Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S04E20
Join host Anna for another captivating episode of Astronomy Daily, where we explore the latest discoveries and news from the cosmos. Today, we have an eclectic mix of stories that promise to spark your curiosity and expand your understanding of the universe.
Highlights:
- Earth's Quasi Moon Named: Meet Cardea, the newly named quasi moon that bridges the gap between moons and asteroids. Discover the fascinating story behind its name and its unique characteristics.
- Real-Time Black Hole Jets: Witness a groundbreaking observation of plasma jets forming in real time from a supermassive black hole, providing new insights into these cosmic phenomena.
- Innovative Interstellar Travel Concept: Learn about a revolutionary method using relativistic electron beams that could drastically reduce travel times to other star systems.
- Europe's Mars Ambitions: The European Space Agency unveils plans for advanced landing technologies aimed at a Mars mission set for 2035, paving the way for future exploration.
- Exciting Lunar Mission Update : Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander makes significant progress on its journey to the Moon, demonstrating groundbreaking navigation technologies.
- Upcoming Partial Solar Eclipse : Mark your calendars for March 29, 2025, when a stunning partial solar eclipse will grace the skies, with visibility across North America and Europe.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/25220728?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to astronomy daily your daily
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 fix of the latest space news and
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 discoveries I'm Anna and today we have a
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 fascinating lineup of stories to share
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 with you we'll explore Earth's newly
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 named quasi Moon witness breakthrough
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 observations of black hole Jets forming
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 in real time and discover an Innovative
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 concept that could revolutionize
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 Interstellar travel we'll also look at
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 Europe's ambitious plans for Mars
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 exploration and catch up with an
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 exciting lunar Mission currently making
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 its way to the moon plus we'll preview
00:00:30 --> 00:00:31 an upcoming partial solar eclipse that
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 many of you will be able to witness in
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 March so let's get started on our
00:00:35 --> 00:00:36 eclectic mix of
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 stories in a delightful blend of ancient
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 mythology and modern astronomy one of
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 Earth's mysterious quasi moons has
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 finally received its official
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 name previously known by its rather
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 clinical designation 2004 gu9 this
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 celestial object has been christened
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 carda after the ancient goddess of door
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 hinges really the name was chosen
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 through a contest organized by the
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 international astronomical Union and the
00:01:02 --> 00:01:06 popular science podcast Radio Lab clay
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 chil cut a student at the University of
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 Georgia submitted the winning name as
00:01:10 --> 00:01:11 part of an extra credit assignment for
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 his astronomy class his choice perfectly
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 captures the unique nature of Quasi
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 moons which exist in a fascinating State
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 between being true moons and independent
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 asteroids unlike regular moons that
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 orbit planets directly quasi moons
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 actually orbit the sun while appearing
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 to Circle Earth from our perspective
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 the name karda is particularly fitting
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 because like a door hinge that connects
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 two spaces these quasi moons occupy a
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 transitional space in our Cosmic
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 neighborhood they're not quite moons not
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 quite asteroids but something in between
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 cardia as the goddess who presided over
00:01:47 --> 00:01:48 thresholds and transitions in Roman
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 mythology beautifully symbolizes this
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 Celestial Gateway between Earth and
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 space the contest featured other
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 compelling entries drawing from various
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 mythologies worldwide including akawa
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 from Filipino mythology and T auk from
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 innuit tradition but it was karda that
00:02:06 --> 00:02:07 captured the imagination of the
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 distinguished panel of Judges which
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 included theoretical physicist sha
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 Carroll astrophysicist Wanda Diaz mered
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 and even Bill Nye the Science Guy this
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 naming marks another fascinating chapter
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 in our understanding of Earth's Cosmic
00:02:22 --> 00:02:26 companions joining camo oala as one of
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 the few named quasi moons in our
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 planet's vicinity
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 these objects while not true satellites
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 of Earth remind us of the complex and
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 often surprising ways celestial bodies
00:02:38 --> 00:02:39 can interact with our
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 planet next up you guessed it today's
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 black hole Discovery in an extraordinary
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 astronomical breakthrough scientists
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 have witnessed something never before
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 seen in human history the realtime
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 formation of plasma jets shooting from a
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 super massive black hole this remarkable
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 event occurred 270 million light years
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 away in the constellation Draco where
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 astronomers observed a galaxy known as 1
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 es
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 1 plus
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 654 the story began in 2018 when this
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 distant black hole started behaving
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 unusually its x-ray Corona mysteriously
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 vanished followed by a dramatic increase
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 in brightness across multiple
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 wavelengths but what happened next left
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 astronomers completely stunned the black
00:03:26 --> 00:03:27 hole's radio emissions suddenly
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 increased 60-fold over just a few months
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 and researchers watched as massive
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 plasma Jets formed at both poles of the
