WEBVTT

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Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. Your exciting

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look at the very latest in space news. I'm

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Anna and today we're diving into a cosmic

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journey that spans from groundbreaking new

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telescopes revealing deep space mysteries to

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critical Earth observations and the latest in

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human spaceflight. We've got an incredible

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lineup for you. We'll explore the first

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breathtaking images released by the new Vera

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Rubin Observatory, discuss a potentially

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dramatic close call with an asteroid that

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could impact the moon, and and update you on

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a private astronaut mission heading to the

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International Space Station. Plus, we'll

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delve into the decoding of an ancient radio

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signal that the universe tried to keep secret

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for billions of years. And marvel at

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spectacular new views of Earth from orbit,

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thanks to ESA's biomass satellite. Get ready

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for an action packed episode.

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The astronomical community is buzzing with

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excitement as the Vera C Rubin Observatory

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has officially released its very first images

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of space. This momentous occasion

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heralds a new era of discoveries about our

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universe. Perched atop the Kerro Pachon

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peak in the Chilean Andes, this giant

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telescope is designed for an ambitious 10

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year to create an unprecedented time

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lapse video of deep space, providing a

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comprehensive view of the entire southern

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hemisphere's sky every three days.

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Rubin's true claim to fame lies in its

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imaging powerhouse, the world's most powerful

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digital camera. It's a 3.2 billion

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pixel behemoth known as the Legacy Survey of

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Space and time, or LSST.

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For perspective, the latest iPhone has a 48

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million pixel camera. The LSST alone

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weighs 3 tonnes and features an 8 metre wide

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mirror. This incredible instrument will allow

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astronomers to capture details far beyond

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what was previously possible. Named in

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honour of pioneering American astronomer Vera

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Florence Cooper Rubin, whose groundbreaking

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work provided the first direct evidence for

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dark matter. The observatory is poised to

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help answer some of the cosmos's deepest

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questions. These include the nature of dark

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matter and dark energy, and how galaxies have

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evolved. Thousands of astronomers

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globally will rely on the vast amounts of

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data Rubin will generate. It's expected to

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deliver an astounding 10 million alerts every

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single day, flagging objects that have either

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changed position or brightness. Some alerts

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could reveal entirely new cosmic phenomena.

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As Professor Rachel Webster from the

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University of Melbourne, who leads

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Australia's collaboration, puts it in

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reality, there is so much we still don't know

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about the universe, so the scope of what may

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be discovered is what's really exciting.

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Professor Webster explains. Rubin will survey

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the entire southern sky with an agnostic

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approach, expecting unexpected new things.

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This includes very faint diffuse objects and

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sudden transient events. Things that go bang

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in the night or Explode and change brightness

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rapidly. The success of Rubin

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also relies on advanced technology and

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international collaboration, leveraging

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cutting edge tools like artificial

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intelligence. Its data will complement the

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Square Kilometre Array telescope currently

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under construction, promising to

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significantly advance our understanding of

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dark matter, dark energy, and even how

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supermassive black holes interact with their

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environments. And a sample of what can be

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achieved. In just 10 hours of observing the

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night sky, the powerful new telescope

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detected more than 2,000 new asteroids,

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including a few that will pass near Earth.

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Incredible. This truly represents a thrilling

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leap forward in astrophysics

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from the awe inspiring depths of the

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universe.

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We now turn our attention a little closer to

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home. To a celestial body that might just

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have a very eventful year in 2032.

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Our moon. While initial worries about a

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direct impact on Earth have thankfully been

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ruled out, a new study suggests that a city

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killer asteroid named 2024

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yr4 might still be headed for a dramatic

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encounter not with us, but with our lunar

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companion. This asteroid, approximately 60

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metres wide, was briefly the subject of

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concern earlier this year, with a 3.1%

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chance of hitting Earth in December 2032,

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a significant probability for a space rock of

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this size. Subsequent observations from

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telescopes put those fears to rest for our

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planet. However, new data from

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the James Webb Space Telescope in May has

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nudged the odds of it crashing into the moon

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up to 4.3%. If this

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happens, it would be quite an event.

