WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:02.920 Avery: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for 1 00:00:02.920 --> 00:00:05.920 the latest news from the cosmos. I'm Avery. 2 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:09.080 Anna: And I'm Anna. Today we're diving 3 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:11.880 into some fascinating developments that span 4 00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:14.880 from our own moon to the far reaches of our 5 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:15.520 galaxy. 6 00:00:16.240 --> 00:00:18.840 Avery: We've got quite the lineup today. A lunar 7 00:00:18.840 --> 00:00:21.280 rover gets a second chance at life. An 8 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:23.560 asteroid threatens to pelt our moon with 9 00:00:23.560 --> 00:00:26.400 debris. Ancient glass reveals secrets from 10 00:00:26.400 --> 00:00:28.920 millions of years ago. And astronomers have 11 00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:30.760 created the most detailed map of stellar 12 00:00:30.910 --> 00:00:32.750 other nurseries in our galaxy. 13 00:00:33.550 --> 00:00:35.950 Anna: Let's start with some good news from NASA. 14 00:00:36.190 --> 00:00:38.830 The Viper lunar rover, which was facing 15 00:00:38.830 --> 00:00:41.590 cancellation just months ago, has been given 16 00:00:41.590 --> 00:00:44.030 a lifeline after NASA spent 17 00:00:44.030 --> 00:00:46.709 $450 million on the 18 00:00:46.709 --> 00:00:49.246 project and then canceled it in July 19 00:00:49.374 --> 00:00:52.190 2024 due to cost overruns. It 20 00:00:52.190 --> 00:00:54.390 looked like the car sized rover would never 21 00:00:54.390 --> 00:00:55.710 see the lunar surface. 22 00:00:56.840 --> 00:00:59.760 Avery: But here's where it gets interesting. NASA 23 00:00:59.760 --> 00:01:02.480 has struck a new deal worth $190 million 24 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:05.680 with Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin. Under the 25 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:07.880 Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program. 26 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:10.200 This partnership will send Viper to the 27 00:01:10.200 --> 00:01:13.200 moon's south pole in late 2027, where it 28 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:15.440 will hunt for water ice deposits for about 29 00:01:15.440 --> 00:01:16.680 100 Earth days. 30 00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:20.400 Anna: This mission is crucial for NASA's Artemis 31 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:23.080 program goals of establishing a 32 00:01:23.080 --> 00:01:26.080 sustainable lunar presence. Water ice 33 00:01:26.080 --> 00:01:28.880 isn't just scientifically interesting. It's a 34 00:01:28.880 --> 00:01:31.040 resource that could support future human 35 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:33.880 missions. The rover will be able to analyze 36 00:01:33.880 --> 00:01:36.280 the composition and distribution of ice 37 00:01:36.280 --> 00:01:38.880 deposits, giving us a much clearer 38 00:01:38.880 --> 00:01:41.800 picture of what's available for future lunar 39 00:01:41.800 --> 00:01:44.600 explorers. What's particularly impressive 40 00:01:44.600 --> 00:01:46.840 about this rescue is the technical 41 00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:49.680 specifications of Viper itself. This 42 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:52.320 rover is no lightweight explorer. It 43 00:01:52.320 --> 00:01:55.040 weighs about 430 kilograms 44 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:57.660 and stands 1.5 meters meters tall. 45 00:01:57.740 --> 00:01:59.820 It's equipped with four scientific 46 00:01:59.820 --> 00:02:02.740 instruments specifically designed to analyze 47 00:02:02.740 --> 00:02:05.660 water ice, including a neutron spectrometer 48 00:02:05.740 --> 00:02:08.700 and a drill that can dig up to a meter 49 00:02:08.700 --> 00:02:09.980 into the lunar surface. 