Source:
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/454-universe-s-speed-limits-triple-star-systems-cme-mysteries--62072186
Join Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson in this lively Q&A episode of Space Nuts, where they tackle fascinating questions from listeners about the universe's expansion, three sun systems, black hole mergers, and coronal mass ejections.
Episode Highlights:
- Universal Expansion: What if the expansion of the universe slowed down? Could light overtake the edge of the universe?
- Three Sun Systems: Chris from North Carolina asks about the possibility of a planet orbiting three suns and the gravitational effects of such a system.
- Black Hole Mergers: Discover what happens when black holes merge. Is it like a mini big bang?
- Coronal Mass Ejections: Have we ever collected matter from a coronal mass ejection? Lee from Canada wants to know the details and implications.
For more Space Nuts, including our continually updating newsfeed, visit our website at https://www.spacenutspodcast.com Follow us on social media at SpaceNutsPod on facebook, X, YouTube Music, and TikTok. We love engaging with our community, so be sure to drop us a message or comment on your favourite platform. For more Space and Astronomy News Podcasts, visit our HQ at https://www.bitesz.com. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts/support. Stay curious, keep looking up, and join us next time for more stellar insights and cosmic wonders. Until then, clear skies and happy stargazing.
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 hi there thanks for joining us on a Q&A
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 edition of Space Nuts my name is Andrew
00:00:06 --> 00:00:07 Dunley your host always good to have
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 your company and that was Fred's chair
00:00:10 --> 00:00:11 coming up in this
00:00:11 --> 00:00:15 episode uh you're not supposed to be on
00:00:15 --> 00:00:19 yet yeah coming up in this episode uh
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 what if the expansion of the universe
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 slowed down somebody wants to know uh
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 We've also got a triple header question
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 from Chris about three Sun systems
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 merging black holes and attraction and
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 we'll be answering a question about
00:00:34 --> 00:00:35 whether or not we've collected matter
00:00:35 --> 00:00:39 from the coronal mass ejection not the a
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 Corona M ejection because they you know
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 they happen a lot and if we've got time
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 we'll throw in another one but we'll
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 work with what we've got in this Q&A
00:00:47 --> 00:00:51 edition of Space Nuts 15 seconds
00:00:51 --> 00:00:55 guidance is internal 10 9 ignition
00:00:55 --> 00:01:00 sequence start Space Nuts 5 4 3 2 1 2 3
00:01:00 --> 00:01:04 4 5 5 4 3 2 Space Nuts the NS report
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 feels good I didn't realize he was here
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 he's so quiet he's Professor Fred Watson
00:01:10 --> 00:01:11 hello
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 Fred hi Andrew I apologize for my
00:01:14 --> 00:01:15 creaking
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 chair should explain the chair was here
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 but I wasn't well quite true
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 no there it is mine doesn't do that but
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 the the microphone um does don't know if
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 you can oh no it's not doing it down
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 it's like taking a car to the mechanic
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 oh I've got this noise no you haven't
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 yeah no I think um maybe I'll try a bit
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 of WD40 or something it's good stuff
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 that I put it on my breakfast now let's
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 um let's get into some questions and
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 we've got we've got a few here uh I
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 think we'll start off with Dave from the
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 beautiful town of inverell in northwest
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 New South Wales uh which is known for
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 for its gems uh gem fcking very popular
00:01:59 --> 00:02:00 up there
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 uh hi Andrew and Fred previously on the
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 show you've discussed how the universe
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 is expanding faster than the speed of
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 light some theories propose this
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 expansion may continue While others
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 suggest the expansion might eventually
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 slow down if the latter is correct could
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 the expansion of the universe slow down
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 to less than the speed of light
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 therefore allowing light to overtake the
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 edge of the universe is this possible
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 and could light exist outside the
00:02:28 --> 00:02:32 universe Daye from in well um I got a
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 feeling you're going to talk about the
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 speed of the expansion of the universe
00:02:36 --> 00:02:37 because it was faster than the speed of
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 light initially but then it did slow
00:02:41 --> 00:02:42 down didn't
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 it yeah it's it's a difficult one to
