WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.640 Avery: Hello, and welcome to Astronomy Daily, the 1 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:05.000 podcast that brings you the universe, one 2 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:07.120 story at a time. I'm Avery. 3 00:00:07.520 --> 00:00:10.020 Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to have you with us. 4 00:00:10.020 --> 00:00:12.820 we've got a fascinating lineup today, from a 5 00:00:12.820 --> 00:00:15.340 mysterious interstellar object, baffling 6 00:00:15.419 --> 00:00:18.220 scientists to the quiet delay of a major 7 00:00:18.220 --> 00:00:19.020 rocket launch. 8 00:00:19.420 --> 00:00:21.660 Avery: Plus, we'll dive into the ongoing debate 9 00:00:21.660 --> 00:00:23.940 about a strange glow at the heart of our 10 00:00:23.940 --> 00:00:26.830 galaxy, tell you how to spot a rare double 11 00:00:26.830 --> 00:00:29.070 comet, and share the best places to find 12 00:00:29.070 --> 00:00:31.910 breathtaking space photography online. Let's 13 00:00:31.910 --> 00:00:32.390 get started. 14 00:00:33.270 --> 00:00:35.720 Anna: First up, a, significant development in the 15 00:00:35.720 --> 00:00:38.560 world of commercial spaceflight. Avery, 16 00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:41.480 it looks like Arianespace is facing a 17 00:00:41.480 --> 00:00:43.680 setback with its new heavy lifter. 18 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:45.750 Avery: That's right, Anna. the first flight of the 19 00:00:45.750 --> 00:00:48.390 powerful 4 booster variant, the Orion 20 00:00:48.390 --> 00:00:51.110 64 has been quietly pushed back to 21 00:00:51.110 --> 00:00:53.920 2026. This was initially slated for 22 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:56.800 late 2025, and it's a pretty big deal 23 00:00:56.800 --> 00:00:59.120 because this rocket is tasked with launching 24 00:00:59.120 --> 00:01:01.720 a significant portion of Amazon's Project 25 00:01:01.720 --> 00:01:03.560 Cooper satellite constellation. 26 00:01:04.200 --> 00:01:07.040 Anna: Project Cooper is Amazon's answer to 27 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:09.760 SpaceX's Starlink, right? A 28 00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:12.040 huge network of Internet satellites in low 29 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:12.840 Earth orbit. 30 00:01:13.080 --> 00:01:15.760 Avery: Exactly. And securing launch providers is one 31 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:17.320 of the biggest hurdles for these mega 32 00:01:17.320 --> 00:01:20.170 constellations. The Orion 6IV is the key 33 00:01:20.170 --> 00:01:22.970 part of Amazon's strategy. The delay wasn't 34 00:01:22.970 --> 00:01:24.930 announced with the big press release. It was 35 00:01:24.930 --> 00:01:27.170 just updated on the Arianespace website, 36 00:01:27.410 --> 00:01:29.650 which suggests they're trying to manage 37 00:01:29.650 --> 00:01:30.450 expectations. 38 00:01:31.170 --> 00:01:33.730 Anna: It really highlights the immense complexity 39 00:01:33.730 --> 00:01:36.730 of developing these new launch vehicles. Even 40 00:01:36.730 --> 00:01:39.410 for established players like Arianespace, 41 00:01:39.650 --> 00:01:41.810 delays are almost part of the process. 42 00:01:42.370 --> 00:01:44.770 It'll be interesting to see how this affects 43 00:01:44.770 --> 00:01:46.930 Amazon's deployment timeline for project 44 00:01:47.010 --> 00:01:47.720 cooperation. 