50 00:02:10.700 --> 00:02:13.380 Avery: The choice of landing site is also crucial 51 00:02:13.380 --> 00:02:15.580 here. Ana, uh, the moon's south pole region 52 00:02:15.580 --> 00:02:17.900 experiences what scientists call permanently 53 00:02:17.980 --> 00:02:20.540 shadowed regions, areas that haven't seen 54 00:02:20.540 --> 00:02:23.100 sunlight for potentially billions of years. 55 00:02:23.500 --> 00:02:25.980 These could be like frozen time capsules, 56 00:02:25.980 --> 00:02:28.770 preserving water ice and other volatiles that 57 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:31.160 could tell us about the early solar system. 58 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:35.040 Anna: Exactly. And the data Viper collects will 59 00:02:35.040 --> 00:02:37.960 directly influence where future Artemis 60 00:02:37.960 --> 00:02:40.600 missions land. If the rover finds 61 00:02:40.600 --> 00:02:43.600 accessible water ice deposits near potential 62 00:02:43.600 --> 00:02:46.160 landing sites, it could dramatically change 63 00:02:46.160 --> 00:02:48.880 our approach to lunar exploration. Water 64 00:02:48.880 --> 00:02:51.840 isn't just for drinking. It can be split 65 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:54.720 into hydrogen and oxygen for rocket 66 00:02:54.720 --> 00:02:57.670 fuel, essentially creating a, uh, gas station 67 00:02:57.670 --> 00:02:58.470 on the moon. 68 00:02:59.030 --> 00:03:01.510 Avery: It's a great example of how public private 69 00:03:01.510 --> 00:03:04.110 partnerships can salvage important scientific 70 00:03:04.110 --> 00:03:06.590 missions. Sometimes it just takes finding the 71 00:03:06.590 --> 00:03:08.790 right partner with the Right Capabilities and 72 00:03:08.870 --> 00:03:09.590 timeline. 73 00:03:10.070 --> 00:03:12.750 Now, speaking of lunar threats, we need to 74 00:03:12.750 --> 00:03:15.030 discuss something a bit more concerning 75 00:03:15.270 --> 00:03:18.230 asteroid 2024 yr4. 76 00:03:19.110 --> 00:03:21.950 Anna: This asteroid has a 4% chance 77 00:03:21.950 --> 00:03:24.310 of hitting our moon in December 78 00:03:24.470 --> 00:03:27.370 2032. Now, while that might not sou like 79 00:03:27.370 --> 00:03:30.050 a direct threat to us here on Earth, the 80 00:03:30.050 --> 00:03:32.850 consequences could be far reaching. If 81 00:03:32.850 --> 00:03:35.730 this asteroid does impact the moon, it could 82 00:03:35.730 --> 00:03:38.410 create a massive amount of debris that would 83 00:03:38.410 --> 00:03:41.330 increase micrometeoroid impacts on Earth 84 00:03:41.410 --> 00:03:43.329 by up to 1,000 times. 85 00:03:44.450 --> 00:03:46.610 Avery: That's where things get really problematic. 86 00:03:46.850 --> 00:03:49.770 This debris cloud would pose serious risk to 87 00:03:49.770 --> 00:03:52.090 our satellites and any astronauts working in 88 00:03:52.090 --> 00:03:54.210 space. We're talking about potentially 89 00:03:54.210 --> 00:03:55.930 damaging or destroying critical 90 00:03:55.930 --> 00:03:58.910 infrastructure that we rely on for everything 91 00:03:59.230 --> 00:04:01.470 from GPS to communications. 92 00:04:02.350 --> 00:04:04.670 Anna: What makes this situation particularly 93 00:04:04.670 --> 00:04:07.606 challenging is that asteroid 2024 94 00:04:07.814 --> 00:04:10.510 yr4 was only discovered recently, 95 00:04:10.830 --> 00:04:13.030 giving us limited time to study its 96 00:04:13.030 --> 00:04:15.790 characteristics. The asteroid is estimated to 97 00:04:15.790 --> 00:04:18.550 be between 40 and 100 meters in 98 00:04:18.550 --> 00:04:21.350 diameter, which might not sound enormous, but 99 00:04:21.350 --> 00:04:24.270 at cosmic velocities, even relatively 100 00:04:24.270 --> 00:04:26.910 small objects can cause tremendous 101 00:04:26.910 --> 00:04:27.390 damage. 