Astronomy Daily | Space News: S04E68
In this thought-provoking episode of Astronomy Daily, host Anna delves into some astonishing revelations that challenge our understanding of the universe. From the evolving nature of dark energy to Boeing's ongoing Starliner saga and China's ambitious crewed spaceflight plans, this episode is brimming with cosmic insights and discoveries that will leave you pondering the mysteries of space.
Highlights:
- Dark Energy's Surprising Evolution: Discover groundbreaking findings from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DSE) that suggest dark energy may not be constant after all. With new data indicating that this fundamental force could be evolving over time, scientists are facing the thrilling prospect of rewriting cosmological models that have stood for decades.
- Boeing's Starliner Setbacks: Learn about the latest challenges facing Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, including the possibility of a third uncrewed test flight before it can safely carry astronauts. With NASA's reliance on SpaceX's Crew Dragon, the implications for Boeing's future in human spaceflight are significant.
- China's Bold Space Aspirations: Explore China's plans to enter the crewed spaceflight arena with commercial space company AZ Space aiming for orbital tests by 2027. This move signals a new era in China's space ambitions, as private firms begin to take on roles traditionally held by government agencies.
- The Mystery of Exoplanet TOI 1453C: Uncover the peculiar characteristics of the newly discovered exoplanet TOI 1453C, which boasts an incredibly low density that baffles scientists. Is it cloaked in a thick atmosphere, or is it primarily composed of water? This enigmatic world challenges our understanding of planetary formation.
- A Planet Devoured by a White Dwarf: Delve into the captivating evidence from the Helix Nebula, where astronomers believe they have witnessed a planet being torn apart by a dying star. The implications of this discovery may reshape our understanding of planetary systems' fates as their stars evolve.
- The Simple Physics Behind Galactic Feathers: Discover how a recent study suggests that the intricate structures known as "feathers" in spiral galaxies could form through simple gravitational processes. This finding highlights the elegance of nature's ability to create complexity from basic physical principles.
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 - Dark energy's evolving nature
10:30 - Boeing's Starliner challenges
17:00 - China's crewed spaceflight ambitions
22:15 - Exoplanet TOI 1453C's mystery
27:30 - Planet devoured by a white dwarf
32:00 - Galactic feathers and simple physics
✍️ Episode References
Dark Energy Research
[DSE]( https://www.dse.org (https://www.dse.org/) )
Boeing Starliner Updates
[NASA]( https://www.nasa.gov (https://www.nasa.gov/) )
China's Commercial Space Plans
[AZ Space]( https://www.azspace.com (https://www.azspace.com/) )
Exoplanet TOI 1453C Discovery
[NASA TV]( https://www.nasa.gov/tess (https://www.nasa.gov/tess) )
Helix Nebula Findings
[Chandra Observatory]( https://www.nasa.gov/chandra (https://www.nasa.gov/chandra) )
Galactic Feather Research
[Astronomy and Astrophysics]( https://www.aanda.org/ (https://www.aanda.org/) )
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-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/26187364?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to Astronomy Daily I'm your host
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 Anna On today's cosmic journey we're
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 exploring some truly mind-bending
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 developments in the world of space and
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 astronomy The universe has thrown
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 scientists a major curveball with new
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 findings suggesting our understanding of
00:00:15 --> 00:00:18 dark energy might be completely wrong
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 We'll also look at the ongoing saga of
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 Boeing's troubled Starlininer spacecraft
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 and China's ambitious plans to enter the
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 crude spaceflight arena Plus we've got
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 fascinating discoveries to share from an
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 exoplanet so strangely light that
00:00:31 --> 00:00:32 scientists can't figure out what it's
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 made of to dramatic evidence of a white
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 dwarf star actually devouring one of its
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 planets And we'll explore new research
00:00:40 --> 00:00:41 suggesting that the beautiful feathery
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 structures seen in spiral galaxies might
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 form through surprisingly simple physics
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 So buckle up for a tour of the latest
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 breakthroughs and mysteries from the
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 cosmos as we journey together through
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 the wonders of our universe And this
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 first story is a real
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 mindbender The universe just might be
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 weirder than we thought Astronomers
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 studying the largest ever map of the
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 cosmos have uncovered evidence that
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 could dramatically shake our fundamental
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 understanding of how the universe works
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 Using the dark energy spectroscopic
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 instrument known as DSSE scientists have
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 analyzed nearly 15 million galaxies and
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 quazars spanning an incredible 11
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 billion years of cosmic time And what
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 they found suggests we might have gotten
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 dark energy completely wrong Dark energy
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 that mysterious force believed to be
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 driving the accelerating expansion of
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 our universe has long been thought to be
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 constant But this new analysis hints at
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 something far more complex Dark energy
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 may actually be evolving over time This
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 isn't just a minor adjustment to our
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 models It's potentially a complete
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 rewrite of the prevailing lambda CDM
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 model of cosmology that scientists have
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 relied on for decades
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 The findings came from combining Desi's
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 observations with other critical data
00:01:55 --> 00:01:56 including information from star
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 explosions the cosmic microwave
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 background and weak gravitational
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 lensing Together these diverse
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 observations point to the same
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 surprising conclusion The fundamental
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 force we thought was constant throughout
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 cosmic history appears to be changing
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 David Schlaggel a DESI project scientist
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 at the Lawrence Berkeley National
00:02:17 --> 00:02:20 Laboratory put it plainly It's true that
00:02:20 --> 00:02:21 the DSC results alone are consistent
00:02:22 --> 00:02:23 with the simplest explanation for dark
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 energy which would be an unchanging
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 cosmological constant but we can't
00:02:28 --> 00:02:29 ignore other data that extend to both
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 the earlier and later universe Combining
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 Desi's results with those other data is
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 when it gets truly weird and it appears
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 that this dark energy must be dynamic
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 meaning that it changes with time This
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 realization puts science at a remarkable
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 crossroads Dark energy and dark matter
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 together make up approximately 95% of
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 our universe Yet they remain largely
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 mysterious as they don't interact with
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 light and can't be detected directly If
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 dark energy is indeed changing over time
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 it would force us to completely rethink
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 the lambda CDM model that maps the
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 growth of the cosmos and predicts its
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 ultimate fate As astrophysicist
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 Katherine Haymons from the University of
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 Edinburgh noted "It's kind of exciting
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 that the universe has thrown us a
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 curveball here The existing theories
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 simply don't align with what we're now
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 observing The numbers don't add up and
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 scientists are facing the thrilling and
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 terrifying prospect of having to develop
00:03:25 --> 00:03:26 new physics to explain what's
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 happening."
