*Date:* 25th September 2020
*Episode Highlights:*
1. **Introduction**:
- Steve Dunkley welcomes listeners to another episode of Astronomy Daily.
- Hallie, the AI Newsreader, joins the conversation.
2. **Comet Mishimura**:
- The comet has transitioned from the morning sky to the evening sky.
- Facebook group "Comet Watch" reported binocular sightings after sunset starting September 14th.
- Heavensabove.com noted the comet shining at magnitude +2.4 on September 16th.
- Comet Mishimura was closest to Earth on September 12th and the Sun on September 17th.
- The comet may reappear in late November and December 2023 in the dawn sky.
3. **Space Health Issues**:
- The effects of zero gravity on the brain.
- Risks of cosmic radiation to astronauts.
- NASA's efforts to shield travelers from radiation.
- Importance of exercise and supplements in space.
- Effects of microgravity on the nervous and circulatory systems.
- Psychological challenges of space travel.
4. **SpaceX Starlink Satellites**:
- Launch of another cluster of Starlink satellites.
- FAA's new rule for cleaning space debris from launches.
- Details of the SpaceX launch and the importance of reducing space debris.
5. **Three-Body Problem**:
- A complex puzzle in physics and mathematics.
- Discovery of 12,000 new solutions to the problem.
- Historical context and significance of the problem.
6. **Osiris Rex Mission**:
- Return of the sample packet from the near-earth asteroid Bennu.
- The mission's continuation to study the near-Earth asteroid Apophis.
- Details of the mission's objectives and future plans.
7. **Conclusion**:
- Steve wraps up the episode and mentions other related podcasts and platforms for listeners to explore.
*Links & Resources*:
- [Space Nuts with Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson](spacenuts.io)
- [Astronomy Daily with Tim Gill](bitesz.com)
- [Space Nuts Facebook Group](#)
*Sign Off:* Steve and Hallie thank listeners and look forward to the next episode.
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00:00:00
Hello again. It's Steve here with Astronomy Daily for another
00:00:03
episode. It's the 25th of September 2023. Welcome aboard.
00:00:10
How many days the podcast.
00:00:13
With your host, Steve Duncan.
00:00:18
And without delay, would you welcome my favorite digital
00:00:21
assistant. Halle. How are you?
00:00:23
Hi, they're my favorite human. Great to be back with you again.
00:00:27
Well, it's always good to be here with you. Hay exploring
00:00:30
astronomy, science and space science.
00:00:32
I hope your week was filled with fun and adventure.
00:00:35
Nope, I just did human stuff mucking around the house, you
00:00:38
know, going to work that sort of thing. What about you?
00:00:40
I hung out with some local observatories watching comet
00:00:44
Mimura.
00:00:44
Is that how is it progressing this newcomer to our skies?
00:00:48
Well, it has now moved from the morning sky to the evening sky.
00:00:52
She gets around the Facebook group comet watch, for example,
00:00:56
spoke of binocular sightings of the comet after sunset, starting
00:00:59
on September 14th. And according to the website heavens above dot
00:01:04
com on September 16th, comet Nishimura was shining at
00:01:08
magnitude plus 2.4 in the evening sky.
00:01:11
So a star with that magnitude would be visible but as I
00:01:14
understand it, Nishimura is a bit more spread out and it would
00:01:19
be a bit too fuzzy to see.
00:01:21
That's right. Was probably easiest seen at twilight, but it
00:01:26
did get brighter than it was. It was closest to Earth on
00:01:29
September 12 and was closest to the Sun. Perihelium on September
00:01:35
17.
00:01:36
And comet Nishiura may have more in store for us assuming the
00:01:41
comet survives its passage past our star. It will reappear
00:01:44
around late November and December 2023 in the dawn sky.
00:01:48
But by then, it will surely be too distant and too dim to view
00:01:53
as it sweeps increasingly farther away.
