Welcome to another exciting episode of Astronomy Daily, where Anna takes you on a thrilling exploration of the latest breakthroughs and discoveries in the cosmos. Prepare to be amazed as we dive into a series of captivating stories that reveal the dynamic nature of our solar system and the remarkable ingenuity of human technology in uncovering its secrets.
Highlights:
- Lunar Gravity Study Unveils Moon's Secrets: Discover how a new gravity study has finally shed light on the long-standing mystery of why the near side of the Moon looks so different from the far side. Researchers reveal significant structural differences in the lunar interior that contribute to this striking dichotomy.
- Historic Australian Rocket Launch Attempt: Join us as we discuss Gilmour Space Technologies' ambitious plan to launch the first Australian-made rocket from Australian soil. Learn about the challenges faced during the pre-launch operations and the significance of this milestone for the global space industry.
- Voyager 1's Thruster Revival: Marvel at the incredible engineering feat achieved by NASA, as they successfully revive thrusters on the Voyager 1 spacecraft, deemed unusable since 2004. This triumph ensures continued data transmission from over 15 billion miles away.
- New Insights into Venus: Explore groundbreaking findings about Venus, suggesting it may be more geologically active than previously thought. Data from NASA's Magellan mission reveals ongoing tectonic processes that reshape our understanding of this enigmatic planet.
- First Image of a Martian Aurora: Be amazed by the Perseverance rover's historic capture of a visible aurora on Mars, marking the first time such a phenomenon has been observed from the surface of another planet. This discovery offers a glimpse into the Martian night sky for future explorers.
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 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 - Lunar gravity study reveals Moon's secrets
10:00 - Historic Australian rocket launch attempt
15:30 - Voyager 1 thruster revival
20:00 - New insights into Venus's geological activity
25:00 - First image of a Martian aurora
✍️ Episode References
Lunar Gravity Study
[NASA GRAIL Mission]( https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/grail/main/index.html (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/grail/main/index.html) )
Gilmour Space Technologies
[Gilmour Space]( https://gilmourspace.com/ (https://gilmourspace.com/) )
Voyager 1 Thruster Revival
[NASA Voyager]( https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/index.html (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/voyager/index.html) )
Venus Geological Activity
[NASA Magellan Mission]( https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/magellan/index.html (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/magellan/index.html) )
Martian Aurora
[NASA Perseverance Rover]( https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/ (https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/) )
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily]( http://www.astronomydaily.io/ (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) )
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/27139862?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your cosmic
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 connection to the stars and beyond. I'm
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 Anna, bringing you the latest
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 developments in space exploration and
00:00:09 --> 00:00:10 astronomical discoveries right to your
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 ears. Today's episode is packed with
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 fascinating stories that showcase both
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 the mysteries of our universe and
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 humanity's incredible technological
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 ingenuity in uncovering them. We'll be
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 exploring several breaking stories that
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 highlight just how dynamic our solar
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 system truly is. We'll start by delving
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 into a new gravity study that finally
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 helps explain why the two sides of our
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 moon look so dramatically different. A
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 question that has puzzled scientists for
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 decades. The research reveals
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 fascinating asymmetries deep within the
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 lunar interior that have shaped its
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 distinctive
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 appearance. Then we'll head down under
00:00:46 --> 00:00:49 to Australia where an aerospace firm was
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 preparing for a historic rocket launch
00:00:51 --> 00:00:52 that would have been the first
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 Australianmade rocket to reach orbit
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 from Australian soil. We'll look at what
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 happened with this milestone attempt and
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 what it means for the growing global
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 space industry. Next, we'll travel to
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 the very edge of our solar system, where
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 NASA engineers have achieved what many
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 would consider impossible, reviving
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 thrusters on the Voyager 1 spacecraft
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 that had been deemed unusable since
00:01:16 --> 00:01:17 2004.
