Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E230
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your Daily guide to the wonders of space and the latest astronomical breakthroughs. I'm your host, Anna, and today we embark on an exciting journey through the cosmos, from the early universe to the Moon and back to Earth.
Highlights:
- James Webb's Firefly Sparkle: Discover the whimsical galaxy Firefly Sparkle, observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, offering a glimpse into the universe's infancy just 600 million years after the Big Bang.
- Black Hole Breakthrough : Learn about NASA's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer's groundbreaking observations of a stellar-mass black hole, revealing stable structures despite dramatic changes in brightness.
- Asteroid Tracking Triumph : Explore China's Yunnan Observatories' remarkable achievement in tracking asteroid 2024 XA1 from detection to atmospheric entry, enhancing planetary defense capabilities.
- Lunar Mining Ambitions: Delve into the partnership between Ispace and Magna Peter, aiming to extract helium-3 from the Moon, potentially revolutionizing lunar resource utilization.
- Mars Helicopter's New Mission : Discover how NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, despite rotor damage, will continue to contribute to Mars exploration as a stationary weather station.
- Solar Storms and Farming Disruptions : Understand how powerful solar storms are impacting GPS-dependent farming operations, prompting discussions on resilient agricultural technologies.
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 supporter of this podcast: https://www.spacenutspodcast.com/about (https://www.spacenutspodcast.com/about)
✍️ Episode References
James Webb Space Telescope
[NASA James Webb Space Telescope](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/webb/main/index.html)
NASA Mars Helicopter
[NASA Mars Helicopter](https://mars.nasa.gov/technology/helicopter/)
Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE)
[NASA IXPE](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ixpe/index.html)
Ispace
[Ispace](https://ispace-inc.com/)
Magna Peter
[Magna Petra](https://magnapetra.com/)
NASA TV Propulsion Laboratory
[NASA JPL](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/)
Yunnan Observatories
[Yunnan Observatories](http://www.ynao.ac.cn/)
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/24586014?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to astronomy daily I'm Anna and
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 we've got another absolutely packed show
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 for you today covering some of the most
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 exciting developments in space and
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 astronomy from groundbreaking
00:00:11 --> 00:00:12 observations by the James web Space
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 Telescope that are giving us new
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 insights into the early Universe to
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 fascinating discoveries about black
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 holes that are changing our
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 understanding of these mysterious Cosmic
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 objects we'll also explore some major
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 developments in space exploration
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 including ambitious new plans for mining
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 operations on the moon and an unexpected
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 new chapter in the story of NASA's
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 pioneering Mars helicopter plus we'll
00:00:37 --> 00:00:38 look at how events in space are
00:00:38 --> 00:00:39 affecting life right here on Earth in
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 some surprising ways so get ready for a
00:00:42 --> 00:00:43 journey through the latest and most
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 intriguing space news as we explore The
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 Cutting Edge of astronomical research
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 and space exploration
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 together the James web Space Telescope
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 has given us a remarkable glimpse into
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 the early Universe with its latest
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 observation of a galaxy whimsically
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 named Firefly Sparkle and this galaxy
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 isn't alone it's accompanied by two
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 companion galaxies that scientists have
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 playfully dubbed Firefly best friend and
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 Firefly new best friend what makes this
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 discovery particularly exciting is that
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 we're seeing this galaxy as it appeared
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 when the universe was just 600 million
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 years old that's less than 5% of its
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 current age of 13.8 billion years thanks
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 to a phenomenon called red shift which
00:01:28 --> 00:01:29 occurs when light is stretched by the
00:01:29 --> 00:01:32 expansion of space itself astronomers
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 were able to determine just how far back
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 in time we're looking the observation
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 was made possible by a cosmic magnifying
00:01:38 --> 00:01:43 glass effect the Galaxy cluster Max J
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 1 8 +
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 244 sits between Earth and Firefly
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 Sparkle and its immense Mass bends and
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 magnifies the light from behind it
00:01:54 --> 00:01:55 giving us an enhanced view of this
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 distant Galaxy when combined with web's
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 incredible sensitiv
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 this gravitational lensing allowed
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 scientists to study Firefly Sparkle in
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 unprecedented detail what they found was
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 fascinating most of the Galaxy's mass is
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 concentrated in just 10 star clusters
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 making it the most distant Galaxy with
00:02:15 --> 00:02:16 well-resolved star clusters ever
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 observed using spectrographic
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 instruments the Galaxy is rich in gas
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 and has a total mass about 10 million
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 times that of our sun similar in size to
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 what we think the early Milky Way might
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 have been like this makes Firefly
00:02:30 --> 00:02:31 Sparkle an invaluable window into our
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 own Galaxy's past potentially helping us
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 understand how our Cosmic home formed
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 and evolved in its earliest days it's
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 like finding a baby picture of our own
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 Milky Way giving us crucial insights
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 into Galaxy formation in the very young
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 universe next in an exciting
