WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.000 Avery: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, the podcast that 1 00:00:03.000 --> 00:00:05.760 brings you the universe one story at a time. 2 00:00:05.920 --> 00:00:06.880 I'm Avery. 3 00:00:06.880 --> 00:00:09.520 Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to have you with us 4 00:00:09.920 --> 00:00:12.920 today. We've got a packed episode. We'll be 5 00:00:12.920 --> 00:00:15.440 looking at how giant stars might be spreading 6 00:00:15.440 --> 00:00:17.640 life's building blocks in a way we never 7 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:18.000 expected. 8 00:00:18.560 --> 00:00:21.040 Avery: We'll also dive into the mysterious origins 9 00:00:21.040 --> 00:00:23.640 of hot Jupiters, check out some newly 10 00:00:23.640 --> 00:00:26.000 discovered caves on Mars that could be hiding 11 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:28.640 signs of life, and take a breathtaking tour 12 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:31.120 of the cosmos, courtesy of the James Webb 13 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:31.910 Space Telescop. 14 00:00:32.620 --> 00:00:34.940 Anna: Plus a roundup of rocket launches this week, 15 00:00:34.940 --> 00:00:37.300 and a significant step forward for Iran's 16 00:00:37.300 --> 00:00:37.980 space program. 17 00:00:38.380 --> 00:00:40.300 So let's get started with our first story, 18 00:00:40.380 --> 00:00:42.700 which could rewrite our understanding of how 19 00:00:42.700 --> 00:00:44.380 stars seed the cosmos. 20 00:00:44.860 --> 00:00:46.780 Avery: I'm intrigued. What's the latest? 21 00:00:47.340 --> 00:00:49.620 Anna: Well, for a long time, astronomers believed 22 00:00:49.620 --> 00:00:51.940 that the winds from red giant stars were 23 00:00:51.940 --> 00:00:54.620 driven by a simple mechanism. The pressure of 24 00:00:54.620 --> 00:00:57.100 starlight pushing on tiny grains of dust. 25 00:00:57.750 --> 00:00:59.670 Avery: Right. Like a solar sail. But on a 26 00:00:59.670 --> 00:01:02.230 microscopic scale. This process was thought 27 00:01:02.230 --> 00:01:04.110 to be responsible for spreading heavy 28 00:01:04.110 --> 00:01:06.150 elements, like the carbon in our bodies 29 00:01:06.150 --> 00:01:07.430 across the galaxy. 30 00:01:07.830 --> 00:01:10.430 Anna: Exactly. But a, uh, new study focusing on the 31 00:01:10.430 --> 00:01:13.230 red giant star R Doradus is challenging 32 00:01:13.230 --> 00:01:15.710 that entire idea. After careful 33 00:01:15.710 --> 00:01:18.270 observation, researchers found that the dust 34 00:01:18.270 --> 00:01:20.750 grains forming around this star are simply 35 00:01:20.750 --> 00:01:21.430 too small. 36 00:01:22.150 --> 00:01:24.950 Avery: Too small. So the push from the star's 37 00:01:24.950 --> 00:01:26.870 light isn't strong enough to drive the 38 00:01:26.870 --> 00:01:28.470 stellar wind out into space. 39 00:01:29.240 --> 00:01:31.880 Anna: Precisely. The physics just doesn't add up. 40 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:34.800 This suggests other more powerful forces must 41 00:01:34.800 --> 00:01:37.320 be at play. The study points to possibilities 42 00:01:37.320 --> 00:01:40.040 like giant convective bubbles, similar to 43 00:01:40.040 --> 00:01:43.000 water boiling in a pot, or powerful stellar 44 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:45.400 pulsations that physically throw material 45 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:45.880 outwards. 46 00:01:46.600 --> 00:01:49.440 Avery: Wow. So it's less of a gentle push and 47 00:01:49.440 --> 00:01:51.960 more of a cosmic eruption. That's a huge 48 00:01:51.960 --> 00:01:52.840 shift in thinking. 49 00:01:53.320 --> 00:01:55.920 Anna: It is. It means we have to reconsider one of 50 00:01:55.920 --> 00:01:58.640 the fundamental processes of how galaxies are 51 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:00.750 enriched with the elements necessary for plan 52 00:02:00.900 --> 00:02:03.460 planets and ultimately for life itself. 