WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:02.720 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. Your cosmic 1 00:00:02.720 --> 00:00:05.560 connection to the stars and beyond. I'm 2 00:00:05.560 --> 00:00:07.680 Anna bringing you the latest developments in 3 00:00:07.680 --> 00:00:09.600 space exploration and astronomical 4 00:00:09.600 --> 00:00:12.200 discoveries right to your ears. Today's 5 00:00:12.200 --> 00:00:14.080 episode is packed with fascinating stories 6 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:16.279 that showcase both the mysteries of our 7 00:00:16.279 --> 00:00:18.120 universe and humanity's incredible 8 00:00:18.120 --> 00:00:20.480 technological ingenuity in uncovering them. 9 00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:23.160 We'll be exploring several breaking stories 10 00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:25.480 that highlight just how dynamic our solar 11 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:28.410 system truly is. We'll start by delving into 12 00:00:28.410 --> 00:00:30.450 a new gravity study that finally helps 13 00:00:30.450 --> 00:00:33.130 explain why the two sides of our moon look so 14 00:00:33.130 --> 00:00:35.130 dramatically different. A question that has 15 00:00:35.130 --> 00:00:37.810 puzzled scientists for decades. The research 16 00:00:37.810 --> 00:00:40.330 reveals fascinating asymmetries deep within 17 00:00:40.330 --> 00:00:42.410 the lunar interior that have shaped its 18 00:00:42.410 --> 00:00:45.250 distinctive appearance. Then 19 00:00:45.570 --> 00:00:47.930 we'll head down under to Australia, where an 20 00:00:47.930 --> 00:00:50.250 aerospace firm was preparing for a historic 21 00:00:50.250 --> 00:00:52.450 rocket launch that would have been the first 22 00:00:52.530 --> 00:00:54.770 Australian made rocket to reach orbit from 23 00:00:54.770 --> 00:00:57.610 Australian soil. We'll look at what happened 24 00:00:57.610 --> 00:01:00.050 with this milestone attempt and what it means 25 00:01:00.050 --> 00:01:01.890 for the growing global space industry. 26 00:01:02.770 --> 00:01:05.330 Next, we'll travel to the very edge of our 27 00:01:05.330 --> 00:01:08.170 solar system, where NASA engineers have 28 00:01:08.170 --> 00:01:10.370 achieved what many would consider impossible. 29 00:01:10.930 --> 00:01:13.770 Reviving thrusters on the Voyager 1 30 00:01:13.770 --> 00:01:15.810 spacecraft that had been deemed unusable 31 00:01:15.810 --> 00:01:18.770 since 2004. This remarkable feat 32 00:01:18.770 --> 00:01:20.570 of remote engineering shows just how 33 00:01:20.570 --> 00:01:22.370 resourceful our space teams can be, 34 00:01:22.930 --> 00:01:24.650 especially when working with a spacecraft 35 00:01:24.650 --> 00:01:27.090 that's now over 15 billion miles from Earth. 36 00:01:27.890 --> 00:01:30.010 We'll also examine fascinating new findings 37 00:01:30.010 --> 00:01:31.810 about Venus that suggest our nearest 38 00:01:31.810 --> 00:01:33.930 planetary neighbor may be more geologically 39 00:01:33.930 --> 00:01:36.810 active than previously thought. Data from 40 00:01:36.810 --> 00:01:39.410 NASA's Magellan mission has revealed evidence 41 00:01:39.410 --> 00:01:41.970 of ongoing tectonic processes that reshape 42 00:01:41.970 --> 00:01:44.130 our understanding of this enigmatic world. 43 00:01:45.090 --> 00:01:47.050 Finally, we'll look at a historic first on 44 00:01:47.050 --> 00:01:49.370 Mars, where the Perseverance rover has 45 00:01:49.370 --> 00:01:51.730 captured an image that no human has ever seen 46 00:01:51.730 --> 00:01:54.660 before. A visible aurora on the 47 00:01:54.660 --> 00:01:57.620 red planet. This subtle green glow 48 00:01:57.620 --> 00:01:59.660 gives us a preview of what future Martian 49 00:01:59.660 --> 00:02:01.740 explorers might witness in the night sky. 50 00:02:02.460 --> 00:02:04.740 These stories remind us that our solar system 51 00:02:04.740 --> 00:02:07.460 is not a static place, but an ever changing 52 00:02:07.460 --> 00:02:10.380 dynamic environment full of ongoing processes 53 00:02:10.380 --> 00:02:13.140 and unexpected discoveries. They also 54 00:02:13.140 --> 00:02:15.100 highlight the incredible technological 55 00:02:15.100 --> 00:02:17.340 achievements that allow us to explore these 56 00:02:17.340 --> 00:02:19.260 distant worlds from right here on Earth. 