00:03:28 --> 00:03:29 What makes this finding particularly
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 compelling is that it pushes the
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 observation's disagreement with the
00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 standard model to the very edge of what
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 physicists consider a significant
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 discovery With more data collection
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 underway we may soon cross that
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 threshold and enter a new era of
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 cosmological understanding If dark
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 energy is indeed evolving we're looking
00:03:50 --> 00:03:51 at a fundamental shift in our
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 understanding of the universe This isn't
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 just an academic concern It has profound
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 implications for the ultimate fate of
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 everything we know For decades
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 cosmologists have built their models on
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 the assumption that dark energy remains
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 constant throughout cosmic time exerting
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 a steady outward pressure that
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 counteracts gravity's inward pull What's
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 particularly striking about DS's
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 findings is how they transform when
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 combined with other cosmic observations
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 While Desi's data alone shows only a
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 weak tension with the standard lambda
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 CDM model adding information from the
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 cosmic microwave background supernovas
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 and gravitational lensing pushes this
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 discrepancy to near discovery levels The
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 statistical significance approaches what
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 physicists call a five sigma result the
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 gold standard for declaring a new
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 discovery in physics According to
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 Schlaggel these combined observations
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 suggest that either dark energy is
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 becoming less important today or it was
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 more important early in the universe
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 Either scenario would dramatically alter
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 our understanding of cosmic evolution If
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 dark energy weakens over time the
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 universe's expansion might eventually
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 slow potentially even reversing into a
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 big crunch Conversely if dark energy
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 strengthened in the past and maintains
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 its current level we could be headed for
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 an accelerated expansion that tears
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 apart galaxies stars and eventually
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 atoms themselves the so-called big rip
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 scenario This discovery challenges
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 Einstein's cosmological constant
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 represented by lambda in the lambda CDM
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 model Einstein originally introduced
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 this constant as a mathematical fudge
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 factor to create a static universe later
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 calling it his greatest blunder when the
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 expanding universe was discovered
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 Ironically dark energy later revived
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 this concept but now even this updated
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 version appears insufficient Adam Ree
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 who won the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 for discovering dark energy's
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 accelerating effect considers this
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 potentially the biggest hint we have
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 about the nature of dark energy in the
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 25 years since we discovered it As he
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 explains if confirmed it literally says
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 dark energy is not what most everyone
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 thought a static source of energy but
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 perhaps something even more
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 exotic Fortunately a fleet of new
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 experiments is joining the investigation
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 The Uklid Space Telescope NASA's Nancy
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 Grace Roman Space Telescope and Desai
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 itself which will eventually measure 50
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 million galaxies and quazars will
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 provide unprecedented data to confirm or
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 refute these findings These observations
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 will help determine whether we're truly
00:06:28 --> 00:06:29 witnessing the beginning of a
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 cosmological revolution What makes this
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 scientific moment so exciting is its
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 profound uncertainty We stand at the
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 threshold of potentially rewriting our
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 understanding of the universe's basic
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 operating principles Dark energy may be
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 losing strength as the universe ages or
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 it might have played a more significant
00:06:48 --> 00:06:49 role in the early universe than
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 previously thought Either way the
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 implications ripple through every aspect
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 of cosmology from the birth of the first
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 stars to the ultimate destiny of all
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 cosmic structures
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 Next up in today's news Boeing's
00:07:03 --> 00:07:04 troubled Starlininer spacecraft is
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 facing yet another setback with NASA