53 00:02:04.020 --> 00:02:06.380 Avery: From the end of a star's life, let's jump to 54 00:02:06.380 --> 00:02:08.780 the formation of planets. We're talking about 55 00:02:08.780 --> 00:02:11.260 one of the strangest types of exoplanets out 56 00:02:11.260 --> 00:02:13.060 there. The hot Jupiters. 57 00:02:13.460 --> 00:02:16.300 Anna: Mm mhm. These are gas giants, much like our 58 00:02:16.300 --> 00:02:18.860 own Jupiter. But they orbit incredibly close 59 00:02:18.860 --> 00:02:21.580 to their host stars, completing a full year 60 00:02:21.580 --> 00:02:24.180 in just a few Earth days. The big question 61 00:02:24.260 --> 00:02:26.660 has always been, how did they get there? 62 00:02:27.260 --> 00:02:29.140 Avery: One popular theory was called high 63 00:02:29.140 --> 00:02:31.660 eccentricity migration. It's a pretty 64 00:02:31.660 --> 00:02:34.100 chaotic process where a planet gets knocked 65 00:02:34.100 --> 00:02:35.900 around by other objects in the system, 66 00:02:36.300 --> 00:02:38.660 eventually flinging it into a tight, close 67 00:02:38.660 --> 00:02:39.260 orbit. 68 00:02:39.500 --> 00:02:42.300 Anna: It Sounds very violent. But new research 69 00:02:42.300 --> 00:02:45.100 looking at over 500 of these hot Jupiters 70 00:02:45.100 --> 00:02:47.580 suggests a much gentler path for many of 71 00:02:47.580 --> 00:02:50.060 them. The study found that about 30 of these 72 00:02:50.060 --> 00:02:52.340 worlds likely formed through a process called 73 00:02:52.340 --> 00:02:53.260 disk migration. 74 00:02:54.020 --> 00:02:56.860 Avery: Disk migration. So what does that entail? Is 75 00:02:56.860 --> 00:02:57.540 it calmer? 76 00:02:57.940 --> 00:03:00.460 Anna: Much calmer. In this scenario, the planet 77 00:03:00.460 --> 00:03:03.060 forms much farther out in the protoplanetary 78 00:03:03.060 --> 00:03:05.940 disk, that big swirl of gas and dust a star 79 00:03:05.940 --> 00:03:08.420 is born from. And then it slowly spirals 80 00:03:08.420 --> 00:03:11.060 inward, migrating through the disk material 81 00:03:11.060 --> 00:03:13.220 until it settles into a close orbit. 82 00:03:13.620 --> 00:03:16.060 Avery: That makes sense. So it's not always a game 83 00:03:16.060 --> 00:03:18.620 of planetary pinball. This really adds 84 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:20.620 another important layer to our understanding 85 00:03:20.620 --> 00:03:22.580 of how planetary systems can evolve. 86 00:03:23.350 --> 00:03:25.670 Anna: Now, let's bring our focus a little closer to 87 00:03:25.670 --> 00:03:27.630 home with a quick roundup of recent and 88 00:03:27.630 --> 00:03:30.150 upcoming rocket launches. It's been a busy 89 00:03:30.150 --> 00:03:32.870 period as we close out 2025 and head into 90 00:03:32.870 --> 00:03:33.750 2026. 91 00:03:34.470 --> 00:03:37.270 Avery: Absolutely. China has been particularly 92 00:03:37.270 --> 00:03:39.990 active with two recent launches. A, uh, Chong 93 00:03:39.990 --> 00:03:42.950 Zhang 4B rocket took flight, as did a Chong 94 00:03:42.950 --> 00:03:45.110 Zhang 7AMeanwhile. 95 00:03:45.110 --> 00:03:47.390 Anna: SpaceX has been wrapping up its year. A 96 00:03:47.390 --> 00:03:49.830 Falcon 9 mission successfully deployed the 97 00:03:49.830 --> 00:03:52.430 CSG 3 satellite for the Italian space 98 00:03:52.430 --> 00:03:55.210 Agency, which officially mark company's 99 00:03:55.210 --> 00:03:56.930 final mission for 2025. 100 00:03:57.330 --> 00:03:59.330 Avery: Right, and they're not wasting any time in 101 00:03:59.330 --> 00:04:01.770 the new year. The very first launch scheduled 102 00:04:01.770 --> 00:04:04.210 for 2026 is another Falcon 9, 103 00:04:04.450 --> 00:04:06.930 this time carrying a fresh batch of Starlink 104 00:04:06.930 --> 00:04:09.770 satellites into orbit. The pace just never 105 00:04:09.770 --> 00:04:10.770 seems to slow down. 106 00:04:11.170 --> 00:04:12.450 Anna: It certainly doesn't. 107 00:04:12.770 --> 00:04:15.010 Sticking with our solar system, we have some 108 00:04:15.010 --> 00:04:17.130 incredible news from Mars that I'm very 109 00:04:17.130 --> 00:04:17.890 excited about. 