57 00:02:20.200 --> 00:02:22.680 So settle in as we journey across the cosmos, 58 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:25.240 exploring the latest findings that continue 59 00:02:25.320 --> 00:02:27.600 to expand our understanding of the universe 60 00:02:27.600 --> 00:02:30.520 we call home. Let's get things underway. 61 00:02:31.880 --> 00:02:34.000 One of the most enduring mysteries about our 62 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:36.440 closest celestial neighbor has been why the 63 00:02:36.440 --> 00:02:39.000 moon's near side. The face we see from Earth 64 00:02:39.160 --> 00:02:41.440 looks so dramatically different from its far 65 00:02:41.440 --> 00:02:44.080 side. Now, an exhaustive 66 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:46.570 examination of lunar gravity. You using data 67 00:02:46.570 --> 00:02:48.730 from NASA's GRAIL mission is offering 68 00:02:48.730 --> 00:02:51.010 compelling new evidence to explain this lunar 69 00:02:51.010 --> 00:02:53.850 dichotomy the research team discovered that 70 00:02:53.850 --> 00:02:55.930 the Moon's near side flexes slightly more 71 00:02:55.930 --> 00:02:58.130 than the far side during its elliptical orbit 72 00:02:58.130 --> 00:03:00.450 around Earth. This difference in tidal 73 00:03:00.450 --> 00:03:02.530 deformation caused by Earth's gravitational 74 00:03:02.530 --> 00:03:05.010 pull indicates significant structural 75 00:03:05.010 --> 00:03:06.770 differences between the two sides of the 76 00:03:06.770 --> 00:03:09.330 lunar interior, particularly in the mantle 77 00:03:09.330 --> 00:03:12.210 layer. M. Our study shows that the Moon's 78 00:03:12.210 --> 00:03:15.040 interior is not uniform except, explains Ryan 79 00:03:15.040 --> 00:03:17.440 park, lead author of the study published in 80 00:03:17.440 --> 00:03:20.400 the journal Nature. The side facing Earth, 81 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:22.920 the near side, is warmer and more 82 00:03:22.920 --> 00:03:25.160 geologically active deep down than the far 83 00:03:25.160 --> 00:03:27.440 side. This temperature difference is 84 00:03:27.440 --> 00:03:30.080 substantial. Researchers estimate that the 85 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:32.920 near side Mantle averages between 180 86 00:03:32.920 --> 00:03:35.200 to 360 degrees Fahrenheit, 87 00:03:35.440 --> 00:03:38.360 hotter than the far side mantle. This thermal 88 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:39.960 difference is likely sustained by the 89 00:03:39.960 --> 00:03:42.520 radioactive decay of elements like the 90 00:03:42.670 --> 00:03:45.150 thorium and titanium, which appear to have 91 00:03:45.150 --> 00:03:47.430 accumulated on the near side over billions of 92 00:03:47.430 --> 00:03:49.950 years. The findings help explain the stark 93 00:03:49.950 --> 00:03:52.070 visual contrast between the two lunar 94 00:03:52.070 --> 00:03:54.710 hemispheres. If you've ever looked up at the 95 00:03:54.710 --> 00:03:56.870 Moon, you've noticed that the near side is 96 00:03:56.870 --> 00:03:59.790 dominated by vast dark plains called mare, 97 00:04:00.030 --> 00:04:02.590 formed when molten rock cooled and solidified 98 00:04:02.670 --> 00:04:05.510 billions of years ago. In contrast, the 99 00:04:05.510 --> 00:04:07.670 far side has a much more rugged, mountainous 100 00:04:07.670 --> 00:04:09.390 terrain, with very few of these plains. 101 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:12.840 Scientists have long hypothesized that 102 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:15.360 intense volcanism on the near side caused 103 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:17.960 radioactive heat generating elements to 104 00:04:17.960 --> 00:04:19.760 accumulate in the mantle beneath this 105 00:04:19.760 --> 00:04:21.640 hemisphere, driving these surface 106 00:04:21.640 --> 00:04:24.600 differences. The new GRAIL data provides 107 00:04:24.600 --> 00:04:26.640 the strongest evidence yet supporting this 108 00:04:26.640 --> 00:04:29.480 theory. The