- Universe's Expansion May Be Slowing: New research challenges the long-held belief that the universe's expansion is accelerating due to dark energy. This study suggests that dark energy might be evolving and weakening over time, potentially leading to a scenario where gravity could eventually dominate, resulting in a Big Crunch.
- Tianwen 1's Interstellar Photography: China's Tianwen 1 orbiter has captured stunning images of the interstellar object 3I Atlas, marking a significant achievement in its extended mission phase. These observations provide crucial insights into the object's composition and offer practice for future sample return missions.
- Launch Scrub Update: The much-anticipated launch of United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket carrying the Viasat 3F2 satellite was scrubbed due to ground systems equipment issues. The launch has been rescheduled, with hopes for a successful liftoff soon, as this satellite is crucial for global broadband coverage.
- Mysterious Black Hole Flare: A supermassive black hole has emitted an unprecedentedly long-lasting flare, observed by the Zwicky Transient Facility. This unusual event raises questions as it defies typical flare durations, hinting at the consumption of an exceptionally massive star.
- Alien Probes in Our Solar System? A recent scientific paper explores the concept of von Neumann probes—self-replicating robotic explorers that could potentially be in our solar system. The authors suggest searching for technosignatures on the Moon, where artifacts could remain undisturbed for millions of years.
- For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna and Avery signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the wonders of our universe.
Dark Energy Research
[Nature Astronomy](https://www.nature.com/natastronomy/)
Tianwen 1 Images of 3I Atlas
[China National Space Administration](http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/)
Viasat 3F2 Launch Update
[United Launch Alliance](https://www.ulalaunch.com/)
Black Hole Flare Observations
[Zwicky Transient Facility](https://ztf.caltech.edu/)
Von Neumann Probes Paper
[arXiv](https://arxiv.org/)
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
00:00:01 --> 00:00:04 Avery: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, the podcast that
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 brings you the universe one story at a
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 time. I'm avery. Give us 10 minutes and
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 we'll give you the universe.
00:00:11 --> 00:00:14 Anna: And I'm, um, Anna. It's great to be with you.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 Avery: Today we're talking about the ultimate fate
00:00:16 --> 00:00:19 of the universe. Is its expansion slowing
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 down. We'll also check in on a Mars orbiter
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 that's been moonlighting as an interstellar
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 photographer and and get an update on.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 Anna: A scrubbed launch, plus a baffling
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 record breaking flare from a distant black
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 hole. And a fascinating new paper that
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 asks, could alien probes already be
00:00:37 --> 00:00:38 in our solar system?
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 Avery: It's a lot to cover, so let's jump right
00:00:41 --> 00:00:41 in.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 Anna, start us off with this universe
00:00:43 --> 00:00:44 altering news.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 Anna: Let's do it. The main headline is that our
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 universe's expansion might be slowing down.
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 This feels counterintuitive to what we've
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 understood for decades.
00:00:54 --> 00:00:55 Avery: It really does.
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 Anna: For a long time, the standard model of
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 cosmology, which we call lambda cdm,
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 has been built on the idea that the
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 universe's expansion is accelerating, driven
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 by a mysterious force called dark energy.
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 Avery: Right, the cosmological constant, the
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 lambda in lambda cdm.
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 Anna: Exactly. It's been treated as a constant,
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 unchanging force pushing everything apart.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 But new research analyzing data from various
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 cosmic probes and telescopes suggests that
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 that dark energy might not be constant at
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 all. It might be evolving and even
00:01:29 --> 00:01:30 weakening over time.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 Avery: Evolving? What does that mean for a
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 fundamental force of the universe?
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 Anna: It means that dark energy could be something
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 more dynamic, what some physicists call
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 quintessence. Instead of being a static
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 property of spacetime, it could be a field
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 that changes over cosmic history. This new
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 evidence suggests its repulsive force might
00:01:50 --> 00:01:51 be decaying.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 Avery: Wow. So if the outward push is getting
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 weaker, what happens then?
