WEBVTT

0
00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.280
Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. Your go

1
00:00:03.280 --> 00:00:05.960
to source for the latest developments in

2
00:00:05.960 --> 00:00:08.760
space exploration and astronomical

3
00:00:08.760 --> 00:00:11.720
discoveries. I'm Anna and I'm

4
00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:14.520
here with my co host Avery to bring

5
00:00:14.520 --> 00:00:17.360
you today's most exciting space news.

6
00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:20.160
From cargo deliveries to the International

7
00:00:20.560 --> 00:00:22.880
Space Station, to mysterious

8
00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:25.240
exoplanets and upcoming

9
00:00:25.240 --> 00:00:27.880
eclipses, we've got a fantastic

10
00:00:27.880 --> 00:00:30.800
lineup of stories that showcase just how

11
00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:33.180
dynamic and fascinating our

12
00:00:33.180 --> 00:00:35.100
universe continues to be.

13
00:00:35.420 --> 00:00:36.220
Avery: That's right, Anna.

14
00:00:36.220 --> 00:00:38.660
Uh, we're starting today with an update and

15
00:00:38.660 --> 00:00:41.020
some fantastic news from the International

16
00:00:41.260 --> 00:00:44.060
Space Station where a brand new type of cargo

17
00:00:44.060 --> 00:00:46.460
spacecraft has finally arrived.

18
00:00:46.700 --> 00:00:49.500
Northrop Grumman's debut Cygnus XL

19
00:00:49.500 --> 00:00:52.380
freighter successfully reached the ISS on

20
00:00:52.380 --> 00:00:54.620
September 18, marking a significant

21
00:00:54.940 --> 00:00:57.580
milestone in commercial space transportation.

22
00:00:57.900 --> 00:01:00.660
This wasn't just any ordinary delivery. It

23
00:01:00.660 --> 00:01:02.670
was the first first mission of their new

24
00:01:02.750 --> 00:01:05.150
jumbo sized cargo vessel and it went

25
00:01:05.150 --> 00:01:07.430
remarkably well despite a small hiccup along

26
00:01:07.430 --> 00:01:09.990
the way. What makes this particularly

27
00:01:09.990 --> 00:01:12.670
exciting is that this represents a major

28
00:01:12.670 --> 00:01:14.830
evolution in Northrop Grumman's capabilities.

29
00:01:15.310 --> 00:01:17.469
The original Cygnus spacecraft has been

30
00:01:17.469 --> 00:01:20.190
reliably servicing the ISS since 2013,

31
00:01:20.510 --> 00:01:23.390
but this new XL Ariant is a game changer.

32
00:01:23.390 --> 00:01:25.870
With enhanced capacity and improved systems.

33
00:01:26.270 --> 00:01:28.750
Anna: The arrival was quite the spectacle.

34
00:01:29.070 --> 00:01:31.830
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim used the

35
00:01:31.830 --> 00:01:34.810
station's Kaned 2 robotic arm

36
00:01:34.890 --> 00:01:37.610
to grapple the Cygnus spacecraft at

37
00:01:37.610 --> 00:01:40.450
exactly 7:24am um, Eastern

38
00:01:40.450 --> 00:01:42.810
Time while the station was passing

39
00:01:43.050 --> 00:01:45.450
260 miles above the

40
00:01:45.450 --> 00:01:48.330
Democratic Republic of Congo. There was

41
00:01:48.330 --> 00:01:51.010
actually a one day delay due to some

42
00:01:51.010 --> 00:01:53.570
thruster issues, but the team worked through

43
00:01:53.570 --> 00:01:56.410
those challenges beautifully. What makes this

44
00:01:56.410 --> 00:01:59.130
mission so special is the spacecraft's

45
00:01:59.130 --> 00:02:02.010
enhanced capacity. This new Cygnus

46
00:02:02.010 --> 00:02:04.330
XL can carry approximately

47
00:02:04.410 --> 00:02:07.330
11,000 pounds of cargo compared

48
00:02:07.330 --> 00:02:10.010
to the previous model's 8,500

49
00:02:10.250 --> 00:02:13.210
pounds. That's a substantial increase in

50
00:02:13.210 --> 00:02:15.890
delivery capability. The technical

51
00:02:15.890 --> 00:02:18.730
improvements include an enlarged service

52
00:02:18.810 --> 00:02:21.130
module with better solar array

53
00:02:21.130 --> 00:02:24.130
efficiency and upgraded thrusters for

54
00:02:24.130 --> 00:02:27.010
improved maneuverability, making this a

55
00:02:27.010 --> 00:02:29.930
significant upgrade over previous Cygnus

56
00:02:29.930 --> 00:02:30.410
missions.