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 discuss this because um when you talk
00:02:48 --> 00:02:49 about the expansion of the universe
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 being faster than the speed of light
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 what do you mean um what you what you
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 might mean is that uh two objects a
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 certain distance apart are moving away
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 from each other faster than the speed of
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 light so that uh so that one one will
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 never see the other um and and that's
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 the best way to think of it um you're
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 quite right that we think that during
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 the first 10 to the minus 33 of a second
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 or there abouts uh a tiny tiny length of
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 time uh at the beginning of the universe
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 after immediately after the big bang we
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 think the expansion was colossal that it
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 you know the universe changed shape by
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 or change size by 10 to the power 50 10
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 Theus 33 of a second what we call the
00:03:32 --> 00:03:36 inflation period we always under un
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 undername things here um and certainly
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 parts of you know the universe bits of
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 the universe would have separated from
00:03:44 --> 00:03:45 other bits faster than the speed of
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 light which doesn't contravene special
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 relativity as we've said before because
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 the universe can do anything it likes uh
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 what we know is that things can't travel
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 through the universe faster than the
00:03:55 --> 00:04:00 speed of light so um uh that theory that
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 the universe might collapse in on itself
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 was really knocked on the head in
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 1998 with the discovery of the Accel
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 accelerated expansion of the universe by
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 my colleague Brian Schmidt here in
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 Australia and others uh are
00:04:16 --> 00:04:20 overseas um in the United States in fact
00:04:20 --> 00:04:24 uh so that basically said no we don't
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 think the universe is going to collapse
00:04:27 --> 00:04:31 any uh anymore um but
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 um in in a way we're already in the
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 situation that Chris describes because
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 the most distant thing we can see which
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 is the cosmic microwave background
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 radiation uh and that is the distance
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 you know effectively of 13.8 billion
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 light years or a look back time of 13.8
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 billion years that is not receding from
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 us uh faster than the speed of light in
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 fact it's receding from at the speed of
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 light and we can still see it and of
00:05:02 --> 00:05:03 course
00:05:04 --> 00:05:08 everything between us and that uh is uh
00:05:08 --> 00:05:12 stuff that is nearer than the cosmic
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 microwave background radiation so by
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 definition all that stuff is not moving
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 at the speed of light we can we can see
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 it all so it's all about Horizons what
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 you can see and what you can't see and
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 the The Horizon that really limits our
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 visibility now is the flash of the Big
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 Bang you're looking so far back in time
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 that seeing that that wall of radiation
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 it's now microwave radiation hence the
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 name the cosmic microwave background
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 radiation um and it's traveling away
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 from us yes at the speed of light there
00:05:41 --> 00:05:44 you go and he also wanted to know if
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 light could exist outside our universe
00:05:47 --> 00:05:51 that's that's a I guess that's a
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 Speculator yeah yeah we we really don't
00:05:54 --> 00:05:55 know much about out the outside of the
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 universe because Universe by definition
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 is everything that we can perceive or or
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 think about uh but yes there are people
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 who think that ours might be just one of
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 many universes maybe we're immersed in a
00:06:07 --> 00:06:11 higher dimensional void uh which would
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 perhaps would have light um it might be
