We know that black holes exist. One of the types of black holes is roughly on the scale of the mass of our Sun. They form when the large-scale ones die. Then there are supermassive black holes that exist at the centers of galaxies. These can have masses on the scale of millions or billions of times the mass of our Sun. Our Milky Way galaxy has a supermassive black hole that is 4 million times the mass of our Sun. But astronomers have been looking for medium size blackholes. And now, finally, there is evidence of one in a globular cluster in our galaxy. In this episode of Kainaati Gup Shup, astrophysicist Salman Hameed discusses how astronomers discovered this mid-size black hole.  

Mars continues to captivate scientists and space enthusiasts alike! While we've discovered over 5,000 exoplanets orbiting distant stars, the Red Planet remains one of the most intriguing within our solar system. Billions of years ago, Mars had vast oceans and a suitable climate for life. Today, it's a cold, barren desert, but NASA’s rovers, Curiosity and Perseverance, are unearthing fascinating clues about its ancient history. Could Mars have once harboured life? In this episode of Kainaati Gup Shup, astrophysicist Salman Hameed delves into three groundbreaking discoveries that offer new evidence about the possibility of life on Mars.

NASA's Osiris Rex mission brought samples from asteroid Bennu. Japanese mission Hayabusa 2 brought back samples from asteroid Ryugu. Why are these samples important? What do we learn from them? Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring these and more questions in this episode of Kainaati Gup Shup. 
Video Link: https://youtu.be/RMhgG5ColZI

Can we see the very first galaxies in the universe? Maybe. Because the speed of light is finite, the farther away you see, the longer the light takes to get to us. This way, astronomy allows us to see a universe that is younger. James Webb Space Telescope has identified some galaxies that are so far away that their light has taken billions of years to get to us. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in taking a journey to Maisie's Galaxy, the farthest galaxy in the universe. The light from this galaxy started its journey when the the universe was only 390 million years old. 
Video Link: https://youtu.be/oNCnGFzSAeg

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission landed in the south-polar region of the Moon. We are also going to see a flurry of space missions to the same area in the coming months, including the Chinese Change' 6 mission, and NASA's Artemis. What is going on? Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring the reasons for this interest in the lunar south pole. 
Video Link: https://youtu.be/_RjLpcp284E

The first images of James Webb Telescope images were released just over a year ago. To celebrate this anniversary, here we talk about two images that highlight not only its science, but also its beauty and wonder. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in looking at the star forming region, Rho Ophiuchi and the grand design spiral, M74,  in this podcast. Oh, and we also talk about the mysterious "?" in one of the new James Webb images! 
Video Link: https://youtu.be/jDKDaVW9vc0

In July, a former intelligence office, David Grusch, testified that the US is in possession of spacecrafts from other planets. In fact, he also said that some non-human "biologics" have also been recovered from the crashed alien spacecrafts. Now this was stated all under oath. So how do we think about such claims in the context of search for extraterrestrial intelligence? 
Video Link: https://youtu.be/mICov9M3uEM

Gravitational waves were predicted by Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. They were first directly detected in 2015 with LIGO and those were mostly the result of the collision of two star-size black holes. But now in a fascinating way, astronomers have used pulsars (spinning neutron stars) to detect a background hum of gravitational waves, probably caused by supermassive black holes. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring the topic of gravitational waves and how astronomers used dead stars to make the new detection in this Urdu/Hindi audio. 

For full video: https://youtu.be/PTqG9ptEM1Q

For over fifty years, satellites and telescopes have been detecting short bursts of gamma ray bursts. Their origins remained one of the biggest mysteries of science. Now we know that they are from some of the strangest and biggest explosions in the universe. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in discussing the origins of gamma ray bursts in this Urdu/Hindi documentary. 

