In this episode of Astronomy Daily, join host Anna as she takes you on a thrilling journey through the cosmos, unveiling a series of astonishing discoveries that push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe. From a planet disintegrating in real-time to groundbreaking insights from the James Webb Space Telescope, this episode is packed with cosmic wonders that will leave you in awe.
Highlights:
- The Doomed Planet BD+05 4868 Ab: Witness the extraordinary tale of BD+05 4868 Ab, a planet located 140 light years away in the Pegasus constellation, that is literally shedding mountains of material with each orbit. As it orbits perilously close to its star, temperatures soar to nearly 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, turning its surface into magma and creating a massive debris tail stretching up to 9 million kilometers.
- A Hidden Supermassive Black Hole in M83: Explore the mystery of the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83) as the James Webb Space Telescope uncovers evidence of a potentially hidden supermassive black hole at its center. With unexpected signs of highly ionized gas, this discovery challenges long-held assumptions and opens new avenues for exploration.
- Revolutionizing the Search for Life: Delve into how the James Webb Space Telescope is transforming our quest for extraterrestrial life by analyzing the atmospheres of rocky exoplanets. Webb's ability to detect biosignatures could bring us closer to answering the age-old question of whether we are alone in the universe.
- China's Shenzhou 20 Mission: Get the latest updates on China's ambitious space program as the Shenzhou 20 mission prepares to launch three astronauts to the Chinese space station for a six-month stay, continuing the nation's rapid advancements in space exploration.
- The Origins of the UFO Chris: Travel back in time to the late 1940s and uncover the cultural phenomenon of UFOs, from Kenneth Arnold's iconic sighting to the military's mixed messaging that fueled public speculation and skepticism.
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 Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - The doomed planet BD054868
10:30 - A hidden supermassive black hole in M83
17:00 - Revolutionizing the search for life
22:15 - China's Shenzhou 20 mission
27:30 - The origins of the UFO craze
✍️ Episode References
Buddy Discovery
[NASA TV]( https://www.nasa.gov/tess (https://www.nasa.gov/tess) )
James Webb Space Telescope Findings
[NASA JWST]( https://www.nasa.gov/webb (https://www.nasa.gov/webb) )
China's Shenzhou Program
[China National Space Administration]( http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/ (http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/) )
UFO History
[Smithsonian Magazine]( https://www.smithsonianmag.com/ (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/) )
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)
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/26751114?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily i'm
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 your host Anna and I'm thrilled to bring
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 you today's exciting journey through the
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 cosmos we've got an absolutely
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 fascinating lineup of stories for you
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 today we'll explore a doomed planet
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 that's literally shedding mountains of
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 material with each orbit learn how the
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 James Web Space Telescope may have
00:00:18 --> 00:00:19 finally discovered a missing super
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 massive black hole and dive into Web's
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 crucial role in our search for life
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 beyond Earth we'll also take a look at
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 China's latest space station mission
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 with its new threeperson crew and travel
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 back in time to explore the origins of
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 the UFO craze that captivated America's
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 imagination in the late
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 1940s so buckle up for a stellar journey
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 through the latest and most intriguing
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 developments in space and astronomy
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 let's get started
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 in a remarkable discovery that offers a
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 rare glimpse of cosmic destruction
00:00:52 --> 00:00:53 astronomers have found a planet that is
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 literally falling apart before our eyes
00:00:56 --> 00:00:59 located about 140 light years from Earth
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 in the Pegasus constellation this doomed
00:01:02 --> 00:01:06 world named BD
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 plus054 is experiencing what can
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 only be described as a catastrophic
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 demise this ill- fated planet whips
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 around its star once every 30.5 hours an
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 orbit so perilously close that its
00:01:18 --> 00:01:19 surface is being scorched to
00:01:19 --> 00:01:23 temperatures approaching 3° F at
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 this extreme heat the planet's surface
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 is turning into magma and actively
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 vaporizing into space what's truly
00:01:30 --> 00:01:31 astonishing is the scale of this
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 destruction with each blistering orbit
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 BD plus
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 054AB sheds as much mass of molten
00:01:39 --> 00:01:42 rock as an entire Mount Everest behind
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 it trails a gargantuan tale of debris
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 stretching up to 9 million km roughly
00:01:47 --> 00:01:50 half the planet's entire orbital path
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 mark Han a posttock at MIT's Cavali
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 Institute described it as an epic
00:01:54 --> 00:01:57 disintegration unfolding in real time
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 while scientists have identified over
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 6 exoplanets this is only the fourth
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 known disintegrating world ever
