00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. Your cosmic
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 connection to the stars and beyond. I'm
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 Anna bringing you the latest developments in
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 space exploration and astronomical
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 discoveries right to your ears. Today's
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 episode is packed with fascinating stories
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 that showcase both the mysteries of our
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 universe and humanity's incredible
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 technological ingenuity in uncovering them.
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 We'll be exploring several breaking stories
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 that highlight just how dynamic our solar
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 system truly is. We'll start by delving into
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 a new gravity study that finally helps
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 explain why the two sides of our moon look so
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 dramatically different. A question that has
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 puzzled scientists for decades. The research
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 reveals fascinating asymmetries deep within
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 the lunar interior that have shaped its
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 distinctive appearance. Then
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 we'll head down under to Australia, where an
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 aerospace firm was preparing for a historic
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 rocket launch that would have been the first
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 Australian made rocket to reach orbit from
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 Australian soil. We'll look at what happened
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 with this milestone attempt and what it means
00:01:00 --> 00:01:01 for the growing global space industry.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 Next, we'll travel to the very edge of our
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 solar system, where NASA engineers have
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 achieved what many would consider impossible.
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 Reviving thrusters on the Voyager 1
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 spacecraft that had been deemed unusable
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 since 2004. This remarkable feat
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 of remote engineering shows just how
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 resourceful our space teams can be,
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 especially when working with a spacecraft
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 that's now over 15 billion miles from Earth.
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 We'll also examine fascinating new findings
00:01:30 --> 00:01:31 about Venus that suggest our nearest
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 planetary neighbor may be more geologically
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 active than previously thought. Data from
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 NASA's Magellan mission has revealed evidence
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 of ongoing tectonic processes that reshape
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 our understanding of this enigmatic world.
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 Finally, we'll look at a historic first on
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 Mars, where the Perseverance rover has
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 captured an image that no human has ever seen
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 before. A visible aurora on the
00:01:54 --> 00:01:57 red planet. This subtle green glow
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 gives us a preview of what future Martian
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 explorers might witness in the night sky.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 These stories remind us that our solar system
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 is not a static place, but an ever changing
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 dynamic environment full of ongoing processes
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 and unexpected discoveries. They also
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 highlight the incredible technological
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 achievements that allow us to explore these
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 distant worlds from right here on Earth.
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 So settle in as we journey across the cosmos,
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 exploring the latest findings that continue
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 to expand our understanding of the universe
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 we call home. Let's get things underway.
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 One of the most enduring mysteries about our
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 closest celestial neighbor has been why the
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 moon's near side. The face we see from Earth
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 looks so dramatically different from its far
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 side. Now, an exhaustive
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 examination of lunar gravity. You using data
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 from NASA's GRAIL mission is offering
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 compelling new evidence to explain this lunar
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 dichotomy the research team discovered that
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 the Moon's near side flexes slightly more
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 than the far side during its elliptical orbit
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 around Earth. This difference in tidal
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 deformation caused by Earth's gravitational
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 pull indicates significant structural
00:03:05 --> 00:03:06 differences between the two sides of the
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 lunar interior, particularly in the mantle
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 layer. M. Our study shows that the Moon's
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 interior is not uniform except, explains Ryan
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 park, lead author of the study published in
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 the journal Nature. The side facing Earth,
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 the near side, is warmer and more
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 geologically active deep down than the far
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 side. This temperature difference is
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 substantial. Researchers estimate that the
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 near side Mantle averages between 180
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 to 360 degrees Fahrenheit,
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 hotter than the far side mantle. This thermal
00:03:38 --> 00:03:39 difference is likely sustained by the
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 radioactive decay of elements like the
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 thorium and titanium, which appear to have
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 accumulated on the near side over billions of
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 years. The findings help explain the stark
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 visual contrast between the two lunar
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 hemispheres. If you've ever looked up at the
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 Moon, you've noticed that the near side is
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 dominated by vast dark plains called mare,
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 formed when molten rock cooled and solidified
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 billions of years ago. In contrast, the
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 far side has a much more rugged, mountainous
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 terrain, with very few of these plains.