For full video: https://youtu.be/iSHVjUp8gh8

This video on the challenge of increasing light pollution is a part of collaboration between International Astronomical Union's Office for Astronomy Research (IAU OAO) and Kainaat Studios. A companion essay for this video is available at: https://www.iau.org/public/themes/light_pollution/
Stars in the night sky have played a crucial role in the history of humans on this planet. They have not only helped us in providing appropriate times for planting crops and in finding directions in the middle of deserts and oceans, but our queries about their nature have also sparked some of the biggest revolutions in human perceptions of our place in the universe. But now the increasing glow from our light bulbs is threatening the existence of various species on the planet. A new study suggests that the night sky may be brightening at a rate of 7-10% each year! In this episode of Cosmic Gup Shup, astrophysicist Salman Hameed talks about the steps we can take to reduce light pollution and protect the night sky, which holds an important place in various cultures and societies. 
For full video: https://youtu.be/BZPkW9tEXqo

We know that black holes are some of the strangest objects in the universe! We now have an example of a supermassive black hole that was ejected from the center of a galaxy. In the process, it is also helping create new stars. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in discussing how such a black hole got ejected from the galaxy in the first place in this Urdu/Hindi documentary. 

For full video: https://youtu.be/phXD4zE7_Q0

In part 1, we looked at the question of life's origins and if the raw materials for life are easily available in the universe. In the second part, we look at the formation of the molecules of life itself - from amino acids and lipids for the membranes, to the formation of the molecule of life, DNA. In the second part, please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in looking at some of the pathways to the origin of life on Earth. 

Full video link: https://youtu.be/VGwCnlOAb7o

Pakistan's first satellite to the Moon, ICUBE Q, is part of China's Chang'e 6 mission to the far side of the Moon. How should we think about Pakistan's mission? Why is China going to the far side of the Moon, and what will we learn from it? Please join the astrophysicist in this episode of Kainaati Gup Shup. 

How did life begin on Earth? We do not have a definite answer yet. But what do we know about it and how can we approach this question? In the first part, please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in looking at the ingredients necessary for life, and the definition of life itself.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/yYG9VQAhqD8

There are claims that these galaxies should not exit in the early universe. And yet here they are, detected by the James Webb Space Telescope. The light from these galaxies started when the universe was only 500-800 million years old. These are not the farthest/earliest galaxies - that record belongs to another galaxy, JADES-GS-z13-0, which pushes us to only 320 million years after the beginning of our universe. Here we also talk about the previous record-holder, GN z-11, which has now been observed by JWST and the new observations provide insights about nature of this very young galaxy. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring these galaxies and on how to think about these cutting-edge results in this episode of Kainaati Gupshup.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/T9OojgMyuf4 

There is a green comet currently in our night skies. Today we seek out comets with our binoculars and telescopes. But even a few hundred years ago, humans used to associate bad-luck and bad omen at the sight of the comets. Shakespeare wrote about it in his play, Julius Caesar. Comets were mentioned in Akbarnama, the biography of the great Mughal Emperor, Akbar. Mirza Ghalib saw a comet soon before the official British takeover of India in 1858, and, understandably, saw it as a sign of misfortune. But the comet of 1577 also helped overthrow the cosmology of Aristotle, and brought it closer to the shift from an Earth-centric universe to a Sun-centered Solar system. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring not only the history of comets, but also the science behind the color of the green comet, C/2022 E3 (ZTF), in this episode.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/eBge-k5cUZY

We often hear about NASA missions to the Moon and Mars. But China has been making some spectacular progress in the arena of space and astronomy. It now has an orbiting space station, successful missions to the Moon and Mars, and is setting its sights on deep space missions to Jupiter and Uranus. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring some of the highlights of Chinese space program in this episode.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/0yovdNwU4wM 

Astronomers have detected over 5000 exoplanets so far. Some of these are slightly bigger than Earth and are called Super-Earths. Now we have discovered that two of these Super-Earths are mostly made up of water. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in this conversation about how we detect exoplanets.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/iZFHbv7GuwE

Our Sun is part of the Milky Way galaxy. But can there be stars without a galaxy? And if so, how do they get out of the galaxy? Over the past couple of decades, astronomers have started detecting inter-galactic stars, stars that reside in the space between galaxies. As it turns out, these stars can provide us with important information about the distribution of dark matter as well. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed to talk about these rogue stars in this episode of Kainaati Gup Shup.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/rDXBMTg2y_Q

