Join host Andrew Dunkley, astronomer Professor Fred Watson, and special guest Heidi Campo as they delve into the intriguing mysteries of the universe in this episode of Space Nuts. From the latest revelations about dark energy to the exciting developments from the Square Kilometer Array and the discovery of baby moons around baby planets, this episode is packed with cosmic insights and engaging discussions.
Episode Highlights:
- Dark Energy Insights: Andrew and Fred explore new research suggesting that dark energy may not be as constant as previously thought, potentially weakening over time and raising questions about the ultimate fate of the universe.
- Square Kilometer Array Update: The team discusses the first images from the Square Kilometer Array, highlighting its groundbreaking capabilities and the significance of its location in Western Australia for radio astronomy.
- Discovery of Baby Moons: Exciting findings from the Magellan telescopes reveal the existence of baby moons forming around young planets, providing new insights into planetary formation and the potential for life beyond our solar system.
For more Space Nuts, including our continually updating newsfeed and to listen to all our episodes, visit our website. Follow us on social media at SpaceNutsPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music Music, Tumblr, Instagram, and TikTok. We love engaging with our community, so be sure to drop us a message or comment on your favorite platform.
If you'd like to help support Space Nuts and join our growing family of insiders for commercial-free episodes and more, visit spacenutspodcast.com/about
Stay curious, keep looking up, and join us next time for more stellar insights and cosmic wonders. Until then, clear skies and happy stargazing.
(00:00) Andrew Dunkley welcomes Professor Fred Watson back to Space Nuts
(01:48) Two astronauts successfully returned to Earth after 286 days in space
(06:03) The evidence that is being presented for dark energy weakening over time is tentative
(15:53) The Square Kilometer Array telescope in Western Australia has taken its first selfie
(24:37) Scientists trying to mitigate effects of satellite interference on radio astronomy
(27:26) Scientists have finally found baby moons forming around baby planets
(32:50) Andrew Dunkley: Anything to add, Heidi, to finish off podcast
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts-astronomy-insights-cosmic-discoveries--2631155/support.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 the latest and most exciting news in space
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 exploration and astronomy. I'm your host
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 Anna, and today we're diving into several
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 fascinating developments from across the
00:00:11 --> 00:00:14 cosmos. We've got a packed episode ahead
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 covering everything from the Space Force's
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 certification of a new rocket for national
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 security launches to an upcoming partial
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 solar eclipse that will grace our skies this
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 week. We'll also explore a mysterious
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 galaxy that's challenging what we thought we
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 knew about the early universe. We check in on
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 China's expanding satellite network and learn
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 how NASA's Europa Clipper will scout
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 potential landing sites on one of the most
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 promising worlds for finding extraterrestrial
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 life. So settle in as we journey through
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 these captivating stories that remind us just
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 how dynamic and ever changing our
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 understanding of space truly is.
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 The US Space Force has officially certified
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 rocket for national security missions
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 after analyzing data from the vehicle's two
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 certification launches that took place in
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 January and October of 2024.
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 This milestone announcement came on March 26
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 from the Space Force's Space Systems Command,
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 marking the completion of a long awaited
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 certification process. Space Force
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 Brigadier General Kristen Panzenhagen, who
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 serves as the Program Executive Officer for
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 Assured Access to Space, emphasized the
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 significance of this development, noting that
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 assured access to space is a core function of
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 the Space Force and a critical element of
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 national security. She added that the Vulcan
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 certification adds launch capacity,
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 resiliency and flexibility needed for the
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 nation's most critical space based systems.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:46 This certification is particularly notable as
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 UH ula now joins SpaceX as only
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 the second provider certified to carry out
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 launches under the National Security Space
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 Launch Program, enhancing America's launch
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 capabilities for sensitive military and
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 intelligence payloads. The path to
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 certification wasn't without challenges. The
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 second Vulcan certification flight
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 experienced an incident when the nozzle of
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 one of its two solid rocket boosters fell off
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 approximately half a minute after liftoff.
