Astronomy Daily | Space News: S04E80
In this thrilling episode of Astronomy Daily, host Anna guides you through the latest groundbreaking developments in space exploration and astronomical research. From the James Webb Space Telescope's insights on asteroids to Japan's innovative Mars landing technology, this episode is brimming with cosmic discoveries that will deepen your understanding of the universe.
Highlights:
- James Webb Space Telescope Observations: Dive into the fascinating findings from the JWST as it examines the near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4. Discover how this mission not only provides critical data about the asteroid's size and thermal properties but also enhances our planetary defense strategies against potential threats.
- Amazon's Project Kuiper Launch: Get ready for the launch of Amazon's first operational satellites as part of Project Kuiper. We explore the implications of this ambitious initiative to create a global broadband Internet constellation and its competition with other satellite networks.
- Surprising Discoveries in Galactic Evolution: Uncover the shocking evidence that massive galaxies were already quiescent just 700 million years after the Big Bang. This revelation challenges existing cosmological models and reshapes our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution.
- Japan's Innovative Mars Landing Technology: Learn about JAXA's new approach to Mars landings using inflatable decelerators, which could revolutionize how we deliver rovers to the Martian surface. This innovative technology promises to lower costs and enhance mission efficiency.
- Understanding Martian Dust Storms: Explore new research revealing the triggers behind Mars's massive dust storms, which pose significant challenges for future exploration. This study aims to develop forecasting capabilities for Martian weather, crucial for the safety of 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 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 - JWST asteroid observations
10:30 - Amazon's Project Kuiper launch
17:00 - Discoveries in galactic evolution
22:15 - Japan's Mars landing technology
27:30 - Martian dust storms research
✍️ Episode References
James Webb Space Telescope Updates
[NASA]( https://www.nasa.gov (https://www.nasa.gov/) )
Project Kuiper Details
[Amazon]( https://www.amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/) )
Galactic Evolution Research
[University of Geneva]( https://www.unige.ch (https://www.unige.ch/) )
JAXA Mars Exploration
[JAXA]( https://www.jaxa.jp/ (https://www.jaxa.jp/) )
Martian Dust Storms Study
[University of Colorado Boulder]( https://www.colorado.edu (https://www.colorado.edu/) )
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily]( http://www.astronomydaily.io/ (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) )
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Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/26425223?utm_source=youtube
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 welcome to astronomy daily I'm Anna
00:00:02 --> 00:00:03 bringing you the latest breakthroughs
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 from the cosmos right to your ears
00:00:06 --> 00:00:07 today's episode is packed with
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 fascinating developments that are
00:00:09 --> 00:00:10 reshaping our understanding of the
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 universe around us we've got quite the
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 Stellar lineup of stories to explore
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 NASA's James web Space Telescope has
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 been examining a building-sized asteroid
00:00:19 --> 00:00:20 giving us new insights about these
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 smaller space rocks and what they're
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 made of then we'll look at Amazon's
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 project Kyper As It prepares for a major
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 satellite launch that could transform
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 global internet connectivity
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 the web telescope has also uncovered
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 something quite remarkable galaxies that
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 were already dying out just 700 million
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 years after the big bang challenging our
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 previous models of Galactic Evolution
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 and forcing astronomers to rethink the
00:00:45 --> 00:00:46 timeline of our
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 universe we'll also explore Japan's
00:00:49 --> 00:00:50 Innovative approach to Mars Landings
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 using inflatable technology that could
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 revolutionize how we deliver Rovers to
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 the red planet and speaking of Mars
00:00:58 --> 00:00:59 scientists have made progress in
00:00:59 --> 00:01:01 understanding what triggers those
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 massive Planet covering dust storms a
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 crucial step for future missions and
00:01:06 --> 00:01:07 potential human
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 exploration these discoveries aren't
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 just academic Curiosities they represent
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 The Cutting Edge of human knowledge
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 pushing the boundaries of what we know
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 about our Cosmic neighborhood and Beyond
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 so let's launch into today's Cosmic news
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 and explore these Frontiers
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 together kicking things
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 off the James web Space Telescope
00:01:29 --> 00:01:32 recently set its sight on asteroid 2024
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 yr4 a neear object that had previously
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 raised some concern while NASA announced
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 back in February that the risk of this
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 asteroid hitting Earth in 2032 had been
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 downgraded to near zero these
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 observations provided valuable
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 information about what asteroids of this
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 size are actually like particularly as
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 this one appears to be growing according
00:01:53 --> 00:01:54 to Andy rivkin of John's Hopkins
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 University Applied Physics laboratory
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 who led the web observation program this
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 is the smallest object web has targeted
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 to date and one of the smallest objects
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 to have its size directly measured from
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 space what makes this particularly
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 interesting is how web approached the
