WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.040 Avery: Welcome back to Astronomy Daily, the podcast 1 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:05.880 that brings the cosmos down to Earth. I'm 2 00:00:05.880 --> 00:00:06.880 your host, Avery. 3 00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:09.360 Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to be with you. 4 00:00:09.600 --> 00:00:12.320 We've got a packed show today, Avery. We'll 5 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:14.920 be looking at a dazzling cosmic light show on 6 00:00:14.920 --> 00:00:17.760 a rogue planet. Celebrating a decade 7 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:20.080 of discovery for India's first space 8 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:22.960 observatory. Checking out some new plasma 9 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:25.360 engines that could get us to Mars in record 10 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:28.400 time. And finally, we'll tell you how you 11 00:00:28.400 --> 00:00:31.360 can join a massive global event to celebrate 12 00:00:31.360 --> 00:00:32.700 our very own moon. 13 00:00:33.180 --> 00:00:35.860 Avery: That's a lot to cover, so let's get right to 14 00:00:35.860 --> 00:00:36.140 it. 15 00:00:36.540 --> 00:00:39.300 First up, a truly fascinating discovery from 16 00:00:39.300 --> 00:00:42.140 the James Webb Space Telescope. It seems 17 00:00:42.140 --> 00:00:44.940 it's spotted an unusual weather forecast 18 00:00:45.100 --> 00:00:47.420 on a world far beyond our solar system, 19 00:00:47.500 --> 00:00:50.300 complete with brilliant aurora like displays. 20 00:00:50.700 --> 00:00:53.580 Anna: That's right. Astronomers at, uh, Trinity 21 00:00:53.580 --> 00:00:56.020 College Dublin have been investigating the 22 00:00:56.020 --> 00:00:58.860 atmosphere of a nearby free floating 23 00:00:58.940 --> 00:01:01.900 planet, also known as a rogue planet. 24 00:01:02.140 --> 00:01:04.200 This one is called Simp Webb 25 00:01:04.280 --> 00:01:07.200 0136. For our listeners, 26 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:10.120 a rogue planet is one that doesn't orbit a 27 00:01:10.120 --> 00:01:12.880 star. It just drifts through interstellar 28 00:01:12.880 --> 00:01:14.040 space on its own. 29 00:01:14.680 --> 00:01:16.960 Avery: And using Webb's incredibly sensitive 30 00:01:16.960 --> 00:01:19.280 instruments, the research team was able to 31 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:22.120 measure tiny variations in the planet's 32 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:24.720 brightness as it spins. These subtle 33 00:01:24.720 --> 00:01:26.600 shifts gave them a wealth of information 34 00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:29.320 about its temperature, cloud cover and 35 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:32.040 chemical makeup. But the really unexpected 36 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:35.000 part was the discovery of intense auroral. 37 00:01:35.960 --> 00:01:38.600 Anna: And what's so strange about that is how these 38 00:01:38.600 --> 00:01:41.240 auroras are generated. Here on Earth, 39 00:01:41.240 --> 00:01:44.240 auroras are powered by the solar wind, but 40 00:01:44.240 --> 00:01:46.600 a rogue planet has no star, 41 00:01:47.160 --> 00:01:49.560 so the energy must be coming from somewhere 42 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:52.520 else. Scientists speculate it could be 43 00:01:52.520 --> 00:01:55.320 generated by an unseen moon orbiting the 44 00:01:55.320 --> 00:01:57.960 plant, whose gravity stirs up electrical 45 00:01:57.960 --> 00:02:00.840 currents. It's a real cosmic mystery. 