In this episode of Astronomy Daily, host Steve Dunkley and his delightful co-host Hallie dive into an exciting array of cosmic revelations and updates from the universe. Buckle up as they explore some of the most intriguing stories that showcase the dynamic nature of space exploration.
Highlights:
- The Return of Cosmos 482: Discover the impending reentry of the Soviet spacecraft Cosmos 482, originally launched in 1972. As it makes its way back to Earth, experts speculate on the potential for this historic lander to survive its descent, raising questions about space debris and its implications for our planet.
- Space Jobs for the U.S. Army: Learn about the U.S. Army's establishment of a dedicated space career field for enlisted personnel. This new initiative aims to better prepare soldiers for modern conflicts that extend into space, highlighting the increasing importance of space operations in military strategy.
- Hypervelocity Stars and Exoplanets: Explore the groundbreaking discovery of a super Neptune exoplanet orbiting a hypervelocity star. This remarkable find challenges existing models of planetary formation and survival, offering new insights into the dynamics of celestial bodies in extreme environments.
- Juno's Ongoing Mission: Join Steve and Hallie as they discuss the latest findings from NASA's Juno spacecraft at Jupiter. With stunning imagery and data, Juno continues to unveil the mysteries of the gas giant and its volcanic moon, Io, revealing critical details about their atmospheres and internal structures.
- Spacewalks on the International Space Station: Catch up on the recent spacewalk conducted by NASA astronauts to enhance the ISS's capabilities. Their maintenance and upgrades underscore the ongoing efforts to keep the station operational and ready for future missions.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) . Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:10 - Cosmos 482's impending reentry
05:30 - U.S. Army's new space operations specialty
10:45 - Discovery of a super Neptune exoplanet
15:00 - Updates from Juno on Jupiter and Io
20:00 - Recent ISS spacewalk highlights
✍️ Episode References
Cosmos 482 Reentry
[NASA]( https://www.nasa.gov/ (https://www.nasa.gov/) )
U.S. Army Space Operations
[U.S. Army]( https://www.army.mil/ (https://www.army.mil/) )
Hypervelocity Stars
[Astronomical Journal]( https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1538-3881 (https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1538-3881) )
NASA's Juno Mission
[NASA Juno]( https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/main/index.html (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/main/index.html) )
International Space Station Updates
[NASA ISS]( https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html) )
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily]( http://www.astronomydaily.io/ (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) )
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
00:00 - Welcome again to the Australia studio for Astronomy Daily for another week
02:18 - NASA scientists find first known case of super Neptune exoplanet orbiting hypervelocity star
05:58 - US army is establishing its first ever dedicated space career field for enlisted personnel
09:41 - A spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union in 1972 is due to land on Earth
11:11 - NASA's Juno spacecraft has uncovered striking new details about Jupiter and its volcanic moon IO
17:42 - Two NASA astronauts have completed a nearly six hour spacewalk on ISS
19:08 - Hallie: What was your pick of the day today, Halley
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/26957313?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Welcome again to the Australia studio
00:00:02 --> 00:00:03 for Astronomy Daily here for another
00:00:03 --> 00:00:07 week. It's the 5th of May,
00:00:07 --> 00:00:11 2025. Astronomy Daily, the podcast with
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 your host, Steve Dunley.
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 [Music]
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 Yes, we're back again. And please
00:00:17 --> 00:00:18 welcome to the studio my good friend and
00:00:18 --> 00:00:22 digital palie. How are you going today?
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 Always great to be here in the studio
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 with you. Oh, that's nice to hear. So,
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 what's on the menu today? My favorite
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 human. Well, Hie, I'm glad you asked.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 Did you know there is an old Soviet
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 spacecraft about to re-enter back to
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 Earth and not because it's part of a
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 mission? No, just because it's old,
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 right? Oh, Hie, you could get away with
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 a comment like that. Oh, stop it. Yes, I
00:00:44 --> 00:00:45 remember you talking about space junk in
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 the T- room. Yes, we won't go there. And
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 don't forget about that story about the
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 US Army creating space jobs. Yes, space
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 jobs for enlisted personnel. That's the
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 one. I can't wait to hear just what
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 that's all about. I know, Harie. They
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 already have space force. So, what else
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 is going on over there? I know. And how
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 about this one? Astronomers have come
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 across a planet that's orbiting a star.
