{"podcast":{"title":"Star Trails: A Weekly Astronomy Podcast","slug":"star-trails-a-weekly-astronomy-podcast-6777620","podcast_index_feed_id":6777620,"rss_url":"https://media.rss.com/star-trails/feed.xml","website_url":"https://startrails.show/","image_url":"https://media.rss.com/star-trails/20240204_030243_ce3cd2c9bd93f8daef6147eee46c9c07.jpg","author":"Single Malt Sky","episode_count":115,"summary":"Star Trails is a weekly astronomy podcast that begins in your backyard and expands outward to the edge of the universe. Each episode features a guide to the night sky visible across North America — constellations, planets, moon phases, and celestial events — along with deeper explorations of the science, history, and perspective that make astronomy one of humanity’s greatest adventures. From ancient skywatchers to modern spacecraft, from quiet stargazing to the violent deaths of stars, Star Trails reveals the beauty, mystery, and sometimes haunting reality of the cosmos.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/star-trails-a-weekly-astronomy-podcast-6777620"},"episode":{"title":"Moons: The Solar System’s Secret Worlds","slug":"moons-the-solar-system-s-secret-worlds","published_at":"2026-03-22T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/star-trails-a-weekly-astronomy-podcast-6777620/moons-the-solar-system-s-secret-worlds","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/star-trails-a-weekly-astronomy-podcast-6777620","url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/star-trails/2648141","audio_url":"https://content.rss.com/episodes/250148/2648141/star-trails/2026_03_21_23_03_42_01ed02e5-749c-4d0c-8669-431949dff1be.mp3","summary":"The most intriguing places in our solar system might not be planets at all. This week we turn our attention to some of the most fascinating and unusual worlds in our solar system: its moons. For most of human history, we assumed moons were quiet, lifeless companions like our own. But as spacecraft ventured deeper into the outer solar system, a very different picture emerged. Some moons erupt with volcanoes. Some hide vast oceans beneath miles of ice. Some have weather, rivers, and lakes, made not of water, but methane. And a few of them may have the ingredients necessary for life. We’ll explore these strange worlds, from Io and Europa to Titan and Enceladus, and take a closer look at what makes them so dynamic. Along the way, we’ll revisit Pluto and its surprisingly complex family of moons, and consider why the outer solar system is teeming with these objects while the inner planets remain mostly bare. Finally, we’ll step outside for a guided tour of the night sky for the week of March 22–28, including a waxing crescent Moon, brilliant Venus in the evening sky, Jupiter and its Galilean moons, and the arrival of spring’s galaxy season. We'll also check in on our book discussion with a look at Chapters 8 and 9 in Nightwatch. Connect with us on Bluesky @ startrails.bsky.social or YouTube @TheStarTrailsPodcast . If you’re enjoying the show, consider sharing it with a friend! Want to help? Buy us a coffee ! Also, check out music made for Star Trails on our Bandcamp page! Podcasting is better with RSS.com ! If you’re planning to start your own podcast, use our RSS.com affiliate link for a discount, and to help support Star Trails.","meta_description":"The most intriguing places in our solar system might not be planets at all. This week we turn our attention to some of the most fascinating and unusual wo…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1553,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/star-trails-a-weekly-astronomy-podcast-6777620/episodes/moons-the-solar-system-s-secret-worlds/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/star-trails-a-weekly-astronomy-podcast-6777620/moons-the-solar-system-s-secret-worlds.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}