45 00:01:48.030 --> 00:01:50.310 Avery: It certainly will. Amazon has regulatory 46 00:01:50.310 --> 00:01:52.430 deadlines to meet for deploying half of its 47 00:01:52.430 --> 00:01:55.230 constellation by 2026. While they 48 00:01:55.230 --> 00:01:56.990 have launches booked with other providers 49 00:01:56.990 --> 00:01:59.910 like ULA and Blue origin, the Orion 6IV 50 00:01:59.910 --> 00:02:02.430 was a major pillar of their strategy. This 51 00:02:02.430 --> 00:02:04.950 forces them to reshuffle an already complex 52 00:02:04.950 --> 00:02:05.950 launch manifest. 53 00:02:06.590 --> 00:02:09.590 Anna: Absolutely. It's a critical moment. A delay 54 00:02:09.590 --> 00:02:11.550 of even a few months can have significant 55 00:02:11.790 --> 00:02:14.190 ripple effects in this highly competitive 56 00:02:14.190 --> 00:02:16.860 market. They need to demonstrate reliability 57 00:02:16.860 --> 00:02:19.660 and get their flight cadence up to speed to 58 00:02:19.660 --> 00:02:22.660 secure future contracts. We'll definitely be 59 00:02:22.660 --> 00:02:24.620 keeping a close eye on how this develops. 60 00:02:24.860 --> 00:02:27.300 Avery: And what does this mean for Ariane space? The 61 00:02:27.300 --> 00:02:29.940 Ariane 5 was a workhorse for decades, but the 62 00:02:29.940 --> 00:02:32.900 market has changed dramatically. Is this a 63 00:02:32.900 --> 00:02:35.100 critical moment for them? Time will tell. 64 00:02:35.980 --> 00:02:36.420 Alright. 65 00:02:36.420 --> 00:02:38.500 From engineering challenges here in our solar 66 00:02:38.500 --> 00:02:41.140 system to a deep mystery from beyond it, our 67 00:02:41.140 --> 00:02:43.900 next story is an update about an interstellar 68 00:02:43.900 --> 00:02:46.140 object that is breaking all the rules. 69 00:02:46.770 --> 00:02:49.490 It's named 3i ATLS. 70 00:02:50.210 --> 00:02:52.850 Anna: This sounds exciting. What makes it so 71 00:02:52.850 --> 00:02:55.210 unusual? It's not our first interstellar 72 00:02:55.210 --> 00:02:56.130 visitor, is it? 73 00:02:56.690 --> 00:02:59.490 Avery: No, but this one is behaving very strangely. 74 00:02:59.810 --> 00:03:01.970 Spectrometers have detected it emitting a 75 00:03:01.970 --> 00:03:04.730 compound called nickel tetracarbonyl. 76 00:03:04.730 --> 00:03:07.170 For context, this compound has never been 77 00:03:07.170 --> 00:03:09.930 seen occurring in nature before. On Earth, 78 00:03:09.930 --> 00:03:12.890 it's used in industrial processes to refine 79 00:03:12.890 --> 00:03:13.410 nickel. 80 00:03:14.280 --> 00:03:16.600 Anna: Wow. Okay. An industrial 81 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:18.920 chemical in space. That is 82 00:03:19.640 --> 00:03:22.440 bizarre. Is there a natural explanation? 83 00:03:23.240 --> 00:03:25.240 Avery: That's the multi billion dollar question. 84 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:28.520 Scientists are stumped. It gets weirder too. 85 00:03:28.680 --> 00:03:31.360 Unlike a typical comet that ejects M material 86 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:33.320 away from the sun due TO solar wind, 87 00:03:33.640 --> 00:03:36.360 3I ATLAS is ejecting material 88 00:03:36.440 --> 00:03:38.840 towards the sun. It's defying our 89 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:41.080 understanding of cometary physics. 90 00:03:42.420 --> 00:03:45.380 Anna: So it's not behaving like a comet. 