46 00:02:01.650 --> 00:02:04.570 It's an amazing find. These shimmering light 47 00:02:04.570 --> 00:02:07.250 shows are similar to our own northern lights, 48 00:02:07.330 --> 00:02:09.810 but probably closer in strength to the 49 00:02:09.810 --> 00:02:12.770 massive auroras we see on Jupiter. And they 50 00:02:12.770 --> 00:02:15.410 seem to be playing a significant role in 51 00:02:15.410 --> 00:02:17.810 heating the planet's upper atmosphere. 52 00:02:18.210 --> 00:02:20.890 The lead author of the research, Dr. Evert 53 00:02:20.890 --> 00:02:23.490 Nosydkin, highlighted just how 54 00:02:23.490 --> 00:02:25.010 precise these measurements were. 55 00:02:25.810 --> 00:02:28.130 Avery: He said these are some of the most precise 56 00:02:28.130 --> 00:02:31.010 atmospheric measurements of any extrasolar 57 00:02:31.010 --> 00:02:33.750 object to date. And he made a pretty 58 00:02:33.750 --> 00:02:36.190 striking comparison, Saying at over 59 00:02:36.270 --> 00:02:38.510 1500 degrees Celsius, 60 00:02:38.670 --> 00:02:41.630 Simp136 makes this summer's heat wave 61 00:02:41.630 --> 00:02:44.350 look mild. The team could record temperature 62 00:02:44.350 --> 00:02:46.990 changes smaller than 5 degrees Celsius. 63 00:02:47.230 --> 00:02:49.670 Anna: And those temperature changes were linked to 64 00:02:49.670 --> 00:02:52.190 shifts in the planet's chemical composition, 65 00:02:52.430 --> 00:02:55.070 which suggests the presence of huge storms 66 00:02:55.310 --> 00:02:57.630 similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot, 67 00:02:57.950 --> 00:03:00.190 rotating into and out of view 68 00:03:00.820 --> 00:03:03.500 but there was another surprise. Researchers 69 00:03:03.500 --> 00:03:06.100 expected to see the cloud coverage change, 70 00:03:06.340 --> 00:03:08.700 like watching patches of clouds pass by here 71 00:03:08.700 --> 00:03:09.220 on Earth. 72 00:03:09.700 --> 00:03:11.860 Avery: Instead, they found that the cloud coverage 73 00:03:11.860 --> 00:03:14.500 was constant. And these aren't your typical 74 00:03:14.500 --> 00:03:17.420 water ice clouds. At the extreme temperatures 75 00:03:17.420 --> 00:03:20.420 on Simp136, the clouds are made of 76 00:03:20.420 --> 00:03:23.220 silicate grains. Basically, it has 77 00:03:23.220 --> 00:03:25.980 clouds of sand. So you've got a rogue 78 00:03:25.980 --> 00:03:28.590 planet with auroras, sand, 79 00:03:28.590 --> 00:03:31.190 clouds, and storms bigger than anything on 80 00:03:31.190 --> 00:03:33.270 Earth. The universe is a wild place. 81 00:03:33.510 --> 00:03:34.550 Anna: It certainly is. 82 00:03:35.030 --> 00:03:37.230 And speaking of incredible instruments 83 00:03:37.230 --> 00:03:39.670 peering into the universe, our next story 84 00:03:39.750 --> 00:03:41.950 celebrates a major milestone for an 85 00:03:41.950 --> 00:03:44.630 observatory that has been doing just that for 86 00:03:44.630 --> 00:03:47.350 a full decade. India's first 87 00:03:47.350 --> 00:03:50.070 dedicated space astronomy observatory, 88 00:03:50.310 --> 00:03:53.070 Astrosat, has just completed 10 89 00:03:53.070 --> 00:03:54.150 years of operations. 