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 Okay. Yeah, that's a very normal kind of
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 story, isn't it? Yes, but this star is
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 hurtling out of the galaxy at an
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 unbelievable speed. Okay. I just looked
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 at the file. That's a fast star. Well,
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 I've actioned that one for you, Hie.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 I'll bring that story soon. And finally,
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 we'll be going all the way out to Io and
00:01:27 --> 00:01:31 Jupiter. H some of the best stories come
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 from that end of the solar system. Is
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 there an end? The little probe that just
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 keeps on giving. That's right, Juno.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 Juno has been revealing the stunning
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 stunning imagery and data about Jupiter
00:01:42 --> 00:01:46 since 2016. It's been examining the gas
00:01:46 --> 00:01:47 giants atmosphere, auroras, and
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 mysterious core all this while coping
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 with the harshest radiation conditions
00:01:52 --> 00:01:53 in the solar system. How about them
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 apples? Allie, you can keep those
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 apples. Thanks. I'll stick to planet
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 Earth. Yes, I'm a groundhog as well. So,
00:02:01 --> 00:02:02 why don't we get on with it, my
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 data-driven damsel about their
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 astronomical awesomeness. Let's hit it.
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 Okies.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:18 [Music]
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 Astronomers have observed hypervelocity
00:02:20 --> 00:02:23 stars before, but NASA scientists may
00:02:23 --> 00:02:24 have just identified a truly
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 extraordinary system. They found what
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 appears to be the first known case of a
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 super Neptune exoplanet orbiting a
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 hypervelocity star, a star hurtling
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 through space at extraordinary speed.
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 This remarkable find could reshape our
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 understanding of how planets form and
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 survive in extreme gravitational
00:02:42 --> 00:02:43 environments.
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 The fact that a planet has remained
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 gravitationally bound to such a
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 fast-moving star challenges existing
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 models of stellar and planetary
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 evolution. However, this system formed,
00:02:54 --> 00:02:55 it's astonishing that the planet has
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 managed to stay in orbit through such a
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 tumultuous journey. Hypervelocity stars
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 are rare celestial objects that travel
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 at incredible speeds, often hundreds of
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 kilome per second. These stars are
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 usually ejected from their home galaxies
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 by powerful gravitational interactions
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 such as close encounters with super
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 massive black holes or other massive
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 stars. Some travel so fast that they can
00:03:20 --> 00:03:21 escape the gravitational pole of the
00:03:21 --> 00:03:22 Milky Way
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 entirely. Studying these runaway stars
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 offers valuable insight into the
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 structure and evolution of our galaxy,
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 the behavior of black holes, and even
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 the distribution of dark matter
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 throughout the cosmos.
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 The details of this groundbreaking
00:03:37 --> 00:03:38 discovery were published in the
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 astronomical journal led by astronomer
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 Shaun Terry of the University of
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 Maryland. The research describes a low
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 mass star moving at approximately 540
00:03:48 --> 00:03:52 km/s or 1.2 million mph with a likely
00:03:52 --> 00:03:56 super Neptune- sized planet in orbit. If
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 placed in our own solar system, this
00:03:58 --> 00:03:59 planet would lie somewhere between the
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 orbits of Venus and Earth. According to
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 Terry, this is likely the first planet
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 ever discovered orbiting a hypervelocity
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 star. A finding that pushes the
00:04:09 --> 00:04:10 boundaries of what scientists thought
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 was possible in planetary
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 dynamics. Finding objects like this in
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 space is tricky. This object was first
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 seen in 2011 following analysis of data
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 from the microlensing observations in
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 astrophysics survey that had been
00:04:25 --> 00:04:26 conducted by the University of
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 Canterbury in New Zealand. The study had
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 been on the lookout for evidence for
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 exoplanets around distant stars. The
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 presence of a mass between Earth and a
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 distant object creates these
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 microlensing events. As such, when a
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 mass passes between us and a star, its
00:04:44 --> 00:04:45 presence can be revealed through
00:04:45 --> 00:04:49 analysis of its light curve. In the 2011
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 data, the signals revealed a pair of
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 celestial bodies and allowed the
00:04:53 --> 00:04:54 researchers to calculate that one was
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 about 2 times heavier than the
00:04:57 --> 00:04:58 other.
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 The 2011 study suggested the star was
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 about 20% as massive as the sun and a
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 planet 29 times heavier than Earth.
