00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 for the latest news from across the
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 cosmos. I'm Avery.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 >> And I'm Anna. It's great to be with you
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 today, Avery. We're talking about
00:00:11 --> 00:00:12 everything from the first wheelchair
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 user heading to space to a star system
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 that's getting ready to put on a
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 celestial fireworks show.
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 >> Absolutely. We'll also be diving into a
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 new survey of our galactic neighbors, a
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 surprising discovery about the sun, the
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 new race to mine the moon, and the
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 incredible tech being built to study the
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 planet right next door. Let's get
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 started. First up, a truly historic
00:00:36 --> 00:00:37 mission from Blue Origin. They're
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 targeting December 18th for their NS-37
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 mission, and it's a huge step forward
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 for accessibility in space.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 >> It really is. On board the new Shepard
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 vehicle will be Michaela Bentthouse, an
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 aerospace engineer at the European Space
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 Agency who is set to become the first
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 wheelchair user to fly to space.
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 >> That's just fantastic. And she's not
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 just a passenger. She's an aerospace
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 engineer herself. That adds another
00:01:03 --> 00:01:04 layer to this.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 >> Exactly. It's not just about tourism.
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 It's about opening up the field of space
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 exploration to talented professionals
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 who might have been excluded in the
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 past. It's a suborbital flight lasting
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 about 10 minutes, but it sends a
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 powerful message that space is for
00:01:18 --> 00:01:19 everyone.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 >> It really challenges the old right stuff
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 astronaut mold. And she'll be joined by
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 a pretty interesting crew, including
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 investors and even a former top engineer
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 from SpaceX, Hans Coningsman. And it's
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 not just a symbolic gesture. The
00:01:33 --> 00:01:34 engineering that goes into making a
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 spacecraft accessible for someone with
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 different physical needs is non-trivial.
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 It forces designers to rethink
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 everything from seating and restraints
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 to how crew members interact with the
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 cabin in microgravity. These are
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 solutions that could benefit all future
00:01:49 --> 00:01:50 astronauts.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 >> Mhm. A diverse group for a landmark
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 flight. We wish the entire NS37 crew a
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 safe and incredible journey. All right,
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 let's shift our focus from low Earth
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 orbit to our nearest galactic neighbors,
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 the Magelenic clouds. A major new survey
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 is about to give us an unprecedented
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 look at these satellite galaxies.
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 >> Ah, yes, the large and small mellic
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 clouds. For listeners in the northern
00:02:15 --> 00:02:16 hemisphere, they might not be familiar,
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 but they're a stunning site from
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 southern latitudes. So, what's this new
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 survey, the 101 MC all about?
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 >> The key is the technology. It's a 5-year
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 survey using the foremost instrument on
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 the Vista telescope in Chile. Now past
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 surveys have given us beautiful images
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 which is called photometry measuring
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 brightness and position. This one is all
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 about spectroscopy.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 >> Right? So spectroscopy breaks down the
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 star light into its component
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 wavelengths like a fingerprint. What can
00:02:46 --> 00:02:48 that fingerprint tell us?
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 >> It tells us so much more. We can learn a
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 stars chemical composition, its
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 temperature, how fast it's moving toward
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 or away from us, and even how quickly
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 it's spinning by gathering spectra for
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 about half a million stars. This survey
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 will create a detailed 3D map of the
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 cloud's chemistry and motion.
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 >> And that helps us understand how they're
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 interacting with our Milky Way. Right.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 I've read about the Magelenic Stream,
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 that huge river of gas being pulled from
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 the clouds by our galaxy's gravity.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 >> Precisely. This data led by Dr. Laura
00:03:19 --> 00:03:20 Cullinine's group will give us the
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 missing link to model that interaction
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 accurately. It will help us piece
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 together the history of this cosmic
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 dance and predict the ultimate fate of
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 these two small galaxies.
