00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily, your
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 source for the latest developments in space
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 science and astronomy. I'm your host, Anna.
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 And today we've got a fascinating lineup of
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 cosmic news to share with you. We'll start
00:00:11 --> 00:00:12 with a surprising revelation about our
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 galactic neighbourhood. Then we'll look at
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 how robots could revolutionise space based
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 solar power with breakthrough technology that
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 might soon beam, constant clean energy back
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 to Earth. We'll also examine why June's
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 upcoming Full Moon will be sitting unusually
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 low in the northern sky, a rare celestial
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 event. And finally, we'll catch up on the
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 Latest launches from SpaceX and Rocket Lab,
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 including historic milestones for human
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 spaceflight. So stay with us as we journey
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 through today's cosmic headlines on Astronomy
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 Daily. Let's kick things off today
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 with a story that might help you sleep easier
00:00:45 --> 00:00:46 at night.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:48 For what seems like billions of years,
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 astronomers have been telling us that our
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 Milky Way galaxy is on an inevitable
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 collision course with our nearest large
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 galactic neighbourhood, Andromeda. This
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 cosmic crash was thought to be about 4 to 5
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 billion years in our future, with the merger
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 eventually creating what scientists had
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 already named Milcomeda. But now
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 this long held belief is being challenged by
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 new research. A paper published in Nature
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 Astronomy suggests that this galactic
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 collision might not be as certain as we once
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 thought. Scientists have analysed the latest
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 and most accurate observations from both the
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 Gaia and Hubble space telescopes, combined
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 with recent mass estimates to recalculate the
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 possible future scenarios for our Local Group
00:01:29 --> 00:01:32 of galaxies over the next 10 billion years.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 The Milky Way's path through the universe
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 isn't just influenced by Andromeda. It's
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 actually affected by the gravitational pull
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 of several objects in our cosmic
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 neighbourhood, including the smaller
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 Triangulum Galaxy, also known as
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 Messier33, along with the Large and
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 Small Magellanic Clouds and various
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 superclusters. What's particularly
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 interesting is how these other cosmic bodies
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 play a significant role in determining
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 whether the Milky Way and Andromeda will
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 actually collide. The research shows that
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 while the Triangulum Galaxy increases the
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 merger probability, the Large Magellanic
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 Cloud's orbit runs perpendicular to the Milky
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 Way Andromeda path, which actually makes
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 their merger less likely. The most striking
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 finding from these new simulations is that
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 there's nearly a 50% chance that the Milky
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 Way and Andromeda won't collide at all within
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 the next 10 billion years. That's a dramatic
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 shift from what was previously considered
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 almost inevitable. The researchers do
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 acknowledge some uncertainties in their
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 model. They assumed, for example, that the
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 mass distributions within the galaxies remain
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 constant over the next 10 billion years,
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 which may not be entirely accurate, but their
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 updated simulations using the latest
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 observational data and physics cast
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 considerable doubt on whether this cosmic
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 collision will ever occur. Interestingly,
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 the study suggests there's a higher chance
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 that the Milky Way will actually collide with
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 the Large Magellanic cloud in about 2 billion
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 years. Of course, none of us will be around
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 to witness any of these potential cosmic
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 crashes, but it's fascinating how our
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 understanding of even the largest scale
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 events in our cosmic neighbourhood continues
00:03:11 --> 00:03:12 to evolve.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 Next today, and I assure this is real and not
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 some fancy sci fi dream. In a breakthrough
00:03:18 --> 00:03:19 that could revolutionise clean energy
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 production, the UK Atomic Energy Agency has
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 demonstrated that remotely operated robots
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 can successfully build gigawatt scale solar
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 power satellites without human intervention.