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 breakthrough for Black Hole research
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 NASA's Imaging x-ray polarimetry
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 Explorer or ipe has provided us with
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 unprecedented details about a newly
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 discovered black hole system the Stellar
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 Mass black hole part of the binary
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 system Swift J
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 1 made quite an entrance when it was
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 discovered in summer 2023 briefly
00:03:10 --> 00:03:11 becoming one of the brightest x-ray
00:03:11 --> 00:03:15 sources in our Sky located just 8
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 Lighty years from Earth this Cosmic
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 neighbor gave astronomers a front row
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 seat to observe the complete life cycle
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 of a black hole Outburst the system went
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 from first detection to Peak brightness
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 in just a matter of days allowing
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 scientists to study its Evolution from
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 start to finish with remarkable
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 Precision what makes this discovery
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 particularly significant is Howe helped
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 us understand the shapes of two crucial
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 structures around the black hole it's
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 accretion disc where material swirls
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 before being consumed and its Corona a
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 region of superheated plasma using x-ray
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 polarization a special characteristic of
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 light that reveals the geometry of these
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 distant objects ixpe showed us that the
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 hot plasma extends along the plane of
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 the accretion disc the observations
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 revealed that despite dramatic changes
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 in the system's brightness and energy
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 output the basic structure of these
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 features remains surprisingly stable
00:04:12 --> 00:04:13 throughout the
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 Outburst this consistency across
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 different phases of activity gives us
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 valuable insights into how black holes
00:04:21 --> 00:04:22 behave and interact with their
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 surroundings this binary system operates
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 like a cosmic recycling center the black
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 hole strips mat material from its
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 companion Star Heating it to
00:04:32 --> 00:04:36 temperatures exceeding 1.8 million de F
00:04:36 --> 00:04:37 this process creates an intense
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 outpouring of X-rays and forms various
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 structures around the black hole that we
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 can study even though we can't see the
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 black hole itself these findings
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 represent a significant step forward in
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 our understanding of black hole systems
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 and demonstrate how modern instruments
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 likee are revolutionizing our ability to
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 study these mysterious Cosmic objects by
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 combining observ from multiple
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 telescopes and instruments we're
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 building an increasingly detailed
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 picture of how matter behaves in the
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 most extreme environments in our
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 universe in a remarkable demonstration
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 of planetary defense capabilities
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 China's Union observatories has achieved
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 something quite extraordinary tracking
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 an asteroid from its initial detection
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 all the way through to its dramatic
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 finale in Earth's atmosphere using their
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 impressive 2.4 meter telescope the
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 largest of its kind in East Asia
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 astronomers at the Liang Observatory
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 spotted asteroid 2024 xa1 on December
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 3rd what makes this detection
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 particularly noteworthy is the
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 incredibly short timeline involved the
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 team had less than 12 hours from first
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 spotting the asteroid to its fiery entry
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 into Earth's atmosphere over Eastern
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 Siberia during those crucial hours the
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 research team developed a precise
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 observation strategy carefully
00:05:56 --> 00:05:57 considering the asteroid's trajectory
00:05:57 --> 00:06:01 and velocity to maximize their tracking
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 accuracy the observatory's location
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 proved to be a key advantage in this
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 achievement situated more than 3 m
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 above sea level and at a strategically
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 beneficial latitude the facility offers
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 some of China's clearest views of the
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 cosmos their Advanced telescope system
00:06:18 --> 00:06:19 is specifically designed to track
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 fast-moving objects like near-earth
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 asteroids with exceptional Precision
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 during the final hour before the
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 asteroids descent the team successfully
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 captured detailed images of the object
00:06:31 --> 00:06:32 the asteroid's journey concluded with a
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 spectacular Fireball as it burned up in
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 Earth's atmosphere over Siberia around
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 midnight on December 4th this kind of
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 endtoend tracking of a neear asteroid
