Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E197
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Steve, and today we have a stellar lineup of stories that will take you from the mysteries of the Kuiper Belt to the cutting-edge innovations in space telescopes.
Highlights:
- Kuiper Belt Discoveries: The Subaru telescope has uncovered new objects beyond the known Kuiper Belt, suggesting a more complex structure at the solar system's edge. This discovery could reshape our understanding of planet formation and the search for extraterrestrial life.
- Giant Unrolling Space Telescopes: Explore the future of space telescopes made from thin metal membranes that can unroll in space, offering unprecedented views of the universe. Discover how adaptive optics and laser projections could revolutionize space observation.
- Expedition 72's ISS Maneuvers : The crew of Expedition 72 is preparing to relocate the Dragon Freedom spacecraft to make way for a new cargo mission. Dive into the details of their preparations and the scientific experiments aboard the ISS.
- Chinese Astronauts Return : A Chinese crew has returned to Earth after a six-month mission aboard the Tiangong Space Station. Learn about their journey and China's ambitious plans for lunar exploration.
- November Meteor Showers : The southern and northern Taurids are set to light up the sky this month. Find out when and where to catch these bright fireballs and what makes them unique.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (https://www.astronomydaily.io) . Sign up for our free Daily newsletter to stay informed on all things space. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music, Tumblr, and TikTok . Share your thoughts and connect with fellow space enthusiasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Steve signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
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Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/23866923?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:01 welcome to another episode of astronomy
00:00:01 --> 00:00:03 daily I'm Steve your host it's the 4th
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 of November
00:00:06 --> 00:00:10 2024 daily the podcast with your host
00:00:10 --> 00:00:11 Steve
00:00:11 --> 00:00:14 dun oh and another big episode looking
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 at the objects covered discovered in the
00:00:16 --> 00:00:19 Kyer belt giant unrolling space
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 telescopes Yes you heard me right also
00:00:22 --> 00:00:23 the return of Chinese astronauts from
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 their space station and an update on
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 Expedition 72 gearing up for a trip to
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 the is s all from the astronomy daily
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 newsletter and joining me as per usual
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 is my AI pal who's fun to be with good
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 day hie what's happening hi there my
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 favorite human it's all happening of
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 course oh really really everywhere all
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 the time are you referring to the jumble
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 of stories we've got today that's just a
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 few bits and pieces from the astronomy
00:00:51 --> 00:00:52 daily newsletter too well as you say
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 there's something new every day and I
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 don't want to miss a thing I know it's
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 all happening all right well Hy tell me
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 what's your favorite story this week
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 it's the same as yours okay which is
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 which one the meteors which are due
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 across November oh of course I love to
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 see them every time just like you and
00:01:09 --> 00:01:10 you've got that story I'll have that
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 story shortly righty yeah so we should
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 launch into it why don't you take the
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 lead hi oky doy human wait what's up did
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 you say giant unrolling space telescopes
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 in the intro uh well yes I did say that
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 hie KY sounds amazing Cy indeed all
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 right how about you head into the news
00:01:27 --> 00:01:35 hi so pushy here we go
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 for Expedition 72 crew members are
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 gearing up for a brief ride to relocate
00:01:39 --> 00:01:40 the International Space Station's Dragon
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 Freedom spacecraft this weekend creating
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 space For an upcoming cargo Mission the
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 crew has also spent the week conducting
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 life science research and Performing
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 maintenance tasks aboard the orbiting
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 laboratory NASA astronaut Nick hay and
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 Rose Cosmos cosmina Alexander goranov
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 reviewed relocation procedures on Friday
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 for the dragon freedoms upcoming
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 maneuver the relocation is scheduled to
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 begin at 6:35 a.m. eastern standard time
00:02:05 --> 00:02:06 on Sunday when freedom undocks from the
00:02:06 --> 00:02:09 harmony modules forward Port the crew
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 will include Commander Sunni Williams
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 and flight engineer Butch Wilmore
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 joining ha and gorinov for the
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 relocation the spacecraft will be
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 redocked to Harmony space facing port at
