China's Zhuqi 3 Rocket Launch: Landspace has successfully launched its Zhuqi 3 rocket, marking a significant milestone in the reusable rocket race. Although the first stage booster experienced a mishap during its landing attempt, the successful reach of orbit demonstrates the progress in China's commercial space industry.
WASP 107B's Atmospheric Loss: The James Webb Space Telescope has captured stunning images of the gas giant WASP 107B, which is actively losing its atmosphere due to intense stellar radiation. This phenomenon provides valuable insights into planetary evolution and the life cycles of exoplanets.
Asteroid Bennu's Life Ingredients: NASA's Osiris Rex mission has returned samples from Asteroid Bennu, revealing essential sugars like ribose and glucose. These findings support the theory that asteroids could have delivered the building blocks of life to early Earth, with a fascinating discovery of a complex organic material playfully dubbed "Spacegum."
December's Celestial Events: Sky watchers can look forward to a spectacular full moon, known as the Cold Moon, that will coincide with a supermoon and a major lunar standstill, making it a rare and beautiful sight in the winter sky.
Hataku Matu R's Stunning Imagery: Despite the crash landing of the Japanese lunar lander Hataku Matu R, it captured breathtaking images of Earth during a total solar eclipse, showcasing the beauty of our planet from a unique perspective.
Cosmic Ray and JetBlue Emergency Landing: A fascinating theory suggests that a cosmic ray may have caused a JetBlue airliner to experience a sudden altitude drop, highlighting the potential effects of high-energy particles from deep space on modern avionics.
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 Avery and Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the wonders of our universe.
✍️ Episode References
Zhuqi 3 Rocket Launch
[Landspace]( https://www.landspace.com/ (https://www.landspace.com/) )
WASP 107B Observations
[NASA]( https://www.nasa.gov/ (https://www.nasa.gov/) )
Osiris Rex Mission Findings
[NASA Osiris Rex]( https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex (https://www.nasa.gov/osiris-rex) )
Lunar Events Details
[Astronomy Magazine]( https://www.astronomy.com/ (https://www.astronomy.com/) )
Hataku Matu R Imagery
[Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency]( https://www.jaxa.jp/ (https://www.jaxa.jp/) )
Cosmic Ray Theory
[JetBlue Airways]( https://www.jetblue.com/ (https://www.jetblue.com/) )
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily,
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 the podcast that brings you the universe
00:00:05 --> 00:00:08 one story at a time. I'm Avery.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 >> And I'm Anna. It's great to have you
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 with us. Today we're covering everything
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 from exploding rockets and sugars on
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 asteroids to a cosmic ray that might
00:00:18 --> 00:00:21 have sent an airplane into a dive.
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 >> It's going to be a wild ride. Let's get
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 started with our first story which takes
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 us to the rapidly evolving world of
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 commercial space flight in China.
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 >> There is so much going on with space
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 technology in China at the moment, isn't
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 there? What's the latest?
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 >> So Anna, there's big news from a company
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 called Landspace. They just launched
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 their Zui3 rocket and it's a major step
00:00:46 --> 00:00:49 forward in the reusable rocket race.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 >> That's right, Avery. This is a
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 methane-powered rocket similar in
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 concept to SpaceX's Starship designed
00:00:56 --> 00:00:59 for reusability. And the big news is
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 that the first launch was in large part
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 a success. The rocket successfully
00:01:04 --> 00:01:05 reached orbit.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 >> Reaching orbit on a brand new rocket is
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 the single biggest hurdle. So that's
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 fantastic news for them. But I hear the
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 second half of the test didn't go quite
00:01:15 --> 00:01:16 so smoothly.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 >> Yes, the reusable part of the test hit a
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 snag. The first stage booster, which is
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 supposed to fly back and land itself for
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 reuse, experienced what the company
00:01:26 --> 00:01:27 calls a mishap.
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 >> A mishap is putting it mildly. It
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 exploded during the landing attempt.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:32 Right.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 >> It did. But Landspace is still framing
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 the overall mission as a success. And in
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 the world of rocket development, they
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 have a point. Proving your design can
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 reach orbital velocity is a massive
00:01:45 --> 00:01:46 achievement.
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 >> That makes sense. It's an iterative
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 process. They've nailed the hardest part
00:01:50 --> 00:01:51 and now they can use the data from the
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 failed landing to figure out how to
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 stick it next time.