00:02:04 --> 00:02:08 discovered what makes BD plus
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 054AB special is that it boasts the
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 longest debris tail of them all
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 suggesting its evaporation is
00:02:14 --> 00:02:15 particularly
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 catastrophic despite its ongoing
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 destruction don't expect this cosmic
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 demolition to end anytime soon
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 researchers estimate it might take
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 between 1 to 2 million years for the
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 entire planet to fully disintegrate as
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 Aish Borer from the test science office
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 put it we got lucky with catching it
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 exactly when it's really going away it's
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 like on its last breath the discovery
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 was actually a fortunate accident the
00:02:40 --> 00:02:41 planet was spotted using NASA's
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 transiting exoplanet survey satellite or
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 TESS which scans for periodic dips in
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 starlight caused by orbiting planets the
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 team wasn't specifically hunting for
00:02:51 --> 00:02:56 disintegrating worlds but BD
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 plus054AB's unusual transit signal
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 caught their attention the stars
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 brightness took much longer than normal
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 to return to baseline and the depth of
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 the dimming changed with every
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 transit this doomed planet's misfortune
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 is a scientific gold mine its relatively
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 small size somewhere between our moon
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 and Mercury means its gravity is too
00:03:16 --> 00:03:17 weak to hold onto its mass once it
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 starts evaporating creating a runaway
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 process that continuously worsens the
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 James Web Space Telescope will observe
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 the planet this northern summer offering
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 scientists a unique opportunity to
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 directly measure the interior
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 composition of a rocky planet as the
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 planet's material streams away in its
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 massive tail JWST can analyze the
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 chemical makeup of what was once buried
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 deep within this world potentially
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 revealing new insights about the
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 diversity and habitability of
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 terrestrial planets throughout our
00:03:48 --> 00:03:52 galaxy and in more JWST news has the
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 James Webb Space Telescope finally
00:03:54 --> 00:03:55 solved one of astronomy's most puzzling
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 mysteries for years scientists have been
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 perplexed by the apparent absence of a
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 super massive black hole at the heart of
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 the southern pin wheelel galaxy more
00:04:04 --> 00:04:08 formerly known as Messier 83 or M83
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 conventional wisdom holds that every
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 large galaxy should harbor a
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 monstersized black hole at its center
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 these cosmic giants with masses millions
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 or billions of times that of our sun are
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 typically easy to spot when they're
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 actively feeding as they consume
00:04:22 --> 00:04:23 surrounding matter they create
00:04:24 --> 00:04:25 brilliantly glowing regions called
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 active galactic nuclei or AGNs that can
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 outshine entire galaxies yet despite
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 numerous searches no such cosmic
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 behemoth had been detected in M83 a
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 spiral galaxy located approximately 15
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 million lightyear from Earth this
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 absence presented astronomers with a
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 conundrum was the black hole dormant and
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 therefore invisible or was it perhaps
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 hidden behind a thick veil of cosmic
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 dust now thanks to the unparalleled
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 sensitivity and resolution of the James
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 Webb Space Telescope we may have our
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 answer the smoking gun came in the form
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 of clumps of highly ionized gas detected
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 at the galaxy's center as Sya Hernandez
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 the team leader and European Space
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 Agency scientist at the Space Telescope
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 Science Institute explained "Our
00:05:11 --> 00:05:12 discovery of highly ionized neon
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 emission in the nucleus of M83 was
00:05:15 --> 00:05:16 unexpected
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 these signatures require large amounts