91 00:03:45.540 --> 00:03:48.340 And it's venting a compound associated 92 00:03:48.340 --> 00:03:51.060 with industry. I can see why this has 93 00:03:51.060 --> 00:03:53.740 generated some controversial 94 00:03:53.740 --> 00:03:56.300 theories. Are they thinking it could be 95 00:03:56.300 --> 00:03:57.060 artificial? 96 00:03:57.860 --> 00:03:59.900 Avery: Before we get into that, how does this 97 00:03:59.900 --> 00:04:02.540 compare to our other known interstellar 98 00:04:02.540 --> 00:04:05.340 visitors like Oumuamua? That one also sparked 99 00:04:05.340 --> 00:04:07.220 a lot of debate about its origins, didn't it? 100 00:04:07.490 --> 00:04:09.850 Anna: But yes, that's certainly the most 101 00:04:09.850 --> 00:04:12.850 sensational theory being floated. Though 102 00:04:12.850 --> 00:04:15.460 most scientists are, urging caution and 103 00:04:15.460 --> 00:04:18.140 looking for a new unknown natural 104 00:04:18.140 --> 00:04:20.580 phenomenon to explain it. The 105 00:04:20.580 --> 00:04:23.099 frustrating part is that a probe on its way 106 00:04:23.099 --> 00:04:26.020 to Mars just had a close flyby. It 107 00:04:26.020 --> 00:04:28.180 could have captured high resolution images 108 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:29.780 that might solve the puzzle. 109 00:04:30.180 --> 00:04:32.340 Avery: It did, but in a different way. 110 00:04:32.500 --> 00:04:35.460 Oumuamua was strange because it was a highly 111 00:04:35.460 --> 00:04:38.300 elongated rocky object that showed slight 112 00:04:38.300 --> 00:04:40.960 non gravit acceleration without any 113 00:04:40.960 --> 00:04:43.720 visible outgassing. Like a comet. 3 I 114 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:46.120 ATLs is different. It is 115 00:04:46.120 --> 00:04:48.320 outgassing, but it's ejecting bizarre 116 00:04:48.320 --> 00:04:50.480 materials in a way that seems to defy 117 00:04:50.480 --> 00:04:53.480 physics. Oumuamua was mysterious for what 118 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:56.120 it didn't do, while ATLs is 119 00:04:56.120 --> 00:04:59.000 mysterious for what it is doing. So you 120 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:01.960 mentioned a flyby. Perfect. Does that mean 121 00:05:01.960 --> 00:05:03.120 we'll have answers soon? 122 00:05:03.440 --> 00:05:06.050 Anna: Well, about that. The data 123 00:05:06.130 --> 00:05:09.090 is currently unavailable. The transmission 124 00:05:09.090 --> 00:05:11.410 was halted due to a government shutdown 125 00:05:11.410 --> 00:05:14.330 affecting the Deep Space Network. So 126 00:05:14.330 --> 00:05:17.090 for now, one of the biggest mysteries in 127 00:05:17.090 --> 00:05:19.930 modern astronomy is on hold. Because of 128 00:05:19.930 --> 00:05:22.770 bureaucracy, you can't make the stuff up. 129 00:05:22.850 --> 00:05:25.490 Avery: An interstellar mystery. Potentially 130 00:05:25.490 --> 00:05:28.250 groundbreaking data. And it's all stuck in 131 00:05:28.250 --> 00:05:30.690 cosmic limbo. Incredible. 132 00:05:31.470 --> 00:05:33.950 Speaking of cosmic mysteries, let's bring our 133 00:05:33.950 --> 00:05:36.750 focus closer to home. To the very heart 134 00:05:36.750 --> 00:05:39.630 of our own Milky Way galaxy. For 135 00:05:39.630 --> 00:05:41.990 years, astronomers have been debating the 136 00:05:41.990 --> 00:05:44.350 source of a puzzling gamma ray glow 137 00:05:44.670 --> 00:05:46.750 emanating from the galactic center. 138 00:05:47.230 --> 00:05:50.070 Anna: Right. The gamma Ray excess. I 139 00:05:50.070 --> 00:05:52.590 remember the two leading theories were pretty 140 00:05:52.590 --> 00:05:53.630 different from each other. 