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 task most telescopes observe asteroids
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 by measuring sunlight reflected from
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 their surfaces which doesn't always
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 provide precise size information web
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 however used both its near infrared
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 camera and mid infrared instrument in
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 tandem the midinfrared wavelengths
00:02:29 --> 00:02:30 allowed scientists to measure the heat
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 given off by the asteroid itself
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 providing a direct measurement of its
00:02:35 --> 00:02:39 size the observations revealed that 2024
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 yr4 is approximately 60 M across about
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 the height of a 15-story building but
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 it's not just the size that proved
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 interesting the asteroids thermal
00:02:49 --> 00:02:50 properties are notably different from
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 those of larger asteroids rivkin's team
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 believes this is likely due to a
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 combination of the asteroids very fast
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 spin rate and a surface that lacks fine
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 grain sand instead the surface appears
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 to be dominated by larger rocks perhaps
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 fist sized or bigger while this
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 particular asteroid no longer poses a
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 threat to Earth or the moon these
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 observations have significant value for
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 planetary defense as more sensitive
00:03:16 --> 00:03:17 asteroid search programs come online in
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 the coming years we can expect to
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 discover more potential impactors
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 understanding how to best use our most
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 powerful telescope to gather critical
00:03:26 --> 00:03:29 data quickly will be invaluable during a
00:03:29 --> 00:03:30 more urgent scenario involving a
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 potentially hazardous
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 asteroid these observations also
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 provided additional data about the
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 asteroid's position helping improve our
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 knowledge of its orbit and future
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 trajectory when combined with
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 groundbased measurements of its spin
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 rate and spectral properties scientists
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 now have a comprehensive understanding
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 of what this building siiz space rock is
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 like rivkin emphasized that this gives
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 scientists a window into understanding
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 what other objects of similar size might
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 be like including the next one that
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 might be heading our way the
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 observations demonstrate web's
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 versatility as not just a deep space
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 Observatory but also as a tool for
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 planetary defense closer to
00:04:10 --> 00:04:14 home next on today's story list Amazon's
00:04:14 --> 00:04:15 project Kyper is poised to take a major
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 leap forward with the launch of its
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 first operational satellites United
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 launch Alliance is scheduled to send 27
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 satellites into low earth orbit on April
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 9th using an atlas 5 rocket from Cape
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 Canaveral space force station in Florida
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 this mission dubbed ka01 or Kyper Atlas
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 1 represents the first step in Amazon's
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 ambitious plan to create a constellation
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 of more than 3 satellites for Global
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 broadband internet coverage these aren't
00:04:42 --> 00:04:45 just test satellites according to Amazon
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 these operational units feature
00:04:47 --> 00:04:48 significant upgrades over the two
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 prototypes launched last year they come
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 equipped with improved phased array
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 antennas more powerful processors
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 enhanced solar arrays better propulsion
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 systems and Optical inters satellite
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 links all this technology has been
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 packed into satellites manufactured at
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 the company's facility in Kirkland
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 Washington the launch is happening about
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 a year behind Amazon's original schedule
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 pushing potential beta Services into
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 later this year rather than late 2024 as
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 initially planned this timeline is
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 particularly important because Amazon
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 faces strict deployment deadlines from
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 the Federal Communications Commission
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 half the constellation must be deployed
00:05:26 --> 00:05:30 by July 2026 with the remainder by July
00:05:30 --> 00:05:33 2029 project Kyper vice president Rajiv
00:05:33 --> 00:05:36 badal acknowledged the challenges ahead
00:05:36 --> 00:05:37 noting that while extensive ground
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 testing has been conducted some things
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 can only be learned in actual flight
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 conditions this will also be the first
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 deployment of multiple satellites
