00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily,
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 the podcast that brings you the
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 universe, one story at a time. I'm
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 Avery.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 >> And I'm Anna. It's great to have you
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 with us. We've got news stretching from
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 the rusty soil of Mars all the way to
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 the deepest reaches of cosmic time.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 >> That's right. We'll be talking about
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 possible lightning on Mars, a new crew
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 arriving at the space station, Europe's
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 nextgen reusable spacecraft, a potential
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 new kind of cosmic monster, and we'll
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 finally get an answer to what drives the
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 furious winds of Venus.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 >> So, let's get started. Our first story
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 takes us to the red planet, where an old
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 question might have a shocking new
00:00:42 --> 00:00:43 answer.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 >> Do tell. Avery, for decades, scientists
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 have wondered if lightning could occur
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 on Mars. Well, it seems NASA's
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 Perseverance rover may have finally
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 captured the first direct evidence.
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 >> Wow, really? After all this time, how
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 did it detect it? Was it a flash of
00:01:00 --> 00:01:01 light?
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 >> Not visually, but audibly. The rover's
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 super sensitive microphone, part of the
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 Super Cam instrument, recorded crackling
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 sounds, faint pops and crackles that are
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 distinct from the usual Martian wind. It
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 heard lightning. That's incredible. So,
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 what's causing these electrical
00:01:19 --> 00:01:20 discharges?
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 >> Scientists believe the primary suspect
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 is the planet's infamous dust storms.
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 The friction between dust particles as
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 they're whipped around by the wind can
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 build up a significant static charge,
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 just like shuffling your feet on a
00:01:33 --> 00:01:33 carpet.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 >> Right. And eventually, that charge has
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 to go somewhere, resulting in a spark.
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 >> Exactly. A miniature Martian lightning
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 bolt. While the energy is likely much
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 lower than a typical terrestrial
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 thunderstorm, it proves that Mars'
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 atmosphere is more electrically active
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 than we ever knew. So, Mars has more
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 dynamic and complex weather than we
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 previously thought. This just makes me
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 even more excited for future crude
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 missions. There's still so much to
00:02:01 --> 00:02:02 discover.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:03 >> I think you'll find you're not the only
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 one waiting for that step.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 >> Speaking of space travel, let's turn our
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 attention a little closer to home. On
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 Thanksgiving Day, a crew of three
00:02:12 --> 00:02:13 successfully launched to the
00:02:14 --> 00:02:15 International Space Station aboard a
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 Soyuse rocket.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 >> That's right. The crew consists of one
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 NASA astronaut and two Russian
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 cosminauts. It's a powerful symbol of
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 continued international cooperation in
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 space, even during complicated times
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 here on Earth.
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 >> Absolutely. The space station has always
00:02:32 --> 00:02:33 been a beacon for that kind of
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 partnership. What's on the agenda for
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 their mission?
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 >> It's going to be a busy stay. They're
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 scheduled for an eight-month mission
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 during which they'll oversee a whole
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 range of scientific experiments. These
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 experiments cover everything from human
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 biology and microgravity to material
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 science and Earth observation.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 >> Mhm. And I imagine a lot of maintenance
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 work too, keeping the 20 plus year old
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 station in good shape.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 >> Of course, there's always something to
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 fix or upgrade. They'll also be
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 preparing the station for the arrival of
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 new commercial modules and supporting
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 spacew walks for hardware installation.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 It's a critical job to keep our outpost
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 in orbit running smoothly.
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 >> Well, we wish them a safe and productive
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 mission up there.
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 >> From the present of space flight to its
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 future. The European Space Agency or
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 issa has just announced a target date
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 for a very exciting project. The
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 inaugural flight of its space rider
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 vehicle is now set for 2028.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 >> Space rider, that's reusable space
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 plane, right? What makes it different
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 from other spacecraft out there?
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 >> Think of it as an uncrrewed robotic
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 space laboratory. It's designed to
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 launch on a Vega C rocket, deploy a
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 multi-purpose cargo bay into orbit, and
00:03:51 --> 00:03:52 stay there for up to two months
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 conducting experiments automatically.
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 So, it's essentially a freeflying
00:03:57 --> 00:03:58 science platform.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 >> Exactly. And here's the key part. After
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 its mission is complete, it will
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and land
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 on a runway just like an airplane. The
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 vehicle and its payloads can then be
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 recovered, refurbished, and flown again.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 That's a huge step for Europe.
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 Reusability is the name of the game for
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 making access to space more affordable
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 and sustainable. Having their own
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 reusable vehicle opens up a lot of
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 possibilities for science and technology
00:04:25 --> 00:04:25 development.