researchers devoted years to 109 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:32.480 analyzing data from the twin GRAIL spacecraft 110 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:35.200 Ebb and Flow, which orbited the Moon from 111 00:04:35.200 --> 00:04:37.684 December 2011 to to December 112 00:04:37.816 --> 00:04:40.690 2012. Their work has resulted in 113 00:04:40.690 --> 00:04:43.570 what park describes as the most detailed and 114 00:04:43.570 --> 00:04:45.890 accurate gravitational map of the Moon to 115 00:04:45.890 --> 00:04:48.810 date. Beyond solving this lunar mystery, 116 00:04:48.890 --> 00:04:51.010 the enhanced gravity map has practical 117 00:04:51.010 --> 00:04:53.170 applications. It will be crucial for 118 00:04:53.170 --> 00:04:55.930 developing lunar positioning, navigation, and 119 00:04:55.930 --> 00:04:58.650 timing systems, essential tools for future 120 00:04:58.650 --> 00:05:01.610 lunar exploration missions. By improving 121 00:05:01.610 --> 00:05:03.370 our understanding of the Moon's gravity 122 00:05:03.370 --> 00:05:05.380 field, the research contributes to 123 00:05:05.380 --> 00:05:07.820 establishing a precise lunar reference frame 124 00:05:07.900 --> 00:05:10.060 that will enable safer and more reliable 125 00:05:10.060 --> 00:05:12.100 navigation for spacecraft and surface 126 00:05:12.100 --> 00:05:14.860 operations. This asymmetry in the 127 00:05:14.860 --> 00:05:17.140 Moon's interior structure also deepens our 128 00:05:17.140 --> 00:05:19.420 appreciation of our celestial companions 129 00:05:19.420 --> 00:05:22.420 importance to Earth. The Moon stabilizes our 130 00:05:22.420 --> 00:05:25.340 planet's rotation and generates ocean tides 131 00:05:25.340 --> 00:05:27.580 that influence countless natural systems and 132 00:05:27.580 --> 00:05:29.990 daily rhythms on our world. What's 133 00:05:29.990 --> 00:05:31.310 particularly exciting is that the 134 00:05:31.310 --> 00:05:33.790 gravitational analysis techniques used in 135 00:05:33.790 --> 00:05:35.830 this study could potentially be applied to 136 00:05:35.830 --> 00:05:38.390 other bodies in our solar system, such as 137 00:05:38.390 --> 00:05:41.390 Saturn's moon Enceladus and Jupiter's moon 138 00:05:41.390 --> 00:05:43.870 Ganymede, both considered prime candidates in 139 00:05:43.870 --> 00:05:45.910 the search for potential life beyond Earth. 140 00:05:47.190 --> 00:05:49.430 Next in today's story lineup An Australian 141 00:05:49.430 --> 00:05:51.270 aerospace firm has been forced to delay what 142 00:05:51.270 --> 00:05:52.910 would have been a historic rocket launch from 143 00:05:52.910 --> 00:05:55.600 Australian soil. Gilmour Space 144 00:05:55.600 --> 00:05:57.360 Technologies had planned to conduct the first 145 00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:59.560 test launch of their three stage ERIS rocket 146 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:01.400 yesterday, but had to postpone after 147 00:06:01.400 --> 00:06:03.160 encountering a ground system glitch during 148 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:06.120 pre launch operations. The company's 149 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:07.840 communications chief, Michelle Gilmour, 150 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:10.600 explained that the issue was with an external 151 00:06:10.600 --> 00:06:12.960 power system we used during system checks. 152 00:06:13.520 --> 00:06:16.320 The technical team identified the fix but ran 153 00:06:16.320 --> 00:06:18.280 out of time to implement it and fuel the 154 00:06:18.280 --> 00:06:20.500 rocket within the day's launch window. The 155 00:06:20.570 --> 00:06:22.250 they're now targeting today for the 156 00:06:22.250 --> 00:06:24.930 rescheduled launch attempt. The 23 157 00:06:24.930 --> 00:06:27.890 meter 75 foot ARIS rocket is 158 00:06:27.890 --> 00:06:30.730 poised to take off from a spaceport near 159 00:06:30.730 --> 00:06:33.450 Bowen, a coastal township approximately 160 00:06:33.690 --> 00:06:36.490 1000km north of Brisbane. If 161 00:06:36.490 --> 00:06:38.090 successful, it would mark a significant 162 00:06:38.330 --> 00:06:40.890 milestone as the first Australian made rocket 163 00:06:40.890 --> 00:06:43.130 to achieve an orbital launch from Australian 164 00:06:43.130 --> 00:06:46.090 soil. While the maiden flight is primarily 165 00:06:46.090 --> 00:06:48.760 a test, the rocket isn't traveling empty. In 166 00:06:48.760 --> 00:06:50.880 a quintessentially Australian touch, it will 167 00:06:50.880 --> 00:06:53.280 be carrying a jar of Vegemite, the iconic 168 00:06:53.280 --> 00:06:55.680 Australian toast spread, as its payload. 