#36: Winding down 2025 with the Aurora Borealis

We have much to be thankful for in 2025! Kolby provides an update on the show to get things started, highlights the extraordinary nature of our year with this podcast, and the exciting future releases of 2026.Similarly, enjoy our conversation about the Aurora Borealis that folks across the world have experienced this last month and the strong event that occurred at the end of November!We are so thankful for you, our fans, and can't wait for our final episode of 2025!

Order a "What the Fractal?" t-shirt now! Explore The Space Between Astronomy Podcast merch store:⁠https://the-space-between-podcast.printify.me/⁠---In this episode of The Space Between, we venture to the far side of the Moon—not for radio silence or alien bases, but for quantum computation. As the race to scale quantum systems heats up on Earth, researchers and futurists are eyeing the cold, quiet vacuum of space as a natural habitat for the most sensitive computers ever conceived.We explore the radical proposition: what if the next leap in quantum computing doesn’t happen in Silicon Valley or Shenzhen—but in a permanently shadowed crater beyond Earth’s radio reach? From ultra-low temperatures to freedom from electromagnetic noise, the Moon’s far side offers conditions you can’t replicate on Earth. But it also demands infrastructure that doesn’t yet exist—nuclear power, laser comms, robotic maintenance, and maybe even lunar laws.We break down the physics, the politics, and the speculative tech stacks behind this idea, including how it might transform secure communications, deep space AI, or even help humanity process the next Event Horizon Telescope image in days instead of years. Along the way, we dig into who’s quietly laying the groundwork—from space agencies to quantum labs—and why this isn’t just science fiction anymore.Also in the mix: China’s moonbase ambitions, the latest on NASA’s Artemis III delays, and a short, weird detour into whether lunar helium-3 mining might actually fund quantum servers on the Moon.It’s an episode where moonshots meet moonlight, and the future of computing might just be hiding in the shadows.

A quick update for all our loyal fans here on the Space Between!

Order a "What the Fractal?" t-shirt now! Explore The Space Between Astronomy Podcast merch store:⁠https://the-space-between-podcast.printify.me/---In this episode of The Space Between, we sit down with astrophotographer, filmmaker, and YouTuber Helena Cochrane to explore how art, science, and storytelling collide under the night sky. From her first steps into astrophotography to her journey as a film student, Helena has built a unique voice in science communication, blending cinematic visuals, personal perspective, and educational outreach.We talk about the challenges of imaging the heavens from the often-cloudy landscapes of Scotland, the creative crossover between film and astrophotography, and the ways YouTube has allowed her to connect with a global audience hungry for both beauty and knowledge. Along the way, we dig into the role of storytelling in science: how framing the cosmos through narrative makes astronomy more accessible, inspiring, and fun for people everywhere.Expect an engaging conversation full of insights on creativity, communication, and the joy of sharing the stars, where lenses, landscapes, and laughter all come together.---JOIN OUR LIVE SHOW ON EVERY FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH AT THIS LINK!⁠⁠⁠⁠https://riverside.fm/studio/kolby-van-camps-studio-eMegK⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/spacebetweenpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Discord!https://discord.gg/YkMtpMsytuOrder Kolby's new album! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kolbyvancamp.hearnow.com/portraits-volume-ii⁠---Helena's links:Subscribe to her YouTube channel!⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HelenasAstrophotography⁠Join her Discord!⁠https://discord.com/invite/N3yaPxyH3g⁠Follow her on Instagram and Facebook!⁠https://www.instagram.com/helenas_astro⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/HelenaAstrophotography⁠Join her Patreon!⁠https://www.patreon.com/helenasastro⁠