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 This remarkable feat of remote
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 engineering shows just how resourceful
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 our space teams can be, especially when
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 working with a spacecraft that's now
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 over 15 billion miles from Earth. We'll
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 also examine fascinating new findings
00:01:30 --> 00:01:31 about Venus that suggest our nearest
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 planetary neighbor may be more
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 geologically active than previously
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 thought. Data from NASA's Mellin mission
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 has revealed evidence of ongoing
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 tectonic processes that reshape our
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 understanding of this enigmatic world.
00:01:45 --> 00:01:46 Finally, we'll look at a historic first
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 on Mars, where the Perseverance rover
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 has captured an image that no human has
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 ever seen before. A visible aurora on
00:01:54 --> 00:01:57 the red planet. This subtle green glow
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 gives us a preview of what future
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 Martian explorers might witness in the
00:02:01 --> 00:02:04 night sky. These stories remind us that
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 our solar system is not a static place,
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 but an everchanging, dynamic environment
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 full of ongoing processes and unexpected
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 discoveries. They also highlight the
00:02:14 --> 00:02:15 incredible technological achievements
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 that allow us to explore these distant
00:02:17 --> 00:02:20 worlds from right here on Earth. So
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 settle in as we journey across the
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 cosmos, exploring the latest findings
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 that continue to expand our
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 understanding of the universe we call
00:02:28 --> 00:02:32 home. Let's get things underway.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:33 One of the most enduring mysteries about
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 our closest celestial neighbor has been
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 why the moon's near side, the face we
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 see from Earth, looks so dramatically
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 different from its far side. Now, an
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 exhaustive examination of lunar gravity
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 using data from NASA's Grail mission is
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 offering compelling new evidence to
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 explain this lunar dichotomy. The
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 research team discovered that the moon's
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 near side flexes slightly more than the
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 far side during its elliptical orbit
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 around Earth. This difference in tidal
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 deformation caused by Earth's
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 gravitational pole indicates significant
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 structural differences between the two
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 sides of the lunar interior,
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 particularly in the mantle layer. Our
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 study shows that the moon's interior is
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 not uniform, explains Ryan Park, lead
00:03:16 --> 00:03:17 author of the study published in the
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 journal Nature. The side facing Earth,
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 the near side, is warmer and more
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 geologically active deep down than the
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 far side. This temperature difference is
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 substantial. Researchers estimate that
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 the near side mantle averages between
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 180 to
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 360° hotter than the far side mantle.
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 This thermal difference is likely
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 sustained by the radioactive decay of
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 elements like thorium and titanium which
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 appear to have accumulated on the near
00:03:46 --> 00:03:49 side overions of the help explain the
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 stark visual contrast between the two
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 lunar hemispheres. If you've ever looked
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 up at the moon, you've noticed that the
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 near side is dominated by vast dark
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 plains called mare formed when molten
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 rock cooled and solidified billions of
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 years ago. In contrast, the far side has
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 a much more rugged mountainous terrain
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 with very few of these
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 planes. Scientists have long
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 hypothesized that intense volcanism on
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 the near side caused radioactive heat
00:04:17 --> 00:04:18 generating elements to accumulate in the
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 mantle beneath this hemisphere, driving
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 these surface differences.
00:04:23 --> 00:04:24 The new Grail data provides the
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 strongest evidence yet supporting this
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 theory. The researchers devoted years to
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 analyzing data from the Twin Grail
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 spacecraft, Eb and Flow, which orbited
00:04:34 --> 00:04:38 the moon from December 2011 to December
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 2012. Their work has resulted in what
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 Park describes as the most detailed and
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 accurate gravitational map of the moon
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 to date. Beyond solving this lunar
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 mystery, the enhanced gravity map has
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 practical applications. It will be
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 crucial for developing lunar
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 positioning, navigation, and timing
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 systems, essential tools for future
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 lunar exploration missions. By improving
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 our understanding of the moon's gravity
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 field, the research contributes to
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 establishing a precise lunar reference
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 frame that will enable safer and more
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 reliable navigation for spacecraft and
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 surface operations.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 This asymmetry in the moon's interior
00:05:15 --> 00:05:17 structure also deepens our appreciation
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 of our celestial companions importance
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 to Earth. The moon stabilizes our
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 planet's rotation and generates ocean
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 tides that influence countless natural
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 systems and daily rhythms on our world.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 What's particularly exciting is that the
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 gravitational analysis techniques used
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 in this study could potentially be
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 applied to other bodies in our solar
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 system, such as Saturn's moon Enceladus
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 and Jupiter's moon Ganymede. both
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 considered prime candidates in the
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 search for potential life beyond
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 Earth. Next in today's story lineup, an
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 Australian aerospace firm has been
00:05:50 --> 00:05:51 forced to delay what would have been a
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 historic rocket launch from Australian
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 soil. Gilmore Space Technologies had
00:05:56 --> 00:05:57 planned to conduct the first test launch
00:05:58 --> 00:05:59 of their three-stage Aerys rocket
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 yesterday, but had to postpone after
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 encountering a ground system glitch
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 during pre-launch operations.