102 00:04:27.730 --> 00:04:30.370 Avery: The timeline is also tight with the potential 103 00:04:30.370 --> 00:04:33.370 impact in 2032. We have roughly 104 00:04:33.370 --> 00:04:36.330 eight years to mount a response mission. That 105 00:04:36.330 --> 00:04:38.610 might seem like plenty of time, but space 106 00:04:38.690 --> 00:04:40.850 missions require years of planning, 107 00:04:40.930 --> 00:04:43.610 development and travel time. If we 108 00:04:43.610 --> 00:04:46.170 decide to attempt deflection, we'd likely 109 00:04:46.170 --> 00:04:48.370 need to launch by 2028 or 110 00:04:48.370 --> 00:04:51.170 2029 to have the best chance of success. 111 00:04:51.570 --> 00:04:54.090 Scientists have identified several options 112 00:04:54.090 --> 00:04:56.140 for dealing with this threat. The, uh, 113 00:04:56.140 --> 00:04:58.930 preferred approach is deflection. But there's 114 00:04:58.930 --> 00:05:01.590 a big chall we don't know the asteroid's 115 00:05:01.590 --> 00:05:04.550 exact mass. Current estimates range from 116 00:05:04.550 --> 00:05:07.390 51 million to 711 million 117 00:05:07.390 --> 00:05:10.150 kg. And that uncertainty makes it 118 00:05:10.150 --> 00:05:12.190 difficult to plan an effective deflection 119 00:05:12.190 --> 00:05:12.670 mission. 120 00:05:13.630 --> 00:05:15.550 Anna: If deflection isn't feasible, 121 00:05:15.950 --> 00:05:18.590 destruction becomes an option. This could 122 00:05:18.590 --> 00:05:21.510 involve a kinetic impact designed to break 123 00:05:21.510 --> 00:05:24.150 the asteroid into manageable 10 meter 124 00:05:24.150 --> 00:05:27.060 chunks. Or in extreme cases, a, uh, 125 00:05:27.110 --> 00:05:29.970 nuclear option using a 1 megaton 126 00:05:29.970 --> 00:05:32.650 warhead. The good news is that there's a 127 00:05:32.650 --> 00:05:35.490 possible reconnaissance mission in 2028 128 00:05:35.730 --> 00:05:37.650 that could help us better assess the 129 00:05:37.650 --> 00:05:39.570 asteroid's mass and composition. 130 00:05:40.370 --> 00:05:42.930 Avery: It's fascinating how these seemingly distant 131 00:05:42.930 --> 00:05:45.170 cosmic events can have such direct 132 00:05:45.170 --> 00:05:48.040 implications for life on Earth. While a, uh, 133 00:05:48.090 --> 00:05:50.850 4% chance might seem relatively low, 134 00:05:51.330 --> 00:05:53.490 the potential consequences are significant 135 00:05:53.730 --> 00:05:55.370 enough that we need to take this threat 136 00:05:55.370 --> 00:05:57.170 seriously and prepare accordingly. 137 00:05:57.940 --> 00:05:58.660 Anna: Absolutely. 138 00:05:59.140 --> 00:06:02.020 Now let's shift our focus to a discovery that 139 00:06:02.020 --> 00:06:04.340 takes us much further back in time. 140 00:06:04.740 --> 00:06:07.060 Australian researchers have uncovered 141 00:06:07.060 --> 00:06:09.580 evidence of a previously unknown 142 00:06:09.580 --> 00:06:12.580 asteroid impact that occurred 11 million 143 00:06:12.660 --> 00:06:13.220 years ago. 144 00:06:14.340 --> 00:06:16.020 Avery: This discovery came through the 145 00:06:16.020 --> 00:06:18.500 identification of new tektites. 146 00:06:18.740 --> 00:06:20.980 Those are, uh, glass pieces formed when an 147 00:06:20.980 --> 00:06:23.780 asteroid Impact melts and launches 148 00:06:23.780 --> 00:06:26.410 rock material into the atmosphere. These 149 00:06:26.410 --> 00:06:29.250 particular tektites, called ananguites, 150 00:06:29.250 --> 00:06:32.130 span an impressive 900km 151 00:06:32.130 --> 00:06:33.170 across South Australia. 152 00:06:34.610 --> 00:06:37.410 Anna: What makes these ananguites particularly 153 00:06:37.410 --> 00:06:39.450 interesting is that they're chemically 154 00:06:39.450 --> 00:06:41.689 distinct from the famous Australasian 155 00:06:41.689 --> 00:06:43.490 tektites that formed about 156 00:06:43.570 --> 00:06:46.410 780,000 years ago. This 157 00:06:46.410 --> 00:06:48.490 means we're looking at evidence of a 158 00:06:48.490 --> 00:06:51.330 completely separate impact event, One 159 00:06:51.330 --> 00:06:53.490 that had been hidden from scientific view 160 00:06:53.490 --> 00:06:56.050 until now. The formation 161 00:06:56.130 --> 00:06:58.330 process of these tektites is 162 00:06:58.330 --> 00:07:00.890 absolutely extraordinary when you think about 163 00:07:00.890 --> 00:07:03.890 it. The original asteroid impact would 164 00:07:03.890 --> 00:07:06.690 have