Order a "What the Fractal?" t-shirt now! Explore The Space Between Astronomy Podcast merch store:https://the-space-between-podcast.printify.me/---In this episode of The Space Between, we explore a bold new frontier in digital infrastructure: data centers in space. As the world’s appetite for computing power skyrockets, fueled by AI, cloud services, and ever-expanding networks, traditional data centers are hitting limits on land, water, and energy. The solution some scientists and entrepreneurs propose? Lift the cloud above the clouds.We examine the technical promise and pitfalls of orbital data centers: abundant solar power and radiative cooling in the vacuum of space versus the harsh realities of radiation, latency, and orbital debris. From Europe’s ASCEND project to startups like Starcloud and Axiom Space’s station-based plans, we trace how quickly this idea is shifting from sci-fi concept to funded prototypes.But it’s not all efficiency and green promises. We dig into the environmental tradeoffs, the risk of “sky pollution” for astronomy, and the legal gray zones of data sovereignty beyond Earth. Alongside that, we unpack the week’s wilder headlines: alien embryos from meteorites in Panama and a fake comet hoax named C/2025 Q2 ZTF, and ask how to separate real innovation from viral distraction.Expect a conversation that blends cutting-edge tech, climate urgency, and cosmic perspective, where sustainability, skepticism, and the stars all intersect.Articles:⁠ChatGPT Deep Research on orbital data centers:https://chatgpt.com/s/dr_68d0eeade4b881918f9b8cff86b79ce9Primary sources about the P/2025 Q2 (PANSTARRS) comet:https://www.cobs.si/comet/2657/https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=c%2F2025%20q2https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K25/K25R67.htmlOfficial Starcloud website:https://www.starcloud.com/Starcloud whitepaper:https://starcloud.com/wp/---JOIN OUR LIVE SHOW ON EVERY FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH AT THIS LINK!⁠⁠⁠https://riverside.fm/studio/kolby-van-camps-studio-eMegK⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/spacebetweenpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Order Kolby's new album! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kolbyvancamp.hearnow.com/portraits-volume-ii⁠

In this episode of The Space Between, we explore a breakthrough in cosmological modeling: the Web-Halo Model, developed by Dr. Sam Brieden and his team. For decades, cosmologists have relied on the halo model to describe how matter clumps together in the universe, but it struggled to capture the messy middle ground between isolated galaxies and vast cosmic structures.The Web-Halo Model goes further, folding in the sheets and filaments of the cosmic web itself. Instead of treating haloes as standalone dark matter “bubbles,” WHM describes them as substructures within filaments and sheets — a hierarchy that mirrors how the universe actually forms. The result is a parameter-free model that matches simulations with unprecedented precision, providing sharper tools for interpreting sky surveys like Euclid, Rubin, and DESI.We discuss why this matters for extracting information from weak gravitational lensing, what it means to move closer to first-principles cosmology, and how language and metaphor help bridge the gap between abstract theory and public understanding. Expect a conversation that blends astrophysics, philosophy, and the future of how we map the universe’s scaffolding.---Articles:Web-Halo Model (WHM): Accurate non-linear matter power spectrum predictions without free parametersFollow Dr. Brieden on X here!---JOIN OUR LIVE SHOW ON EVERY FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH AT 9p CENTRAL TIME (GMT-5) AT THIS LINK!⁠⁠https://riverside.fm/studio/kolby-van-camps-studio-eMegK⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/spacebetweenpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Order Kolby's new album! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kolbyvancamp.hearnow.com/portraits-volume-ii⁠

In this episode of The Space Between, we dive headfirst into one of the hottest debates in modern cosmology: the true age of the universe and what new data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) means for our understanding of cosmic expansion. Headlines are screaming “crisis” and claiming the universe is expanding at two different speeds—so what’s fact, what’s speculation, and what’s just sensational storytelling?We explore the “Hubble Tension,” the discrepancy between early-universe and late-universe measurements of cosmic expansion, and why JWST’s confirmation of Hubble’s data is such a big deal. At the same time, we break down how the science gets spun in the media—why articles about “two universes” or “multiple speeds” of expansion may capture clicks, but miss the nuance of what astronomers are actually saying.Expect a blend of astrophysics, philosophy, and some critical media literacy as we ask: how should we talk about cosmic uncertainty without losing public trust in science?---Articles:The unthinkable confirmed - James Webb and Hubble prove that the universe is expanding at two different speeds, throwing cosmology into crisisNew measure of the universe's expansion suggests resolution of a conflictNASA's Webb, Hubble Telescopes Affirm Universe's Expansion Rate, Puzzle PersistsWebb telescope confirms the universe is expanding at an unexpected rate---JOIN OUR LIVE SHOW ON EVERY FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH AT 9p CENTRAL TIME (GMT-5) AT THIS LINK!⁠https://riverside.fm/studio/kolby-van-camps-studio-eMegK⁠Follow us on Instagram! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/spacebetweenpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Order Kolby's new album! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kolbyvancamp.hearnow.com/portraits-volume-ii⁠