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 >> So, this isn't just about taking a
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 picture. It's about conducting a census,
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 a cosmic demographic survey. Are we
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 looking at a timeline of years or
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 decades before we can start drawing
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 major conclusions from this data? The
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 survey itself runs for 5 years, but
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 initial data releases will likely happen
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 along the way. The full impact will
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 unfold over the next decade as theorists
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 use this incredibly rich data set to
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 refine their models of galaxy formation
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 and evolution. It's a foundational
00:03:59 --> 00:04:00 project.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 >> From a cosmic dance to a cosmic U-turn,
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 NASA's Parker Solar Probe has captured
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 some incredible footage from its journey
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 to touch the sun.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 >> This is genuinely surprising. During its
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 closest approach, the probe observed a
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 coronal mass ejection or CME. This is a
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 massive eruption of solar material and
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 magnetic fields from the sun.
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 >> Mhm. And we usually think of CMEs as a
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 one-way street blasting out into space.
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 If they're aimed at Earth, they can
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 cause geomagnetic storms and the aurora.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 >> That's the conventional picture. But
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 Parker's images clearly show that not
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 all the material escapes. A significant
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 portion actually slows down, reverses
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 course, and falls back toward the sun in
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 these elongated blobs, which scientists
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 are calling inflows.
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 >> So, the sun is recycling its own
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 magnetic fields. What does that mean for
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 us? Does this change how we predict
00:04:56 --> 00:04:57 space weather?
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 >> It could. Understanding this recycling
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 process gives us a more complete model
00:05:02 --> 00:05:05 of the sun's magnetic activity. Better
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 models mean better forecasts, which is
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 vital for protecting our satellites,
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 power grids, and astronauts from the
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 most intense solar storms. This is the
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 first time we've seen it so clearly, and
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 it's a huge new piece of the solar
00:05:18 --> 00:05:19 puzzle.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 >> Okay. From solar physics to lunar
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 politics, Anna, there's a new space race
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 underway. But it's not about planting
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 flags. It's about mining the moon.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 >> That's right. The ambition has moved
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 from exploration to exploitation. We
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 have nations and a growing number of
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 private companies like Interoon and
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 Astrobotic actively developing
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 technologies to extract lunar resources.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 And the resources thereafter are
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 incredibly valuable for future space
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 travel. You have water ice which can be
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 turned into rocket fuel and helium 3 for
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 potential fusion reactors.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 >> The potential is enormous. The moon
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 could become a critical staging post for
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 the rest of the solar system. But this
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 gold rush mentality is raising serious
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 concerns. We're talking about the risk
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 of environmental damage to a pristine
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 world and the potential for geopolitical
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 conflict over the most resourcerich
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 areas.
00:06:13 --> 00:06:14 >> And we don't really have any rules for
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 this, do we? The Outer Space Treaty of
00:06:17 --> 00:06:20 1967 feels completely outdated.
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 >> It's woefully insufficient. It says no
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 nation can own the moon, but it's silent
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 on whether a private company can own the
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 resources it extracts. It's a huge legal
00:06:30 --> 00:06:33 vacuum. International bodies are trying
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 to hash out new agreements like the
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 Aremis Accords, but there's no global
00:06:38 --> 00:06:39 consensus yet.
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 >> And that lack of consensus is the real
00:06:41 --> 00:06:44 danger. Without clear, internationally
00:06:44 --> 00:06:46 agreed upon rules, you risk a first
00:06:46 --> 00:06:48 come, first serve situation that could
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 lead to disputes and even sabotage.
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 Establishing a framework for peaceful,
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 sustainable resource use is as critical
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 as developing the technology to get
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 there.
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 >> Let's wish the policy makers well then.
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 >> Indeed, we're essentially heading into a
00:07:03 --> 00:07:06 wild west scenario on the moon. This is
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 a story we will definitely be following
00:07:08 --> 00:07:09 closely.
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 >> Let's turn our gaze now to a different
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 kind of cosmic event on the horizon.
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 There's a star system called V Sagitta
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 that astronomers are watching very, very
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 closely. Right. This is a future
00:07:20 --> 00:07:24 headliner. So, V Sagitta is a binary
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 system. Two stars orbiting each other.
