WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.400 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm your host, 1 00:00:02.400 --> 00:00:04.320 Anna, and I'm thrilled to have you join us 2 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:06.640 for another exciting dive into the cosmos. 3 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:09.080 Today we're covering some big headlines from 4 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:12.080 across our solar system and beyond. First up, 5 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:13.920 we'll hear about an astronaut mission 6 00:00:13.920 --> 00:00:15.440 returning from the International Space 7 00:00:15.440 --> 00:00:17.680 Station, wrapping up a busy period of 8 00:00:17.680 --> 00:00:20.600 scientific research. Then we'll turn our 9 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:22.520 attention to the groundbreaking efforts to 10 00:00:22.520 --> 00:00:25.360 cultivate fresh food in space, a crucial step 11 00:00:25.360 --> 00:00:27.640 for future long duration missions to the Moon 12 00:00:27.640 --> 00:00:30.530 and Mars. Next, we'll celebrate the James 13 00:00:30.530 --> 00:00:32.530 Webb Space Telescope's third year of 14 00:00:32.530 --> 00:00:34.850 operations with an absolutely stunning new 15 00:00:34.850 --> 00:00:37.050 image that reveals the secrets of a cosmic 16 00:00:37.050 --> 00:00:39.930 cat's paw. And finally, we'll shift our 17 00:00:39.930 --> 00:00:42.810 gaze to our own star, the sun, as an 18 00:00:42.810 --> 00:00:45.089 active sunspot that's been putting on an 19 00:00:45.089 --> 00:00:47.970 explosive show with magnetic bombs turns 20 00:00:47.970 --> 00:00:50.610 its fiery gaze towards Earth. So 21 00:00:50.610 --> 00:00:52.810 buckle up and let's explore the latest in 22 00:00:52.810 --> 00:00:53.530 astronomy. 23 00:00:54.980 --> 00:00:57.020 First up today we have news from the 24 00:00:57.020 --> 00:00:59.660 International Space Station where the Axiom 25 00:00:59.660 --> 00:01:02.260 Mission 4, or Axe 4 Crew is making 26 00:01:02.340 --> 00:01:05.300 final preparations to return to Earth after a 27 00:01:05.300 --> 00:01:07.780 highly productive 2.5 week research 28 00:01:07.860 --> 00:01:10.419 mission. Mission managers have given the 29 00:01:10.419 --> 00:01:12.500 green light for Commander Peggy Whitson, 30 00:01:12.740 --> 00:01:15.380 pilot Shubanshu Shukla and mission 31 00:01:15.380 --> 00:01:18.060 specialist Slawash Usnansky Wisniewski and 32 00:01:18.060 --> 00:01:20.660 Tibor Kapu to board their SpaceX 33 00:01:20.660 --> 00:01:23.620 Dragon spacecraft. They are set to undock 34 00:01:23.620 --> 00:01:25.620 from the space facing port on the Harmony 35 00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:28.340 Module this coming Monday, July 14th 36 00:01:28.740 --> 00:01:31.620 at 7:05am um, Eastern Daylight Time. 37 00:01:32.100 --> 00:01:34.540 This private quartet has had an incredibly 38 00:01:34.540 --> 00:01:37.220 busy schedule packed with a diverse array of 39 00:01:37.220 --> 00:01:39.860 scientific investigations aimed at advancing 40 00:01:39.860 --> 00:01:41.940 our understanding of human health in space, 41 00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:44.860 sustainable life support systems and next 42 00:01:44.860 --> 00:01:47.740 generation technologies. Just a few days 43 00:01:47.740 --> 00:01:50.260 ago, the Axe 4 crew was focused on collecting 44 00:01:50.260 --> 00:01:53.230 blood samples for a comprehensive biomedical 45 00:01:53.230 --> 00:01:55.750 research study crucial for understanding how 46 00:01:55.750 --> 00:01:57.950 the human body adapts to microgravity. 