generated temperatures exceeding 2000 165 00:07:06.850 --> 00:07:09.770 degrees Celsius, instantly vaporizing 166 00:07:09.770 --> 00:07:12.330 and melting rock material. This molten 167 00:07:12.330 --> 00:07:14.770 debris was then hurled hundreds of 168 00:07:14.770 --> 00:07:17.010 kilometers through the atmosphere before 169 00:07:17.010 --> 00:07:19.690 cooling and solidifying into these glass 170 00:07:19.690 --> 00:07:22.630 fragments that we're finding today. The 171 00:07:22.630 --> 00:07:24.870 mystery deepens when we consider that the 172 00:07:24.870 --> 00:07:27.150 actual impact crater remains 173 00:07:27.150 --> 00:07:29.990 undiscovered. Researchers believe it 174 00:07:29.990 --> 00:07:32.830 may be located somewhere in the volcanic arcs 175 00:07:32.990 --> 00:07:35.830 around the Philippines, Indonesia, or Papua 176 00:07:35.830 --> 00:07:38.109 New Guinea. The fact that we can find 177 00:07:38.109 --> 00:07:40.990 evidence of the impact spread across such a 178 00:07:40.990 --> 00:07:43.830 wide area, yet still haven't located the 179 00:07:43.830 --> 00:07:46.310 source crater, really speaks to the 180 00:07:46.310 --> 00:07:48.710 challenges of studying these ancient cosmic 181 00:07:48.710 --> 00:07:49.150 events. 182 00:07:50.510 --> 00:07:52.670 Avery: This discovery is significant because it 183 00:07:52.670 --> 00:07:55.470 establishes a sixth known tektite 184 00:07:55.470 --> 00:07:58.390 strewn field globally. Each of these fields 185 00:07:58.390 --> 00:08:00.790 represents a major impact event in Earth's 186 00:08:00.790 --> 00:08:03.110 history. And finding a new one helps us 187 00:08:03.110 --> 00:08:05.750 better understand the frequency and scale of 188 00:08:05.750 --> 00:08:08.550 asteroid impacts over geological time. It's 189 00:08:08.550 --> 00:08:10.750 like finding a missing piece of Earth's 190 00:08:10.750 --> 00:08:12.030 cosmic collision history. 191 00:08:12.990 --> 00:08:15.870 Anna: Now let's journey from impact events to 192 00:08:15.870 --> 00:08:18.470 stellar creation. Astronomers have 193 00:08:18.470 --> 00:08:21.300 created the most detailed 3D MA 194 00:08:21.450 --> 00:08:23.970 map ever made of stellar nurseries in Art 195 00:08:23.970 --> 00:08:26.450 Galaxy. And it's absolutely 196 00:08:26.450 --> 00:08:27.210 breathtaking. 197 00:08:28.250 --> 00:08:30.690 Avery: This incredible map was created using data 198 00:08:30.690 --> 00:08:33.130 from the European Space Agency's Gaia 199 00:08:33.130 --> 00:08:35.530 telescope. And it covers a vast region 200 00:08:35.530 --> 00:08:38.090 extending 4,000 light years from our Sun. 201 00:08:38.570 --> 00:08:41.170 The map includes some of the most famous star 202 00:08:41.170 --> 00:08:43.690 forming regions we know, like the Orion, 203 00:08:43.690 --> 00:08:46.130 Iridan super bubble and the Gum 204 00:08:46.130 --> 00:08:46.730 Nebula. 205 00:08:47.380 --> 00:08:50.260 Anna: What's particularly fascinating is how 206 00:08:50.260 --> 00:08:53.140 this map reveals the dramatic influence of 207 00:08:53.140 --> 00:08:55.700 massive O type stars on their surrounding 208 00:08:55.700 --> 00:08:58.580 environments. These stellar giants are like 209 00:08:58.580 --> 00:09:01.540 cosmic sculptors, creating enormous 210 00:09:01.540 --> 00:09:04.380 cavities in space where gas clouds rupture 211 00:09:04.380 --> 00:09:05.620 and stream outward. 212 00:09:06.100 --> 00:09:08.980 Avery: It's a complex dance of creation and 213 00:09:08.980 --> 00:09:11.900 destruction. While these massive stars can 214 00:09:11.900 --> 00:09:14.540 trigger new star formation by compressing 215 00:09:14.540 --> 00:09:17.540 nearby gas clouds, they're simultaneously 216 00:09:17.540 --> 00:09:19.520 disrupting the galax galactic environment 217 00:09:19.680 --> 00:09:22.640 around them. The map shows us these processes 218 00:09:22.640 --> 00:09:25.480 in unprecedented detail, giving us new 219 00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:28.200 insights into, uh, how stars are born and how 220 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:30.160 they reshape their cosmic neighborhoods. 