169 00:06:56.160 --> 00:06:58.760 CEO Adam Gilmour has been candid about 170 00:06:58.760 --> 00:07:01.120 managing expectations for this first flight. 171 00:07:01.280 --> 00:07:03.880 If it orbits Earth. I would probably have a 172 00:07:03.880 --> 00:07:05.760 heart attack actually because I'll be so 173 00:07:05.760 --> 00:07:08.320 surprised but deliriously happy, he told 174 00:07:08.320 --> 00:07:10.560 reporters. We're going to be happy if it gets 175 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:12.866 off the pad. 10, 20, 176 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:15.760 30 seconds of flight time. Fantastic. So 177 00:07:15.760 --> 00:07:17.920 orbit is just not in the realm of my belief 178 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:20.110 right now, even though it's theoretically 179 00:07:20.110 --> 00:07:23.030 possible. The Aris rocket is designed 180 00:07:23.030 --> 00:07:25.310 to eventually carry small satellites weighing 181 00:07:25.310 --> 00:07:28.230 between 100 and 200 kg into low 182 00:07:28.230 --> 00:07:30.990 Earth orbit. Weighing 30 tons when 183 00:07:30.990 --> 00:07:33.710 fully fueled, it uses a hybrid propulsion 184 00:07:33.710 --> 00:07:36.550 system combining solid inert fuel with a 185 00:07:36.550 --> 00:07:39.150 liquid oxidizer. Gilmour Space 186 00:07:39.150 --> 00:07:40.910 Technologies has backing from private 187 00:07:40.910 --> 00:07:42.870 investors, including venture capital group 188 00:07:42.870 --> 00:07:45.590 Blackbird and pension fund Hesta. The 189 00:07:45.590 --> 00:07:48.190 company, which employs 230 people, has 190 00:07:48.190 --> 00:07:49.910 ambitious plans to commence commercial 191 00:07:49.910 --> 00:07:52.150 launches by late 2026 or early 192 00:07:52.150 --> 00:07:55.150 2027. Here's wishing them all the best with 193 00:07:55.150 --> 00:07:56.030 the next attempt. 194 00:07:57.470 --> 00:07:59.670 Now here's a story that truly showcases the 195 00:07:59.670 --> 00:08:02.550 incredible ingenuity of NASA's engineering 196 00:08:02.550 --> 00:08:05.390 team in what can only be described 197 00:08:05.390 --> 00:08:07.550 as a remarkable feat of remote problem 198 00:08:07.550 --> 00:08:10.470 solving, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion 199 00:08:10.470 --> 00:08:13.260 Laboratory have successfully revived a set of 200 00:08:13.260 --> 00:08:15.820 thrusters aboard Voyager 1 that had been 201 00:08:15.820 --> 00:08:18.740 considered completely inoperable since 2004. 202 00:08:19.540 --> 00:08:21.660 This achievement is particularly impressive 203 00:08:21.660 --> 00:08:23.980 when you consider that Voyager 1 is currently 204 00:08:23.980 --> 00:08:26.420 hurtling through interstellar space at 205 00:08:26.420 --> 00:08:29.060 approximately 35,000 miles per hour, 206 00:08:29.300 --> 00:08:32.100 over 15 billion miles from Earth. 207 00:08:33.140 --> 00:08:35.820 That's so far away that radio Signals take 208 00:08:35.820 --> 00:08:38.220 more than 23 hours to travel between the 209 00:08:38.220 --> 00:08:40.979 spacecraft and our planet. The thruster 210 00:08:40.979 --> 00:08:43.499 revival was critically timed. Engineers 211 00:08:43.499 --> 00:08:45.899 needed to fix these systems before May 4th, 212 00:08:46.139 --> 00:08:49.139 when the Deep Space Network's 230 foot wide 213 00:08:49.139 --> 00:08:51.779 antenna in Canberra, Australia, the only 214 00:08:51.779 --> 00:08:54.019 dish powerful enough to send commands to the 215 00:08:54.019 --> 00:08:56.899 distant Voyagers, went offline for extensive 216 00:08:56.899 --> 00:08:58.939 upgrades that will last until February 217 00:08:58.939 --> 00:09:01.779 2026. With only brief operational 218 00:09:01.779 --> 00:09:04.779 windows in August and December, why was this 219 