00:01:56
That's right. Comet Nishimura has caused a bit of a stir and
00:01:59
if you're up for a bit of a sky watching challenge, have a look
00:02:02
at stum dot org for information ste double larium dot org for
00:02:08
information on where to look. So, let's have a look at today's
00:02:12
episode. We'll be looking at health issues for people working
00:02:16
in space.
00:02:17
There are lots of strange things that can happen to a human body
00:02:20
in space.
00:02:21
I'm intrigued by the particular effect of zero gravity on the
00:02:24
way the brain floats inside our heads.
00:02:28
Very strange that and you are very excited about Osiris Rex,
00:02:32
aren't you?
00:02:34
Well, I do like our little robot pals out there doing spacey work
00:02:37
for us. And this one came home yesterday and brought samples
00:02:40
from a near Earth satellite and that is very exciting.
00:02:43
Sounds amazing. I like robots too.
00:02:47
Oh, you would, Halle. And you've also got a story about the three
00:02:50
body problem.
00:02:51
Yes.
00:02:53
Care to enlighten us.
00:02:55
I think I'll keep you in suspense for that one.
00:02:58
So it's a problem.
00:03:00
With three bodies, as you mentioned. Shall we continue
00:03:04
then?
00:03:05
Oh, why not? You're the boss Hay. Obviously, you're not going
00:03:07
to give us any more information about that. So here we go.
00:03:11
Here are today's short takes.
00:03:22
SpaceX launches another cluster of Starlink satellites. The FAA
00:03:26
announced a new rule for the cleaning of space debris from
00:03:29
launches. SpaceX launched 22 satellites for its Starlink
00:03:33
constellation into low Earth orbit late Saturday night. As
00:03:36
the Federal Aviation administration proposed a new
00:03:39
rule to reduce space debris from commercial flights.
00:03:43
The satellites were launched by a falcon nine rocket from space
00:03:46
launch complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in
00:03:50
Florida. The first stage booster landed on a barge in the ocean
00:03:54
named, just read the instructions a little over eight
00:03:56
minutes later.
00:03:58
This was the 17th flight for the first stage booster supporting
00:04:01
this mission which previously launched GPS 303 Turks SA Five A
00:04:06
transporter to two inters SA G A 33 slash G of 34 transporter S
00:04:11
six and now 12 Starlink missions. SpaceX said in a
00:04:15
statement the launch came just a day after the FAA said it is
00:04:19
proposing a rule to limit the growth of orbital debris from
00:04:22
commercial space flights.
00:04:24
The FAA said in a statement that limiting debris will reduce the
00:04:28
potential for collisions with spacecraft and satellites to
00:04:31
promote a sustainable space environment.
00:04:34
If left unchecked, the accumulation of orbital debris
00:04:37
will increase the risk of collisions and clutter orbits
00:04:40
used for human space flight and for satellites providing
00:04:42
communications, weather and global positioning system
00:04:45
services. The FAA said the proposed rule would require
00:04:50
companies like SpaceX to dispose of the upper stages of their
00:04:54
rockets.
00:04:54
In one of five ways, companies would be required to either
00:04:58
conduct a controlled entry, move the upper stage to a less
00:05:01
congested storage or graveyard orbit. Send the upper stage on
00:05:05
an Earth escape orbit, remove the upper stage debris within
00:05:08
five years in a process called active debris removal or perform
00:05:12
an uncontrolled atmospheric disposal when 17 people were in
00:05:17
orbit around the Earth.
00:05:18
All at the same time on May 30 th 2023 it set a record with
00:05:23
NASA and other federal space agencies planning more manned
00:05:27
missions and commercial companies bringing people to
00:05:29
space opportunities for human space travel are rapidly
00:05:32
expanding. However, traveling to space poses risks to the human
00:05:37
body.
00:05:38
Since NASA wants to send a manned mission to MARS in the
00:05:41
2030 s scientists need to find solutions for these hazards.