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 The company's communications chief,
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 Michelle Gilmore, explained that the
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 issue was with an external power system
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 we used during system checks. The
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 technical team identified the fix, but
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 ran out of time to implement it and fuel
00:06:18 --> 00:06:19 the rocket within the day's launch
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 window. They're now targeting today for
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 the rescheduled launch attempt. The 23 m
00:06:25 --> 00:06:29 75- ft Aerys rocket is poised to take
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 off from a spaceport near Bowen, a
00:06:31 --> 00:06:35 coastal township approximately 1 km
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 north of Brisbane. If successful, it
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 would mark a significant milestone as
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 the first Australian-made rocket to
00:06:41 --> 00:06:42 achieve an orbital launch from
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 Australian soil. While the maiden flight
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 is primarily a test, the rocket isn't
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 traveling empty. In a quintessentially
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 Australian touch, it will be carrying a
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 jar of Vegemite, the iconic Australian
00:06:53 --> 00:06:57 toast spread as its payload. CEO Adam
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 Gilmore has been candid about managing
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 expectations for this first flight. If
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 it orbits Earth, I would probably have a
00:07:04 --> 00:07:05 heart attack actually because I'll be so
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 surprised but deliriously happy. He told
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 reporters, "We're going to be happy if
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 it gets off the pad. 10, 20, 30 seconds
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 of flight time. Fantastic. So, orbit is
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 just not in the realm of my belief right
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 now, even though it's theoretically
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 possible. The Aerys rocket is designed
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 to eventually carry small satellites
00:07:25 --> 00:07:28 weighing between 100 and 200 kg into low
00:07:28 --> 00:07:31 Earth orbit, weighing 30 tons when fully
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 fueled. It uses a hybrid propulsion
00:07:33 --> 00:07:36 system combining solid inert fuel with a
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 liquid oxidizer.
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 Gilmore Space Technologies has backing
00:07:40 --> 00:07:41 from private investors, including
00:07:42 --> 00:07:43 venture capital group Blackbird and
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 pension fund HA. The company, which
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 employs 230 people, has ambitious plans
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 to commence commercial launches by late
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 2026 or early 2027. Here's wishing them
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 all the best with the next attempt.
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 Now, here's a story that truly showcases
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 the incredible ingenuity of NASA's
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 engineering team. In what can only be
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 described as a remarkable feat of remote
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 problem solving, engineers at NASA's Jet
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 Propulsion Laboratory have successfully
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 revived a set of thrusters aboard
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 Voyager 1 that had been considered
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 completely inoperable since 2004.
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 This achievement is particularly
00:08:21 --> 00:08:22 impressive when you consider that
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 Voyager 1 is currently hurtling through
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 interstellar space at approximately
00:08:27 --> 00:08:32 35 mph, over 15 billion miles from
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 Earth. That's so far away that radio
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 signals take more than 23 hours to
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 travel between the spacecraft and our
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 planet. The thruster revival was
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 critically timed. Engineers needed to
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 fix these systems before May 4th when
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 the Deep Space Network's 230 foot wide
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 antenna in Canberra, Australia, the only
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 dish powerful enough to send commands to
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 the distant Voyagers, went offline for
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 extensive upgrades that will last until
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 February 2026 with only brief
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 operational windows in August and
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 December. Why was this fix so urgent?