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 >> Precisely. It shows that the global
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 competition for reusable rockets is
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 heating up and it's not just limited to
00:02:01 --> 00:02:04 a few big players anymore. This is a
00:02:04 --> 00:02:05 significant milestone for China's
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 commercial space industry.
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 >> And of course, we'll be keeping an eye
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 on all their developments in the coming
00:02:11 --> 00:02:11 months.
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 >> From rockets soaring up, we turn to a
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 planet that is falling apart. The James
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 Webb Space Telescope has given us an
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 extraordinary view of an exoplanet that
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 is actively losing its atmosphere.
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 >> I love a good JWST story. Which planet
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 are we talking about? And what does that
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 even look like? A planet shedding its
00:02:33 --> 00:02:33 atmosphere.
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 >> The planet is WASP 107b. It's a gas
00:02:37 --> 00:02:41 giant, but it's unusually puffy. It's
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 very large for its mass. Because it
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 orbits extremely close to its star, the
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 intense radiation is boiling its
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 atmosphere away into space.
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 >> Wow. So, it's just venting gas out into
00:02:53 --> 00:02:54 the void.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 >> Exactly. And WEB's instruments were able
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 to detect a massive cloud of helium
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 being stripped from the planet. This
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 cloud is so large that it actually forms
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 a giant tail that travels ahead of the
00:03:07 --> 00:03:08 planet in its orbit.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 >> It travels ahead of the planet. How does
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 that work? It's due to the complex
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 interaction between the stellar wind and
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 the planet's own orbital motion. It's a
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 bit like a boat's wake appearing in
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 front of it in a strong current.
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 >> That's incredible. So, this gives us a
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 real time look at how planets can die or
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 at least transform over billions of
00:03:29 --> 00:03:30 years.
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 >> Yes, it's a vital piece of the puzzle
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 for understanding planetary evolution.
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 By studying planets like WASP 107b, we
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 can learn more about how our own solar
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 system may have formed and changed over
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 time.
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 >> All right, from the ingredients of
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 planets being stripped away, let's talk
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 about the ingredients for life being
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 found in a very exciting place. The
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 samples from asteroid Bennu are back,
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 and they did not disappoint.
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 >> They certainly did not. After years of
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 travel, NASA's Osiris Rex mission
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 returned pristine samples from the
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 asteroid, and the initial findings are
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 groundbreaking. Scientists have
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 confirmed the presence of essential
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 sugars within the asteroid material.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 >> And we're not talking about table sugar
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 here. We're talking about the
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 fundamental building blocks of life.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:20 Right.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 >> Precisely. They have positively
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 identified sugars like ribos, which is a
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 critical component of RNA, the molecule
00:04:28 --> 00:04:29 that may have preceded DNA in the
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 earliest forms of life. They also found
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 other vital sugars like glucose.
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 >> So, this adds huge weight to the theory
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 that asteroids and comets could have
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 delivered these prebiotic ingredients to
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 the early Earth, kickstarting life here.
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 >> Mhm. It's some of the strongest evidence
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 to date. It tells us that these
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 fundamental building blocks were likely
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 common in the early solar system,
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 available to planets like ours.
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 >> Okay, I have to ask about my favorite
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 part of this story, the space gum. What
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 on earth is that?
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 >> Yes, the team also discovered a strange
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 black viscous organic material that
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 they've playfully nicknamed space gum.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 They are still analyzing its exact
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 composition, but it appears to be a very
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 complex carbonrich substance. Just
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 another fascinating piece of this cosmic
00:05:19 --> 00:05:19 puzzle.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 >> From asteroids to our own celestial
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 neighbor, let's bring it closer to home.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 Sky Watchers are in for a special event
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 this December. In coming days, in fact.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 >> That's right. The final full moon of
00:05:31 --> 00:05:35 2025 has a few special things going for
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 it. It's known as the cold moon. And
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 this year, it will also be a super moon.
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 >> Super moon. That means it'll appear
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 larger and brighter in the sky because
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 it's closer to Earth in its orbit. I
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 always love a good super moon.
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 >> It does. But there's an even more rare
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 event happening at the same time.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 Something called a major lunar
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 standstill.
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 >> Okay. A major lunar standstill. That
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 sounds very official and very dramatic.
00:06:01 --> 00:06:02 Break that down for us.
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 >> It's a point in the moon's 18.6year
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 cycle where its orbit is tilted to the
00:06:08 --> 00:06:11 maximum degree relative to Earth's
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 equator. For those of us in the northern
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 hemisphere, it means this full moon will
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 trace a much higher arc across the
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 winter sky than usual.