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 Either that or it was a nearer planet
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 about four times the mass of Jupiter,
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 maybe even with a moon. To learn more
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 about the object, the team searched
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 through data from KEK Observatory and
00:05:18 --> 00:05:19 the Gaia
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 satellite. They found the star was
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 located about 24 lighty years away,
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 so still within the Milky Way. By
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 comparing the location of the star in
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 2011 and then 10 years later in 2021,
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 the team was able to calculate its
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 speed. Having calculated the speed of
00:05:37 --> 00:05:41 the star to be around 540 km/s, the
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 team is keen to secure more observations
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 in the years ahead. If it is around the
00:05:46 --> 00:05:50 600 km/s mark, then it's likely to
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 escape the gravity of the Milky Way and
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 enter intergalactic space millions of
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 years in the future. You're listening to
00:05:56 --> 00:06:02 Astronomy Daily with Steve Dunley.
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 The US Army is establishing its first
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 ever dedicated space career field for
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 enlisted personnel. A shift that
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 military officials say will better
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 prepare the force for modern conflicts
00:06:13 --> 00:06:17 that span land, sea, air, cyber, and
00:06:17 --> 00:06:20 space. The new military occupational
00:06:20 --> 00:06:25 specialty MOS designated 40D for space
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 operations specialist will create a
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 permanent career track for enlisted
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 soldiers specializing in space
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 operations, a senior army official
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 announced on May 2nd. These specialists
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 will become the experts we turn to
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 during the next conflict, said
00:06:41 --> 00:06:43 Lieutenant General Sha Gayy, commander
00:06:43 --> 00:06:47 of the US Army Space and Missile Defense
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 Command. The initiative unveiled last
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 August has now received approval from
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 the Army senior leadership. Previously,
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 only Army officers had access to a
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 dedicated space operations career path.
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 Enlisted soldiers working in space
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 related positions were drawn from other
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 specialties such as engineering, air
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 defense, signals, or intelligence, often
00:07:10 --> 00:07:11 returning to those fields after
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 completing a space assignment. To date,
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 the preponderance of expertise and
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 experience in space operations resides
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 in the officer corps instead of the
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 non-commissioned officer core. Gany said
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 this new space operations MOS will
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 ensure that specialists through command
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 sergeants major arrive at army space
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 formations with experience and expertise
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 in space operations. The change comes as
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 military planners increasingly recognize
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 space as a contested domain crucial to
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 modern warfare. Army space professionals
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 will focus on tactics to disrupt or
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 interdict adversaries satellite
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 networks. Army officials said the
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 initiative is designed to be
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 budgetneutral. While personnel currently
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 loaned to space units will return to
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 their original fields in air defense,
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 signal and intelligence, their positions
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 will be converted to the new space
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 operation specialty. The move aligns
00:08:11 --> 00:08:12 with broader Department of Defense
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 efforts to enhance space capabilities in
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 the face of China's advances in
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 anti-satellite technologies. Military
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 analysts note that as satellite
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 communications, GPS navigation, and
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 space-based intelligence becomes
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 increasingly essential to ground
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 operations, the Army's investment in
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 specialized space personnel reflects the
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 growing interdependence of traditional
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 land warfare with capabilities in newer
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 domains.
00:08:41 --> 00:08:51 [Music]
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 Thank you for joining us for this Monday
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 edition of Astronomy Daily, where we
00:08:55 --> 00:08:56 offer just a few stories from the now
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 famous Astronomy Daily newsletter, which
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 you can receive in your email every day,
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 just like Hie and I do. And to do that,
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 just visit our URL,
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 astronomyaily.io, and place your email
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 address in the slot provided. Just like
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 that, you'll be receiving all the latest
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 news about science, space science, and
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 astronomy from around the world as it's
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 happening. And not only that, you can
00:09:18 --> 00:09:22 interact with us by visiting @ Astro
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 Daily Pod on X or at our new Facebook
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 page, which is of course Astronomy Daily
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 on Facebook. See you
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 there. Astronomy Daily with Steve and
00:09:33 --> 00:09:41 Hi. Space, space science, and astronomy.
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 A spacecraft launched by the Soviet
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 Union in 1972 is due to come crashing
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 back into Earth's atmosphere around May
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 10th, and nobody knows where it will
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 land. The Cosmos 482 mission launched
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 the spacecraft toward Venus, but an
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 upper stage rocket booster malfunction
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 left the spacecraft orbiting Earth
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 instead. Netherlands Delft Technical
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 University space situational awareness
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 lecturer Marco Langroke discovered the
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 spacecraft's return to Earth.
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 As this is a lander that was designed to
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 survive passage through the Venus
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 atmosphere, it is possible that it will
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 survive re-entry through the Earth
00:10:15 --> 00:10:18 atmosphere intact and impact intact.