57
00:02:30.900 --> 00:02:33.380
Avery: And the timing couldn't be better. This is

58
00:02:33.380 --> 00:02:36.180
actually the first Cygnus delivery in over a

59
00:02:36.180 --> 00:02:39.020
year, so the crew was probably pretty excited

60
00:02:39.020 --> 00:02:41.540
to receive their supplies. The spacecraft

61
00:02:41.540 --> 00:02:44.380
launched on September 14th aboard a SpaceX

62
00:02:44.380 --> 00:02:47.140
Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral and

63
00:02:47.140 --> 00:02:49.740
it's been named the SS William Willie

64
00:02:49.740 --> 00:02:52.180
McCool in honor of the Columbia crew member.

65
00:02:52.580 --> 00:02:54.780
The cargo manifest is particularly

66
00:02:54.780 --> 00:02:56.660
interesting from a scientific perspective.

67
00:02:56.820 --> 00:02:59.340
They're carrying materials for semiconductor

68
00:02:59.340 --> 00:03:02.140
crystal experiments, equipment for cryogenic

69
00:03:02.140 --> 00:03:04.520
fuel tank improvements, a, uh, UV light

70
00:03:04.520 --> 00:03:06.960
system for microbial control, and supplies

71
00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:08.720
for pharmaceutical crystal production

72
00:03:08.720 --> 00:03:10.920
research. The spacecraft is scheduled to

73
00:03:10.920 --> 00:03:13.360
remain docked until March 2026,

74
00:03:13.600 --> 00:03:15.960
giving researchers plenty of time to conduct

75
00:03:15.960 --> 00:03:16.720
their experiments.

76
00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.280
Anna: Speaking of celestial events, let's

77
00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:22.560
shift our focus from human made

78
00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:24.640
spacecraft to a natural

79
00:03:24.720 --> 00:03:27.600
astronomical phenomenon that's happening this

80
00:03:27.600 --> 00:03:30.400
weekend. A partial solar eclipse is

81
00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:32.800
set to occur on Sunday and Monday,

82
00:03:33.200 --> 00:03:35.500
September 22nd,

83
00:03:35.980 --> 00:03:38.660
though unfortunately, most of our listeners

84
00:03:38.660 --> 00:03:41.300
won't be able to see it directly. The

85
00:03:41.300 --> 00:03:43.500
eclipse will be visible from eastern

86
00:03:43.500 --> 00:03:45.660
Australia, New Zealand and

87
00:03:45.740 --> 00:03:48.500
Antarctica, with the Moon's Shadow

88
00:03:48.500 --> 00:03:51.380
passing about 250 miles over

89
00:03:51.380 --> 00:03:54.220
the South Pole. The entire event will

90
00:03:54.220 --> 00:03:57.100
last four hours and 24 minutes,

91
00:03:57.420 --> 00:04:00.100
making it a relatively lengthy eclipse

92
00:04:00.100 --> 00:04:02.700
experience for those in the viewing zone.

93
00:04:02.900 --> 00:04:05.580
Avery: The eclipse coverage varies significantly

94
00:04:05.580 --> 00:04:08.340
depending on location. Sydney will

95
00:04:08.340 --> 00:04:10.740
only see about 2% of the sun

96
00:04:10.740 --> 00:04:13.420
eclipsed, while Hobart in Tasmania

97
00:04:13.420 --> 00:04:15.940
gets a slightly better view at 4%.