90 00:03:55.010 --> 00:03:56.890 Avery: That's a huge achievement. It was launched 91 00:03:56.890 --> 00:03:59.170 back on September 28, 2015, 92 00:03:59.570 --> 00:04:02.450 with a designed mission life of just five 93 00:04:02.450 --> 00:04:05.010 years. So it's doubled its expected 94 00:04:05.170 --> 00:04:07.690 service time and is still providing valuable 95 00:04:07.690 --> 00:04:10.369 data. That's a testament to some fantastic 96 00:04:10.369 --> 00:04:11.010 engineering. 97 00:04:11.250 --> 00:04:13.890 Anna: Absolutely. The Indian Space Research 98 00:04:13.970 --> 00:04:16.850 Organization, or isro, commemorated the 99 00:04:16.850 --> 00:04:19.370 milestone, highlighting astrosat's 100 00:04:19.370 --> 00:04:21.290 groundbreaking insights across the 101 00:04:21.290 --> 00:04:24.010 electromagnetic spectrum. It has studied 102 00:04:24.010 --> 00:04:26.360 everything from black holes and neutron stars 103 00:04:26.510 --> 00:04:28.790 stars to our nearest stellar neighbor, 104 00:04:28.790 --> 00:04:29.950 Proxima Centauri. 105 00:04:30.270 --> 00:04:32.590 Avery: And it even made the first ever detection of 106 00:04:32.590 --> 00:04:35.510 far ultraviolet photons from galaxies an 107 00:04:35.510 --> 00:04:38.270 incredible 9.3 billion light years 108 00:04:38.270 --> 00:04:41.230 away. That's a huge distance looking deep 109 00:04:41.230 --> 00:04:42.830 into the history of the universe. 110 00:04:43.470 --> 00:04:46.190 Anna: What makes ASTROSAT so powerful is its 111 00:04:46.190 --> 00:04:49.190 multi wavelength capability. It was designed 112 00:04:49.190 --> 00:04:51.830 to observe the universe simultaneously in the 113 00:04:51.830 --> 00:04:54.620 visible, ultraviolet and both low 114 00:04:54.620 --> 00:04:57.620 and high energy X ray regions. This is 115 00:04:57.620 --> 00:05:00.020 possible because it carries five distinct 116 00:05:00.020 --> 00:05:01.340 scientific payloads. 117 00:05:01.660 --> 00:05:03.900 Avery: Those are the Ultraviolet Imaging 118 00:05:03.900 --> 00:05:06.540 Telescope, the Large area X ray 119 00:05:06.540 --> 00:05:09.540 proportional counter, the cadmium zinc 120 00:05:09.540 --> 00:05:12.260 telluride Imager, the Soft X Ray 121 00:05:12.260 --> 00:05:15.100 Telescope, and the Scanning Sky Monitor. 122 00:05:15.340 --> 00:05:17.220 Each one gives a different view of the 123 00:05:17.220 --> 00:05:20.060 cosmos. Congratulations to ISRO and the whole 124 00:05:20.060 --> 00:05:22.380 ASTROSAT team on a successful decade. 125 00:05:22.890 --> 00:05:25.610 Anna: Well said. Now, from looking deep into space 126 00:05:25.690 --> 00:05:28.330 to developing new ways to travel through it. 127 00:05:28.490 --> 00:05:30.770 Our next story comes from Russia, where 128 00:05:30.770 --> 00:05:33.530 engineers have showcased new plasma engines 129 00:05:33.770 --> 00:05:36.010 designed for deep space exploration. 130 00:05:36.490 --> 00:05:38.330 Avery: That's right. Russia's Kaldish Research 131 00:05:38.330 --> 00:05:40.250 center demonstrated the new engine at the 132 00:05:40.250 --> 00:05:43.210 Army 2025 International Military Technical 133 00:05:43.210 --> 00:05:45.850 Forum. This isn't like a traditional chemical 134 00:05:45.850 --> 00:05:48.570 rocket. It's a type of ion thruster known as 135 00:05:48.570 --> 00:05:50.330 a Hall Effect thruster. 136 00:05:50.900 --> 00:05:53.860 Anna: Exactly. Instead of using heat and pressure 137 00:05:53.860 --> 00:05:56.180 from burning fuel, a Hall Effect 138 00:05:56.260 --> 00:05:58.780 thruster uses an electric field to 139 00:05:58.780 --> 00:06:01.540 accelerate a propellant. In this case, a 140 00:06:01.540 --> 00:06:04.300 plasma. The new design is an improvement on 141 00:06:04.300 --> 00:06:07.220 an existing thruster, but it uses a system of 142 00:06:07.220 --> 00:06:09.540 permanent magnets to apply the magnetic 143 00:06:09.540 --> 00:06:09.860 field. 