00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 podcast for the latest and greatest in space
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 and astronomy news. I'm Anna.
00:00:07 --> 00:00:10 Avery: And I'm, um, Avery. We're so glad you could
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 join us today as we dive into some truly
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 fascinating developments from across the
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 cosmos and right here on Earth.
00:00:16 --> 00:00:19 Anna: That's right, Avery. Today we're going to be
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 talking about NASA's ambitious plans for a
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 nuclear reactor on the moon, a surprising new
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 study that redates Earth's oldest impact
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 crater, and a breakthrough discovery of a
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 potentially habitable super Earth.
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 Avery: We'll also cover the crucial sunshield
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 installation on the Nancy Grace Roman Space
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 Telescope, preparing it to give us an
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 unprecedented look into the infrared
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 universe. So buckle up because we've got a
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 lot of exciting news to discuss. Let's get
00:00:46 --> 00:00:46 started.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 Anna: First up, let's talk about NASA's
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 incredibly ambitious plans to power our
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 future lunar outposts. Its it seems the
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 agency is really kicking things into high
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 gear when it comes to getting a nuclear
00:01:00 --> 00:01:01 reactor on the Moon.
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 Avery: That's right, Anna. For a few years now, NASA
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 has been working on a 40 kilowatt fission
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 system, aiming for a launch by the early
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 2000-30s. But now interim NASA chief
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 Sean Duffy is pushing for an even more
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 aggressive timeline and a more powerful
00:01:17 --> 00:01:17 system.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 Anna: That's a significant jump. Politico
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 reported that Duffy's new directive, which
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 was set to be released recently, orders the
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 agency to solicit industry proposals for a
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 massive 100 kilowatt nuclear reactor
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 to launch by 2030. This is seen as a
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 critical step for the Artemis program, which
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 aims to return astronauts to the lunar
00:01:39 --> 00:01:42 surface and establish permanent bases there
00:01:42 --> 00:01:43 around the same time.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 Avery: And nuclear power is truly essential for that
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 vision. Solar energy simply isn't a great
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 option for a crewed outpost because the moon
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 rotates so slowly. Slowly, a lunar night can
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 last about two Earth weeks, which means no
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 sunlight for an extended period. Nuclear
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 power provides consistent, reliable energy,
00:02:01 --> 00:02:02 regardless of day or night.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 Anna: It's not just about practicality, though.
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 There's a strong strategic element at play
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 here. China also has plans to set up a moon
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 base, partnering with Russia and other
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 nations. Duffy's directive is very much
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 geared towards beating China to the punch.
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 Avery: The directive even highlights the
00:02:20 --> 00:02:23 geopolitical implications, stating that the
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 first nation with a moon reactor could
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 declare a keep out zone, which would
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 significantly inhibit other nations,
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 including the United States. It's clear that
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 the race for lunar resources and presence is
00:02:35 --> 00:02:35 heating up.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 Anna: Absolutely. This really underscores the
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 importance of reliable long term power
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 sources for establishing a sustainable human
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 presence beyond Earth and the strategic
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 advantages that Come with it. It's a
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 fascinating blend of science, engineering and
00:02:51 --> 00:02:52 international relations.
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 Avery: Moving from the Moon to our own planet.
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 There's a fascinating new development about
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 Earth's oldest known impact crater. It turns
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 out our geological clocks sometimes need a
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 recalibration. And that's exactly what
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 happened with the Moraga impact structure in
00:03:07 --> 00:03:08 Western Australia.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 Anna: That's right. This site in the remote Pilbara
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 region made headlines previously with a
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 different group claiming it was Earth's
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 oldest impact crater, formed about 3.5
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 billion years ago and incredibly over 100
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 kilometers in diameter. If true, that
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 would have been a game changer for
00:03:27 --> 00:03:28 understanding early Earth.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 Avery: But as it turns out, new research published
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 in Science Advances tells a different story.
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 While they agree it was an ancient meteorite
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 impact, this new study concludes the impact
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 actually happened much later, sometime after
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 2.7 billion years ago and possibly
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 even more recently. That's at least 800
00:03:47 --> 00:03:48 million years younger than the earlier
00:03:48 --> 00:03:49 estimate.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 Anna: And the size estimate is drastically
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 different, too. The new study determined the
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 crater was much smaller, only about 16
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 kilometers in diameter, a, uh, far cry from
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 the original 100 plus kilometers. This
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 means it was too young and too small to have
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 influenced continent formation or early life,
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 as was previously speculated.
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 Avery: So how could two studies investigating the
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 same site come to such different
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 conclusions? Both groups found telltale
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 signs of meteorite impact shatter cones.
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 These are unique conical imprints of shock
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 waves that pass through rocks, and their
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 presence confirms it's an impact site.
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 The disagreement came down to dating.
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 Anna: They both used a, uh, geological principle
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 called the law of superposition,
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 which states that younger rock layers are
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 deposited on top of older ones.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 The first group found shatter cones within
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 and below a sedimentary layer known to be
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 3.47 billion years old, but
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 not in younger rocks above it, suggesting
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 the impact happened during that
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 3.47 billion year period.
