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This is Space Time Series 28 Episode 119 for broadcast on the
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3rd of October 2025. Coming up on Space Time, could the dwarf
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planet Ceres once have supported life? NASA's new mission to
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study the heliosphere? And the University Of Melbourne's SPIRIT
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Dinosat snaps a selfie? All that and more coming up on Space
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Time.
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Welcome to Space Time with Stuart Gary.
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A new study claims that the dwarf planet Ceres, which today
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is a cold, frozen world, could once have been habitable enough
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to support life. A report in the journal Science Advances paints
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a picture of Ceres hosting a deep, long-lived energy source
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that may have maintained habitable conditions for long
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periods of time in the past.
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The new research by NASA found that Ceres may have had a
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long-lasting source of chemical energy, the right types of
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molecules needed to fuel microbial metabolisms. Now
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before you get too carried away, there is no evidence at all that
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microorganisms ever existed on Ceres.
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But the findings do support theories that this intriguing
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dwarf planet, which is the largest body in the main
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asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, may once have had
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conditions suitable for supporting single-cell
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lifeforms.
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Data from NASA's Dawn mission, which ended in 2018, previously
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showed that the bright, reflective regions on Ceres'
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surface are mostly made of salts left over from liquid that
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percolated up from deep underground.
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Later analysis in 2020 found that the source of this liquid
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was an enormous reservoir of brine, that is, salty water,
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deep below the surface. Dawn also revealed evidence that
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Ceres had organic material in the form of carbon molecules,
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essential, although not sufficient on its own. To
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support microbial life.
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The presence of water and carbon molecules are two of the key
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critical components necessary for habitability. And the
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findings also offer the third, a long-lasting source of chemical
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energy in Ceres' ancient past that could have made it possible
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for microorganisms to survive.
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Now, once again, this result doesn't mean Ceres had life, but
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rather that there was likely to have been food available should
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life ever have arisen on Ceres. Now to reach their conclusions,
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the study's authors built thermal and chemical models
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mimicking the temperatures and composition of Ceres' interior
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over long time spans.
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They found that around 2.5 billion years ago, Ceres'
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subsurface ocean may have had a steady supply of hot water
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containing dissolved gases travelling up from
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metamorphosized rocks on the seafloor. The heat would have
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come through the decay of radioactive elements within the
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dwarf planet's interior, which occurred when Ceres was still
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quite young.
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That's an internal process thought to be common throughout
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the solar system. The study's lead author Sam Corville from
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Arizona State University worked on the Dawn mission while with
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NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
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He says that here on Earth, when hot water from deep underground
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mixes with the ocean deep-sea hydrothermal vents, the result
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is often a buffet for microbes, a feast of chemical energy. So
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this could have big implications. If Corville and
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colleagues determined that Ceres' ocean had an influx of
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hydrothermal fluid in the past.
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Of course, the Ceres astronomers know today is likely to be
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completely uninhabitable. It's cooler, with a lot more ice and
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far less water than what it had in the past. And there's
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currently insufficient heat from radioactive decay within Ceres
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to keep that water from freezing.
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And what liquid remains has now become a concentrated brine. The
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period when Ceres would most likely have been habitable would
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have been between half a billion and two billion years after it
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formed. That's about two and a half to four billion years ago,
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when its rocky core reached its peak temperature.
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That's when warm fluids would have been introduced into Ceres'
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underground water supply. And the dwarf planet also doesn't
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have the benefit of present-day internal heating generated by
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gravitational tidal actions through the push and pull of
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orbiting a large planet, like we see in Saturn's moon Enceladus
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and the Jovian Moon Europa.
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So, Ceres' greatest potential for habitability, fueling
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energy, was well in the past. But the results have
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implications for water-rich objects throughout the outer
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solar system. There are many other icy moons and dwarf
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planets that are of similar size to the 940 km wide Ceres and
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which also lack the internal heating from the gravitational
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pull of planets, but could also have had a period of
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habitability way in their past.
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This is Space Time. Still to come, NASA's new mission to
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study the heliosphere, And the University Of Melbourne SPIRIT
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Nanosat successfully completes the initial phase of its
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mission, the search for gamma-ray bursts. All that and
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more still to come. On Space Time, NASA's launched a new
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mission to study the Sun's magnetic bubble, the
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heliosphere.
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The heliosphere fills the entire solar system, and it helps
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shield it from interstellar particles and radiation. The new
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mission... Called the Interstellar Mapping And
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Acceleration Probe IMAP will help astronomers develop a
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better understanding of this tenuous solar atmosphere and how
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events like space weather interact with it.
