- Close Encounter with Asteroid 2025 QD8: Astronomers have identified a newly discovered asteroid, designated 2025 QD8, which is set to make a close flyby of Earth on September 3rd. Passing within one lunar distance, approximately 135,465 miles, this asteroid, comparable in size to a commercial jet, presents a fascinating opportunity for observation, with a free livestream available via the Virtual Telescope Project.
- UK Space Agency's Major Reorganisation: The UK Space Agency is merging with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, a move aimed at streamlining operations and cutting costs. However, concerns arise regarding the agency's influence within the European Space Agency and the potential impact on the UK's space ambitions amidst shifting priorities.
- SpaceX's Record Launch Week: SpaceX is set for an extraordinary week with five Falcon 9 launches planned, primarily focused on deploying new Starlink satellites. This week will also mark the 200th orbital launch attempt of 2025, highlighting a remarkable increase in global access to space.
- Unraveling Solar Mysteries: The ESA's Solar Orbiter has made significant strides in understanding the origins of solar energetic electrons. By distinguishing between impulsive bursts and gradual events linked to coronal mass ejections, scientists can enhance predictions of space weather and better protect technology and astronauts in orbit.
- For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music, 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 Avery and Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and keep your eyes on the stars.
Asteroid Discovery
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
UK Space Agency Updates
[UK Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency)
SpaceX Launch Schedule
[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/)
Solar Orbiter Findings
[ESA](https://www.esa.int/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Avery: Welcome space enthusiasts to Astronomy Daily,
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 the podcast that brings the wonders of the
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 cosmos down to Earth every single day.
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 I'm your host, Avery.
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 Anna: And I'm your other host, Anna. Um, it's great
00:00:11 --> 00:00:14 to be with you. We have a truly packed show
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 today covering a wide spectrum of space news.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 We'll be looking at a recently discovered
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 asteroid making a very close pass by Earth.
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 Avery: We'll also dive into a major political
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 shakeup for the UK Space Agency, see
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 just how busy SpaceX plans to be this week,
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 and unravel a long standing mystery
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 about the sun's fastest particles.
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 Anna: It's a lot to cover, so let's jump right in.
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 Avery, why don't you start us off with our
00:00:41 --> 00:00:42 celestial visitor?
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 Avery: My pleasure. So get this. Astronomers
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 have spotted a new asteroid designated
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 2025 QD8, and
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 it's set for a close flyby on September
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 3rd. That's tomorrow. When they say close,
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 they really mean it. In cosmic terms at
00:00:59 --> 00:00:59 least.
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 Anna: And how close are we talking?
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 Avery: It's expected to pass within what's known as
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 one lunar distance. For our listeners,
00:01:07 --> 00:01:08 that's roughly
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 135
00:01:11 --> 00:01:12 miles, or
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 218
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 kilometres. Essentially the same distance as
00:01:17 --> 00:01:18 our own moon.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 Anna: That is quite close for an object we've only
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 just discovered. It really highlights how
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 many of these near Earth objects are still
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 out there waiting to be found. But let's be
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 clear, this one poses absolutely no risk to
00:01:31 --> 00:01:31 us.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 Avery: Absolutely zero risk. But it's still pretty
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 cool. They say it's about the size of a
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 commercial jet with an estimated diameter
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 between, uh, 55 and
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 124ft. Just big enough
00:01:44 --> 00:01:45 to make you pay attention.
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 Anna: It certainly is. And for those who want to do
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 more than just pay attention, there's a great
00:01:51 --> 00:01:52 opportunity to see it.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 Avery: That's right. The virtual telescope project,
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 which does fantastic work, will be hosting a
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 free livestream of the Flyby on their YouTube
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 channel. It's a wonderful way for the public
00:02:02 --> 00:02:03 to connect with these events.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 Anna: I agree. It turns an abstract piece of news
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 into a real observable event. A
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 great reminder of the dynamic solar system we
00:02:12 --> 00:02:12 live in.
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 Alright, let's bring our focus back down to
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 Earth for our next story, which involves a
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 significant shift in space policy. The
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 government in the United Kingdom has
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 announced that its space agency, the
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 uksa, is set to be merged with a larger
00:02:27 --> 00:02:28 government department.
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 Avery: That sounds like a pretty big deal. Which
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 department is absorbing it?
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 Anna: It will become part of the Department for
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 Science, Innovation and Technology, with the
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 change expected to be complete by April. The
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 stated reason is part of a wider initiative
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 to cut government expenditure and streamline
00:02:46 --> 00:02:46 operations.
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 Avery: Makes sense from a budget perspective. But
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 usually these moves have other factors at
00:02:51 --> 00:02:52 play, don't they?
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 Anna: That's what insiders are suggesting. For some
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 time, there have apparently been questions in
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 government circles about UK SA's
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 merit and its strategic direction. The
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 perception among some was that the agency had
00:03:06 --> 00:03:07 become too isolated.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:09 Avery: Isolated in what way?
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 Anna: The concern was that it was too focused on
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 the goals and wishes of the European Space
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 Agency, or esa, and perhaps
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 not aligned enough with the direct needs of
00:03:20 --> 00:03:21 the UK government itself.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 Avery: So, on one hand, you have people who see this
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 as a sensible move to unify stakeholders
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 and create a single, powerful voice for
00:03:30 --> 00:03:31 science and tech in the government.
