Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E244
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go-to source for the latest in space exploration and astronomy news. I'm Anna, and today we're diving into some groundbreaking stories, from the Parker Solar Probe's historic solar approach to a rare astronomical event to wrap up the year.
Highlights:
- Parker Solar Probe's Record-Breaking Pass : NASA's Parker Solar Probe has achieved a remarkable feat by completing its closest ever pass to the Sun, breaking its own record. On December 24, the spacecraft flew just 3.8 million miles from the solar surface at an astonishing speed of 430,000 miles per hour, making it the fastest human-made object in history. This mission marks humanity's first direct investigation of a star, offering unprecedented insights into the Sun's behavior.
- Blue Origin's New Glenn Milestones : Blue Origin has reached two significant milestones with its New Glenn rocket. The company completed a successful integrated hot fire test of the launch vehicle, and the FAA granted a commercial launch license. New Glenn's first flight will carry the Blue Ring Pathfinder, paving the way for national security space launch missions and potential government contracts.
- Rare Astronomical Event : Black Moon: As December comes to a close, stargazers can look forward to a rare Black Moon on December 30th. This second New Moon of the month offers perfect conditions for observing celestial objects, with Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter visible in the night sky alongside the winter constellations.
- Sun's Christmas Light Show: On December 25, the Sun unleashed four powerful solar flares in a synchronized event known as sympathetic solar flares. While the resulting coronal mass ejection is expected to pass north of Earth, scientists remain hopeful for future aurora displays as solar activity continues.
- Mars Sample Return Mission Redesign: NASA is set to announce a major redesign of the Mars Sample Return Mission in early January. This decision aims to address timeline and budget concerns, with the goal of returning Martian samples to Earth before human missions to the Red Planet begin.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. (https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/parker-solar-probe
Blue Origin
Federal Aviation Administration
United Launch Alliance
Perseverance Rover
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/
Astronomy Daily
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:01 welcome to astronomy daily your source
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 for the latest space and astronomy news
00:00:04 --> 00:00:05 I'm your host Anna and today we've got
00:00:06 --> 00:00:07 an exciting lineup of stories from
00:00:08 --> 00:00:09 Parker solar probe's historic solar
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 approach to a rare astronomical event
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 closing out the year there's certainly a
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 lot going on even though it's holiday
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 time so let's get started with today's
00:00:18 --> 00:00:19 history making news
00:00:19 --> 00:00:23 first in a remarkable achievement NASA's
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 Parker solar probe has just successfully
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 completed its closest ever pass to the
00:00:27 --> 00:00:31 sun breaking its own previous record on
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 December 24th the spacecraft flew an
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 astounding 3.8 million miles above the
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 solar surface hurdling through the solar
00:00:38 --> 00:00:42 atmosphere at a blazing speed of 430
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 mph faster than any human-made object in
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 history the mission teams received
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 confirmation late on December 26th when
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 it phoned home so to speak that the
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 spacecraft had successfully survived
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 this extreme encounter and is operating
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 normally this incredible feat wasn't
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 just a one-time event it's the first of
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 several planned passes at this distance
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 setting up the probe for unprecedented
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 scientific observations of our star the
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 spacecraft has spent the last six years
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 preparing for this moment using seven
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 strategic flybys of Venus to gradually
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 adjust its orbit following its final
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 Venus flyby in November Parker solar
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 probe reached its optimal trajectory
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 which will bring it close to the Sun
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 every 3 months near enough to study
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 mysterious solar processes but
00:01:29 --> 00:01:30 maintaining a safe distance from the
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 sun's intense heat and radiation to
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 survive these Close Encounters the probe
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 relies on a sophisticated carbon foam
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 Shield that protects it from
00:01:39 --> 00:01:42 temperatures exceeding 1 million de F in
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 the Solar Corona while the shield itself
00:01:45 --> 00:01:50 heats up to around 1, 1800° fah it keeps
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 the scientific instruments behind it at
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 a comfortable room temperature these
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 close passes are already revolutionizing
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 our understanding of the sun previous
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 approach have revealed that the outer
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 boundary of the corona is more complex
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 than expected with unexpected wrinkles
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 and valleys the probe has also
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 identified the origin of important solar
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 wind structures and is helping
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 scientists better understand how the
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 solar wind accelerates as it leaves the
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 sun this Mission represents a historic
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 moment in space exploration marking
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 Humanity's First Direct investigation of
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 a star and Promises to unlock new
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 mysteries about our Sun's behavior and
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 its effects throughout the solar system
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 moving on Blue origin has just hit two
00:02:33 --> 00:02:34 major milestones in their Journey
00:02:35 --> 00:02:36 towards launching their massive new
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 Glenn rocket the company successfully
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 completed an integrated hot fire test of
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 the fully assembled launch vehicle at
00:02:43 --> 00:02:47 launch complex 36 in Cape Canaveral
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 Florida during this crucial 24 second
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 test all seven B4 engines operated
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 flawlessly including 13 seconds at full
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 thrust this wasn't just a simple engine