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IMAP was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket together
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with NASA's Carruthers GeoCorona Observatory and NOAA's SWIFO L1
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spacecraft from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
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IMAP sensors and detectors will sample, analyze and map
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particles streaming towards the Earth from the very edges of our
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solar system and beyond. The mission will also help
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scientists learn more about the solar wind, the continuous
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stream of particles flowing out from the Sun, and about
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energetic particles in the heliosphere.
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These particles can affect humans in space. They can damage
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spacecraft systems, and may even have played a role in the
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presence of life in the solar system.
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The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in L'Oreal,
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Maryland, built the spacecraft, which is flying 10 instruments
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to study the solar wind, interstellar dust and other
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particles, magnetic fields and ultraviolet light in space.
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Following its launch, the 900kg spacecraft, together with both
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the Carruthers GeoCorona Observatory and SWIFO L1, have
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commenced their four-month cruise phase to the Lagrangian
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L1 position some 1.6 million kilometres away.
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Located between the Earth and the Sun, L1 is a sort of
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gravitational well, where the pull of the Earth and Sun cancel
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each other out. Allowing a spacecraft in that position to
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remain there in a stable orbit without expending a great degree
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of fuel.
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From L1, IMAP will have an uninterrupted view of activities
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at the interstellar boundary in the Sun.
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Meanwhile, the third member of the launch trio, the National
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Oceanographic And Atmospheric Administration's SWIFO L1
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spacecraft, is the first NOAA observatory designed
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specifically for and fully dedicated to operational Space
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Weather Observations.
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It's stationed at the L1 position, will allow
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unobstructed observations of the Sun's outer atmosphere, the
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corona, enabling upstream measurements of solar wind
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disturbances before they reach the Earth. This will allow the
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spacecraft to serve as an early warning beacon for geomagnetic
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storms.
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The probe's primary instrument is the Core 2 Compact
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Chronograph, which will monitor the Sun's surroundings to
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provide data for enhanced forecasting and improve science
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's understanding of the complex dynamics of the solar corona and
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disruptive space weather events like coronal mass ejections,
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blasts of plasma and magnetic field exploding out from the
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Sun.
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Core 2 employs a single external occulter, a cylindrical device
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that blocks the direct sunlight creating an artificial eclipse.
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This allows the telescope to exclusively focus on faint
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details in the corona itself. Core 2 builds upon the earlier
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Core 1 instrument, currently operational on NOAA's GOES-19
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satellite in geostationary orbit.
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While Core 1 experiences daily eclipses as the Earth passes
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between the satellite and the Sun, Core 2 at the L1 position
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will be able to provide a continuous 24-7 view of the Sun.
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This location, coupled with a larger field of view and the
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ability to observe closer to the solar surface, allows Core 2 to
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capture slightly more images and more rapidly detect coronal mass
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ejections closer to the solar disk. This means scientists can
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determine their trajectory, mass and speed with greater accuracy.
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With the goal of predicting any space weather impact on Earth.
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Space weather events, also known as geomagnetic storms, are
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triggered by sustained periods of high-speed solar wind coupled
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with a southward-directed interplanetary magnetic field
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component which facilitates magnetic reconnection and energy
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transfer at Earth's magnetopause.
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Understanding the initiation and propagation of coronal mass
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ejections and their subsequent impact on Earth's magnetosphere
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is crucial for predicting and mitigating the adverse effects
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of space weather. The repercussions of geomagnetic
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storms can range from temporary operational anomalies to
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significant infrastructure damage.
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These disturbances can disrupt satellite communications and
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navigation systems, cause geomagnetically induced currents
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in power grids, impacting their stability and reliability,
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increase atmospheric drag on low-Earth orbit satellites,
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potentially shortening their operational lifespans, and
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interfere with high-frequency radio communications.
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While coronal mass ejections typically require several days
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to transit from the Sun to the Earth, the most energetic events
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have been observed to arrive at Earth in as little as 18 hours'
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time. Therefore, timely and accurate observations of
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instruments like Core 2 are essential.
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Once in its final orbit at L1, SWIFO L1 will be renamed Space
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Weather Observations at L1 to Advanced Readiness or Solar 1
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spacecraft.
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This report from NASA TV.
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From here on Earth, our Sun looks steady and unchanging. But
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close up, it's a dynamic, active place. And sometimes you'd see
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bursts of radiation called solar flares, and explosions of plasma
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and magnetic fields called coronal mass ejections.
