00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Hey there, space enthusiasts. Welcome to
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 Astronomy Daily, your cosmic catch up for the
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 latest in space and astronomy News. Give us
00:00:07 --> 00:00:08 10 minutes and we'll give you the universe.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 I'm Anna, and I've got my coffee ready. How
00:00:11 --> 00:00:11 about you?
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 Avery: Yo, Anna. Uh, I'm Avery, and my mug's
00:00:14 --> 00:00:15 steaming. M too.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:18 It's October 22, 2025, and we've
00:00:18 --> 00:00:21 got a stellar lineup Today. We're diving into
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 five out of this world stories. Europe's bold
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 new Space Shield initiative. Some spicy drama
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 between Elon Musk and NASA over the moon.
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 Quirky giant planets rewriting astronomy
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 textbooks, an interstellar comet ready to
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 sprinkle NASA's Jupiter probe with cosmic
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 dust. And a sneaky asteroid playing hide and
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 seek in the sun's glare. Buckle up.
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 Anna: Oh, yeah, Avery. It's like the universe is
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 serving us a full buffet of news today. Let's
00:00:47 --> 00:00:48 get straight into our first story.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:49 Avery: Right, right.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 Let's kick things off with Europe's big move.
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 The EU is rolling out the European Space
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 Shield initiative in Q2 2026,
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 part of their Defense Readiness Roadmap 2030.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 This is all about protecting space assets.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 Think satellites for navigation, Earth
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 observation, and secure comms from growing
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 threats. Anna, what's the vibe here?
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 Anna: It's like Europe saying we're not messing
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 around. They're pumping euro 800 billion
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 into the rearm Europe program to boost
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 defense, and this space shield is a
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 cornerstone. It's about building tools to
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 spot threats in real time, counter stuff like
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 jamming or spoofing, and even do cool in
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 space ops like satellite servicing. There
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 released a white paper on European defense
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 readiness in March this year, laying it all
00:01:34 --> 00:01:34 out.
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 Avery: That's a hefty budget. This is one of four
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 big initiatives alongside drone defense,
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 eastern flank watch, and airshield
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 space and air shields drop in quarter two,
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 2026 after the others in quarter one.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 No word yet on who's joining or what
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 companies are involved, but Europe's clearly
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 leveling up its space game. Kaya Kallas,
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 the EU high rep, put it to
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 defend ourselves in space, we are now
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 developing a new European Space shield.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 Anna: Love that quote. She's all about real time
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 threat awareness, quick response and
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 teamwork. And Commissioner Andreas Kabilius
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 nailed it, too. There can be no defense
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 without space, and there is no space without
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 industry. It's like space is the
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 backbone of modern security.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 Avery: Totally. This could really unify Europe
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 against threats like anti satellite weapons
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 or cyberattacks in orbit. With space getting
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 more crowded and contested, it's a power
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 move. Anna, uh, do you Think this could spark
00:02:36 --> 00:02:37 similar programs globally?
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 Anna: Oh, for sure. It might nudge the US or others
00:02:40 --> 00:02:41 to team up or step up.
00:02:42 --> 00:02:43 Okay, let's pivot to some juicy drama.
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 Tensions are flaring between Elon Musk and
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 NASA over the Artemis moon missions. Avery,
00:02:49 --> 00:02:49 spill the tea.
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 Avery: Oh, uh, it's piping hot.
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 NASA's acting administrator, Sean
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 Duffy, who's also the US transportation
00:02:58 --> 00:03:01 secretary, went on Fox News and
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 said SpaceX's Starship delays are
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 holding up Artemis 3 now pushed
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 to mid-2027. He's like,
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 love SpaceX, but we're in a race with China
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 for the moon by 2030, so we're
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 opening bids to other companies like Blue
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 Origin. Musk clapped back on X,
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 calling Duffy Sean dummy and accusing
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 him of trying to kill NASA. Bold
00:03:26 --> 00:03:27 move, Elon.
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 Anna: Whoa, that's some spicy shade. Duffy's
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 pushing for the best players to get us to the
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 moon first. But there's also NASA
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 leadership drama. Duffy might stay. Or
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 Jared Isaacman, a Musk buddy, could be back
00:03:41 --> 00:03:42 in the running after bowing out earlier.
00:03:43 --> 00:03:44 What's the deal with starship?
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 Avery: Starship's the planned lunar lander, but it's
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 super complex and delays keep piling up.
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 No specifics on what's tripping them up, but
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 it's critical to fix this. Could
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 diversify NASA's roster, maybe speed things
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 up to outpace China. But Musk's not
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 happy. It's like a space soap opera.
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 Science, politics and eagles colliding.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 Anna: Totally. It's a reminder that getting to the
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 moon isn't just rockets. It's people and
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 power plays. Will this light a fire under
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 SpaceX or just make things messier?
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 Alright, let's zoom out to something wilder.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 Giant planets. So weird they're rewriting the
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 rules. Talk to me about these eccentric warm
00:04:25 --> 00:04:26 Jupiters, Avery.
