Threat to the Atacama Desert: Scientists are raising alarms over a massive renewable energy project near Chile’s Atacama Desert, home to the Paranal Observatory. Concerns include potential light pollution, dust interference, and atmospheric heating that could compromise the region's exceptional astronomical conditions. The scientific community is advocating for solutions to minimize these impacts while balancing sustainable energy needs.
Blue Origin's New Innovations: Blue Origin has unveiled exciting new hardware, including the Blue Moon Mark One robotic lander set to fly by 2026, a more powerful version of the New Glenn rocket, and Blue Ring, a space tug designed to support logistics in Earth orbit. These advancements highlight the company's commitment to building a sustainable space infrastructure.
Starquakes and Cosmic Mysteries: NASA's TESS has detected unusual starquakes from a red giant orbiting the black hole Gaia BH2. The star's rapid spin and curious chemical composition suggest it may be the result of a merger between two stars, showcasing the power of astroseismology in uncovering cosmic histories.
Time on Mars: A fascinating revelation indicates that time moves slightly faster on Mars compared to Earth due to its weaker gravity and slower orbit. This difference, while minuscule, poses significant implications for future Martian missions, necessitating a standardized time system for coordinated operations.
Innovative Martian Construction: Researchers propose a groundbreaking method for building on Mars using local resources. By combining Martian soil with Earth bacteria, scientists aim to create bioconcrete for construction, while also producing oxygen, offering a dual solution for habitat creation and life support in the harsh Martian environment.
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
Threat to the Atacama Desert
[Astronomy Journal]( https://www.astronomy.com/ (https://www.astronomy.com/) )
Blue Origin Innovations
[Blue Origin]( https://www.blueorigin.com/ (https://www.blueorigin.com/) )
Starquakes Research
[NASA TV]( https://www.nasa.gov/tess (https://www.nasa.gov/tess) )
Time on Mars Studies
[Physics Today]( https://www.physicstoday.org/ (https://www.physicstoday.org/) )
Martian Construction Research
[NASA Mars]( https://mars.nasa.gov/ (https://mars.nasa.gov/) )
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily,
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 the podcast bringing you the biggest
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 news from across the cosmos. I'm your
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 host, Avery.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 >> And I'm Anna. It's great to be with you
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 today. Avery, we're talking about a
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 threat to one of Earth's best windows to
00:00:15 --> 00:00:18 the universe, some big reveals from Blue
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 Origin, and a star that's singing a
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 strange cosmic song.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 >> That's right. Plus, we'll dive into why
00:00:25 --> 00:00:29 time literally moves faster on Mars and
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 a fascinating new idea for building
00:00:31 --> 00:00:35 Martian homes using bacteria. Let's
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 start with that story from Earth, Anna.
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 It sounds pretty serious.
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 >> It is. We're talking about Chile's
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 Otakama Desert, home to the Paranol
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 Observatory and the Very Large
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 Telescope. It's one of the best places
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 on the planet for astronomy because of
00:00:50 --> 00:00:54 its clear, dark, and stable skies.
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 >> An absolutely critical location for
00:00:57 --> 00:00:58 science.
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 >> Exactly. But now that's under what some
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 top scientists, including a Nobel
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 laureate, are calling an imminent
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 threat. A massive renewable energy
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 project is planned for a site nearby.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 While green energy is vital, the scale
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 of this project has astronomers deeply
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 concerned.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 >> So, what are the specific worries? Is it
00:01:20 --> 00:01:21 just light pollution?
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 >> That's a big part of it. The project
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 could brighten the night sky, kick up
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 dust that obscures faint objects, and
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 the heat could disrupt the stable
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 atmosphere that makes imaging so sharp.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 >> Wow. So, it's a triple threat to
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 visibility. It's a tough situation, a
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 conflict between two positive goals,
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 advancing sustainable energy and
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 protecting our ability to explore the
00:01:48 --> 00:01:48 universe.
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 >> It is the open letter from the
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 scientific community isn't trying to
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 stop the project, but to raise the alarm
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 and work with the developers to find a
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 solution that mitigates these impacts.
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 Hopefully, a compromise can be found.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 It's a truly delicate balance.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 Are there any specific technical
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 solutions being discussed? I imagine
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 it's more complex than just asking them
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 to build it somewhere else. We're
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 talking about things like specialized
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 light shielding or perhaps operational
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 agreements to limit dust creating
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 activities during critical observation
00:02:25 --> 00:02:26 windows at night.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 >> Precisely. They're suggesting technical
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 solutions like advanced dust
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 suppression, special lighting to
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 minimize sky glow, and even pausing
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 industrial activity based on observatory
00:02:37 --> 00:02:38 schedules.
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 >> Let's hope so.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 From a project threatening our view of
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 space, let's turn to one that's actively
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 building our way into it. Blue Origin
00:02:48 --> 00:02:49 has been making some serious
00:02:50 --> 00:02:51 announcements.