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But when the coronal mass ejections hit Earth, our
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magnetic field can go haywire. Powerful electromagnetic
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currents generated during these storms can harm our power grids,
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global positioning systems, communications networks, and
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spacecraft and astronauts on orbit.
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Meet SWIFO L1, NOAA's first purpose-built space weather
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observatory. From its unique vantage point at Lagrange Point
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1, a million and a half kilometers from Earth.
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SWIFO L1 keeps an eye on the Sun 's corona 24-7, without
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interruption, to provide early warning of solar storms heading
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our way.
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The spacecraft's crown jewel is its compact coronagraph, its eye
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on the Sun.
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Just like the GOES-19 coronagraph, it allows SWIFO L1
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to detect even the fastest coronal mass ejections right as
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they happen. The spacecraft is also packed with a suite of new
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instruments. That allow it to make real-time measurements of
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the solar wind's velocity, density, and temperature, and
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variations in the interplanetary magnetic field, all to provide
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better forecasts of incoming space weather than ever before.
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All of that technology floating out in space on SWIFO L1 works
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together closely to keep us safe back here on Earth.
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Here's how it works. When a solar storm erupts from the Sun,
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SWIFO L1'S coronagraph observes the event right away and sends
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the data back to the SWIFO ground segment, a network of
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antenna stations all over the world with the SWIFO command and
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control in Maryland.
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But spotting a storm is one thing. Actually measuring it
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close up is another.
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It's the difference between tracking a growing hurricane on
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radar and flying through the storm on a Hurricane Hunter
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aircraft.
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SWIFO L1 does you both.
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After the spacecraft spots a storm with its coronagraph, it
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watches the approaching weather and waits.
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Somewhere between 18 and 70 hours later, the incoming storm
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passes over SWIFO L1.
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Then, the spacecraft's instrument suite measures the
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storm's severity and speed, and sends that data home too, giving
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NOAA early warning somewhere between 15 and 60 minutes before
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the storm arrives at Earth.
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NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center in Colorado is constantly
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on the alert, using all the data SWIFO L1 collects to develop and
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communicate real-time forecasts and warnings to industry,
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government agencies, and the public, so they can take action
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before the storm arrives to minimize its impact.
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Those actions might include putting satellites into safe
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mode, rerouting polar airline flights, sheltering in a safe
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area on the International Space Station, or changing loads on
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the power grid. In our increasingly technology
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dependent world, we're more vulnerable than ever to solar
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storms.
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But at the same time, our fleet of space weather satellites is
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aging out of service after many years of work in the harsh
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environment of outer space. That 's why SWIFO L1 is the first of
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a new generation of Sun observing spacecraft that NOAA
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is launching.
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SWIFO L1 will use its cutting-edge observing
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technology to provide NOAA forecasters the best and most
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reliable data available and ensure our nation doesn't go a
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minute without eyes on the Sun, our life-giving but turbulent
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neighborhood star.
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This is space-time. Still to come, the University Of
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Melbourne's SPIRIT satellite snaps a selfie. And later in the
00:14:14
science report, a new study has found that tropical fish are now
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colonizing new habitats in temperate waters. All that and
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more still to come on Space Time.
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The University Of Melbourne SPIRIT Nano Satellite has
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successfully completed the initial phase of its mission.
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The Space Industry Responsive Intelligent Thermal
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Nanosatellite, SPIRIT, is the first space telescope funded by
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ASA, the Australian Space Agency, to carry a foreign space
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agency's scientific instrument as its primary payload.
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The spacecraft was launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from
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the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California back in December
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2023.
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Since its launch, SPIRIT's circled the Earth more than
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9 times, traveling a distance comparable with a trip
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between the Earth and Mars, and has been in orbit for over 600
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days. The completion of the first phase of SPIRIT's mission
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was marked with the deployment of its wing thermal management
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system and selfie stick, which it then used to take a selfie in
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space.
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SPIRIT will be scanning large areas of space using its Hermes
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X-Ray detector to search for gamma-ray bursts, providing an
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early warning system for astronomers studying these
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stellar explosions.
00:15:38
SPIRIT's unique wings, designed by the University Of Melbourne,
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helps keep the space telescope cool and increases science
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instrument performance. The prototype miniaturized gamma-ray
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detector on board was developed by the Italian Space Agency. It
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was tested by targeting the Crab Nebula Pulsar. Detecting the
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supernova remnant in 700 seconds of observation. This is Space
00:15:59
Time.