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 test the demonstration involved the
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 complete flight vehicle including both
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 first and second stages along with test
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 versions of the payload Fairing and
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 various other components teams conducted
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 multiple days of preparation including
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 tanking tests with both liquid natural
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 gas and liquid oxygen in the first stage
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 and liquid hydrogen and oxygen in the
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 second stage adding to this technical
00:03:22 --> 00:03:23 achievement the Federal Aviation
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 Administration has granted blue origin a
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 part 450 commercial launch license for
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 new Glenn this 5-year authorization
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 marks a significant regulatory Milestone
00:03:34 --> 00:03:35 clearing the way for actual flight
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 operations new Glenn stands an
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 impressive 321 ft tall with a first
00:03:41 --> 00:03:42 stage designed to land propulsively
00:03:42 --> 00:03:46 similar to spacex's Falcon 9 those seven
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 B4 engines that performed so well in the
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 test are the same ones currently
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 powering United launch alliance's Vulcan
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 rocket giving blue origin valuable
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 flight experience with their engine
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 design before new Glenn's first launch
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 when new Glenn does take flight it will
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 carry the blue ring Pathfinder as its
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 first payload this Mission will serve as
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 a crucial step in certifying the rocket
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 for National Security space launch
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 missions potentially opening the door to
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 lucrative government
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 contracts with multiple Vehicles already
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 in production and a growing manifest of
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 commercial and government customers blue
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 origin appears well positioned to join
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 the ranks of major launch providers in
00:04:26 --> 00:04:27 the near
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 future you know how I keep telling you
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 to get outside and look up well it's
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 about to pay off stargazers and
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 astronomy enthusiasts are in for a treat
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 as we approach the end of December with
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 a rare astronomical phenomenon known as
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 a black moon set to occur on December
00:04:42 --> 00:04:46 30th at 5:27 p.m. eastern time while the
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 term isn't officially recognized by
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 astronomers it refers to the second new
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 moon occurring within a single calendar
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 month similar to how a blue moon
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 describes a second full moon in a month
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 during a new moon the Sun and moon share
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 the same Celestial longitude meaning the
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 illuminated side of the moon faces away
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 from Earth making it invisible to
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 observers while we can't see the moon
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 itself this absence of moonlight creates
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 perfect conditions for viewing other
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 celestial objects the timing couldn't be
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 better for winter stargazing in North
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 America where the typically drier air
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 offers exceptional viewing conditions
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 through telescopes the night sky will be
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 particularly active with several planets
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 visible to observers Venus and Saturn
00:05:30 --> 00:05:31 will Grace the southwestern sky in the
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 evening hours while Jupiter will be
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 prominently positioned in the East
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 appearing near the bright star Al dearin
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 in Taurus the winter constellations will
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 be on full display with Orion the hunter
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 taking center stage in the Eastern Sky
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 look for the distinctive three stars of
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 Orion's Belt and the bright stars
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 Beetlejuice and Riel marking his
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 shoulder and foot the HED star cluster
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 forming the face of Taurus the Bull will
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 be visible above Orion while Sirus the
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 brightest star in our night sky will
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 shine brilliantly as part of Canis Major
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 below for those willing to stay up later
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 Leo the Lion will rise in the east
00:06:10 --> 00:06:12 marked by the bright star regulus and
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 its distinctive sickle-shaped pattern of
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 stars forming the lion's mane this
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 moonless night offers an exceptional
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 opportunity to observe these Celestial
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 wonders in all their Glory
00:06:24 --> 00:06:28 enjoy in more news today about our star
00:06:28 --> 00:06:29 the sun put on quite a Christmas light
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 show this year with our star unleashing
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 four powerful solar flares within just 2
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 and 1/2 hours on December 25th the most
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 significant of these eruptions was
00:06:38 --> 00:06:41 classified as an M7 three flare bursting
00:06:41 --> 00:06:44 forth from a region known as AR
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 3 at 105 p.m. eastern time these
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 synchronized explosions known as
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 sympathetic solar flares are quite rare
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 and occurred across three different
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 Sunspot regions ar
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 3 ar 393
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 3 and AR