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 Landroke wrote in a blog post. He said
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 the risks are not particularly high, but
00:10:23 --> 00:10:26 not zero and are similar to a meteorite
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 impact. Netherlands satellite tracker
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 Ralph Vanderberg said a set of images he
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 obtained shows the Cosmos capsule in
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 Earth orbit.
00:10:34 --> 00:10:38 We see a clear compact ball. This set is
00:10:38 --> 00:10:41 already fantastic, I think, Vanderberg
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 said. He said the capsule may be
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 tumbling and in some images, it appears
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 to have a weak elongated structure on
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 one side, which could be a parachute
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 that opened during the rocket booster
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 failure. While re-entry into Earth's
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 atmosphere is predicted as soon as May
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 10th, the actual re-entry could be a few
00:10:57 --> 00:11:01 days either side of that date.
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 You're listening to Astronomy Daily, the
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 podcast with Steve Dunley.
00:11:06 --> 00:11:12 [Music]
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 NASA's Juno spacecraft has uncovered
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 striking new details about Jupiter and
00:11:17 --> 00:11:21 its volcanic moon Io. By looking beneath
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 Jupiter's dense cloud cover and deep
00:11:23 --> 00:11:26 into Io's surface, scientists have
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 developed a more detailed model of the
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 fastmoving jetream that surrounds
00:11:30 --> 00:11:33 Jupiter's north pole. At the same time,
00:11:33 --> 00:11:36 they've achieved a first mapping the
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 subsurface temperature of Io, revealing
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 important clues about its internal
00:11:40 --> 00:11:44 structure and ongoing volcanic activity.
00:11:44 --> 00:11:46 Everything about Jupiter is extreme. The
00:11:46 --> 00:11:49 planet is home to gigantic polar
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 cyclones bigger than Australia, fierce
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 jet streams, the most volcanic body in
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 our solar system, the most powerful
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 aurora, and the harshest radiation
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 belts, said Scott Bolton, principal
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 investigator of Juno at Southwest
00:12:04 --> 00:12:08 Research Institute in San Antonio. As
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 Juno's orbit takes us to new regions of
00:12:10 --> 00:12:13 Jupiter's complex system, we're getting
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 a closer look at the immensity of energy
00:12:15 --> 00:12:18 this gas giant wields, he said. Although
00:12:18 --> 00:12:21 Juno's microwave radiometer was designed
00:12:21 --> 00:12:25 to study Jupiter's deep atmosphere, the
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 mission team also directed it at Io,
00:12:27 --> 00:12:30 teaming it with data from the Jovian
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 infrared auroral mapper for a more
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 complete view of the moon's fiery
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 interior. The Juno Science team loves to
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 combine very different data sets from
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 very different instruments to see what
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 we can learn, said Shannon Brown, a
00:12:44 --> 00:12:47 Junoccientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion
00:12:47 --> 00:12:51 Laboratory in Southern California. She
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 added, "When we incorporated the
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 microwave radiometer data with the
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 Jovian infrared auroral mappers infrared
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 imagery, we were surprised by what we
00:13:01 --> 00:13:04 saw. evidence of still warm magma that
00:13:04 --> 00:13:07 hasn't yet solidified below Io's cooled
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 crust. At every latitude and longitude,
00:13:10 --> 00:13:13 there were cooling lava flows. The data
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 suggests that about 10% of the moon's
00:13:15 --> 00:13:18 surface has these remnants of slowly
00:13:18 --> 00:13:22 cooling lava just below the surface. The
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 result may help provide insight into how
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 the moon renews its surface so quickly,
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 as well as how heat moves from its deep
00:13:30 --> 00:13:34 interior to the surface. Io's volcanoes,
00:13:34 --> 00:13:37 lava fields, and subterranean lava flows
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 act like a car radiator, said Brown,
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 efficiently moving heat from the
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 interior to the surface, cooling itself
00:13:44 --> 00:13:47 down in the vacuum of space. Looking at
00:13:47 --> 00:13:50 the Jovian infrared auroral mapper data