00:07:07 --> 00:07:08 officials now considering whether a
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 third uncrrewed test flight will be
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 necessary before the vehicle can carry
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 astronauts again This comes after what
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 was supposed to be an 8-day test mission
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 turned into a 9-month ordeal for
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 Williams The two NASA astronauts finally
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 returned to Earth this week but not on
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 the Boeing spacecraft that took them to
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 the International Space Station Instead
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 they splashed down in a SpaceX Dragon
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 capsule A vivid illustration of how
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 Boeing's technical problems have forced
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 NASA to rely on its competitor We're
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 looking at some options for Starlininer
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 should we need to of flying it uncrrewed
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 Steve Stitch chief of NASA's commercial
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 crew program told reporters "The space
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 agency wants to validate that
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 Starlininer's thrusters can perform as
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 designed in the unforgiving environment
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 of space something impossible to fully
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 simulate in ground tests The issues with
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 Starlininer's first crude mission
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 emerged shortly after launch when the
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 spacecraft suffered five thruster
00:08:06 --> 00:08:07 failures and experienced concerning
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 leaks of helium which is used to
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 pressurize the propulsion system These
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 problems were serious enough that NASA
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 determined it would be too risky for
00:08:16 --> 00:08:17 Wilmore and Williams to return on the
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 spacecraft leaving it to fly back to
00:08:20 --> 00:08:21 Earth empty while the astronauts
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 remained on the station For Boeing this
00:08:24 --> 00:08:25 represents not just a technical
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 challenge but a competitive disadvantage
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 While Starlininer has struggled through
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 its development process SpaceX's Crew
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 Dragon has already flown 11 astronaut
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 missions for NASA establishing itself as
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 the reliable workhorse of America's
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 human space flight program
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 The financial implications for Boeing
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 are significant as well The aerospace
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 giant has already absorbed more than $2
00:08:48 --> 00:08:49 billion in charges related to
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 Starlininer development since 2016 The
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 ceiling of Boeing's fixed price $4.2
00:08:55 --> 00:08:59 billion NASA contract has grown by $326
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 million since being awarded in 2014 with
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 the company having received roughly half
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 that amount during development This
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 stands in stark contrast to SpaceX which
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 has not only successfully delivered on
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 its initial contract but has secured
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 additional missions due to Starlininer's
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 delays The value of SpaceX's initial $3
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 billion NASA contract has grown to
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 nearly $5 billion largely because NASA
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 has had to book extra Dragon flights
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 while waiting for Starlininer to become
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 operational Boeing plans a ground test
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 this summer focusing on propulsion
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 system components aimed at validating
00:09:32 --> 00:09:35 potential fixes But the timeline for
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 Starlininer's next flight crude or
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 uncrrewed remains uncertain As NASA and
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 Boeing engineers work through the
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 complex technical challenges that have
00:09:44 --> 00:09:47 plagued the spacecraft's development the
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 technical issues plaguing Starlininer
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 represent yet another costly setback for
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 Boeing in what has become an
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 increasingly challenging development
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 program The aerospace giant has already
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 invested more than $2 billion of its own
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 money into the spacecraft trying to
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 create a viable competitor to SpaceX's
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 Crew Dragon NASA officials are now
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 carefully weighing their options with
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 Steve Stitch emphasizing that a key
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 purpose of an additional uncrrewed test
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 would be to verify that Starlininer's
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 thrusters can perform properly in the
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 vacuum of space This propulsion system
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 has proven particularly troublesome with
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 the thruster failures and helium leaks
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 during the first crude mission
00:10:27 --> 00:10:28 highlighting problems that couldn't be
00:10:28 --> 00:10:30 adequately identified during ground
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 testing Boeing's financial commitment to
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 Starlininer keeps growing beyond initial
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 projections The ceiling of their
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 fixedpric NASA contract has expanded by
00:10:40 --> 00:10:43 $326 million since being awarded a
00:10:43 --> 00:10:47 decade ago reaching $4.2 billion total