47 00:01:58.670 --> 00:02:00.710 They also delved into the potential of 48 00:02:00.710 --> 00:02:03.590 microalgae, exploring its viability as a 49 00:02:03.590 --> 00:02:06.150 food source for future crews and its role as 50 00:02:06.150 --> 00:02:08.269 a key component in biological life support 51 00:02:08.269 --> 00:02:11.190 systems aboard spacecraft. Imagine 52 00:02:11.190 --> 00:02:13.230 the possibility of astronauts cultivating 53 00:02:13.230 --> 00:02:15.190 their own fresh food during long duration 54 00:02:15.190 --> 00:02:18.160 missions. In another fascinating area, the 55 00:02:18.160 --> 00:02:20.800 crew investigated nanomaterials, which could 56 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:22.920 form the basis for constructing advanced 57 00:02:22.920 --> 00:02:25.280 wearable devices designed to comfortably 58 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:27.960 monitor crew health, providing real time data 59 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:30.360 on their vital signs and overall well being. 60 00:02:31.160 --> 00:02:33.720 As the mission drew to a close, the Axe 4 61 00:02:33.720 --> 00:02:36.400 team spent their final days finalising 62 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:38.600 several other important science experiments. 63 00:02:39.160 --> 00:02:40.960 This included an electrical muscle 64 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:43.480 stimulation study which could offer insights 65 00:02:43.480 --> 00:02:45.400 into maintaining muscle strength in low 66 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:48.040 gravity. They also tested suit fabrics 67 00:02:48.040 --> 00:02:50.000 engineered to promote thermal comfort during 68 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:52.640 exercise, a critical factor for astronaut 69 00:02:52.640 --> 00:02:55.440 performance. And in an effort to understand 70 00:02:55.440 --> 00:02:57.840 the psychological aspects of space travel, 71 00:02:57.920 --> 00:03:00.360 they filmed crew activities for a behavioural 72 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:03.040 health study. On Sunday, their focus 73 00:03:03.040 --> 00:03:05.400 shifted to the meticulous task of packing all 74 00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:07.840 the science gear, including precious research 75 00:03:07.920 --> 00:03:10.600 samples, along with their personal items and 76 00:03:10.600 --> 00:03:13.130 other cargo, securely inside the Dragon 77 00:03:13.130 --> 00:03:15.250 spacecraft for retrieval once they are back 78 00:03:15.250 --> 00:03:15.850 on Earth. 79 00:03:16.250 --> 00:03:18.770 It wasn't just the Axe 4 crew who were busy, 80 00:03:18.770 --> 00:03:21.410 though. The International Space Station's 81 00:03:21.410 --> 00:03:23.370 resident crew members were also deeply 82 00:03:23.370 --> 00:03:25.410 involved in assisting and continuing their 83 00:03:25.410 --> 00:03:28.410 own research. NASA flight engineer Anne 84 00:03:28.410 --> 00:03:31.170 McClane, for instance, helped the Axe 4 crew 85 00:03:31.170 --> 00:03:33.370 gather hardware and other items for packing. 86 00:03:33.770 --> 00:03:35.690 She also continued assisting the private 87 00:03:35.690 --> 00:03:38.170 crewmates as they utilised the station's 88 00:03:38.170 --> 00:03:40.050 resources for their ongoing science 89 00:03:40.050 --> 00:03:42.990 investigations. NASA flight engineer 90 00:03:42.990 --> 00:03:45.270 Nicole Ayers spent her day in the Columbus 91 00:03:45.270 --> 00:03:47.630 laboratory module, where she assisted the Axe 92 00:03:47.630 --> 00:03:49.950 4 crew by spinning astronaut blood samples in 93 00:03:49.950 --> 00:03:52.310 a centrifuge and then carefully stowing them 94 00:03:52.310 --> 00:03:54.870 in a science freezer for preservation. She 95 00:03:54.870 --> 00:03:56.870 later moved to the Quest airlock to transfer 96 00:03:56.870 --> 00:03:59.670 water into a pair of spacesuits. NASA flight 97 00:03:59.670 --> 00:04:01.790 engineer Johnny Kim also lent a hand with the 98 00:04:01.790 --> 00:04:03.750 blood sample processing before spending the 99 00:04:03.750 --> 00:04:05.910 rest of his day inspecting electronics gear 100 00:04:05.910 --> 00:04:07.630 and swapping computer cables. 