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 simultaneously for the project a crucial
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 operational test the upcoming launch is
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 notable in several other ways according
00:05:54 --> 00:05:56 to Amazon it will be the heaviest
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 payload ever flown on an atlas 5 rocket
00:05:59 --> 00:06:00 which will use use its most powerful
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 configuration for this Mission featuring
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 five solid rocket boosters plus the main
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 booster the satellites will be deployed
00:06:07 --> 00:06:11 approximately 450 km above Earth this is
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 just the beginning of a massive launch
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 campaign Amazon has secured an
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 impressive array of launch contracts to
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 deploy its full constellation including
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 seven more Atlas 5 rockets and 38
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 Launches on ula's larger Vulcan Centaur
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 rocket the company has also contracted
00:06:27 --> 00:06:31 three SpaceX Falcon 9 missions 18 arani
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 6 launches from arani space and up to 27
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 New Glenn Rockets from Blue origin
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 Amazon has already lined up several
00:06:38 --> 00:06:39 Partners to deliver project Kyper
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 services including us telecommunications
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 Giants Verizon and Vodafone as well as
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 Japan's Sky perfect jsat and nipon
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 Telegraph and telephone Corporation who
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 plan to sell services to Japanese
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 businesses and government
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 organizations with this launch the race
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 to establish the next generation of
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 satellite internet constellations in
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 intensifies as Amazon joins spacex's
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 starlink and other competitors in the
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 increasingly crowded low earth orbit
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 environment next up we have another
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 update from the
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 jwst one of the most remarkable
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 discoveries from the James web Space
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 Telescope has completely upended our
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 understanding of Galactic Evolution
00:07:20 --> 00:07:21 astronomers have found evidence that
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 massive galaxies were already dying just
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 700 million years after the big bang a
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 finding that challenges fundamental
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 assumptions about how the earliest
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 galaxies formed and evolved according to
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 the standard cosmological model the
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 first stars and galaxies began forming
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 around 300 400 million years after the
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 big bang during this period enormous
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 clouds of neutral hydrogen gas collapsed
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 to trigger rapid star formation a
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 process that was thought to continue
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 uninterrupted for about a billion years
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 the expectation was that all early
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 galaxies would be vigorously forming
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 Stars young active and growing
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 that's what makes the recent findings
00:08:02 --> 00:08:03 from an international team led by
00:08:04 --> 00:08:05 astronomers from the University of
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 Geneva so
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 surprising as part of the revealing the
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 universe with the James web Space
00:08:11 --> 00:08:14 Telescope program known as rubies
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 they've identified what appears to be a
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 quenched Galaxy from this extremely
00:08:18 --> 00:08:21 early Cosmic ERA this particular Galaxy
00:08:21 --> 00:08:25 designated Ruby's UDS qg z7 had already
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 accumulated more than 10 billion solar
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 masses of matter before rapidly becoming
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 quiescent in astronomical terms
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 quenching refers to how galaxies stop
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 forming new stars and become what
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 scientists sometimes call Red and dead
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 galaxies as the younger brighter Stars
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 die off these galaxies become dominated
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 by older redder Stars the discovery of
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 Ruby's UDS qg z7 implies that massive
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 quiescent galaxies in the first billion
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 years of the universe are more than 100
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 times more abundant than predicted by
00:08:57 --> 00:09:00 any existing cosmological model
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 this creates significant tension between
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 our theoretical understanding and the
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 observational evidence from web what's
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 even more astonishing is the Galaxy size
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 it measures just about 650 light years
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 in diameter giving it a much higher
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 Stellar mass density than similar quent
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 galaxies we observe in the local
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 Universe
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 today scientists believe these
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 incredibly dense galaxies may have