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Lead study author Paul Wiegert from Canada's

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University of Western Ontario estimates it

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would be the largest asteroid to strike the

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moon in around 5,000 years, releasing

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energy comparable to a large nuclear

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explosion. Simulations indicate that up to

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100 million kilogrammes of material could be

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shot out from the moon's surface. Now here's

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where it gets interesting for us down on

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Earth. If the asteroid were to hit the side

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of the moon facing our planet, which is

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roughly a 50% chance, up to

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10% of that ejected debris could be pulled

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into Earth's gravity over the following days.

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While our atmosphere would protect the

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surface from these millimetre to centimetre

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sized lunar rocks, these fast moving

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particles, described as being a lot like a

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bullet, could pose a serious threat to our

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orbiting satellites. By 2032,

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we expect a much larger number of satellites

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orbiting Earth. And an impact could lead to

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more than a thousand times the normal number

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of meteors threatening them. For those of

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us on the ground, however, this cosmic bullet

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train could mean a truly spectacular

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meteor shower lighting up the night sky.

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It's important to remember that the current

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odds of a direct hit on the near side of the

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moon remain at just 2%.

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We won't get another clear look at asteroid

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2024 yr 4 until

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2028, so for now it's a

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waiting game. But if a direct lunar hit does

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become likely, scientists believe humanity

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would have enough time to plan a mission to

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potentially deflect it. Much like NASA's DART

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mission successfully altered the trajectory

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of dimorphos in 2022. Though

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Weigert cautions that deflecting something

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zooming so close to Earth could be a little

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dangerous, this fascinating research is

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currently a preprint study awaiting peer

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review and submission to the Astrophysical

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Journal Letters.

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Shifting our focus from potential lunar

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impacts, let's turn to the exciting world of

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private spaceflight, where humanity continues

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its push into low Earth orbit.

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SpaceX and Axiom Space have just announced a

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new launch date for the AXE4 mission to the

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International Space Station, bringing us

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another step closer to a more accessible

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space for astronauts from around the globe.

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The four person crew is now slated to lift

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off aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft

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atop a Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than

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June 25 at 2:31am

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um EDT from Launch

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Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space

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Centre in Florida. You might recall this

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launch was previously delayed last week due

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to a leak detected aboard the ISS's Zvezda

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module. While the leak itself isn't new,

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a change in its pressure data prompted NASA

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and Axiom to postpone the mission to ensure

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safety. No update on the leak's current

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status was provided with the new launch

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announcement, but the green light suggests

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confidence in the station's integrity. This

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mission is set to be a landmark one for

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several reasons. The Axe 4 crew will be led

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by former NASA astronaut and Axiom's director

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of human Space Flight Peggy Whitson, who will

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serve as mission Commander. Joining her are

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Shubanshu Shukla from India, Slavas

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Usnanski Wisniewski from Poland, and and

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Tibor Kapu from Hungary. What's particularly

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exciting about this crew is that for

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Shubanshu, Slawos and Tibor, this will mark

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their nation's first ever astronauts to

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launch on a mission to the iss. It's a

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fantastic testament to the expanding

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international participation in space

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exploration. The mission is expected to last

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two weeks, and during their time aboard the

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orbiting lab, the Axe 4 crew plans to

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conduct an impressive number of activities.

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They're scheduled to undertake more than 60

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science experiments and STEM. That's science,

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technology, engineering and math outreach

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events surpassing any previous Axiom mission.

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If all goes according to this New schedule

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the Cruise Dragon spacecraft is slated to

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dock with the ISS at approximately

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7am M. EDT on Thursday,

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June 26. It's an exciting time for private

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spaceflight, showcasing the growing

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capabilities and collaborations that are

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shaping the future of human presence in

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space.

