Let's Look at the Weirdest Corners of Space! Book Talk with Kimerly K Arcand and Megan Watzke

Why It Matters

The book demonstrates how humor and visual storytelling can make cutting‑edge astronomy accessible, fostering early interest in STEM and expanding the cultural imagination of space.

Key Takeaways

• Book explores weird, scary places in space for middle readers
• Authors use humor and sensory descriptions to engage kids
• Illustrations translate invisible data into vivid, relatable images
• Exoplanet discoveries reveal stranger worlds than sci‑fi imagined
• Multisensory approach encourages curiosity about astronomy and scientific creativity

Summary

The After Hours UTC0 episode spotlights the new middle‑grade book “Why Space Will Freak You Out?” by astrophysicists Kimberly Arcand and Megan Watzke. The hosts discuss how the authors turned the most unsettling corners of the cosmos into a playful, illustrated guide for younger readers.

Arcand and Watzke deliberately flipped the usual awe‑filled space narrative, using dark humor and multisensory descriptions—smell, taste, texture—to make distant worlds feel tangible. They draw on three decades of exoplanet data, highlighting lava worlds, toxic atmospheres and other “worst places” that even sci‑fi imagined.

A memorable line—“don’t lick Io, it smells like rotten eggs”—illustrates their approach. Collaborating with illustrator Robert Ball, they turned spectral graphs into vivid cartoons, letting kids visualize what cannot be photographed. The conversation also references “cosmopobia,” the fear of the unknown, and how sensory storytelling can counter it.

By marrying rigorous science with humor and art, the book aims to spark curiosity, broaden STEM outreach, and provide fresh world‑building material for writers. Its success underscores the growing role of creative communication in translating complex astrophysics for the next generation.

Original Description

When some of our favorite people have a new book on one of our favorite topics, you know we have to have them on!

We are super pleased to be joined by Dr Kimberly K Arcand and Megan Watzke who discuss their new book "Why Space Will Freak You Out" (Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/4rzGtXw ). This colorful book, which mixes illustrations and observations of our Universe, launches February 10. Join us to learn how they picked their targets, and why you should and should not fear our universe.

We are grateful for your support on Patreon.com/CosmoQuestX

CREDITS

Guests: Dr Kimerly K Arcand and Megan Watzke

Host: Pamela Gay

Season 1, Episode 9

Recorded Live: 6 February 2026