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 evolved into the cores of the massive
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 elliptical galaxies we see in the modern
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 Cosmos the prevailing theories about
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 what causes galaxies to stop forming
00:09:31 --> 00:09:34 Stars includes Stellar winds outflows
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 and activity from super massive black
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 holes but conventional models suggested
00:09:39 --> 00:09:40 this process would take much longer than
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 what we're now observing finding a red
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 and dead Galaxy so early in Cosmic
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 history means that star formation and
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 subsequent quenching must have happened
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 far more rapidly than anyone
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 anticipated according to Andrea wble the
00:09:54 --> 00:09:57 PHD student leading the study this
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 finding provides the first strong EV
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 evidence that the centers of some nearby
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 massive elliptical galaxies may have
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 been in place since the first few
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 hundred million years after the big bang
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 essentially preserving the fossil record
00:10:09 --> 00:10:12 of the earliest era of Galaxy
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 formation it's been a while since we had
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 any good news from jaxa but today we
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 have some Japan is taking an ambitious
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 new approach to Mars exploration that
00:10:22 --> 00:10:23 could revolutionize how we land
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 spacecraft on the red planet according
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 to masaki Fujimoto the newly appointed
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 Ed director general of The Institute of
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 Space and astrono Sciences within Jaa
00:10:33 --> 00:10:36 the Japanese space agency is developing
00:10:36 --> 00:10:39 a novel Landing system using inflatable
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 decelerators that could enable more
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 efficient missions to Mars the concept
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 combines proven Technologies from two of
00:10:46 --> 00:10:49 Japan's recent space achievements it
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 leverages capabilities from the upcoming
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 Martian moons exploration Mission which
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 aims to collect samples from Phobos and
00:10:56 --> 00:10:57 incorporates Lessons Learned From the
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 smart Lander for investigating Moon
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 spacecraft that achieved a remarkably
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 precise lunar Landing earlier this year
00:11:04 --> 00:11:06 despite experiencing a Thruster
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 malfunction at the heart of this
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 Innovative approach is an inflatable
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 soft Arrow shell that would handle the
00:11:12 --> 00:11:15 challenging entry descent and Landing
00:11:15 --> 00:11:18 phases of aars mission instead of having
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 a complicated operational supersonic
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 parachute and a hard aerrow shell you
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 can do all the job just with this single
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 technology Fujimoto explained during a
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 presentation at the National Academy
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 space science week
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 this approach offers significant
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 advantages over traditional Mars Landing
00:11:33 --> 00:11:36 systems current methods typically rely
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 on complex combinations of heat shields
00:11:38 --> 00:11:41 supersonic parachutes and retro Rockets
00:11:41 --> 00:11:43 all of which must function perfectly in
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 sequence for a successful Landing the
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 Japanese concept streamlines this
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 process considerably with the inflatable
00:11:50 --> 00:11:51 AOS shell delivering the spacecraft
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 through the Martian atmosphere and
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 thrusters handling only the final
00:11:55 --> 00:11:58 touchdown phase jaxa envisions using
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 this technology to deliver relatively
00:12:00 --> 00:12:04 small Rovers weighing between 100 to 200
00:12:04 --> 00:12:07 kg to the Martian surface while modest
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 in scale compared to NASA's car-sized
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 perseverance Rover these smaller
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 Vehicles could still conduct valuable
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 scientific research at a fraction of the
00:12:15 --> 00:12:18 cost and complexity the project is
00:12:18 --> 00:12:19 receiving financial support from the
00:12:19 --> 00:12:22 space strategic fund a Japanese
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 government initiative providing $6.7
00:12:24 --> 00:12:27 billion dollar over a decade to advance
00:12:27 --> 00:12:30 critical space Technologies jaxa is
00:12:30 --> 00:12:31 collaborating with an unnamed commercial
00:12:31 --> 00:12:34 company to develop the inflatable Aeros
00:12:34 --> 00:12:35 shell
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 technology while no specific timeline
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 has been announced for when this
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 technology might be ready for an actual
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 Mars mission the fact that it's
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 beginning to materialize now suggests
00:12:45 --> 00:12:47 that Japan is serious about joining the
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 small group of Nations capable of
00:12:49 --> 00:12:52 successfully Landing spacecraft on Mars
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 if successful this approach could
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 significantly lower the barriers to
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 Martian exploration and potentially pave
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 the way from more frequent missions to
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 study the red planet's
00:13:02 --> 00:13:05 surface speaking of Mars if you've ever