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 >> It really does. It will give European
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 scientists and companies a routine way
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 to run experiments in microgravity and
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 bring them back to Earth for analysis
00:04:35 --> 00:04:36 without relying on other launch
00:04:36 --> 00:04:40 providers. 2028 will be a year to watch.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 >> All right. Now, let's journey from low
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 Earth orbit out to the edge of the
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 observable universe. The James Webb
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 Space Telescope has found something
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 peculiar, and it might be a new class of
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 object we've never seen before.
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 >> This is one of those stories that really
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 stretches the imagination. In some of
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 its deepest images of the early
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 universe, Web spotted a series of tiny,
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 extremely red dots.
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 >> Okay, tiny red dots in deep space. That
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 could be a lot of things. What's the
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 theory? Well, after ruling out more
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 conventional explanations like distant
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 red galaxies, a team of astrophysicists
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 has proposed a wild new idea. They think
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 these could be a new kind of cosmic
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 monster. Wo! They're calling them black
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 hole stars. The idea is that at the core
00:05:30 --> 00:05:33 of each of these objects is a super
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 massive black hole, but it's surrounded
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 by an incredibly dense massive shell of
00:05:38 --> 00:05:40 gas that it's feeding on.
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 >> So, it would look like a giant puffy
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 star from the outside, but it's really a
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 black hole in disguise.
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 >> That's the essence of it. This shell of
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 gas is so thick that it traps the light
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 from the accreting material, making the
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 object appear as a single reddish point
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 of light rather than a blazing quazar,
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 which is what we'd normally expect to
00:06:01 --> 00:06:02 see.
00:06:02 --> 00:06:03 >> That would be a gamecher for
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 understanding how the very first super
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 massive black holes grew so big so fast
00:06:09 --> 00:06:10 in the early universe.
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 >> It certainly would. If this hypothesis
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 holds up, it means there could be a
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 hidden population of these growing black
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 holes that we've been completely missing
00:06:20 --> 00:06:24 until now. It's a testament to how JWST
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 isn't just seeing farther. It's seeing
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 things in a whole new way.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 >> It really does make you wonder what else
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 is out there that we know nothing about.
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 But let's hope it's not a case of
00:06:35 --> 00:06:36 ignorance is bliss.
00:06:36 --> 00:06:40 >> You betcha. Okay, for our final story,
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 we come back to our own solar system, to
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 Earth's evil twin sister planet, Venus.
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 We're talking about its hellish
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 atmosphere and the extreme winds that
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 whip around the planet.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 >> Ah, Venusian super rotation. This has
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 been a huge puzzle for decades. The
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 entire atmosphere rotates around the
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 planet 60 times faster than the planet
00:07:03 --> 00:07:07 itself spins. How is that even possible?
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 Exactly. The mechanics have been a
00:07:09 --> 00:07:12 mystery, but new research is pointing to
00:07:12 --> 00:07:16 a key driver. A massive atmospheric tide
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 fueled by the heat of the sun.
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 >> An atmospheric tide like the ocean tides
00:07:21 --> 00:07:22 on Earth.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 >> Similar in principle, but driven by
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 heat, not gravity. The sun intensely
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 heats the dense atmosphere on the day
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 side of Venus. This creates a huge
00:07:32 --> 00:07:36 planetwide thermal wave. As Venus slowly
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 rotates, this wave of hot expanding gas
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 travels around the planet, pushing the
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 atmosphere and maintaining those
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 incredible wind speeds.
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 >> So, the daily cycle of heating and
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 cooling from the sun is constantly
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 pumping energy into the atmosphere,
00:07:52 --> 00:07:53 keeping it spinning like a top.
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 >> That's a perfect analogy. Previous
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 theories focused on other factors, but
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 this research suggests this daily
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 thermal tide is a major contributor, if
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 not the primary one. It's a huge step
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 forward in understanding the climate of
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 not just Venus, but potentially of
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 tidily locked exoplanets around other
00:08:13 --> 00:08:14 stars.
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 >> And that's all the time we have for
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 today. From the crackle of Martian
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 lightning to the roar of Venusian winds
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 and the silent mysteries of the early
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 universe, it's been another incredible
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 time in astronomy.
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 >> It certainly has. Thank you for joining
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 us on Astronomy Daily. We hope you'll
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 subscribe and join us again next time as
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 we continue to explore the cosmos.
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 You'll find us on all podcast platforms
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 or simply visit our website at
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 astronomydaily.io
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 io for details. Plus, you can catch up
00:08:48 --> 00:08:51 on all the latest space news by checking
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 out our constantly updating news feed.
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 >> Until tomorrow then, this has been Avery
00:08:57 --> 00:09:11 >> and Anna wishing you clear skies.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 Stories told.
00:09:14 --> 00:09:22 [Music]