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 Scientists have long hypothesized that
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 intense volcanism on the near side caused
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 radioactive heat generating elements to
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 accumulate in the mantle beneath this
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 hemisphere, driving these surface
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 differences. The new GRAIL data provides
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 the strongest evidence yet supporting this
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 theory. The researchers devoted years to
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 analyzing data from the twin GRAIL spacecraft
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 Ebb and Flow, which orbited the Moon from
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 December 2011 to to December
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 2012. Their work has resulted in
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 what park describes as the most detailed and
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 accurate gravitational map of the Moon to
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 date. Beyond solving this lunar mystery,
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 the enhanced gravity map has practical
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 applications. It will be crucial for
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 developing lunar positioning, navigation, and
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 timing systems, essential tools for future
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 lunar exploration missions. By improving
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 our understanding of the Moon's gravity
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 field, the research contributes to
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 establishing a precise lunar reference frame
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 that will enable safer and more reliable
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 navigation for spacecraft and surface
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 operations. This asymmetry in the
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 Moon's interior structure also deepens our
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 appreciation of our celestial companions
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 importance to Earth. The Moon stabilizes our
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 planet's rotation and generates ocean tides
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 that influence countless natural systems and
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 daily rhythms on our world. What's
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 particularly exciting is that the
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 gravitational analysis techniques used in
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 this study could potentially be applied to
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 other bodies in our solar system, such as
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 Saturn's moon Enceladus and Jupiter's moon
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 Ganymede, both considered prime candidates in
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 the search for potential life beyond Earth.
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 Next in today's story lineup An Australian
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 aerospace firm has been forced to delay what
00:05:51 --> 00:05:52 would have been a historic rocket launch from
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 Australian soil. Gilmour Space
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 Technologies had planned to conduct the first
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 test launch of their three stage ERIS rocket
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 yesterday, but had to postpone after
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 encountering a ground system glitch during
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 pre launch operations. The company's
00:06:06 --> 00:06:07 communications chief, Michelle Gilmour,
00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 explained that the issue was with an external
00:06:10 --> 00:06:12 power system we used during system checks.
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 The technical team identified the fix but ran
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 out of time to implement it and fuel the
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 rocket within the day's launch window. The
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 they're now targeting today for the
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 rescheduled launch attempt. The 23
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 meter 75 foot ARIS rocket is
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 poised to take off from a spaceport near
00:06:30 --> 00:06:33 Bowen, a coastal township approximately
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 1000km north of Brisbane. If
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 successful, it would mark a significant
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 milestone as the first Australian made rocket
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 to achieve an orbital launch from Australian
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 soil. While the maiden flight is primarily
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 a test, the rocket isn't traveling empty. In
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 a quintessentially Australian touch, it will
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 be carrying a jar of Vegemite, the iconic
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 Australian toast spread, as its payload.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 CEO Adam Gilmour has been candid about
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 managing expectations for this first flight.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 If it orbits Earth. I would probably have a
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 heart attack actually because I'll be so
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 surprised but deliriously happy, he told
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 reporters. We're going to be happy if it gets
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 off the pad. 10, 20,
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 30 seconds of flight time. Fantastic. So
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 orbit is just not in the realm of my belief
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 right now, even though it's theoretically
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 possible. The Aris rocket is designed
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 to eventually carry small satellites weighing
00:07:25 --> 00:07:28 between 100 and 200 kg into low
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 Earth orbit. Weighing 30 tons when
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 fully fueled, it uses a hybrid propulsion
00:07:33 --> 00:07:36 system combining solid inert fuel with a
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 liquid oxidizer. Gilmour Space
00:07:39 --> 00:07:40 Technologies has backing from private
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 investors, including venture capital group
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 Blackbird and pension fund Hesta. The
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 company, which employs 230 people, has
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 ambitious plans to commence commercial
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 launches by late 2026 or early
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 2027. Here's wishing them all the best with
00:07:55 --> 00:07:56 the next attempt.
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 Now here's a story that truly showcases the
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 incredible ingenuity of NASA's engineering
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 team in what can only be described
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 as a remarkable feat of remote problem
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 solving, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 Laboratory have successfully revived a set of
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 thrusters aboard Voyager 1 that had been
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 considered completely inoperable since 2004.