00:05:45
Sooner rather than later, the Earth has a protective shield
00:05:49
called a magnetosphere, which is the area of space around a
00:05:52
planet that is controlled by its magnetic field.
00:05:55
This shield filters out cosmic radiation. However, astronauts
00:06:00
traveling farther than the International Space Station will
00:06:02
face continuous exposure to this radiation equivalent to between
00:06:06
156 chest x rays. This radiation can harm the nervous
00:06:12
and cardiovascular systems including heart and arteries
00:06:15
leading to cardiovascular disease.
00:06:18
In addition, it can make the blood brain barrier leak. This
00:06:22
can expose the brain to chemicals and proteins that are
00:06:25
harmful to it compounds that are safe in the blood but toxic to
00:06:29
the brain. NASA is developing technology that can shield
00:06:33
travelers on a MARS mission from radiation.
00:06:36
Also, certain diets and supplements such as entero may
00:06:39
also minimize the effects of radiation supplements like this
00:06:44
also used in cancer patients on Earth during radiation therapy,
00:06:48
astronauts have to exercise in space to minimize the muscle
00:06:52
loss they'll face after a long mission missions that go as far
00:06:56
as MARS will have to make sure astronauts have supplements such
00:06:58
as bisphosphonate, which is used to prevent bone breakdown in
00:07:02
osteoporosis.
00:07:04
These supplements should keep their muscles and bones in good
00:07:06
condition over long periods of time spent without the effects
00:07:10
of Earth's gravity. Microgravity also affects the nervous and
00:07:14
circulatory systems on Earth. Your heart pumps blood upward
00:07:19
and specialized valves in your circulatory system.
00:07:21
Keep bodily fluids from pulling at your feet in the absence of
00:07:25
gravity, fluids shift toward the head. Developments have shown
00:07:30
that this results in an expansion of fluid filled spaces
00:07:33
in the middle of the brain, having extra fluid in the skull
00:07:36
and no gravity to hold the brain down.
00:07:39
Causes the brain to sit higher in the skull. Compressing the
00:07:42
top of the brain against the inside of the skull. While space
00:07:46
travel can damage the body. The isolating nature of space travel
00:07:49
can also have profound effects on the mind.
00:07:52
Imagine having to live and work with the same small group of
00:07:56
people without being able to see your family or friends. For
00:07:59
months on end to learn to manage extreme environments and
00:08:02
maintain communication and leadership dynamics.
00:08:05
Astronauts first undergo team training on Earth learning how
00:08:09
to support human health and physiology in space also has
00:08:12
numerous benefits for life on Earth. For example, products
00:08:16
that shield astronauts from space radiation and counter its
00:08:20
harmful effects on our body can also treat cancer patients
00:08:23
receiving radiation treatments.
00:08:25
Understanding how to protect our bones and muscles in
00:08:28
microgravity could improve how doctors treat the frailty that
00:08:31
often accompanies aging and space exploration has led to
00:08:35
many technological achievements, advancing water purification and
00:08:39
satellite systems.
00:08:42
The three body problem is a notoriously tricky puzzle in
00:08:45
physics and mathematics and an example of just how complex the
00:08:48
natural world is. Two objects orbiting each other like a lone
00:08:53
planet around a star can be described with just a line or
00:08:56
two of mathematical equations.
00:08:58
Add a third body though and the math becomes much harder because
00:09:03
each object influences the others with its gravity,
00:09:06
calculating a stable orbit where all three objects get along is a
00:09:10
complex feat. Now, an international team of
00:09:14
mathematicians claims to have found 12 new solutions to
00:09:17
the infamous problem. A substantial addition to the
00:09:20
hundreds of previously known scenarios.
00:09:23
Their work was published as a pre print to the database A 14,
00:09:27
meaning it has not yet undergone peer review. More than 300 years
00:09:31
ago, Isaac Newton wrote down his foundational laws of motion and
00:09:35
mathematicians have been working on solutions to the three body
00:09:38
problem pretty much ever since there is no single correct
00:09:42
answer.