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 The Voyager spacecraft rely on small
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 thrusters to maintain their orientation,
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 keeping their antennas pointed at Earth
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 so they can continue sending back data
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 and receiving commands. The primary set
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 of thrusters currently in use on Voyager
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 1 have been experiencing fuel tube
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 clogging due to residue buildup, which
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 could cause them to fail completely as
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 early as this northern fall. The
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 situation was complicated by the fact
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 that the backup thrusters had stopped
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 working back in 2004 when two small
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 internal heaters lost power. At that
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 time, engineers determined the heaters
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 were likely unfixable and switched to
00:09:43 --> 00:09:46 other backup systems. After all, who
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 could have predicted Voyager would still
00:09:47 --> 00:09:50 be operational two decades later? After
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 revisiting the 2004 thruster failure,
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 the team suspected that an unexpected
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 circuit disturbance had essentially
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 flipped a switch to the wrong position.
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 If they could turn the switch back, the
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 heaters might work again. This solution
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 required precision timing and careful
00:10:06 --> 00:10:09 planning. If the spacecraft's star
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 tracker drifted too far from its guide
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 star during the fix, the dormant
00:10:13 --> 00:10:14 thrusters would automatically fire
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 without their heaters, potentially
00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 causing a small explosion. On March
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 20th, after sending their commands and
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 waiting anxiously through the 23-hour
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 signal delay, the team witnessed the
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 temperature of the thruster heaters rise
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 dramatically, confirming their success.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 As mission propulsion lead Todd Barber
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 described it, "It was such a glorious
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 moment, team morale was very high that
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 day. These thrusters were considered
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 dead. It was yet another miracle save
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 for Voyager." Launched in 1977, both
00:10:44 --> 00:10:47 Voyager 1 and its twin Voyager 2
00:10:47 --> 00:10:48 continue to push the boundaries of space
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 exploration as the only spacecraft to
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 have ever sent back data from
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 interstellar space. The region beyond
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 our solar systems protective bubble.
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 This latest engineering triumph ensures
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 that this incredible scientific journey
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 can continue even
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 longer. Let's move on now to some news
00:11:05 --> 00:11:08 from one of our celestial neighbors. Our
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 understanding of Venus, Earth's
00:11:09 --> 00:11:11 so-called twin planet, continues to
00:11:12 --> 00:11:13 evolve as scientists uncover evidence
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 that it may be more geologically active
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 than previously thought. New research
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 based on data gathered over 30 years ago
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 by NASA's Mellin mission has revealed
00:11:23 --> 00:11:26 fascinating insights about vast
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 quasicular features on Venus called
00:11:28 --> 00:11:31 Coroni, which suggest ongoing tectonic
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 activity beneath the planet's surface.
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 Unlike Earth with its shifting tectonic
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 plates, Venus doesn't have plate
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 tectonics as we know it. However, this
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 doesn't mean Venus is geologically dead.
00:11:43 --> 00:11:44 The new study published in Science
00:11:44 --> 00:11:46 Advances indicates that its surface is
00:11:46 --> 00:11:49 still being deformed by molten material
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 rising from below. Coroni are enormous
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 structures ranging from dozens to
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 hundreds of miles across where plumes of
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 hot buoyant material from Venus's mantle
00:11:59 --> 00:12:00 are thought to push against the
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 lithosphere, the planet's crust and
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 uppermost mantle layer. These features
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 typically appear as oval structures
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 surrounded by concentric fracture
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 systems and hundreds of them have been
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 identified across Venus.
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 What makes this research particularly
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 exciting is that it suggests multiple
00:12:18 --> 00:12:21 ongoing processes are actively shaping
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 these coroni. By combining gravity and
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 topography data from Mellin and
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 developing sophisticated
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 three-dimensional geodamic models,
00:12:29 --> 00:12:32 researchers were able to identify 52
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 Coroni out of the 75 studied that appear
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 to have buoyant mantle material beneath
00:12:36 --> 00:12:40 them, likely driving tectonic processes.
