Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E229
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your Daily source for cosmic discoveries and astronomical insights. I'm your host, Anna, and today we have a jam-packed episode filled with groundbreaking solar research and fascinating revelations from the depths of our solar system and beyond.
Highlights:
- Solar Eclipse Secrets: Discover how the recent North American solar eclipse has unlocked new mysteries about the Sun's corona, thanks to ambitious citizen science projects like Citizen Kate 2024.
- Parker Solar Probe's Christmas Mission : Learn about NASA's Parker Solar Probe's daring Christmas Eve mission to make its closest approach to the Sun yet, promising to deepen our understanding of solar physics.
- Organic Compounds on Ceres: Dive into the exciting discovery of organic compounds on the dwarf planet Ceres, suggesting it may have internal energy sources capable of supporting life.
- Satellite Breakup Concerns: Explore the implications of the recent breakup of Intelsat 33E in geostationary orbit, raising questions about space security and debris management.
- Rocket Lab's Hypersonic Test : Uncover the details of Rocket Lab's secretive hypersonic technology test for the Department of Defense, showcasing their innovative capabilities.
- WASP-69b's Cosmic Tail: Marvel at the discovery of an exoplanet with a massive gas tail, shedding light on the complex interactions between stars and their planets.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (https://www.astronomydaily.io) . Sign up for our free Daily newsletter to stay informed on all things space. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, Tumblr, and TikTok . Share your thoughts and connect with fellow space enthusiasts.
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.
Become a support er of this podcast: https://www.spacenutspodcast.com/about (https://www.spacenutspodcast.com/about)
✍️ Episode References
NASA's Parker Solar Probe
[NASA Parker Solar Probe](https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/parker-solar-probe)
Citizen Kate 2024
[Citizen Kate Project](https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/citizen-science)
Rocket Lab
[Rocket Lab](https://www.rocketlabusa.com/)
Department of Defense
[U.S. Department of Defense](https://www.defense.gov/)
Exo Analytics Solutions
[Exo Analytics Solutions](https://www.exoanalytic.com/)
Intelsat 33E
[Intelsat](https://www.intelsat.com/)
WASP-69b
[WASP-69b](https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/6969/wasp-
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](https://astronomydaily.io/)
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/24565269?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 hello space enthusiasts today we have an
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 absolutely packed show with some
00:00:04 --> 00:00:05 incredible developments from across the
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 cosmic Frontier from groundbreaking
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 solar research during the recent Eclipse
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 to fascinating discoveries about Distant
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 Worlds we're covering it all we'll dive
00:00:15 --> 00:00:16 into how scientists used the spectacular
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 North American Solar Eclipse to unlock
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 new secrets about our son's Corona and
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 we'll look ahead to an exciting
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 Christmas Eve mission that will take us
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 closer to our star than ever before
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 we've also got some intriguing news
00:00:29 --> 00:00:30 about organic compounds found on the
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 dwarf planet series that could have
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 major implications for the search for
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 Life plus a concerning incident with a
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 satellite breakup that's raising
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 important questions about space security
00:00:41 --> 00:00:42 and don't miss our story about an
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 extraordinary exoplanet that's literally
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 leaving a trail through space it's the
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 kind of discovery that reminds us just
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 how weird and wonderful our universe can
00:00:51 --> 00:00:55 be we've got a lot to cover so let's get
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 started scientists have been making
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 remarkable discoveries about our sun
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 thanks to the recent solar eclipse that
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 swept across North America when the moon
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 perfectly blocked out the sun's
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 blindingly bright surface researchers
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 got a rare opportunity to study the
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 mysterious Corona the sun's outer
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 atmosphere that's normally impossible to
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 observe from Earth the eclipse sparked
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 multiple citizen science initiatives
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 including an ambitious project called
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 citizen Kate 2024 which deployed 35
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 telescopes from Texas all the way to
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 Maine by combining data from these
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 stations researchers are creating an
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 unprecedented 60-minute movie showing
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 how the corona changed throughout the
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 eclipse what makes this project even
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 more special is how it brought together
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 people from all walks of life from
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 middle school students to retirees to
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 conduct cuttingedge solar research
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 another fascinating project involved
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 over 6 amateur radio operators
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 across the continent by tracking how
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 radio signals behaved during the eclipse
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 they helped map changes in Earth's
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 ionosphere the electrically charged
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 layer of our upper atmosphere that's
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 critical for satellite
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 Communications the sudden absence of
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 sunlight during the eclipse created
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 unique conditions that helped scientists
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 better understand how solar radiation
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 affects our planet's atmospheric layers
00:02:20 --> 00:02:21 weather balloons launched during the
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 eclipse revealed something equally
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 intriguing the Moon Shadow actually
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 generates waves in our atmosphere
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 similar to Ripples in a pond
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 these atmospheric waves could help
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 improve our weather forecasting models
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 by showing us how different layers of
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 our atmosphere interact all of this
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 research is about to get even more
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 exciting on Christmas Eve NASA's Parker
00:02:44 --> 00:02:45 solar probe will make its closest
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 approach yet to the sun diving to within
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 just 6.21 million kilom of Our Stars
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 surface this will put it right in the
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 middle of the corona regions that
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 scientists observed during the eclipse
00:02:58 --> 00:02:59 by combining these different
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 perspectives from earth-based Eclipse
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 observations to direct measurements from
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 Parker researchers are building a more
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 complete picture of how our sun works
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 and how it influences life here on Earth
