Astronomy Daily | Space News: S04E88
In this episode of Astronomy Daily, host Anna takes you on an enthralling expedition across the cosmos, unveiling the latest discoveries and intriguing phenomena that are expanding our understanding of the universe. From the surface of Mars to the depths of black holes, this episode is a treasure trove of astronomical insights that will captivate your imagination.
Highlights:
- Perseverance Rover's Discoveries on Mars: Join us as we delve into the latest findings from NASA's Perseverance rover, which has uncovered a variety of rocky outcrops on the rim of Jezero Crater. These samples are providing critical insights into Mars's geological history and the potential for past life on the Red Planet.
- The Astronomical Origins of Easter: Explore the fascinating intersection of astronomy and tradition as we explain why Easter 2025 will occur unusually late. Learn about the Paschal Moon and how ecclesiastical rules influence the celebration of this ancient holiday.
- Interstellar Objects from Alpha Centauri: Discover groundbreaking research suggesting that millions of interstellar objects from Alpha Centauri may be residing in our solar system. This study reshapes our understanding of cosmic interactions and the interconnectedness of star systems.
- Citizen Science Month: April is Citizen Science Month, and we discuss NASA's ambitious goal of achieving one million acts of science. Find out how you can contribute to real astronomical discoveries and become part of a global scientific community. To find out more visit: https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/ (https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/)
- Supermassive Black Hole Eruptions: Witness the dramatic awakening of a supermassive black hole, which has produced the most powerful X-ray eruptions ever recorded. This extraordinary event is challenging existing scientific models and providing new insights into black hole dynamics.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) . Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Perseverance rover's discoveries on Jezero Crater
10:30 - The astronomical origins of Easter 2025
17:00 - Interstellar objects from Alpha Centauri
22:15 - Citizen Science Month initiatives
27:30 - Supermassive black hole eruptions
✍️ Episode References
Mars Perseverance Rover
[NASA]( https://www.nasa.gov (https://www.nasa.gov/) )
Easter and Astronomy
[The Church of England]( https://www.churchofengland.org/ (https://www.churchofengland.org/) )
Interstellar Research
[Planetary Science Journal]( https://www.planetarysciencejournal.com/ (https://www.planetarysciencejournal.com/) )
Citizen Science Projects
[NASA Citizen Science]( https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science (https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/) )
Black Hole Observations
[Nature Astronomy]( https://www.nature.com/natureastronomy/ (https://www.nature.com/natureastronomy/) )
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily]( http://www.astronomydaily.io/ (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) )
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/26576857?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 your gateway to the cosmos i'm Anna and
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 today we're exploring some fascinating
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 developments across our universe from
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 our neighboring planets to distant
00:00:11 --> 00:00:14 galaxies coming up on today's episode
00:00:14 --> 00:00:15 we'll venture to Mars where the
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 Perseverance rover has discovered
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 diverse rocky outcrops on the rim of
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 Jezero Crater providing new insights
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 into the red planet's ancient history
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 we'll also dive into some celestial
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 mathematics to explain why Easter will
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 come unusually late this year despite
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 the timing of the full moon it's a
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 fascinating intersection of astronomy
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 and tradition then we'll explore
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 research suggesting that millions of
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 interstellar objects from Alpha Centauri
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 might be hiding in our own solar system
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 creating connections between star
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 systems we never imagined april is
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 Citizen Science Month and I'll tell you
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 how you can join NASA's ambitious goal
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 of achieving 1 million acts of science
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 and become part of real astronomical
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 discoveries finally we'll witness the
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 dramatic awakening of a super massive
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 black hole erupting with the most
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 powerful X-ray blasts ever recorded
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 challenging scientists understanding of
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 these cosmic behemoths so buckle up for
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 a journey across the cosmos as we
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 explore the latest discoveries and
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 wonders of our universe let's get
00:01:21 --> 00:01:22 started with our favorite red
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 planet nasa's Perseverance rover has
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 made a remarkable discovery on the rim
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 of Mars' Jazerero Crater stumbling upon
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 a treasure trove of diverse rocky
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 outcrops that have scientists buzzing
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 with excitement since January this
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 plucky little rover has been analyzing
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 what scientists describe as a hodgepodge
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 of rocks on the crater rim and the
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 findings are proving more valuable than