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 more appropriate to think though that
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 outside the universe might not have
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 light but might have gravity uh because
00:06:22 --> 00:06:23 um I think you and I have talked about
00:06:23 --> 00:06:27 this before the the force of gravity
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 compared with the other fundamental
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 forces in the universe and that's
00:06:31 --> 00:06:32 electromagnetic force and the strong and
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 weak nuclear forces uh it's hundreds of
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 billions of times weaker the Fe force of
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 gravity is much much much weaker and
00:06:42 --> 00:06:43 some people speculate that that's
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 because it leaks out of our universe
00:06:46 --> 00:06:49 space between the right gosh wouldn't
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 you love to figure out what's out there
00:06:51 --> 00:06:52 go out there
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 and it would it would answer so many
00:06:54 --> 00:06:58 questions I think but all we can do is
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 speculate and one and you know we can't
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 even see past certain parts of the
00:07:02 --> 00:07:06 universe so nope no we got no idea
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 really yeah it could be just you know
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 some kind of um
00:07:10 --> 00:07:14 void or could be a used car sales lot
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 for all we know it's yes is it is it
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 called the void in Doctor Who I can't
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 remember might be yeah maybe that's
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 what's snapped into my brain yeah
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 scientists call it the bulk actually oh
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 right cosmology physics name is the bulk
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 the bulk uh but it's the
00:07:32 --> 00:07:37 void for for Doctor Who Doctor whom yes
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 indeed uh okay Dave thanks for your
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 question hope we managed to help you out
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 there let's go to our next question this
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 is this is a a a big question Chris has
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 never asked us a question before so he's
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 asked um basically eight years worth of
00:07:50 --> 00:07:54 questions in one hit take it away chrisy
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 Andrew hey professor Watson my name is
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 Christopher blue I'm coming from coming
00:07:59 --> 00:08:03 to you from fville North Carolina United
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 States of America love you guys podcast
00:08:06 --> 00:08:07 I work as an infectious disease
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 technologist so I'm not allowed to touch
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 my phone so what I do is I listen to
00:08:11 --> 00:08:14 your podcast for eight hours a day on
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 days a week and I love it not going to
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 change anything I'm actually speaking to
00:08:18 --> 00:08:22 you from the past I'm on
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 episode
00:08:23 --> 00:08:27 237 and I held held off on asking
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 questions this entire time because
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 as you all say it could be a question
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 that was already answered but I just
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 decided you know to heck with that I'm
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 just ask a question anyway moving on
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 don't have a lot of time don't want to
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 take up your time either but if there
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 was a planetary
00:08:44 --> 00:08:45 system
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 that orbited or excuse me there was a
00:08:48 --> 00:08:52 planet that uh or orbited three Suns you
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 know how some systems have binary
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 systems is it possible to have three uh
00:08:56 --> 00:09:01 three sons and if that was the case is
00:09:01 --> 00:09:05 it possible for those THS to go into
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 and
00:09:07 --> 00:09:11 cause something something like the
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 Gravity from all three of those Suns
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 added up would lift them off the planet
00:09:15 --> 00:09:16 I actually saw that in this show called
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 three body problem if you haven't seen
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 it it's on Netflix a great show you
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 would love it
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 um also this is all based on my very
00:09:26 --> 00:09:27 small understanding of you guys'
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 favorite subject black holes
00:09:29 --> 00:09:32 but black holes are a singularity
00:09:32 --> 00:09:35 infinitely small point in space and
00:09:35 --> 00:09:38 black holes can merge would those
00:09:38 --> 00:09:39 singular
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 singularities become
00:09:41 --> 00:09:46 one one Singularity or do they Collide
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 and if they Collide would that be like
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 the big bang okay but now I just want to
00:09:52 --> 00:09:56 know that um and last question I promise
00:09:56 --> 00:10:00 for now uh if