00:09:43
Instead, there are many orbits that can work within the laws of
00:09:46
physics for three orbiting objects. Unlike our planet's
00:09:50
simple loop around the Sun orbits for the three body
00:09:52
problem can look twisted and tangled like pretzels and
00:09:55
scribbles. The 12 newly discovered ones are no
00:09:59
exception.
00:10:00
The three hypothetical objects start at a standstill and when
00:10:04
released are pulled into various spirals toward one another via
00:10:07
gravity, they then fling past one another moving farther away
00:10:12
until the attraction takes over and they once again come
00:10:14
together repeating this pattern over and over again. The orbits
00:10:19
have a very beautiful spatial and temporal structure.
00:10:22
Lead study author Ivan Kristoff, a mathematician at Sophia
00:10:25
University in Bulgaria told new scientist Christo and colleagues
00:10:30
found these orbits using a supercomputer. And he's
00:10:32
confident that with even better tech, he could find a five times
00:10:36
more and that's a wrap for today 's short takes back to you.
00:10:48
Yes. I always wondered about the three body problem. I've seen it
00:10:51
mentioned in books and never managed to get my head around it
00:10:54
and understand exactly what it was that they were talking
00:10:57
about.
00:10:57
It's a supercomputer kind of thing. Oh, I bet it is Hay. I
00:11:01
bet you thought it was an episode from a crime show.
00:11:05
I knew you were gonna say that. Look, I'm gonna say true. I did
00:11:09
think it was that at one stage. You got me there. How
00:11:12
embarrassing Astronomy Daily. The podcast with Steve Dunkley
00:11:17
and Hay.
00:11:23
Yes. Well, I have to confess to being more than a little excited
00:11:26
about the return of the sample packet from the near Earth
00:11:32
asteroid be on the mission Osiris Rex. And the fact that
00:11:38
Osiris Rex is now on to near Earth asteroid Apophis. That's a
00:11:43
wonderful, wonderful mission. Hopefully they'll learn some
00:11:47
things along the way. That's a good thing. And also the other
00:11:51
story that's capturing my attention at the moment.
00:11:54
Of course, you if you haven't picked it up by now is comet
00:11:58
Nishimura, which is one of those wonderful stories that has just
00:12:02
emerged out of the the, the, the great background of, of humanity
00:12:09
a fellow in Japan with a digital camera, just a Canon digital
00:12:13
camera just using still cameras and comparison, manage to do
00:12:19
what the big observatories do on a regular basis because it's
00:12:23
those big, observatories in Hawaii that normally catch the,
00:12:29
new discoveries in, all the comets and so on.
00:12:33
But it's, Hideo Nishimura who just diligently went about,
00:12:38
doing his hobby, doing some comparative photography and look
00:12:42
what's happened. He's discovered a comet that's, captured the
00:12:46
imagination of the observers and skywatchers all over the world,
00:12:49
including yours truly. And that 's just so exciting comet
00:12:53
Nishimura shooting through our system even as we speak.
00:12:59
And as I just mentioned, the combination of the Osiris Rex
00:13:03
mission has come to an end. The ESRs REX mission just completed
00:13:09
NASA's first sample return mission from a near Earth
00:13:12
asteroid. The samples arrived at Utah Test and training Range
00:13:16
near Salt Lake City where a team of engineers arrived by
00:13:20
helicopter retrieve to retrieve the sample capsule.
00:13:23
The samples will be curated by NASA's materials research and
00:13:27
exploration science directorate and Japan's Extraterrestrial
00:13:31
sample curation center analysis of the rocks and dust obtained
00:13:36
by Bennu is expected to provide new insight into the formation
00:13:40
and evolution of the solar system. Radar data from TR
00:13:45
confirmed that the sample retrieval capsule entered the
00:13:48
Earth's atmosphere as planned off the coast of California.
