Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E228
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go-to source for the latest cosmic discoveries and space exploration insights. I'm your host, Anna, and today we delve into the mind-bending concepts of universal expansion, the mysterious black holes vying for dominance, and the remarkable achievements in space technology.
Highlights:
- Universal Expansion Unveiled : Explore the profound mysteries of our universe's expansion, driven by the enigmatic dark energy, and ponder the possibility of multiple universes.
- NASA's OPAL Program: Celebrate a decade of NASA's OPAL program, which has provided stunning insights into the dynamic atmospheres of our solar system's giant planets through Hubble's observations.
- SpaceX's Starship Progress: Get the latest on SpaceX's preparations for their seventh Starship test flight, highlighting their advances in rocket reusability and upcoming launch milestones.
- Rocket Lab's Hypersonic Success : Discover Rocket Lab's achievements in hypersonic testing for the Department of Defense, showcasing their role in advancing cutting-edge technology.
- NGC5643's Cosmic Drama : Journey to the constellation Lupus to witness the cosmic duel between a supermassive black hole and a stellar-mass black hole in the grand design spiral galaxy NGC5643.
- Busy Launch Schedule : Dive into the bustling launch schedule with SpaceX's ambitious series of Falcon 9 launches and Space One's orbital attempt, marking a new era of space exploration.
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 tomorrow, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
✍️ Episode References
SpaceX
[https://www.spacex.com/](https://www.spacex.com/)
NASA Hubble Space Telescope
[https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/main/index.html)
Opal Program
[https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/opal-the-outer-planet-atmospheres-legacy-program](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/opal-the-outer-planet-atmospheres-legacy-program)
Rocket Lab
[https://www.rocketlabusa.com/](https://www.rocketlabusa.com/)
European Space Agency
[https://www.esa.int/](https://www.esa.int/)
XMM-Newton Telescope
[https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton](https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton)
Astronomy Daily
[https://astronomydaily.io/](https://astronomydaily.io/)
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Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/24541434?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to astronomy daily I'm Anna
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 we've got an incredible show lined up
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 for you today packed with fascinating
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 stories from across the cosmos we'll
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 Journey from the mindbending concepts of
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 our expanding Universe to the mysterious
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 black holes competing for dominance in a
00:00:16 --> 00:00:19 distant Galaxy plus we'll check in on
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 spacex's latest preparations for their
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 next Starship launch and celebrate a
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 remarkable decade of NASA's observations
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 of our solar systems giant planets stay
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 with me as we explore these amazing
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 developments in space and astronomy so
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 let's get started have you ever wondered
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 what the universe is expanding into it's
00:00:38 --> 00:00:39 a question that might seem simple at
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 first but actually touches on some of
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 the most profound mysteries in modern
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 cosmology let me try to break this down
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 in a way that might help us wrap our
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 minds around it think about baking a
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 loaf of bread as it bakes the dough
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 expands into the space of the baking pan
00:00:56 --> 00:00:57 but here's where our everyday experience
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 fails us unlike that bread dough the
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 universe isn't expanding into anything
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 it's simply expanding into itself the
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 universe began about 13.8 billion years
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 ago with the big bang but contrary to
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 what the name suggests it wasn't a giant
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 explosion instead it was a moment when
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 every point in the universe began
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 expanding outward
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 simultaneously scientists can actually
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 track this expansion by observing how
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 other galaxies are moving away from our
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 own Milky Way what's even more
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 fascinating is that this expansion is
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 actually speeding up this acceleration
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 puzzled astrophysicists because it seems
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 to defy gravity itself something
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 mysterious is pushing everything apart
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 with increasing force and we call this
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 invisible force Dark Energy it's
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 mind-boggling to think that this dark
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 energy makes up about 68% of all the
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 energy in the universe while the matter
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 we can see stars planets and galaxies
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 accounts for only about
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 5% when scientists try to understand
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 what might lie beyond our expanding
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 Universe they run into some remarkable
00:01:59 --> 00:02:00 challenges
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 some theories suggest there could be
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 multiple universes out there which might
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 help explain some of the puzzling
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 aspects of quantum mechanics and gravity
00:02:08 --> 00:02:09 that currently don't quite fit together
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 in our models of physics but for now we
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 can say with certainty that the Universe
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 continues its Relentless expansion with
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 galaxies drifting further apart as time
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 goes on all driven by this mysterious
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 dark energy that we're still working to
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 understand it's a humbling reminder of
00:02:26 --> 00:02:27 just how much we still have to learn
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 about our Cosmic home
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 for those who dream of exploring the
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 outer reaches of our solar system NASA's
00:02:35 --> 00:02:36 Hubble Space Telescope has been
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 providing us with an incredible window
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 into the dynamic worlds of our giant
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 neighbors this year marks an impressive
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 Milestone 10 years of the opal program
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 which stands for outer planet
00:02:48 --> 00:02:49 atmospheres
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 Legacy back in 1989 the Voyager missions
00:02:53 --> 00:02:54 gave us our first close-up views of
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 Neptune completing their grand tour of
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 our solar systems giant planets but that
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 that was just the beginning since then
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 Hubble has been taking up the torch
