Deep Sage Nine StarCast

The Final Fun-tier In this episode of Starcast, titled “The Final Fun-tier,” hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski celebrate April Fool’s Day by pairing the latest space weather and Artemis mission updates with a lighthearted collection of astronomy, physics, and science jokes.

Science Projects In this episode of the Deep Sage 9 StarCast, Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski break down a week of intense celestial activity—from sonic booms in Ohio to a surprise visitor in a Houston kitchen. We dive into the technical side of our personal observatories, discussing the Raspberry Pi upgrades and software shifts required […]

 The B612 Foundation In this episode of Starcast, hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski discuss current space weather and astronomical sights before diving into the history of asteroid impacts and the B612 Foundation’s data-driven efforts to detect potentially hazardous objects. Episode Links:  https://b612foundation.org/  https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/zodiacal-light-false-dusk-how-to-see-explanation/  https://www.space.com/stargazing/march-is-a-great-time-to-spot-the-odd-glow-of-zodiacal-light-heres-how-to-see-it

Highway in the Sky   Hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski explore the “main street” of our solar system by discussing the ecliptic, planetary alignments, and the environmental impact of satellite mega-constellations on our upper atmosphere

Shooting the Blood Moon   In this episode of Starcast, hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski discuss current space weather, NASA’s strategic pivot for the Artemis program, and technical strategies for photographing the upcoming total lunar eclipse on March 3rd. Episode Links: Planning & Ephemeris Apps The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE): Used for calculating the exact […]

E. T. and the Presidents In this episode of the Starcast, hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski discuss the history of U.S. presidential involvement with UFOs—from JFK’s Cold War concerns to recent disclosures by Obama and Trump—while weighing these political admissions against scientific frameworks like the Drake Equation and the Fermi Paradox.

Voyage to the Center of the Galaxy.   In this episode of StarCast, hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewenski explore three conflicting scientific studies that challenge our understanding of the Milky Way’s center, debating whether it houses a traditional supermassive black hole or a dense core of fermionic dark matter.

Go Dark Hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski discuss the importance of preserving pristine night skies while highlighting International Dark Sky Week, occurring April 13th to 20th, 2026, through community advocacy, citizen science, and local astronomical events. Episode Links:  International Dark Sky Week (official): https://idsw.darksky.org/  Crestone Dark Sky : https://www.darkskycrestone.com/  Globe at Night App: https://globeatnight.org/ Sky […]

Tracking Space Junk Hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski discuss the latest solar activity, lunar events, and a groundbreaking new method for tracking re-entering space junk using seismic sensors.   Episode Links: Dragon Re-entry: https://youtu.be/F9ByyNkjUt8?si=CoYVpI95Lr5KsaSw Space Junk Paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adz4676 Global Meteor Network: https://globalmeteornetwork.org/

The Mystery of “M” In this episode of Starcast, hosts Jay Shaffer and Mike Lewinski discuss recent solar activity, upcoming celestial events, and the history of astronomical catalogs such as the Messier and New General Catalog. Episode Links: https://earthsky.org/clusters-nebulae-galaxies/what-are-messier-objects/ https://astrodaily.mro.nmt.edu/2020/08/11/the-messier-catalogue-the-masterpiece-in-the-mess/ https://www.space.com/16686-charles-messier-biography.html http://www.messier.seds.org/xtra/marathon/marathon.html https://donmachholz.com/messier-marathon/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Comet_of_1744https://georgebishopjr.com/2013/07/03/cheseauxs-comet-of-1744/