Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E231
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your Daily source for the latest in space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we have an intriguing lineup of stories, from SpaceX's strategic moves to the enigmatic world of dark comets and volcanic moons.
Highlights:
- SpaceX Heads to Texas: Discover the implications of SpaceX's headquarters relocation to Starbase, Texas, following the footsteps of other Musk ventures and marking a significant shift in the company's operations.
- Dark Comets Unveiled: Dive into the discovery of seven new dark comets, mysterious celestial bodies lacking the typical comet tail yet exhibiting unusual non-gravitational acceleration.
- Geminid Meteor Shower : Get ready for a dazzling display from the Geminid meteor shower, originating from asteroid Phaethon, promising bright meteors despite the full Moon's presence.
- Kepler 51's Fourth World: Explore the discovery of a fourth planet in the Kepler 51 system, a new addition to the superpuff planets, challenging our understanding of planetary formation.
- Sun's Superflare Potential: Learn about new research suggesting our sun might produce massive superflares more frequently than previously thought, with potential impacts on Earth's technology.
- Jupiter's Volcanic Moon Io : Uncover the mystery of IO's volcanic activity, as NASA's Juno mission reveals each volcano is powered by its own magma chamber, reshaping our understanding of this fiery moon.
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, YouTubeMusic, Tumblr, and TikTok. Share your thoughts and connect with fellow space enthusiasts.
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.
✍️ Episode References
SpaceX
https://www.spacex.com
Elon Musk
https://twitter.com/elonmusk
Starbase Texas
https://www.spacex.com/starbase
Tesla
https://www.tesla.com
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope
https://www.jwst.nasa.gov
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html
NASA's Juno Mission
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/main/index.html
University of Oulu
https://www.oulu.fi/en
Phaethon (asteroid)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3200_Phaethon
Kepler 51 system
https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/Kepler-51
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Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/24607330?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to astronomy daily your daily
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 space and astronomy news Roundup I'm
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 your host Anna and today we've got an
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 exciting lineup of stories covering
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 everything from spacex's headquarters
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 move to mysterious dark comets and
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 Volcanic moons so let's get
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 started in a significant development for
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 the space industry Elon Musk has
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 announced that spacex's headquarters
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 will officially relocate to Starbase
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 Texas this move follows a pattern we've
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 seen from musk's companies with both
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 Tesla and X formerly Twitter having
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 already made similar transitions away
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 from California the relocation to Texas
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 marks a substantial shift in spacex's
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 operations though the full extent of job
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 and facility transfers from California
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 remains unclear the company has already
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 been expanding its presence in Texas
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 with substantial operations at its Bach
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 chica facility now known as
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 Starbase this decision aligns with
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 musk's previous business moves including
00:00:58 --> 00:01:02 his personal relocation to Texas in 2021
00:01:02 --> 00:01:03 the state's business-friendly
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 environment and absence of state income
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 tax have made it an increasingly
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 attractive destination for tech
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 companies and their
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 Executives scientists have made an
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 intriguing Discovery in our Cosmic
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 neighborhood identifying seven new dark
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 comets bringing the total known count to
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 14 these mysterious celestial objects
00:01:23 --> 00:01:24 are challenging our understanding of
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 what makes a comet a comet as they
00:01:27 --> 00:01:28 display some rather peculiar
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 characteristics
00:01:30 --> 00:01:31 unlike traditional comets that sport
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 their iconic Tales these dark comets
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 remain visually elusive while still
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 exhibiting comet-like movement patterns
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 what makes them particularly fascinating
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 is that they show non-gravitational
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 acceleration meaning something besides
00:01:45 --> 00:01:46 gravity is influencing their
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 trajectories yet they lack the visible
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 outgassing we typically associate with
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 comets the research has revealed two
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 distinct families of these enigmatic
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 objects the first group resides in the
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 outer solar system sharing face with our
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 gas and ice giants these outer dark
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 comets are relatively large measuring
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 hundreds of meters across and follow
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 more elliptical orbits similar to
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 typical comets the second group found in
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 the inner solar system consists of
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 smaller objects just tens of meters
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 across traveling in more circular orbits
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 like our planets this discovery could
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 have significant implications for our
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 understanding of Earth's early history
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 scientists suggest that as many as 60%
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 of neear objects might might be dark
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 comets potentially playing a crucial
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 role in delivering water to our planet
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 during its
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 formation here's a story for our
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 listeners in Australia the Geminid
00:02:40 --> 00:02:41 meteor shower will be putting on a
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 dazzling Celestial display this weekend
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 treating stargazers down under to one of
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 the year's most spectacular astronomical
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 events unlike most meteor showers that
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 come from comets the Geminids originate
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 from an unusual asteroid called Fon
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 which occasionally behaves like a comet
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 by producing a Dusty tail this unique
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 characteristic of faithon results in the
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 Geminids producing some of the brightest
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 and most robust meteors of any annual
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 shower the meteors occur when Earth
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 passes through the debris Trail left
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 behind by this mysterious asteroid with
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 the particles burning up in our
00:03:18 --> 00:03:19 atmosphere at speeds of tens of
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 kilometers per second while this year's
00:03:21 --> 00:03:24 show coincides with a full moon which
00:03:24 --> 00:03:25 can somewhat diminish the visibility of
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 fainter meteors the Geminids
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 characteristically bright nature means
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 that many shooting stars should still be
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 clearly visible the best viewing will
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 occur in the early morning hours of
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 Saturday particularly around moonset
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 when the sky is at its darkest you can
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 find plenty of charts online that can
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 advise you of when moonset is happening
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 in your area for optimal viewing
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 astronomers recommended finding a spot
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 away from city lights and focusing on
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 the area between Mars and Jupiter just
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 below the star Pollock in the Gemini