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 Avery: However, the newer investigation found
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 shattering cones not only in those same
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 3.47 billion year old rocks, but
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 also in younger overlying rocks,
00:05:09 --> 00:05:10 including lavas that erupted
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 2.77 billion years ago.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 This crucial detail meant the impact had to
00:05:16 --> 00:05:19 occur after the formation of the youngest
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 rocks containing shatter cones, placing it
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 sometime after 2.77 billion years
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 ago. The precise younger age is still
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 being worked on with isotopic methods.
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 Anna: It's a, uh, fantastic example of how science
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 is a self policing sport. Initial
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 claims are based on available data, but new
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 observations can modify or even over.
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 While Maralga isn't Earth's oldest crater
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 anymore, it's still scientifically unique
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 because craters formed in basalt are quite
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 rare. The basalts there Are the oldest
00:05:51 --> 00:05:52 shocked target rocks known.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:54 Avery: And here's where it gets even more
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 interesting. Prior to the impact, these
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 ancient basalts Were chemically altered by
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 seawater. And nearby sedimentary rocks
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 Contain some of Earth's earliest well
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 established fossils. These kinds of rocks
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 likely covered much of early Earth and, um,
00:06:09 --> 00:06:10 even early Mars.
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 Anna: This makes the Moralga impact structure A
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 fantastic outdoor laboratory for planetary
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 scientists. It's an easily accessible proving
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 ground for instruments and imagery Intended
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 for Mars exploration, Helping us understand
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 the cratered surface and perhaps even early
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 life on the red planet, all without leaving
00:06:28 --> 00:06:29 Earth.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 Avery: From ancient Earth, let's turn our gaze
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 outwards To a truly exciting breakthrough in
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 the search for life beyond our planet. A new
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 detection method has just revealed A
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 potentially habitable super Earth.
00:06:41 --> 00:06:44 Anna: This is huge. The enduring question of
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 are we alone? Has driven astronomy for
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 generations. And discoveries like this bring
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 us closer to an answer. Since the first
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 exoplanet Orbiting a sun like star was found
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 in 1995, the hunt for Earth like
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 conditions in habitable zones has been a
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 primary focus.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 Avery: And this latest discovery is significant.
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 An international team led by the Yunnan
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 Observatories of the Chinese Academy of
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 Sciences has made a major breakthrough Using
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 a method called transit timing variation,
00:07:14 --> 00:07:15 or TTV.
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 Anna: For the very first time, TTV enabled
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 the detection of a super Earth named
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 Kepler 725C.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 It's truly a monumental find because
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 this planet is about 10 times the mass of
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 Earth and orbits within the habitable zone of
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 its size. Sun like star Kepler's
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 725. Their findings were just
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 published in Nature Astronomy.
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 Avery: Additionally, astronomers have relied on the
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 transit method or radial velocity
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 measurements to detect low mass planets,
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 those 10 Earth masses or less,
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 Especially in habitable zones. But these
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 smaller planets usually have long orbits and
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 produce very weak radial velocity
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 signals, Making them incredibly difficult
00:08:00 --> 00:08:00 to spot.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 Anna: The transit method also has its challenges.
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 It only works if the planet's orbit uh,
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 aligns perfectly with our line of sight,
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 which is uncommon for planets with long
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 orbital periods. Even if they do align,
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 the light changes can be too dim and brief to
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 be confidently identified, Meaning many
00:08:19 --> 00:08:20 potential discoveries are missed.
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 Avery: This is where TTV comes in as a game
00:08:23 --> 00:08:26 changer. Kepler725C is
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 a non transiting planet, Meaning it doesn't
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 pass directly in front of its star. From our
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 perspective, the team successfully inferred
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 its mass and orbital parameters by analyzing
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 the TTV signals of Kepler
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 725B, a gas giant in the
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 same system that does transit.
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 Anna: Kepler's 725C orbits a AH
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 G9V host star with a period of
00:08:50 --> 00:08:53 207.5 days. It
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 receives roughly 1.4 times the
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 solar radiation that Earth does, Placing it
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 within the host star's habitable zone for
00:09:00 --> 00:09:03 part of its orbit, which definitely makes it
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 a strong candidate for habitability.
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 Avery: What's so revolutionary about the TTV
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 technique Is that it doesn't require a dead
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 on orbit or rely on those super high
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 precision radial velocity measurements. This
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 makes it uniquely suited for detecting those
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 small, long period, non transiting
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 habitable planets that are otherwise
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 extremely difficult to discover.
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 Anna: It fills a critical gap in our current
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 exoplanet detection methods. Based on this
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 study, missions like the European Plato
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 and Chinese ET or Earth 2.0
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 missions, once operational, are expected
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 to greatly enhance our ability to
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 detect a second Earth. It's a huge
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 leap forward in the search for another
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 habitable world.
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 Avery: Speaking of advanced technology Pushing the
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 boundaries of discovery, let's talk about the
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 Technicians at NASA Goddard Space Flight
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 center have been busy installing crucial
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 components like the solar array, uh,
00:10:02 --> 00:10:02 sunshield.