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 as one NASA scientist put it it's like
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 different people trying to describe an
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 elephant by touching different parts the
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 eclipse gives us one view of the corona
00:03:19 --> 00:03:20 while Parker provides another
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 perspective by flying right through it
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 together they're helping us solve the
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 complex puzzle of solar physics and its
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 effects on our planet
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 next up exciting discoveries are
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 emerging from NASA's Dawn mission to
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 series the largest object in the
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 asteroid belt scientists have identified
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 11 new regions containing organic
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 compounds on this fascinating dwarf
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 planet suggesting the presence of vast
00:03:46 --> 00:03:49 internal reservoirs of organic materials
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 this finding builds upon the initial
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 2017 discovery of organic compounds near
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 Siri eret
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 crater what makes this discovery
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 particularly intriguing is that these
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 organic materials appear to be native to
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 series rather than delivered by comets
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 or asteroids as previously
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 thought this indicates that series
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 possesses internal energy sources
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 potentially capable of supporting
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 biological processes making it an even
00:04:18 --> 00:04:19 more significant Target for
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 astrobiological
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 studies at over 930 kilometers in
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 diameter series stands out as the most
00:04:27 --> 00:04:28 water Rich body in the inner solar
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 system After Earth Earth the presence of
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 both water ice and possibly liquid water
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 beneath its surface places it among the
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 ocean worlds that could Harbor
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 conditions suitable for life this
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 combination of water and organic
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 compounds makes series an increasingly
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 compelling destination for future space
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 exploration the research team employed
00:04:48 --> 00:04:49 sophisticated analysis techniques to
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 make these discoveries they first
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 characterized the compounds in the air
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 net crater then systematically scanned
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 series's entire surface using
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 highresolution imag from the dawn
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 spacecraft most intriguingly they found
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 a particularly strong signature of
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 organic materials in the region between
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 the orvar and yode basins where violent
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 impacts had excavated material from deep
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 within series laboratory experiments
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 supporting This research have shown that
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 organic compounds degrade more rapidly
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 under solar radiation than previously
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 thought given the quantities of organic
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 materials detected and their observed
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 degradation levels scientists believe
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 there must be substantial reservoirs of
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 organic compounds beneath series
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 Surface these findings have significant
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 implications for our understanding of
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 the early solar system and the potential
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 for life- supporting environments beyond
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 Earth as a Remnant from our solar
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 systems formation 4.6 billion years ago
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 series could provide crucial insights
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 into the distribution of organic
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 materials during planetary formation
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 looking to the Future series might even
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 serve as a strategic stopover point for
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 deep space missions
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 offering valuable resources for space
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 exploration Beyond
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 Mars a concerning development in orbital
00:06:07 --> 00:06:08 space has emerged with the breakup of
00:06:08 --> 00:06:12 intelsat 33e in geostationary orbit
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 space Tracking Company exoanalytic
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 Solutions has identified more than 700
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 pieces of debris from this incident
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 which occurred on October 19th the
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 fragments range dramatically in size
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 from pieces as small as softballs to
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 others as large as car doors this event
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 has raised significant concerns about
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 space Security exoanalytic Solutions
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 Chief growth officer warns that such
00:06:36 --> 00:06:37 breakups could potentially be exploited
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 by adversaries as the resulting debris
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 Cloud creates substantial noise in
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 tracking systems that could mask other
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 activities in geostationary orbit the
00:06:47 --> 00:06:48 incident marks the second failure in
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 Boeing's series of Epic Ang High
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 throughput satellites built for intelsat
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 the first satellite in the series Intel
00:06:56 --> 00:07:00 sat 29e was lost in 2019 following what
00:07:00 --> 00:07:01 investigators determined was either a
00:07:01 --> 00:07:05 meteoroid impact or a wiring flaw Boeing
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 is currently investigating the cause of
00:07:06 --> 00:07:09 this latest breakup while the immediate
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 Danger from the debris has significantly
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 decreased over recent months the
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 incident highlights growing challenges
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 in the increasingly contested space
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 domain exoanalytic Solutions reports
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 that Collision alerts which initially
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 spiked to four times normal levels
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 following the breakup have now
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 stabilized to typical frequencies
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 this event coincides with observations
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 of increasing Chinese activities in
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 geostationary orbit including routine
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 satellite Maneuvers and close-up