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 Anna: Well, that's the most dramatic part of this
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 story. If dark energy continues to weaken,
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 the fundamental force of gravity, which is
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 always pulling inward, could eventually win
00:02:07 --> 00:02:08 the cosmic tug of war.
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 Avery: And that leads to the Big Crunch?
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 Anna: Potentially, yes. Instead of expanding
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 forever into a cold, dark big freeze,
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 the the universe's expansion would slow,
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 halt, and then reverse.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 Galaxies would start rushing back towards
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 each other, eventually collapsing into an
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 incredibly hot, dense singularity.
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 Much like the state before the Big Bang.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 Avery: It's a mind bending possibility. So is the
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 Big Crunch our new official destiny?
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 Anna: Not just yet. This research is still
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 challenging the prevailing model, and a lot
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 more data is needed to confirm it. But it's a
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 huge development that has cosmologists and
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 everywhere buzzing. It just reminds us that
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 the universe is still full of Profound
00:02:52 --> 00:02:53 mysteries.
00:02:53 --> 00:02:54 Avery: Absolutely.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 Well, let's pull our focus from the edge of
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 the universe back into our own solar system.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 China's Tianwan 1 orbiter has sent back
00:03:02 --> 00:03:03 some incredible new images.
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 Anna: That's right. While its primary mission at
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 Mars is complete, Tianwen1 is in an
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 extended mission phase. And it has
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 accomplished something remarkable. It managed
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 to capture detailed images of an interstellar
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 object known as 3i Atlas.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 Avery: An interstellar object. So a visitor from
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 another solar system like Oumuamua.
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 Anna: Precisely. These objects are incredibly
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 rare and difficult to observe. Getting high
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 resolution images of one from a spacecraft
00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 already in deep space is a major
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 technical achievement. It gives us a close up
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 look at a building block from another solar
00:03:41 --> 00:03:41 system.
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 Avery: What can we learn from it?
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 Anna: The data helps us understand its composition,
00:03:46 --> 00:03:49 shape and rotation, which tells us about the
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 conditions in the planetary system wherein
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 formed. It's also fantastic
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 practice. Practice for what? For their
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 next big mission, Pianwen 2. That
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 mission is designed to visit a near Earth
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 asteroid, collect samples and return them to
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 Earth. Successfully tracking and imaging
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 a fast moving distant object like
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 3i ATLAS proves their
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 capabilities and provides valuable data for
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 planning that ambitious sacrifice sample
00:04:17 --> 00:04:18 return mission.
00:04:18 --> 00:04:19 Avery: Very cool.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:22 Now for a quick update from the launch pad.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 It was a no go for United Launch alliance
00:04:24 --> 00:04:24 yesterday.
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 Anna: Yes, unfortunately the much anticipated
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 launch of their Atlas V rocket carrying the
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 Viasat 3F2 satellite was
00:04:33 --> 00:04:33 scrubbed.
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 Avery: They called it off late in the countdown. Any
00:04:37 --> 00:04:38 word on what the issue was?
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 Anna: The official reason cited was an issue with
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 ground systems equipment. These are complex
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 machines and safety is paramount. These. The
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 good news is they've already rescheduled the
00:04:49 --> 00:04:50 launch for the following day.
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 Avery: Fingers crossed for a successful liftoff.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 This is an important satellite, right?
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 Anna: It is. It's the second of three satellites in
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 a constellation designed to provide high
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 speed, affordable broadband Internet service
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 to most of the globe. So we'll be watching
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 closely and wishing them the best on the next
00:05:07 --> 00:05:08 attempt.
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 Avery: Alright, From a launch delay back to the deep
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 cosmos, this next story sounds like a real
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 head scratcher for astronomers. A
00:05:15 --> 00:05:17 supermassive black hole has unleashed a flare
00:05:17 --> 00:05:18 of epic proportions.