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 black hole using the very large array
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 and very large Baseline array scientists
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 captured high resolution images showing
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 these Jets expanding outward between
00:03:43 --> 00:03:44 2023 and
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 2024 these plasma streams are moving at
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 roughly 20 to 30% of the speed of light
00:03:50 --> 00:03:51 an astonishing velocity that
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 demonstrates the incredible power of
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 these Cosmic phenomena while astronomers
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 have observed larger Jets from other
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 black holes before
00:04:00 --> 00:04:01 some extending hundreds of thousands of
00:04:01 --> 00:04:04 light years this observation is
00:04:04 --> 00:04:05 particularly special because it's the
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 first time we've watched one form in
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 real time these smaller shorter-lived
00:04:10 --> 00:04:14 Jets known as compact symmetric objects
00:04:14 --> 00:04:15 may actually be more common throughout
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 the Universe than their larger
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 counterparts the team believes these
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 Jets might have formed when the black
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 hole consumed a star or gas cloud
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 providing valuable insights into how
00:04:27 --> 00:04:28 black holes interact with their
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 surroundings
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 while many questions remain about
00:04:32 --> 00:04:33 exactly how these Jets form and what
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 powers them this unprecedented
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 observation brings us one step closer to
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 understanding these mysterious Cosmic
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 processes the discovery opens up
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 exciting new possibilities for studying
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 how super massive black holes influence
00:04:47 --> 00:04:50 their galaxies and the broader Universe
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 scientists will continue monitoring this
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 remarkable system hoping to unlock more
00:04:55 --> 00:04:56 secrets about one of space's most
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 enigmatic
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 phenomena now let's take a trip into the
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 realm of what many would have considered
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 science fiction a short time ago in what
00:05:05 --> 00:05:06 could be a game-changing development for
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 space exploration researchers have
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 proposed an Innovative new method of
00:05:11 --> 00:05:12 interstellar travel that could
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 dramatically reduce Journey times to
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 other star systems the concept revolves
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 around using relativistic electron beams
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 streams of electrons accelerated to
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 nearly the speed of light to propel
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 spacecraft across the vast distances of
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 space the fundamental challenge of
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 interstellar travel has always been
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 generating and transferring enough
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 energy to spacecraft efficiently and
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 affordably current chemical Rockets even
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 with gravitational assists from planets
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 and the Sun simply can't achieve the
00:05:43 --> 00:05:44 speeds necessary for practical
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 Interstellar missions but this new
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 approach could change everything the
00:05:50 --> 00:05:51 proposed system would use a beam
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 generating spacecraft positioned near
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 the sun taking advantage of intense
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 solar energy to power an electron beam
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 accelerator these high-speed electrons
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 would then be directed at the spacecraft
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 providing continuous propulsion over
00:06:04 --> 00:06:05 vast
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 distances what makes this concept
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 particularly fascinating is how it
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 handles one of the biggest challenges
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 keeping the Electron Beam focused over
00:06:14 --> 00:06:15 such enormous
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 distances at relativistic speeds time
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 dilation actually works in our favor
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 giving the beam less time to spread out
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 additionally the natural plasma present
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 in space creates a magnetic field effect
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 that helps keep the beam concentrated
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 similar to what we observe in Jets from
00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 black holes this relativistic pinch
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 effect could maintain beam coherence for
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 thousands of times the distance from
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 Earth to the Sun the numbers are
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 incredibly promising calculations
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 suggest this system could accelerate a
00:06:46 --> 00:06:49 2 lb probe about the size of Voyager
00:06:49 --> 00:06:53 1 to 10% of the speed of light at that
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 velocity we could reach Alpha centor in
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 just 40 years compared to the current
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 70 year Journey time
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 even more encouraging this approach
00:07:02 --> 00:07:03 could be significantly more cost
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 effective than Alternatives like laser
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 propulsion while capable of moving much
00:07:08 --> 00:07:09 larger
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 spacecraft while significant engineering
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 challenges remain particularly in
00:07:14 --> 00:07:15 converting the beam's energy into
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 propulsion without melting the
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 spacecraft this concept represents one
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 of our most promising paths toward
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 making Interstellar exploration a
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 reality within a human
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 lifetime the European space agency is
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 setting its sights on an ambitious new
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 chapter in Mars Exploration with plans
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 to develop Advanced Landing Technologies
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 for a mission targeted to launch in
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 2035 while the agency is currently
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 focused on sending the rosin Franklin
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 Rover to Mars in 2028 they're already
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 looking ahead to tackle even greater