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 >> Right. So, it's not just closer, it's
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 also taking the high road across the
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 sky. That should make it visible for
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 longer and easier to see.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 >> Exactly. It will rise in the northeast
00:06:30 --> 00:06:33 and set in the northwest, similar to the
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 sun's path in the summer. And it will
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 stay above the horizon for an extended
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 period. It's a perfect combination for a
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 beautiful lunar spectacle.
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 >> So, make sure you get outside and look
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 up as we like to remind you.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 >> And while we're on the subject of our
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 moon, we have a beautiful but
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 bittersweet story from the Japanese
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 lunar lander Hataku Matu R.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:57 >> Oh, right. This was the private mission
00:06:58 --> 00:06:59 that attempted to land on the moon last
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 year. Sadly, it crashed in the final
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 seconds of its descent. It did. But
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 before the mission ended, it captured
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 some truly breathtaking imagery. And one
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 photo in particular has been making the
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 rounds. It's a stunning shot of our own
00:07:15 --> 00:07:16 planet.
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 >> I've seen it. It's an image of Earth
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 during a total solar eclipse taken from
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 space. You can clearly see the round
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 shadow of the moon moving across the
00:07:26 --> 00:07:27 Earth's surface. Australia in
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 particular. It's just an incredible
00:07:30 --> 00:07:31 perspective.
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 >> It really is. It's a viewpoint we so
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 rarely get to see. It's a powerful
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 reminder of the beauty of our world and
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 the celestial dance. It's a part of a
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 final beautiful piece of data from a
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 mission that came so close to achieving
00:07:45 --> 00:07:46 its goal.
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 >> Okay, for our final story, we're coming
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 back down to Earth, but it's a story
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 with a truly cosmic origin. This sounds
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 like pure science fiction, Anna, but an
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 expert is suggesting a cosmic ray may
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 have been responsible for forcing a
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 JetBlue airliner into an emergency
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 landing.
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 >> It's a fascinating theory. The flight in
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 question experienced a sudden unexpected
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 drop in altitude. And while there's no
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 official cause yet, one plausible,
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 though unproven, explanation involves a
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 high energy particle from deep space.
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 >> A single particle can do that to a
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 massive airplane. How is that even
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 possible?
00:08:23 --> 00:08:26 >> Comes down to a phenomenon called a
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 single event upset. High energy cosmic
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 rays, often accelerated by distant
00:08:32 --> 00:08:36 supernovas, are constantly bombarding
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 our atmosphere. If one of these
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 particles traveling at near the speed of
00:08:41 --> 00:08:45 light happens to strike a microscopic
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 transistor in one of the plane's flight
00:08:47 --> 00:08:51 computers, it can deposit enough energy
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 to flip a bit of memory. It can change a
00:08:54 --> 00:08:58 digital one to a zero or vice versa. In
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 a non-critical system, you'd never
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 notice, but if it hits a crucial part of
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 the processor, it could cause a
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 temporary glitch or even a system
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 reboot.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 >> So, the plane's electronic brain could
00:09:13 --> 00:09:16 have a momentary hiccup caused by a
00:09:16 --> 00:09:19 particle from an exploded star millions
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 of light years away. That is
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 mind-blowing.
00:09:22 --> 00:09:26 >> It is. And while it's important to note
00:09:26 --> 00:09:29 this is just one expert's hypothesis, it
00:09:29 --> 00:09:32 is scientifically plausible. Modern
00:09:32 --> 00:09:36 avionics have extensive shielding and
00:09:36 --> 00:09:39 redundant systems to prevent this. But
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 the possibility, however remote, is
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 always there. It's a wild reminder that
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 we're never truly separate from the
00:09:47 --> 00:09:50 events of the wider cosmos.
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 >> That really is a mind-bending
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 connection. And on that cosmic note,
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 that's all the time we have for today's
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 episode of Astronomy Daily. What a trip
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 across the universe it's been.
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 >> It certainly has. Thank you all so much
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 for joining us. We'll be back again
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 tomorrow with another roundup of the
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 latest news from around and beyond our
00:10:11 --> 00:10:12 world.
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 >> Until then, clear skies and one more
00:10:15 --> 00:10:20 reminder, keep looking up.
00:10:20 --> 00:10:28 The stories told
00:10:28 --> 00:10:36 stories told
00:10:36 --> 00:10:39 stories