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 of energy to be produced more than what
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 normal stars can
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 generate this excess energy strongly
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 suggests the presence of an AGN the
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 telltale sign of a feeding super massive
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 black hole that has somehow remained
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 hidden from view until now even the
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 explosive deaths of massive stars and
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 supernovas couldn't provide enough
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 energy to create this distinctive
00:05:41 --> 00:05:44 ionized neon signature what makes this
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 discovery particularly significant is
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 that it challenges previous astronomical
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 assumptions linda Smith of the Space
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 Telescope Science Institute noted "For
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 years astronomers have searched for a
00:05:55 --> 00:05:59 black hole in M83 without success now we
00:05:59 --> 00:06:00 finally have a compelling clue that
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 suggests one may be present." While this
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 evidence is compelling scientists aren't
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 closing the case just yet the team still
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 needs to rule out other potential
00:06:10 --> 00:06:12 explanations such as shock waves
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 traveling through the interstellar
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 medium they'll be following up with
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 additional observations using the Hubble
00:06:17 --> 00:06:20 Space Telescope the Adakama Large Millm
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 Submillm array and the Very Large
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 Telescope regardless of the final
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 verdict this research demonstrates the
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 revolutionary capabilities of the James
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 Web Space Telescope in uncovering cosmic
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 secrets that have eluded astronomers for
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 decades as Smith aptly put it this
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 discovery showcases how the JWST is
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 making unexpected breakthroughs
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 astronomers thought they had ruled out
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 an AGN in M83 but now we have fresh
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 evidence that challenges past
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 assumptions and opens new avenues for
00:06:53 --> 00:06:57 exploration next even more from the JWST
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 the James Webb Space Telescope is not
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 only revealing hidden black holes but
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 also revolutionizing our search for life
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 beyond Earth with its unprecedented
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 infrared sensitivity and resolution web
00:07:08 --> 00:07:09 is peering at rocky potentially
00:07:09 --> 00:07:12 habitable exoplanets with more detail
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 than ever before possible what makes web
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 particularly groundbreaking is its
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 ability to detect whether these distant
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 worlds have atmospheres and crucially to
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 analyze their chemical composition these
00:07:25 --> 00:07:26 atmospheric studies could reveal
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 tantalizing clues about habitability and
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 potential bio signatures gases that
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 might indicate the presence of life
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 however finding conclusive evidence of
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 life presents enormous challenges
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 detecting bio signatures requires
00:07:40 --> 00:07:41 potentially hundreds of hours of
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 observing time for a single planet even
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 then the results may not be definitive
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 due to the natural evolution of both
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 stars and planetary atmospheres over
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 time and the exoplanets web can
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 currently study orbit stars that may be
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 relatively inhospitable compared to our
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 sun nasa scientists emphasized that
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 discovering life elsewhere would be a
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 process not a single Eureka moment the
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 detection of a potential bio signature
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 would need to be followed by extensive
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 studies multiple lines of converging
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 evidence and the careful elimination of
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 false positives possibly requiring data
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 from several different missions and
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 sophisticated atmospheric modeling one
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 of the most intriguing frontiers in web
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 search is the study of what scientists
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 call highen planets these theoretical
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 worlds larger than Earth could
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 potentially support life with their
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 relatively thin hydrogen-rich
00:08:34 --> 00:08:38 atmospheres and substantial liquid water