221 00:09:30.800 --> 00:09:32.720 Anna: This kind of detailed mapping is 222 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:35.320 revolutionizing our understanding of galactic 223 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:37.960 structure and stellar evolution. We're not 224 00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:40.120 just seeing where stars are, but 225 00:09:40.120 --> 00:09:42.240 understanding the dynamic processes that 226 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:44.600 create them and how they influence the 227 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:46.160 broader galactic ecosystem. 228 00:09:47.080 --> 00:09:49.440 Avery: Speaking of revolutionary discoveries, I want 229 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:51.640 to highlight some exciting developments in 230 00:09:51.640 --> 00:09:54.400 exoplanet research. The James Webb 231 00:09:54.400 --> 00:09:56.360 Space Telescope has been delivering 232 00:09:56.360 --> 00:09:58.920 unprecedented insights into atmospheric 233 00:09:58.920 --> 00:10:01.640 compositions of distant worlds. And recent 234 00:10:01.640 --> 00:10:04.480 findings suggest we might be much closer to 235 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:07.240 finding potentially habitable exoplanets than 236 00:10:07.240 --> 00:10:08.360 we previously thought. 237 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:11.640 Anna: What's particularly exciting is Webb's 238 00:10:11.640 --> 00:10:14.320 ability to detect water vapor, carbon 239 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:17.240 dioxide, and other key atmospheric components 240 00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:19.900 in exopl atmospheres. Just last 241 00:10:19.900 --> 00:10:22.220 month, researchers announced the discovery of 242 00:10:22.220 --> 00:10:24.980 water vapor in the atmosphere of a Rocky 243 00:10:24.980 --> 00:10:27.300 planet called K2 18b 244 00:10:27.700 --> 00:10:30.260 located about 120 light years away. 245 00:10:30.900 --> 00:10:33.740 While this planet might be too large to be 246 00:10:33.740 --> 00:10:36.380 truly Earth, like it's showing us what to 247 00:10:36.380 --> 00:10:37.340 look for in our. 248 00:10:37.340 --> 00:10:40.140 Avery: Continued search, the precision of 249 00:10:40.140 --> 00:10:42.460 these atmospheric analyses is truly 250 00:10:42.460 --> 00:10:44.660 remarkable. Hannah uh, we're essentially 251 00:10:44.660 --> 00:10:46.860 doing chemistry experiments on worlds that 252 00:10:46.860 --> 00:10:49.670 are hundreds of light years away. The next 253 00:10:49.670 --> 00:10:51.990 generation of ground based telescopes, like 254 00:10:51.990 --> 00:10:54.750 the Extremely Large Telescope currently under 255 00:10:54.750 --> 00:10:57.110 construction in Chile, will push these 256 00:10:57.110 --> 00:10:59.550 capabilities even further, potentially 257 00:10:59.550 --> 00:11:01.750 allowing us to detect biosignatures in 258 00:11:01.750 --> 00:11:03.190 exoplanet atmospheres. 259 00:11:03.590 --> 00:11:05.710 Anna: I also want to touch on something closer to 260 00:11:05.710 --> 00:11:08.430 home. Our sun's recent activity has been 261 00:11:08.430 --> 00:11:10.950 quite remarkable. We're currently approaching 262 00:11:10.950 --> 00:11:13.830 what's called solar maximum, the peak of the 263 00:11:13.830 --> 00:11:16.620 Sun's 11 year activity cycle. And the 264 00:11:16.620 --> 00:11:19.380 implications for both space exploration and 265 00:11:19.460 --> 00:11:21.300 life on Earth are significant. 266 00:11:22.180 --> 00:11:24.380 Avery: Over the past year, we've seen some of the 267 00:11:24.380 --> 00:11:26.980 strongest solar flares in decades. 268 00:11:27.140 --> 00:11:29.780 And this increased activity is creating both 269 00:11:29.780 --> 00:11:32.420 challenges and opportunities for space 270 00:11:32.420 --> 00:11:35.420 missions. On one hand, the enhanced radiation 271 00:11:35.420 --> 00:11:38.020 environment poses risks for astronauts and 272 00:11:38.020 --> 00:11:40.900 sensitive electronics on spacecraft. On the 273 00:11:40.900 --> 00:11:43.420 other hand, it's providing unprecedented 274 00:11:43.420 --> 00:11:45.780 opportunities to study solar physics and 275 00:11:45.860 --> 00:11:46.660 space weather. 