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 3936 what makes this event particularly
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 interesting is that despite being
00:07:06 --> 00:07:09 spatially separated on the sun's surface
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 these regions were actually connected by
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 invisible magnetic Loops causing them to
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 erupt in concert like a cosmic Chain
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 Reaction the National Oceanic and
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 Atmospheric administration's solar
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 monitoring satellites captured these
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 spectacular eruptions which resembled
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 festive twinkling lights on a cosmic
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 scale while these flares were impressive
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 the resulting coronal mass ejection
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 that's the supercharged plasma bubble
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 that gets hurled into space is expected
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 to pass just north of Earth meaning
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 we'll likely miss out on any Aurora
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 displays this time however there's still
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 hope for some Celestial fireworks before
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 the year ends scientists are confident
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 that the sun will maintain its active
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 State through the remainder of
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 2024 all it takes is one well- aimed
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 powerful flare to treat us to a
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 spectacular Aurora show as we approach
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 the new year so keep looking up these
00:08:03 --> 00:08:04 Christmas flares serve as another
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 reminder of Our Stars incredible power
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 and unpredictability as we continue to
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 Monitor and study its Dynamic Behavior
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 the sun's increasing activity gives
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 scientists valuable opportunities to
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 better understand these powerful solar
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 phenomena and their potential impacts on
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 Earth in a significant development for
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 Mars exploration NASA administrator Bill
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 Nelson Has revealed that a major
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 announcement about the Mars sample
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 return Mission redesign is coming in
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 early January this highly anticipated
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 decision aims to address the mounting
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 concerns over the Project's timeline and
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 budget that have emerged in recent
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 months the original Mission design
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 carrying an estimated price tag of 11
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 billion and a sample return date of 2040
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 was deemed unsustainable by NASA
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 leadership Nelson emphasized that this
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 timeline would conflict with NASA's
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 broader Mars exploration goals
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 particularly since the agency plans to
00:09:00 --> 00:09:03 Have astronauts on the red planet by the
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 2040s the redesign effort has taken an
00:09:06 --> 00:09:07 Innovative approach by actively
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 involving Private Industry Partners
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 alongside NASA's traditional centers
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 early indications suggest this strategy
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 is yielding promising results with
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 proposals that could significantly
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 reduce costs and accelerate the mission
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 timeline this shift in strategy comes
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 after a comprehensive review by an
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 independent review board highlighted
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 serious concerns about the Project's
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 scope and feasibility the mission's
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 complexity is substantial involving
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 multiple spacecraft components including
00:09:36 --> 00:09:39 a Lander a rocket to launch samples from
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 Mars's surface and an Orbiter to
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 transport the samples back to Earth the
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 urgency behind this redesign is driven
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 by the fact that the perseverance Rover
00:09:48 --> 00:09:51 is already on Mars actively collecting
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 and caching samples these precious
00:09:54 --> 00:09:55 materials represent an unprecedented
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 opportunity to study mars' geological
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 history and potential signs of ancient
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 life making the success of the sample
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 return Mission crucial for our
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 understanding of the red planet NASA's
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 leadership is optimistic that the new
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 industry involved approach will provide
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 a more practical path forward ensuring
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 these valuable Martian samples make it
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 back to Earth for study before human
00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 missions begin the upcoming announcement
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 is expected to detail significant
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 changes to the mission architecture
00:10:23 --> 00:10:26 while maintaining its core scientific
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 objectives and that's it for today this
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 is Anna signing off from another
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 fascinating episode of astronomy daily
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 if you want to stay up toate with all
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 the latest developments in space
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 exploration and astronomy head over to
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 our website at astronomy
00:10:40 --> 00:10:43 daily. where our Newsfeed is constantly
00:10:43 --> 00:10:44 updated with the most recent stories
00:10:44 --> 00:10:47 from across the cosmos and don't forget
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 to join our growing community on social
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00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 looking up and stay curious about our
00:10:58 --> 00:11:02 amazing Universe see you soon