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 Remarkably, the vehicle compensated for the
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 diminished thrust and still completed its
00:02:17 --> 00:02:20 mission successfully. ULA's President
00:02:20 --> 00:02:23 and CEO Tory Bruno later explained that
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 a manufacturing defect in an internal
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 insulator part caused the nozzle separation
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 and appropriate corrective actions were
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 implemented and verified through static fire
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 testing. Looking ahead,
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 ULA has ambitious plans for their launch
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 cadence. Bruno has indicated that the
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 company is projecting a dozen launches this
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 year split roughly evenly between their Atlas
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 and Vulcan rockets, serving both national
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 security and commercial missions.
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 The first National Security space launch
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 mission on Vulcan is planned for this summer
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 in North America. ULA aims to establish a
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 baseline tempo of two launches per month by
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 the end of this year and perform 20 launches
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 in 2025. Bruno noted that the company
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 has been strategically stockpiling critical
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 components such as B4 engines and
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 solid rocket boosters to support this
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 accelerated launch schedule. This
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 certification represents a, uh, significant
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 advancement for America's space launch
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 capabilities, ensuring redundancy and
00:03:21 --> 00:03:24 resilience in the nation's ability to deploy
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 critical national security assets to orbit.
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 As Bruno remarked, we're all staged up
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 and ready, and as spacecraft show up, we'll
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 be able to fly them. What a
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 difference a year makes. Just a year after
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 millions across North America witnessed the
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 spectacular total solar eclipse on April
00:03:42 --> 00:03:44 8, 2024, we're already
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 preparing for another celestial event. Mark
00:03:48 --> 00:03:50 your calendars for this Saturday, March
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 29, 2025, when a partial
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 solar eclipse will grace our skies, though
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 with a notably different viewing audience.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 This upcoming eclipse results from the Moon's
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 shadow falling primarily on the north polar
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 regions of Earth. It's actually the second
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 eclipse in less than a month, coming just two
00:04:08 --> 00:04:10 weeks after the total lunar eclipse that
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 occurred on 3-13-14.
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 This pattern is what astronomers call an
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 eclipse season, a roughly 37 day
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 period when the alignment of the sun and Moon
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 can allow for eclipses to occur at both full
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 and new Moon phases. For this March
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 29 event, the Moon will pass through the
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 opposite node of its orbit. Compared to the
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 lunar eclipse, however, the Moon passes this
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 node almost too early. By the time it reaches
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 new phase, about 19 hours after crossing the
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 ecliptic, the axis of its shadow will pass
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 well to the north of Earth. The dark shadow
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 cone, or umbra, will completely miss our
00:04:47 --> 00:04:50 planet, passing about 180 miles above the
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 North Pole. This means no location on Earth
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 will experience totality, but instead the
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 Moon's outer shadow, the penumbra, will
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 create a partial eclipse visible in varying
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 degrees. The eclipse will be visible across
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 northwest Africa, much of Europe, excluding
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 some eastern sections northwest Russia,
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 Iceland, and Greenland. Parts of South
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 America, including Suriname, French Guiana,
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 and Amada in Brazil will see a small dent in
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 the sun at sunrise. For North Americans,
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 visibility depends entirely on location.
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 If you draw a line from Oakville, Ontario,
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 down to Virginia Beach, Virginia, areas west
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 of this line won't see any part of the
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 eclipse. Those to the east, however, will
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 catch at least a glimpse near sunrise, though
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 maximum eclipse will have already occurred
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 before the sun appears above the horizon.
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 The farther north and east you go in North
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 America, the more impressive the view
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 becomes. In Baltimore, the Sun will rise with
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 7.8% of its diameter already
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 eclipsed, with the event ending just four
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 minutes later. But residents of northern New
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 England and Atlantic Canada are in for a
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 spectacular treatment. The town of Madawaska
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 in far northern Maine will experience maximum
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 eclipse almost precisely at sunrise, with
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 88.2% of the Sun's diameter
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 covered. This will create the stunning visual
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 effect of the sun appearing as a delicate
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 crescent with its points aimed nearly
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 straight up, resembling two lobster claws
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 emerging from beyond the eastern horizon.
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 Similar impressive views await Atlantic
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 Canada, with Halifax seeing
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 85.6% coverage and at
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 7:17am Fredericton experiencing
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 87% at 7:19am and St.
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 John's reaching 85.4% at
00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 7:52am as always with solar
00:06:35 --> 00:06:38 eclipses, proper eye protection is essential.
