Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. Your exciting
look at the very latest in space news. I'm
Anna and today we're diving into a cosmic
journey that spans from groundbreaking new
telescopes revealing deep space mysteries to
critical Earth observations and the latest in
human spaceflight. We've got an incredible
lineup for you. We'll explore the first
breathtaking images released by the new Vera
Rubin Observatory, discuss a potentially
dramatic close call with an asteroid that
could impact the moon, and and update you on
a private astronaut mission heading to the
International Space Station. Plus, we'll
delve into the decoding of an ancient radio
signal that the universe tried to keep secret
for billions of years. And marvel at
spectacular new views of Earth from orbit,
thanks to ESA's biomass satellite. Get ready
for an action packed episode.
The astronomical community is buzzing with
excitement as the Vera C Rubin Observatory
has officially released its very first images
of space. This momentous occasion
heralds a new era of discoveries about our
universe. Perched atop the Kerro Pachon
peak in the Chilean Andes, this giant
telescope is designed for an ambitious 10
year to create an unprecedented time
lapse video of deep space, providing a
comprehensive view of the entire southern
hemisphere's sky every three days.
Rubin's true claim to fame lies in its
imaging powerhouse, the world's most powerful
digital camera. It's a 3.2 billion
pixel behemoth known as the Legacy Survey of
Space and time, or LSST.
For perspective, the latest iPhone has a 48
million pixel camera. The LSST alone
weighs 3 tonnes and features an 8 metre wide
mirror. This incredible instrument will allow
astronomers to capture details far beyond
what was previously possible. Named in
honour of pioneering American astronomer Vera
Florence Cooper Rubin, whose groundbreaking
work provided the first direct evidence for
dark matter. The observatory is poised to
help answer some of the cosmos's deepest
questions. These include the nature of dark
matter and dark energy, and how galaxies have
evolved. Thousands of astronomers
globally will rely on the vast amounts of
data Rubin will generate. It's expected to
deliver an astounding 10 million alerts every
single day, flagging objects that have either
changed position or brightness. Some alerts
could reveal entirely new cosmic phenomena.
As Professor Rachel Webster from the
University of Melbourne, who leads
Australia's collaboration, puts it in
reality, there is so much we still don't know
about the universe, so the scope of what may
be discovered is what's really exciting.
Professor Webster explains. Rubin will survey
the entire southern sky with an agnostic
approach, expecting unexpected new things.
This includes very faint diffuse objects and
sudden transient events. Things that go bang
in the night or Explode and change brightness
rapidly. The success of Rubin
also relies on advanced technology and
international collaboration, leveraging
cutting edge tools like artificial
intelligence. Its data will complement the
Square Kilometre Array telescope currently
under construction, promising to
significantly advance our understanding of
dark matter, dark energy, and even how
supermassive black holes interact with their
environments. And a sample of what can be
achieved. In just 10 hours of observing the
night sky, the powerful new telescope
detected more than 2,000 new asteroids,
including a few that will pass near Earth.
Incredible. This truly represents a thrilling
leap forward in astrophysics
from the awe inspiring depths of the
universe.
We now turn our attention a little closer to
home. To a celestial body that might just
have a very eventful year in 2032.
Our moon. While initial worries about a
direct impact on Earth have thankfully been
ruled out, a new study suggests that a city
killer asteroid named 2024
yr4 might still be headed for a dramatic
encounter not with us, but with our lunar
companion. This asteroid, approximately 60
metres wide, was briefly the subject of
concern earlier this year, with a 3.1%
chance of hitting Earth in December 2032,
a significant probability for a space rock of
this size. Subsequent observations from
telescopes put those fears to rest for our
planet. However, new data from
the James Webb Space Telescope in May has
nudged the odds of it crashing into the moon
up to 4.3%. If this
happens, it would be quite an event.
Lead study author Paul Wiegert from Canada's
University of Western Ontario estimates it
would be the largest asteroid to strike the
moon in around 5,000 years, releasing
energy comparable to a large nuclear
explosion. Simulations indicate that up to
100 million kilogrammes of material could be
shot out from the moon's surface. Now here's
where it gets interesting for us down on
Earth. If the asteroid were to hit the side
of the moon facing our planet, which is
roughly a 50% chance, up to
10% of that ejected debris could be pulled
into Earth's gravity over the following days.
While our atmosphere would protect the
surface from these millimetre to centimetre
sized lunar rocks, these fast moving
particles, described as being a lot like a
bullet, could pose a serious threat to our
orbiting satellites. By 2032,
we expect a much larger number of satellites
orbiting Earth. And an impact could lead to
more than a thousand times the normal number
of meteors threatening them. For those of
us on the ground, however, this cosmic bullet
train could mean a truly spectacular
meteor shower lighting up the night sky.
It's important to remember that the current
odds of a direct hit on the near side of the
moon remain at just 2%.