101 00:04:08.640 --> 00:04:11.160 Meanwhile, station commander Takuya Onishi 102 00:04:11.160 --> 00:04:13.440 from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 103 00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:16.520 or jaxa, started his day processing saliva 104 00:04:16.520 --> 00:04:18.760 samples for analysis and then recording his 105 00:04:18.760 --> 00:04:20.200 sleep experience for a computer 106 00:04:20.200 --> 00:04:22.200 questionnaire. He later worked in the 107 00:04:22.200 --> 00:04:24.840 Tranquilly module, replacing orbital plumbing 108 00:04:24.840 --> 00:04:26.800 hardware before deactivating and stowing a 109 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:28.960 microscope in the Kibo laboratory module. 110 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:32.040 From the Russian segment, Roscosmos flight 111 00:04:32.040 --> 00:04:34.360 engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexei 112 00:04:34.360 --> 00:04:37.060 Zubritsky took turns pedalling on an exercise 113 00:04:37.060 --> 00:04:39.660 cycle while wearing electrodes. This 114 00:04:39.660 --> 00:04:41.580 physical fitness evaluation provides 115 00:04:41.580 --> 00:04:43.980 researchers with crucial data to understand 116 00:04:43.980 --> 00:04:46.300 the energy requirements crew members need for 117 00:04:46.300 --> 00:04:49.220 strenuous activities like spacewalks. And 118 00:04:49.220 --> 00:04:52.100 flight engineer Kirill Peskov replaced fire 119 00:04:52.100 --> 00:04:54.860 extinguishers in the Poisk, Rassvet and 120 00:04:54.860 --> 00:04:57.380 Zvezda modules, then checked computer 121 00:04:57.380 --> 00:04:59.620 hardware that supports the European robotic 122 00:04:59.620 --> 00:05:02.420 arm. It truly takes a global effort to keep 123 00:05:02.420 --> 00:05:04.060 the station running and to push the 124 00:05:04.060 --> 00:05:04.980 boundaries of science. 125 00:05:06.790 --> 00:05:08.550 Speaking of food for future space missions, 126 00:05:08.710 --> 00:05:10.470 one of the biggest challenges facing 127 00:05:10.470 --> 00:05:12.910 permanent human bases on the Moon and Mars is 128 00:05:12.910 --> 00:05:15.230 the ability to grow fresh food hundreds of 129 00:05:15.230 --> 00:05:17.550 thousands of kilometres from Earth. But 130 00:05:17.550 --> 00:05:20.030 exciting news on this front. The seeds of a 131 00:05:20.030 --> 00:05:22.110 rice variety ideal for growing outside Earth 132 00:05:22.110 --> 00:05:24.190 might soon be sprouting thanks to an 133 00:05:24.190 --> 00:05:26.350 innovative collaboration called the Moon Rice 134 00:05:26.350 --> 00:05:29.190 Project. This joint effort brings together 135 00:05:29.190 --> 00:05:32.050 the Italian Space Agency, the University of 136 00:05:32.050 --> 00:05:34.690 Milan, the University of Rome, and the 137 00:05:34.690 --> 00:05:37.250 University of Naples, all working to create 138 00:05:37.250 --> 00:05:39.730 the ideal food crop for future deep space 139 00:05:39.730 --> 00:05:42.610 outposts Dr. Marta Del Bianco, 140 00:05:42.610 --> 00:05:44.850 a plant biologist from the Italian Space 141 00:05:44.850 --> 00:05:47.570 Agency, explains that they are essentially 142 00:05:47.570 --> 00:05:49.450 trying to solve the same problems we face 143 00:05:49.450 --> 00:05:51.850 here on Earth, but in a much more extreme 144 00:05:51.850 --> 00:05:54.530 environment. Given the negative effects space 145 00:05:54.530 --> 00:05:57.250 can have on human health, it's crucial for 146 00:05:57.250 --> 00:05:59.870 astronauts to have readily available nutrient 147 00:05:59.870 --> 00:06:02.630 rich food. Currently, space exploration 148 00:06:02.630 --> 00:06:05.470 relies heavily on prepackaged meals delivered 149 00:06:05.470 --> 00:06:07.550 during resupply missions, which rarely 150 00:06:07.550 --> 00:06:09.910 include fresh ingredients. One of the major 151 00:06:09.910 --> 00:06:12.110 hurdles for farming in space is the sheer 152 00:06:12.110 --> 00:06:14.750 size of crops. Even small varieties like 153 00:06:14.750 --> 00:06:17.030 dwarf