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 anticipated perseverance has been
00:01:47 --> 00:01:50 working at an impressive pace cing five
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 rocks and successfully sealing samples
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 from three of them in collection tubes
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 it has conducted detailed close-up
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 analysis of seven rocks while assessing
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 another 83 from a distance using its
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 laser technology while this might not
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 sound like a substantial workload over
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 several months NASA reports this has
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 actually been the rover's fastest
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 science mission since landing on the red
00:02:11 --> 00:02:12 planet in
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 2021 the rover reached the crater rim in
00:02:15 --> 00:02:19 December 2024 and has been exploring a
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 135 m tall slope that scientists have
00:02:21 --> 00:02:25 nicknamed Witch Hazel Hill what makes
00:02:25 --> 00:02:26 this location so special is the
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 remarkable variety of rock types found
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 in close proximity to each other project
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 scientist Katie Stack Morgan from NASA's
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains the
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 significance during previous science
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 campaigns in Jezero it could take
00:02:40 --> 00:02:41 several months to find a rock that was
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 significantly different from the last
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 rock we sampled and scientifically
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 unique enough for sampling but up here
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 on the Crater Rim there are new and
00:02:49 --> 00:02:50 intriguing rocks everywhere the rover
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 turns it has been all we had hoped for
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 and more the western rim of Jazer Crater
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 features numerous fragmented rocks that
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 were once molten scientists believe
00:03:00 --> 00:03:01 these rocks were brought to the surface
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 by meteor impacts billions of years ago
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 possibly including the very impact that
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 created Jezero crater itself one
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 particularly exciting sample was
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 collected on January 28th from a rock
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 dubbed Shallow Bay this rock likely
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 formed around 3.9 billion years ago
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 potentially making it the oldest sample
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 collected by the rover so far about 110
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 m away from Shallow Bay another
00:03:28 --> 00:03:29 intriguing rock caught scientists
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 attention because it contains minerals
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 that crystallized from magma deep within
00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 the Martian crust these diverse mineral
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 compositions are crucial for scientists
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 attempting to piece together Mars'
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 geological history by analyzing these
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 rocks researchers hope to better
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 understand how the planet formed and
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 evolved over billions of years including
00:03:50 --> 00:03:51 whether conditions were ever suitable
00:03:52 --> 00:03:53 for life to exist
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 the abundance and diversity of these
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 rocks will help scientists determine if
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 Mars was once habitable and if it might
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 still harbor environments that could
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 support life today each sample provides
00:04:05 --> 00:04:06 a window into different periods of
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 Martian history and different
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 environmental conditions as Stack Morgan
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 enthusiastically puts it the last four
00:04:13 --> 00:04:14 months have been a whirlwind for the
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 science team and we still feel that
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 which Hazel Hill has more to tell us
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 we'll use all the rover data gathered
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 recently to decide if and where to
00:04:22 --> 00:04:23 collect the next sample from the crater
00:04:23 --> 00:04:27 rim crater rims you got to love
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 them if you've ever wondered why the
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 date of Easter seems to jump around the
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 calendar from year to year you're not
00:04:33 --> 00:04:37 alone easter 2025 is coming particularly
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 late falling on April 20th and there's a
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 fascinating astronomical reason behind
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 this mobile holiday easter's date is
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 determined by what's known as the Pascal
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 moon the first full moon that occurs on
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 or after the spring equinox in theory
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 Easter should fall on the Sunday