In this episode of The Space Between, Kolby, Dawson, and special guest Bernie Michaels dive into the hidden patterns of chaos and the strange gravitational dance of black holes. Bernie, a self-proclaimed chaos math savant, unpacks how tiny changes can lead to cosmic-scale consequences — from galaxies colliding to the unpredictable orbits that shape the universe.We explore whether black holes act like strange attractors, how fractals might be written into the very fabric of spacetime, and whether the universe’s most terrifying objects might also be the birthplace for all life as we know it. Along the way, we wrestle with questions of order versus disorder, philosophy versus physics, and whether humanity’s own chaotic minds mirror the cosmos.It’s a conversation that swings between hard science, big-picture wonder, and playful curiosity. Buckle up — the void is stranger (and more beautiful) than it seems.---JOIN OUR LIVE SHOW ON SEPTEMBER 7 AT 7p CENTRAL TIME (GMT-5) AT THIS LINK!https://riverside.fm/studio/kolby-van-camps-studio-eMegKFollow us on Instagram! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/spacebetweenpod⁠⁠⁠⁠Order Kolby's new album! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kolbyvancamp.hearnow.com/portraits-volume-ii⁠

Far from Earth, the Moon presents explorers with an unforgiving puzzle: two weeks of searing daylight followed by two weeks of frozen night. For any future habitat, this isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s a survival crisis. How do you keep the lights on, the air flowing, and the water unfrozen when the Sun disappears for 354 hours at a time?In this episode of The Space Between, Kolby and Dawson explore a surprising solution: thermoelectric power. By harnessing the Moon’s brutal extremes—searing heat by day and deep cold by night—engineers are discovering ways to turn temperature swings into electricity. Could this ancient effect, the Seebeck phenomenon, be the hidden key to powering humanity’s next great frontier?From South Korean simulations to NASA-backed “thermal wadis” carved from lunar soil, we dig into the science, the innovation, and the strategy behind building a self-sustaining lunar base. How does thermoelectric power stack up against solar farms and nuclear reactors? Is it a clever backup—or the seed of a truly independent lunar energy grid?And perhaps most important of all: what does mastering lunar night survival teach us about living beyond the Moon—on Mars, or in the deep cold of interplanetary space?---ChatGPT Deep Research: https://chatgpt.com/s/dr_68abed4419888191b73dbde78972918fUniverse Today article:https://www.universetoday.com/articles/simulation-of-a-thermoelectric-power-generation-system-with-multiple-heat-storage-for-lunar-habitatKyle Hill, Lia Incident:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3GYg7Y_W7s---Follow us on Instagram! ⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/spacebetweenpod⁠⁠⁠Order Kolby's new album! ⁠⁠⁠https://kolbyvancamp.hearnow.com/portraits-volume-ii⁠

Far beyond the orbit of Pluto lies a silent frontier—the frozen edge of the solar system, where light fades, and time seems to stretch. In this episode of The Space Between, Kolby and Dawson explore the discovery of 2023 KQ14, an ancient, distant object nicknamed Ammonite. It's one of only a handful of known sednoids, mysterious celestial bodies that may be untouched relics from the solar system's formation 4.5 billion years ago.What makes Ammonite special? Its orbit is so stable, so distant, and so strange that it may challenge the very way we model the outer solar system. Could this object be the missing clue in the Planet Nine debate? Or is it evidence of something even more ancient; something fossilized into the gravitational architecture of our solar system itself?---ChatGPT Deep Research: ⁠https://chatgpt.com/s/dr_689eb892a0248191af6fc7bcb46044e7⁠Clyde Tombaugh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clyde_Tombaugh ---Follow us on Instagram! ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/spacebetweenpod⁠⁠Order Kolby's new album! ⁠⁠https://kolbyvancamp.hearnow.com/portraits-volume-ii⁠