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 This development, part of the Albatross
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 project in collaboration with clean tech firm
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 Space Solar, marks a significant step toward
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 achieving round the clock renewable energy
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 from space. The project, based at the
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 UKEAEA's Cullam campus in Oxfordshire,
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 utilised dual arm robotic manipulators to
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 construct satellite components designed to be
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 several kilometres long and about 20 metres
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 wide. This robotic approach offers both
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 cost advantages and safety benefits by
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 reducing the need for astronaut involvement
00:04:01 --> 00:04:04 in the assembly, maintenance and eventual
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 decommissioning of these massive structures.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 What makes this concept particularly
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 promising is the intensity of solar energy
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 available in space. According to the
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 European Space Agency, sunlight at the top
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 of Earth's atmosphere is more than 10 times
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 stronger than at ground level. These orbital
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 solar collectors would capture this
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 uninterrupted energy source and beam it back
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 to Earth as microwaves, which could then be
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 converted into electricity by ground based
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 antennas. The robotic technology being
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 developed at UKEAEA's remote applications in
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 Challenging Environment Centre isn't just for
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 space applications. These same innovations
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 support fusion energy production on Earth,
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 highlighting the synergy between terrestrial
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 and space based energy solutions.
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 Space solar is moving quickly with this
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 technology, expecting to Commission its first
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 30 megawatt demonstrator system by
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 2029 and reach full gigawatt
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 scale capac within the following decade,
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 potentially providing a continuous stream of
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 clean energy from the limitless solar
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 resources available in orbit.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 If you've been watching the night sky, you
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 might notice something unusual happening this
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 June. The Full Moon on June 11,
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 2025 will appear remarkably low in
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 the sky for Northern Hemisphere observers.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 In fact, it will be the lowest full moon
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 we've seen in decades. This isn't random
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 chance or an astronomical anomaly. It's
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 actually part of a fascinating 18.6
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 year cycle that affects how we see our lunar
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 companion Unlike what many people
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 assume, the Moon's orbit isn't aligned with
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 Earth's equator or even with Earth's path
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 around the Sun. The Moon's orbit is actually
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 tilted by about 5.15 degrees relative
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 to the ecliptic. That's the plane of Earth's
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 orbit around the Sun. This tilt,
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 combined with Earth's own 23.5 degree
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 axial tilt, creates some interesting effects
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 that play out over long time periods. Because
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 of these combined tilts, the Moon can appear
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 anywhere from 28.65 degrees south
00:06:08 --> 00:06:11 to 28.65 degrees north in our sky.
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 This means that over time, the Moon seems to
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 wander north and south against the background
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 stars. Astronomers call the extreme points
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 in this cycle lunar standstills.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 The last major lunar standstill occurred in
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 2006, and now we're approaching another
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 one. During this period, the Moon's path
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 swings to its maximum extremes, making it
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 appear exceptionally high in winter and
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 exceptionally low in summer for Northern
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 Hemisphere observers. That's why this June's
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 Full Moon will barely skim the treetops for
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 many North American and European viewers.
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 And if you're in places like Alaska or
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 Iceland, the Moon might not rise at all.
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 Meanwhile, observers in the Southern
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 hemisphere will experience the opposite
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 effect. They'll see what's essentially their
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 own long night's Moon riding remarkably high
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 in their June skies. This
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 gradual shifting of the Moon's path
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 happens because the Moon's orbital plane is
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 slowly being dragged around once every 18.6
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 years, primarily due to the gravitational
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 pull of the Sun. Astronomers call
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 this the nodal precession. What's
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 particularly fascinating is that ancient
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 peoples recognised and tracked these lunar
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 cycles at the Callanish stones in
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 Scotland, erected during the bronze age over
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 4000 years ago. Archaeoastronomers have
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 discovered alignments that mark the rising
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 and setting positions of the Moon at its
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 extreme standstills. These
00:07:39 --> 00:07:42 ancient stone circles served as astronomical
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 calendars, helping people track longer
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 periods of time than the regular monthly
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 lunar cycle. So when you look at this
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 unusually low full Moon in June, remember
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 you're witnessing the same celestial
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 mechanics that our ancestors observed and
00:07:55 --> 00:07:58 celebrated thousands of years ago. A living
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 connection to humanity's earliest attempts to
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 understand the rhythms of the cosmos.
