Highlights:
- Rethinking the Milky Way and Andromeda Collision: Explore the latest research challenging the long-held belief that our Milky Way is on a collision course with the Andromeda galaxy. New simulations suggest a nearly 50% chance that these two galaxies may not collide at all within the next 10 billion years, reshaping our understanding of cosmic interactions.
- Robots Revolutionising Solar Power: Discover how the UK Atomic Energy Agency is pioneering the use of robots to construct gigawatt-scale solar power satellites in space. This innovative project aims to harness the intense solar energy available in orbit, potentially providing a continuous stream of clean energy back to Earth.
- Unusual Full Moon in June: Learn about the upcoming Full Moon on June 11, 2025, which will appear unusually low in the northern sky. This rare event is part of an 18.6-year cycle that influences the Moon's position, creating fascinating celestial patterns that have been observed for millennia.
- Space Launch Highlights: Stay updated on the latest launches from SpaceX and Rocket Lab, including a historic Axiom mission featuring a diverse international crew. With multiple Starlink deployments and significant milestones for human spaceflight, the commercial space sector is rapidly evolving and expanding access to space.
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, YouTube Music, 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 Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:10 - Rethinking the Milky Way and Andromeda collision
10:00 - Robots revolutionising solar power
15:30 - Unusual Full Moon in June
20:00 - Space launch highlights
✍️ Episode References
Milky Way and Andromeda Research
[Nature Astronomy]( https://www.nature.com (https://www.nature.com/) /)
UK Atomic Energy Agency Solar Project
[UKAEA]( https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-atomic-energy-authority (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-atomic-energy-authority) )
Lunar Standstill Cycle
[NASA Moon Phases]( https://moon.nasa.gov (https://moon.nasa.gov/) /)
SpaceX Launch Updates
[SpaceX]( https://www.spacex.com (https://www.spacex.com/) /)
Rocket Lab Launch Information
[Rocket Lab]( https://www.rocketlabusa.com (https://www.rocketlabusa.com/) /)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily]( http://www.astronomydaily.io (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) /)
For Commercial-Free versions become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/27445313?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily,
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 your source for the latest developments
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 in space science and astronomy. I'm your
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 host, Anna, and today we've got a
00:00:08 --> 00:00:09 fascinating lineup of cosmic news to
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 share with you. We'll start with a
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 surprising revelation about our galactic
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 neighborhood. Then we'll look at how
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 robots could revolutionize space-based
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 solar power with breakthrough technology
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 that might soon beam constant clean
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 energy back to Earth. We'll also examine
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 why June's upcoming full moon will be
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 sitting unusually low in the northern
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 sky, a rare celestial event. And
00:00:31 --> 00:00:32 finally, we'll catch up on the latest
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 launches from SpaceX and Rocket Lab,
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 including historic milestones for human
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 space flight. So stay with us as we
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 journey through today's cosmic headlines
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 on Astronomy
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 Daily. Let's kick things off today with
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 a story that might help you sleep easier
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 at night. For what seems like billions
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 of years, astronomers have been telling
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 us that our Milky Way galaxy is on an
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 inevitable collision course with our
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 nearest large galactic neighbor,
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 Andromeda. This cosmic crash was thought
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 to be about 4 to 5 billion years in our
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 future, with the merger eventually
00:01:04 --> 00:01:05 creating what scientists had already
00:01:05 --> 00:01:09 named Milomeda. But now, this long-held
00:01:09 --> 00:01:10 belief is being challenged by new
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 research. A paper published in Nature
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 Astronomy suggests that this galactic
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 collision might not be as certain as we
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 once thought. Scientists have analyzed
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 the latest and most accurate
00:01:21 --> 00:01:22 observations from both the Gaia and
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 Hubble Space Telescopes, combined with
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 recent mass estimates to recalculate the
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 possible future scenarios for our local
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 group of galaxies over the next 10
00:01:32 --> 00:01:33 billion
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 years. The Milky Way's path through the
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 universe isn't just influenced by
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 Andromeda. It's actually affected by the
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 gravitational pull of several objects in
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 our cosmic neighborhood, including the
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 smaller triangulum galaxy, also known as
00:01:47 --> 00:01:50 Messier 33, along with the large and
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 small melanic clouds and various
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 superclusters. What's particularly
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 interesting is how these other cosmic
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 bodies play a significant role in
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 determining whether the Milky Way and
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 Andromeda will actually collide. The
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 research shows that while the triangulum
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 galaxy increases the merger probability,
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 the large melanic clouds orbit runs
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 perpendicular to the Milky Way Andromeda
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 path, which actually makes their merger
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 less likely. The most striking finding
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 from these new simulations is that
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 there's nearly a 50% chance that the
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 Milky Way and Andromeda won't collide at
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 all within the next 10 billion years.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 That's a dramatic shift from what was
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 previously considered almost inevitable.