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 conducting annual observations of
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 Jupiter Saturn Uranus and Neptune that
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 rival the detail of those historic
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 Voyager flybys what makes opal
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 particularly special is its consistency
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 and comprehensive approach unlike
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 ground-based telescopes Hubble's
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 position above Earth's atmosphere allows
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 it to capture incredibly sharp stable
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 images of these Distant Worlds it can
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 observe everything from ultraviolet to
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 near infrared wavelengths giving us a
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 complete picture of how these massive
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 planets atmospheres behave each of these
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 giant worlds is a cosmic weather
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 laboratory they don't have Solid
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 Surfaces instead they're wrapped in deep
00:03:44 --> 00:03:45 atmospheres with stunning displays of
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 cloud bands and long-lived storms their
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 years are much longer than Earth's which
00:03:51 --> 00:03:52 means their Seasons stretch on for years
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 at a time this makes hubbles long-term
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 monitoring absolutely crucial for
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 understanding their atmospheric Dynamics
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 the scientific impact of this decade
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 survey has been remarkable with over 60
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 research papers published using opal
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 data the program has become a
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 Cornerstone of planetary research
00:04:12 --> 00:04:13 working hand inhand with other
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 observatories including the James web
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 Space Telescope which can peer even
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 deeper into these planets atmospheres
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 using its infrared vision as we
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 celebrate this 10year Milestone Opel
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 continues to build an Ever growing
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 database of planetary observations
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 allowing scientists to track long-term
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 changes in these fascinating worlds as
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 they orbit our sun it's a testament to
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 Hubble's enduring Legacy and its ongoing
00:04:38 --> 00:04:39 contributions to our understanding of
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 our Cosmic
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 backyard let's move on to a SpaceX
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 update SpaceX is gearing up for another
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 milestone in their starship program with
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 preparations underway for their seventh
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 Test Flight of the Revolutionary Mega
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 rocket just yesterday the company
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 conducted a crucial static fire test of
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 the super heavy first stage booster at
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 their Starbase facility in south Texas
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 all 33 Raptor engines roared to life
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 briefly marking a significant step
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 toward the upcoming launch which could
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 happen as soon as January 11th this
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 follows the impressive progress we've
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 seen in recent test flights the last two
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 missions were particularly successful
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 with both the super heavy booster and
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 Starship spacecraft reaching space and
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 surviving their return Journey on the
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 fifth flight they even managed to catch
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 the super heavy booster using the launch
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 Tower's mechanical arms a key capability
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 for spacex's vision of Rapid rocket
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 reusability meanwhile rocket lab has
00:05:38 --> 00:05:39 been pushing boundaries in a different
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 direction successfully completing a
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 suborbital Hypersonic test mission for
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 the Department of Defense this flight
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 was part of the multi-service advanced
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 capability hypersonics test bed
00:05:51 --> 00:05:52 initiative designed to advance
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 Hypersonic flight testing capabilities
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 for the United States the mission
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 featured an advanced test platform
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 specifically engineered to accommodate
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 larger payloads for Hypersonic
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 technology assessment what's
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 particularly noteworthy is that rocket
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 lab managed every aspect of the project
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 from initial design through to the
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 integration of experimental Hypersonic
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 instrumentation all on an accelerated
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 timeline as George Rumford director of
00:06:19 --> 00:06:20 the test Resource Management Center
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 pointed out these commercial launch
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 services are proving invaluable for the
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 nation's Hypersonic development program
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 they're enabling more frequent and
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 cost-effective testing of components
00:06:31 --> 00:06:32 which is crucial for advancing this
00:06:32 --> 00:06:33 Cutting Edge
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 technology this Mission adds to Rocket
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 lab's impressive track record since 2017
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 during which they've deployed over 200
00:06:41 --> 00:06:42 payloads for various commercial and
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 government customers from their launch
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 sites in both the United States and New
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 Zealand these recent achievements from
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 both SpaceX and Rocket lab demonstrate
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 just how quickly commercial space flight
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 capabilities continue to evolve and
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 mature next let's take a journey about
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 40 million light years away to the
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 constellation lupus where the Hubble
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 Space Telescope has captured a stunning
00:07:05 --> 00:07:09 image of the spiral galaxy NGC
00:07:09 --> 00:07:13 5 this isn't your ordinary Galaxy
00:07:13 --> 00:07:14 it's what astronomers call a grand
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 design spiral with two beautifully
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 defined spiral arms adorned with
