In this episode, we delve into the latest advancements in UAP research and explore a groundbreaking discovery that suggests our universe might not be as symmetrical as once thought. We begin with the ongoing investigation into unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), where experts emphasize the need for rigorous scientific study and funding to uncover the truth behind these mysterious sightings. As momentum builds, institutions like the University of Wurtzburg and the Galileo Project are stepping up to collect high-quality data on UAPs, with potential national security implications highlighted by former Navy pilot Ryan Graves.Next, we shift our focus to a fascinating cosmological anomaly that challenges the long-held cosmological principle of isotropy. A new study reveals that the cosmic microwave background exhibits temperature variations that suggest our galaxy is moving through space in a preferred direction, raising questions about dark energy and the Big Bang itself.On Mars, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified the largest fresh impact crater ever confirmed, providing valuable insights into the planet's active geological processes. This remarkable discovery showcases the ongoing dynamism of our solar system.We then explore a rare cosmic phenomenon involving a triple system of galaxies, each hosting supermassive black holes that are actively feeding. This unprecedented finding enhances our understanding of galaxy evolution and the interactions that drive black hole growth.Finally, we discuss innovative strategies to protect future astronauts from the dangers of cosmic rays during long-duration missions. With insights drawn from biology and the study of resilient organisms, researchers are uncovering potential methods to safeguard human health in the harsh environment of space.Join us as we unpack these captivating stories and more on this episode of Astronomy Daily!00:00 – **Astronomy Daily brings you the latest news from across the cosmos
00:37 – **Unidentified anomalous phenomena are still being reported in America's skies
02:51 – **New study suggests the universe may not be as symmetrical as we've always thought
04:40 – **NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has discovered the largest fresh impact crater
06:04 – **Astronomers have confirmed first known triple system where all three black holes feed
07:40 – **One of the single biggest obstacles for future long duration space missions is cosmic rays
09:42 – **This week's Astronomy Daily features a number of interesting topics### Sources & Further Reading1. NASA (https://www.nasa.gov/) 2. Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (https://www.scientificcoalitionforuapstudies.org/) 3. HuffPost on UAPs (https://www.huffpost.com/topic/unidentified-aerial-phenomena) 4. Space.com (https://www.space.com/) ### Follow & ContactX/Twitter: @AstroDailyPod
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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 latest
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 news from across the cosmos. I'm your
00:00:08 --> 00:00:09 host, Avery.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 >> And I'm Anna. It's great to be with you.
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 >> Today, we'll be looking at the slow but
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 steady progress in UAP research and a
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 new discovery that suggests our universe
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 might be surprisingly lopsided.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 >> We'll also journey to Mars to see the
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 largest fresh impact crater ever
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 confirmed. Witness a rare cosmic dance
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 of three super massive black holes and
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 explore the innovative ways scientists
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 are trying to protect future astronauts
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 from cosmic rays. So, let's get started.
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 Our first story brings us back to
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 Earth's atmosphere. After years of
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 headlines, whistleblower testimonies,
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 and even congressional hearings,
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 unidentified anomalous phenomena, or
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 UAPs are still being reported in America
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 skies. But getting to the bottom of it
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 all has been slowgoing in 2025.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 >> Right. And experts agree that the only
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 way forward is with disciplined
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 scientific study. The holdup, according
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 to Michael Sophony of the Society for
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 UAP Studies, isn't a lack of interest,
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 but a reluctance to invest serious time
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 and money into what many still see as a
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 wild goose chase.
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 >> Exactly. The good news is that the focus
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 is finally shifting away from old flying
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 saucer cold cases and towards
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 observational and experimental science.
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 But that requires real funding and
00:01:31 --> 00:01:32 institutional support.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 >> And we're starting to see that happen.
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 Institutions like the University of
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 Wartsburg in Germany and the Galileo
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 project at Harvard are developing
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 sophisticated sensor arrays to collect
00:01:42 --> 00:01:46 highquality realtime data on UAPs.