We won't get another clear look at asteroid
2024 yr 4 until
2028, so for now it's a
waiting game. But if a direct lunar hit does
become likely, scientists believe humanity
would have enough time to plan a mission to
potentially deflect it. Much like NASA's DART
mission successfully altered the trajectory
of dimorphos in 2022. Though
Weigert cautions that deflecting something
zooming so close to Earth could be a little
dangerous, this fascinating research is
currently a preprint study awaiting peer
review and submission to the Astrophysical
Journal Letters.
Shifting our focus from potential lunar
impacts, let's turn to the exciting world of
private spaceflight, where humanity continues
its push into low Earth orbit.
SpaceX and Axiom Space have just announced a
new launch date for the AXE4 mission to the
International Space Station, bringing us
another step closer to a more accessible
space for astronauts from around the globe.
The four person crew is now slated to lift
off aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft
atop a Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than
June 25 at 2:31am
um EDT from Launch
Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space
Centre in Florida. You might recall this
launch was previously delayed last week due
to a leak detected aboard the ISS's Zvezda
module. While the leak itself isn't new,
a change in its pressure data prompted NASA
and Axiom to postpone the mission to ensure
safety. No update on the leak's current
status was provided with the new launch
announcement, but the green light suggests
confidence in the station's integrity. This
mission is set to be a landmark one for
several reasons. The Axe 4 crew will be led
by former NASA astronaut and Axiom's director
of human Space Flight Peggy Whitson, who will
serve as mission Commander. Joining her are
Shubanshu Shukla from India, Slavas
Usnanski Wisniewski from Poland, and and
Tibor Kapu from Hungary. What's particularly
exciting about this crew is that for
Shubanshu, Slawos and Tibor, this will mark
their nation's first ever astronauts to
launch on a mission to the iss. It's a
fantastic testament to the expanding
international participation in space
exploration. The mission is expected to last
two weeks, and during their time aboard the
orbiting lab, the Axe 4 crew plans to
conduct an impressive number of activities.
They're scheduled to undertake more than 60
science experiments and STEM. That's science,
technology, engineering and math outreach
events surpassing any previous Axiom mission.
If all goes according to this New schedule
the Cruise Dragon spacecraft is slated to
dock with the ISS at approximately
7am M. EDT on Thursday,
June 26. It's an exciting time for private
spaceflight, showcasing the growing
capabilities and collaborations that are
shaping the future of human presence in
space.
From the immediate future of human
spaceflight, let's now journey back in time
billions of years to unravel one of the
universe's most ancient and secretive
messages. Scientists are beginning to decode
a mysterious radio signal from deep space
that has been hiding secrets about the
universe's earliest stars, offering
a rare glimpse into moments the cosmos tried
to keep from us for aeons. In the
vast, dark expanse of the universe, there's a
profound mystery surrounding the first stars,
those massive, luminous celestial bodies
known as Population 3, stars that
illuminated the cosmos in its earliest
stages. These stars are so incredibly
distant in time that their properties have
remained largely unknown despite decades of
scientific inquiry. But now a new method is
bringing them into focus, using faint signals
emitted billions of years ago. The
breakthrough lies in a subtle, almost
undetectable radio signal that has persisted
through time. The 21 centimetre signal.
This cosmic whisper, emitted by hydrogen
atoms shortly after the Big Bang, serves as a
crucial marker from a period known as the
cosmic dawn. This was the pivotal moment when
the very first stars began to form and light
up the universe. What makes the 21
centimetre signal so incredibly valuable is
that, unlike visible light or X rays,
it can offer direct insights into the masses,
behaviours and distribution of these
elusive first stars. Until recently,
however, astronomers hadn't fully grasped how
this delicate signal could truly unlock the
secrets of the early cosmos. An
international team of astronomers, led by
Professor Anastasia Fialkoff and at the
University of Cambridge's Institute of
Astronomy, has cracked a crucial aspect
of this signal. Their groundbreaking work,
published in Nature Astronomy, reveals that
this ancient radio signal is remarkably
sensitive to the properties of these initial
stars. Specifically, their research
suggests that the signal could be used to
estimate the masses of Population 3 stars
whose light we can never directly observe.
This insight is truly significant, opening a
new door to understanding the early universe,
which was primarily composed of hydrogen and
helium. By studying how the 21
centimetre signal has been altered by these
stars, astronomers can begin to map the
transformation from a dark, uniform mass to
the complex and diverse cosmos we see today.