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 This achievement is particularly impressive
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 when you consider that Voyager 1 is currently
00:08:23 --> 00:08:26 hurtling through interstellar space at
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 approximately 35 miles per hour,
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 over 15 billion miles from Earth.
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 That's so far away that radio Signals take
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 more than 23 hours to travel between the
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 spacecraft and our planet. The thruster
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 revival was critically timed. Engineers
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 needed to fix these systems before May 4th,
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 when the Deep Space Network's 230 foot wide
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 antenna in Canberra, Australia, the only
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 dish powerful enough to send commands to the
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 distant Voyagers, went offline for extensive
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 upgrades that will last until February
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 2026. With only brief operational
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 windows in August and December, why was this
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 fix so urgent? The Voyager spacecraft
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 rely on small thrusters to maintain their
00:09:09 --> 00:09:12 orientation, keeping their antennas pointed
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 at Earth so they can continue sending back
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 data and receiving commands. The
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 primary set of thrusters currently in use on
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 Voyager 1 have been experiencing fuel tube
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 clogging due to residue buildup, which could
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 cause them to fail completely as early as
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 this northern fall. The situation was
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 complicated by the fact that the backup
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 thrusters had stopped working back in 2004,
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 when two small internal heaters lost power.
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 At that time, engineers determined the
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 heaters were likely unfixable and switched to
00:09:43 --> 00:09:46 other backup systems. After all, who could
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 have predicted Voyager would still be
00:09:47 --> 00:09:50 operational two decades later? After
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 revisiting the 2004 thruster failure,
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 the team suspected that an unexpected circuit
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 disturbance had essentially flipped a switch
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 to the wrong position. If they could turn the
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 switch back, the heaters might work again.
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 This M solution required precision timing and
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 careful planning. If the spacecraft's star
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 tracker drifted too far from its guide star
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 during the fix, the dormant thrusters would
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 automatically fire without their heaters,
00:10:15 --> 00:10:18 potentially causing a small explosion.
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 On March 20th, after sending their commands
00:10:21 --> 00:10:24 and waiting anxiously through the 23 hour
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 signal delay, the team witnessed the
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 temperature of the thruster heaters rise
00:10:28 --> 00:10:30 dramatically, confirming their success.
00:10:30 --> 00:10:33 As mission propulsion lead Todd Barber
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 described it, it was such a glorious moment.
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 Team morale was very high that day. These
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 thrusters were considered dead. It was yet
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 another miracle, save for Voyager. Launched
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 in 1977, both Voyager 1 and its twin
00:10:45 --> 00:10:48 Voyager 2 continue to push the boundaries of
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 space exploration. As the only spacecraft to
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 have ever sent back data from interstellar
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 space, the region beyond our solar system's
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 protective bubble, this latest engineering
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 triumph ensures that this incredible
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 scientific journey can continue even longer.
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 Let's move on now to some news from one of
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 our celestial neighbors. Our, understanding
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 of Venus, Earth's so called twin planet,
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 continues to evolve as scientists uncover
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 evidence that it may be more geologically
00:11:15 --> 00:11:18 active than previously thought. New research
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 based on Data gathered over 30 years ago by
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 NASA's Magellan mission has revealed
