Source:
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/s03e130-revolutionary-cubesat-launch-planetary-defense-success-and-earth-s-rotational-mysteries--61061517
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, the podcast where we bring you the latest space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna. Today we have an exciting lineup of stories that you won't want to miss. We're starting off with the launch of ESA's new PICSAT-2 satellite, which aims to revolutionize Earth observation through the power of artificial intelligence. Next, we'll dive into NASA's DART mission, which not only managed to deflect an asteroid but also offered invaluable insights into planetary defense strategies. We'll also explore how astronomers are making strides in predicting the feeding times of black holes. Yes, you heard that right. The cosmic voids have dinner schedules. Finally, we'll delve into a fascinating study that uncovers Earth's rotational history, revealing a pattern that has implications for major environmental events across millions of years. So sit back, relax, and get ready to journey through the cosmos with us.
- **ESA's PICSAT-2 Satellite Revolutionizes Earth Observation**: ESA's PICSAT-2 satellite has officially launched, marking a revolutionary advancement in Earth observation through artificial intelligence.
- **NASA's DART Mission: A Breakthrough in Planetary Defense**: NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART, mission, has made a significant splash in planetary defense by successfully demonstrating the ability to deflect an asteroid. The mission involved sending a spacecraft to collide deliberately with the moonlet Dimorphos, which is part of the binary asteroid system Didymos.
- **Predicting Black Hole Feeding Times**: Astronomers have made an impressive leap in our understanding of black holes by successfully predicting the meal times of a colossal black hole. This prediction came after observing the black hole's consumption of a nearby star in bits and pieces. The initial data was captured in 2018, when a surge of brightness was detected from a galaxy about 860 million light-years away.
- **Uncovering Earth's Rotational History**: A recent study has uncovered intriguing details about the Earth's rotational history, revealing a staircase pattern of deceleration interspersed with periods of stability. By analyzing sediment samples dating back a staggering 650 million years, researchers have pieced together how our planet's spin has changed over the eons.
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to astronomy daily the podcast
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 where we bring you the latest space in
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 astronomy news I'm your host Anna today
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 we have an exciting lineup of stories
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 that you won't want to miss we're
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 starting off with the launch of isa's
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 new Pat two satellite which aims to
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 revolutionize Earth observation through
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 the power of artificial intelligence
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 next we'll dive into NASA's Dart Mission
00:00:23 --> 00:00:24 which not only managed to deflect an
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 asteroid but also offered invaluable
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 insights into planetary defense
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 strategies we'll also explore exp how
00:00:30 --> 00:00:31 astronomers are making strides in
00:00:32 --> 00:00:33 predicting the feeding times of black
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 holes Yes you heard that right the
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 cosmic voids have dinner schedules
00:00:38 --> 00:00:39 finally we'll delve into a fascinating
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 study that uncovers Earth's rotational
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 history revealing a pattern that has
00:00:44 --> 00:00:45 implications for major environmental
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 events across millions of years so sit
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 back relax and get ready to Journey
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 Through The Cosmos with
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 us issa's newat two Satellite has
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 officially launched marking a
00:00:56 --> 00:00:57 revolutionary advancement in Earth
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 observation through artificial
00:00:59 --> 00:01:00 intelligence
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 this Innovative cubat which embarked on
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 its Journey aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 rocket is set to push the boundaries of
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 how we monitor our planet advocate for
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 smarter and more efficient planetary
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 monitoring pakat two will play a crucial
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 role in Disaster Response Maritime
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 monitoring and Environmental Protection
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 what's particularly groundbreaking about
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 satat 2 is its ability to process and
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 analyze imagery in real time thanks to
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 its state-of-the-art multispectral
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 camera and onboard AI computer unlike
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 traditional satellites that send vast
00:01:32 --> 00:01:33 amounts of raw data back to Earth for
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 processing satat too does the heavy
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 lifting in orbit this means that only
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 the most essential and useful
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 information is transmitted back to us
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 Cloud detection street map generation
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 Maritime vessel detection and even
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 Wildfire spotting are just a few of the
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 tasks this Mighty little satellite can
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 handle with this real-time processing
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 capability decisionmakers can act
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 quicker and more effectively making
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 setat to a GameChanger in the field of
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 Earth observation
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 NASA's double asteroid redirection test
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 or Dart Mission has made a significant
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 Splash in planetary defense by
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 successfully demonstrating the ability
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 to deflect an asteroid the mission
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 involves sending a spacecraft to collide
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 deliberately with the moonlet dioros
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 which is part of the binary asteroid
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 system dios this intentional impact not
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 only showcased kinetic impact as a
00:02:23 --> 00:02:24 viable method to prevent potential
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 asteroid impacts on Earth but also
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 yielded a treasure Trove of scientific