This monumental effort is being supported by
two ambitious projects, reach, or the
Radio Experiment for the Analysis of cosmic
hydrogen, and the Square Kilometre Array,
known as ska. REACH is currently in
its early calibration phase. Using radio
antennas to capture the faint 21 centimetre
signal. The SKA, on the other hand,
is an even larger array of antennas under
construction, poised to map vast regions of
space and study fluctuations in cosmic
radiation, providing an invaluable resource
for understanding the earliest epochs of the
universe. These projects are absolutely
essential to the future of radio astronomy,
focusing on statistical patterns of faint
signals to study the early universe in
unprecedented detail. Professor
Fielkov's team predicts that both REACH and
SKA will allow astronomers to study the
distribution, luminosity and masses of
population three stars, deepening our
understanding of the forces that shaped the
cosmos in its infancy. One of
the most fascinating aspects of this research
is its exploration of how X ray binaries,
pairs of stars where one is a collapsed
object like a black hole, impact the 21
centimetre signal. These binaries are thought
to have played a significant role in the
early universe by emitting high energy
radiation that affected the surrounding gas
and consequently altered the 21 centimetre
signal. Professor Fielkov's team
developed a model incorporating the effects
of X ray binaries, suggesting that
previous studies might have underestimated
their influence. This discovery adds another
layer of complexity to our understanding of
how the first stars shaped the universe,
making the 21 centimetre signal an even more
powerful tool for mapping the earliest
moments in cosmic history. The potential
of the 21 centimetre signal is further
amplified by the increasing power of radio
telescopes. Unlike optical telescopes that
capture detailed images of distant stars and
galaxies, radio telescopes like REACH and
SKA rely on detecting these faint signals to
infer the properties of cosmic phenomena.
While they won't provide direct images of
individual stars, they offer an extraordinary
opportunity to study large scale patterns in
the universe's earliest phases. As Dr.
Eloy Dilara Acedo, principal
investigator of the REACH project, notes,
these radio observations are essential for
understanding the mass and properties of the
first stars, laying crucial groundwork for
future discoveries. Now let's
shift our gaze from the incredibly distant
past to the immediate present. And a new eye
watching our own planet.
Cheers and excitement erupted at ESA's Living
Planet Symposium in Vienna with the release
of the first images from ESA's biomass
satellite. These striking views offer a
spectacular new window into Earth's forests,
deserts and glaciers, marking a, uh, major
milestone in our understanding of how our
planet stores carbon and how vital ecosystems
are being transformed. Just two months after
its launch, the biomass mission is already
delivering on its promise, providing a
glimpse into the incredible potential of its
novel radar system while still in its
commissioning phase. Fine tuning to ensure
the highest quality data, the early Images
are clearly showcasing the satellite's
capabilities. Michael Fehringer,
ESA's biomass project manager,
described these first images as nothing
short of spectacular, emphasising that they
are only a mere glimpse of what's still to
come. Simonetta Celli, ESA's director
of earth Observation Programmes, shared the
emotional impact of seeing the results,
calling it very symbolic of the effort behind
the scenes and the potential that this
mission has. What makes
biomass so revolutionary is its unique P
band radar. Unlike other satellites,
this penetrating radar system captures the
full vertical structure of forests beneath
the canopy. For instance, in images from
Bolivia, where rainforest meets riverine
floodplains, biomass highlights distinct
ecosystems like green rainforests, red
forested wetlands and blue purple grasslands,
all while the dark, snaking Beni river cuts
through the landscape. When compared side by
side with images From Copernicus Sentinel 2,
it's clear that while Sentinel 2 is limited
to surface features, biomass unlocks a, uh,
crucial 3D view of forests, vital for
accurate carbon accounting. The satellite has
also provided striking views over the
northern Amazon rainforest in Brazil and and
the mountainous Halmahera rainforest in
Indonesia, revealing subtle terrain and
vegetation differences even in dense,
ecologically critical areas. But
its capabilities extend far beyond forests.
Biomass has shown its incredible power in
other extreme environments, like the Sahara
Desert in northern Chad. Its P band radar can
penetrate up to 5 metres below the desert
surface, exposing hidden structures like
ancient riverbeds and geological formations
long buried beneath the arid terrain.
This capability opens new frontiers in
paleoclimate research and groundwater
mapping, offering insights into Earth's past.
Furthermore, in the frozen expanse of
Antarctica, biomass has peered into the
Nimrod Glacier and the Trans Antarctic
Mountains, demonstrating its ability to track
internal ice structures and flow velocities.
This is crucial for understanding ice sheet
dynamics and stability, which are critical
factors in predicting future sea level
changes. While these initial results are
still raw and not yet fully calibrated for
scientific analysis, they unequivocally
confirm that biomass is well on track to meet
and potentially exceed its ambitious goals.
Designed to span five years, this mission
will provide consistent global coverage of
Earth's forested regions. The data it
collects will be vital for improving climate
models, supporting global conservation
efforts and refining carbon accounting.
As the biomass satellite transitions into
full operational mode, scientists around the
world are eagerly anticipating the
comprehensive data sets that could truly
transform how we monitor and protect the
living lungs of our planet.
We've journeyed through a wide range of
cosmic updates today, exploring everything
from the profound mysteries of the universe's
distant past, thanks to signals hidden for
billions of years, to the immediate future.
Of human spaceflight as private astronauts
prepare for the iss. We also looked at
potential close calls with asteroids and how
new satellite technology is revolutionising
our view of Earth's precious ecosystems.
Thank you for joining us on this episode of
Astronomy Daily. I'm your host, Anna.
Before we sign off, remember, you can always
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