00:09:04.779 --> 00:09:07.730 fix so urgent? The Voyager spacecraft 220 00:09:07.730 --> 00:09:09.930 rely on small thrusters to maintain their 221 00:09:09.930 --> 00:09:12.410 orientation, keeping their antennas pointed 222 00:09:12.410 --> 00:09:14.810 at Earth so they can continue sending back 223 00:09:14.810 --> 00:09:17.490 data and receiving commands. The 224 00:09:17.490 --> 00:09:20.050 primary set of thrusters currently in use on 225 00:09:20.050 --> 00:09:22.890 Voyager 1 have been experiencing fuel tube 226 00:09:22.890 --> 00:09:25.450 clogging due to residue buildup, which could 227 00:09:25.450 --> 00:09:27.530 cause them to fail completely as early as 228 00:09:27.530 --> 00:09:30.370 this northern fall. The situation was 229 00:09:30.370 --> 00:09:32.090 complicated by the fact that the backup 230 00:09:32.090 --> 00:09:34.690 thrusters had stopped working back in 2004, 231 00:09:35.270 --> 00:09:37.430 when two small internal heaters lost power. 232 00:09:38.150 --> 00:09:40.470 At that time, engineers determined the 233 00:09:40.470 --> 00:09:43.150 heaters were likely unfixable and switched to 234 00:09:43.150 --> 00:09:46.110 other backup systems. After all, who could 235 00:09:46.110 --> 00:09:47.630 have predicted Voyager would still be 236 00:09:47.630 --> 00:09:50.190 operational two decades later? After 237 00:09:50.190 --> 00:09:52.710 revisiting the 2004 thruster failure, 238 00:09:52.950 --> 00:09:55.870 the team suspected that an unexpected circuit 239 00:09:55.870 --> 00:09:58.070 disturbance had essentially flipped a switch 240 00:09:58.070 --> 00:10:00.430 to the wrong position. If they could turn the 241 00:10:00.430 --> 00:10:02.750 switch back, the heaters might work again. 242 00:10:03.230 --> 00:10:06.030 This M solution required precision timing and 243 00:10:06.110 --> 00:10:08.870 careful planning. If the spacecraft's star 244 00:10:08.870 --> 00:10:11.110 tracker drifted too far from its guide star 245 00:10:11.110 --> 00:10:13.750 during the fix, the dormant thrusters would 246 00:10:13.750 --> 00:10:15.710 automatically fire without their heaters, 247 00:10:15.950 --> 00:10:18.030 potentially causing a small explosion. 248 00:10:18.750 --> 00:10:21.670 On March 20th, after sending their commands 249 00:10:21.670 --> 00:10:24.070 and waiting anxiously through the 23 hour 250 00:10:24.070 --> 00:10:26.190 signal delay, the team witnessed the 251 00:10:26.190 --> 00:10:28.070 temperature of the thruster heaters rise 252 00:10:28.070 --> 00:10:30.300 dramatically, confirming their success. 253 00:10:30.860 --> 00:10:33.140 As mission propulsion lead Todd Barber 254 00:10:33.140 --> 00:10:35.540 described it, it was such a glorious moment. 255 00:10:35.540 --> 00:10:37.820 Team morale was very high that day. These 256 00:10:37.820 --> 00:10:40.140 thrusters were considered dead. It was yet 257 00:10:40.140 --> 00:10:42.940 another miracle, save for Voyager. Launched 258 00:10:42.940 --> 00:10:45.860 in 1977, both Voyager 1 and its twin 259 00:10:45.860 --> 00:10:48.340 Voyager 2 continue to push the boundaries of 260 00:10:48.340 --> 00:10:51.020 space exploration. As the only spacecraft to 261 00:10:51.020 --> 00:10:53.060 have ever sent back data from interstellar 262 00:10:53.060 --> 00:10:55.820 space, the region beyond our solar system's 263 00:10:55.820 --> 00:10:58.680 protective bubble, this latest engineering 264 00:10:58.680 --> 00:11:00.400 triumph ensures that this incredible 265 00:11:00.400 --> 00:11:02.680 scientific journey can continue even longer. 266 00:11:03.960 --> 00:11:06.120 Let's move on now to some news from one of 267 00:11:06.120 --> 00:11:08.390 our celestial neighbors. Our, understanding 268 00:11:08.390 --> 00:11:10.710 of Venus, Earth's so called twin planet, 269 00:11:10.950 --> 00:11:13.310 continues to evolve as scientists uncover 270 00:11:13.310 --> 00:11:15.270 evidence that it may be more geologically 271 00:11:15.270 --> 00:11:18.150 active than previously thought. New research 272 00:11:18.230 --> 00:11:20.990 based on Data gathered over 30 years ago by 273 00:11:20.990 --> 00:11:23.430 NASA's Magellan mission has revealed 274 00:11:23.430 --> 00:11:25.510 fascinating insights about vast 275 00:11:25.830 --> 00:11:28.270 