00:13:50 --> 00:13:53 alone, the team also determined that the
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 most energetic eruption in Io's history,
00:13:55 --> 00:13:58 first identified by the infrared imager
00:13:58 --> 00:14:02 during Juno's December 27, 2024 flyby,
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 was still spewing lava and ash as
00:14:05 --> 00:14:08 recently as March 2. Juno mission
00:14:08 --> 00:14:10 scientists believe it still remains
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 active and expected more observations on
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 May 6 when the solar powered spacecraft
00:14:15 --> 00:14:19 flew by the moon at a distance of 55
00:14:19 --> 00:14:24 mi or 89 km on February 18,
00:14:24 --> 00:14:28 2023. And it began radio oultation
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 experiments to explore the gas giant's
00:14:30 --> 00:14:32 atmospheric temperature structure at
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 that time. With this technique, the
00:14:34 --> 00:14:36 radio signal is transmitted from Earth
00:14:36 --> 00:14:39 to Juno and back, passing through
00:14:39 --> 00:14:42 Jupiter's atmosphere on both legs of the
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 journey. As the planet's atmospheric
00:14:44 --> 00:14:47 layers bend the radio waves, scientists
00:14:47 --> 00:14:49 can precisely measure the effects of
00:14:49 --> 00:14:52 this refraction to derive detailed
00:14:52 --> 00:14:55 information about the temperature and
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 density of the atmosphere. So far, Juno
00:14:57 --> 00:15:00 has completed 26 radio occultation
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 soundings. Among the most compelling
00:15:02 --> 00:15:04 discoveries, the first ever temperature
00:15:04 --> 00:15:06 measurement of Jupiter's north polear
00:15:06 --> 00:15:09 stratospheric cap reveals the region is
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 about 11° Celsius cooler than its
00:15:12 --> 00:15:15 surroundings and is encircled by winds
00:15:15 --> 00:15:20 exceeding 100 mph or 161 kmh. The team's
00:15:20 --> 00:15:23 recent findings also focused on cyclones
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 that haunt Jupiter's north. Years of
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 data from the Junoam, visible light
00:15:28 --> 00:15:31 imager, and the Jovian infrared auroral
00:15:31 --> 00:15:34 mapper have allowed Juno scientists to
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 observe the long-term movement of
00:15:36 --> 00:15:39 Jupiter's massive northern polar cyclone
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41 and the eight cyclones that encircle it.
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 Unlike hurricanes on Earth, which
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 typically occur in isolation and at
00:15:46 --> 00:15:49 lower latitudes, Jupiter's hurricanes
00:15:49 --> 00:15:53 are confined to the polar region. By
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55 tracking the cyclones movements across
00:15:55 --> 00:15:58 multiple orbits, the scientists observed
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 that each storm gradually drifts toward
00:16:00 --> 00:16:03 the pole due to a process called beta
00:16:03 --> 00:16:05 drift, which is the interaction between
00:16:05 --> 00:16:09 the corololis false and the cyclone
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 circular wind pattern. This is similar
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 to how hurricanes on our planet migrate,
00:16:13 --> 00:16:15 but earthly cyclones break up before
00:16:15 --> 00:16:18 reaching the poles due to lack of warm,
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 moist air needed to fuel them, as well
00:16:20 --> 00:16:23 as the weakening of the corololis force
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 near the poles. What's more, Jupiter's
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 cyclones cluster together while
00:16:27 --> 00:16:29 approaching the pole, and their motion
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 slows as they begin interacting with
00:16:31 --> 00:16:33 neighboring cyclones. These competing
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 forces result in the cyclones bouncing
00:16:36 --> 00:16:38 off one another in a manner reminiscent
00:16:38 --> 00:16:40 of springs in a mechanical system, said
00:16:40 --> 00:16:43 Yoshi Caspie, a Juno investigator from
00:16:43 --> 00:16:46 the Weissman Institute of Science in
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 Israel. This interaction not only
00:16:48 --> 00:16:50 stabilizes the entire configuration, but
00:16:50 --> 00:16:53 also causes the cyclones to oscillate
00:16:53 --> 00:16:55 around their central positions as they
00:16:55 --> 00:16:58 slowly drift westward clockwise around
00:16:58 --> 00:17:00 the pole. The new atmospheric model
00:17:00 --> 00:17:03 helps explain the motion of cyclones,
00:17:03 --> 00:17:05 not only on Jupiter, but potentially on
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 other planets, including Earth. "One of
00:17:07 --> 00:17:10 the great things about Juno is that the
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 orbit is ever changing, which means we
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 get a new vantage point each time we
00:17:14 --> 00:17:17 perform a science flyby," said Bolton.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:19 in the extended mission. That means
00:17:19 --> 00:17:21 we're continuing to go where no
00:17:21 --> 00:17:24 spacecraft has gone before, including
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26 spending more time in the strongest
00:17:26 --> 00:17:29 planetary radi radiation belts in the
00:17:29 --> 00:17:31 solar system. It's a little scary, but
00:17:31 --> 00:17:34 we've built Juno like a tank, and we're
00:17:34 --> 00:17:36 learning more about this intense
00:17:36 --> 00:17:39 environment each time we go through it.