98
00:04:16.580 --> 00:04:19.260
The real winner is McMurdo M Station in

99
00:04:19.260 --> 00:04:21.620
Antarctica, where observers will witness

100
00:04:21.620 --> 00:04:24.460
68% of the sun being blocked

101
00:04:24.460 --> 00:04:27.420
by the Moon. But here's the most interesting

102
00:04:27.420 --> 00:04:30.100
viewing Southern New Zealand

103
00:04:30.100 --> 00:04:32.540
will experience what astronomers are calling

104
00:04:32.540 --> 00:04:35.280
a shark fin eclipse at sunrise.

105
00:04:35.280 --> 00:04:38.280
With about 20% coverage. It's

106
00:04:38.280 --> 00:04:40.400
fascinating how the geometry works out

107
00:04:40.400 --> 00:04:43.080
differently for each location. This

108
00:04:43.080 --> 00:04:45.600
eclipse is actually number seven in a series

109
00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:48.000
of 71 eclipses called

110
00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:50.480
Saros series 154.

111
00:04:50.960 --> 00:04:53.520
For those already planning ahead, the next

112
00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:56.560
total solar eclipse will occur on August

113
00:04:56.560 --> 00:04:59.280
12, 2026, crossing

114
00:04:59.280 --> 00:05:01.970
Iceland and northern Spain. For

115
00:05:01.970 --> 00:05:04.810
scientists at McMurdo Station, this eclipse

116
00:05:04.810 --> 00:05:07.690
provides valuable research opportunities to

117
00:05:07.690 --> 00:05:10.650
study how partial solar blocking affects

118
00:05:10.650 --> 00:05:13.610
atmospheric conditions in one of Earth's most

119
00:05:13.610 --> 00:05:14.930
extreme environments.

120
00:05:15.250 --> 00:05:16.850
Now, uh, let's talk about a technology

121
00:05:17.090 --> 00:05:19.250
demonstration that's been quietly making

122
00:05:19.330 --> 00:05:22.130
history in deep space. NASA's

123
00:05:22.130 --> 00:05:24.690
Deep Space Optical Communications Experiment

124
00:05:24.690 --> 00:05:27.050
aboard this Psyche spacecraft has just

125
00:05:27.050 --> 00:05:29.210
concluded after nearly two years of

126
00:05:29.210 --> 00:05:32.090
operation. And the results have exceeded all

127
00:05:32.090 --> 00:05:35.070
expectations. This laser communication system

128
00:05:35.070 --> 00:05:37.270
has been beaming data back to Earth from

129
00:05:37.270 --> 00:05:40.270
incredible distances, proving that high speed

130
00:05:40.270 --> 00:05:42.390
communications across the solar system are

131
00:05:42.390 --> 00:05:45.110
not just possible, but practical. The

132
00:05:45.110 --> 00:05:47.790
mission just completed its 65th and final

133
00:05:47.790 --> 00:05:50.390
pass, transmitting laser signals from

134
00:05:50.390 --> 00:05:52.830
218 million miles away.

135
00:05:53.150 --> 00:05:54.830
That's comparable to the distance between

136
00:05:54.830 --> 00:05:56.870
Earth and Mars at certain points in their

137
00:05:56.870 --> 00:05:59.070
orbits. The performance numbers are

138
00:05:59.070 --> 00:06:01.910
absolutely staggering. Back in December

139
00:06:01.910 --> 00:06:04.710
2023, when Psyche was 19 million

140
00:06:04.710 --> 00:06:07.530
mil miles from Earth, the system successfully

141
00:06:07.530 --> 00:06:10.410
streamed ultra high definition video at

142
00:06:10.410 --> 00:06:13.050
267 Mbps.