quasicircular features on Venus called 276 00:11:28.270 --> 00:11:30.870 coronae, which suggest ongoing 277 00:11:30.870 --> 00:11:33.230 tectonic activity beneath the planet's 278 00:11:33.230 --> 00:11:35.630 surface. Unlike Earth, with its shifting 279 00:11:35.630 --> 00:11:38.110 tectonic plates, Venus doesn't have plate 280 00:11:38.110 --> 00:11:40.390 tectonics as we know it. However, this 281 00:11:40.390 --> 00:11:42.830 doesn't mean Venus is geologically dead. The 282 00:11:42.830 --> 00:11:44.790 new study, published in Science Advances 283 00:11:44.870 --> 00:11:47.070 indicates that its surface is still being 284 00:11:47.070 --> 00:11:49.510 deformed by molten material rising from 285 00:11:49.510 --> 00:11:52.420 below. Coronae are enormous structures 286 00:11:52.500 --> 00:11:54.980 ranging from dozens to hundreds of miles 287 00:11:54.980 --> 00:11:57.940 across, where plumes of hot buoyant material 288 00:11:57.940 --> 00:11:59.980 from Venus's mantle are thought to push 289 00:11:59.980 --> 00:12:02.540 against the lithosphere, the planet's crust 290 00:12:02.540 --> 00:12:05.540 and uppermost mantle layer. These features 291 00:12:05.540 --> 00:12:07.500 typically appear as oval structures 292 00:12:07.500 --> 00:12:09.820 surrounded by concentric fracture systems, 293 00:12:09.820 --> 00:12:11.940 and hundreds of them have been identified 294 00:12:11.940 --> 00:12:14.660 across Venus. What makes this 295 00:12:14.660 --> 00:12:17.140 research particularly exciting is that it 296 00:12:17.140 --> 00:12:19.960 suggests multiple ongoing processes are are 297 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:22.840 actively shaping these coronae. By combining 298 00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:25.560 gravity and topography data from Magellan and 299 00:12:25.560 --> 00:12:27.720 developing sophisticated three dimensional 300 00:12:27.720 --> 00:12:30.600 geodynamic models, researchers were able to 301 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:33.240 identify 52 carony out of the 75 302 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:35.480 studied that appear to have buoyant mantle 303 00:12:35.480 --> 00:12:37.600 material beneath them, likely driving 304 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:40.160 tectonic processes. The team 305 00:12:40.160 --> 00:12:42.240 identified several different mechanisms 306 00:12:42.560 --> 00:12:45.250 potentially at work in some carony. A, 307 00:12:45.210 --> 00:12:47.450 venous specific type of subduction may be 308 00:12:47.450 --> 00:12:50.390 occurring. As hot rock pushes upward 309 00:12:50.390 --> 00:12:53.310 from the mantle surface, material rises and 310 00:12:53.310 --> 00:12:55.790 spreads outward, eventually colliding with 311 00:12:55.790 --> 00:12:58.270 surrounding material and pushing it downward 312 00:12:58.270 --> 00:13:00.870 into the mantle. Another process called 313 00:13:00.870 --> 00:13:02.950 lithospheric dripping, might also be present 314 00:13:03.350 --> 00:13:05.870 where dense accumulations of cooler material 315 00:13:05.870 --> 00:13:08.350 sink from the lithosphere into the hot mantle 316 00:13:08.350 --> 00:13:10.710 below. Lead researcher Gail 317 00:13:10.710 --> 00:13:12.870 Cascioli, who is part of NASA's forthcoming 318 00:13:12.870 --> 00:13:15.440 Veritas mission to Venus, noted that these 319 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:17.720 features might provide a unique window into 320 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:20.640 Earth's past. Coronae are not found 321 00:13:20.640 --> 00:13:22.920 on Earth today. However, they may have 322 00:13:22.920 --> 00:13:24.840 existed when our planet was young and before 323 00:13:24.840 --> 00:13:27.200 plate tectonics had been established, he 324 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:29.760 explained. This work is especially 325 00:13:29.920 --> 00:13:32.080 significant as it represents yet another 326 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:34.400 instance where scientists are finding Venus 327 00:13:34.400 --> 00:13:36.960 exhibits more Earth like geologic processes 328 00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:39.200 