choices reveal about whose stories are represented in the night sky.

    2 min
  3. Vastness of Space

    Show notes

    In this conversation, astrophysicist Nicole Gugliucci explains how analogies help us make sense of the cosmic distances that otherwise overwhelm the imagination.

    2 min
  4. Extraterrestrial weather

    Show notes

    In this episode of Cosmically Curious, Patrick McNamee King sits down with astronomer Nicole Gugliucci to explore the bizarre reality of extraterrestrial weather—from scorching sulfuric acid showers on Venus to helium raining through the interior of Saturn.

    2 min
  5. Does the universe remember

    Show notes

    In this segment of Cosmically Curious, host Patrick McNamee speaks with astronomer John Gianforte from the University of New Hampshire about whether the cosmos preserves a record of everything that has ever happened—and what the physics of our own sun reveals about the vastness of that question.

    2 min
  6. New England Fall Astronomy Festival

    Show notes

    The University of New Hampshire Department of Physics and Astronomy is holding the New England Fall Astronomy Festival, or NEFAF for short.

    2 min
  7. What Are Fundamental Constants?

    Show notes

    In this episode of Cosmically Curious we explore the universal rules that define reality & physics.

    2 min
  8. Black Holes

    Show notes

    In this episode of Cosmically Curious, host Patrick McNamee sits down with Saint Anselm College astronomer Nicole Gallucci to clear up common black hole myths, explain the bizarre physics of spaghettification, and reveal what would actually happen if our Sun suddenly turned into a black hole.

    2 min
  9. James Webb spots signs of potential life

    Show notes

    A distant exoplanet 700 trillion miles away is captivating astronomers, and the latest findings from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have reignited a major question: Are we alone in the universe?

    2 min
  10. What are Voyager probes observing 50 years later

    Show notes

    NASA’s Voyager probes are 16 billion miles away in interstellar space. Learn what two instruments are still measuring and why it matters for deep space exploration.

    2 min
  11. Voyager Prode Part 1

    Show notes

    Launched in the summer of 1977, NASA’s Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft were originally authorized for a brief journey to visit Jupiter and Saturn. Nearly five decades later, both probes are still operating in deep space, pushing the boundaries of human exploration.

    2 min
  12. August 2026 Lunar Eclipse

    Show notes

    In this segment of NHPR's Cosmically Curious, host Patrick McNameeKing sits down with UNH astronomer John Gianforte to discuss an exciting upcoming celestial event: a near-total lunar eclipse.

    2 min
  13. The microwave mystery that baffled astronomers

    Show notes

    How did a kitchen microwave fool astronomers? On Cosmically Curious, Dr. Nicole Gugliucci reveals the true source behind mysterious fast radio bursts.

    2 min
  14. Perseid Meteor Showers

    Show notes

    Learn the best viewing times, why a new moon makes this year special, and why you only need a lawn chair to watch.

    2 min
  15. Supernova

    Show notes

    In late 1572, long before the invention of the telescope, sky-watchers looking up at the night sky saw something impossible: a blazing new star where nothing had existed before.

    2 min
  16. What is "dark matter"?

    Show notes

    Dark matter makes up 85% of all matter in the universe, but is only detected by the effect it has on visible matter.

    2 min
  17. Pulsars Cosmic Clocks

    Show notes

    In a recent conversation, Patrick McNamee King sat down with Nicole Gallucci from Saint Anselm College to explore why these collapsed stellar remnants are far more than just deep-space anomalies—they are actually some of the most powerful scientific instruments available to us.

    2 min
  18. Cosmically Curious: Pulsars, the lighthouse of the universe

    Show notes

    A pulsar is the collapsed, zombie-like core of a massive star that died in a supernova explosion.

    2 min
  19. Anti Matter

    Show notes

    Today, we're answering a question from listener Tim Smith, who asks a deceptively simple question: Why does anything exist?

    2 min
  20. Filters & Photons

    Show notes

    How do you capture a full-color image when your recording medium can only see in black and white?

    2 min