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 immediately following this full moon
00:04:57 --> 00:04:58 this connection between Easter and lunar
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 cycles has ancient origins linking the
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 Christian celebration to the Hebrew
00:05:03 --> 00:05:07 calendar and Passover in 2025 the April
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 full moon traditionally known as the
00:05:09 --> 00:05:13 pink full moon will occur on April 12th
00:05:13 --> 00:05:14 despite its name this moon won't
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 actually appear pink the name comes from
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 the blooming of moss pink flocks flowers
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 that typically coincide with this lunar
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 event since this full moon happens after
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 the spring equinox it's also the Pascal
00:05:26 --> 00:05:27 moon for
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 2025 given this timing you might expect
00:05:30 --> 00:05:33 Easter to fall on April 13th the Sunday
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 immediately following the Pascal moon
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 however Easter 2025 will actually be
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 celebrated a full week later on April
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 20th this discrepancy highlights the
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 complex relationship between
00:05:45 --> 00:05:46 astronomical observations and
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 ecclesiastical rules the explanation
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 involves the difference between
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 astronomical reality and church
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 tradition while astronomers calculate
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 the exact moment of a full moon based on
00:05:57 --> 00:05:58 the moon's position relative to Earth
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 and the sun the church follows
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 ecclesiastical tables that don't always
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 align perfectly with astronomical
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 events additionally there's a
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 geographical factor at play in North
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 America the Pascal full moon occurs on
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 Saturday April 12th but in European
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 longitudes including the Vatican this
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 same full moon happens after midnight
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 technically placing it on Sunday April
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 13th since the first Sunday after the
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 Pascal moon in the Old World would be
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 April 20th that's when Easter will be
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 celebrated globally the rules for
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 determining Easter's date have other
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 interesting quirks for instance the
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 church fixes the vernal equinox on March
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 21st even though astronomically it now
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 falls no later than March 20th this can
00:06:42 --> 00:06:46 lead to some peculiar situations in 2038
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 for example the equinox will fall on
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 March 20th with a full moon the very
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 next day but Easter won't be celebrated
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 until April 25th the latest possible
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 date it can occur easter can fall as
00:06:58 --> 00:06:59 early as March 22nd which last happened
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 in 1818 and won't happen again until
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 2285 and as late as April 25th
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 interestingly when Easter occurs in
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 March it's always preceded and followed
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 by April eers in adjacent years between
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 2 and
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 7 Easter will fall most frequently
00:07:15 --> 00:07:19 on April 19th occurring on that date 231
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 times however if we narrow our focus to
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 just this millennium April 16th becomes
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 the most common Easter date so when you
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 mark Easter 2025 on your calendar for
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 April 20th remember you're participating
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 in a tradition that blends ancient
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 astronomical observations with
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 ecclesiastical calculations a
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 fascinating intersection of science and
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 faith that continues to evolve through
00:07:41 --> 00:07:42 the
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 centuries next up today have you ever
00:07:45 --> 00:07:46 wondered if objects from other star
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 systems might be passing through our
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 cosmic neighborhood a fascinating new
00:07:51 --> 00:07:52 study from Western University suggests
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 that our solar system could be home to
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 millions of interstellar visitors
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 primarily from our nearest stellar
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 neighbor Alpha Centuri astrophysicists
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 Cole Greg and Paul Wagert have developed
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 a groundbreaking computer model that