00:06:39 --> 00:06:40 Unlike, um, a total eclipse with its brief
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 moments of totality, a partial eclipse can be
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 observed more leisurely, but only through
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 specially designed solar filters or eclipse
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 glasses. Remember that looking at the sun
00:06:51 --> 00:06:52 without proper protection is extremely
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 dangerous.
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has made
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 another groundbreaking discovery that's
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 challenging our understanding of the early
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 universe. An international team of
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 astronomers has identified bright hydrogen
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 emission from an incredibly distant galaxy
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 observed just 330 million years after the
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 Big Bang, a mere fraction of our universe's
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 current 13.8 billion year age.
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 The galaxy, designated Jades
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 GSZ13.1, was first spotted in
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 images taken by Webb's Near Infrared Camera
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 as part of the James Webb Space Telescope
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 Researchers initially estimated its redshift,
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 a measure of how far the galaxy's light has
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 traveled and been stretched by the expansion
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 of space, at around 12.9 to
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 confirm this extreme distance. They then
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 observed it using Webb's Near Infrared
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 Spectrograph instrument. The resulting
00:07:47 --> 00:07:50 spectrum not only confirmed the redshift at
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 13.0, placing it firmly in the very
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 early universe, but also revealed something
00:07:55 --> 00:07:58 completely unexpected a distinctly bright
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 wavelength of light known as Lyman alpha
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 emission radiating from hydrogen
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 atoms. This emission was far stronger
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 than scientists thought possible during this
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 ancient epoch. What makes this
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 finding so perplexing is that the early
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 universe was filled with a thick fog of
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 neutral hydrogen gas. This fog should
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 have completely blocked such emissions until
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 a process called reionization cleared it away
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 a process that wasn't completed until about 1
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 billion years after the Big Bang. Yet here
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 was JDGS Z13.1
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 shining through this cosmic fog more than 600
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 million years earlier than should be
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 possible. Roberto Maialino from the
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 University of Cambridge and University
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 College London explains why this is so
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 significant. GSZ13.1
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 is seen when the universe was only 330
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 million years old, yet it shows a
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 surprisingly clear telltale signature of
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 Lyman alpha emission that can only be seen
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 once the surrounding fog has fully lifted.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 This result was totally unexpected by
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 theories of early galaxy formation and has
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 caught astronomers by surprise. Before
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 and during the reionization era, the neutral
00:09:09 --> 00:09:12 hydrogen surrounding galaxies should have
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 blocked any energetic ultraviolet light they
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 emitted, much like colored glass filters
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 light. Until enough stars had formed to
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 ionize this hydrogen gas, no such light,
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 including Lyman Alpha emission, should have
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 been able to escape and reach Earth. We
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 really shouldn't have found a galaxy like
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 this, given our understanding of the way the
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 universe has evolved, says Kevin Hainlein
00:09:35 --> 00:09:38 from the University of Arizona. We could
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 think of the early universe as, uh, shrouded
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 with a thick fog that would make it
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 exceedingly difficult to find even powerful
00:09:44 --> 00:09:47 lighthouses peeking through. Yet here we see
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 the beam of light from this galaxy piercing
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 the veil. Scientists aren't yet certain what
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 caused this unexpected emission, but they
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 have theories. One possibility is that
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 the galaxy contains some of the universe's
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 first generation of stars, much more
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 massive, hotter, and more luminous than
00:10:05 --> 00:10:08 stars formed later. Another
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 explanation could be a powerful active
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 galactic nucleus driven by one of the first
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 supermassive black holes. Whatever the
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 explanation, this discovery opens exciting
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 new questions about the earliest chapters of
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 our cosmic history and how the first stars
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 and galaxies formed. The
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 research was published in the journal Nature,
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 marking another remarkable achievement for
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 the Webb Telescope as it continues to
00:10:31 --> 00:10:34 transform our understanding of the universe's
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 origins.
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 China has taken another significant step
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 forward in its space infrastructure with the
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 successful launch of a new data tracking and
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 relay communications satellite. The Tianlian
00:10:45 --> 00:10:48 two zero four lifted off on March
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 26th at 11:55am M. Eastern Time
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 from the Xichang Satellite Launch center in
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 southwest China aboard a long March 3rd B
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 rocket. The China Aerospace Science and
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 Technology Corporation, or KSC, announced the
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 mission's success about an hour after
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 liftoff. While the launch was anticipated due
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 to airspace closure notices, the exact
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 payload wasn't revealed until after the
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 successful deployment.