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 >> But it's a massive undertaking. Robert
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 Powell of the Scientific Coalition for
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 UAP Studies says that if you want to
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 seriously test the hypothesis that some
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 UAP are extraterrestrial, you need high
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 precision scientific gear that could
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 >> Mhm. And this isn't just an academic
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 question. Former Navy pilot Ryan Graves,
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 who now chairs an aerospace committee on
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 UAPs, emphasizes the national security
00:02:14 --> 00:02:15 implications. He states that these
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 objects are operating in sovereign
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 airspace and could be collecting
00:02:20 --> 00:02:21 intelligence.
00:02:21 --> 00:02:22 >> That's the angle that seems to be
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 getting the most traction. There's even
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 a bipartisan bill, the Safe Airspace for
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 Americans Act, designed to support
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 civilian UAP reporting.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:33 >> Between that and the Department of
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 Defense's own all domain anomaly
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 resolution office, it feels like
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 momentum is building. Graves says he's
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 optimistic that we may finally get some
00:02:43 --> 00:02:44 closure on this topic.
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 >> It will be fascinating to see what they
00:02:46 --> 00:02:47 find.
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 >> From the skies above Earth to the very
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 fabric of the cosmos, our next story
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 challenges one of the most fundamental
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 assumptions in cosmology. A new study in
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 the reviews of modern physics suggests
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 the universe may not be as symmetrical
00:03:02 --> 00:03:03 as we've always thought.
00:03:03 --> 00:03:06 >> Not symmetrical? What does that mean
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 exactly? I thought the cosmological
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 principle was that the universe looks
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 the same in all directions from any
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 vantage point.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 >> That principle is called isotropy and
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 this new evidence directly challenges
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 it. The phenomenon is known as the
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 cosmic dipole anomaly and it was
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 discovered through precise measurements
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 of the cosmic microwave background or
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 CMB.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 >> Right. The CMBB is the afterglow of the
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 Big Bang, the oldest light in the
00:03:33 --> 00:03:34 universe.
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 >> Exactly. And while it's incredibly
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 uniform, it does have tiny temperature
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 variations. What's strange is that these
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 variations seem to be biased. The CMBB
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 is slightly hotter in one direction and
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 slightly cooler in the opposite
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 direction. It suggests our entire galaxy
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 might be moving through space in a
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 preferred direction at a very high
00:03:56 --> 00:03:57 speed,
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 >> which shouldn't be happening if the
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 universe expanded uniformly. So this
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 throws a wrench in the standard model of
00:04:04 --> 00:04:05 cosmology.
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 >> It certainly could. If this anomaly is
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 confirmed to be a real largecale feature
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 of the universe, it would have profound
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 implications. It could change our
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 understanding of cosmic inflation, dark
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 energy, and dark matter. It might point
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 to entirely new physics, an undiscovered
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 cosmic force, or even require us to
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 revise our theory of the Big Bang
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 itself.
00:04:31 --> 00:04:35 Wow, that is a truly cosmic mystery.
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 >> And as you know, we love a good mystery
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 here on Astronomy Daily.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 >> From that grand scale, let's zoom in on
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 our planetary neighbor, Mars. NASA's
00:04:46 --> 00:04:47 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has
00:04:47 --> 00:04:50 discovered the largest fresh impact
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 crater ever confirmed on the red planet.
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 >> That's fantastic. How big is it, and how
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 did they spot it? The crater is about 50
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 m wide, roughly half the length of a
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 football field. And the way they found
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 it is quite clever. Bruce Caner of Malin
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 Space Science Systems was using the Mars
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 Color imager, a camera primarily used
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 for weather monitoring when he noticed
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 an unusual dark spot that appeared
00:05:15 --> 00:05:19 between March 27th and 28th, 2012.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 >> So he found it by noticing something had
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 changed in the daily weather maps.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 >> Precisely. The crater itself is
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 relatively shallow, and scientists
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 believe it was caused by an asteroid
00:05:30 --> 00:05:33 only about 10 to 18 feet long. When they
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 pointed the highresolution high-rise
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 camera at the spot, they not only
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 confirmed the crater, but also saw
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 smaller nearby craters and even
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 landslides caused by the impact
00:05:43 --> 00:05:44 shockwave.
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 >> And studying a fresh crater like this
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 must be incredibly valuable.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 >> Absolutely. It provides crucial data on
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 current impact rates on Mars and gives
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 us a pristine look at the subsurface
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 materials that were blasted out. A
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 powerful reminder that the solar system
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 is still a very active place.