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From the immediate future of human

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spaceflight, let's now journey back in time

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billions of years to unravel one of the

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universe's most ancient and secretive

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messages. Scientists are beginning to decode

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a mysterious radio signal from deep space

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that has been hiding secrets about the

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universe's earliest stars, offering

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a rare glimpse into moments the cosmos tried

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to keep from us for aeons. In the

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vast, dark expanse of the universe, there's a

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profound mystery surrounding the first stars,

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those massive, luminous celestial bodies

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known as Population 3, stars that

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illuminated the cosmos in its earliest

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stages. These stars are so incredibly

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distant in time that their properties have

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remained largely unknown despite decades of

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scientific inquiry. But now a new method is

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bringing them into focus, using faint signals

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emitted billions of years ago. The

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breakthrough lies in a subtle, almost

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undetectable radio signal that has persisted

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through time. The 21 centimetre signal.

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This cosmic whisper, emitted by hydrogen

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atoms shortly after the Big Bang, serves as a

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crucial marker from a period known as the

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cosmic dawn. This was the pivotal moment when

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the very first stars began to form and light

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up the universe. What makes the 21

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centimetre signal so incredibly valuable is

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that, unlike visible light or X rays,

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it can offer direct insights into the masses,

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behaviours and distribution of these

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elusive first stars. Until recently,

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however, astronomers hadn't fully grasped how

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this delicate signal could truly unlock the

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secrets of the early cosmos. An

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international team of astronomers, led by

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Professor Anastasia Fialkoff and at the

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University of Cambridge's Institute of

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Astronomy, has cracked a crucial aspect

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of this signal. Their groundbreaking work,

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published in Nature Astronomy, reveals that

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this ancient radio signal is remarkably

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sensitive to the properties of these initial

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stars. Specifically, their research

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suggests that the signal could be used to

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estimate the masses of Population 3 stars

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whose light we can never directly observe.

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This insight is truly significant, opening a

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new door to understanding the early universe,

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which was primarily composed of hydrogen and

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helium. By studying how the 21

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centimetre signal has been altered by these

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stars, astronomers can begin to map the

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transformation from a dark, uniform mass to

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the complex and diverse cosmos we see today.

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This monumental effort is being supported by

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two ambitious projects, reach, or the

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Radio Experiment for the Analysis of cosmic

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hydrogen, and the Square Kilometre Array,

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known as ska. REACH is currently in

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its early calibration phase. Using radio

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antennas to capture the faint 21 centimetre

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signal. The SKA, on the other hand,

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is an even larger array of antennas under

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construction, poised to map vast regions of

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space and study fluctuations in cosmic

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radiation, providing an invaluable resource

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for understanding the earliest epochs of the

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universe. These projects are absolutely

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essential to the future of radio astronomy,

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focusing on statistical patterns of faint

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signals to study the early universe in

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unprecedented detail. Professor

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Fielkov's team predicts that both REACH and

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SKA will allow astronomers to study the

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distribution, luminosity and masses of

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population three stars, deepening our

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understanding of the forces that shaped the

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cosmos in its infancy. One of

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the most fascinating aspects of this research

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is its exploration of how X ray binaries,

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pairs of stars where one is a collapsed

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object like a black hole, impact the 21

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centimetre signal. These binaries are thought

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to have played a significant role in the

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early universe by emitting high energy

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radiation that affected the surrounding gas

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and consequently altered the 21 centimetre

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signal. Professor Fielkov's team

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developed a model incorporating the effects

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of X ray binaries, suggesting that

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previous studies might have underestimated

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their influence. This discovery adds another

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layer of complexity to our understanding of

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how the first stars shaped the universe,

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making the 21 centimetre signal an even more

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powerful tool for mapping the earliest

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moments in cosmic history. The potential

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of the 21 centimetre signal is further

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amplified by the increasing power of radio

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telescopes. Unlike optical telescopes that

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capture detailed images of distant stars and

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galaxies, radio telescopes like REACH and

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SKA rely on detecting these faint signals to

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infer the properties of cosmic phenomena.

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While they won't provide direct images of

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individual stars, they offer an extraordinary

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opportunity to study large scale patterns in

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the universe's earliest phases. As Dr.

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Eloy Dilara Acedo, principal

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investigator of the REACH project, notes,

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these radio observations are essential for

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understanding the mass and properties of the

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first stars, laying crucial groundwork for

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future discoveries. Now let's

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shift our gaze from the incredibly distant

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past to the immediate present. And a new eye

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watching our own planet.