144 00:06:10.180 --> 00:06:12.380 Avery: According to reports, this significantly 145 00:06:12.380 --> 00:06:14.140 improves the engine's characteristics, 146 00:06:14.140 --> 00:06:16.860 including its efficiency, and also reduces 147 00:06:16.860 --> 00:06:19.580 its weight. And less weight is always a huge 148 00:06:19.580 --> 00:06:20.580 win in spaceflight. 149 00:06:21.070 --> 00:06:23.350 Anna: These plasma engines are perfect for 150 00:06:23.350 --> 00:06:25.710 maneuvering in orbit and for long 151 00:06:25.710 --> 00:06:28.510 interplanetary flights. They're characterized 152 00:06:28.510 --> 00:06:31.270 by very low thrust, so you're not getting a 153 00:06:31.270 --> 00:06:33.790 dramatic, powerful launch. But they can 154 00:06:33.790 --> 00:06:36.589 operate for a very long time, allowing a 155 00:06:36.589 --> 00:06:39.030 spacecraft to gradually build up to 156 00:06:39.030 --> 00:06:40.750 incredibly high velocities. 157 00:06:40.990 --> 00:06:42.950 Avery: It's the tortoise and the hare of space 158 00:06:42.950 --> 00:06:45.430 travel. And Anna, uh, this is the really mind 159 00:06:45.430 --> 00:06:47.940 blowing claim. Last year, the director of the 160 00:06:47.940 --> 00:06:50.780 Keldish Center, Vladimir Koshlikov, said 161 00:06:50.780 --> 00:06:53.180 that plasma engines will make it possible to 162 00:06:53.180 --> 00:06:55.700 fly to Mars in just a month and a half. 163 00:06:56.020 --> 00:06:58.100 Anna: That would be a complete game changer. 164 00:06:58.180 --> 00:07:00.540 Current missions take six to nine months to 165 00:07:00.540 --> 00:07:03.100 get to Mars. Reducing that travel time so 166 00:07:03.100 --> 00:07:05.700 dramatically would solve so many problems, 167 00:07:05.780 --> 00:07:08.580 from astronaut radiation exposure to mission 168 00:07:08.580 --> 00:07:11.060 logistics. It's a very exciting development 169 00:07:11.060 --> 00:07:12.580 to watch indeed. 170 00:07:12.580 --> 00:07:14.780 Avery: And from those future trips to Mars, let's 171 00:07:14.780 --> 00:07:16.540 bring it back a little closer to home. 172 00:07:16.540 --> 00:07:19.360 For our final story, we're talking about our 173 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:22.240 very own Moon. And an invitation for all of 174 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.400 our listeners to join a global celebration. 175 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:27.640 Anna: That's right. This Saturday, October 4, is 176 00:07:27.640 --> 00:07:30.640 NASA's international observe the Moon Night. 177 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:33.000 It's an annual event that offers everyone a 178 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:35.160 chance to celebrate the inspiring bond 179 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:37.280 between the Earth and the Moon. And this 180 00:07:37.280 --> 00:07:39.240 year, it ties in beautifully with the 181 00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:41.840 excitement building for NASA's Artemis 2 182 00:07:41.840 --> 00:07:42.240 mission. 183 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:44.960 Avery: Artemis 2 is scheduled to launch in early 184 00:07:44.960 --> 00:07:47.840 2026, and it will send four astronauts 185 00:07:47.840 --> 00:07:50.540 on a flight past the Moon and back. First 186 00:07:50.540 --> 00:07:53.100 crewed mission to the lunar vicinity in over 187 00:07:53.100 --> 00:07:56.100 50 years. So this Saturday is a great time to 188 00:07:56.100 --> 00:07:58.220 get reacquainted with our celestial neighbor. 