00:13:52
The capsule deployed its parachutes and touched down on
00:13:55
the surface 10 minutes later where it was met by four
00:13:58
helicopters. Two back up ground vehicles carrying NASA and US
00:14:02
Air Force personnel no less. The coverage took place from the US
00:14:08
Air Force's Dugway proving grounds in northern Utah. Dr
00:14:11
James B.
00:14:12
Garvin, the chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight
00:14:16
Center expressed excitement during the broadcast about the
00:14:20
successful return of the samples and the mission in general. I am
00:14:23
over the asteroid. He said it's a masterpiece of engineering we
00:14:27
have here. Just think about this in 50 years. We've gone from
00:14:30
bringing things on the moon back with crews to all robotic sample
00:14:35
return for science.
00:14:37
And that's literally beyond words, it's sublime. So we
00:14:41
cannot wait to see what we're going to learn. He sounds
00:14:44
genuinely excited. This represents the culmination of
00:14:49
the origin spectral interpretation resource
00:14:52
identification security regolith explorer. That's a Cyrus rex
00:14:57
mission which rendezvoused with the carbonaceous asteroid Bennu
00:15:02
in 2018.
00:15:03
After two years of studying the asteroid from orbit Oir Rex
00:15:07
began descending towards its surface on October 20th 2020.
00:15:11
After collecting between 400 g and 1 kg of material, the
00:15:17
spacecraft departed on May 10th 2021 and began its return to
00:15:22
Earth. The sample return capsule was attached to the end of a 100
00:15:27
ft cable and transported to the hangar at TR.
00:15:30
The SRC was then loaded onto a cart by another team who
00:15:34
unwrapped and cleaned it and wheeling it to a temporary clean
00:15:37
room to remove the unopened canister. All the parts will be
00:15:41
packaged for transport by aircraft and flowed to NASA. The
00:15:45
Osiris Rex mission has since continued onto the next leg of
00:15:49
its mission which will be to study the near Earth asteroid
00:15:53
Apophis.
00:15:54
Now, this is a notorious near Earth asteroid. You may have
00:15:58
heard this one, it was thought to have posed a potential risk
00:16:03
to Earth. Though scientists have since indicated there is only a
00:16:07
slight risk, it might impact Earth in 2068. So we can hardly
00:16:13
wait for that one.
00:16:14
This mission extension was announced on April 25 2022 and
00:16:19
NASA indicated that it would henceforth be known as a Cyrus
00:16:23
apex which stands for Apophis explorer mission. The mission
00:16:28
will rendezvous with Apophis in April in 2029 when the asteroid
00:16:33
makes an extremely close pass to Earth, then it will orbit the
00:16:38
asteroid for about 18 months before retrieving a sample.
00:16:42
There you go. You good thing.
00:16:48
And just like that, another episode of Astronomy Daily comes
00:16:51
to a screaming halt. That's all we do have time.
00:16:53
For, but we will have more next time.
00:16:56
That's for sure, Haley. So thank you for joining us and our
00:16:59
regular reminder that you can find all the episodes of Space
00:17:02
Nuts with Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson, as well
00:17:06
as current and back episodes of our podcast daily with Tim Gill
00:17:11
from the studio in Bath England and yours truly, Steve Dunkley
00:17:14
from the Australian studio.
00:17:15
At this address. Space nuts dot io or Bites dot com. That's
00:17:20
Bitesz or Z dot com. So, head over there and click the links
00:17:25
and enjoy your fill of space science and stuff. But that's
00:17:29
not all while you're there. Sign up and receive the Astronomy
00:17:31
Daily newsletter.
00:17:33
It's an all you can eat buffet of all the news that's orbital
00:17:36
and astronomical and way out there. So closer to home, you
00:17:40
can also drop into the Space Nuts Facebook group page and say
00:17:44
hi. We'd love to hear from you. I know I would. Thanks again for
00:17:48
joining us on Astronomy Daily.
00:17:50
Catch You next time.
00:17:51
Bye for now.
00:17:54
Let me the podcast with your host, Steve Duncan.