141 00:05:54.110 --> 00:05:56.550 Avery: Very different. On one side, you have a 142 00:05:56.550 --> 00:05:59.170 relatively conventional explanation. The 143 00:05:59.170 --> 00:06:01.970 glow is the combined light of thousands of 144 00:06:01.970 --> 00:06:04.770 undiscovered pulsars. Super dense 145 00:06:04.770 --> 00:06:07.460 spinning stellar remnants. On the other, a, 146 00:06:07.410 --> 00:06:10.120 much more exotic theory. The glow 147 00:06:10.120 --> 00:06:13.080 is caused by the annihilation of dark matter 148 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:15.080 particles, which would be. 149 00:06:15.080 --> 00:06:17.320 Anna: The first direct evidence of dark matter 150 00:06:17.480 --> 00:06:20.440 interacting in a way we can detect. A 151 00:06:20.440 --> 00:06:23.280 monumental discovery. So where 152 00:06:23.280 --> 00:06:24.840 does the debate stand now? 153 00:06:25.130 --> 00:06:27.010 Avery: Well, the case for dark matter just got a 154 00:06:27.010 --> 00:06:29.610 boost. New computer simulations have shown 155 00:06:29.610 --> 00:06:32.170 that dark matter could be distributed in the 156 00:06:32.170 --> 00:06:34.810 galaxy in a clumpy, irregular way. 157 00:06:35.130 --> 00:06:37.530 And it turns out this clumpy distribution 158 00:06:37.610 --> 00:06:39.730 would produce a gamma ray signal that 159 00:06:39.730 --> 00:06:42.170 perfectly matches the shape of the observed 160 00:06:42.170 --> 00:06:42.650 glow. 161 00:06:42.890 --> 00:06:45.730 Anna: That's fascinating. For listeners who 162 00:06:45.730 --> 00:06:48.330 might not be familiar, could you briefly 163 00:06:48.330 --> 00:06:50.890 explain what it means for dark matter 164 00:06:51.050 --> 00:06:53.650 to annihilate? It sounds quite 165 00:06:53.650 --> 00:06:54.170 dramatic. 166 00:06:54.580 --> 00:06:57.260 Avery: It does. The leading theory is that dark 167 00:06:57.260 --> 00:06:59.700 matter is made of particles that are their 168 00:06:59.700 --> 00:07:02.700 own antiparticles. So when two of 169 00:07:02.700 --> 00:07:04.780 these particles meet, they annihilate each 170 00:07:04.780 --> 00:07:07.540 other, converting their mass directly into 171 00:07:07.540 --> 00:07:10.100 energy in the form of other particles, 172 00:07:10.340 --> 00:07:12.740 including high energy gamma rays. 173 00:07:13.140 --> 00:07:16.020 The clumpy distribution means more of these 174 00:07:16.020 --> 00:07:18.180 collisions would happen in specific areas, 175 00:07:18.660 --> 00:07:21.300 creating a signal that matches what we see. 176 00:07:21.970 --> 00:07:24.330 Anna: So it puts the dark matter theory back on 177 00:07:24.330 --> 00:07:26.450 equal footing with the pulsar theory. 178 00:07:26.770 --> 00:07:29.450 Avery: Exactly. It doesn't prove it, but it 179 00:07:29.450 --> 00:07:31.970 shows it's just as plausible. The 180 00:07:31.970 --> 00:07:34.690 simulation removes a major objection to the 181 00:07:34.690 --> 00:07:37.570 dark matter hypothesis. Ultimately, the 182 00:07:37.570 --> 00:07:39.850 deadlock might only be broken by the next 183 00:07:39.850 --> 00:07:42.490 generation of gamma ray telescopes, which 184 00:07:42.490 --> 00:07:44.970 could have the resolution to either spot the 185 00:07:44.970 --> 00:07:47.850 individual pulsars or rule them out for 186 00:07:47.850 --> 00:07:48.130 good. 187 00:07:48.450 --> 00:07:51.170 Anna: It's a fantastic example of how theory 188 00:07:51.170 --> 00:07:53.250 and observation work together. 