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 >> Mhm. They've been very busy. Fresh off a
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 successful New Shepard launch, they
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 pulled the curtain back on a lot of new
00:02:57 --> 00:02:58 hardware.
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 >> They sure have. First, they unveiled the
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 Blue Moon Mark1 robotic lander scheduled
00:03:03 --> 00:03:07 to fly by 2026. It's the precursor to
00:03:07 --> 00:03:11 the crude lander for NASA's Aremis 5
00:03:11 --> 00:03:12 mission.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 >> Right. This is their cargo version. It's
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 designed to test the landing systems and
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 deliver payloads to the lunar surface
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 ahead of the astronauts. They also
00:03:21 --> 00:03:22 announced a more powerful version of
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 their new Glen rocket. Right.
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 >> That's right. The 9 x4
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 variant. But what really caught my eye
00:03:29 --> 00:03:30 were the other two announcements. They
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 revealed details on something called
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 Blue Ring, which is essentially a space
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 tug. It can host payloads, refuel other
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 spacecraft, and basically act as a
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 logistics vehicle in Earth orbit and
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 beyond. A space tug makes sense for
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 building out in space infrastructure.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 And what was the last one? Something for
00:03:52 --> 00:03:53 Mars.
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 >> Exactly. A new deployable aerobre
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 technology like a giant parachute
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 using a planet's atmosphere to slow a
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 spacecraft for future Mars missions. It
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 shows they're thinking about the entire
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 ecosystem of space exploration.
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 >> And that's a huge piece of the puzzle.
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 We hear a lot about launching things,
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 but not as much about what happens once
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 they're up there. A versatile platform
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 like Blue Ring could be used for
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 satellite servicing, refueling, or maybe
00:04:23 --> 00:04:24 even tackling the growing problem of
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 orbital debris. Right.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 >> Exactly. The long-term vision is a
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 sustainable SIS lunar economy. We're
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 talking about a future where space isn't
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 just a destination, but a domain for
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 industry and commerce. A vehicle like
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 Blue Ring could refuel satellites,
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 giving them a new lease on life, move
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 infrastructure into place for future
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 space stations, or even act as a mobile
00:04:47 --> 00:04:50 data relay. It transforms orbital space
00:04:50 --> 00:04:54 from a passive location into a dynamic
00:04:54 --> 00:04:55 workspace.
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 >> It's an ambitious road map. Speaking of
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 ambitious missions, NASA's test
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 satellite, the transiting exoplanet
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 survey satellite, has helped uncover a
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 fascinating cosmic mystery. It's about a
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 star that's singing a very strange song
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 >> singing. Tell me more. Are we talking
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 about vibrations?
00:05:16 --> 00:05:19 >> In a way, yes. Astronomers detected star
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 quakes from a red giant. These seismic
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 waves caused the stars brightness to
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 vary, which is how test detected them.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 This star is orbiting a black hole known
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 as Gaia BH2.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 >> Okay, a red giant and a black hole.
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 That's already an interesting pair. So,
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 what's so strange about the star quakes?
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 >> Well, the data revealed a couple of odd
00:05:42 --> 00:05:46 things. First, the star is spinning way
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 faster than a red giant should. They
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 tend to slow down as they expand.
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 Second, its chemical composition is
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 weird. It seems to be relatively young,
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 but it's made of very ancient materials.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 It's low in heavy elements.
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 >> Young, but made of old stuff and
00:06:04 --> 00:06:08 spinning too fast. That doesn't add up.
00:06:08 --> 00:06:09 What's the theory?
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 >> The leading hypothesis is a dramatic
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 one. That this star is actually two
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 stars that merged. A cosmic merger would
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 explain both the strange chemical mix
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 and its high spin rate.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 >> It really is. And the fact that they
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 could deduce all this from tiny
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 fluctuations in starlight is incredible.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 This field of astroysmology
00:06:30 --> 00:06:33 studying star quakes is like listening
00:06:33 --> 00:06:34 to the inside of a star with a
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 stethoscope. It's revealing details we
00:06:37 --> 00:06:38 could never see directly.
00:06:38 --> 00:06:41 >> It's a perfect example of multi-m
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 missission astronomy. Gaia provided the
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 position and motion while test provided
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 the internal diagnostics. Combining the
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 data let them piece together a hidden
00:06:51 --> 00:06:52 history.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:56 from cosmic collisions to cosmic clocks.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 And I saw a story that sounds like it's
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 straight out of science fiction.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 Apparently, time itself moves at a
00:07:03 --> 00:07:04 different speed on Mars.
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 >> It does. And it's not science fiction.
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 It's just pure Einstein. Based on
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 calculations from his theory of general
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 relativity, time on Mars passes slightly
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 faster than it does here on Earth.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 >> How much faster are we talking? Am I
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 going to age noticeably quicker if I
00:07:21 --> 00:07:22 move to Mars?