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 simulates interstellar activity between
00:08:07 --> 00:08:11 our solar system and Alpha Centuri their
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 research published in the planetary
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 science journal this March points to
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 Alpha Centtory as a likely source of
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 interstellar material found within our
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 solar system alpha Centuri is
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 particularly interesting because it's a
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 triple star system unlike our single sun
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 arrangement yet the researchers believe
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 it might behave similarly to our own
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 solar system when it comes to ejecting
00:08:33 --> 00:08:37 material into space as Greg explains
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 giant planets introduce a degree of
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 chaos perturbing orbits and giving
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 objects the velocity boost they need to
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 escape their stars gravitational pole
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 the model suggests something truly
00:08:48 --> 00:08:51 remarkable approximately 1 million
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 interstellar objects larger than 100 m
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 in diameter originating from Alpha
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 Centuri may currently be within our
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 solar systems or cloud that vast shell
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 of icy objects surrounding our planetary
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 neighborhood and this number is expected
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 to increase as Alpha Centuri moves
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 closer to us with its closest approach
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 predicted in about 28
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 years assuming Alpha Centtory is
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 ejecting material which it should be
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 there are plenty of reasons to expect
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 some of that material is making its way
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 to us notes Professor Wagert who has
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 discovered more than 80 minor planets
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 during his career this research builds
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 on our understanding of interstellar
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 objects that began with the 2017
00:09:32 --> 00:09:35 discovery of Umuam Mua the first
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 confirmed interstellar visitor spotted
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 by Western scientist Robert Werick um
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 Mua a reddish object estimated to be
00:09:43 --> 00:09:46 between 100 and 1 m long was just
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 the first glimpse of what could be a
00:09:48 --> 00:09:51 much larger population of interstellar
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 wanderers before you worry about
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 interstellar impacts the researchers
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 offer reassurance their model projects
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 that while as many as 10 meteors from
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 Alpha Centuri might enter Earth's
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 atmosphere annually these would be
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 microscopic no larger than 100
00:10:06 --> 00:10:09 micrometers in size in fact only about
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 one in a trillion meteors striking Earth
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 might originate from Alpha Centtory the
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 real significance of this research lies
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 in how it transforms our understanding
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 of cosmic systems as Greg eloquently
00:10:21 --> 00:10:22 puts it throughout the history of
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 astronomy every time we look at a system
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 we think of it as a closed system the
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 galaxy isn't a collection of all these
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 individual star systems rather they
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 should be studied as an interconnected
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 system one that shares all of this
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 interstellar material among the
00:10:38 --> 00:10:41 stars this interconnected view of our
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 galaxy challenges the traditional notion
00:10:43 --> 00:10:47 of star systems as isolated entities
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 instead it suggests a cosmic ecosystem
00:10:49 --> 00:10:52 where matter regularly travels between
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 neighboring stars creating a complex web
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 of interstellar exchange that has been
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 ongoing for billions of
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 years next something you may like to
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 take part in april marks a special time
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 for science enthusiasts around the world
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 it's citizen science month and NASA is
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 embarking on an ambitious mission
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 they're calling 1 million acts of
00:11:12 --> 00:11:15 science this initiative aims to harness
00:11:15 --> 00:11:16 the collective power of volunteers
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 everywhere to help solve some of
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 astronomy's greatest mysteries citizen
00:11:21 --> 00:11:22 science represents a beautiful