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And time now to take another brief look at some of the other
00:16:18
stories making news in science this week with a science report.
00:16:22
A new study has found that tropical fish are now colonizing
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new habitats in temperate oceans made available to them because
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of ocean warming.
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A report in the journal Animal Ecology found that those who
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shoal alongside neighbors that are native to temperate waters
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learn local behaviors that help them thrive. The authors found
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that tropical fish species that live in mixed shoals, not solely
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among other tropical fishes, become bolder and feed more,
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which may aid them in surviving for longer and growing larger on
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temperate reefs.
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The southward migration of tropical fish isn't new. More
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than a decade ago, studies found fish normally restricted to the
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Great Barrier Reef were now swimming happily in Sydney
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Harbour.
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New research has found that children have a similar risk of
00:17:07
dehydration and hypothermia in extreme heat as what adults do.
00:17:11
The findings, reported in the British Journal Of Sports
00:17:14
Medicine, contradicts previous advice that kids were more
00:17:17
susceptible to heat-related illnesses.
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The research represents the largest controlled study of its
00:17:22
kind, looking at the effects of high temperatures up to 40
00:17:25
degrees Celsius on 68 kids between the ages of 10 and 16.
00:17:32
After more than two decades of digging and analysing fossils in
00:17:35
central Otago, a trans-Tasman team of scientists have now
00:17:39
found enough fragments to describe a new species of
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carawong, an ancient ancestor of the bird that menaces New
00:17:45
Zealand today.
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The findings, reported in the journal PAL-Z, suggest that the
00:17:49
ancient bird would have been about the same size as the
00:17:52
Australian magpie found in New Zealand today, but was probably
00:17:55
all black. I think that's meant to be a sports reference. The
00:17:59
authors say these fossils show that these magpie ancestors
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lived in New Zealand some 19 million years ago.
00:18:06
And time now for our silliest story of the week. And we've
00:18:10
kept them at bay until now, but the time has finally come when
00:18:13
one of the Kardashians, and no, we don't mean the lizard people
00:18:17
from Star Trek Deep Space Nine, has started talking about her
00:18:20
encounters with UFOs, ghosts and spooky voices.
00:18:24
Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics says Khloe Kardashian
00:18:27
believes she's not only seen UFOs but has experienced
00:18:30
paranormal activity in her own home.
00:18:33
Well, obviously Khloe believes it, so it's all game over, isn't
00:18:36
it? It's all proof. I'm sorry. I do not take any of the
00:18:38
Kardashians that seriously, apart from their ability to...
00:18:41
To promote themselves and make a lot of money.
00:18:43
I'm sorry to say this, but I'm probably one of the few people
00:18:46
in the world who have never ever watched an episode of the
00:18:48
Kardashians and consequently I don't know who Khloe Kardashian
00:18:51
is.
00:18:52
I'm in the same club, by the way. I'm not a follower. But
00:18:54
this is a celebrity. They're very famous. They're very rich.
00:18:57
The whole bunch of them. And everyone seems to find them very
00:18:59
convincing. They're famous for being famous. So Khloe reckons
00:19:03
she's witnessed UFOs and she's had voices whispering in her
00:19:06
ear. This is one of the weird phenomena, right?
00:19:08
That people who are famous... Tend to have more credence given
00:19:11
to their ideas. If it was Joe Blow down at the pub, had too
00:19:14
much to drink, and he was saying he sort of was taken up by a
00:19:17
UFO, you go, uh-huh, yes, because Khloe Kardashian and the
00:19:20
other people are famous, people give it more credence or it's
00:19:22
more interesting. I suppose that 's the thing. The media boosted.
00:19:25
That's why Hollywood actors are getting credibility for their
00:19:28
political views, when no-one really cares what their
00:19:30
political views are other than other Hollywood actors, but they
00:19:34
get credibility for it because the media hypes them up.
00:19:36
Media hypes them up. They're famous and therefore people say,
00:19:38
well, they must know what they're talking about. No, the
00:19:40
Hollywood actors and the famous Kardashian family and all these
00:19:43
sort of celebrities are no more or less intelligent than the
00:19:46
bulk of the people, I dare say. But because someone's famous
00:19:49
doesn't mean that they're worth listening to, certainly about
00:19:53
things like UFOs and ghosts and voices in their ear.
00:19:56
That's Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics.
00:20:14
And that's the show for now. Space Time is available every
00:20:18
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You've been listening to Space Time with Stuart Gary.
00:21:11
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