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Cheers and excitement erupted at ESA's Living

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Planet Symposium in Vienna with the release

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of the first images from ESA's biomass

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satellite. These striking views offer a

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spectacular new window into Earth's forests,

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deserts and glaciers, marking a, uh, major

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milestone in our understanding of how our

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planet stores carbon and how vital ecosystems

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are being transformed. Just two months after

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its launch, the biomass mission is already

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delivering on its promise, providing a

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glimpse into the incredible potential of its

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novel radar system while still in its

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commissioning phase. Fine tuning to ensure

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the highest quality data, the early Images

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are clearly showcasing the satellite's

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capabilities. Michael Fehringer,

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ESA's biomass project manager,

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described these first images as nothing

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short of spectacular, emphasising that they

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are only a mere glimpse of what's still to

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come. Simonetta Celli, ESA's director

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of earth Observation Programmes, shared the

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emotional impact of seeing the results,

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calling it very symbolic of the effort behind

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the scenes and the potential that this

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mission has. What makes

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biomass so revolutionary is its unique P

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band radar. Unlike other satellites,

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this penetrating radar system captures the

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full vertical structure of forests beneath

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the canopy. For instance, in images from

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Bolivia, where rainforest meets riverine

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floodplains, biomass highlights distinct

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ecosystems like green rainforests, red

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forested wetlands and blue purple grasslands,

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all while the dark, snaking Beni river cuts

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through the landscape. When compared side by

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side with images From Copernicus Sentinel 2,

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it's clear that while Sentinel 2 is limited

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to surface features, biomass unlocks a, uh,

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crucial 3D view of forests, vital for

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accurate carbon accounting. The satellite has

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also provided striking views over the

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northern Amazon rainforest in Brazil and and

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the mountainous Halmahera rainforest in

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Indonesia, revealing subtle terrain and

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vegetation differences even in dense,

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ecologically critical areas. But

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its capabilities extend far beyond forests.

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Biomass has shown its incredible power in

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other extreme environments, like the Sahara

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Desert in northern Chad. Its P band radar can

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penetrate up to 5 metres below the desert

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surface, exposing hidden structures like

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ancient riverbeds and geological formations

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long buried beneath the arid terrain.

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This capability opens new frontiers in

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paleoclimate research and groundwater

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mapping, offering insights into Earth's past.

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Furthermore, in the frozen expanse of

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Antarctica, biomass has peered into the

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Nimrod Glacier and the Trans Antarctic

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Mountains, demonstrating its ability to track

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internal ice structures and flow velocities.

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This is crucial for understanding ice sheet

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dynamics and stability, which are critical

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factors in predicting future sea level

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changes. While these initial results are

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still raw and not yet fully calibrated for

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scientific analysis, they unequivocally

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confirm that biomass is well on track to meet

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and potentially exceed its ambitious goals.

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Designed to span five years, this mission

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will provide consistent global coverage of

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Earth's forested regions. The data it

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collects will be vital for improving climate

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models, supporting global conservation

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efforts and refining carbon accounting.

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As the biomass satellite transitions into

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full operational mode, scientists around the

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world are eagerly anticipating the

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comprehensive data sets that could truly

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transform how we monitor and protect the

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living lungs of our planet.

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We've journeyed through a wide range of

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cosmic updates today, exploring everything

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from the profound mysteries of the universe's

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distant past, thanks to signals hidden for

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billions of years, to the immediate future.

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Of human spaceflight as private astronauts

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prepare for the iss. We also looked at

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potential close calls with asteroids and how

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new satellite technology is revolutionising

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our view of Earth's precious ecosystems.

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Thank you for joining us on this episode of

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Astronomy Daily. I'm your host, Anna.

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Before we sign off, remember, you can always

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catch up on all the latest space and

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00:17:59.180 --> 00:18:01.220
astronomy news with our constantly updating

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00:18:01.220 --> 00:18:04.040
newsfeed on our website, astronomydaily.IO.

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um, while you're there, you can also listen

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00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:09.040
to all our back episodes. Don't forget to

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subscribe to Astronomy Daily on Apple

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or wherever you get your podcasts, so you

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never miss an episode. Until tomorrow.

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Keep looking up.