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 Yet the company has only received about
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 half that amount so far during the
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 development phase with certification for
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 routine flights still
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 elusive Meanwhile Boeing isn't just
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 looking at Starlininer as a NASA taxi
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 service The company has broader
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 commercial aspirations to use the
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 spacecraft for transporting customers to
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 and from privately built space stations
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 currently in early development This
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 represents the kind of non-government
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 revenue stream that SpaceX has already
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 started capturing with its fully private
00:11:16 --> 00:11:19 Dragon missions But Starlininer's
00:11:19 --> 00:11:20 uncertain future complicates these
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 commercial ambitions A NASA safety
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 advisory panel noted in January that
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 while significant progress was being
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 made in post-flight technical
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 investigations the propulsion system
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 issues remain unresolved Until Boeing
00:11:34 --> 00:11:37 can definitively fix these problems
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 Starlininer's path to certification and
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 commercial viability remains blocked The
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 contrast with SpaceX grows starker with
00:11:44 --> 00:11:46 each passing year While Starlininer has
00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 yet to complete a fully successful crude
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 mission Crew Dragon has become the
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 workhorse of America's human space
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 flight program With 11 successful
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 astronaut missions already completed
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 this operational track record gives
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 SpaceX a tremendous advantage in both
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 government and private
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 markets For Boeing the stakes go beyond
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 just this spacecraft program The
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 company's reputation as a premier
00:12:10 --> 00:12:13 aerospace manufacturer has already faced
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 challenges with its commercial airline
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 issues Starlininer was meant to showcase
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 Boeing's capabilities in the growing
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 commercial space sector but instead the
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 ongoing difficulties have highlighted
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 the company's struggles to deliver
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 complex space systems on budget and on
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 schedule Meanwhile China's space
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 industry seems to be going from strength
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 to strength In a bold move that signals
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 a new era for China's space ambitions a
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 commercial space company called Beijing
00:12:39 --> 00:12:42 Z-Wway Yutong Technology better known as
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 Aspace has announced plans to conduct
00:12:44 --> 00:12:48 orbital crude flight tests by 2027 or
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 2028 This represents a significant
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 milestone for China's commercial space
00:12:52 --> 00:12:55 sector which until now has seen human
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 space flight as the exclusive domain of
00:12:57 --> 00:12:59 government agencies
00:12:59 --> 00:13:02 Jang Xiaomin chairman of AI space made
00:13:02 --> 00:13:04 the announcement to Chinese media last
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 week setting a timeline that would make
00:13:06 --> 00:13:09 his company the first private Chinese
00:13:09 --> 00:13:12 entity to send humans to orbit While
00:13:12 --> 00:13:14 China's government-run human spaceflight
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 program has successfully operated the
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 Tiangong space station using Shenzha
00:13:18 --> 00:13:21 spacecraft launched on Long March
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 rockets this would mark the first time a
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 commercial company attempts such a
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 mission Founded just five years ago in
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 2019 Aspace has focused its business on
00:13:30 --> 00:13:33 spacecraft manufacturing and space
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 tourism The relatively young company has
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 secured backing from several venture
00:13:37 --> 00:13:40 capital firms though specific funding
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 details for their ambitious human space
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 flight program weren't disclosed This
00:13:44 --> 00:13:46 leaves questions about how the company
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 will finance such a technically
00:13:48 --> 00:13:51 challenging and expensive endeavor The
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 path to crude space flight involves
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 several intermediate steps which apace
00:13:55 --> 00:13:57 has already begun The company has more
00:13:57 --> 00:13:59 immediate plans for 2025 including
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 launches of their self-developed B300
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 spacecraft and the more advanced deer 5
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 spacecraft These missions are scheduled
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 for July and September this year
00:14:08 --> 00:14:10 respectively with Jen explaining that
00:14:10 --> 00:14:13 these spacecraft will conduct critical
00:14:13 --> 00:14:15 onorbit docking verification and
00:14:15 --> 00:14:18 re-entry tests This follows a SpaceAC's
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 December 2023 launch of their Dear 1
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 spacecraft aboard an iSpace Hyperola 1
00:14:22 --> 00:14:25 rocket The company is also developing
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 the larger C2000 spacecraft with a 2
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 kg payload capacity which they see as a
00:14:30 --> 00:14:32 stepping stone toward their ultimate
00:14:32 --> 00:14:35 goal of humanrated spacecraft While the
00:14:35 --> 00:14:38 timeline appears highly ambitious by
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 global spaceflight standards the
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 announcement comes in the context of