00:08:38 --> 00:08:42 ocean K218b are helping researchers
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 investigate whether it might be such a
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 world the concept of highen planets is
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 very new and scientists are still
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 exploring what kinds of potential bio
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 signatures might exist in these
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 environments web's rich spectral data is
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 rapidly advancing our understanding as
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 this field evolves while web wasn't
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 specifically designed as a life hunting
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 telescope its remarkable performance has
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 made it the first observatory capable of
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 characterizing the atmospheres of
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 promising small planets orbiting cooler
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 stars these pioneering observations are
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 building the scientific and technical
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 foundation for future missions like
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 NASA's planned habitable worlds
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 observatory which will specifically
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 target Earthlike planets around sunlike
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 stars when it launches in the coming
00:09:28 --> 00:09:31 decades next up China has just announced
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 the crew members for its Shenzh 20
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 mission which will launch three
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 astronauts to the Chinese space station
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 for a six-month stay the mission
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 continues China's ambitious and rapidly
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 expanding presence in space the
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 threeperson crew consists of Chen Dong
00:09:45 --> 00:09:49 Chen Jong Rui and Wongja chen Dong who
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 will serve as the mission commander is a
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 veteran astronaut making his third trip
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 to space having previously served on the
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 Shenzh 11 and Shenho 14 missions during
00:09:58 --> 00:10:01 his time on Shenzhou 14 he played a key
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 role in the construction of China's
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 space station
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 at a press conference Chen expressed his
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 feelings about returning to orbit i feel
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 incomparable pride and accomplishment to
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 go to space for my country again each
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 journey to space is unparalleled i'm
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 looking forward to gaining more
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 experience and more breakthroughs
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 through this flight his two crew mates
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 are both firsttime space travelers chen
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 Jongu was previously an Air Force pilot
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 while Wang comes to the mission as an
00:10:28 --> 00:10:30 engineer with the China Aerospace
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 Science and Technology Corporation the
00:10:32 --> 00:10:35 Shenzhou 20 crew will launch from Jukuan
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 located on the edge of the Gobi Desert
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 in northwestern China once in space
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 they'll replace the current crew who
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 have been aboard the station for 175
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 days and are scheduled to return to
00:10:46 --> 00:10:49 Earth on April 29th during their
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 half-year mission the astronauts will
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 conduct experiments in space medicine
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 and technology perform spacew walks and
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 make improvements to the space station
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 this continues China's methodical
00:11:00 --> 00:11:01 approach to establishing a permanent
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 presence in orbit china's independent
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 space station became necessary after the
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 country was excluded from participating
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 in the International Space Station due
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 to US national security concerns over
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 the military's involvement in China's
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 space program this isolation has not
00:11:17 --> 00:11:20 slowed China's progress however in
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 recent years the Chinese space program
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 has achieved several major milestones
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 including landing an explorer on Mars
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 and sending a rover to the far side of
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 the moon accomplishments only previously
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 achieved by the United States looking
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 ahead China has set an ambitious goal to
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 put astronauts on the lunar surface
00:11:38 --> 00:11:41 before 2030 adding a new dimension to
00:11:41 --> 00:11:43 humanity's return to the moon after
00:11:43 --> 00:11:44 decades of
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 absence finally today something a little
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 different while we often think of the
00:11:50 --> 00:11:51 space age beginning with Sputnik's
00:11:51 --> 00:11:52 launch in