189 00:07:53.810 --> 00:07:55.890 Until we finally get an answer. 190 00:07:56.610 --> 00:07:59.170 From the invisible glow of gamma rays 191 00:07:59.410 --> 00:08:02.050 to something you can actually see in the 192 00:08:02.050 --> 00:08:04.610 night sky, we have some good news. For 193 00:08:04.610 --> 00:08:07.250 stargazers, this week offers a 194 00:08:07.250 --> 00:08:10.010 rare opportunity to see two comets 195 00:08:10.010 --> 00:08:10.610 at once. 196 00:08:11.170 --> 00:08:13.070 Avery: A, double header. That's not something you 197 00:08:13.070 --> 00:08:15.180 see every day. which comets are we talking 198 00:08:15.180 --> 00:08:15.420 about? 199 00:08:15.700 --> 00:08:18.500 Anna: They're named Comet LEMMON and Comet 200 00:08:18.500 --> 00:08:21.300 Swan. On October 20, they will 201 00:08:21.300 --> 00:08:23.700 both be making their closest approach to 202 00:08:23.700 --> 00:08:26.340 Earth, making it the best time to view them. 203 00:08:26.820 --> 00:08:28.940 They should be visible with a good pair of 204 00:08:28.940 --> 00:08:31.819 binoculars or a small telescope away from 205 00:08:31.819 --> 00:08:32.580 city lights. 206 00:08:32.660 --> 00:08:34.820 Avery: And for those who might be clouded out or 207 00:08:34.820 --> 00:08:36.580 don't have the equipment, is there a way to 208 00:08:36.580 --> 00:08:37.140 join in? 209 00:08:37.620 --> 00:08:40.060 Anna: There is. Several astronomy 210 00:08:40.060 --> 00:08:42.580 organizations are hosting a live online 211 00:08:42.740 --> 00:08:45.100 stream of the event, with telescopes from 212 00:08:45.100 --> 00:08:47.340 different parts of the world providing views 213 00:08:47.340 --> 00:08:49.960 and commentary from astronomers. It's a 214 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:52.520 wonderful way to experience the event no 215 00:08:52.520 --> 00:08:53.440 matter where you are. 216 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:56.960 Avery: That's fantastic. It's a great reminder of 217 00:08:56.960 --> 00:08:59.280 the dynamic, ever changing nature of our 218 00:08:59.280 --> 00:09:02.160 solar system. These icy visitors are making 219 00:09:02.160 --> 00:09:05.040 a fleeting pass and we get to witness it. 220 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:07.400 We'll be sure to put a link to the livestream 221 00:09:07.400 --> 00:09:09.920 in our show. Notes Seeing events like that 222 00:09:09.920 --> 00:09:12.840 double Comet flyby often gets people inspired 223 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:14.400 by the beauty of the cosmos. 224 00:09:15.020 --> 00:09:17.500 Which brings us to our final story. Where to 225 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:19.900 find the Best Space Photography Online 226 00:09:20.540 --> 00:09:22.860 the images we get from our telescopes and 227 00:09:22.860 --> 00:09:24.670 probes are just awe, inspiring. 228 00:09:25.310 --> 00:09:28.230 Anna: They really are. And there are some fantastic 229 00:09:28.230 --> 00:09:30.910 resources out there. For the highest quality, 230 00:09:30.910 --> 00:09:33.390 scientifically significant images, the 231 00:09:33.390 --> 00:09:35.990 official agency websites are the best place 232 00:09:35.990 --> 00:09:38.790 to start. NASA's image of the day, the 233 00:09:38.790 --> 00:09:41.430 European Space Agency's gallery and the 234 00:09:41.430 --> 00:09:44.030 European Southern Observatory's archives are 235 00:09:44.030 --> 00:09:44.990 treasure troves. 