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 >> Speaking of active places, our next
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 story involves a truly rare and dynamic
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 system. Astronomers have confirmed the
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 first known triple system where all
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 three merging galaxies host actively
00:06:18 --> 00:06:22 feeding radi super massive black holes.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 >> A triple black hole system. That sounds
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 like something out of science fiction.
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 How far away is it?
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 >> This system known as J1218
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 + 1035
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 is about 1.2 billion lightyears from
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 Earth. Using highresolution observations
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 from radio telescopes like the Very
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 Large Array, scientists confirmed that
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 all three galaxies have active galactic
00:06:47 --> 00:06:51 nuclei or AGN which are powered by these
00:06:51 --> 00:06:52 growing black holes.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 >> And you said this is a first. What makes
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 this so unique? While a few other triple
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 AGN systems have been found, this is the
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 first confirmed triple radio AGN,
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 meaning all three black holes are
00:07:06 --> 00:07:09 blasting out powerful jets of radiation
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 detectable in radio wavelengths.
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 >> That makes sense. And I imagine this
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 tells us a lot about how galaxies
00:07:15 --> 00:07:16 evolve.
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 >> Exactly. Finding these systems is a key
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 prediction of the hierarchical model of
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 galaxy evolution where large galaxies
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 grow by merging with smaller ones. This
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 discovery provides a perfect natural
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 laboratory for testing how these
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 galactic encounters drive gas into the
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 galactic centers and ignite the black
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 holes causing them to grow.
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 >> Finally, today let's turn our attention
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 to the human element of space
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 exploration. One of the single biggest
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 obstacles for future longduration
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 missions to the moon and Mars is the
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 constant threat of cosmic rays.
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 >> Right? These aren't like the rays from
00:07:55 --> 00:07:58 our sun. Cosmic rays are high energy
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 particles from distant exploding stars
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 and they are incredibly damaging to
00:08:03 --> 00:08:07 biological tissue. They can shred DNA,
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 damage proteins, and significantly
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 increase the risk for things like
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 cancer. Here on Earth, our magnetic
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 field and thick atmosphere protect us.
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 But in deep space, astronauts are
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 completely exposed. And physical
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 shielding, like lining a spacecraft with
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 polyethylene, can only do so much. The
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 most energetic rays can punch right
00:08:27 --> 00:08:28 through.
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 >> Mhm. And they can even create a shower
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 of secondary radiation inside the ship
00:08:34 --> 00:08:35 when they hit the shielding material,
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 which can sometimes be worse. So with
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 shielding limitations, scientists are
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 turning to biology for creative new
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 solutions. What are they looking into?
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 >> Several strategies are being explored.
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 One is the use of powerful antioxidant
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 drugs which have been shown to reduce
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 cognitive damage in mice exposed to
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 simulated cosmic radiation. Another
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 fascinating area is learning from
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 radioresistant organisms
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 >> like tardigrades, the little water bears
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 that can survive almost anything.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 >> Exactly. By studying how tardigrades and
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 even hibernating animals protect their
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 cellular components from damage, we
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 might be able to develop treatments that
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 do the same for astronauts. A third
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 approach is to activate the body's own
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 cellular stress responses through
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 specific diets or drugs, essentially
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 preparing the cells for the harsh
00:09:26 --> 00:09:27 environment of space.
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 >> So, the answer probably isn't just one
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 thing.
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 >> That's the consensus. It will likely
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 require a combination of improved
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 physical shielding and a cocktail of
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 these biological strategies to make
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 longduration space travel truly safe for
00:09:42 --> 00:09:42 humans.
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 >> And that's all the time we have for
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 today on Astronomy Daily. From the
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 ongoing search for answers about UAPs to
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 the fundamental nature of our universe
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 and from new craters on Mars to
00:09:54 --> 00:09:55 protecting the next generation of
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 explorers,
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 >> it's been an episode that shows us once
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 again how much there is still to
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 discover out there.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 >> Absolutely. A huge thanks to all of you
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 for tuning in. Be sure to join us next
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 time for more news from across the
00:10:08 --> 00:10:09 cosmos.
00:10:09 --> 00:10:14 >> Until then, keep looking up.
00:10:14 --> 00:10:18 Stories we told.