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 Tianlian2:04 is now in
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 geosynchronous transfer orbit and will
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 eventually maneuver to take up its final
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 position along the geostationary belt.
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 Approximately 35 sets 786
00:11:23 --> 00:11:26 kilometers above Earth's equator. From this
00:11:26 --> 00:11:29 vantage point, it will join China's second
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 generation geostationary orbit data relay
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 satellite, Constellation. These satellites
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 serve a critical function for China's space
00:11:36 --> 00:11:39 program, providing data relay and telemetry,
00:11:39 --> 00:11:40 tracking and command services for the
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 nation's crewed spacecraft. This includes
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 supporting the Tiangong Space Station and
00:11:45 --> 00:11:48 Shenzhou spacecraft, as well as assisting
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 medium and low Earth orbit satellites and
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 launch operations. The Tianlian Network
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 performs a role similar to NASA's Tracking
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 and Data relay satellite system, with
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 satellites strategically positioned around
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 geostationary orbit to provide nearly
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 continuous coverage. According to casc,
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 this newest addition to the fleet features
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 several technical upgrades compared to its
00:12:07 --> 00:12:10 predecessor Tianlian2:03,
00:12:10 --> 00:12:13 which was launched in July 2022. These
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 improvements include enhanced transmission
00:12:15 --> 00:12:18 capacity and faster response speed speeds
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 aimed at meeting China's growing needs for
00:12:20 --> 00:12:23 data relay and tracking services, while
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 also strengthening the autonomy and security
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 of their second generation relay system.
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 The Tianlian program has a long history,
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 beginning with China's first Tianlian
00:12:32 --> 00:12:35 satellite launched in 2008. The earlier
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 Tianlian 1 series satellites have now been
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 moved to graveyard orbits above the
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 geostationary belt, while the newer
00:12:41 --> 00:12:44 generation continues active service like
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 earlier satellites in the series,
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 Tianlian2:04 was developed by the
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 China Academy of Space Technology, a UM major
00:12:51 --> 00:12:54 spacecraft making Institute under CASC.
00:12:54 --> 00:12:57 This launch marks China's 15th orbital
00:12:57 --> 00:13:00 mission of 2025, demonstrating the country's
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 increasingly ambitious space program. With
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 expanded spaceport capabilities, ongoing mega
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 Constellation projects, and new launch
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 vehicles set to debut, China could
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 potentially target around 100 or more
00:13:12 --> 00:13:14 launches this year, far exceeding their
00:13:14 --> 00:13:17 previous national record of 68 launches set
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 last year. The country's space agenda remains
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 packed with other major upcoming missions,
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 including the Shenzhou 20 and 21
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 crewed flights to the Tiangong Space Station
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 and the Tianwen 2 near Earth asteroid Sample
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 Return mission, expected to launch around
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 May.
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 Let's move a bit further out into space now,
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 looking ahead to one of NASA's most
00:13:38 --> 00:13:41 anticipated deep space missions. New research
00:13:41 --> 00:13:44 presented at the 2025 Lunar and Planetary
00:13:44 --> 00:13:46 Science Conference has revealed how the
00:13:46 --> 00:13:49 Europa Clipper will help identify potential
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 landing sites for a future mission to
00:13:50 --> 00:13:53 Jupiter's icy moon. This strategic
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 reconnaissance capability could prove crucial
00:13:55 --> 00:13:58 for the next phase of exploring this ocean
00:13:58 --> 00:14:01 world. The Europa Clipper, scheduled to
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 reach the Jovian system in April 2030,
00:14:03 --> 00:14:06 will follow a complex orbital pattern around
00:14:06 --> 00:14:09 Jupiter, performing 49 close flybys of
00:14:09 --> 00:14:11 Europa. Unlike Mars orbiters that
00:14:11 --> 00:14:14 follow relatively simple circular paths, the
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 Clipper can't orbit Europa directly due to
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 Jupiter's intense radiation environment,
00:14:19 --> 00:14:22 which would damage the spacecraft. Instead,
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 it will follow carefully designed looping
00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 orbits that minimize radiation exposure while
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 still allowing close study of the moon.