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 provides crucial data for improving our
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 planetary defense
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 capabilities this achievement highlights
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 the growing importance of early warning
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 systems for near Earth objects as we
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 continue to enhance our ability to
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 detect and track potential threats
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 observations like these provide valuable
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 Real World experience in monitoring
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 objects that could pose risks to our
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 planet it's a reminder that maintaining
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 Vigilant Sky surveillance isn't just
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 about scientific curiosity it's an
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 essential component of protecting Earth
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 from potential Cosmic
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 hazards a fascinating development in
00:07:18 --> 00:07:19 lunar exploration and resource
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 utilization is taking shape as Japanese
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 lunar exploration company ispace and
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 lunar prospecting company Magna Petra
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 join forces the two companies have Rec
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 recently signed a memorandum of
00:07:31 --> 00:07:32 understanding to collaborate on what
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 could be a gamechanging venture the
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 extraction of helium 3 from the Moon
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 surface this partnership comes at a
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 crucial time as ipace prepares for its
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 second attempt at a lunar Landing their
00:07:45 --> 00:07:46 previous Mission ended in a crash due to
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 an altitude sensor malfunction but the
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 company has made significant
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 improvements to their Landers software
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 for this upcoming attempt the new
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 Mission scheduled for January 2025 will
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 deploy their resilience lunar lander
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 carrying the tenacious micro Rover
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 designed to demonstrate capabilities in
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 traversing lunar terrain and collecting
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 regolith samples what makes this
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 partnership particularly intriguing is
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 its focus on helium 3 a resource that's
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 incredibly scarce on Earth but
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 potentially abundant on the moon
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 magnet's ambitious plan involves what
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 they call non-destructive sustainable
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 harvesting methods to extract commercial
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 quantities of this valuable isotope once
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 extracted they aim to transport it back
00:08:29 --> 00:08:30 to Earth Earth where there's currently
00:08:30 --> 00:08:33 an extreme Supply shortage the company's
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 approach emphasizes the importance of
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 developing proper infrastructure for
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 lunar operations as Magna Petra's CEO
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 Jeffrey Max points out such missions
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 require reliable CIS lunar
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 transportation and robust lunar
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 infrastructure iac's track record of
00:08:50 --> 00:08:53 innovation and Global presence makes
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 them an ideal partner for this ambitious
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 undertaking this collaboration
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 represents more than just a mining
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 operation it's a significant step toward
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 establishing a sustainable lunar economy
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 as isp's founder teishi hakamada notes
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 while water ice at the lunar poles has
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 grabbed most of the headlines the moon
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 Harbors many other valuable resources
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 that could play crucial roles in future
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 space exploration and
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 development while Ingenuity historic
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 flights on Mars may have come to an end
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 NASA's remarkable little helicopter
00:09:25 --> 00:09:26 isn't quite finished with its Mission
00:09:26 --> 00:09:29 yet after suffering rotor damage during
00:09:29 --> 00:09:32 its 72nd flight this January the team at
00:09:32 --> 00:09:33 NASA's jet propulsion laboratory has
00:09:34 --> 00:09:35 found an Innovative way to keep their
00:09:35 --> 00:09:38 pioneering aircraft contributing to Mars
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 exploration despite the crash landing
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 JPL scientists have discovered that
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 Ingenuity remains in surprisingly good
00:09:44 --> 00:09:47 health all of its avionics Battery
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 Systems and sensors continue to function
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 normally in fact if you were to check
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 Ingenuity own diagnostic systems they
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 would show everything operating
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 perfectly the helicopter simply isn't
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 aware of its damage rotors this
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 unexpected durability has opened up an
00:10:02 --> 00:10:05 exciting new chapter for Ingenuity the
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 team has announced that the helicopter
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 will be repurposed as a stationary
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 weather station capable of recording
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 Telemetry and capturing images every
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 Martian day even more impressive is that
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 in genuity has enough onboard storage to
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 potentially continue this new mission
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 for up to 20 years the investigation
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 into inu's final flight revealed that
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 the crash occurred due to the navigation
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 systems struggling with the monotone
