Astronomy Cast
A weekly, facts-based journey through the cosmos where a science journalist and a professional astronomer explain not just what we know, but how we know it.
A long-running conversation between a space journalist and an astronomer that breaks down a single astronomy topic each week. Fraser Cain acts as the audience's proxy, asking clarifying questions, while Dr. Pamela Gay provides the textbook-level explanations, often using analogies to make complex subjects accessible. The show's core philosophy is to explain the scientific process—'how we know what we know'—rather than just stating facts.
“The show's longevity and the specific host dynamic—a journalist questioning a professional astronomer—is its key differentiator. Unlike news-focused shows, it concentrates on foundational concepts, giving listeners a classroom-style education in a conversational format.”
Who hosts this show
Since 2006, Astronomy Cast has taken a weekly, facts-based journey through the cosmos. The show is co-hosted by Fraser Cain, the publisher of Universe Today, and Dr. Pamela L. Gay, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. The format brings the questions of an avid astronomy enthusiast (Cain) directly to a professional astronomer (Gay) to explore topics from planets to cosmology. The show is approaching its 20th anniversary and 800th episode.
Credentials & credits
- Fraser Cain: Publisher of Universe Today
- Dr. Pamela L. Gay: PhD in Astronomy, University of Texas, Austin (2002)
- Dr. Pamela L. Gay: BS in Astrophysics, Michigan State University (1996)
- Dr. Pamela L. Gay: Senior Scientist, Planetary Science Institute
- Dr. Pamela L. Gay: Director of CosmoQuest
Other ventures
- Fraser Cain: Universe Today (Publisher)
- Fraser Cain: Weekly Space Hangout (Host)
- Dr. Pamela L. Gay: CosmoQuest (Director)
- Dr. Pamela L. Gay: Astronomical Society of the Pacific (Director of Technology and Citizen Science)
- Dr. Pamela L. Gay: StarStryder.com (Blogger)
When new episodes drop
- 01Heavy Lift RocketsJun 23, 2026 · 1h 00m
- 02Summer Media ListJun 16, 2026 · 1h 00m
- 03Space events while we're on HiatusJun 11, 2026 · 1h 14m
- 04Oceans & Organics on MarsJun 2, 2026 · 1h 06m
- 05Expanse ScienceMay 11, 2026 · 35 min
- 06Stargate ScienceMay 11, 2026 · 43 min
- 07Star Trek ScienceMay 5, 2026 · 1h 00m
- 08Star Wars ScienceApr 30, 2026 · 58 min
Notable episodes
- 01Heavy Lift Rockets
A representative example of the show's core format: a deep dive into a technical subject, comparing historical and current technology to explain a key aspect of space exploration.
- 02Summer Media List
Shows the personal side of the hosts and provides a curated list of sci-fi and science-related books, movies, and shows, a recurring seasonal feature.
- 03Space events while we're on Hiatus
A practical, timely episode that serves as a guide for listeners, previewing major astronomical events like eclipses and meteor showers for the upcoming months.
- 04Expanse Science
Part of a recurring series that analyzes the science within popular science fiction franchises, making complex physics concepts relatable through a pop culture lens.
What you'll be asked on this show
This is a co-hosted educational show, not an interview podcast. Episodes begin with friendly, often personal banter before transitioning to a single, focused topic for the week. Fraser typically introduces the subject and poses questions, with Pamela providing the detailed scientific explanations and context.
Signature segments
- · "Welcome to Astronomy Cast, our weekly fact-based journey through the cosmos..."
- · Seasonal Summer Media Recommendation episodes
- · Annual preview of space events during their summer hiatus
- · Answering the question of "how we know what we know"
- · Explaining science through analogies
Topics covered repeatedly
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The show is explicitly supported by its listeners through Patreon, as mentioned in episode descriptions and on their website.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Astronomy Cast?
- The show is hosted by Fraser Cain, the publisher of the space news website Universe Today, and Dr. Pamela L. Gay, a professional astronomer and Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute.
- What is the format of the show?
- It's a weekly, co-hosted educational show. Each episode focuses on a single topic where Fraser Cain asks questions and Dr. Pamela Gay provides in-depth explanations. It is not an interview show.
- How long has Astronomy Cast been running?
- Astronomy Cast premiered on September 10, 2006, and has produced over 790 episodes.
- Is this a show for experts or beginners?
- The show is designed to be accessible for beginners but detailed enough to be valuable for amateur astronomers. Its goal is to explain not just what we know, but how we know it.
- Where can I listen to Astronomy Cast?
- New episodes are streamed live on YouTube and Twitch, and the audio version is available on their website (astronomycast.com) and all major podcast platforms.
- Does the show have guests?
- No, Astronomy Cast is a two-host show and does not feature guests.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Astronomy Cast Official Websiteastronomycast.com
- [02]Astronomy Cast - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [03]Universe Todayuniversetoday.com
- [04]Pamela L. Gay - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [05]CosmoQuestcosmoquest.org
- [06]Dr. Pamela L. Gay Bio - Lifeboat Foundationlifeboat.com
- [07]Fraser Cain's Profile | Muck Rackmuckrack.com
- [08]Meet the 2019 Isaac Asimov Science Award Recipient, Pamela Gaythehumanist.com
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