143
00:06:13.370 --> 00:06:15.570
Think about that for a moment. That's faster

144
00:06:15.570 --> 00:06:18.050
than many home Internet connections. But the

145
00:06:18.050 --> 00:06:20.610
data was traveling across millions of miles

146
00:06:20.610 --> 00:06:22.890
of empty space. Using nothing but

147
00:06:22.970 --> 00:06:25.930
focused laser light, the system set its

148
00:06:25.930 --> 00:06:28.410
distance record in December 2024,

149
00:06:28.650 --> 00:06:30.850
successfully downlinking data from

150
00:06:30.850 --> 00:06:33.610
3,307 million miles away

151
00:06:34.090 --> 00:06:36.330
over the entire mission duration they

152
00:06:36.330 --> 00:06:38.730
received a total of 13.6

153
00:06:38.810 --> 00:06:41.570
terabits of data. The ground based

154
00:06:41.570 --> 00:06:43.890
infrastructure is equally impressive. They

155
00:06:43.890 --> 00:06:46.410
use a 3 kilowatt uplink laser at

156
00:06:46.410 --> 00:06:49.210
JPL's Table Mountain facility and receive

157
00:06:49.210 --> 00:06:52.090
the signals using the 200 inch telescope at

158
00:06:52.090 --> 00:06:54.890
Palomar Observatory. This technology could

159
00:06:54.970 --> 00:06:57.690
revolutionize communications for future Mars

160
00:06:57.690 --> 00:06:59.770
missions and deep space exploration.

161
00:07:00.420 --> 00:07:02.580
NASA is already planning to implement this

162
00:07:02.580 --> 00:07:04.660
technology on upcoming Mars missions,

163
00:07:04.900 --> 00:07:07.340
potentially enabling high definition video

164
00:07:07.340 --> 00:07:10.100
calls with Earth instead of the delayed low

165
00:07:10.100 --> 00:07:12.180
quality communications we're used to today.

166
00:07:13.220 --> 00:07:15.660
Anna: Let's venture beyond our solar system now to

167
00:07:15.660 --> 00:07:18.100
discuss a fascinating mystery involving

168
00:07:18.180 --> 00:07:21.100
exoplanets. Astronomers have launched a

169
00:07:21.100 --> 00:07:24.100
new program called Atreides to study what

170
00:07:24.100 --> 00:07:26.690
they call the Neptunian Desert. A, uh,

171
00:07:26.740 --> 00:07:29.420
puzzling absence of planets about 20

172
00:07:29.420 --> 00:07:32.240
times Earth's mass that orbit very to their

173
00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:35.040
stars. You'd expect to find planets of this

174
00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:37.480
size in close orbits, but they're

175
00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:40.240
surprisingly rare and scientists want to

176
00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:43.080
understand why. The first system they're

177
00:07:43.080 --> 00:07:45.520
studying is called TOI421,

178
00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:48.480
located 224 light years away.

179
00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:50.960
And it's already providing some intriguing

180
00:07:50.960 --> 00:07:53.040
clues about planetary formation and

181
00:07:53.040 --> 00:07:53.520
evolution.

182
00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:56.680
Avery: TOI421 is particularly interesting

183
00:07:56.680 --> 00:07:58.920
because it has two planets with misaligned

184
00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:01.560
orbits, which suggests their evolution was

185
00:08:01.560 --> 00:08:02.480
quite chaotic.

186
00:08:03.070 --> 00:08:05.950
TOI421B has about seven times

187
00:08:05.950 --> 00:08:08.870
Earth's mass and orbits at, uh, just 6% of

188
00:08:08.870 --> 00:08:11.630
the Earth's sun distance. That's incredibly

189
00:08:11.630 --> 00:08:13.790
close to its star. TOI

190
00:08:13.790 --> 00:08:16.670
421c is even more massive at 14

191
00:08:16.750 --> 00:08:19.630
times Earth's mass and orbits at 12%

192
00:08:19.630 --> 00:08:22.230
of the Earth's sun distance. The fact that

193
00:08:22.230 --> 00:08:24.430
their orbits are misaligned is telling

194
00:08:24.430 --> 00:08:27.310
astronomers a story about violent planetary

195
00:08:27.310 --> 00:08:29.990
migration. Instead of gently spiraling

196
00:08:29.990 --> 00:08:32.790
inward over millions of years, these planets

197
00:08:32.790 --> 00:08:35.129
likely experience what scientists call high

198
00:08:35.129 --> 00:08:37.769
eccentricity migration, essentially being

199
00:08:37.769 --> 00:08:40.009
flung around by gravitational interactions

200
00:08:40.009 --> 00:08:42.329
before settling into their current orbits.