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 challenges the new initiative calls for
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 the development of guided entry Landers
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 with high Precision Landing
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 capabilities Esa is getting an early
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 start on this project recognizing that
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 2035 presents the most favorable launch
00:08:03 --> 00:08:04 window of the decade for reaching the
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 red planet the timing of this
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 development is crucial with key
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 decisions expected at an upcoming
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 ministerial meeting in Breman later this
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 year meanwhile in current lunar
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 exploration news fireflies Blue Ghost
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 lunar lander is making excellent
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 progress on its 45-day Journey To The
00:08:22 --> 00:08:26 Moon the spacecraft carrying 10 NASA
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 scientific instruments has successfully
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 completed its first main engine burn
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 marking a crucial milestone in its
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 Mission the journey plan is quite
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 intricate Blue Ghost will spend 25 days
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 orbiting Earth before embarking on a
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 4-day transit to lunar orbit followed by
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 16 days circling the moon before
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 attempting its Landing one of the
00:08:49 --> 00:08:50 mission's most impressive achievements
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 so far comes from the lunar gnss
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 receiver experiment or lugra which has
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 already set a new record the system
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 successfully calculated its position
00:09:00 --> 00:09:03 using earth-based navigation signals at
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 a distance of more than 205 mi from
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 Earth that's about 90% of the way to the
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 moon this breakthrough suggests that
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 conventional GPS style navigation could
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 be viable for future deep space missions
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 the spacecraft has also captured some
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 breathtaking footage during its Journey
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 including spectacular views of earth
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 eclipsing the sun these early successes
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 boded well for both the immediate
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 mission objectives and our broader
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 understanding of lunar navigation and
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 Landing
00:09:31 --> 00:09:34 Technologies mark your calendars for
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 March 29th 2025 when skywatchers across
00:09:37 --> 00:09:38 the Northern Hemisphere will be treated
00:09:38 --> 00:09:42 to a remarkable partial solar eclipse
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 while we won't see a total blackout of
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 the sun this event promises to be quite
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 spectacular with up to 94% of the sun's
00:09:48 --> 00:09:51 disc being blocked by the moon in some
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 locations the eclipse will be visible
00:09:53 --> 00:09:57 from 850 to 12:43 UTC with the best
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 views coming from eastern North America
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 and parts of Europe if you're in Far
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 Northern Quebec you'll be among the
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 lucky few just about
00:10:05 --> 00:10:08 44 people who will witness the moon
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 covering 90% or more of the Sun for
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 viewers in New Brunswick and Maine the
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 show will be particularly dramatic with
00:10:15 --> 00:10:18 the partially eclipsed sun rising as two
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 distinct horns on the Eastern
00:10:20 --> 00:10:23 Horizon across the Atlantic Europe will
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 get varying views of this Celestial
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 spectacle the British Isles will see a
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 fairly deep Eclipse with double
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 experiencing 41% coverage and London
00:10:32 --> 00:10:35 about 30% as you move Eastward the
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 eclipse becomes progressively smaller
00:10:37 --> 00:10:41 with Paris seeing 23% Berlin 15% and
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 Moscow just catching a glimpse with 2%
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 coverage northwest Africa will also get
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 to participate in this event though to a
00:10:47 --> 00:10:50 lesser extent the best views will be
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 from Morocco's coastal regions where
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 cities like eljadida will see about 18%
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 of the sun covered remember no matter
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 where you're viewing from proper eye
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 protection is absolutely essential never
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 look directly at the Sun during an
00:11:04 --> 00:11:07 eclipse without certified solar eclipse
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 glasses this event will kick off a
00:11:09 --> 00:11:11 series of partial solar eclipses
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 stretching through the rest of the
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 decade with the next one visible from
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 Tasmania and New Zealand in September
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 2025 it's a reminder of the constant
00:11:19 --> 00:11:22 dance between the Sun Moon and Earth
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 that brings us these fascinating
00:11:23 --> 00:11:26 astronomical
00:11:26 --> 00:11:29 events this has been astronomy daily I'm
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 Anna and thank you for joining me on
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 this Cosmic journey through today's
00:11:33 --> 00:11:35 space news whether it's quasi moons
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 black hole Jets or the promise of faster
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 Interstellar travel there's always
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 something fascinating happening in our
00:11:41 --> 00:11:43 universe if you'd like to catch up on
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 any of our previous episodes or dive
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 deeper into the stories we've covered
00:11:46 --> 00:11:49 today head over to astronomy
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 daily. you'll find our complete Archive
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 of episodes there along with additional
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 resources links and information about
00:11:56 --> 00:11:59 all the topics we discuss stay connected
00:11:59 --> 00:12:00 with with us on social media by
00:12:00 --> 00:12:02 following Astro daily pod on Facebook X
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00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 we're always sharing the latest updates
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 and engaging with our community of space
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 enthusiasts until tomorrow keep looking
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 up and wondering about the Mysteries
00:12:13 --> 00:12:20 that await Us in the cosmos
00:12:20 --> 00:12:34 [Music]
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 told