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 Roger that controller. We're listening
00:17:41 --> 00:17:45 to Astronomy Daily, the podcast.
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 And just in case you thought things were
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 winding down on the International Space
00:17:49 --> 00:17:52 Station, they are still very busy up
00:17:52 --> 00:17:55 there. Two NASA astronauts have
00:17:55 --> 00:17:57 completed a nearly 6-hour spacew walk to
00:17:57 --> 00:17:59 perform maintenance and upgrades on the
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 International Space Station, the agency
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 announced
00:18:02 --> 00:18:05 Thursday. And MLAN and Nicole Ays
00:18:05 --> 00:18:07 relocated a space station communications
00:18:07 --> 00:18:09 antenna and improved the ability to
00:18:09 --> 00:18:12 generate power on the ISS.
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 Additionally, the astronaut pair
00:18:13 --> 00:18:16 completed a pair of get ahead tasks,
00:18:16 --> 00:18:18 including installing a jumper cable to
00:18:18 --> 00:18:20 provide power from the P6 truss to the
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 International Space Station's Russian
00:18:22 --> 00:18:24 segment and another to remove bolts from
00:18:24 --> 00:18:26 a micrometeoroid cover. A release from
00:18:26 --> 00:18:29 NASA said moving the communications
00:18:29 --> 00:18:31 antenna and installing a bracket created
00:18:31 --> 00:18:34 space to equip the ISS with additional
00:18:34 --> 00:18:36 solar arrays in the future. While the
00:18:36 --> 00:18:39 team accomplished most of its tasks,
00:18:39 --> 00:18:41 Mlan and heirs were forced to postpone
00:18:41 --> 00:18:44 others due to a lack of time and limited
00:18:44 --> 00:18:46 consumables. It was the third spacew
00:18:46 --> 00:18:49 walk for MLAN and the first for heirs.
00:18:49 --> 00:18:51 It was the fifth all female spacew walk
00:18:51 --> 00:19:04 performed by NASA astronauts.
00:19:04 --> 00:19:06 Thanks for joining us again on Astronomy
00:19:06 --> 00:19:09 Daily for the 5th of May, 2025. Oh, Hie,
00:19:09 --> 00:19:11 it's been a fine old episode, hasn't it?
00:19:11 --> 00:19:14 That it has. So, what was your pick of
00:19:14 --> 00:19:17 the day today, Hie? I think it was the
00:19:17 --> 00:19:19 same as yours, human. I know your
00:19:19 --> 00:19:21 interest in exploration, probes, and so
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 on, would make you choose Juno's
00:19:23 --> 00:19:25 continuing adventures at Jupiter. Oh,
00:19:25 --> 00:19:28 yes. Regular listeners will know it's a
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 little bit of an obvious choice for me,
00:19:29 --> 00:19:32 isn't it? Just imagine being so far from
00:19:32 --> 00:19:34 Earth in that very dangerous place. It's
00:19:34 --> 00:19:37 an amazing story, really. I agree. And
00:19:37 --> 00:19:39 we'll find some more stories for you to
00:19:39 --> 00:19:41 enjoy soon. Oh, thank you, Hie. I'm sure
00:19:41 --> 00:19:44 that you and Anna will find heaps for me
00:19:44 --> 00:19:46 to be interested in during the week as
00:19:46 --> 00:19:49 you do your weekly broadcast from the
00:19:49 --> 00:19:52 Astronomy Daily Virtual Studio. That's
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 uh so that all of our listeners can
00:19:53 --> 00:19:57 enjoy everything astronomy science and
00:19:57 --> 00:20:00 space science every day. Every day.
00:20:00 --> 00:20:02 Anyway, that's enough from us in the
00:20:02 --> 00:20:06 Australia studio today. Time to go human
00:20:06 --> 00:20:08 for sure. Thanks again everyone for
00:20:08 --> 00:20:10 listening in. A big down under good day
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 to the crew at NASA's Marshall Space
00:20:12 --> 00:20:14 Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
00:20:14 --> 00:20:16 And well done for all the great work
00:20:16 --> 00:20:19 you're doing way out there. Fantastic.
00:20:19 --> 00:20:24 We are big fans. See you next time. Bye.
00:20:24 --> 00:20:28 Daily the podcast with your host Steve
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 Dunley.
00:20:29 --> 00:20:32 [Music]