We usually use light to learn about the universe. However, there is an exciting new field of neutrino astronomy that uses a small particle to get information about the heart of exploding stars or the conditions near a supermassive black hole. IceCube Neutrino Observatory uses 1 cubic kilometer of ice to detect neutrinos. Recently, it found 80 neutrinos coming from the galaxy, NGC 1068 (M77) and its supermassive blackhole. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring the ways astronomers use neutrinos in understanding objects in the universe.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/UwRp3vMmaEk

Humans are soon headed to the Moon again. Artemis I is going through its uncrewed test orbit around the Moon. But more than 50 years ago, humans first set eyes - not on the Moon - but on the Earth! The goal and focus of the Apollo program was, of course, to land humans on the Moon. However, it was the view of the whole Earth that really stole the show. In particular, the picture of the "Earthrise" taken by Apollo 8 astronauts on December 24, 1968, really transformed the way we look at our own planet. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in this episode of Kainaati Gup Shup to talk about how the perceptions about our planet changed with the first images of the Earth and how should we think about the human-induced changes to our climate.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/sJQCBoiOTbw

"Pillars of Creation" is one of the most famous picture taken by Hubble Space Telescope. It is a part of the star forming region called, Eagle Nebula. As you may have expected, now James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has now taken a spectacular infrared picture of the same region. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring the processes responsible for creating these amazing columns of gas and dust.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/VSYAmdxgQjg

Looking at Saturn through a telescope is an amazing experience. The rings of Saturn are simply magnificent! But how did they form and are how long are they going to last? The recent Cassini spacecraft has provided insight into the origins of rings. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring the origins of Saturn's rings in this episode.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/Zs0p0jx0jUA

Solar eclipses are special! They break the routine of the day to remind us of the skies. In fact, there is a solar eclipse on April 8th, that will be visible in North America. But solar eclipses have played a crucial role in history of science. In particular, in the discovery of helium and in providence supporting evidence for Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in this episode of Kainaati Gup Shup. 

Sometime ago, NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid. This asteroid, called Dimorphos, was not a threat to the Earth. However, this was mission, DART, was part of a planetary defense test, in case of a real threatening asteroid. Asteroids have of course crashed into Earth before, and one such asteroid was responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring the threat of asteroids and why DART just crashed into Dimorphos in this episode.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/xUnRHBwNSGw

Striking headlines get your attention. This was the case with some news that may be James Webb Space Telescope has overturned the established idea of Big Bang. We are inundated with these type of sensational headlines about science. The problem is that they are mostly misleading. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring how to think critically about such stories, in this Kainaati Gupshup.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/VR3WRPNTWho

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is very good at detecting dust. This is because JWST works in the infrared, and dust glows in the infrared. Pictures of galaxies like the Cartwheel galaxy and the Stephan's Quintet show glowing dust. But why is there dust in the universe? This is a fascinating question and central to the origins of the Sun and the Earth as well. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring the origins of dust in this Kainaati Gup Shup.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/26n9SrDIAao

In 1974, astronomers used the Arecibo Observatory to send a message to a star cluster called M13. It is located 25,000 light years away. So if anyone is there, their response will get to us in 50,000 years!! So then what was really the point of sending that message? Plus what language do you use to communicate with aliens? Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring these questions and more.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/4bTrmQTAywM

The first results from James Webb Space Telescope are finally here. Some people are wondering if the telescope has really lived up to the hype. Is the telescope any good? Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring this question.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/zXqgPDmlPtU

What are the First Images from James Webb Space Telescope? [Urdu/Hindi] | Kainaat Astronomy in Urdu It took more than 25 years to complete the successor to Hubble Space Telescope. And now we have the first results from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). They are astonishing. But what do they tell us about galaxies, stars and exoplanets? Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring the science behind the first images from JWST in this Urdu/Hindi video.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/gAGVyny-gUg

How big is our universe? This is one of the fundamental questions of humanity. It is a hard question to answer. But astronomers have made significant progress in the last 100 years to answer it. With James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers are hoping to detect the galaxies that formed soon after the Big Bang. But this is about time. What about space? Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in tackling the question of the size of the universe in this Urdu/Hindi science video as part of Kainaati Gup Shup.