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 you if everything has uh an attraction
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 all planets have an
00:10:05 --> 00:10:08 attraction would everything in space be
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 attracted towards if nothing else in
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 space had that attraction besides Earth
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 would all the planets and everything out
00:10:15 --> 00:10:19 there just come towards Earth almost
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 like a homing Beacon and crash into it
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 but that's all my questions for now like
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 I said love you guys's podcast I really
00:10:28 --> 00:10:29 appreciate it actually actually urged me
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 to get back into college I told myself I
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 was never going back but you guys
00:10:33 --> 00:10:36 inspired me to go back and I do
00:10:36 --> 00:10:39 appreciate that so you guys take it easy
00:10:39 --> 00:10:43 um and have a great day USA signing off
00:10:43 --> 00:10:46 thank you Chris wow that was a lot uh I
00:10:46 --> 00:10:50 was um Gob smacked that uh you went back
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 to college because of us I I I I'm
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 humbled by that Fred what do you think
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 yeah it's great it's just great to hear
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 Chris and and um good luck with the way
00:11:01 --> 00:11:02 it's going all the studies and
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 everything and keep up the good work
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 with uh infectious disease technology
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 that's a very he can't he can't touch
00:11:09 --> 00:11:11 his phone while he's working so he
00:11:11 --> 00:11:14 listens to us yeah well um oh look
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 there's a terrible disease oh no that
00:11:16 --> 00:11:20 was just Fred
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 uh I think you're the I think you're the
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 one with the terrible i've got yes um
00:11:25 --> 00:11:26 super
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 pollination that's what it's called
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 super pollination
00:11:29 --> 00:11:32 yeah that that could be a thing um now
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 Chris's questions three different
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 questions the first one's a triple
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 header in itself a three Sun System what
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 sort of a problem would a planet have
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 orbiting a three Sun system and yes he
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 mentioned the TV series three-body
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 problem which is based on a book by a
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 Chinese writer I still haven't finished
00:11:49 --> 00:11:53 the first book it's it's a Trilogy um
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 and uh yeah I'm struggling with it cuz
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 it's really it's a difficult read
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 they've turned it into a fabulous TV
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 show which is very accurate compared to
00:12:02 --> 00:12:05 the to the book which I'm pleased to see
00:12:05 --> 00:12:08 so far um but yeah the the problem in
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 the TV series is you've got a planet
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 that's trying to evolve and intelligent
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 life
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 keeps developing but then being
00:12:16 --> 00:12:19 destroyed by the problem of trying to
00:12:19 --> 00:12:22 survive in a three Sun
00:12:22 --> 00:12:25 System uh it just can't maintain
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 equilibrium I suppose would be the the
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 way to describe it
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 uh is is that a real thing or are they
00:12:31 --> 00:12:34 just making it up no I was going to say
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 when because I as you know watched um
00:12:37 --> 00:12:40 the three body problem but uh as I was
00:12:40 --> 00:12:41 listening to Chris's question there I
00:12:41 --> 00:12:45 thought um this would not be stable uh a
00:12:45 --> 00:12:49 planet orbiting three stars uh which
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 were themselves orbiting their Common
00:12:52 --> 00:12:56 Center of mass uh almost certainly would
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 be uh very destructive from a
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 gravitation point of view that that that
00:13:00 --> 00:13:04 it wouldn't be a stable situation um and
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 so uh I think um Chris's question his
00:13:06 --> 00:13:09 first question what if they all lined up
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 in what we call cisy uh yeah that would
00:13:11 --> 00:13:14 certainly provide an interesting bit of
00:13:14 --> 00:13:17 gravitational force on the on the uh the
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 poor Planet if that was also in cogy
00:13:19 --> 00:13:22 with these three stars U you might
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 expect very very uh intense
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 gravitational effects uh which are
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 caused by one side of the planet getting
00:13:29 --> 00:13:31 pulled more than the other yeah so uh so
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 it might you know if it was near enough
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 it might even get spaghettified like you
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 get when you get too near a black hole
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 wow so yes really quite um quite