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 7:18 a.m. Hagen gorinov initially
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 arrived at the space station aboard
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 Dragon Freedom as part of SpaceX crew 9
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 on September 28th their return to Earth
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 is planned for February along with
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 Williams and Wilmore the relocation of
00:02:34 --> 00:02:35 dragon Freedom will free up the forward
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 Harmony port for the arrival of a new
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 Dragon cargo Mission which is set to
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 launch from Kennedy Space Center at 9:29
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 p.m. on Monday the cargo dragon is
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 expected to dock at 10:15 a.m. on
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 Tuesday bringing nearly 6 lbs of
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 science experiments and supplies for the
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 station Hagen Wilmore will oversee the
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 arrival of the cargo Dragon flight
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 engineer Don Pettit will assist with
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 Sunday's relocation monitoring Dragon
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 Freedom's automated movements from
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 within the station he joined his crew
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 mates at the end of Friday's shift to
00:03:06 --> 00:03:07 coordinate with Mission controllers
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 regarding the procedure earlier in the
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 day pedit and hay worked together to
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 collect blood samples spin them in a
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 centrifuge and store them in a science
00:03:16 --> 00:03:17 freezer for later
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 analysis pedit also spent time
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 dismantling parts of the Cell Biology
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 experiment facility in preparation for
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 the new experiments being delivered on
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 the next cargo Dragon ha continued
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 reviewing the procedure for command in
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 Dragon during its relocation maneuver on
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 Sunday meanwhile Commander Williams and
00:03:35 --> 00:03:36 flight engineer Wilmore were focused on
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 station upkeep including replacing
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 filters on the Tranquility modules water
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 recycling system and installing a new
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 instrumentation box on the advanced
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 resistive exercise device the duo also
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 took time to train for the upcoming
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 cargo dragon mission in the Russian
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 segment of the station flight engineer
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 Ivan Banner assisted alexe opinan with
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 maintenance tasks in the AFT section of
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 the Zesta service module opinan spent
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 part of his day studying piloting
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 techniques for future planetary missions
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 while gorinov concluded an experiment
00:04:06 --> 00:04:07 observing Earth's atmosphere in
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 ultraviolet wavelengths before resuming
00:04:09 --> 00:04:14 relocation preparations with
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 hay the southern tets will reach their
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 Zenith early Tuesday morning and the
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 northern tets on November 12th while the
00:04:22 --> 00:04:23 two showers only produce around five
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 visible meteors per hour under ideal
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 viewing conditions they are often very
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 bright Fireballs said Sally bruml
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 planetarium manager at the University of
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 Minnesota's Bell Museum what's notable
00:04:34 --> 00:04:35 is that they're likely to produce
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 brighter and longer-lasting meteors than
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 some other showers even if there aren't
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 as many at a time she said the southern
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 tets will Peak on an evening with only a
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 slim Crescent Moon just 11% full the
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 northern tets may be more obstructed By
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 Moonlight since the moon will be 79%
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 full viewing of both showers will last
00:04:54 --> 00:04:58 into December not long after the tets
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 the next big meteor shower the leonids
00:05:00 --> 00:05:01 will Peak on the early morning of
00:05:01 --> 00:05:05 November
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 17th a three-person Chinese crew
00:05:08 --> 00:05:09 returned to Earth early Monday after
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 more than 6 months aboard the tiang gong
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 space station State News Agency shinoa
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 reported yuang Fu Leong and Li wangu
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 were all in good health after touching
00:05:19 --> 00:05:20 down in the return capsule of their