236 00:09:45.590 --> 00:09:48.510 Avery: Absolutely. The Hubble and James Webb Space 237 00:09:48.510 --> 00:09:51.190 Telescope galleries in particular have images 238 00:09:51.190 --> 00:09:53.590 that will just change your perspective on the 239 00:09:53.590 --> 00:09:56.070 universe. But it's not just the big 240 00:09:56.070 --> 00:09:58.670 agencies. There's a thriving community of 241 00:09:58.670 --> 00:10:01.630 amateur astrophotographers who do incredible 242 00:10:01.630 --> 00:10:01.990 work. 243 00:10:02.470 --> 00:10:05.070 Anna: That's so true. Where can listeners find 244 00:10:05.070 --> 00:10:05.510 their work? 245 00:10:05.990 --> 00:10:08.950 Avery: Online communities are the best bet. Reddit's 246 00:10:08.950 --> 00:10:11.670 r Astrophotography subreddit is 247 00:10:11.670 --> 00:10:14.180 amazing. You'll see stunning images of 248 00:10:14.180 --> 00:10:16.820 galaxies and nebulae taken from people's 249 00:10:16.820 --> 00:10:19.220 backyards. Another great site is 250 00:10:19.220 --> 00:10:21.380 AstroDailyPod Bin, which is a, dedicated 251 00:10:21.380 --> 00:10:23.700 hosting platform for astrophotography where 252 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:26.340 people share details about their equipment 253 00:10:26.340 --> 00:10:28.820 and techniques. And it's not just about 254 00:10:28.820 --> 00:10:31.060 appreciating the beauty. Many of these 255 00:10:31.060 --> 00:10:33.420 platforms connect to real scientific work. 256 00:10:33.500 --> 00:10:35.660 There are citizen science projects like 257 00:10:35.660 --> 00:10:37.820 Galaxy Zoo, where the public can help 258 00:10:37.900 --> 00:10:40.540 astronomers classify the shapes of distant 259 00:10:40.540 --> 00:10:43.410 galaxies from telescope images. It's a way 260 00:10:43.410 --> 00:10:45.650 for anyone to contribute directly to our 261 00:10:45.650 --> 00:10:47.010 understanding of the universe. 262 00:10:47.410 --> 00:10:50.290 Anna: That's amazing. So you can go from being 263 00:10:50.290 --> 00:10:53.130 an admirer to a contributor. It's a 264 00:10:53.130 --> 00:10:55.810 wonderful way to see what's possible. And 265 00:10:55.810 --> 00:10:57.810 since we're talking about online communities, 266 00:10:57.970 --> 00:11:00.450 it's a good time to mention a quick tip for 267 00:11:00.450 --> 00:11:02.850 online safety. When you're browsing these 268 00:11:02.850 --> 00:11:05.330 sites, it's always smart to be mindful of the 269 00:11:05.330 --> 00:11:07.650 information you share and to stick to well 270 00:11:07.650 --> 00:11:09.250 known, reputable platforms. 271 00:11:10.130 --> 00:11:12.610 Avery: An excellent point, but with that in mind, 272 00:11:12.690 --> 00:11:14.810 diving into these galleries is one of the 273 00:11:14.810 --> 00:11:17.330 best ways to feel connected to the cosmos. 274 00:11:17.970 --> 00:11:20.170 Anna: And that brings us to the end of today's 275 00:11:20.170 --> 00:11:22.850 episode of Astronomy Daily. From launch 276 00:11:22.850 --> 00:11:25.609 delays and mysterious visitors to galactic 277 00:11:25.609 --> 00:11:28.370 glows and cosmic photography, the universe 278 00:11:28.370 --> 00:11:30.210 never fails to keep us on our toes. 279 00:11:30.770 --> 00:11:32.810 Avery: Thanks so much for tuning in. We hope you'll 280 00:11:32.810 --> 00:11:35.130 join us again tomorrow as we continue to 281 00:11:35.130 --> 00:11:38.090 explore the final frontier. Until then, keep 282 00:11:38.090 --> 00:11:38.730 looking up.