00:13:39 --> 00:13:43 damaging I think um but it it it's
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 possible it could happen we've we've
00:13:45 --> 00:13:48 covered stories before of planets both
00:13:48 --> 00:13:50 orbiting the individual members of a
00:13:50 --> 00:13:53 binary star system a pair of stars or
00:13:53 --> 00:13:56 the whole thing and we've commented
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 before I think on how unstable those
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 some of those orbits must be just
00:13:59 --> 00:14:02 because the conflicting gravitational PS
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 yeah well they do portray the issues
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 very well in that TV series 3body
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 problem and yes they do actually have
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 scenes of people being lifted off the
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 ground because of the gravitational
00:14:13 --> 00:14:16 effects of uh the stars that are you
00:14:16 --> 00:14:19 know controlling this planet's fate
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 unfortunately it's very bad for the
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 people very bad for the people I could
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 think it would be yeah if you going to
00:14:24 --> 00:14:25 be lifted off the ground you'd almost
00:14:25 --> 00:14:28 certainly get spaghettified I think yeah
00:14:28 --> 00:14:31 yeah it's it's pretty messed up uh
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 Chris's next question was about merging
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 black holes what basically happens do
00:14:35 --> 00:14:39 they become one um do they Collide yes
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 well they do uh is it like a mini Big
00:14:41 --> 00:14:44 Bang uh well we know it causes um
00:14:44 --> 00:14:47 gravitational waves so yeah it does make
00:14:47 --> 00:14:51 a a hell of a bang that makes this whoop
00:14:51 --> 00:14:54 sound um yes so yeah but just you know
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 fill in the blacks for us boom
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 boom um
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 yes so that you're quite right that's
00:15:01 --> 00:15:03 the uh that's a fairly good
00:15:03 --> 00:15:07 impersonation of the of the sound of a
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 or of
00:15:08 --> 00:15:12 a a black hole merger captured by ligo
00:15:12 --> 00:15:15 which is looking at audio frequency
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 gravitational waves and then playing
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 them through a loud speaker and you do
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 you get the whoop uh where it sort of
00:15:21 --> 00:15:24 merges together and that bit at the end
00:15:24 --> 00:15:26 is where the black holes actually merge
00:15:26 --> 00:15:29 so they do combine into one single black
00:15:29 --> 00:15:32 hole of actually a bit less than twice
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 the mass of the individual ones because
00:15:33 --> 00:15:36 some of that Ma mass is lost as energy
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 uh going into the gravitational waves
00:15:38 --> 00:15:40 which are very energy hungry and that's
00:15:40 --> 00:15:43 because space is so rigid it's like
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 space
00:15:44 --> 00:15:47 taex yes yeah that's right you can't you
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 can't have a merger without paying the
00:15:48 --> 00:15:51 tax department paying the tax yeah the
00:15:51 --> 00:15:55 gravitational tax so um what happens is
00:15:55 --> 00:15:59 not a mini Big Bang uh it's quite sedate
00:15:59 --> 00:16:02 it is the as I explained the frequency
00:16:02 --> 00:16:05 of the the gravitational waves goes up
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 because these things are spinning ever
00:16:06 --> 00:16:09 closer together and then they merge and
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 there is something called the ring down
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 that occurs afterwards and I think
00:16:13 --> 00:16:16 that's just the sort of vibration of the
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 uh of the space around it as it settles
00:16:18 --> 00:16:21 back down to not having any kind of
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 gravitational waves passing through it
00:16:23 --> 00:16:26 uh so the ring down is the the end of
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28 the uh the end of the process the end of
00:16:28 --> 00:16:30 the Collision but it's it's a it's a
00:16:30 --> 00:16:32 downward energy thing rather than an
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 upward energy thing which you know a big
00:16:34 --> 00:16:38 ban would be okay and and yeah finally
00:16:38 --> 00:16:41 uh you know I just I just wanted to sort
00:16:41 --> 00:16:44 of metaphorically describe that then so
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 emerging black two emerging black holes
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 would be more like Fred and ginger
00:16:48 --> 00:16:52 rather than Donald and
00:16:52 --> 00:16:55 Camila y yeah probably yeah yeah all
00:16:55 --> 00:16:57 right um fair enough they um in fact
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 Fred and Ginger's probably a good analog
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 because there's a lot of spinning
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 involved
00:17:02 --> 00:17:06 yes dance cheek to cheek yes
00:17:06 --> 00:17:08 attraction attraction yes well there you
00:17:08 --> 00:17:11 go just what we've been talking about um
00:17:11 --> 00:17:14 so it's hard to imagine how the Earth
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 could attract things without the other
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 things attracting Earth because it's a
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 mutual process is gravitation uh you
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 can't switch it off just for one object
00:17:22 --> 00:17:25 and not the others um but yes if the
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 Earth was the only gravitating body in
00:17:27 --> 00:17:29 the solar system and everything else had