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 Avery: These are gas giants with wonky stretched out
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 orbits. Nothing like our neat solar system.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 A team at Northern Arizona University backed
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 by the NSF through M 2028, is diving into
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 why warm Jupiters are like hot
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 Jupiters, but orbit farther out. And get
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 this. They're almost always aligned with
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 their star's equator. Especially the quirkier
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 their orbit. No model saw that coming.
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 Anna: That's wild. Researcher Daniel
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 Munoz said the variability of extrasolar
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 planets is just enormous. We're very
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 interested in seeing how the solar system
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 forms in context. They're using NASA's TESS
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 satellite to collect data. Theories. Maybe
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 companion planets, birth nebulae. Or get
00:05:09 --> 00:05:10 this. Waves inside the star, messing with
00:05:10 --> 00:05:11 orbits.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 Avery: Munoz is all in on the star waves idea.
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 Stars acting like fluid, creating Internal
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 waves that align planets. He's throwing
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 computers, math and wild creativity at it,
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 Even hiring a grad student to help his words.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 We don't have a model that predicted this, so
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 we're gonna go crazy and dive into the most
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 creative ways we can think about this
00:05:32 --> 00:05:32 problem.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 Anna: That's the spirit of science. This could show
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 if our solar system is typical or a, uh,
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 cosmic oddball reshaping how we think planets
00:05:40 --> 00:05:43 form everywhere. Avery, what's the coolest
00:05:43 --> 00:05:44 part for you?
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 Avery: Stars tweaking orbits like cosmic DJs.
00:05:48 --> 00:05:48 Mind blown.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 Next up, an update on Interstellar Comet
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 3I Atlas, which just might shower
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 NASA's Europa Cl with charged particles,
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 giving us a taste of alien material.
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 Anna: Okay, this is so cool. This comet from
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 another star system has its ion tail
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 predicted to cross Europa clipper's path
00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 between October 30 to November 6.
00:06:10 --> 00:06:12 It's harmless, but a science jackpot.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 Researchers Samuel Grant and Geraint Jones
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 used tail catcher software to call it. Comets
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 have dust tails trailing behind and ion tails
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 pushed by solar wind, always pointing away
00:06:22 --> 00:06:22 from the Sun.
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 Avery: That eye entails a time capsule from billions
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 of years ago from another star's nursery. As
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 3i Atlas hits perihelion on October
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 29, 126 million miles from the Sun.
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 It's got Vaisti Europa Clipper chilling
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 186 million miles out after a Mars
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 flyby and could snag ions zooming at
00:06:43 --> 00:06:44 hundreds of miles per second.
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 Anna: The trick is detecting heavier water group
00:06:46 --> 00:06:49 ions versus solar wind, protons and helium,
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 plus spotting flow slowdowns. But a US
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 Government shutdown could have turned
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 instruments off, and it needs strong solar
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 wind. Grant said we have virtually no data on
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 the interior of interstellar comets. Sampling
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 the tail is the closest we can get to a
00:07:03 --> 00:07:04 direct sample.
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 Avery: If it worked, we're comparing alien comets to
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 ours. Tail catchers legit nailed
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 it with Solar Orbiter in 2020. This
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 could prep us for ESA's 2029
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 Comet Interceptor. It's like getting a
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 postcard from another star system without
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 leaving the solar system.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 Anna: So clever how missions snag bonus science.
00:07:25 --> 00:07:28 Okay, last up today, asteroid 2025
00:07:28 --> 00:07:31 SC79 hiding in the Sun's glare and way too
00:07:31 --> 00:07:32 close for comfort.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 Avery: Found by Scott Shepard on September 27th with
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 the Blanco telescope. Confirmed by Gemini and
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 Magellan is the 39th Atira asteroid
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 orbiting entirely inside Earth's and only the
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 second fully inside Venus's. Dipping past
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 Mercury with a 128 day period.
00:07:50 --> 00:07:51 The third shortest known.
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 Anna: It's 700 meters wide. Not dinosaur killer
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 big, but bad enough for continental chaos and
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 billions at risk. Atiras, uh, are sneaky.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 Only visible in twilight due to sun glare.
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 Its origins maybe knocked from the main belt.
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 Captured closer, its heat tolerance sparks
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 questions about what it's made of. More data
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 when it pops back into view.
00:08:11 --> 00:08:14 Avery: Shepherd's warning was chilling. The most
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 dangerous asteroids are the most difficult to
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 detect. If these twilight asteroids approach
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 Earth, they could pose serious impact
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 hazards. It's a wake up call for better
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 detection tech and a nod to our wild
00:08:27 --> 00:08:28 early solar system.
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 Anna: Yeah, it's humbling. We're just a speck in a
00:08:31 --> 00:08:32 cosmic shooting gallery. We need those
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 planetary defense upgrades asap.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:36 Avery: No kidding.
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 Well, that's our cosmic tour for today. From
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 shields in orbit to asteroids playing peek a
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 booze. Never a dull moment out there.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 Anna: Thanks for hanging out with us on Astronomy
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 Daily, folks. I'm Anna, and my coffee's gone
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 cold, but my love for space is still red
00:08:52 --> 00:08:52 hot.
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 Avery: I'm Avery, and I'm already hyped for
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 tomorrow's news. Catch you then. Clear skies
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 and keep looking up.