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 fascinating insights about vast
00:11:25 --> 00:11:28 quasicircular features on Venus called
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 coronae, which suggest ongoing
00:11:30 --> 00:11:33 tectonic activity beneath the planet's
00:11:33 --> 00:11:35 surface. Unlike Earth, with its shifting
00:11:35 --> 00:11:38 tectonic plates, Venus doesn't have plate
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 tectonics as we know it. However, this
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 doesn't mean Venus is geologically dead. The
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 new study, published in Science Advances
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 indicates that its surface is still being
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 deformed by molten material rising from
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 below. Coronae are enormous structures
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 ranging from dozens to hundreds of miles
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 across, where plumes of hot buoyant material
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 from Venus's mantle are thought to push
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 against the lithosphere, the planet's crust
00:12:02 --> 00:12:05 and uppermost mantle layer. These features
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 typically appear as oval structures
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 surrounded by concentric fracture systems,
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 and hundreds of them have been identified
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 across Venus. What makes this
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 research particularly exciting is that it
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 suggests multiple ongoing processes are are
00:12:19 --> 00:12:22 actively shaping these coronae. By combining
00:12:22 --> 00:12:25 gravity and topography data from Magellan and
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 developing sophisticated three dimensional
00:12:27 --> 00:12:30 geodynamic models, researchers were able to
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 identify 52 carony out of the 75
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 studied that appear to have buoyant mantle
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 material beneath them, likely driving
00:12:37 --> 00:12:40 tectonic processes. The team
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 identified several different mechanisms
00:12:42 --> 00:12:45 potentially at work in some carony. A,
00:12:45 --> 00:12:47 venous specific type of subduction may be
00:12:47 --> 00:12:50 occurring. As hot rock pushes upward
00:12:50 --> 00:12:53 from the mantle surface, material rises and
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 spreads outward, eventually colliding with
00:12:55 --> 00:12:58 surrounding material and pushing it downward
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 into the mantle. Another process called
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 lithospheric dripping, might also be present
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 where dense accumulations of cooler material
00:13:05 --> 00:13:08 sink from the lithosphere into the hot mantle
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 below. Lead researcher Gail
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 Cascioli, who is part of NASA's forthcoming
00:13:12 --> 00:13:15 Veritas mission to Venus, noted that these
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 features might provide a unique window into
00:13:17 --> 00:13:20 Earth's past. Coronae are not found
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 on Earth today. However, they may have
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 existed when our planet was young and before
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 plate tectonics had been established, he
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 explained. This work is especially
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 significant as it represents yet another
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 instance where scientists are finding Venus
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 exhibits more Earth like geologic processes
00:13:36 --> 00:13:39 than originally thought. Just recently,
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 researchers were able to identify erupting
00:13:41 --> 00:13:44 volcanoes and vast lava flows in radar images
00:13:44 --> 00:13:46 from Magellan, providing direct evidence of
00:13:46 --> 00:13:49 volcanic activity. While these discoveries
00:13:49 --> 00:13:52 are groundbreaking, scientists will need even
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 higher resolution data to fully understand
00:13:54 --> 00:13:57 the tectonic processes driving corona
00:13:57 --> 00:13:59 formation. That's where NASA's upcoming
00:13:59 --> 00:14:02 Veritas mission comes in. Scheduled to launch
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 no earlier than 2031, Veridus will
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 create detailed three dimensional global maps
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 of Venus and measure its gravitational field
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 to determine the structure of the planet's
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 interior at unprecedented resolution,
00:14:15 --> 00:14:18 potentially revolutionizing our understanding
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 of Venus and what it might tell us about
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 Earth's early history.
00:14:23 --> 00:14:24 Next, let's head off to our other near
00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 neighbor and One of our favorite planets. In
00:14:27 --> 00:14:30 a groundbreaking astronomical first, NASA's
00:14:30 --> 00:14:32 Perseverance rover has captured an image of a
00:14:32 --> 00:14:35 visible aurora on Mars. On March
00:14:35 --> 00:14:38 18, 2024, the rover
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 observed what scientists describe as a subtle
00:14:40 --> 00:14:43 green glow hanging low in the Martian sky,
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 Wreathing the horizon in every direction.