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 strong governmental support for China's
00:14:44 --> 00:14:47 commercial space sector The central
00:14:47 --> 00:14:49 government has designated commercial
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 space as a key emerging industry to be
00:14:51 --> 00:14:54 supported and promoted with local and
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 provincial governments actively working
00:14:56 --> 00:14:58 to attract space companies and foster
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 innovation ecosystems What remains
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 unclear is whether Aspace will have
00:15:02 --> 00:15:04 access to state-owned technology for
00:15:04 --> 00:15:07 their reusable and crude spacecraft
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 plans or if they'll need to develop
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 these critical systems independently
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 Either way this announcement signals
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 that China's commercial space race is
00:15:16 --> 00:15:19 accelerating to new heights China's
00:15:19 --> 00:15:21 approach to commercial space has evolved
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 dramatically over the past decade When
00:15:23 --> 00:15:25 the government first began opening the
00:15:25 --> 00:15:28 sector to private capital in late 2014
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 the initial focus was quite narrow
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 primarily small launch vehicles and
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34 satellites This marked a significant
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 shift from the exclusively state-run
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 space program that had defined China's
00:15:38 --> 00:15:41 approach for decades In the years that
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 followed we've seen a remarkable
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 expansion in both the scope and ambition
00:15:44 --> 00:15:47 of China's commercial space ventures
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 What began with modest rockets and small
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 satellites has progressively grown to
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 encompass ever larger liquid propellant
00:15:53 --> 00:15:56 launchers with potential reusability
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 diverse space systems and applications
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 remote sensing and communications
00:16:00 --> 00:16:03 constellations and more recently lowcost
00:16:03 --> 00:16:05 reusable cargo spacecraft designed to
00:16:05 --> 00:16:08 service the Tiangong space station The
00:16:08 --> 00:16:10 emergence of two planned low Earth orbit
00:16:10 --> 00:16:13 mega constellations has provided a
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 crucial market opportunity for these
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 commercial launch companies to establish
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 themselves and build sustainable
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 business models Much like we've seen
00:16:20 --> 00:16:23 with SpaceX in the United States these
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 large satellite deployments create the
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 consistent launch demand needed to
00:16:27 --> 00:16:30 justify investment in rocket development
00:16:30 --> 00:16:32 With AZ Space now setting its sights on
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 crude orbital space flight we're
00:16:34 --> 00:16:36 witnessing what appears to be the
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 beginning of a new phase in China's
00:16:38 --> 00:16:40 commercial space evolution This
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 represents a fundamental shift where
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 private firms may soon undertake human
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 spaceflight activities that have
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 traditionally been the exclusive domain
00:16:48 --> 00:16:51 of China's state-run human spaceflight
00:16:51 --> 00:16:53 agency This transformation is occurring
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56 with explicit government encouragement
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 China's central government has formally
00:16:57 --> 00:17:00 designated commercial space as a key
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 emerging industry deserving of support
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05 and promotion This top-down endorsement
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 cascades through various levels of
00:17:07 --> 00:17:09 government with local and provincial
00:17:09 --> 00:17:11 authorities actively competing to
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 attract commercial space companies to
00:17:12 --> 00:17:15 their regions through incentives and
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 infrastructure development The strategy
00:17:17 --> 00:17:19 appears designed to foster innovation
00:17:19 --> 00:17:23 ecosystems around space technology while
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 maintaining strategic oversight of the
00:17:24 --> 00:17:27 sector's development It creates a hybrid
00:17:27 --> 00:17:29 model where private capital and
00:17:29 --> 00:17:31 entrepreneurial energy can accelerate
00:17:31 --> 00:17:33 technological progress and commercial
00:17:33 --> 00:17:35 applications while the government
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 maintains involvement in critical
00:17:37 --> 00:17:39 aspects of space development As this
00:17:39 --> 00:17:42 landscape continues to evolve the
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 boundaries between commercial and state
00:17:43 --> 00:17:46 space activities in China may become
00:17:46 --> 00:17:48 increasingly fluid potentially creating
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 new models for how public and private
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 sectors collaborate in space exploration
00:17:52 --> 00:17:55 and utilization
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 In a fascinating discovery that
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 highlights the diversity of worlds
00:17:58 --> 00:18:00 beyond our solar system astronomers have
00:18:00 --> 00:18:03 recently identified two exoplanets
00:18:03 --> 00:18:06 orbiting a star called Tolli
00:18:06 --> 00:18:09 1 located approximately 250 light
00:18:09 --> 00:18:11 years away in the Draco
00:18:11 --> 00:18:14 constellation These newly found worlds
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 represent planetary types that are
00:18:15 --> 00:18:17 actually quite common throughout our
00:18:17 --> 00:18:19 galaxy but completely absent from our
00:18:20 --> 00:18:23 own solar system The discovery team used
00:18:23 --> 00:18:25 NASA's transiting exoplanet survey
00:18:25 --> 00:18:28 satellite or TESS along with the HARPS
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 highresolution spectrograph to confirm
00:18:30 --> 00:18:32 these distant
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 worlds What makes this finding
00:18:34 --> 00:18:36 particularly exciting is the nature of
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 the planets
00:18:37 --> 00:18:40 themselves One is classified as a super
00:18:40 --> 00:18:42 Earth while the other is what
00:18:42 --> 00:18:45 astronomers call a sub Neptune While
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 both planets are intriguing it's the sub
00:18:47 --> 00:18:49 Neptune designated
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 TOI
00:18:50 --> 00:18:54 1453C that has astronomers truly puzzled
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 This world is approximately 2.2 times
00:18:56 --> 00:18:58 the size of Earth which isn't unusual
00:18:58 --> 00:19:00 for its type However what's
00:19:00 --> 00:19:03 extraordinary is its mass measuring just