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 >> Hardly. The difference is a tiny
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 fraction of a second per day. It comes
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 down to relativistic effects. Mars'
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 weaker gravity and slower orbit mean
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 time passes slightly faster there
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 relative to us.
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 >> Okay, so I won't need extra anti-aging
00:07:37 --> 00:07:41 cream. I believe the figure is 477
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 micros seconds a day. That sounds small,
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 but I bet it adds up when you're dealing
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 with high precision technology. That's
00:07:47 --> 00:07:50 the critical point. Just like our GPS
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 satellites, future Martian missions will
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 need to account for this time dilation
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 for synchronized communications and
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 navigation. It's fundamental for our
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 interplanetary future.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 >> It really puts into perspective how
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 interconnected everything is at that
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 level of physics. Does this also mean
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 we'd need a separate time standard for
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 Mars? Something like coordinated Mars
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 time, similar to UTC on Earth?
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 >> That's exactly what space agencies are
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 working on. A defined Martian time
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 standard is essential for mission
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 coordination. Without it, every mission
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 would be using its own reference frame,
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 leading to chaos. It's not just about
00:08:26 --> 00:08:27 convenience. It's about safety and
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 precision. Imagine trying to coordinate
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 a landing while your orbiter and ground
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 control are seconds out of sync.
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 Establishing a common clock that
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 accounts for the relativistic drift is a
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 foundational step before we can have
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 rovers, orbiters, and future human bases
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 all working in perfect sync. It's a
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 complex problem of interplanetary
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 timekeeping that has to be solved.
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 >> Speaking of our interplanetary future,
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 let's talk about actually living on
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 Mars. Our final story today is about a
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 really innovative approach to
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 construction on the red planet using
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 what scientists call insitu resource
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 utilization. Right. The idea of living
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 off the land, it's far too expensive to
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 launch everything we'd need from Earth.
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 So, we have to use what's already on
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 Mars.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 >> Exactly. And this new proposal is
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 brilliant. It suggests using Martian
00:09:18 --> 00:09:21 soil or regalith mixed with two specific
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 types of Earth bacteria to create
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 building materials.
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 >> Bacteria as cement mixers. How would
00:09:27 --> 00:09:28 that work?
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 >> It's a two-part system. The first
00:09:30 --> 00:09:34 bacterium, sporoscina pasteuri, creates
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 calsy, a powerful binding agent. When
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 mixed with Martian soil, it creates a
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 solid concrete-like material, bio
00:09:42 --> 00:09:42 concrete.
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 >> That's incredible. So, you can create
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 bricks and foundations right there. What
00:09:48 --> 00:09:49 about the second bacteria?
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 >> That's where it gets even better. The
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 second one, caracosidaxis,
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 is a type of cyanobacteria.
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 Its superpower is photosynthesis. It
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 would be engineered to take in the
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 Martian atmosphere, which is mostly
00:10:02 --> 00:10:05 carbon dioxide, and sunlight, and
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 produce oxygen as a byproduct.
00:10:07 --> 00:10:10 >> So, you get building materials and a
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 life support system in one package. One
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 set of microbes builds your house, and
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 the other helps you breathe inside it.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 >> That's the concept. It's a truly elegant
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 solution that integrates construction
00:10:21 --> 00:10:24 and life support. We are essentially
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 using nature's own nanotechnology to
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 solve monumental engineering challenges
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 light years from home. It's still in the
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 early stages of course with huge hurdles
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 around planetary protection and ensuring
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 these microbes perform as expected in
00:10:38 --> 00:10:41 the harsh Martian environment. But it's
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 this kind of creative biological
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 engineering that might just make living
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 on Mars a reality. Turning the planet's
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 own resources into a sustainable
00:10:49 --> 00:10:53 habitat. Okay, that's a gamecher. But
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 what about the conditions on Mars? We're
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 talking about extreme cold, low
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 atmospheric pressure, and intense
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 radiation. Can these Earthbased bacteria
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 actually survive there long enough to do
00:11:06 --> 00:11:07 their jobs?
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 >> That's the focus of the research. One of
00:11:09 --> 00:11:11 the bacteria is an extramaphile,
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 incredibly tough and radiation
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 resistant. The plan is to use them in
00:11:15 --> 00:11:18 shielded bioreactors to create building
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 materials in a controlled environment.
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 >> And what a future that would be. And
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 that brings us to the end of today's
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 episode of Astronomy Daily. From
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 protecting our view of the stars in
00:11:29 --> 00:11:32 Chile to listening to their songs and
00:11:32 --> 00:11:35 even planning our homes among them, it's
00:11:35 --> 00:11:36 been quite a journey.
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 >> Thanks for tuning in. Join us again
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 tomorrow as we continue to explore the
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 universe. Until then, keep looking up.
00:11:43 --> 00:11:46 Sunny day
00:11:46 --> 00:11:54 stories told
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 stories