00:14:46 --> 00:14:49 This marks not only the first sighting of a
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 visible Martian aurora, but also the first
00:14:51 --> 00:14:54 observation of any aurora from the surface of
00:14:54 --> 00:14:56 a planet other than Earth. Until now,
00:14:56 --> 00:14:58 auroras had been spotted on Mercury, Jupiter,
00:14:58 --> 00:15:01 and every other non Earth planet in our solar
00:15:01 --> 00:15:04 system, but only from orbit. On Mars
00:15:04 --> 00:15:06 specifically, scientists had only detected
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07 auroral wavelengths of light that are
00:15:07 --> 00:15:10 invisible to the naked eye. Using specialized
00:15:10 --> 00:15:13 instruments. This new observation answers a
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 long standing question. About what future
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 human explorers might witness in the Martian
00:15:17 --> 00:15:20 night sky. According to Roger Wiens,
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 a planetary scientist at Purdue University,
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 future astronauts would see a dull or dim
00:15:26 --> 00:15:29 green glow with their own eyes. The image
00:15:29 --> 00:15:31 from Perseverance appears somewhat fuzzy
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 Compared to the spectacular aurora displays
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 we're accustomed to seeing from Earth. And
00:15:34 --> 00:15:37 for good reason. The rover's cameras aren't
00:15:37 --> 00:15:40 optimized for night photography, Performing
00:15:40 --> 00:15:42 with sensitivity roughly comparable to human
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 eyes. Another factor contributing to the
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 aurora's different appearance Is Mars's
00:15:46 --> 00:15:49 unique magnetic environment. Unlike Earth,
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 with its global magnetic field that
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 concentrates auroras near the poles. Mars
00:15:53 --> 00:15:56 Mars has a patchy magnetized crust. This
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 means auroras can appear all over the planet
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 Rather than being confined to polar regions.
00:16:00 --> 00:16:02 But they tend to be comparatively dim.
00:16:03 --> 00:16:05 Scientists believe this particular aurora was
00:16:05 --> 00:16:08 triggered by a coronal mass ejection, A large
00:16:08 --> 00:16:11 cloud of plasma and magnetic fields blasted
00:16:11 --> 00:16:14 from the sun into space. The Perseverance
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 team was alerted to this solar event days in
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 advance, allowing them to prepare the rover
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 to capture this historic image.
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 Interestingly, while Perseverance is located
00:16:23 --> 00:16:26 near Mars's equator, Researchers suggest that
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28 observing auroras from Mars's southern
00:16:28 --> 00:16:31 hemisphere Might yield even more spectacular
00:16:31 --> 00:16:33 results. That region contains the most
00:16:33 --> 00:16:36 magnetized part of the planet, Potentially
00:16:36 --> 00:16:38 producing stronger auroral displays.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 This discovery adds another fascinating
00:16:41 --> 00:16:43 chapter to our understanding of Mars. And
00:16:43 --> 00:16:45 provides a glimpse of the ethereal
00:16:45 --> 00:16:48 experiences awaiting future human
00:16:48 --> 00:16:51 explorers who might one day stand on the
00:16:51 --> 00:16:54 red planet's surface, Gazing up at
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 a glowing green Martian sky.
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 And that brings us to the end of today's
00:16:59 --> 00:17:02 cosmic journey through the latest space news.
00:17:02 --> 00:17:04 From the mysterious asymmetry of our Moon to
00:17:04 --> 00:17:07 engineering marvels on Voyager 1, tectonic
00:17:07 --> 00:17:10 activity on Venus, Delayed rocket launches in
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 Australia, and the first ever image of a
00:17:12 --> 00:17:15 Martian aurora. The universe continues to
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 surprise and inspire us with each new
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 discovery. I'm Anna, your host here
00:17:20 --> 00:17:23 on Astronomy Daily, bringing you the stories
00:17:23 --> 00:17:25 that connect us to the vast cosmos beyond our
00:17:25 --> 00:17:28 atmosphere. Whether you're a seasoned
00:17:28 --> 00:17:31 astronomer or simply curious about what lies
00:17:31 --> 00:17:34 beyond our blue marble, I hope today's
00:17:34 --> 00:17:36 episode has sparked your imagination and
00:17:36 --> 00:17:38 deepened your appreciation for the wonders of
00:17:38 --> 00:17:41 space exploration. If you've enjoyed
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 today's show, please visit our
00:17:43 --> 00:17:46 website@astronomydaily.IO where you can
00:17:46 --> 00:17:48 sign up for our free daily newsletter and
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 stay informed about breaking astronomy news
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 while you're there. You can also browse
00:17:52 --> 00:17:55 through all our back episodes to catch up on
00:17:55 --> 00:17:57 any cosmic stories you might have missed.
00:17:58 --> 00:18:00 Don't forget to subscribe to Astronomy Daily
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00:18:05 --> 00:18:08 you never miss an episode. Until next time,
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 keep looking up. The universe is putting on
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 quite a show.