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 Bland texture of the Martian surface
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 while the full details may never be
00:10:33 --> 00:10:36 known given the accident site is over
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 100 Million Miles Away with no black box
00:10:38 --> 00:10:41 or direct access the team has completed
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 what they're calling the first aircraft
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 investigation on another world there is
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 one significant challenge ahead though
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 Ingenuity relies on the perseverance
00:10:49 --> 00:10:52 Rover as a communication relay to send
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 data back to Earth with the Rover now
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 1.8 mil away and continuing its own
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 mission the team expects they may lose
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 contact with Ingenuity within the next
00:11:01 --> 00:11:02 month however there's an intriguing
00:11:02 --> 00:11:05 possibility that future Mars missions
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 whether robotic or human might one day
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 be able to recover the valuable data
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 Ingenuity continues to
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 collect our Reliance on modern
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 technology has created some unexpected
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 vulnerabilities and nowhere is this more
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 apparent than in today's high-tech
00:11:19 --> 00:11:19 farming
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 operations a series of powerful solar
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 storms in 20124 revealed just how
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 dependent our agricultural sector has
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 become on GPS systems and how easily
00:11:29 --> 00:11:32 these systems can be disrupted by solar
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 activity consider what happened on May
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 10th when the sun Unleashed its largest
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 geomagnetic storm in decades while many
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 people were mesmerized by these
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 spectacular auroras lighting up the sky
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 Farmers across the American Midwest were
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 dealing with what one Aurora Chaser
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 described as demon-possessed tractors
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 these sophisticated machines normally
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 precise in their movements began
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 lurching unpredictably across Fields as
00:11:56 --> 00:11:59 their GPS guidance systems went haywire
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 modern farming relies heavily on gpsg
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 guided tractors for planting crops in
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 perfectly straight rows and applying
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 precise amounts of fertilizer this
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 technology has revolutionized
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 agriculture dramatically improving
00:12:12 --> 00:12:15 efficiency and reducing waste but when
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 solar storms interfere with GPS signals
00:12:17 --> 00:12:20 by disturbing Earth's ionosphere these
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 carefully calibrated systems can become
00:12:22 --> 00:12:25 completely unreliable the impact wasn't
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 limited to that single Event in May
00:12:27 --> 00:12:30 later in October more solar storms cause
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 similar problems during the critical
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 harvest season Farmers reported their
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 automated systems jumping lines and
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 veering off course forcing them to
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 switch to manual controls or halt
00:12:41 --> 00:12:44 operations entirely with an estimated
00:12:44 --> 00:12:47 80% of Midwest Farmers using GPS
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 technology for at least some aspects of
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 their operation and about half being
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 heavily dependent on it these
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 disruptions can have serious
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 consequences for agricultural
00:12:57 --> 00:12:59 productivity the timing of these solar
00:12:59 --> 00:13:02 storms can be particularly crucial a
00:13:02 --> 00:13:04 delay of just 3 or 4 days during key
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 planting or harvesting windows can
00:13:06 --> 00:13:09 significantly impact crop yields what's
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 more concerning is that these
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 disruptions are likely to become more
00:13:12 --> 00:13:16 frequent as we approach solar maximum a
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 period of heightened solar activity in
00:13:18 --> 00:13:21 the sun's 11-year cycle this
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 vulnerability has sparked discussions
00:13:23 --> 00:13:26 about developing more resilient farming
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 Technologies some experts are now
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 looking toward systems that combine
00:13:30 --> 00:13:33 Machine Vision artificial intelligence
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 and expert guidance systems to reduce
00:13:35 --> 00:13:38 dependence on GPS alone it's a reminder
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 that as we advance technologically we
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 must always consider our connection to
00:13:43 --> 00:13:46 and dependence on the natural world even
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 the activities of our own
00:13:48 --> 00:13:51 star well that brings us to the end of
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 today's episode of astronomy daily I'm
00:13:53 --> 00:13:56 Anna and it's been my pleasure bringing
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 you these fascinating stories from the
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 cosmos from Young galaxies in the early
00:14:00 --> 00:14:03 Universe to the surprising ways solar
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 storms affect our Farms here on Earth
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 it's amazing how interconnected our
00:14:06 --> 00:14:09 universe truly is if you'd like to stay
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 up to dat with all the latest
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 developments in space and astronomy I
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 invite you to visit our website at
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 astronomy
00:14:15 --> 00:14:17 daily. there you can sign up for our
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 free daily newsletter and access our
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 constantly updating Newsfeed of space
00:14:21 --> 00:14:24 and astronomy news you'll also find all
00:14:24 --> 00:14:25 our previous episodes available for
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00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 this has been astronomy daily and I'm
00:14:48 --> 00:15:01 Anna thanks for listening
00:15:01 --> 00:15:03 the St is the
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