rice are still too big to depend on in 154 00:06:17.030 --> 00:06:19.430 the confined spaces of a spacecraft or lunar 155 00:06:19.430 --> 00:06:21.990 habitat. What we need is a super 156 00:06:21.990 --> 00:06:24.710 dwarf, says Del Bianco. However, 157 00:06:24.710 --> 00:06:26.870 creating a super dwarf rice comes with its 158 00:06:26.870 --> 00:06:29.750 own set of challenges. While scientists can 159 00:06:29.750 --> 00:06:32.150 manipulate a plant hormone called gibberellin 160 00:06:32.150 --> 00:06:34.830 to reduce the height of rice plants, this can 161 00:06:34.830 --> 00:06:37.030 negatively affect seed germination and 162 00:06:37.030 --> 00:06:39.990 production. As Del Bianco points out, they're 163 00:06:39.990 --> 00:06:42.190 not an ideal crop, because in space you don't 164 00:06:42.190 --> 00:06:44.470 just have to be small, you must also be 165 00:06:44.470 --> 00:06:47.430 productive. The project is delving into 166 00:06:47.430 --> 00:06:49.870 various aspects of rice biology and genetics 167 00:06:49.870 --> 00:06:52.590 to develop this perfect crop, one that can 168 00:06:52.590 --> 00:06:55.560 nourish humans on long duration missions. The 169 00:06:55.560 --> 00:06:57.560 project is only nine months into its four 170 00:06:57.560 --> 00:06:59.960 year plan, but the preliminary results are 171 00:06:59.960 --> 00:07:02.640 already looking very promising. Dr. Del 172 00:07:02.640 --> 00:07:05.520 Bianco's specific focus is on microgravity 173 00:07:05.520 --> 00:07:08.200 and how these rice plants will cope in that 174 00:07:08.200 --> 00:07:10.600 unique environment. To simulate 175 00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:12.760 microgravity on Earth, they continually 176 00:07:12.760 --> 00:07:15.000 rotate the plant so it's pulled equally in 177 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:17.120 all directions by gravity, effectively 178 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:19.240 confusing the plant about which way is up or 179 00:07:19.240 --> 00:07:21.520 down. Additionally, researchers at the 180 00:07:21.520 --> 00:07:23.790 University of Milan and have identified rice 181 00:07:23.790 --> 00:07:26.070 mutant varieties that grow to a mere 10 182 00:07:26.070 --> 00:07:28.590 centimetres high. While the team in Rome has 183 00:07:28.590 --> 00:07:30.950 pinpointed genes that can maximise growth and 184 00:07:30.950 --> 00:07:33.510 production beyond just size and yield, 185 00:07:33.670 --> 00:07:36.070 Del Bianco and her team are also aiming to 186 00:07:36.070 --> 00:07:39.029 increase the protein content of the rice, as 187 00:07:39.029 --> 00:07:40.870 meat production for long duration missions 188 00:07:40.870 --> 00:07:43.630 will simply not be effective. Apart from 189 00:07:43.630 --> 00:07:46.030 being highly nutritious, they hope this crop 190 00:07:46.030 --> 00:07:48.270 will also offer significant benefits for the 191 00:07:48.270 --> 00:07:51.060 astronauts. Well, being, watching and guiding 192 00:07:51.060 --> 00:07:53.380 plants grow is known to be good for humans. 193 00:07:53.380 --> 00:07:55.740 And while pre cooked or mushy food might be 194 00:07:55.740 --> 00:07:58.260 fine for short trips, it could become a real 195 00:07:58.260 --> 00:07:59.940 concern on longer missions. 196 00:08:00.980 --> 00:08:03.180 Imagine the psychological boost of having 197 00:08:03.180 --> 00:08:05.539 fresh growing food in a sterile space 198 00:08:05.539 --> 00:08:08.020 environment. As Del Bianco puts it, 199 00:08:08.420 --> 00:08:10.460 if we can make an environment that physically 200 00:08:10.460 --> 00:08:12.860 and mentally nourishes the astronauts, it 201 00:08:12.860 --> 00:08:15.260 will reduce stress and lower the chances of 202 00:08:15.260 --> 00:08:17.640 people making mistakes. This 203 00:08:17.640 --> 00:08:19.880 groundbreaking research isn't just for space 204 00:08:19.880 --> 00:08:22.600 either. The hope is that if they can develop 205 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:25.320 