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 Let's switch gears now and look at what's
00:08:05 --> 00:08:06 happening in space. Launches this week.
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 SpaceX continues to dominate the launch
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 schedule, with an impressive five missions
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 packed into just one week. Rocket Lab
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 kicked things off with their 65th Electron
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 launch, nicknamed Full Stream, ahead just
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 before June 3rd ended in New Zealand time.
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 They successfully deployed a BlackSky
00:08:23 --> 00:08:26 Generation 3 satellite into orbit. This marks
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 Rocket Lab's 10th launch for BlackSky
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 technology, making them the most frequent
00:08:30 --> 00:08:33 launch provider for this constellation. The
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 Gen 3 satellites are quite impressive,
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 capable of producing images with 50
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 centimetre resolution and equipped with
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 shortwave infrared sensors. SpaceX
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 has been even busier with multiple Starlink
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 deployments across different launch sites.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 From Cape Canaveral in Florida, they launched
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 Starlink Group 1219, carrying
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 23 Starlink V2 mini satellites,
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 13 of which feature the new direct to cell
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 capabilities. This mission used booster
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 B1077, making its
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 remarkable 21st flight. The very
00:09:06 --> 00:09:09 same day, SpaceX conducted another Starlink
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 California, delivering 27 more
00:09:14 --> 00:09:15 satellites to, a different orbital
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 inclination. And if that wasn't enough,
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 they scheduled yet another StarLink mission
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 for June 8 from Vandenberg, adding 26 more
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 satellites to their rapidly growing
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 constellation. Beyond Starlink, SpaceX
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 is launching the SXM10 satellite for SiriusXM
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 on June 7. This third generation satellite
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 weighs over 6 kilogrammes and will
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 replace older satellites in the constellation
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 that have been in service since 2005 and
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 2006. SiriusXM currently serves
00:09:43 --> 00:09:46 over 33 million subscribers, highlighting how
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 space technology directly impacts everyday
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 services many of us use. Perhaps most
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 exciting is the Axiom 4 crewed mission
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 launching June 9th. Commander Peggy Whitson
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 will lead a diverse international crew,
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 including Shubanshu Shukla from India,
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 Slavosh Usnanski from Poland and
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 Tibor Kapu from Hungary, each representing
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 only the second astronaut from their
00:10:07 --> 00:10:10 respective countries to reach space. They'll
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 spend up to two weeks aboard the
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 International Space Station, conducting 60
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 scientific experiments, setting a record for
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 the most research activities during an Axiom
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 mission. The Dragon capsule for this mission
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 is brand new, making its first flight, While
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 the Falcon 9 booster is flying for just its
00:10:28 --> 00:10:30 second time, having been used only 41 days
00:10:30 --> 00:10:33 earlier for a Starlink mission. These
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 milestones highlight how commercial space
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 missions are now creating opportunities for
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 nations that don't have their own human
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 spaceflight programmes to send their citizens
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 to orbit. It's democratising access to
00:10:44 --> 00:10:47 space in ways we couldn't have imagined even
00:10:47 --> 00:10:47 a decade ago.
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 Well, what an incredible journey through
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 space we've taken today. From reconsidering
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 the collision course of galaxies to robots
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 building solar satellites in orbit. From the
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 moon's fascinating dance across our skies to
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 the remarkable diversity of launches carrying
00:11:04 --> 00:11:07 humans and technology beyond our atmosphere.
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 I'm Anna and I want to thank you for joining
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 me on this episode of Astronomy Daily. If you
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 enjoyed today's Cosmic Update, please visit
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 astronomydaily IO where you can sign up for
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00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 latest space news right to your inbox.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 Don't miss future episodes by subscribing to
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00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 wonders of the universe down to Earth.
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 Until next time, keep looking up. There's
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 always something fascinating happening in our
00:11:39 --> 00:11:40 cosmic neighbourhood.