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 What makes this pair so special? It's
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 what they call a cataclysmic variable.
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 One star is a white dwarf, the
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 incredibly dense collapsed core of a
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 dead star. It's pulling in a stream of
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 gas from its larger companion star, and
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 it's doing so at an unprecedented
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 accelerating rate. And when that stolen
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 gas builds up on the surface of the
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 super dense white dwarf, boom,
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 >> boom is right. The immense pressure and
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 temperature will ignite a runaway
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 thermonuclear reaction, a nova.
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 Astronomers predict this will happen in
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 the coming years. And when it does, the
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 system will brighten so dramatically it
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 will likely be one of the brightest
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 stars in our night sky, easily visible
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 to the naked eye.
00:08:09 --> 00:08:11 >> That's incredible. But that's not even
00:08:11 --> 00:08:14 the grand finale, is it? Not at all.
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 This process is causing the two stars to
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 spiral closer and closer together.
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 Eventually, they will collide and merge,
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 triggering a full-blown supernova. The
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 resulting explosion will be so
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 mindbogglingly bright, it might even be
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 visible during the daytime, an amazing,
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 if violent, astronomical event in the
00:08:34 --> 00:08:35 making.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 >> Do we have a more precise prediction
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 than in the coming years? Is this
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 something we might see in our lifetimes?
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 The models based on decades of
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 observation of its accelerating orbital
00:08:46 --> 00:08:50 decay point to a date around 2083, plus
00:08:50 --> 00:08:53 or minus a decade. So yes, it's very
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 likely to happen within the lifetime of
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 many people listening today. It's a rare
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 chance to watch a celestial forecast
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 come true. For our final story, we're
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 going from a system far away to the one
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 right next door. We're talking about
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 Proxima Centauri and its famous
00:09:09 --> 00:09:12 exoplanet Proxima B. That's right.
00:09:12 --> 00:09:15 Proxima B is our nearest exoplanet
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 neighbor, which makes it a tantalizing
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 target. But studying it is one of the
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 greatest technical challenges in
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 astronomy. The planet is completely lost
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 in the glare of its host star.
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 >> How bad is the glare?
00:09:28 --> 00:09:31 >> The star Proxima Centauri is about 10
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 million times brighter than the light
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 reflected by the planet. It's like
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 trying to see a speck of dust on a flood
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 light from a mile away. But a new
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 instrument called Restredo is being
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 built to do just that.
00:09:43 --> 00:09:46 >> Okay. So, how does Restredo pull off
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 this magic trick?
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 >> It's a combination of technologies. It's
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 a spectrograph that will be installed on
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 the very large telescope in Chile.
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 First, it uses a coronagraph,
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 essentially a tiny precise mask to
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 physically block the light from the
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 star. Then it uses a system of extreme
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 adaptive optics with deformable mirrors
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 to cancel out the blurring effect of
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 Earth's atmosphere.
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 >> And once the stars light is suppressed,
00:10:11 --> 00:10:12 what's the ultimate goal?
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 >> The goal is to collect the faint light
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 that has passed through or been
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 reflected by the planet's atmosphere. By
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 analyzing that light, Restredo can
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 search for the chemical fingerprints of
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 gases like oxygen, methane, or water
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 vapor, potential bio signatures. It's
00:10:28 --> 00:10:30 one of our best chances yet to find out
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 if the closest world beyond our solar
00:10:32 --> 00:10:35 system has an atmosphere and perhaps one
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 that could support life.
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 >> And that's a wrap on today's top
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 stories. From new frontiers in human
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 space flight to the cutting edge of
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 exoplanet research, the universe never
00:10:45 --> 00:10:46 fails to amaze.
00:10:46 --> 00:10:49 >> It certainly doesn't. Thanks for tuning
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 in to Astronomy Daily. Join us next time
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 as we continue to explore the final
00:10:53 --> 00:10:54 frontier.
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 >> Until then, keep looking up. Astronomy
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 day.
00:10:59 --> 00:11:07 The stories been told.
00:11:07 --> 00:11:11 Stories to tell.