such a robust crop for space, it could also 206 00:08:25.320 --> 00:08:26.960 be used in challenging terrestrial 207 00:08:26.960 --> 00:08:29.360 environments like the Arctic Antarctic 208 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:32.280 deserts, or even in places with very limited 209 00:08:32.280 --> 00:08:35.080 indoor growing space. The preliminary 210 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:37.640 findings of this fascinating project were 211 00:08:37.640 --> 00:08:39.960 recently presented at the Society for 212 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:42.360 Experimental Biology Annual Conference 213 00:08:42.830 --> 00:08:44.190 in Antwerp, Belgium. 214 00:08:45.310 --> 00:08:47.310 From the challenges of growing food in space, 215 00:08:47.390 --> 00:08:49.590 let's now turn our gaze to something truly 216 00:08:49.590 --> 00:08:51.750 spectacular that celebrates the third year of 217 00:08:51.750 --> 00:08:53.590 operations for the James Webb Space 218 00:08:53.590 --> 00:08:56.550 Telescope. Prepare to peer into the heart of 219 00:08:56.550 --> 00:08:59.430 a cosmic the Catspaw Nebula, 220 00:08:59.430 --> 00:09:01.950 a giant complex molecular cloud aptly named 221 00:09:01.950 --> 00:09:03.550 for its striking resemblance to a set of 222 00:09:03.550 --> 00:09:06.310 enormous tow beans. This isn't just a squishy 223 00:09:06.310 --> 00:09:09.040 looking cosmic temptation. The Cat's Paw 224 00:09:09.040 --> 00:09:11.720 Nebula, located approximately 4,000 light 225 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:14.320 years away in the constellation Scorpius, is 226 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:16.760 a vibrant site of ongoing star formation. 227 00:09:17.400 --> 00:09:20.080 Here, massive stars are in the active process 228 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:23.040 of forming, often obscured by vast clouds of 229 00:09:23.040 --> 00:09:25.640 dust and molecular gas. This is where 230 00:09:25.640 --> 00:09:27.400 JWST truly shines. 231 00:09:28.040 --> 00:09:30.720 Infrared light, unlike other wavelengths, has 232 00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:32.680 the remarkable ability to penetrate these 233 00:09:32.680 --> 00:09:35.010 dense clouds where other light would simply 234 00:09:35.010 --> 00:09:37.930 scatter off the particles. As the James Webb 235 00:09:37.930 --> 00:09:40.570 Space Telescope is an infrared telescope, it 236 00:09:40.570 --> 00:09:42.330 is perfectly equipped to peer directly 237 00:09:42.330 --> 00:09:44.530 through the dust and reveal the wild, 238 00:09:44.530 --> 00:09:47.210 intricate process of star formation unfolding 239 00:09:47.210 --> 00:09:49.769 within. It's an excellent tool for 240 00:09:49.769 --> 00:09:52.730 investigating these cosmic nurseries. The 241 00:09:52.730 --> 00:09:55.130 telescope's Near Infrared Camera, or 242 00:09:55.130 --> 00:09:58.050 nircam, captures different stages of this 243 00:09:58.050 --> 00:10:00.130 stellar birth process throughout the scene. 244 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:03.040 In the upper middle chamber, a uh, structure 245 00:10:03.040 --> 00:10:05.560 affectionately nicknamed the Opera House, we 246 00:10:05.560 --> 00:10:07.880 can spot a baby yellow star actively 247 00:10:07.880 --> 00:10:09.840 illuminating and blowing away the surrounding 248 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:12.440 dust. This represents one of the final stages 249 00:10:12.440 --> 00:10:15.160 of a star's formation. Meanwhile, in the 250 00:10:15.160 --> 00:10:17.040 thick brownish dust right in the middle of 251 00:10:17.040 --> 00:10:19.840 the image, you can see glowing fiery red 252 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:22.720 blobs. These are sites where star formation 253 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:25.360 is still actively underway, heavily obscured 254 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:28.180 by the nebular material. An orange region in 255 00:10:28.180 --> 00:10:30.500 the upper right with a noticeably low star 256 00:10:30.500 --> 00:10:33.260 count indicates an area where star formation 257 00:10:33.260 --> 00:10:34.980 is in its even earlier stages. 