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 inspections of other satellites space
00:07:41 --> 00:07:42 tracking experts have noted China's
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 expanding presence in space with their
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 satellite Fleet growing from just 36 in
00:07:47 --> 00:07:50 2010 to more than a thousand today
00:07:50 --> 00:07:51 adding another layer of complexity to
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 space domain awareness and security
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 concerns now a quick but significant
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 update rocket lab has recently unveiled
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 the purpose behind their secretive
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 November launch confirming it was a
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 Hypersonic technology test for the US
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 Department of Defense the suborbital
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 mission which took place on November
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 24th from Virginia's Wallops Island
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 utilized their haste vehicle a modified
00:08:15 --> 00:08:16 version of their electron rocket
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 designed specifically for suborbital
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 flights what makes this Mission
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 particularly remarkable is that it was a
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 part of an unprecedented double header
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 for Rocket lab less than 22 hours after
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 the military test they successfully
00:08:31 --> 00:08:32 launched another mission from a
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 completely different hemisphere
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 deploying five Internet of Things
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 satellites for French company kise the
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 military test flight was conducted under
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 the multi-service advanced capability
00:08:42 --> 00:08:45 hypersonics test bed project known as
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 Mach TB this initiative aims to expand
00:08:48 --> 00:08:49 Hypersonic flight testing capabilities
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 for the United States military rocket
00:08:52 --> 00:08:53 lab not only provided the launch
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 platform but also designed and
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 manufactured the experimental Hypersonic
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 instrumentation for the mission complet
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 leing this on an accelerated timeline
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 this Mission marked only the second
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 Flight of the haste vehicle with its
00:09:06 --> 00:09:09 debut launch occurring in June 2023 from
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 the same launch facility the subsequent
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 orbital launch the next day proved
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 equally significant for Rocket lab as it
00:09:16 --> 00:09:17 pushed their total satellite deployment
00:09:17 --> 00:09:21 count past the 200 Mark reaching 203
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 satellites launched aboard their
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 electron rocket across 54 successful
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 missions with 13 of those launches
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 occurring this year
00:09:31 --> 00:09:34 alone meanwhile further out in space in
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 an intriguing astronomical Discovery
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 scientists have identified something
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 quite unusual about the exoplanet wasp
00:09:40 --> 00:09:44 69 be it's sporting a massive tail of
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 gas that stretches more than 350
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 miles behind it this remarkable feature
00:09:49 --> 00:09:50 is actually the planet's atmosphere
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 being slowly Stripped Away into space
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 creating a comet-like tail that's more
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 than 7 and a half times the planet's
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 radius the process creating this
00:09:59 --> 00:10:03 Celestial spectacle is fascinating wasp
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 69b is what we call a hot Jupiter
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 orbiting extremely close to its host
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 star the intense Stellar radiation heats
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 the planet's outer atmosphere so much
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 that lightweight gases like hydrogen and
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 helium are literally being launched into
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 space but here's where it gets really
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 interesting instead of escaping
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 uniformly around the planet these gases
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 are swept into a tail by the Stellar
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 Wind from the planet star much like how
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 a wind sock behaves behaves in a breeze
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 while losing 200 tons of gas per
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 second might sound catastrophic the
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 planet is actually losing its atmosphere
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 very gradually to put this in
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 perspective it takes about a billion
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 years for wasp 69b to lose an amount of
00:10:43 --> 00:10:46 material equivalent to the mass of Earth
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 given that this solar system is around 7
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 billion years old the planet has likely
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 lost the equivalent of seven Earth's
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 worth of mass over its lifetime the
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 Tail's exact length remains a mystery as
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 researchers had to end their
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 observations before the tail signal
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 completely disappeared even more
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 intriguingly the Tail's size and shape
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 can change over time as the Stellar Wind
00:11:09 --> 00:11:12 fluctuates making it a dynamic feature
00:11:12 --> 00:11:13 that could help scientists better
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 understand the complex relationship
00:11:15 --> 00:11:18 between stars and their planets this
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 discovery isn't just a cosmic curiosity
00:11:21 --> 00:11:22 it's providing valuable insights into
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 how planetary atmospheres interact with
00:11:25 --> 00:11:29 their host stars and evolve over time
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 well that brings us to the end of
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 today's fascinating journey through
00:11:33 --> 00:11:35 space this is Anna and I want to thank
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 you for joining me on another episode of
00:11:37 --> 00:11:40 astronomy daily from solar studies
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 during the recent Eclipse to gas tailed
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 exoplanets it's been quite a ride
00:11:44 --> 00:11:46 through our Cosmic neighborhood if
00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 you've enjoyed Today's Show and want to
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 stay up to date with all things space
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 and astronomy I invite you to visit our
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 website at astronomy
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 daily. there you'll find all our back
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 episodes and you can sign up for our
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00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 you informed about the latest
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 developments in space science want to
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00:12:19 --> 00:12:20 looking up and wondering about the
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 mysteries of our universe this has been
00:12:22 --> 00:12:35 Anna with astronomy daily Asom
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 the St is the to
00:12:37 --> 00:12:44 [Music]