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 Anna: It really is a puzzle. This flare
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 spotted by the Zwicky Transient Facility
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 or ztf, is not just bright.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 It's the longest lasting flare we've ever
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 seen from a supermassive black hole. It has
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 been going on for years and shows no signs of
00:05:35 --> 00:05:35 stopping.
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 Avery: Years? I thought these things were usually,
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 well, transient. And that's what the TNZTF
00:05:41 --> 00:05:41 stands for, right?
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 Anna: Exactly. Usually when a star gets too
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 close to a supermassive black hol torn
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 apart in what we call a tidal disruption
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 event that causes a flare that typically
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 lasts for a few weeks or months. This event
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 is on a completely different timescale.
00:05:58 --> 00:05:59 Avery: So what do they think is causing it?
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 Anna: That's the mystery. The leading theory is
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 that it's an exceptionally massive star,
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 perhaps a hundred times the mass of our own
00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 sun, that has been captured and is slowly
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 being consumed. But even that doesn't fully
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 explain the flare's duration and steady
00:06:15 --> 00:06:15 brightness.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 Avery: It must be an incredible opportunity for
00:06:18 --> 00:06:19 research, though.
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 Anna: An unprecedented one. Because this black
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 hole is so distant, we're seeing it as it was
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 in the very early universe. Studying this
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 long slow meal gives us a unique window
00:06:30 --> 00:06:33 into how supermassive black holes grow
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 and affect their host galaxies in the cosmic
00:06:36 --> 00:06:36 dawn.
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 Avery: From one mind bending topic to another. Our
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 final story sounds like pure science fiction,
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 but it's being discussed in a serious
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 scientific paper. Are we talking about alien
00:06:47 --> 00:06:47 probes?
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 Anna: We are. Specifically, the paper
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 discusses the concept of von Neumann probes.
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 These are theoretical self replicating
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 robotic probes that could be sent to explore
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 a, uh, galaxy.
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 Avery: Self replicating? So one probe arrives in a
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 new star system, uses local resources to
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 build copies of itself, and then those copies
00:07:07 --> 00:07:08 travel to other star systems?
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 Anna: That's the idea. It's an incredibly efficient
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 way to explore the vastness of the Milky Way
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 on a timescale of millions of years, rather
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 than billions. Billions. The new paper makes
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 a bold suggestion that if an advanced
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 civilization has ever created such probes,
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 they could already be here in our own
00:07:27 --> 00:07:27 solar system.
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 Avery: Okay, wow. So where should we be
00:07:30 --> 00:07:31 looking?
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 Anna: The paper proposes we should be actively
00:07:33 --> 00:07:36 searching for their technosignatures,
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 evidence of their technology. And it singles
00:07:39 --> 00:07:42 out a prime location for the search. Our
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 Moon. Why the Moon? Because it's
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 a stable, geologically dead world. A
00:07:47 --> 00:07:50 probe could land there, use lunar resources
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 to replicate, and its artifacts could remain
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 undisturbed for hundreds of millions of
00:07:55 --> 00:07:58 years. Unlike Earth, there's no weather or
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 geological activity to erase the evidence.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 Avery: So we should be scanning the high resolution
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 images we have of the lunar surface for
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 anything out of place.
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 Anna: Exactly. It's a long shot, of course,
00:08:11 --> 00:08:14 but the authors argue it's a, uh, search
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 worth conducting. Finding even a
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 single non terrestrial artifact on the
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 Moon would be one of the most profound
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 discoveries in human history.
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 Avery: And what a profound thought to end on. From
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 the fate of the universe and interstellar
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 visitors to bizarre black holes and the
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 possibility of ancient alien technology on
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 our doorstep. What a day in Astronomy.
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 Anna: It certainly shows that there is always
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 something new to discover, no matter where we
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 look. Thanks for joining us today on
00:08:45 --> 00:08:46 Astronomy Daily.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 Avery: We'll be back tomorrow with more news from
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 across the cosmos. Until then, be sure to
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 you never miss an episode. Clear Skies