258 00:10:36.020 --> 00:10:38.100 The beautiful opalescent blue glow 259 00:10:38.100 --> 00:10:40.700 illuminating the hollowed out areas comes 260 00:10:40.700 --> 00:10:42.820 from the light of fully formed stars 261 00:10:42.980 --> 00:10:45.580 scattered throughout the cloud. And those 262 00:10:45.580 --> 00:10:47.980 intriguing filaments of dust through which 263 00:10:47.980 --> 00:10:50.660 very little light penetrates suggest areas 264 00:10:50.740 --> 00:10:53.200 of such high density that the star 265 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:55.400 formation process is just beginning. 266 00:10:55.960 --> 00:10:58.600 Dense knots of gas collapsing under gravity 267 00:10:58.760 --> 00:11:01.320 to form the very seeds of baby stars. 268 00:11:02.040 --> 00:11:04.560 Against this backdrop, bright blue white 269 00:11:04.560 --> 00:11:07.400 stars gleam with crackling clarity. These 270 00:11:07.400 --> 00:11:09.640 are the fully formed stars that have 271 00:11:09.640 --> 00:11:11.400 successfully blown away their surrounding 272 00:11:11.400 --> 00:11:13.840 material, now free to shine their light 273 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:16.400 across the cosmos. It's a truly 274 00:11:16.400 --> 00:11:18.720 magnificent and dynamic portrait of stellar 275 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:20.530 birthday. If you'd like to see this 276 00:11:20.530 --> 00:11:23.130 breathtaking image for yourself, wallpaper 277 00:11:23.130 --> 00:11:25.250 sized versions are available for download on 278 00:11:25.250 --> 00:11:27.850 the European Space Agency's JWST 279 00:11:28.010 --> 00:11:30.610 website. I'll drop a link into the show notes 280 00:11:30.610 --> 00:11:32.570 for you to check it out. In all its glory, 281 00:11:32.810 --> 00:11:35.169 it's an incredible way to celebrate three 282 00:11:35.169 --> 00:11:37.290 years of groundbreaking discoveries from this 283 00:11:37.290 --> 00:11:38.570 phenomenal telescope. 284 00:11:39.850 --> 00:11:42.370 Now let's shift our focus closer to home to 285 00:11:42.370 --> 00:11:44.930 our very own star, the sun, which is putting 286 00:11:44.930 --> 00:11:47.680 on quite a show. A new sunspot Designated 287 00:11:47.680 --> 00:11:50.600 Region 4136 has recently emerged over the 288 00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:52.960 sun's eastern limb and it's crackling with 289 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:54.960 dozens of magnetic explosions known as 290 00:11:54.960 --> 00:11:57.200 elearmin bombs. French 291 00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:00.040 astrophotographer Philippe Tosi captured this 292 00:12:00.040 --> 00:12:02.520 incredible activity on July 10 from Nimes, 293 00:12:02.520 --> 00:12:05.480 France, using an H alpha filter to reveal the 294 00:12:05.480 --> 00:12:08.480 fine details of these explosions. The image 295 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:10.800 shows these elearmin bombs popping like 296 00:12:10.800 --> 00:12:13.250 fireworks near a sunspot that has already 297 00:12:13.250 --> 00:12:15.890 unleashed multiple M M class solar flares, 298 00:12:15.970 --> 00:12:18.250 which are mid level eruptions on the solar 299 00:12:18.250 --> 00:12:21.090 flare scale. Ellerman bombs were first 300 00:12:21.090 --> 00:12:23.570 described in the early 20th century by 301 00:12:23.570 --> 00:12:26.490 physicist Ferdinand Elearman. These 302 00:12:26.490 --> 00:12:28.810 energetic events occur in the lower solar 303 00:12:28.810 --> 00:12:30.810 atmosphere and are primarily driven by 304 00:12:30.810 --> 00:12:33.730 magnetic reconnection. This is a process 305 00:12:33.730 --> 00:12:36.490 on