189 00:07:58.540 --> 00:08:00.740 Anna: On Saturday night, the Moon will be in a 190 00:08:00.740 --> 00:08:03.420 waxing gibbous phase, which means most of its 191 00:08:03.420 --> 00:08:05.940 face will be lit up by the Sun. It's a 192 00:08:05.940 --> 00:08:08.020 perfect phase for viewing. With just your 193 00:08:08.020 --> 00:08:10.460 unaided eye, you'll be able to see the large, 194 00:08:10.540 --> 00:08:12.980 dark patches on the Moon. These are called 195 00:08:12.980 --> 00:08:15.180 maria, which is Latin for seas. 196 00:08:15.580 --> 00:08:17.980 Ancient astronomers thought they were seas of 197 00:08:17.980 --> 00:08:20.900 water, but we now know they are vast, flat 198 00:08:20.900 --> 00:08:23.760 plains of solidified ancient lava that 199 00:08:23.760 --> 00:08:26.400 erupted billions of years ago. If you have 200 00:08:26.400 --> 00:08:29.280 binoculars or a telescope, you can see even 201 00:08:29.280 --> 00:08:31.680 more geological features, like craters, 202 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:34.640 volcanic domes, and even bright swirls on 203 00:08:34.640 --> 00:08:37.640 the surface. NASA has even provided an 204 00:08:37.640 --> 00:08:40.600 interactive map on their website specifically 205 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:42.920 for the moon's phase on October 4, 206 00:08:43.400 --> 00:08:46.120 highlighting interesting areas and offering 207 00:08:46.120 --> 00:08:49.080 viewing tips. There are so many ways to 208 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:51.800 participate, from backyard viewing parties 209 00:08:51.800 --> 00:08:52.880 to lunar art. 210 00:08:52.880 --> 00:08:55.820 Avery: Projects, uh, truly global event. In 211 00:08:55.820 --> 00:08:58.740 2024, an estimated 1.3 million 212 00:08:58.820 --> 00:09:01.700 people from 127 countries took 213 00:09:01.700 --> 00:09:04.340 part. So if you look up at the moon on 214 00:09:04.340 --> 00:09:06.660 Saturday night, know that millions of people 215 00:09:06.740 --> 00:09:09.140 around the world are looking up with you. 216 00:09:09.540 --> 00:09:11.380 I'll put a link in the show notes so you can 217 00:09:11.380 --> 00:09:13.940 find out more and sign up if you wish to take 218 00:09:13.940 --> 00:09:15.300 part in this global celebration. 219 00:09:15.540 --> 00:09:17.940 Anna: And that brings us to the end of our show. 220 00:09:18.340 --> 00:09:21.260 We've journeyed from a rogue planet with sand 221 00:09:21.260 --> 00:09:23.940 clouds to celebrating a decade of 222 00:09:23.940 --> 00:09:26.860 astrosat. From futuristic plasma 223 00:09:26.860 --> 00:09:29.620 engines to a worldwide party for our 224 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:30.380 own moon. 225 00:09:30.940 --> 00:09:33.180 Avery: Thanks so much for joining us on Astronomy 226 00:09:33.180 --> 00:09:35.900 Daily. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get 227 00:09:35.900 --> 00:09:38.220 your podcasts so you never miss an episode. 228 00:09:38.540 --> 00:09:40.780 You can also find us on social media to 229 00:09:40.780 --> 00:09:43.300 continue the conversation. Just search for 230 00:09:43.300 --> 00:09:45.260 AstroDailyPod Daily Pod on all the main 231 00:09:45.260 --> 00:09:45.820 platforms. 232 00:09:46.220 --> 00:09:49.180 Anna: Until next time, keep looking up. I'm 233 00:09:49.180 --> 00:09:49.740 Anna. 234 00:09:50.140 --> 00:09:52.060 Avery: And I'm Avery Clear Skies.