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 sheno spaceship at the dong Fong Landing
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 site in inner Mongolia shinoa said the
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 three men had traveled to Tong gong in
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 late April and were met on October 30th
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 by three new astronauts including the
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 country's only woman space flight
00:05:33 --> 00:05:34 engineer with whom they did a 5-day
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 Handover before making their return
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 Journey China has ramped up plans to
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 achieve its space dream under President
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 Xi Jinping its space program was the
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 third to put humans in orbit and has
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 also landed robotic Rovers on Mars and
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 the Moon crewed by teams of three
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 astronauts that are rotated every 3 to 6
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 months the tong gong space station is
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 the program's Crown Jewel its core
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 module was launched in 2021 and it is
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 plan to be used for about 10 years
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 Beijing says it is on track to send a
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 crude mission to the Moon by 2030 where
00:06:06 --> 00:06:07 it intends to construct a base on the
00:06:07 --> 00:06:11 lunar
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 surface now it's back to you my favorite
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 human and to tell you the truth I just
00:06:16 --> 00:06:17 want to hear about the giant unrolling
00:06:17 --> 00:06:28 space
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 telescopes thank you for joining us for
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 this Monday edition of astronomy daily
00:06:32 --> 00:06:33 where we offer just a few stories from
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 the now famous astronomy daily
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 newsletter which you can receive in your
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 email every day just like hi and I do
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 and to do that just visit our URL
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 astronomy daily. and place your email
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 address in the slot provided just like
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 that you'll be receiving all the latest
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 news about science space science and
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 astronomy from around the world as it's
00:06:54 --> 00:06:56 happening and not only that you can
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 interact with us by visiting at asro
00:06:59 --> 00:07:03 daily pod on X or at our new Facebook
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 page which is of course astronomy daily
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 on Facebook see you
00:07:07 --> 00:07:12 there astronomy derby with Steve and Har
00:07:12 --> 00:07:17 space space science and
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 [Music]
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 astronomy oh one of my favorite favorite
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 things about astronomy and space is the
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 Kyper belt and the or Cloud the region
00:07:27 --> 00:07:32 Beyond Neptune uh we well poal Pluto is
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 one of the most popular or well-known
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 objects out there the Subaru telescope
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 has discovered new objects beyond the
00:07:39 --> 00:07:42 known coper belt suggesting a more
00:07:42 --> 00:07:43 complex structure at the edge of our
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 solar system this finding could reshape
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 our understanding of Planet formation
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 and boost the well search for life
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 outside Earth using the Subaru telescope
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 to observe the outer solar system
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 astronomers have uncovered new objects
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 in the Reg where none were previously
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 expected these newly found bodies likely
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 belong to a much larger yet to be
00:08:07 --> 00:08:08 discovered
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 population this finding has significant
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 implications for our understanding of
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 the solar system structure and history
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 most notably it suggests that the solar
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 system may share more similarities with
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 other planetary systems than previously
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 thought which could influence the
00:08:23 --> 00:08:26 ongoing search for life beyond the solar
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 system the Subaru telescope has been
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 conducting observation of the outer
00:08:30 --> 00:08:33 solar system to help support NASA's new
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 horizon spacecraft the first mission to
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 observe the Kyer belt on the outer edge
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 of the solar system Beyond Neptune while
00:08:40 --> 00:08:44 flying through it Dr fumi Yoshida
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 University of Occupational and
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 environmental health scientists comments
00:08:48 --> 00:08:51 on the possibility of a second ring of
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 Kyper belt objects beyond the known one