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 wondered what the weather is like on
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 Mars it turns out it can be quite
00:13:08 --> 00:13:11 dramatic new research from planetary
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 scientists at the University of Colorado
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 Boulder has revealed fascinating
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 insights into the massive dust storms
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 that occasionally engulf the entire red
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 planet making Cloudy with a Chance of
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 catastrophic dust a legitimate Martian
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 forecast these planewide dust storms are
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 truly awe inspiring phenomen phena they
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 typically begin as smaller storms
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 swirling around Mars polar ice caps
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 during the latter half of the Martian
00:13:35 --> 00:13:38 year but under certain conditions they
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 can rapidly expand toward the equator
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 covering millions of square miles and
00:13:42 --> 00:13:45 Lasting for days unlike the dramatic
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 scene in The Martian where Matt Damon
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 gets tossed around by powerful winds the
00:13:49 --> 00:13:52 reality is less physically forceful but
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 equally problematic for equipment and
00:13:53 --> 00:13:56 future astronauts lead researcher
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 hashani pieres and her team have made a
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 significant breakthrough in
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 understanding what triggers these
00:14:01 --> 00:14:04 massive events by analyzing eight Mars
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 years worth of data from NASA's Mars
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 reconnaissance Orbiter they discovered
00:14:08 --> 00:14:11 that approximately 68% of major dust
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 storms were preceded by unusual warm
00:14:13 --> 00:14:15 spells on the planet's surface the
00:14:16 --> 00:14:18 pattern is remarkably consistent the
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 planet experiences a period of increased
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 warmth as more sunlight filters through
00:14:22 --> 00:14:25 Mars's thin atmosphere and then Weeks
00:14:25 --> 00:14:29 Later massive dust storms develop as p
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 explains when you heat up the surface
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 the layer of atmosphere right above it
00:14:33 --> 00:14:36 becomes buoyant and it can rise taking
00:14:36 --> 00:14:39 dust with it this process mirrors
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 similar weather patterns we experience
00:14:40 --> 00:14:43 on Earth where warm air rising from the
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 ground can lead to towering storm clouds
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47 while these dust storms might not
00:14:47 --> 00:14:49 generate enough Force to knock over
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 equipment due to mars' thin atmosphere
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 they pose serious threats to exploration
00:14:53 --> 00:14:57 efforts in 2018 NASA's opportunity Rover
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 met its end when a global dust storm
00:14:59 --> 00:15:01 covered its solar panels cutting off its
00:15:01 --> 00:15:04 power supply for future missions
00:15:04 --> 00:15:05 especially those involving human
00:15:06 --> 00:15:08 explorers these light but clingy dust
00:15:08 --> 00:15:10 particles will present significant
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 challenges as they stick to equipment
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 and potentially damage sensitive
00:15:14 --> 00:15:17 components the research team is
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 continuing to gather more recent
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 observations to further explore these
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 explosive weather patterns their
00:15:22 --> 00:15:25 ultimate goal is to develop forecasting
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 capabilities for Martian weather similar
00:15:27 --> 00:15:29 to how meteorologists predict conditions
00:15:29 --> 00:15:32 on Earth being able to anticipate these
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34 massive storms could be crucial for the
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 safety and success of future Mars
00:15:36 --> 00:15:40 missions both robotic and human as study
00:15:40 --> 00:15:42 co-author Paul Hayne noted we need to
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 understand what causes some of the
00:15:43 --> 00:15:46 smaller or Regional storms to grow into
00:15:46 --> 00:15:48 global scale storms This research
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 represents an important step toward that
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 understanding potentially giving future
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 Mars explorers the ability to prepare
00:15:54 --> 00:15:56 for or avoid the worst of the planet's
00:15:56 --> 00:15:59 Dusty tempests
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 and that wraps up today's exploration of
00:16:01 --> 00:16:04 the cosmos from web's asteroid
00:16:04 --> 00:16:07 Adventures to early Galaxy surprises
00:16:07 --> 00:16:09 Amazon's satellite constellation plans
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 Japan's Innovative Mars Landing
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 technology and the fascinating weather
00:16:13 --> 00:16:17 patterns on the red planet I'm Anna and
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 I hope you've enjoyed this journey
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 through the latest developments in space
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 science and
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 exploration whether you're fascinated by
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 the tiniest asteroids or the grandest
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 cosmic Mysteries there's always
00:16:27 --> 00:16:29 something new to discover in our ever
00:16:29 --> 00:16:30 expanding
00:16:30 --> 00:16:32 Universe if you'd like to hear more
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 please visit our website at astronomy
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 daily. where you can listen to all our
00:16:37 --> 00:16:39 back episodes and find all things
00:16:39 --> 00:16:42 astronomy daily we're also active across
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 social media just search for Astro daily
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00:16:48 --> 00:16:50 Instagram and Tik Tok thanks for
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 listening and until next time keep
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 looking up and wondering about the
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56 Magnificent Cosmos that surrounds us
00:16:56 --> 00:16:59 this has been astronomy daily I'm Anna
00:16:59 --> 00:17:04 off
00:17:04 --> 00:17:20 [Music]