the sun where oppositely charged magnetic 306 00:12:36.490 --> 00:12:39.010 fields meet and then explosively reconfigure 307 00:12:39.170 --> 00:12:41.770 rec releasing a burst of energy. Each 308 00:12:41.770 --> 00:12:43.610 Elelerman bomb might release an amount of 309 00:12:43.610 --> 00:12:46.290 energy equivalent to roughly 100,000 World 310 00:12:46.290 --> 00:12:49.210 War II era atomic bombs. While that's 311 00:12:49.210 --> 00:12:51.450 only about 1 millionth the energy of a large 312 00:12:51.450 --> 00:12:54.290 solar flare, these mini explosions are highly 313 00:12:54.290 --> 00:12:57.090 significant. They are seen as key indicators 314 00:12:57.090 --> 00:12:59.810 of magnetic complexity within a sunspot. When 315 00:12:59.810 --> 00:13:01.770 opposite magnetic polarities collide and 316 00:13:01.770 --> 00:13:04.010 reconnect, they quickly release energy in 317 00:13:04.010 --> 00:13:06.760 these bright rapid flashes. That 318 00:13:06.760 --> 00:13:09.280 complexity could potentially mean even bigger 319 00:13:09.280 --> 00:13:11.800 fireworks ahead. With sunspot region 320 00:13:11.800 --> 00:13:14.600 4136 now rotating to face Earth, 321 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:16.800 it could pose a threat for stronger space 322 00:13:16.800 --> 00:13:19.600 weather events in the coming days. M um class 323 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:22.080 flares like those already observed have the 324 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:24.240 potential to cause brief radio blackouts and 325 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:26.320 minor satellite disruptions if they are aimed 326 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:28.880 directly at our planet. Scientists and 327 00:13:28.880 --> 00:13:31.000 skywatchers alike will certainly be keeping a 328 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:33.480 very close eye on this active sunspot region 329 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:36.240 as it continues its rotation into an Earth 330 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:39.160 facing position. It's a dynamic reminder 331 00:13:39.160 --> 00:13:41.720 of the powerful processes constantly at play 332 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:44.600 on our star. That's all for this episode 333 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:47.160 of Astronomy Daily. Thank you for joining us 334 00:13:47.160 --> 00:13:49.000 for another exciting journey through the 335 00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:51.640 cosmos. It's truly incredible what we 336 00:13:51.640 --> 00:13:54.080 continue to discover, from returning 337 00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:56.640 astronauts and future food sources for space 338 00:13:57.280 --> 00:13:59.760 to the breathtaking beauty of nebulae 339 00:14:00.140 --> 00:14:03.070 and the powerful dynamics of our own Sun. Um, 340 00:14:03.070 --> 00:14:05.500 for more astronomy news, make sure to visit 341 00:14:05.500 --> 00:14:08.060 our website@astronomydaily.IO. 342 00:14:08.780 --> 00:14:10.860 there you can sign up for our free daily 343 00:14:10.860 --> 00:14:12.860 newsletter to get the latest updates 344 00:14:12.860 --> 00:14:14.820 delivered straight to your inbox, and you can 345 00:14:14.820 --> 00:14:17.540 also listen to all our back episodes. You can 346 00:14:17.540 --> 00:14:19.500 subscribe to Astronomy Daily on Apple 347 00:14:19.500 --> 00:14:22.300 Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you 348 00:14:22.300 --> 00:14:24.500 get your podcasts so you never miss an 349 00:14:24.500 --> 00:14:27.390 episode. I'm Anna, your host, and we hope 350 00:14:27.390 --> 00:14:29.310 you'll join us again soon for more amazing 351 00:14:29.310 --> 00:14:31.950 stories from across the universe. Until then, 352 00:14:31.950 --> 00:14:34.230 keep looking up. There's a lot going on out 353 00:14:34.230 --> 00:14:34.470 there.