00:02:31 --> 00:02:32 The researchers do acknowledge some
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 uncertainties in their model. They
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 assumed, for example, that the mass
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 distributions within the galaxies remain
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 constant over the next 10 billion years,
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 which may not be entirely accurate. But
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 their updated simulations using the
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 latest observational data and physics
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 cast considerable doubt on whether this
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 cosmic collision will ever occur.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 Interestingly, the study suggests
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 there's a higher chance that the Milky
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 Way will actually collide with the large
00:02:58 --> 00:03:01 melanic cloud in about 2 billion years.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 Of course, none of us will be around to
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 witness any of these potential cosmic
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 crashes, but it's fascinating how our
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 understanding of even the largest scale
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 events in our cosmic neighborhood
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 continues to evolve.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 Next today, and I assure this is real
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 and not some fancy sci-fi dream. In a
00:03:18 --> 00:03:19 breakthrough that could revolutionize
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 clean energy production, the UK Atomic
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 Energy Agency has demonstrated that
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 remotely operated robots can
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 successfully build gigawatt scale solar
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 power satellites without human
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 intervention. This development, part of
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 the Albatross project in collaboration
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 with clean techch firm Space Solar,
00:03:37 --> 00:03:38 marks a significant step toward
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 achieving round-the-clock renewable
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 energy from space. The project based at
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 the UK AEA's Cullum campus in
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 Oxfordshire utilized dual arm robotic
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 manipulators to construct satellite
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 components designed to be several kilome
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 long and about 20 m wide. This robotic
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 approach offers both cost advantages and
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 safety benefits by reducing the need for
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 astronaut involvement in the assembly,
00:04:03 --> 00:04:04 maintenance, and eventual
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 decommissioning of these massive
00:04:06 --> 00:04:07 structures.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 What makes this concept particularly
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 promising is the intensity of solar
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 energy available in space. According to
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 the European Space Agency, sunlight at
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 the top of Earth's atmosphere is more
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 than 10 times stronger than at ground
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 level. These orbital solar collectors
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 would capture this uninterrupted energy
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 source and beam it back to Earth as
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 microwaves, which could then be
00:04:31 --> 00:04:32 converted into electricity by
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 groundbased antennas. The robotic
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 technology being developed at UKA's
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 remote applications in challenging
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 environment center isn't just for space
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 applications. These same innovations
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 support fusion energy production on
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 Earth, highlighting the synergy between
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 terrestrial and space-based energy
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 solutions. Space Solar is moving quickly
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 with this technology, expecting to
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 commission its first 30 megawatt
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 demonstrator system by 2029 and reach
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 full gigawatt scale capacity within the
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 following decade. potentially providing
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 a continuous stream of clean energy from
00:05:07 --> 00:05:08 the limitless solar resources available
00:05:08 --> 00:05:09 in
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 orbit. If you've been watching the night
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 sky, you might notice something unusual
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 happening this June. The full moon on
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 June 11th, 2025 will appear remarkably
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 low in the sky for northern hemisphere
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 observers. In fact, it will be the
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 lowest full moon we've seen in decades.
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 This isn't random chance or an
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 astronomical anomaly. It's actually part
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 of a fascinating 18.6-year cycle that
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 affects how we see our lunar companion.
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 Unlike what many people assume, the
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 moon's orbit isn't aligned with Earth's
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 equator or even with Earth's path around
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 the Sun. The Moon's orbit is actually
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 tilted by about
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 5.15° relative to the ecliptic. That's
00:05:52 --> 00:05:53 the plane of Earth's orbit around the
00:05:53 --> 00:05:57 Sun. This tilt combined with Earth's own
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 23.5° axial tilt creates some
00:06:00 --> 00:06:01 interesting effects that play out over
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 long time periods. Because of these
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 combined tilts, the moon can appear
00:06:06 --> 00:06:07 anywhere from
00:06:07 --> 00:06:12 28.65° south to 28.65° north in our sky.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 This means that over time, the moon
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 seems to wander north and south against
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 the background stars. Astronomers call
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 the extreme points in this cycle lunar
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 standstills.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 The last major lunar standstill occurred
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 in 2006, and now we're approaching
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 another one. During this period, the
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 moon's path swings to its maximum
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 extremes, making it appear exceptionally
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 high in winter and exceptionally low in
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 summer for northern hemisphere
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 observers. That's why this June's full
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 moon will barely skim the treetops for
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 many North American and European
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 viewers. And if you're in places like
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 Alaska or Iceland, the moon might not
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 rise at all.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 Meanwhile, observers in the southern
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 hemisphere will experience the opposite
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 effect. They'll see what's essentially
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 their own long night's moon, riding
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 remarkably high in their June skies.
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 This gradual shifting of the moon's path
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 happens because the moon's orbital plane
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 is slowly being dragged around once
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 every 18.6 years, primarily due to the
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 gravitational pull of the sun.