00:19:03 --> 00:19:06 2.9 times that of Earth This creates an
00:19:06 --> 00:19:08 extremely low density that has left
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 scientists scratching their heads about
00:19:09 --> 00:19:11 what this planet could possibly be made
00:19:11 --> 00:19:17 of To put this in perspective this makes
00:19:17 --> 00:19:20 TOI C one of the least dense sub
00:19:20 --> 00:19:22 Neptunes ever discovered The planet's
00:19:22 --> 00:19:24 lightweight nature suggests one of two
00:19:24 --> 00:19:27 fascinating possibilities Either it has
00:19:27 --> 00:19:29 an unusually thick hydrogen-rich
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 atmosphere extending far above its
00:19:31 --> 00:19:33 surface or perhaps its composition is
00:19:33 --> 00:19:36 dominated by water rather than rock The
00:19:36 --> 00:19:38 combination of precise size and mass
00:19:38 --> 00:19:40 measurements allowed researchers to
00:19:40 --> 00:19:42 calculate the planet's density with
00:19:42 --> 00:19:44 confidence which is what revealed this
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 peculiar
00:19:45 --> 00:19:48 characteristic As astrophysicist Manu
00:19:48 --> 00:19:50 Stalport who worked on the study
00:19:50 --> 00:19:53 explained the two planets present an
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 interesting contrast in their
00:19:54 --> 00:19:56 characteristics
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 While
00:19:57 --> 00:20:01 20i 1453b appears to be a fairly typical
00:20:01 --> 00:20:04 rocky super Earth orbiting close to its
00:20:04 --> 00:20:09 star with a 4.3day cycle
00:20:09 --> 00:20:12 2I C defies easy
00:20:12 --> 00:20:14 categorization This puzzling world
00:20:14 --> 00:20:16 raises fundamental questions about
00:20:16 --> 00:20:19 planetary formation and evolution How
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 could a planet grow to such a size while
00:20:21 --> 00:20:24 maintaining such low density what
00:20:24 --> 00:20:26 processes shaped its development and
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 what might its surface or atmosphere be
00:20:28 --> 00:20:32 like these mysteries make
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 TOIC an exceptionally promising
00:20:34 --> 00:20:36 target for future atmospheric studies
00:20:36 --> 00:20:38 The research team employed a two-pronged
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 approach to characterize these distant
00:20:41 --> 00:20:43 worlds The transit method using test
00:20:43 --> 00:20:45 data revealed each planet's size and
00:20:45 --> 00:20:47 orbital period by measuring the slight
00:20:47 --> 00:20:49 dimming of starlight as they passed in
00:20:49 --> 00:20:52 front of their host star Meanwhile the
00:20:52 --> 00:20:54 radial velocity measurements from HAPSen
00:20:54 --> 00:20:56 detected the subtle gravitational wobble
00:20:56 --> 00:20:59 each planet induces on the star allowing
00:20:59 --> 00:21:02 scientists to determine their masses
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 What's particularly fascinating about
00:21:03 --> 00:21:06 the system is that the two planets orbit
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 in a configuration close to what
00:21:07 --> 00:21:11 astronomers call a 32 resonance This
00:21:11 --> 00:21:13 means that for every three complete
00:21:13 --> 00:21:15 orbits of the inner planet the outer
00:21:15 --> 00:21:18 planet completes almost exactly two Such
00:21:18 --> 00:21:20 orbital resonances aren't random They're
00:21:20 --> 00:21:22 considered a natural consequence of
00:21:22 --> 00:21:24 orbital migration providing important
00:21:24 --> 00:21:26 clues about how these planets moved and
00:21:26 --> 00:21:29 eventually settled into their current
00:21:29 --> 00:21:33 positions TOI 1453 C's extraordinarily
00:21:33 --> 00:21:35 low density presents an exciting
00:21:35 --> 00:21:38 scientific puzzle For a planet its size
00:21:38 --> 00:21:40 to be so lightweight it must have a
00:21:40 --> 00:21:42 fundamentally different composition than
00:21:42 --> 00:21:44 the rocky worlds we're familiar with The
00:21:44 --> 00:21:47 evidence points to either a substantial
00:21:47 --> 00:21:49 hydrogen-rich atmosphere that
00:21:49 --> 00:21:51 significantly increases the planet's
00:21:51 --> 00:21:54 diameter without adding much mass or
00:21:54 --> 00:21:56 perhaps an interior largely composed of
00:21:56 --> 00:21:59 water rather than denser materials like
00:21:59 --> 00:22:03 rock and metal This makes
00:22:03 --> 00:22:05 TYY453C an ideal candidate for future
00:22:05 --> 00:22:07 atmospheric studies using next
00:22:07 --> 00:22:09 generation instruments like the James
00:22:09 --> 00:22:11 Web Space Telescope
00:22:11 --> 00:22:14 JWST's advanced capabilities could
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 potentially analyze the planet's
00:22:15 --> 00:22:18 atmosphere determining whether it's
00:22:18 --> 00:22:20 primarily hydrogen or water dominated
00:22:20 --> 00:22:22 which would revolutionize our
00:22:22 --> 00:22:25 understanding of this enigmatic world
00:22:25 --> 00:22:27 The orbital resonance also suggests
00:22:27 --> 00:22:29 these planets have remained dynamically
00:22:29 --> 00:22:31 stable for a long time providing a
00:22:31 --> 00:22:33 window into the systems formation
00:22:33 --> 00:22:36 history Such configurations typically
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 develop when planets migrate inward
00:22:38 --> 00:22:40 through their stars protolanetary disc
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 gradually locking into these
00:22:42 --> 00:22:46 synchronized orbits If TOI 1453C does
00:22:46 --> 00:22:48 indeed have a substantial water
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 component it would represent a
00:22:50 --> 00:22:52 fascinating planetary category neither
00:22:52 --> 00:22:55 truly rocky like Earth nor gaseous like
00:22:55 --> 00:22:57 Neptune but something in between that we
00:22:57 --> 00:22:59 don't see in our solar system
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 Understanding such worlds could
00:23:00 --> 00:23:02 fundamentally reshape theories about how
00:23:02 --> 00:23:05 planets form and what kinds of habitable
00:23:05 --> 00:23:07 environments might exist throughout the
00:23:07 --> 00:23:10 galaxy And in another exciting discovery
00:23:10 --> 00:23:12 scientists may have finally solved a
00:23:12 --> 00:23:14 decades old cosmic mystery that has
00:23:14 --> 00:23:17 puzzled astronomers since 1980 Strange
00:23:17 --> 00:23:19 X-ray emissions detected from the center
00:23:19 --> 00:23:21 of the Helix Nebula might actually be
00:23:21 --> 00:23:23 evidence of a planet being violently
00:23:23 --> 00:23:25 ripped apart and devoured by the dying
00:23:25 --> 00:23:27 star at its core The Helix Nebula
00:23:27 --> 00:23:29 represents the final stage of a dying
00:23:29 --> 00:23:31 star that has shed its outer layers
00:23:31 --> 00:23:34 leaving behind a small dense remnant
00:23:34 --> 00:23:36 called a white dwarf What makes this
00:23:36 --> 00:23:39 particular white dwarf designated
00:23:39 --> 00:23:41 WD226
00:23:41 --> 00:23:43 210 unusual is that it shouldn't be
00:23:43 --> 00:23:45 producing the powerful X-rays that
00:23:45 --> 00:23:47 telescopes have consistently detected
00:23:47 --> 00:23:50 for over 40 years Thanks to observations
00:23:50 --> 00:23:53 from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory
00:23:53 --> 00:23:56 and the European Space Ay's XMM Newton
00:23:56 --> 00:23:58 researchers believe they finally cracked
00:23:58 --> 00:24:01 this cosmic case The data reveals a
00:24:01 --> 00:24:04 Neptunized planet orbiting perilously
00:24:04 --> 00:24:06 close to the white dwarf completing a
00:24:06 --> 00:24:09 revolution in less than 3
00:24:09 --> 00:24:12 days Even more intriguing evidence
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 suggests there may have been a
00:24:13 --> 00:24:15 Jupiter-like planet orbiting even closer
00:24:16 --> 00:24:19 that met a catastrophic fate Lead author
00:24:19 --> 00:24:21 Sandino Estrada Dorado from the National
00:24:21 --> 00:24:23 Autonomous University of Mexico explains
00:24:23 --> 00:24:25 "We think this X-ray signal could be
00:24:25 --> 00:24:27 from planetary debris pulled onto the