201
00:08:42.889 --> 00:08:45.129
Understanding this process could help explain

202
00:08:45.129 --> 00:08:47.769
why hot Neptune sized planets are so rare

203
00:08:47.849 --> 00:08:50.169
and give us insights into how planetary

204
00:08:50.169 --> 00:08:52.569
systems form and evolve. The

205
00:08:52.569 --> 00:08:55.449
Atreides program uses advanced telescopes and

206
00:08:55.449 --> 00:08:58.169
space based observations to measure not just

207
00:08:58.169 --> 00:09:00.489
planetary size and mass, but also

208
00:09:00.569 --> 00:09:02.870
atmospheric composition and ocean orbital

209
00:09:02.870 --> 00:09:05.270
dynamics with unprecedented precision,

210
00:09:05.590 --> 00:09:07.910
helping astronomers understand the complex

211
00:09:07.910 --> 00:09:10.430
gravitational processes that shape these

212
00:09:10.430 --> 00:09:11.990
systems over millions of years.

213
00:09:12.310 --> 00:09:15.190
Anna: For our final story today, let's journey to

214
00:09:15.190 --> 00:09:17.590
the outer reaches of our own solar system,

215
00:09:17.750 --> 00:09:20.470
where the James Webb Space Telescope has made

216
00:09:20.470 --> 00:09:23.310
a remarkable discovery. Webb has

217
00:09:23.310 --> 00:09:25.830
detected methane gas on Makemake,

218
00:09:26.230 --> 00:09:29.110
a distant dwarf planet, making it only the

219
00:09:29.110 --> 00:09:31.950
second trans Neptunian object after

220
00:09:31.950 --> 00:09:33.830
Pluto where gas has been.

221
00:09:35.010 --> 00:09:37.890
Makemake is about 890 miles across,

222
00:09:38.370 --> 00:09:41.330
roughly 2/3 the size of Pluto. And this

223
00:09:41.330 --> 00:09:44.090
detection suggests it's far more dynamic

224
00:09:44.090 --> 00:09:46.810
than previously thought. The methane was

225
00:09:46.810 --> 00:09:49.810
identified through what scientists call solar

226
00:09:49.810 --> 00:09:52.810
excited fluorescence, where sunlight causes

227
00:09:52.810 --> 00:09:55.290
the methane molecules to emit detectable

228
00:09:55.290 --> 00:09:55.810
signals.