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 constellation however meteors could
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 appear anywhere in the night sky making
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 a wide field of view more advantageous
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 than using specialized equipment like
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 telescopes or binoculars happy
00:04:08 --> 00:04:12 stargazing next up in an exciting
00:04:12 --> 00:04:13 Discovery that's challenging our
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 understanding of planetary systems
00:04:16 --> 00:04:17 researchers have identified a fourth
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 planet in the fascinating Kepler 51
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 system this star system was already
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 unique for hosting three ultra low
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 density planets known as super Puffs
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 worlds that are about the size of Saturn
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 but only a few times more massive than
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 Earth giving them the density of cotton
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 candy the discovery came as a surprise
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 when scientists were observing Kepler
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 51d with NASA's James web Space
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 Telescope the planet transited its star
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 2 hours earlier than predicted
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 suggesting something was tugging on it
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 gravitationally after analyzing data
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 from multiple telescopes including web
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 Hubble and ground-based observatories
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 researchers confirm the presence of this
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 previously unknown known fourth planet
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 now designated Kepler
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 51e the new planet appears to orbit its
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 star every 264 days placing it just
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 inside the star's habitable zone at a
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 distance slightly greater than Venus is
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 from our sun while researchers aren't
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 certain if this new world shares the
00:05:18 --> 00:05:19 super puff characteristics of its
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 siblings its Discovery is forcing
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 astronomers to rethink their theories
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 about how such unusual planetary systems
00:05:26 --> 00:05:28 form this finding is particularly
00:05:28 --> 00:05:30 intriguing because super puff planets
00:05:30 --> 00:05:33 are quite rare and when they do occur
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 they're typically the only one in their
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 system now we have a system with at
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 least three confirmed super Puffs
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 possibly four making Kepler 51 an even
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 more exceptional case for studying these
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 mysterious cotton candy
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 worlds talking of new discoveries a
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 concerning new study suggests that our
00:05:51 --> 00:05:52 sun might be capable of producing
00:05:53 --> 00:05:54 massive solar flares known as super
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 flares far more frequently than we
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 previously believed according to
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 research Arch that surveyed over 56
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 sunlike Stars these powerful eruptions
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 could occur as often as once every
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 century rather than the previously
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 estimated time frame of many hundreds to
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 thousands of years these super flares
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 can release energy between 10 times
00:06:17 --> 00:06:18 greater than the largest solar flare
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 ever measured from our sun the famous
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 Carrington event of
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 1859 this is particularly noteworthy
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 because it's been about 165 years since
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 that last major solar storm hit Earth
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 potentially putting us in line for
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 another significant event if such a
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 superf flare were to occur today the
00:06:39 --> 00:06:40 consequences could be devastating for
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 our modern technology dependent Society
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 these events can potentially knock out
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 communication systems and power grids
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 causing widespread disruptions to our
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 daily lives the research team led by
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 scientists at the University of ULU in
00:06:54 --> 00:06:56 Finland detected nearly 3 super
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 flares across more than
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 2 stars during their
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 survey while scientists are still
00:07:03 --> 00:07:04 uncertain whether our sun behaves
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 exactly like these other stars This
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 research raises important questions
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 about our Stars capability for producing
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 such powerful events and highlights the
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 need for better preparation and
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 protection of our Vital infrastructure
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 against potential solar
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 storms and in other Discovery news
00:07:22 --> 00:07:23 scientists have made a fascinating
00:07:24 --> 00:07:25 breakthrough in understanding one of our
00:07:25 --> 00:07:28 solar systems most active worlds NASA's
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 Juno Mission has finally fin solved a
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 44-year-old mystery about Jupiter's moon
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 IO and its extraordinary volcanic
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 activity through extremely close flybys
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 that brought the spacecraft within just
00:07:39 --> 00:07:42 930 Mi of io's surface researchers have
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 discovered that each of its estimated
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 400 volcanoes is likely powered by its
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 own chamber of molten magma rather than
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 a global underground ocean of magma as
00:07:51 --> 00:07:52 previously
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 theorized this volcanic activity is
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 driven by an intense process called
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 tidal flexing as IO orbits Jupiter every
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 42.5 hours the gas Giant's immense
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 gravitational pull literally squeezes
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 and stretches the moon this constant
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 manipulation generates tremendous
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 internal heat melting portions of io's
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 interior by measuring how the moon's
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 gravity affected Juno's acceleration
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 during its flybys scientists were able
00:08:18 --> 00:08:19 to determine that io's interior
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 structure is more rigid than would be
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 expected if it contained a global magma
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 ocean this discovery not only changes
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 our understanding of IO but has broader
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 implications for how we think about
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 other moons in our solar system such as
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 Europa and Enceladus as well as
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 exoplanets beyond our solar system it
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 provides new insights into planetary
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 formation and evolution showing how
00:08:42 --> 00:08:45 complex and varied volcanic processes
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 can be across different
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 worlds and that's all for today's space
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 news I'm Anna and you've been listening
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 to astronomy daily for more fascinating
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 stories from the cosmos head over to our
00:08:57 --> 00:09:00 website at astronomy daily.com IO where
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 you can catch up on all the latest space
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 and astronomy news with our constantly
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 updating news feed listen to all our
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 back episodes and sign up for our free
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00:09:34 --> 00:09:41 [Music]