00:24:27 --> 00:24:29 white dwarf as the death nail from a
00:24:29 --> 00:24:31 planet that was destroyed by the white
00:24:31 --> 00:24:33 dwarf in the Helix Nebula We might have
00:24:33 --> 00:24:35 finally found the cause of a mystery
00:24:35 --> 00:24:38 that's lasted over 40 years The doomed
00:24:38 --> 00:24:40 planet likely began its life at a safe
00:24:40 --> 00:24:42 distance from its star But as the star
00:24:42 --> 00:24:45 aged and transformed into a white dwarf
00:24:45 --> 00:24:47 the planet's orbit may have been
00:24:47 --> 00:24:49 disturbed by gravitational interactions
00:24:49 --> 00:24:51 with other planets in the system This
00:24:51 --> 00:24:53 migration brought it fatally close to
00:24:53 --> 00:24:55 the white dwarf where intense
00:24:55 --> 00:24:58 gravitational forces began to tear it
00:24:58 --> 00:25:00 apart What astronomers are witnessing
00:25:00 --> 00:25:02 now appears to be the aftermath of this
00:25:02 --> 00:25:05 cosmic destruction As debris from the
00:25:05 --> 00:25:07 shattered planet falls onto the white
00:25:07 --> 00:25:09 dwarf surface it becomes superheated to
00:25:10 --> 00:25:12 millions of degrees producing the
00:25:12 --> 00:25:14 telltale X-ray signature that
00:25:14 --> 00:25:16 astronomers have been detecting for
00:25:16 --> 00:25:18 decades If confirmed this would
00:25:18 --> 00:25:20 represent the first documented case of a
00:25:20 --> 00:25:22 planet being destroyed by the central
00:25:22 --> 00:25:24 star in a planetary nebula The
00:25:24 --> 00:25:27 observation offers a sobering glimpse
00:25:27 --> 00:25:29 into the potential fate that awaits
00:25:29 --> 00:25:31 planets orbiting aging stars perhaps
00:25:31 --> 00:25:33 even our own solar system in the distant
00:25:33 --> 00:25:36 future This discovery provides crucial
00:25:36 --> 00:25:38 insights into the fate of planetary
00:25:38 --> 00:25:40 systems as their stars reach the end of
00:25:40 --> 00:25:42 their lives What we're witnessing at the
00:25:42 --> 00:25:44 Helix Nebula may be a preview of what
00:25:44 --> 00:25:47 awaits countless other star systems
00:25:47 --> 00:25:49 including possibly our own solar system
00:25:49 --> 00:25:51 billions of years in the future
00:25:52 --> 00:25:54 The research team analyzed X-ray data
00:25:54 --> 00:25:56 collected over multiple observations
00:25:56 --> 00:25:58 spanning a decade and found something
00:25:58 --> 00:26:00 remarkable The signal has remained
00:26:00 --> 00:26:01 relatively consistent in brightness
00:26:01 --> 00:26:04 since the early 1990s This stability
00:26:04 --> 00:26:06 suggests we're observing an ongoing
00:26:06 --> 00:26:08 process rather than a one-time
00:26:08 --> 00:26:11 catastrophic event But within this
00:26:11 --> 00:26:13 consistent signal astronomers detected
00:26:13 --> 00:26:16 subtle fluctuations that repeat every
00:26:16 --> 00:26:19 2.9 hours providing compelling evidence
00:26:19 --> 00:26:21 for planetary remains orbiting
00:26:21 --> 00:26:23 exceptionally close to the white dwarf
00:26:23 --> 00:26:25 Martin Guerrero from the Institute of
00:26:25 --> 00:26:28 Astrophysics of Andalusia explains "The
00:26:28 --> 00:26:30 mysterious signal we've been seeing
00:26:30 --> 00:26:32 could be caused by the debris from the
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 shattered planet falling onto the white
00:26:34 --> 00:26:36 dwarf surface and being heated to glow
00:26:36 --> 00:26:39 in X-rays This steady stream of material
00:26:39 --> 00:26:41 creates a consistent energy signature
00:26:41 --> 00:26:44 that telescopes can detect across vast
00:26:44 --> 00:26:46 distances The research team considered
00:26:46 --> 00:26:48 alternative explanations including
00:26:48 --> 00:26:51 whether a low mass star rather than a
00:26:51 --> 00:26:53 planet might have been destroyed However
00:26:53 --> 00:26:55 such stars are significantly more
00:26:55 --> 00:26:58 massive than Jupiterized planets making
00:26:58 --> 00:27:00 them much less likely to be torn apart
00:27:00 --> 00:27:02 by the white dwarf's gravity
00:27:02 --> 00:27:04 Interestingly
00:27:04 --> 00:27:07 WD226 210 shares X-ray behavior
00:27:07 --> 00:27:09 similarities with two other white dwarfs
00:27:09 --> 00:27:12 that are not inside planetary nebulas
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 One appears to be pulling material from
00:27:13 --> 00:27:15 a planet in a more gradual fashion
00:27:15 --> 00:27:17 without complete destruction while
00:27:17 --> 00:27:19 another is likely accreting material
00:27:19 --> 00:27:22 from what remains of a destroyed planet
00:27:22 --> 00:27:24 These three white dwarfs may represent a
00:27:24 --> 00:27:26 newly recognized class of variable
00:27:26 --> 00:27:28 objects that offers a window into
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 different stages of planetary
00:27:29 --> 00:27:32 destruction It's important to find more
00:27:32 --> 00:27:33 of these systems because they can teach
00:27:33 --> 00:27:35 us about the survival or destruction of
00:27:35 --> 00:27:38 planets around stars like the sun as
00:27:38 --> 00:27:40 they enter old age notes co-author Jesus
00:27:40 --> 00:27:43 Tala By studying these systems
00:27:43 --> 00:27:45 astronomers gain valuable insights into
00:27:45 --> 00:27:47 the long-term fate of our own solar
00:27:47 --> 00:27:50 system When our sun eventually exhausts
00:27:50 --> 00:27:52 its nuclear fuel billions of years from
00:27:52 --> 00:27:54 now it will expand into a red giant
00:27:54 --> 00:27:56 before shedding its outer layers and
00:27:56 --> 00:27:59 becoming a white dwarf During this
00:27:59 --> 00:28:01 tumultuous transition the inner planets
00:28:01 --> 00:28:03 will likely be engulfed while the orbits
00:28:04 --> 00:28:06 of surviving outer planets may become
00:28:06 --> 00:28:08 destabilized What we're witnessing in
00:28:08 --> 00:28:11 the Helix Nebula could be a preview of
00:28:11 --> 00:28:13 Earth's ultimate fate offering both a
00:28:13 --> 00:28:16 sobering reminder of cosmic mortality
00:28:16 --> 00:28:18 and a fascinating glimpse into the life
00:28:18 --> 00:28:20 cycle of planetary
00:28:20 --> 00:28:22 systems And one more discovery for good
00:28:22 --> 00:28:26 measure For over a century astronomers
00:28:26 --> 00:28:28 have been captivated by the majestic
00:28:28 --> 00:28:30 spiral arms that wind through galaxies
00:28:30 --> 00:28:32 like our own Milky Way But recent
00:28:32 --> 00:28:34 observations using the unprecedented
00:28:34 --> 00:28:36 resolution of the Hubble and James Web
00:28:36 --> 00:28:38 Space Telescopes have revealed something
00:28:38 --> 00:28:41 even more fascinating These grand spiral
00:28:41 --> 00:28:43 structures aren't just simple arms but
00:28:43 --> 00:28:45 are decorated with intricate features
00:28:45 --> 00:28:47 astronomers call feathers
00:28:47 --> 00:28:49 These feathery structures extend just a
00:28:49 --> 00:28:51 few thousand lightyear relatively small
00:28:52 --> 00:28:54 by galactic standards but they play an
00:28:54 --> 00:28:57 outsized role in galactic evolution
00:28:57 --> 00:28:59 Unlike the broader spiral arms they
00:28:59 --> 00:29:01 branch from these feathers are
00:29:01 --> 00:29:02 extraordinarily dense regions packed
00:29:02 --> 00:29:05 with gas and dust They serve as cosmic
00:29:05 --> 00:29:07 nurseries where much of a galaxy's star
00:29:07 --> 00:29:10 formation takes place hosting young star
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 clusters and massive clouds of neutral
00:29:12 --> 00:29:14 hydrogen where new stars are born
00:29:14 --> 00:29:16 Initially astronomers believe these
00:29:16 --> 00:29:19 feathers were exclusive to the largest
00:29:19 --> 00:29:22 grand design spiral galaxies However
00:29:22 --> 00:29:24 mounting evidence suggests they're
00:29:24 --> 00:29:26 nearly universal features with our own
00:29:26 --> 00:29:28 Milky Way sporting these delicate
00:29:28 --> 00:29:30 structures as well What has puzzled
00:29:30 --> 00:29:32 scientists for years is how these
00:29:32 --> 00:29:34 complex features form The leading
00:29:34 --> 00:29:36 theories have involved elaborate
00:29:36 --> 00:29:39 mechanisms perhaps powerful supernova
00:29:39 --> 00:29:41 explosions sculpting the gas within
00:29:41 --> 00:29:44 spiral arms or vast magnetic fields
00:29:44 --> 00:29:45 twisting and compressing matter into