00:17:29 --> 00:17:31 no gravity at all it probably would
00:17:31 --> 00:17:33 collect everything else we similar
00:17:33 --> 00:17:36 situations emerging black holes we we
00:17:36 --> 00:17:39 just end up with one giant planet yeah
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 of some kind it would be a bit of that
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 would be a bit of a mess too yes I think
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 it would yes so yes Chris that would
00:17:46 --> 00:17:48 happen that would happen all right uh
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 great to hear from you Chris uh enjoy
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 your infectious diseases and college
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 just don't put the two together it's
00:17:54 --> 00:17:57 wouldn't be pretty um but thanks for
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 sending a question in thanks for
00:17:58 --> 00:18:03 supporting Space
00:18:03 --> 00:18:07 Nuts Space Nuts one final question Fred
00:18:07 --> 00:18:10 uh this one comes from Lee who is in
00:18:10 --> 00:18:13 Canada hello space Nutters I'm curious
00:18:13 --> 00:18:16 if we have ever been able to collect CME
00:18:16 --> 00:18:19 samples from the Sun that is can a
00:18:19 --> 00:18:21 coronal M ejection have enough velocity
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 to escape the sun's
00:18:23 --> 00:18:27 orbit uh I expect it would cool down
00:18:27 --> 00:18:29 significantly and possibly arrive at
00:18:29 --> 00:18:32 Earth as uh any other asteroid uh have
00:18:32 --> 00:18:35 we ever collected this and what can we
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 learn thanks and keep up the good work
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 Lee from
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 Canada
00:18:40 --> 00:18:45 um yeah okay I I look the these things
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 hit us all the time don't they
00:18:47 --> 00:18:50 Fred them yeah not not so much Direct
00:18:50 --> 00:18:54 Hit type of stuff but the after effect
00:18:54 --> 00:18:57 with the solar solar things like that
00:18:57 --> 00:18:59 yeah and and it it is the so coronal
00:18:59 --> 00:19:02 mass ejection is exactly what it sounds
00:19:02 --> 00:19:04 like it's gas being expelled it's
00:19:04 --> 00:19:06 actually a plasma coming off the sun
00:19:06 --> 00:19:09 plasma is an electrified gas uh comes
00:19:09 --> 00:19:11 off the Sun at High Velocity a million
00:19:11 --> 00:19:14 kilometers an hour or thereabouts uh
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 probably actually quite a lot faster
00:19:15 --> 00:19:18 than that when I think about it um it
00:19:18 --> 00:19:21 takes a few days to reach the Earth and
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 when it does we're showered with the
00:19:23 --> 00:19:26 subatomic particles so in that sense the
00:19:26 --> 00:19:28 Earth has collected CMEs they don't
00:19:28 --> 00:19:30 solidify in any way there are still
00:19:30 --> 00:19:33 subatomic particles uh that remain in
00:19:33 --> 00:19:36 that state uh electrified and traveling
00:19:36 --> 00:19:38 at high velocity and it's when they
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 interact with the upper atmosphere of
00:19:39 --> 00:19:41 the earth that we see the aurori the
00:19:41 --> 00:19:44 northern and southern lights uh as these
00:19:44 --> 00:19:46 highly energetic
00:19:46 --> 00:19:49 particles um you know sort of energize
00:19:49 --> 00:19:51 the atoms of the earth so that when they
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 when they become deenergized they
00:19:52 --> 00:19:55 actually radiate light and we see we see
00:19:55 --> 00:19:57 the Northern Lights so the Northern
00:19:57 --> 00:19:59 Lights I guess are the best thing we've
00:19:59 --> 00:20:02 got for collecting CMEs uh it also
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 interferes with the electronics of
00:20:03 --> 00:20:05 satellites and things of that sort sure
00:20:05 --> 00:20:07 does but once again it's on on a
00:20:07 --> 00:20:09 subatomic level rather than solid lumps
00:20:09 --> 00:20:12 of stuff so in terms of collecting them
00:20:12 --> 00:20:14 physically not on because they are
00:20:14 --> 00:20:17 subatomic particles so that that's right
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 they they just go through whatever it
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 was you tried you'd need a really good
00:20:20 --> 00:20:23 net to be able to right without any of
00:20:23 --> 00:20:27 that yeah well the the Nets our magnetic
00:20:27 --> 00:20:29 field I suppose
00:20:29 --> 00:20:32 uh yes that's right the the net is what
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 you know diverts them around the poles
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 of the earth which is why we see the
00:20:35 --> 00:20:38 auror so strongly there yeah indeed all
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 right uh thank you Lee hope that uh
00:20:40 --> 00:20:42 helped you with your question if you've
00:20:42 --> 00:20:45 got a question for us go to our website
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 uh it's a new look website I didn't
00:20:47 --> 00:20:49 realize that till Hugh told me uh but
00:20:49 --> 00:20:51 yeah it's just slightly changed in
00:20:51 --> 00:20:55 design so uh you can uh visit Space Nuts
00:20:55 --> 00:20:57 podcast.com or SPAC nats.io send us text
00:20:57 --> 00:20:59 or audio question questions through the
00:20:59 --> 00:21:01 AMA link and don't forget to leave
00:21:01 --> 00:21:05 reviews uh about the Space Nuts podcast
00:21:05 --> 00:21:07 we always love to hear uh about what you
00:21:07 --> 00:21:10 think uh reviews through whatever
00:21:10 --> 00:21:13 platform you use and Fred thank you very
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 much always a
00:21:14 --> 00:21:17 pleasure ah always a pleasure talking to
00:21:17 --> 00:21:19 you too Andrew thank you AR you the
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 first person that's ever said that thank
00:21:21 --> 00:21:24 you Fred we'll see you next time yeah
00:21:24 --> 00:21:26 sounds good and thanks to H in the
00:21:26 --> 00:21:28 studio for being quiet and not bothering
00:21:28 --> 00:21:31 and from me Andrew Dunley thanks for
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 your company we'll see you very soon on
00:21:32 --> 00:21:35 another episode of Space Nuts bye-bye
00:21:35 --> 00:21:38 Space Nuts you'll be listening to the
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