than originally thought. Just recently, 329 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:41.600 researchers were able to identify erupting 330 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:44.080 volcanoes and vast lava flows in radar images 331 00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:46.690 from Magellan, providing direct evidence of 332 00:13:46.690 --> 00:13:49.690 volcanic activity. While these discoveries 333 00:13:49.690 --> 00:13:52.010 are groundbreaking, scientists will need even 334 00:13:52.010 --> 00:13:54.290 higher resolution data to fully understand 335 00:13:54.450 --> 00:13:57.250 the tectonic processes driving corona 336 00:13:57.250 --> 00:13:59.490 formation. That's where NASA's upcoming 337 00:13:59.490 --> 00:14:02.330 Veritas mission comes in. Scheduled to launch 338 00:14:02.330 --> 00:14:05.210 no earlier than 2031, Veridus will 339 00:14:05.210 --> 00:14:07.530 create detailed three dimensional global maps 340 00:14:07.530 --> 00:14:10.290 of Venus and measure its gravitational field 341 00:14:10.370 --> 00:14:12.500 to determine the structure of the planet's 342 00:14:12.500 --> 00:14:15.020 interior at unprecedented resolution, 343 00:14:15.580 --> 00:14:18.020 potentially revolutionizing our understanding 344 00:14:18.020 --> 00:14:20.180 of Venus and what it might tell us about 345 00:14:20.180 --> 00:14:21.260 Earth's early history. 346 00:14:23.180 --> 00:14:24.940 Next, let's head off to our other near 347 00:14:24.940 --> 00:14:27.540 neighbor and One of our favorite planets. In 348 00:14:27.540 --> 00:14:30.500 a groundbreaking astronomical first, NASA's 349 00:14:30.500 --> 00:14:32.820 Perseverance rover has captured an image of a 350 00:14:32.820 --> 00:14:35.340 visible aurora on Mars. On March 351 00:14:35.340 --> 00:14:38.070 18, 2024, the rover 352 00:14:38.070 --> 00:14:40.790 observed what scientists describe as a subtle 353 00:14:40.790 --> 00:14:43.670 green glow hanging low in the Martian sky, 354 00:14:43.990 --> 00:14:46.310 Wreathing the horizon in every direction. 355 00:14:46.950 --> 00:14:49.030 This marks not only the first sighting of a 356 00:14:49.030 --> 00:14:51.550 visible Martian aurora, but also the first 357 00:14:51.550 --> 00:14:54.070 observation of any aurora from the surface of 358 00:14:54.070 --> 00:14:56.390 a planet other than Earth. Until now, 359 00:14:56.630 --> 00:14:58.870 auroras had been spotted on Mercury, Jupiter, 360 00:14:58.870 --> 00:15:01.270 and every other non Earth planet in our solar 361 00:15:01.270 --> 00:15:04.110 system, but only from orbit. On Mars 362 00:15:04.110 --> 00:15:06.030 specifically, scientists had only detected 363 00:15:06.030 --> 00:15:07.830 auroral wavelengths of light that are 364 00:15:07.830 --> 00:15:10.550 invisible to the naked eye. Using specialized 365 00:15:10.550 --> 00:15:13.390 instruments. This new observation answers a 366 00:15:13.390 --> 00:15:15.390 long standing question. About what future 367 00:15:15.390 --> 00:15:17.870 human explorers might witness in the Martian 368 00:15:17.870 --> 00:15:20.870 night sky. According to Roger Wiens, 369 00:15:20.870 --> 00:15:22.950 a planetary scientist at Purdue University, 370 00:15:23.510 --> 00:15:26.150 future astronauts would see a dull or dim 371 00:15:26.150 --> 00:15:29.150 green glow with their own eyes. The image 372 00:15:29.150 --> 00:15:31.030 from Perseverance appears somewhat fuzzy 373 00:15:31.030 --> 00:15:33.230 Compared to the spectacular aurora displays 374 00:15:33.230 --> 00:15:34.950 we're accustomed to seeing from Earth. And 375 00:15:34.950 --> 00:15:37.470 for good reason. The rover's cameras aren't 376 00:15:37.470 --> 00:15:40.030 optimized for night photography, Performing 377 00:15:40.030 --> 00:15:42.350 with sensitivity roughly comparable to human 378 00:15:42.350 --> 00:15:44.750 eyes. Another factor contributing to the 379 00:15:44.750 --> 00:15:46.870 aurora's different appearance Is Mars's 380 00:15:46.870 --> 00:15:49.750 unique magnetic environment. Unlike Earth, 381 00:15:49.750 --> 00:15:51.430 with its global magnetic field that 382 00:15:51.430 --> 00:15:53.770 concentrates auroras near the poles. Mars 383 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:56.440 Mars has a patchy magnetized crust. This 384 00:15:56.440 --> 00:15:58.720 means auroras can appear all over the planet 385 00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:00.840 Rather than being confined to polar regions. 