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 intersection of professional research
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 and public participation through these
00:11:26 --> 00:11:29 programs ordinary people like you and me
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 can contribute meaningfully to
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 scientific discovery without specialized
00:11:32 --> 00:11:35 degrees or equipment nasa's citizen
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 science projects are designed to address
00:11:37 --> 00:11:40 real world problems protect our planet
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 and unravel the secrets of the universe
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 the concept is simple yet powerful by
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 distributing scientific tasks across
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 thousands of volunteers researchers can
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 accomplish what would be impossible for
00:11:52 --> 00:11:55 even the largest professional teams your
00:11:55 --> 00:11:56 contribution combined with others around
00:11:56 --> 00:11:59 the globe creates a formidable force for
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 scientific advancement so what exactly
00:12:01 --> 00:12:04 counts as an act of science it could be
00:12:04 --> 00:12:05 as straightforward as categorizing
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 galaxies based on their shapes
00:12:07 --> 00:12:10 identifying features on Mars tracking
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 changes in cloud patterns or monitoring
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 light pollution in your local area many
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 projects require nothing more than a
00:12:16 --> 00:12:19 smartphone and a curious mind what makes
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 these initiatives particularly valuable
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 is that they're not just busy work the
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 data collected through citizen science
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 efforts has led to genuine discoveries
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 and appears in peer-reviewed scientific
00:12:29 --> 00:12:32 publications your contributions help
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 NASA scientists understand our changing
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 planet identify new asteroids study
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 distant galaxies and monitor space
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 weather the beauty of citizen science is
00:12:42 --> 00:12:45 its accessibility projects are designed
00:12:45 --> 00:12:48 to accommodate various interests time
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 commitments and skill levels whether you
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 have 5 minutes while waiting for your
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 coffee or want to dedicate several hours
00:12:54 --> 00:12:57 each week there's a project perfectly
00:12:57 --> 00:12:59 suited to your availability if you're
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 interested in participating NASA's
00:13:02 --> 00:13:03 citizen science website offers a
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 comprehensive directory of active
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 projects from helping classify
00:13:07 --> 00:13:09 exoplanets to tracking wildlife
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 responses to solar eclipses the
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 diversity of opportunities means you're
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 bound to find something that captures
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 your imagination by joining this
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 worldwide community of citizen
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 scientists you become part of something
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 much larger than yourself a global
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 effort to expand human knowledge and
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 address some of our most pressing
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 challenges and during this special month
00:13:29 --> 00:13:31 celebrating citizen science your
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 participation helps NASA reach that
00:13:33 --> 00:13:36 ambitious goal of 1 million scientific
00:13:36 --> 00:13:38 contributions remember science isn't
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 just for professional researchers in
00:13:40 --> 00:13:43 labs it belongs to all of us and through
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 citizen science we all have the
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 opportunity to push the boundaries of
00:13:47 --> 00:13:50 human understanding just a little bit
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 further if you're interested in finding
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 out more I'll leave a link in the show
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 notes for you
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 we've all experienced grumpy mornings
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 but nothing compares to the cosmic
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 tantrum recently thrown by a super
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 massive black hole in a galaxy far far
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 away astronomers have observed something
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 truly extraordinary a monster black hole
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 unleashing the longest and most powerful
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 X-ray eruptions ever recorded from such
00:14:14 --> 00:14:16 an object the black hole in question
00:14:16 --> 00:14:20 sits at the center of galaxy SDSS
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 1
00:14:22 --> 00:14:25 +0728 approximately 300 million
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 lightyears from Earth after decades of
00:14:27 --> 00:14:30 inactivity this cosmic giant has
00:14:30 --> 00:14:32 suddenly awakened with a vengeance
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 beginning to devour surrounding matter
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 and producing what scientists call quasi
00:14:36 --> 00:14:39 periodic eruptions or QPEs this active
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 region at the galaxy's heart nicknamed
00:14:41 --> 00:14:44 ANSKY by researchers first showed signs