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 Brilliant Blue Stars intricate dust
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 clouds and vibrant pink regions where
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 new stars are being born but the real
00:07:26 --> 00:07:30 drama in NGC 564 43 is happening in
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 wavelengths our eyes can't see at its
00:07:33 --> 00:07:36 heart lies an active Galactic nucleus
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 powered by a super massive black hole as
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 this Cosmic giant devours surrounding
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 gas it creates a superheated disc that
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 blazes across the electromagnetic
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 spectrum particularly bright in x-rays
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 here's where things get really
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 interesting using the European Space
00:07:51 --> 00:07:55 agency's xmm nton Telescope scientists
00:07:55 --> 00:07:56 discovered something unexpected on the
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 Galaxy's outskirts an x-ray source even
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 brighter than the central super massive
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 black hole known as NGC
00:08:04 --> 00:08:08 5 X1 this mysterious object appears
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 to be a much smaller black hole only
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 about 30 times the mass of our
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 sun this Stellar Mass black hole is
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 locked in an orbital dance with a
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 companion star stealing gas from its
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 partner to create its own superheated
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 disc despite being thousands of times
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 less massive than its super massive
00:08:26 --> 00:08:28 cousin at the Galaxy's Center this
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 smaller black hole actually outshines it
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 demonstrating that in the cosmos size
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 isn't everything it's a cosmic David and
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 Goliath story where the smaller
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 contestant is putting on quite a show
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 this discovery challenges our
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 understanding of black hole behavior and
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 reminds us that the Universe still has
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 plenty of surprises in store the fact
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 that a relatively small black hole can
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 outshine the massive engine at a Galaxy
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 Center shows us just how complex and
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 dynamic these Cosmic phenomena can
00:08:56 --> 00:09:00 be finally today this week's launch
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 schedule shows just how busy space
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 exploration has become with multiple
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 missions lined up from various launch
00:09:06 --> 00:09:09 providers around the world SpaceX is
00:09:09 --> 00:09:10 leading the charge with an ambitious
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 schedule of three Falcon 9 launches
00:09:13 --> 00:09:16 planned within just 28 hours the first
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 of these launches will carry a batch of
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 starlink satellites from Vandenberg
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 space force base in California following
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 that SpaceX has planned two back-to-back
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 launches from Florida Space Coast on
00:09:28 --> 00:09:31 Friday the first will deploy two3 BM
00:09:31 --> 00:09:34 power satellites for sces designed to
00:09:34 --> 00:09:35 provide High throughput internet
00:09:35 --> 00:09:38 services just 3 hours later they'll
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 launch a GPS satellite for the US space
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 force further enhancing our global
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 positioning capabilities meanwhile in
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 Japan space one is making another
00:09:48 --> 00:09:49 attempt at reaching orbit with their
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 chyos rocket this comes after their
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 first launch attempt in March
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 encountered difficulties the mission
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 will carry several small satellites
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 including an interesting payload
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 featuring the first Buddha statue
00:10:01 --> 00:10:04 intended for orbit looking back at
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 recent achievements we've seen some
00:10:05 --> 00:10:08 remarkable numbers November alone saw 29
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 orbital launches averaging almost one
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 per day even more impressive we've
00:10:13 --> 00:10:14 already surpassed last year's record of
00:10:14 --> 00:10:18 221 orbital launches with 229 successful
00:10:18 --> 00:10:22 missions so far this year SpaceX hit
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 several Milestones recently including
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 their 350th flight using a flight proven
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 booster and their 100th successful
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 landing on their drone ship just read
00:10:32 --> 00:10:32 the
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 instructions they've also completed
00:10:34 --> 00:10:36 their first direct to cell constellation
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 shell marking another step forward in
00:10:38 --> 00:10:41 their satellite Communications Network
00:10:41 --> 00:10:42 this increasing pace of launches
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 demonstrates how space access is
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 becoming more routine and commercially
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 viable with multiple companies and
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 countries contributing to our growing
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 space presence it's a clear sign that
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 we're entering a new era of space
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 exploration and
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 utilization and that brings us to the
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 end of today's episode of astronomy
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 daily where we've explored everything
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 from the mind-bending concept of
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 universal expansion to the latest
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 developments in space launch
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 technology I'm Anna and it's been my
00:11:09 --> 00:11:11 pleasure to guide you through these
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 fascinating stories from the cosmos if
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 you'd like to stay up to dat with all
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 things space and astronomy I invite you
00:11:17 --> 00:11:20 to visit our website at astronomy
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 daily. there you can sign up for our
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 free daily newsletter and access our
00:11:25 --> 00:11:26 constantly updating Newsfeed of space
00:11:26 --> 00:11:29 and astronomy news you'll also find our
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 complete Archive of past episodes ready
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 for your listening pleasure want to join
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00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 conversation thank you for spending time
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 with us today exploring the wonders of
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 space until tomorrow keep looking up and
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 stay curious about our Cosmic
00:11:53 --> 00:12:05 neighborhoodies
00:12:05 --> 00:12:08 the St is the to
00:12:08 --> 00:12:15 [Music]