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 Astronomers call this the nodal
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 procession. What's particularly
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 fascinating is that ancient peoples
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 recognized and tracked these lunar
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 cycles. At the Kalanish stones in
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 Scotland, erected during the Bronze Age
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 over 4 years ago, archo astronomers
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 have discovered alignments that mark the
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 rising and setting positions of the moon
00:07:37 --> 00:07:38 at its extreme
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 standstills. These ancient stone circles
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 served as astronomical calendars,
00:07:44 --> 00:07:45 helping people track longer periods of
00:07:46 --> 00:07:47 time than the regular monthly lunar
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 cycle. So, when you look at this
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 unusually low full moon in June,
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 remember you're witnessing the same
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 celestial mechanics that our ancestors
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 observed and celebrated thousands of
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 years ago. A living connection to
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 humanity's earliest attempts to
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 understand the rhythms of the
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 cosmos. Let's switch gears now and look
00:08:05 --> 00:08:06 at what's happening in space launches
00:08:06 --> 00:08:09 this week. SpaceX continues to dominate
00:08:09 --> 00:08:10 the launch schedule with an impressive
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 five missions packed into just one week.
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 Rocket Lab kicked things off with their
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 65th Electron launch, nicknamed Full
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 Stream Ahead. Just before June 3rd ended
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 in New Zealand time, they successfully
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 deployed a Black Sky Generation 3
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 satellite into orbit. This marks Rocket
00:08:27 --> 00:08:28 Lab's 10th launch for Black Sky
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 technology, making them the most
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 frequent launch provider for this
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 constellation. The Gen 3 satellites are
00:08:35 --> 00:08:36 quite impressive, capable of producing
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 images with 50 cm resolution and
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 equipped with shortwave infrared
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 sensors. SpaceX has been even busier
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 with multiple Starlink deployments
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 across different launch sites. From Cape
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 Canaveral in Florida, they launched
00:08:50 --> 00:08:54 Starlink Group 1219 carrying 23 Starlink
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 V2 mini satellites, 13 of which feature
00:08:57 --> 00:09:00 the new directtoell capabilities. This
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 mission used booster
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 B1077, making its remarkable 21st
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 flight. The very same day, SpaceX
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 conducted another Starlink launch from
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 Vandenberg Space Force Base in
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 California, delivering 27 more
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 satellites to a different orbital
00:09:16 --> 00:09:19 inclination. And if that wasn't enough,
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 they scheduled yet another Starlink
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 mission for June 8th from Vandenberg,
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 adding 26 more satellites to their
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 rapidly growing constellation. Beyond
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 Starlink, SpaceX is launching the SXM10
00:09:29 --> 00:09:32 satellite for Sirius XM on June 7th.
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 This third generation satellite weighs
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 over 6 kg and will replace older
00:09:37 --> 00:09:38 satellites in the constellation that
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 have been in service since 2005 and
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 2006. Sirius XM currently serves over 33
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 million subscribers, highlighting how
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 space technology directly impacts
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 everyday services many of us use.
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 Perhaps most exciting is the Axiom 4
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 crude mission launching June 9th.
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 Commander Peggy Witson will lead a
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 diverse international crew including
00:09:58 --> 00:10:01 Shbanshu Shukla from India, Slavos
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 Usnansski from Poland, and Tibbor Capu
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 from Hungary, each representing only the
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 second astronaut from their respective
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 countries to reach space. They'll spend
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 up to two weeks aboard the International
00:10:13 --> 00:10:16 Space Station conducting 60 scientific
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 experiments, setting a record for the
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 most research activities during an Axiom
00:10:20 --> 00:10:23 mission. The Dragon capsule for this
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 mission is brand new, making its first
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 flight, while the Falcon 9 booster is
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 flying for just its second time, having
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 been used only 41 days earlier for a
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 Starlink mission. These milestones
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 highlight how commercial space missions
00:10:36 --> 00:10:37 are now creating opportunities for
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 nations that don't have their own human
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 spaceflight programs to send their
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 citizens to orbit. It's democratizing
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 access to space in ways we couldn't have
00:10:46 --> 00:10:50 imagined even a decade ago.
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 Well, what an incredible journey through
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 space we've taken today. From
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 reconsidering the collision course of
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 galaxies to robots building solar
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 satellites in orbit. From the moon's
00:11:00 --> 00:11:03 fascinating dance across our skies to
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 the remarkable diversity of launches
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 carrying humans and technology beyond
00:11:07 --> 00:11:07 our
00:11:07 --> 00:11:10 atmosphere. I'm Anna and I want to thank
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 you for joining me on this episode of
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 Astronomy Daily. If you enjoyed today's
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 cosmic update, please visit
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 astronomydaily.io io where you can sign
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 up for our free daily newsletter
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 delivering the latest space news right
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 to your inbox. Don't miss future
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 episodes by subscribing to the podcast
00:11:25 --> 00:11:28 on Apple Podcast, Spotify, YouTube, or
00:11:28 --> 00:11:31 wherever you get your podcasts. Your
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 support helps us continue bringing the
00:11:32 --> 00:11:35 wonders of the universe down to earth.
00:11:35 --> 00:11:38 Until next time, keep looking up.
00:11:38 --> 00:11:39 There's always something fascinating
00:11:39 --> 00:11:44 happening in our cosmic neighborhood.
00:11:44 --> 00:11:52 stories told.
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 Stories to tell.
00:11:54 --> 00:12:01 [Music]