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 Anna: That's right. This shield, made up of six
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 panels covered in solar cells, is essential.
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 It's designed to provide the observatory with
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 power while simultaneously keeping its
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 sensitive instruments cool throughout its
00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 mission. This marked a major milestone,
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 Completing the telescope's outer section.
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 Avery: And just recently, NASA announced they
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 finished installing the two panels of the
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 lower instrument sunshade on Roman's inner
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 inner segment, along with the solar array sun
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 shield and the deployable aperture cover,
00:10:34 --> 00:10:37 which is essentially its visor. These shields
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 are absolutely critical for Roman's mission
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 to explore the infrared universe.
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 Anna: It's very similar to Webb's sunshield.
00:10:45 --> 00:10:48 Roman's sunshades and aperture cover will
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 protect its instruments from the heat and
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 light from the sun, which would otherwise
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 interfere with its ability to detect those
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 incredibly faint signals from deep space.
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 Avery: Conrad Mason, an aerospace engineer at NASA
00:11:00 --> 00:11:03 Goddard, Described them as basically giant
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 aluminum sandwiches. They're made with metal
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 sheets as thin as a credit card on the top
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 and bottom with the honeycomb structure in
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 the middle. This design makes them stiff, yet
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 lightweight. And specialized polymer film
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 blankets Help temper heat transfer from the
00:11:18 --> 00:11:19 sun Facing side to the back.
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 Anna: Matthew Stevens, another aerospace engineer
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 at NASA Goddard, Was perfectly summed it up,
00:11:26 --> 00:11:29 saying this shield is like an extremely
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 strong sunblock For Roman's sensitive
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 instruments. He also mentioned that the
00:11:33 --> 00:11:36 deploying mechanisms have dampers Similar to
00:11:36 --> 00:11:39 soft close hinges, so the panels won't
00:11:39 --> 00:11:42 slam open. They take about two minutes to
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 move into their final positions. And this
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 will be the very first system Roman deploys
00:11:47 --> 00:11:48 in space.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:51 Avery: After launch, with the inner segment fully
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 assembled, it's now undergoing a 70 day
00:11:53 --> 00:11:56 thermal vacuum test to ensure full
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 functionality under simulated space
00:11:58 --> 00:12:01 conditions. After that, the inner and outer
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 segments will be integrated by November, with
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 a launch expected between fall 2026 and
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 May 2027.
00:12:08 --> 00:12:11 Anna: The Roman Space Telescope, named after Nancy
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 Grace Roman, NASA's first chief of astronomy,
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 is often called the mother of the Hubble
00:12:16 --> 00:12:19 Space Telescope as its direct successor.
00:12:19 --> 00:12:22 Once operational, it will use its thermal
00:12:22 --> 00:12:25 optics to investigate exoplanets, planet
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 forming disks, red dwarfs, brown dwarfs
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 and other unseen objects.
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 Avery: It's also going to observe distant galaxies
00:12:32 --> 00:12:35 to measure the universe's expansion rate, the
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 Hubble constant, which we've talked about
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 before. The hope is that it will shed light
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 on some of the most pressing mysteries in
00:12:41 --> 00:12:44 astronomy and cosmology, including dark
00:12:44 --> 00:12:47 matter, dark energy, and the Hubble tension.
00:12:47 --> 00:12:50 Truly a telescope poised to redefine our
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 understanding of the cosmos.
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 Anna: And that brings us to the end of another
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 fascinating episode of Astronomy Daily.
00:12:57 --> 00:12:59 What a journey through the cosmos we've had
00:12:59 --> 00:12:59 today.
00:13:00 --> 00:13:03 Avery: Absolutely, anna. Uh, from NASA's
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 ambitious plans to build a nuclear reactor on
00:13:05 --> 00:13:08 the Moon and the strategic race with China
00:13:08 --> 00:13:11 to unraveling the true age of Earth's
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 ancient Maralga impact crater.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 Anna: And let's not forget the exciting discovery
00:13:15 --> 00:13:18 of Kepler 725c, a potentially
00:13:18 --> 00:13:21 habitable super Earth found using that
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 innovative transit timing variation method.
00:13:23 --> 00:13:26 Method it really boosts our search for Earth
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 2.0.
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 Avery: And of course, the progress on the Nancy
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 Grace Roman Space Telescope with its crucial
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 sun shields getting installed, preparing it
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 to peer into the infrared universe and help
00:13:37 --> 00:13:40 solve mysteries like dark matter and dark
00:13:40 --> 00:13:40 energy.
00:13:41 --> 00:13:44 Anna: It's been an incredible day of space news and
00:13:44 --> 00:13:46 we hope you enjoyed joining us for all the
00:13:46 --> 00:13:49 updates. Thank you for tuning in to ASTRONOMY
00:13:49 --> 00:13:49 Daily.
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 Avery: We love sharing these cosmic stories with
00:13:52 --> 00:13:55 you. Until tomorrow, stay curious and
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 keep looking up.