00:14:29 --> 00:14:32 Planetary geologist Jennifer Scully and her
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have
00:14:34 --> 00:14:36 carefully assessed which of these flybys
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38 would be most suitable for identifying future
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 landing sites. They determined that any
00:14:40 --> 00:14:43 reconnable flyby must meet three key
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 proper lighting conditions with the surface
00:14:45 --> 00:14:47 and sunlight, specific incidence angles
00:14:47 --> 00:14:50 between 30 and 60 degrees, and an altitude of
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 approximately 50 to 100 kilometers to ensure
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 appropriate image resolution without
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 blurring. Based on these criteria,
00:14:58 --> 00:15:01 the researchers identified 12 flybys as
00:15:01 --> 00:15:04 fully reconnable and another 13 as
00:15:04 --> 00:15:06 supporting. Most notably, a flyby
00:15:06 --> 00:15:09 designated E19 stands out as particularly
00:15:09 --> 00:15:11 valuable for landing site selection. Its
00:15:11 --> 00:15:14 ground Track extends over 700km and
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 covers a fascinating transition between
00:15:16 --> 00:15:19 Europa's ridged plains and a region called
00:15:19 --> 00:15:22 Pao Regio, one of the Moon's mysterious
00:15:22 --> 00:15:25 chaos terrains where the surface appears
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 jumbled and disrupted, potentially offering
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 clues about the ocean beneath. The Europa
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 Clipper's sophisticated Europa Imaging
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35 System, with its narrow and wide angle
00:15:35 --> 00:15:37 cameras, will collect crucial data for what's
00:15:37 --> 00:15:39 known as terrain relative navigation.
00:15:40 --> 00:15:42 This is the same guidance system that allowed
00:15:42 --> 00:15:45 NASA's Perseverance rover to safely navigate
00:15:45 --> 00:15:48 to its landing site on Mars. A future
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 Europa lander would use these detailed
00:15:50 --> 00:15:53 surface images combined with real time camera
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55 data to guide itself safely to the surface.
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 The researchers note that their current
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 assessments are based on older data from the
00:16:00 --> 00:16:03 Galileo mission, and rankings will likely
00:16:03 --> 00:16:05 change once the Europa Clipper begins
00:16:05 --> 00:16:07 returning high resolution images.
00:16:08 --> 00:16:10 Some potential landing areas haven't even
00:16:10 --> 00:16:12 been photographed at high resolution yet,
00:16:12 --> 00:16:14 highlighting just how much we still have to
00:16:14 --> 00:16:17 discover about this intriguing world. This
00:16:17 --> 00:16:19 research provides a critical roadmap for
00:16:19 --> 00:16:22 mission planners as they prepare for the
00:16:22 --> 00:16:24 Europa Clipper's operations in the
00:16:24 --> 00:16:27 2000-30s and lay groundwork for
00:16:27 --> 00:16:29 what could eventually become humanity's first
00:16:29 --> 00:16:32 landing on an ocean world beyond Earth.
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 And that wraps up today's episode of
00:16:35 --> 00:16:38 Astronomy Daily. From the space force
00:16:38 --> 00:16:40 certifying ULA's Vulcan rocket to the
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 upcoming partial solar solar eclipse, Webb's
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 surprising discovery of ancient light,
00:16:44 --> 00:16:47 China's new data relay satellite, and the
00:16:47 --> 00:16:49 Europa Clipper's mission to scout landing
00:16:49 --> 00:16:51 sites on Jupiter's Ocean Moon.
00:16:51 --> 00:16:53 We've journeyed across the solar system and
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56 beyond. I'm Anna, and it's been my
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 pleasure to bring you these fascinating
00:16:58 --> 00:17:00 stories from across the cosmos. Whether
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 you're a seasoned astronomer or just curious
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05 about what lies beyond our atmosphere, I hope
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 you've enjoyed today's cosmic update.
00:17:08 --> 00:17:11 Visit our website at astronomydaily IO where
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 you can sign up for our free daily newsletter
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 and listen to all our episodes. You can also
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00:17:23 --> 00:17:25 next time, keep looking up