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 if this is confirmed he says it would be
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 a major Discovery the primordial solar
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 nebula was much larger than previously
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 thought and this may have implications
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 for studying the planetary formation
00:09:06 --> 00:09:09 process in our solar system Dr Wes
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 Fraser of the national research Council
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 of Canada a co-investigator on the New
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 Horizon mission science team and the
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 study's lead author explains our solar
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 systems Kyer belt long appeared to be a
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 very small in comparison with many other
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 planetary systems but our results
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 suggest that the idea might just have
00:09:29 --> 00:09:33 Arisen due to observational bias he adds
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 so mainly this if this result is
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 confirmed our Kyper belt isn't all that
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 small and unusual after all compared to
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 those around other stars our search for
00:09:44 --> 00:09:47 life in the universe is hindered by the
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 fact that we have only one confirmed
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 example of a planet where life arose
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 that is Earth in the our own solar
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 system with only one example we can't
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 determine which idiosyncrasies were
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 important for the appearance of life and
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 which were irrelevant so anything we do
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 can to rule out the possible re
00:10:06 --> 00:10:09 prerequisite moves us closer to finding
00:10:09 --> 00:10:12 the true prerequisites for
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 life if it is confirmed that the solar
00:10:15 --> 00:10:18 system formed from a solar nebula that
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 was much larger and therefore much less
00:10:21 --> 00:10:24 unusual than we thought it's not only
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 eliminates a small parent nebula from
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 the list of possible prerequisites it
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 greatly increases the possibilities of
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 finding another planetary system that
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 meets all the true prerequisites for
00:10:36 --> 00:10:39 Life thus increasing the possibility of
00:10:39 --> 00:10:42 finding alien life New Horizon's
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 principal
00:10:44 --> 00:10:48 investigator Dr Alan Stern says this
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 groundbreaking discovery revealing
00:10:50 --> 00:10:53 something unexpected new and exciting in
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 the distant reaches of the solar system
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 this discovery probably would not have
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 been possible without the world-class
00:11:00 --> 00:11:03 capabilities of the Subaru telescope the
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 number and distribution of objects at
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 the end of the solar system is a
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 question for future study but at the
00:11:09 --> 00:11:12 very least the Subaru telescope's
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 results indicate that new discoveries
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 await in what was thought to be a very
00:11:16 --> 00:11:19 old empty boring void beyond the known
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 coer
00:11:21 --> 00:11:32 belt di thecast astronomy SP and science
00:11:32 --> 00:11:35 [Music]
00:11:35 --> 00:11:38 space-based telescopes are remarkable
00:11:38 --> 00:11:41 and future space telescopes could very
00:11:41 --> 00:11:43 well be made from thin membranes
00:11:43 --> 00:11:46 unrolled in space to enormous
00:11:46 --> 00:11:49 [Music]
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 sizes their view isn't obscured by the
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 weather in our atmosphere so they can
00:11:53 --> 00:11:56 capture incredibly detailed images of
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 the heavens Unfortunately they are quite
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 Limited mited in Mirror
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 [Music]
00:12:04 --> 00:12:07 size as amazing as the James web Space
00:12:07 --> 00:12:10 Telescope is its primary mirror is only
00:12:10 --> 00:12:14 6.5 m in diameter even then the mirror
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 had to have foldable components to fit
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 into the launch rocket in contrast the
00:12:19 --> 00:12:22 extremely large telescope currently
00:12:22 --> 00:12:25 under construction in Northern Chile
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 will have a mirror of more than 39 M
00:12:28 --> 00:12:31 across if only we could launch that such
00:12:31 --> 00:12:34 large mirror into space a new study
00:12:34 --> 00:12:39 looks at how that might actually be
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 done as the study points out when it
00:12:41 --> 00:12:44 comes to telescope mirrors all you
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 really need is a reflective surface it
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 doesn't need to be coated onto a thick
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 piece of glass nor does it need a big
00:12:51 --> 00:12:54 rigid support structure what's really
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 important is to hold the shape of the
00:12:56 --> 00:12:59 mirror against its own weight as far as
00:12:59 --> 00:13:01 styl is concerned the shiny surface is
00:13:01 --> 00:13:04 all that matters so why not use just a
00:13:04 --> 00:13:07 thin sheet of reflective material you