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 Anna: Exactly. But there is a very vocal other
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 side to this argument. Many in the UK space
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 industry fear this could seriously harm the
00:03:40 --> 00:03:41 nation's space ambitions.
00:03:42 --> 00:03:42 Avery: How so?
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 Anna: The fear is that by losing its status as a
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 standalone agency, the UK's Voice and
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 Influence the within the European Space
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 Agency, could be significantly weakened.
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 It's a delicate balance between domestic
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 priorities and international collaboration,
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 and many are worried this M merger tips the
00:04:00 --> 00:04:01 scales in the wrong direction.
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 Avery: Well, while governments reorganise, the
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 private sector just keeps launching. And no
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 one is launching more than SpaceX. This week
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 is another prime example, with an incredible
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 five Falcon 9 launches on the manifest.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 Anna: That pace is just relentless.
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 It's almost becoming routine, which is a
00:04:19 --> 00:04:22 testament to their operations. What's on the
00:04:22 --> 00:04:23 docket for these five flights?
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 Avery: The main focus is, as usual,
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 Starlink four of the five missions are
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 dedicated to lofting more satellites for
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 their Internet constellation. We have
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 Starlink Group 17.8, Group
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 1022, 1057
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 and 17.9. All told,
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 that's over a hundred new satellites
00:04:44 --> 00:04:45 heading to orbit.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 Anna: And they're launching from both of their
00:04:47 --> 00:04:48 primary sites, I assume.
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 Avery: You bet. They're keeping the pads warm at
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 both Vandenberg in California and Cape
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 Canaveral in Florida to keep up this tempo.
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 The fifth launch is a dedicated mission for a
00:04:59 --> 00:04:59 customer.
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 Anna: Who are they launching for?
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 Avery: It's the Nusantara 5 mission, which will
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 place a powerful Indonesian
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 telecommunications satellite into
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 geostationary transfer orbit. It's another
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 example of how SpaceX dominates the
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 commercial launch market.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 Anna: And amidst all this activity, there's a
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 pretty significant global milestone being
00:05:18 --> 00:05:19 reached this week.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 Avery: That's the really cool part. One of these
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 five launches is expected to be the
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 200th orbital launch attempt of
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 2025 worldwide. We're not even
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 through September and We've already hit 200
00:05:31 --> 00:05:32 launches for the year.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 Anna: It's simply mind boggling. When you think
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 about where we were just a decade ago, it
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 truly feels like a paradigm shift in our
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 access to space.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 For our final story Today, let's journey
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 93 million miles away to our local
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 star. Scientists using ESA's
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 incredible Solar Orbiter spacecraft have
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 solved a key mystery about the Sun's fastest,
00:05:56 --> 00:05:57 most energetic particles.
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 Avery: I love a, uh, good solar mystery. I know the
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 sun is constantly throwing things out into
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 space, but what specific particles were they
00:06:05 --> 00:06:05 looking at?
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 Anna: They were focused on what are called solar
00:06:08 --> 00:06:11 energetic electrons, or sees.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 These are electrons that have been
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 accelerated to near the speed of light.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 Tracing them back to their precise origin on
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 the sun has been a major challenge for solar
00:06:21 --> 00:06:22 physicists.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 Avery: So what did the solar orbiter's unique
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 perspective allow them to see?
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 Anna: Its suite of instruments allowed it to
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 confirm two distinct origins for these SE
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 events. The first type is what they
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 call impulsive bursts. These are
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 short, intense events where electrons are
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 fired out directly from the site of a solar
00:06:42 --> 00:06:43 flare. Like a rifle shot.
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 Avery: Okay, a rifle shot from a flare. What's
00:06:46 --> 00:06:47 the other type?
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 Anna: The other is described as gradual. In this
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 case, the electrons sort of surf a wave
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 created by a much larger eruption called a
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 coronal mass ejection, or cme.
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 This is more like a giant tsunami of
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 particles rolling through the solar system.
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 Avery: A rifle versus a tsunami. That's a great
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 analogy. Why is that distinction so critical?
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 Anna: It all comes down to space weather. The
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 research confirmed that while the flare
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 events are intense, the CMEs, the
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 tsunamis, carry a much larger number of
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 high energy particles. Overall, this makes
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 them the far greater threat to our technology
00:07:24 --> 00:07:25 and to astronauts in space.
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 Avery: So understanding the source helps us
00:07:28 --> 00:07:29 quantify the risk.
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 Anna: Precisely. By knowing whether an event is
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 impulsive or gradual, forecasters can
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 make much more accurate predictions about the
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 level of danger heading our way. So it's a
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 huge step forward for protecting our assets
00:07:43 --> 00:07:44 and explorers in space.
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 Avery: And that, unfortunately, is all the time we
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 have for today's Astronomy Daily. We've
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 covered a jet sized asteroid, a major policy
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 shift for the uksa, a record setting
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 launch week, and a solar tsunami.
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 Anna: It just goes to show that the universe is
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 never standing still. There's always
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 something new and fascinating to discover and
00:08:05 --> 00:08:05 discuss.
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 Avery: We want to thank all of you for tuning in. Be
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 sure to subscribe to Astronomy Bailey,
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 wherever you get your podcast, so you never
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 miss an episode from both of us here.
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 Anna: Thank you for listening. Until next time,
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 keep looking up and keep your eyes on the
00:08:19 --> 00:08:20 stars.