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 data about the asteroids themselves
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 following the dart Collision extensive
00:02:33 --> 00:02:34 Studies have been conducted on the dios
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 asteroid systems geological and physical
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 properties researchers have unraveled
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 fascinating insights into the formation
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 processes and internal structures of
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 these celestial bodies their findings
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 highlighted the contrast between the
00:02:48 --> 00:02:54 rugged Topography of
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 demorphed surface of the larger dios
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 This research has provided a clearer
00:02:59 --> 00:03:00 understanding of The evolutionary
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 processes that shape binary asteroid
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 systems and how they might respond to
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 impacts significantly enhancing our
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 knowledge and preparedness for planetary
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 [Music]
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 defense astronomers have made an
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 impressive leap in our understanding of
00:03:15 --> 00:03:16 black holes by successfully predicting
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 the meal times of a colossal black hole
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 this prediction came after observing the
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 black hole's consumption of a nearby
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 star in bits and pieces the initial data
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 was captured in 2018 when a surge of
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 brightness was detected from a Galaxy
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 about 860 million light years away this
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 flare up compared to turning on a cosmic
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 light switch billions of times brighter
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 than our sun signaled that a star was
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 being shredded and devoured by a super
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 massive black hole residing at the
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 Galaxy's Center the Stars material
00:03:46 --> 00:03:47 heated up as it approached the black
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 hole emitting X-ray and UltraViolet
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 signals picked up by space telescopes
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 these signals faded after about a year
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 suggesting the black hole had ingested
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 the star however the signal surged again
00:03:59 --> 00:04:00 2 years later
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 indicating that the core of the Star had
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 survived the initial pass using a model
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 based on telescope data astronomers
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 forecasted the black hole's second to
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 last meal before August 2023 their
00:04:12 --> 00:04:13 findings were confirmed through
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 follow-up observations with the Chandra
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 x-ray telescope remarkably the stars
00:04:18 --> 00:04:19 orbit suggests that the next feeding
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 will occur between May and August next
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 year lasting for nearly 2 years this
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 prediction model offers new ways to
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 study and understand the periodic
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 feeding patterns and elusive behaviors
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 of black
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 holes a recent study has uncovered
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 intriguing details about the Earth's
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 rotational history revealing a staircase
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 pattern of deceleration interspersed
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 with periods of stability by analyzing
00:04:43 --> 00:04:44 sediment samples dating back a
00:04:44 --> 00:04:48 staggering 650 million years researchers
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 have pieced together how our planet spin
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 has changed over the eons This research
00:04:53 --> 00:04:54 published in the proceedings of the
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 National Academy of Sciences highlights
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 how Earth's rotation is in a smooth
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 decline but rather a series of gradual
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 slowdowns followed by stable phases
00:05:04 --> 00:05:05 what's fascinating is that these
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 slowdowns and periods of stability seem
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 to align with major environmental events
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 for instance one stable period coincided
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 with the Cambrian explosion a time of
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 dramatic increase in animal diversity
00:05:17 --> 00:05:18 another stable period matched the
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 largest known mass extinction event the
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 study suggests these could be more than
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 mere coincidences providing a deeper
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 understanding of how Earth's rotation
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 and tidal forces have interacted Ed
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 throughout history the sediment data
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 also indicates that the moon was about
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 20 km farther from Earth than it is
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 now and Earth days were roughly 2.2
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 hours longer as scientists continue to
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 delve into this research they hope to
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 uncover more links between our planet's
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 rotational changes and significant
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 environmental
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 shifts that's it for today's episode of
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 astronomy daily I've been your host Anna
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 if you enjoyed today's stories be sure
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 to visit our website at as astronomy
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00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 the latest space and astronomy news and
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 listen to all our back episodes you can
00:06:09 --> 00:06:10 also find us on social media by
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00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 for tuning in and we'll see you next
00:06:16 --> 00:06:22 time
00:06:22 --> 00:06:35 [Music]
00:06:35 --> 00:06:39 St told