For the video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/GMStAVz_YIo

Black holes are the strangest objects in the universe. Astronomers have known for some time about the existence of a supermassive black hole at the center of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. They called it Sagittarius A* or Sgr A*. Just recently, using the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), astronomers for the first imaged the light right outside the event horizon of this black hole. A few years ago, EHT also imaged the central black hole in the galaxy M87. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed is exploring how this was done and why it was more difficult to "see" our own black hole in the Milky Way compared to the one in M87, 55 million light years away.

For video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/ovYiGH3cqmI

Ice giants Uranus and Neptune have beautiful blue colors. Why are they blue, when Jupiter and Saturn are not? Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring these two planets and their atmosphere in this Urdu/Hindi science episode of Kainaati Gup Shup.

For video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/LZSjy7hkHdU 

How does a sense of wonder translate into music? Many of you like the Kainaat Theme music for Kainaati Gup Shup. It is by Umer Piracha, who is also the lead vocalist for the band Falsa. He also performs with the eclectic Charu Suri & Friends. Here Umer Piracha and astrophysicist Salman Hameed talk about the creation of music inspired by discoveries in astronomy and the vastness of the universe. As a bonus, he also sings during the interview!

For video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/QFZQbAjBDFs

We know today that our universe is huge and that it contains more than a hundred billion galaxies! But this view of the universe is only a hundred years old. What is fascinating is that a particular type of star, called Cepheids, is primarily responsible for the change of our view. In this episode of Kainaati Gup Shup, astrophysicist Salman Hameed discuss why Cepheids played such a central role in this episode of Kainaati Gup Shup. 

Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" is the most-watched science documentary ever! Ann Druyan co-wrote the original Cosmos with her late husband, Carl Sagan. She was also the Executive Producer and Director for "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey" and "Cosmos: Possible Worlds", hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Please join in a conversation between Ann Druyan and Salman Hameed about her interest in science, her experience writing the original Cosmos with Carl Sagan, and how she feels about private space exploration, Elon Musk, and more.

For video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/WFig6IVIaN8

Which is the farthest star in the universe? Sometimes astronomers get lucky. Recently astronomers have detected a star names Earendel, whose light started its journey 12.9 billion years ago!! This is on top of recent discoveries about the farthest galaxies ever discovered, only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring how astronomers detected this star and whether it will be a science target for James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in this Urdu/Hindi science documentary. 

For video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/GTQ6OnXmc00

There is a fantastic new mission to Trojan asteroids near Jupiter. It is called Lucy, named after the famous 3.2 million year old skeleton that has helped us understand human evolution. In the same way, Trojan asteroids may tell us about the origins of our Solar System. There have been other missions that have explored asteroids in the asteroid belt, near-Earth-orbits (NEO), and even in the Kuiper Belt. But this is the first one to the Trojan asteroids. These are rocks that are trapped in the Lagrange points (L4 and L5) of Jupiter. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring this mission and about the Lagrange points in this podcast. 

For video of this podcast: https://youtu.be/haclyw8oMYM

Why are jets coming out close to the central black holes of galaxies? What can be done to improve gender equity in the sciences? How can India and Pakistan cooperate in astronomy projects across the border? Please join in a conversation on these topics and more between Dr. Prajval Shastri and Salman Hameed. 

Video of this podcast is available at: 
https://youtu.be/ErYPNTBU3G8

What happens on the International Space Station (ISS) when a war breaks out on Earth? This is not just a scenario from science fiction film. Rather, this is happening right now. As Russia's war in Ukraine continues, there are two NASA astronauts, one German astronaut, and four Russian cosmonauts currently residing at the International Space Station. The station itself is a legacy of an unusual peace gesture in space in 1975 between the US and the then Soviet Union in Apollo-Soyuz mission. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring questions of war and peace in space. 