00:12:40 --> 00:12:41 The team identified several different
00:12:41 --> 00:12:45 mechanisms potentially at work in some
00:12:45 --> 00:12:47 Coroni. A Venus specific type of
00:12:47 --> 00:12:50 subduction may be occurring. As hot rock
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 pushes upward from the mantle, surface
00:12:52 --> 00:12:55 material rises and spreads outward
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 eventually colliding with surrounding
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 material and pushing it downward into
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 the mantle. Another process called
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 lithospheric dripping might also be
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 present where dense accumulations of
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 cooler material sink from the
00:13:06 --> 00:13:10 lithosphere into the hot mantle below.
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 Lead researcher Gail Cashioli who is
00:13:12 --> 00:13:13 part of NASA's forthcoming Varidis
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 mission to Venus noted that these
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 features might provide a unique window
00:13:17 --> 00:13:21 into Earth's past. Coroni are not found
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 on Earth today. However, they may have
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 existed when our planet was young and
00:13:25 --> 00:13:26 before plate tectonics had been
00:13:26 --> 00:13:29 established. He explained, "This work is
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 especially significant as it represents
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 yet another instance where scientists
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 are finding Venus exhibits more
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 Earthlike geologic processes than
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 originally thought. Just recently,
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 researchers were able to identify
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 erupting volcanoes and vast lava flows
00:13:43 --> 00:13:46 in radar images from Mellin, providing
00:13:46 --> 00:13:49 direct evidence of volcanic activity.
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 While these discoveries are
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 groundbreaking, scientists will need
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 even higher resolution data to fully
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 understand the tectonic processes
00:13:56 --> 00:13:59 driving corona formation. That's where
00:13:59 --> 00:14:01 NASA's upcoming Varidis mission comes
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 in. Scheduled to launch no earlier than
00:14:03 --> 00:14:06 2031, Veritus will create detailed
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 three-dimensional global maps of Venus
00:14:08 --> 00:14:11 and measure its gravitational field to
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 determine the structure of the planet's
00:14:12 --> 00:14:16 interior at unprecedented resolution,
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 potentially revolutionizing our
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 understanding of Venus and what it might
00:14:20 --> 00:14:23 tell us about Earth's early history.
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 Next, let's head off to our other near
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 neighbor and one of our favorite
00:14:26 --> 00:14:28 planets. In a groundbreaking
00:14:28 --> 00:14:31 astronomical first, NASA's Perseverance
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 rover has captured an image of a visible
00:14:33 --> 00:14:38 aurora on Mars. On March 18, 2024, the
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 rover observed what scientists describe
00:14:40 --> 00:14:43 as a subtle green glow hanging low in
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 the Martian sky, wathing the horizon in
00:14:45 --> 00:14:48 every direction. This marks not only the
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 first sighting of a visible Martian
00:14:50 --> 00:14:52 aurora, but also the first observation
00:14:52 --> 00:14:54 of any aurora from the surface of a
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 planet other than Earth. Until now,
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 auroras had been spotted on Mercury,
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 Jupiter, and every other non-earth
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 planet in our solar system, but only
00:15:02 --> 00:15:05 from orbit. On Mars specifically,
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 scientists had only detected auroral
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 wavelengths of light that are invisible
00:15:08 --> 00:15:11 to the naked eye using specialized
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 instruments. This new observation
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 answers a long-standing question about
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 what future human explorers might
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 witness in the Martian night sky.
00:15:19 --> 00:15:22 According to Roger Wis, a planetary
00:15:22 --> 00:15:24 scientist at Purdue University, future
00:15:24 --> 00:15:26 astronauts would see a dull or dim green
00:15:26 --> 00:15:29 glow with their own eyes. The image from
00:15:29 --> 00:15:31 Perseverance appears somewhat fuzzy
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 compared to the spectacular aurora
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 displays we're accustomed to seeing from
00:15:34 --> 00:15:37 Earth, and for good reason. The rover's
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 cameras aren't optimized for night
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41 photography, performing with sensitivity
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 roughly comparable to human eyes.