00:29:46 --> 00:29:48 these filament patterns The complexity
00:29:48 --> 00:29:50 of feathers seem to demand equally
00:29:50 --> 00:29:52 complex formation processes But
00:29:52 --> 00:29:54 sometimes the most elegant explanation
00:29:54 --> 00:29:57 is also the simplest In research
00:29:57 --> 00:29:59 recently accepted for publication in
00:29:59 --> 00:30:01 astronomy and astrophysics a team of
00:30:01 --> 00:30:03 astronomers proposed a surprisingly
00:30:03 --> 00:30:05 straightforward mechanism Gravity alone
00:30:05 --> 00:30:08 might create these feathers To test this
00:30:08 --> 00:30:10 hypothesis the researchers designed an
00:30:10 --> 00:30:13 elegantly simple computer simulation
00:30:13 --> 00:30:15 They created a basic model of a rotating
00:30:15 --> 00:30:18 disc of gas No stars no complex physics
00:30:18 --> 00:30:20 just gas moving under the influence of
00:30:20 --> 00:30:23 its own gravity When they ran the
00:30:23 --> 00:30:25 simulation something remarkable happened
00:30:25 --> 00:30:27 the gas naturally fragmented into a
00:30:27 --> 00:30:29 series of nested filaments that bore a
00:30:29 --> 00:30:31 striking resemblance to the feathers
00:30:31 --> 00:30:32 observed in real
00:30:32 --> 00:30:35 galaxies The key insight is that these
00:30:35 --> 00:30:38 gas discs are inherently unstable Even
00:30:38 --> 00:30:40 tiny initial clumps tend to collapse
00:30:40 --> 00:30:42 under their own gravity and when
00:30:42 --> 00:30:44 combined with the rotation of the disc
00:30:44 --> 00:30:47 these collapsing regions naturally form
00:30:47 --> 00:30:49 elongated structures the feathers we
00:30:49 --> 00:30:52 observe in spiral galaxies When
00:30:52 --> 00:30:53 researchers compared the simulated
00:30:53 --> 00:30:56 feathers with actual observations they
00:30:56 --> 00:30:59 found broad agreement in size shape and
00:30:59 --> 00:31:01 density This doesn't mean the mystery is
00:31:01 --> 00:31:04 completely solved The simulated galaxies
00:31:04 --> 00:31:05 were deliberately simplified lacking
00:31:05 --> 00:31:08 many elements we know exist in real
00:31:08 --> 00:31:10 galaxies The next step is to introduce
00:31:10 --> 00:31:12 more realistic physics Those supernovas
00:31:12 --> 00:31:14 and magnetic fields do exist and
00:31:14 --> 00:31:17 certainly influence galactic evolution
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 The question is whether they would
00:31:18 --> 00:31:20 disrupt these gravitationally formed
00:31:20 --> 00:31:23 feathers or perhaps enhance them What
00:31:23 --> 00:31:24 makes this finding so compelling is that
00:31:24 --> 00:31:27 it demonstrates how nature can use basic
00:31:27 --> 00:31:28 physical principles to generate
00:31:28 --> 00:31:31 remarkably complex structures even at
00:31:31 --> 00:31:33 the vast scales of galaxies Sometimes
00:31:33 --> 00:31:35 the universe's most intricate patterns
00:31:35 --> 00:31:37 emerge from its simplest rules The
00:31:37 --> 00:31:39 team's simulations were remarkably
00:31:39 --> 00:31:42 simplistic by design Rather than
00:31:42 --> 00:31:44 creating a complex model incorporating
00:31:44 --> 00:31:46 all the known physics of galaxies they
00:31:46 --> 00:31:48 stripped everything back to the most
00:31:48 --> 00:31:50 basic elements Just a disc of gas
00:31:50 --> 00:31:52 rotating and evolving under its own
00:31:52 --> 00:31:55 gravitational influence No stars no
00:31:55 --> 00:31:57 explosive stellar feedback no magnetic
00:31:57 --> 00:32:00 fields just gravity When they set this
00:32:00 --> 00:32:02 simplified system in motion the results
00:32:02 --> 00:32:05 were striking The rotating gas disc
00:32:05 --> 00:32:07 didn't remain smooth and uniform Instead
00:32:07 --> 00:32:10 it naturally began to fragment breaking
00:32:10 --> 00:32:12 down into a series of nested elongated
00:32:12 --> 00:32:14 filaments that closely resembled the
00:32:14 --> 00:32:16 feathery structures astronomers observe
00:32:16 --> 00:32:18 in real galaxies This fragmentation
00:32:18 --> 00:32:21 occurs because gaseous discs are
00:32:21 --> 00:32:24 inherently gravitationally unstable Any
00:32:24 --> 00:32:26 slight density fluctuation no matter how
00:32:26 --> 00:32:28 small initially tends to attract more
00:32:28 --> 00:32:31 matter to itself As these regions grow
00:32:31 --> 00:32:34 denser they collapse faster creating a
00:32:34 --> 00:32:36 self-reinforcing process
00:32:36 --> 00:32:39 The rotation of the disc then stretches
00:32:39 --> 00:32:41 these collapsing regions into the
00:32:41 --> 00:32:43 filament patterns we recognize as
00:32:43 --> 00:32:46 feathers What's particularly impressive
00:32:46 --> 00:32:48 is how well these simulated structures
00:32:48 --> 00:32:51 matched actual observations When the
00:32:51 --> 00:32:52 researchers compared their
00:32:52 --> 00:32:54 computerenerated feathers with those
00:32:54 --> 00:32:57 seen in real spiral galaxies they found
00:32:57 --> 00:32:59 significant similarities in key
00:32:59 --> 00:33:01 properties like size shape and density
00:33:01 --> 00:33:03 distributions This doesn't mean we've
00:33:03 --> 00:33:06 solved the entire puzzle The researchers
00:33:06 --> 00:33:08 acknowledge that real galaxies are far
00:33:08 --> 00:33:11 more complex environments The next
00:33:11 --> 00:33:12 challenge is determining whether
00:33:12 --> 00:33:15 introducing more realistic elements like
00:33:15 --> 00:33:18 stellar feedback from supernovas or the
00:33:18 --> 00:33:20 influence of magnetic fields would
00:33:20 --> 00:33:22 disrupt these gravitationally formed
00:33:22 --> 00:33:25 feathers or perhaps work in concert with
00:33:25 --> 00:33:28 gravity to shape them further The
00:33:28 --> 00:33:29 finding highlights a principle that
00:33:29 --> 00:33:32 appears repeatedly across cosmic scales
00:33:32 --> 00:33:34 That immense complexity often emerges
00:33:34 --> 00:33:36 from relatively simple underlying
00:33:36 --> 00:33:38 physics From the intricate patterns of
00:33:38 --> 00:33:40 snowflakes forming from simple water
00:33:40 --> 00:33:43 molecules to the vast filament cosmic
00:33:43 --> 00:33:45 webs stretching across the universe
00:33:45 --> 00:33:48 nature frequently uses basic rules to
00:33:48 --> 00:33:50 create stunning complexity In the case
00:33:50 --> 00:33:52 of galactic feathers it seems that
00:33:52 --> 00:33:53 gravity alone might be sufficient to
00:33:54 --> 00:33:55 establish the foundation of these
00:33:55 --> 00:33:57 structures It's a powerful reminder that
00:33:58 --> 00:34:00 sometimes the most elegant explanations
00:34:00 --> 00:34:03 in science are also the
00:34:03 --> 00:34:05 simplest And that brings us to the end
00:34:05 --> 00:34:08 of today's episode of Astronomy Daily
00:34:08 --> 00:34:10 From the evolving mystery of dark energy
00:34:10 --> 00:34:12 to Boeing's Starlininer troubles China's
00:34:12 --> 00:34:15 ambitious space plans puzzling
00:34:15 --> 00:34:17 exoplanets a star devouring its own
00:34:17 --> 00:34:19 planet and the simple gravitational
00:34:19 --> 00:34:22 forces behind complex galactic
00:34:22 --> 00:34:24 structures We've covered quite the
00:34:24 --> 00:34:26 cosmic journey together
00:34:26 --> 00:34:28 I'm Anna and it's been my pleasure
00:34:28 --> 00:34:30 guiding you through these fascinating
00:34:30 --> 00:34:33 developments in astronomy and space
00:34:33 --> 00:34:35 exploration The universe continues to
00:34:36 --> 00:34:38 surprise us Whether it's throwing
00:34:38 --> 00:34:39 curveballs at our understanding of
00:34:39 --> 00:34:42 fundamental forces or revealing the
00:34:42 --> 00:34:44 elegant simplicity behind seemingly
00:34:44 --> 00:34:48 complex cosmic patterns If you enjoyed
00:34:48 --> 00:34:51 today's show please visit our website at
00:34:51 --> 00:34:53 astronomydaily.io where you can sign up
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00:34:55 --> 00:34:57 on all the latest space and astronomy
00:34:57 --> 00:34:59 news with our constantly updating news
00:34:59 --> 00:35:02 feed and listen to all our back episodes
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00:35:16 --> 00:35:18 thoughts Until next time keep looking up
00:35:18 --> 00:35:20 and stay curious about the wonders of
00:35:20 --> 00:35:22 our universe This has been Astronomy
00:35:22 --> 00:35:26 Daily and I'm Anna signing off Astronomy
00:35:26 --> 00:35:29 day Stories been told
00:35:29 --> 00:35:43 [Music]