00:14:44 --> 00:14:47 of awakening in late 2019 by February of
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 this year astronomers using NASA's Swift
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 X-ray Space Telescope observed the black
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 hole erupting with flares at
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 surprisingly regular intervals providing
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 a rare opportunity to monitor a feeding
00:14:59 --> 00:15:02 black hole in real time what makes these
00:15:02 --> 00:15:05 observations particularly remarkable is
00:15:05 --> 00:15:08 their unprecedented scale as MIT
00:15:08 --> 00:15:11 researcher Yohin Chakraorti explains the
00:15:11 --> 00:15:14 bursts of X-rays from Ansky are 10 times
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 longer and 10 times more luminous than
00:15:16 --> 00:15:18 what we see from a typical
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 QPE each eruption releases 100 times
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 more energy than previously observed
00:15:23 --> 00:15:25 elsewhere with eruptions occurring
00:15:25 --> 00:15:28 roughly every 4 and 1/2 days the longest
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 interval ever seen
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 these extreme behaviors are challenging
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34 existing scientific models and forcing
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 astronomers to reconsider their
00:15:36 --> 00:15:39 understanding of such events typically
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41 QPEs have been associated with super
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 massive black holes capturing and
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 shredding stars then consuming the
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 stellar remnants however this doesn't
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 appear to be happening with Ansky
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 leaving scientists puzzled about what's
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 triggering these massive outbursts the
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 observations were made possible through
00:15:55 --> 00:15:57 an international collaborative effort
00:15:57 --> 00:15:59 utilizing multiple space telescopes
00:15:59 --> 00:16:02 including the European Space Ay's XMM
00:16:02 --> 00:16:05 Newton NASA's NICE and Chandra missions
00:16:05 --> 00:16:08 and archived data from Aerosa these
00:16:08 --> 00:16:10 repetitive bursts may also be generating
00:16:10 --> 00:16:13 gravitational waves ripples in spaceime
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 that could potentially be detected by
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 future missions like the laser
00:16:16 --> 00:16:19 interferometer space antenna a joint ESA
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21 NASA space-based detector scheduled for
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 launch in 2037
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 having complimentary X-ray observations
00:16:25 --> 00:16:28 alongside gravitational wave data could
00:16:28 --> 00:16:30 prove crucial in solving the mysteries
00:16:30 --> 00:16:33 of massive black hole behavior the
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 research on this extraordinary cosmic
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 event was published in the journal
00:16:37 --> 00:16:39 Nature Astronomy just last month marking
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 an important step forward in our
00:16:41 --> 00:16:44 understanding of black hole dynamics as
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 astronomers continue monitoring Ansky's
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 volatile behavior we may gain valuable
00:16:48 --> 00:16:50 insights into the extreme physics
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 governing these cosmic behemoths that
00:16:52 --> 00:16:54 lurk at the centers of most galaxies
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 including our own Milky
00:16:56 --> 00:16:59 Way and that brings us to the end of
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 another fascinating journey through the
00:17:01 --> 00:17:03 cosmos today we've explored everything
00:17:03 --> 00:17:06 from Martian geology to the mysteries of
00:17:06 --> 00:17:08 black holes with some interesting
00:17:08 --> 00:17:10 astronomical calendar facts and citizen
00:17:10 --> 00:17:13 science opportunities along the way
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 we've seen how Perseverance is
00:17:14 --> 00:17:16 uncovering Mars' geological history
00:17:16 --> 00:17:18 through diverse rock samples on the
00:17:18 --> 00:17:20 Jezero crater rim potentially revealing
00:17:20 --> 00:17:23 clues about the planet's habitability
00:17:23 --> 00:17:25 we've demystified why Easter will arrive
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 later than expected this year thanks to
00:17:27 --> 00:17:29 the complex interplay between
00:17:29 --> 00:17:32 astronomical events and ecclesiastical
00:17:32 --> 00:17:34 rules we've learned that millions of
00:17:34 --> 00:17:36 interstellar visitors from Alpha
00:17:36 --> 00:17:38 Centauri might be hiding in our solar
00:17:38 --> 00:17:40 system challenging our view of star
00:17:40 --> 00:17:42 systems as isolated entities
00:17:42 --> 00:17:44 we've discovered how you can participate
00:17:44 --> 00:17:47 in NASA's Citizen Science Month and
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 contribute to their ambitious goal of 1
00:17:49 --> 00:17:52 million acts of science and finally
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 we've witnessed the dramatic awakening
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 of a monster black hole producing
00:17:55 --> 00:17:57 unprecedented X-ray eruptions that are
00:17:57 --> 00:17:59 forcing scientists to rethink their
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 understanding of these cosmic
00:18:01 --> 00:18:04 giants i'm Anna your host for Astronomy
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 Daily and I hope you've enjoyed today's
00:18:06 --> 00:18:09 cosmic exploration if you'd like to stay
00:18:09 --> 00:18:11 updated on all things astronomy please
00:18:11 --> 00:18:13 visit our website at
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00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 or anyone else who gazes up at the night
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 sky with wonder until next time keep
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 looking up and stay curious about our
00:18:30 --> 00:18:35 magnificent universe
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 stories we told
00:18:37 --> 00:18:51 [Music]