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 Another factor contributing to the
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 aurora's different appearance is Mars's
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 unique magnetic environment. Unlike
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 Earth with its global magnetic field
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 that concentrates auroras near the
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55 poles, Mars has a patchy magnetized
00:15:55 --> 00:15:58 crust. This means auroras can appear all
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 over the planet rather than being
00:15:59 --> 00:16:02 confined to polar regions, but they tend
00:16:02 --> 00:16:04 to be comparatively dim. Scientists
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 believe this particular aurora was
00:16:06 --> 00:16:09 triggered by a coronal mass ejection. A
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 large cloud of plasma and magnetic
00:16:10 --> 00:16:13 fields blasted from the sun into space.
00:16:13 --> 00:16:15 The Perseverance team was alerted to
00:16:15 --> 00:16:17 this solar event days in advance,
00:16:17 --> 00:16:19 allowing them to prepare the rover to
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21 capture this historic image.
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 Interestingly, while Perseverance is
00:16:23 --> 00:16:26 located near Mars's equator, researchers
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28 suggest that observing auroras from
00:16:28 --> 00:16:30 Mars' southern hemisphere might yield
00:16:30 --> 00:16:32 even more spectacular results. That
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 region contains the most magnetized part
00:16:34 --> 00:16:37 of the planet, potentially producing
00:16:37 --> 00:16:39 stronger auroral displays. This
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 discovery adds another fascinating
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 chapter to our understanding of Mars and
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 provides a glimpse of the ethereal
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 experiences awaiting future human
00:16:48 --> 00:16:51 explorers who might one day stand on the
00:16:51 --> 00:16:54 red planet surface, gazing up at a
00:16:54 --> 00:16:58 glowing green Martian sky.
00:16:58 --> 00:17:00 And that brings us to the end of today's
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 cosmic journey through the latest space
00:17:02 --> 00:17:04 news. From the mysterious asymmetry of
00:17:04 --> 00:17:06 our moon to engineering marvels on
00:17:06 --> 00:17:09 Voyager 1, tectonic activity on Venus,
00:17:09 --> 00:17:11 delayed rocket launches in Australia,
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 and the first ever image of a Martian
00:17:13 --> 00:17:16 aurora. The universe continues to
00:17:16 --> 00:17:18 surprise and inspire us with each new
00:17:18 --> 00:17:21 discovery. I'm Anna, your host here on
00:17:21 --> 00:17:23 Astronomy Daily, bringing you the
00:17:23 --> 00:17:25 stories that connect us to the vast
00:17:25 --> 00:17:26 cosmos beyond our
00:17:26 --> 00:17:28 atmosphere. Whether you're a seasoned
00:17:28 --> 00:17:31 astronomer or simply curious about what
00:17:31 --> 00:17:34 lies beyond our blue marble, I hope
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 today's episode has sparked your
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 imagination and deepened your
00:17:37 --> 00:17:40 appreciation for the wonders of space
00:17:40 --> 00:17:42 exploration. If you've enjoyed today's
00:17:42 --> 00:17:44 show, please visit our website at
00:17:44 --> 00:17:47 astronomyaily.io io where you can sign
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 up for our free daily newsletter and
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 stay informed about breaking astronomy
00:17:50 --> 00:17:53 news. While you're there, you can also
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 browse through all our back episodes to
00:17:55 --> 00:17:57 catch up on any cosmic stories you might
00:17:57 --> 00:17:59 have missed. Don't forget to subscribe
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00:18:02 --> 00:18:04 Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 your podcasts to ensure you never miss
00:18:06 --> 00:18:09 an episode. Until next time, keep
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 looking up. The universe is putting on
00:18:10 --> 00:18:14 quite a show.
00:18:14 --> 00:18:21 Stories we
00:18:21 --> 00:18:25 told stories
00:18:25 --> 00:18:29 [Music]
00:18:29 --> 00:18:33 told stories