00:11:52 --> 00:11:55 1957 the space age of the imagination
00:11:55 --> 00:11:59 started a decade earlier on June 24th
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 1947 that's when private pilot Kenneth
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 Arnold while searching for a downed
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 plane near Mount Reineer in Washington
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 State spotted nine disc-like objects
00:12:09 --> 00:12:13 flying at an estimated 1 mph twice
00:12:13 --> 00:12:16 the speed of any jet at that time arnold
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 described their movement as being like a
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 saucer would if you skipped it across
00:12:20 --> 00:12:23 the water though he actually compared
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 their shape to pie plates newspapers
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 latched on to the saucer analogy and the
00:12:27 --> 00:12:31 term flying saucers was born the
00:12:31 --> 00:12:32 Associated Press spread the story
00:12:32 --> 00:12:35 nationwide and within weeks dozens of
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 similar sightings were reported across
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 America the Army Air Force began
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 receiving numerous reports but
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 interestingly one notable sighting was
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 instead reported to Raymond Palmer
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 editor of the science fiction magazine
00:12:48 --> 00:12:51 Amazing Stories palmer had already been
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 blurring the lines between fiction and
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 alleged fact through his publication of
00:12:55 --> 00:12:58 the Shaver Mystery a series of stories
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 claiming the existence of malevolent
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 subterranean beings affecting life on
00:13:01 --> 00:13:05 Earth's surface by 1948 the newly formed
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 US Air Force had established Project
00:13:07 --> 00:13:09 Sign to investigate these mysterious
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 objects when this yielded inconclusive
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 results it was replaced by Project
00:13:13 --> 00:13:16 Grudge in 1949 which seemed more focused
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 on explaining away sightings than
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 investigating them the military's
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 attempts to offer mundane explanations
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 including the infamous claim that pilot
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 Thomas Mantel had crashed while pursuing
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 Venus rather than the actual classified
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 Skyhook balloon only intensified public
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 skepticism into this information Void
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 stepped numerous publications and
00:13:36 --> 00:13:39 civilian research groups palmer launched
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 Fate magazine featuring Kenneth Arnold's
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 firsthand account writer Donald Kho
00:13:43 --> 00:13:46 published Flying Saucers Are Real in
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 1950 popularizing what would later be
00:13:48 --> 00:13:51 called the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis
00:13:51 --> 00:13:54 while suggesting government coverups
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 establishing two enduring narratives in
00:13:56 --> 00:14:00 UFO lore by 1952 when Project Blue Book
00:14:00 --> 00:14:03 replaced Grudge the government had lost
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 control of the narrative civilian saucer
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 research clubs formed including the
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 International Flying Saucer Bureau and
00:14:09 --> 00:14:11 the Aerial Phenomena Research
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 Organization the military's mixed
00:14:13 --> 00:14:16 messaging rational explanations for some
00:14:16 --> 00:14:19 sightings dishonest ones for classified
00:14:19 --> 00:14:21 aircraft and silence where they had no
00:14:21 --> 00:14:24 answers had eroded public trust and
00:14:24 --> 00:14:26 created fertile ground for speculation
00:14:26 --> 00:14:29 about visitors from other worlds and
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 that's a quick summary of how it all
00:14:30 --> 00:14:32 started
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 and that brings us to the end of today's
00:14:34 --> 00:14:37 cosmic journey what an incredible range
00:14:37 --> 00:14:39 of stories we've explored from a doomed
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 planet shedding Mount Everestsized
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 chunks with each orbit around its star
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 to the web telescope potentially solving
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 the mystery of M83's missing black hole
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 to China's latest space station crew
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 launch we've seen how web is
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 revolutionizing our search for life
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 beyond Earth while also learning about
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 the fascinating origins of our cultural
00:14:59 --> 00:15:02 obsession with UFOs and flying saucers
00:15:02 --> 00:15:04 the universe continues to surprise
00:15:04 --> 00:15:06 challenge and inspire us with each new
00:15:06 --> 00:15:09 discovery i'm Anna and I've been your
00:15:09 --> 00:15:11 host on Astronomy Daily if you're hungry
00:15:11 --> 00:15:14 for more space and astronomy news visit
00:15:14 --> 00:15:17 our website at astronomydaily.io io
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 where you'll find our constantly
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 updating news feed with all the latest
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 discoveries and developments plus all
00:15:23 --> 00:15:25 our back episodes you can also connect
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 with us across social media just search
00:15:27 --> 00:15:30 for Astro Daily Pod on Facebook X
00:15:30 --> 00:15:33 YouTube YouTube Music Tumblr Instagram
00:15:33 --> 00:15:36 and Tik Tok until next time keep looking
00:15:36 --> 00:15:47 up
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 stories told
00:15:50 --> 00:15:57 [Music]