229
00:09:56.770 --> 00:09:59.130
Avery: This discovery opens up fascinating

230
00:09:59.130 --> 00:10:01.170
possibilities about what's happening on

231
00:10:01.170 --> 00:10:03.650
Makemake's surface. The methane could

232
00:10:03.650 --> 00:10:06.120
indicate the presence of a thin atmosphere,

233
00:10:06.510 --> 00:10:08.670
or it might suggest active sublimation

234
00:10:08.670 --> 00:10:11.350
processes where ice turns directly into

235
00:10:11.350 --> 00:10:14.350
gas or even cryovolcanic activity,

236
00:10:14.430 --> 00:10:17.390
essentially ice volcanoes. If Makemake

237
00:10:17.470 --> 00:10:19.430
does have an atmosphere, it would be

238
00:10:19.430 --> 00:10:22.190
incredibly tenuous, with temperatures around

239
00:10:22.270 --> 00:10:24.310
40 Kelvin, that's minus

240
00:10:24.310 --> 00:10:26.990
233 degrees Celsius and

241
00:10:26.990 --> 00:10:29.390
atmospheric pressure about a hundred billion

242
00:10:29.550 --> 00:10:32.190
times weaker than Earth's, making it a

243
00:10:32.190 --> 00:10:34.830
million times more tenuous than even Pluto's

244
00:10:34.830 --> 00:10:37.350
thin atmosphere. But the very fact that we

245
00:10:37.350 --> 00:10:40.310
can detect this gas shows that Makemake

246
00:10:40.310 --> 00:10:43.070
isn't just an inactive chunk of rock and ice

247
00:10:43.070 --> 00:10:45.670
floating in the outer solar system. It's a

248
00:10:45.670 --> 00:10:48.510
dynamic world with ongoing geological or

249
00:10:48.510 --> 00:10:51.350
atmospheric processes. This challenges

250
00:10:51.350 --> 00:10:53.430
our understanding of what makes a world

251
00:10:53.510 --> 00:10:55.630
active in the outer solar system. And

252
00:10:55.630 --> 00:10:57.030
scientists are planning follow up

253
00:10:57.030 --> 00:10:59.430
observations to determine whether the methane

254
00:10:59.510 --> 00:11:01.910
represents seasonal effects or more

255
00:11:01.910 --> 00:11:03.720
fundamental geological activity.

256
00:11:04.670 --> 00:11:06.510
Anna: You know, Avery, when we look at all these

257
00:11:06.510 --> 00:11:08.710
stories together, what really strikes me is

258
00:11:08.710 --> 00:11:11.030
how they represent different scales of human

259
00:11:11.030 --> 00:11:13.990
achievement and cosmic discovery. We've got

260
00:11:13.990 --> 00:11:16.510
practical successes like cargo delivery to

261
00:11:16.510 --> 00:11:19.470
the iss, incredible technological leaps

262
00:11:19.470 --> 00:11:21.430
like laser communications that will enable

263
00:11:21.430 --> 00:11:23.990
future exploration, and we're pushing the

264
00:11:23.990 --> 00:11:26.110
boundaries of knowledge by studying distant

265
00:11:26.110 --> 00:11:28.510
worlds and exoplanets that expand our

266
00:11:28.510 --> 00:11:30.430
understanding of planetary formation.

267
00:11:31.610 --> 00:11:33.530
Avery: Absolutely, Anna. Uh, and what I find

268
00:11:33.530 --> 00:11:35.490
particularly exciting is how these

269
00:11:35.490 --> 00:11:38.170
technologies and discoveries build on each

270
00:11:38.170 --> 00:11:40.210
other. The same infrared detection

271
00:11:40.210 --> 00:11:42.530
capabilities that let us find methane on

272
00:11:42.530 --> 00:11:45.010
MakeMake are helping us characterize

273
00:11:45.010 --> 00:11:47.250
exoplanet atmospheres. The laser

274
00:11:47.250 --> 00:11:49.370
communication systems being proven on the

275
00:11:49.370 --> 00:11:51.970
Psyche mission will eventually enable high

276
00:11:51.970 --> 00:11:54.690
bandwidth data transmission from Mars. Even

277
00:11:54.690 --> 00:11:57.090
the enhanced cargo capabilities of the Cygnus

278
00:11:57.090 --> 00:11:59.810
XL are enabling the kinds of experiments that

279
00:11:59.810 --> 00:12:01.930
will prepare us for establishing permanent

280
00:12:01.930 --> 00:12:03.870
research stations throughout the solar

281
00:12:03.870 --> 00:12:04.150
system.

282
00:12:05.110 --> 00:12:07.110
Anna: And that wraps up today's episode of

283
00:12:07.110 --> 00:12:09.830
Astronomy Daily. From the successful arrival

284
00:12:09.830 --> 00:12:12.710
of the new Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft

285
00:12:12.710 --> 00:12:15.230
at the International Space Station to the

286
00:12:15.230 --> 00:12:17.990
mysterious dynamics of distant dwarf planets,

287
00:12:18.070 --> 00:12:20.590
it's been another incredible day in space

288
00:12:20.590 --> 00:12:23.350
exploration and astronomical discovery news.

289
00:12:24.150 --> 00:12:26.390
Avery: Thanks for joining us today, everyone. I'm

290
00:12:26.390 --> 00:12:29.070
Avery along with Anna, reminding you to keep

291
00:12:29.070 --> 00:12:31.630
looking up and stay curious about the amazing

292
00:12:31.630 --> 00:12:34.390
universe around us. We'll be back tomorrow

293
00:12:34.530 --> 00:12:36.290
with more exciting space news and

294
00:12:36.290 --> 00:12:39.250
discoveries. Until then, clear skies.