276 00:11:47.280 --> 00:11:49.840 Anna: The practical implications are enormous. 277 00:11:50.160 --> 00:11:52.560 Strong solar storms can disrupt GPS 278 00:11:52.560 --> 00:11:55.280 systems, interfere with radio communications, 279 00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:57.920 and even threaten power grids on Earth. 280 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:00.560 But they also create those spectacular 281 00:12:00.560 --> 00:12:03.039 auroras that have been visible much farther 282 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:05.600 south than usual this year. It's a perfect 283 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:08.560 example of how our nearest star continues 284 00:12:08.560 --> 00:12:11.200 to surprise us and shape our technological 285 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:11.840 civilization. 286 00:12:12.810 --> 00:12:15.050 Avery: Before we move on, I should mention that 287 00:12:15.050 --> 00:12:17.610 NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars 288 00:12:17.930 --> 00:12:20.930 continues to make remarkable discoveries. The 289 00:12:20.930 --> 00:12:23.570 rover has now collected 26 samples from the 290 00:12:23.570 --> 00:12:26.170 Martian surface, including some that show 291 00:12:26.170 --> 00:12:29.050 strong evidence of ancient microbial life. 292 00:12:29.610 --> 00:12:31.650 These samples are waiting for the Mars Sample 293 00:12:31.650 --> 00:12:33.650 Return Mission, which will bring them back to 294 00:12:33.650 --> 00:12:35.850 Earth for detailed analysis in the late 295 00:12:35.850 --> 00:12:36.570 2000s. 296 00:12:37.130 --> 00:12:39.770 Anna: The Mars sample Return Mission is really the 297 00:12:39.770 --> 00:12:42.170 holy grail of planetary science right now. 298 00:12:42.490 --> 00:12:44.790 If those samples do contain obtain evidence 299 00:12:44.790 --> 00:12:47.310 of past life, it would fundamentally change 300 00:12:47.310 --> 00:12:50.230 our understanding of biology and our place in 301 00:12:50.230 --> 00:12:52.910 the universe. And the engineering challenges 302 00:12:52.910 --> 00:12:55.390 of bringing samples back from another planet 303 00:12:55.390 --> 00:12:58.390 are absolutely staggering. It's almost like 304 00:12:58.390 --> 00:13:00.590 a preview of what we'll need to master for 305 00:13:00.590 --> 00:13:02.470 eventual human missions to Mars. 306 00:13:03.270 --> 00:13:06.110 Avery: Before we wrap up, I want to quickly mention 307 00:13:06.110 --> 00:13:08.950 an intriguing study that suggests aliens 308 00:13:08.950 --> 00:13:11.630 could potentially eavesdrop on our spacecraft 309 00:13:11.630 --> 00:13:14.470 communications using the same methods we 310 00:13:14.470 --> 00:13:17.330 use to detect signals from distant probes. 311 00:13:17.730 --> 00:13:20.330 It's a reminder that as we reach out into the 312 00:13:20.330 --> 00:13:22.970 cosmos, we might also be announcing our 313 00:13:22.970 --> 00:13:25.450 presence to any civilizations that might be 314 00:13:25.450 --> 00:13:25.970 listening. 315 00:13:26.770 --> 00:13:29.010 Anna: It really puts our cosmic activities into 316 00:13:29.010 --> 00:13:31.770 perspective. Every signal we send, every 317 00:13:31.770 --> 00:13:34.530 probe we launch could potentially be detected 318 00:13:34.530 --> 00:13:36.930 by advanced civilizations using technology 319 00:13:37.250 --> 00:13:38.370 similar to our own. 320 00:13:39.010 --> 00:13:41.290 Avery: That's all for today's episode of Astronomy 321 00:13:41.290 --> 00:13:44.090 Daily from Anna and me. Avery, thank you for 322 00:13:44.090 --> 00:13:45.850 joining us on this journey through the 323 00:13:45.850 --> 00:13:46.370 cosmos. 324 00:13:46.970 --> 00:13:49.090 Anna: Keep looking up and we'll see you next time 325 00:13:49.090 --> 00:13:51.370 with more news from the universe around us.