386 00:16:00.840 --> 00:16:02.800 But they tend to be comparatively dim. 387 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:05.960 Scientists believe this particular aurora was 388 00:16:05.960 --> 00:16:08.880 triggered by a coronal mass ejection, A large 389 00:16:08.880 --> 00:16:11.280 cloud of plasma and magnetic fields blasted 390 00:16:11.280 --> 00:16:14.240 from the sun into space. The Perseverance 391 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.360 team was alerted to this solar event days in 392 00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:18.760 advance, allowing them to prepare the rover 393 00:16:18.760 --> 00:16:20.780 to capture this historic image. 394 00:16:21.180 --> 00:16:23.700 Interestingly, while Perseverance is located 395 00:16:23.700 --> 00:16:26.500 near Mars's equator, Researchers suggest that 396 00:16:26.500 --> 00:16:28.500 observing auroras from Mars's southern 397 00:16:28.500 --> 00:16:31.060 hemisphere Might yield even more spectacular 398 00:16:31.060 --> 00:16:33.660 results. That region contains the most 399 00:16:33.660 --> 00:16:36.260 magnetized part of the planet, Potentially 400 00:16:36.260 --> 00:16:38.300 producing stronger auroral displays. 401 00:16:39.100 --> 00:16:41.460 This discovery adds another fascinating 402 00:16:41.460 --> 00:16:43.820 chapter to our understanding of Mars. And 403 00:16:43.820 --> 00:16:45.860 provides a glimpse of the ethereal 404 00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:48.130 experiences awaiting future human 405 00:16:48.130 --> 00:16:51.090 explorers who might one day stand on the 406 00:16:51.090 --> 00:16:54.050 red planet's surface, Gazing up at 407 00:16:54.050 --> 00:16:56.090 a glowing green Martian sky. 408 00:16:57.850 --> 00:16:59.930 And that brings us to the end of today's 409 00:16:59.930 --> 00:17:02.090 cosmic journey through the latest space news. 410 00:17:02.410 --> 00:17:04.890 From the mysterious asymmetry of our Moon to 411 00:17:04.890 --> 00:17:07.650 engineering marvels on Voyager 1, tectonic 412 00:17:07.650 --> 00:17:10.290 activity on Venus, Delayed rocket launches in 413 00:17:10.290 --> 00:17:12.850 Australia, and the first ever image of a 414 00:17:12.850 --> 00:17:15.619 Martian aurora. The universe continues to 415 00:17:15.619 --> 00:17:17.899 surprise and inspire us with each new 416 00:17:17.899 --> 00:17:20.739 discovery. I'm Anna, your host here 417 00:17:20.739 --> 00:17:23.179 on Astronomy Daily, bringing you the stories 418 00:17:23.179 --> 00:17:25.699 that connect us to the vast cosmos beyond our 419 00:17:25.699 --> 00:17:28.339 atmosphere. Whether you're a seasoned 420 00:17:28.339 --> 00:17:31.339 astronomer or simply curious about what lies 421 00:17:31.339 --> 00:17:34.019 beyond our blue marble, I hope today's 422 00:17:34.019 --> 00:17:36.379 episode has sparked your imagination and 423 00:17:36.379 --> 00:17:38.819 deepened your appreciation for the wonders of 424 00:17:38.819 --> 00:17:41.730 space exploration. If you've enjoyed 425 00:17:41.730 --> 00:17:43.410 today's show, please visit our 426 00:17:43.410 --> 00:17:46.410 website@astronomydaily.IO where you can 427 00:17:46.410 --> 00:17:48.570 sign up for our free daily newsletter and 428 00:17:48.570 --> 00:17:50.690 stay informed about breaking astronomy news 429 00:17:51.090 --> 00:17:52.850 while you're there. You can also browse 430 00:17:52.850 --> 00:17:55.170 through all our back episodes to catch up on 431 00:17:55.170 --> 00:17:57.570 any cosmic stories you might have missed. 432 00:17:58.050 --> 00:18:00.330 Don't forget to subscribe to Astronomy Daily 433 00:18:00.330 --> 00:18:02.850 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTubeMusic, 434 00:18:03.090 --> 00:18:05.450 or wherever you get your podcasts to ensure 435 00:18:05.450 --> 00:18:08.110 you never miss an episode. Until next time, 436 00:18:08.270 --> 00:18:10.470 keep looking up. The universe is putting on 437 00:18:10.470 --> 00:18:11.070 quite a show.