For video of this podcast, please visit here: https://youtu.be/Ey33cavsUuc

This podcast may be better seen as a video: https://youtu.be/TeBsGpw1cJ0
If you want to bet on the next big supernova, then I would suggest that name of Eta Carinae. It is one of the most massive stars in the Milky Way and had an enormous eruption in 1843. But now, a combination of images from the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra, and Spitzer, we have an insight into what is happening with this star. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring one of the most interesting stars in the galaxy. 

There is growing evidence to suggest that Columbus was not the first European to cross the Atlantic ocean to get to North America. It seems that the Vikings had a settlement in what is now Canada around the year 1000. But when exactly? Now a solar storm can pinpoint the date when at least one Viking cut a tree there in 1021CE. Please join astrophysicist in exploring the way scientists figured out this date. 

For a video of this podcast, see here: https://youtu.be/sjuzAX0rGuY

How come there is an ocean on Jupiter's moon, Europa? Jupiter after all is five times further away than the Earth is from the Sun. It is not even close to the Habitable Zone. And yet, there is liquid water ocean there. In fact, the four large moons of Jupiter (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) are all fascinating places. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring the reasons why there is a liquid water ocean on Europa. 
Full video of this podcast is here: https://youtu.be/J_Fp3pPdDsU

How do we promote science fiction from the developing world? Do we expect that science fiction to be different? Five years ago, Tehseen Baweja c-founded a science fiction award named after Professor Abdus Salam. Here Salman Hameed and Tehseen Baweja have a conversation about the awards and more.
Also, please check out the Salam Awards page here: http://thesalamaward.com/
And check out a past winning story - The Puppet Master here: http://thesalamaward.com/winning-story-of-2019/

For the video, please visit: 
https://youtu.be/jq75mT2IWyI

What happened to the potentially ET signal from our nearest star, Proxima Centauri? The star is, of course, the closest to us and it has at least one roughly Earth-sized planet that also happens to be in its 'habitable zone'. All of this had heightened the intrigue from a signal that was detected in 2019 and announced in 2021. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring the followup to that signal and to see an example of good science when it comes to aliens. 

For the video, please visit: 
https://youtu.be/6YM1FLGJ5pI

When large stars die, they end up as a blackhole. We know this as one of the ways to form a blackhole. But there has been a puzzle. How do you form supermassive blackholes that exist at the center of almost all galaxies? Now, theoretical models and observations from James Webb Space Telescope strongly hit at a different way to to form blackholes - this time without the involvement of stars! Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in discussing this mechanism in this episode of Kainaati Gup Shup. 

For the first time, a space craft built by humans has flown close to the Sun. In April of 2021, Parker Solar Probe "touched" the Sun by entering its corona. But what does that even mean? Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring some of the science that Parker is uncovering. 

For the video, please visit: 
https://youtu.be/gm4Z-tEWglc 

When did the first stars light up in the universe? When did the first galaxies form? Can we detect signatures of life on exoplanets? On December 22nd, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)  is expected to be launched to answer some of these fundamental questions of humanity. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in exploring why there is so much hype about this telescope and what kind of science it is expected to do. 

For a video of the podcast: 
https://youtu.be/YN9dpb7a17M

What will happen if we detect an alien signal? Who are the people who are taking a scientific approach to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)? What do we know about the famous WOW! signal? Dr. Seth Shostak is a prominent scientist in this field and is a Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute. He has received Carl Sagan Award for the Popularization of Science and Klumpke Roberts Award for Astronomy Popularization. Here Salman Hameed and Dr. Shostak have a conversation about aliens. 

For the video of the podcast: 
https://youtu.be/UXIC6gCUDI4

How did life start on Earth? This is a fascinating puzzle. One of the ideas suggests that life on Earth may have come from outer space. This theory is called Panspermia. While it is not widely accepted by the scientific community, it is still an interesting idea worth exploring. Please join astrophysicist Salman Hameed in discussing Panspermia and why some scientists think it is a valid theory.

For a video of this podcast, please see here: 
https://youtu.be/9SEoIbAQ5wA