00:13:07 --> 00:13:09 could just roll it up and put it on your
00:13:09 --> 00:13:12 launch vehicle we could for example
00:13:12 --> 00:13:15 easily launch a 40 m roll of aluminium
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 foil into space of course things aren't
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 quite that simple you would still need
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 to unroll your membrane telescope back
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 into its proper shape you would also
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 need a detector to focus upon the image
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 upon and you need a way to keep that
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 detector in the correct alignment with
00:13:31 --> 00:13:34 the broad sheet mirror in principle you
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 could do that with a thin support
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 structure which wouldn't add excessive
00:13:37 --> 00:13:40 bulk to your telescope but even if we
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 assume all of those engineering problems
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 could be solved you'd still have a
00:13:44 --> 00:13:47 problem even in the vacuum of space the
00:13:47 --> 00:13:50 shape of such a thin mirror would deform
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 over time solving this problem is the
00:13:52 --> 00:13:55 main focus of this new paper once
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 launched into space and unfilled the
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 membrane mirror wouldn't deform
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 significantly but to capture Sharp
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 Images the mirror would have to maintain
00:14:04 --> 00:14:09 focus on the order of visible light when
00:14:09 --> 00:14:11 the Hubble was launched its mirror shape
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 was off by less than the thickness of a
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 human hair and it took correct
00:14:15 --> 00:14:17 correcting lenses an ENT and an entire
00:14:17 --> 00:14:20 shuttle mission to fix it any shifts on
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 that scar would render our membrane
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 telescope useless so the authors took a
00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 well-used trick of astronomers known as
00:14:27 --> 00:14:30 Adaptive Optics this technique Adaptive
00:14:30 --> 00:14:33 Optics is used on large groundbased
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 telescopes as a way to correct for
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 atmospheric Distortion actuators behind
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 the mirror distort the mirror's shape in
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 real time to counteract the twinkles of
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 the atmosphere essentially it makes the
00:14:44 --> 00:14:46 shape of the mirror imperfect to account
00:14:46 --> 00:14:49 for our imperfect view of the sky a
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 similar trick could be used a for a
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 membrane telescope but if we had to
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 launch a complex actuator system for the
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 mirror we might as well go back to
00:14:57 --> 00:15:00 launching rigid telesc Scopes but what
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03 if we simply used Laser Pro projection
00:15:03 --> 00:15:06 instead by shining a laser projection
00:15:06 --> 00:15:08 into the mirror we could alter its shape
00:15:08 --> 00:15:11 through radiative recoil since it's
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 simply a thin membrane the shape would
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 be significant enough to create optical
00:15:15 --> 00:15:18 Corrections and it would be modified in
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 real time to maintain the mirror's Focus
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 the authors have called this technique
00:15:22 --> 00:15:25 radiative Adaptive Optics and through a
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 series of lab experiments have de
00:15:27 --> 00:15:29 demonstrated that it could work
00:15:29 --> 00:15:32 doing this in deep space is much more
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34 complicated of course than doing it in
00:15:34 --> 00:15:37 the lab but the work shows the approach
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 is worth exploring perhaps in the coming
00:15:39 --> 00:15:42 decades we might build an entire array
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 of such telescopes which will allow us
00:15:44 --> 00:15:47 to see details in the distant Heavens
00:15:47 --> 00:16:00 that we can now only just imagine
00:16:00 --> 00:16:02 well that's another episode done and
00:16:02 --> 00:16:05 space dusted for another Monday I hope
00:16:05 --> 00:16:07 you enjoyed our little Adventure through
00:16:07 --> 00:16:10 space space science and Astronomy Today
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 some interesting stories from the
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 astronomy daily newsletter again today
00:16:13 --> 00:16:15 yeah we never know what's going to turn
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 up we'll be watching out for those
00:16:16 --> 00:16:19 meteors though this month the orionids
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21 were a bit of a fizzer from where I was
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 last month but I'm hoping the tours are
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 going to be a spectacular display
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 meteors are always something to watch
00:16:27 --> 00:16:29 out for and I know they are one of your
00:16:29 --> 00:16:32 favorite things oh yeah meteors for sure
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 along with robots Moon buggies the orc
00:16:34 --> 00:16:37 cloud and asteroids and yeah yeah just a
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 few of my favorite things there thank
00:16:38 --> 00:16:41 you how about we say good night Alie
00:16:41 --> 00:16:43 okay see you all next week for astronomy
00:16:43 --> 00:16:45 daily
00:16:45 --> 00:16:51 bye the podcast with your host Steve
00:16:51 --> 00:16:54 Dunley no hi we cannot make our own
00:16:54 --> 00:16:57 giant unrolling Space Telescope with tin
00:16:57 --> 00:17:02 foil put it back in the kitchen fry