110 00:04:18.210 --> 00:04:19.490 Avery: Oh, what's that? 111 00:04:19.970 --> 00:04:22.450 Anna: Chinese researchers have identified what they 112 00:04:22.450 --> 00:04:25.330 believe are eight potential karst caves in a 113 00:04:25.330 --> 00:04:28.030 region called Valis Kars 114 00:04:28.190 --> 00:04:28.750 Caves. 115 00:04:28.910 --> 00:04:31.830 Avery: Okay, so these aren't the usual volcanic 116 00:04:31.830 --> 00:04:33.870 lava tubes we've talked about before on the 117 00:04:33.870 --> 00:04:34.110 show. 118 00:04:34.670 --> 00:04:36.750 Anna: Exactly, and that's what makes this so 119 00:04:36.750 --> 00:04:39.310 significant. Karst caves are formed when 120 00:04:39.310 --> 00:04:42.270 water dissolves soluble rock like limestone. 121 00:04:42.509 --> 00:04:44.870 This is the first time this specific type of 122 00:04:44.870 --> 00:04:47.190 cave has been identified on Mars. And it's a 123 00:04:47.190 --> 00:04:49.470 huge indicator of past water activity. 124 00:04:49.870 --> 00:04:52.870 Avery: Water. That's the magic word. So this 125 00:04:52.870 --> 00:04:54.710 is a massive deal for the search for life, 126 00:04:54.710 --> 00:04:55.230 isn't it? 127 00:04:55.650 --> 00:04:58.250 Anna: It's a potential game changer. The surface of 128 00:04:58.250 --> 00:05:00.850 Mars is blasted with harsh radiation, which 129 00:05:00.850 --> 00:05:03.770 would destroy any delicate signs of life. But 130 00:05:03.770 --> 00:05:06.010 deep inside these caves, ancient 131 00:05:06.010 --> 00:05:08.090 biosignatures could have been preserved for 132 00:05:08.090 --> 00:05:10.330 billions of years perfectly shielded from 133 00:05:10.330 --> 00:05:11.250 that hostile environment. 134 00:05:11.970 --> 00:05:14.450 Avery: They're like natural time capsules. These 135 00:05:14.450 --> 00:05:16.410 caves must have just shot to the top of the 136 00:05:16.410 --> 00:05:18.850 list for places we need to explore on Mars. 137 00:05:19.170 --> 00:05:21.010 Absolutely fascinating stuff. 138 00:05:21.530 --> 00:05:24.090 Anna: It really is. And from searching for hidden 139 00:05:24.090 --> 00:05:26.690 life to just admiring the sheer beauty of the 140 00:05:26.690 --> 00:05:27.210 universe. 141 00:05:27.370 --> 00:05:29.170 Let's talk about the James Webb Space 142 00:05:29.170 --> 00:05:29.850 Telescope. 143 00:05:30.170 --> 00:05:32.410 Avery: Right? It's hard to believe, but it recently 144 00:05:32.570 --> 00:05:34.570 celebrated the fourth anniversary of its 145 00:05:34.570 --> 00:05:34.890 launch. 146 00:05:35.610 --> 00:05:38.610 Anna: Four years of revolutionary science. To mark 147 00:05:38.610 --> 00:05:40.850 the occasion, the European Space Agency 148 00:05:40.850 --> 00:05:43.010 released a spectacular video that they're 149 00:05:43.010 --> 00:05:45.050 calling a fly through of the cosmos. 150 00:05:45.370 --> 00:05:47.810 Avery: I saw this and it is stunning. They've taken 151 00:05:47.810 --> 00:05:50.290 some of Webb's most iconic high resolution 152 00:05:50.290 --> 00:05:52.890 images and created these incredible zoo. 153 00:05:53.510 --> 00:05:55.590 You feel like you're actually soaring through 154 00:05:55.590 --> 00:05:58.150 nebulas and past distant galaxy clusters. 155 00:05:58.550 --> 00:06:00.990 Anna: It gives you a real sense of depth and scale 156 00:06:00.990 --> 00:06:02.830 that you don't always get from a static 157 00:06:02.830 --> 00:06:05.030 image. They take you on this immersive 158 00:06:05.030 --> 00:06:07.110 journey through star forming regions and 159 00:06:07.110 --> 00:06:09.550 ancient galaxies. We'll be sure to put a link 160 00:06:09.550 --> 00:06:11.390 in the show notes because it's something you 161 00:06:11.390 --> 00:06:12.790 really have to see to believe. 162 00:06:13.350 --> 00:06:16.190 Avery: Definitely. It's a fantastic reminder of just 163 00:06:16.190 --> 00:06:18.710 how much this incredible observatory has 164 00:06:18.710 --> 00:06:20.230 shown us in only four years. 165 00:06:20.790 --> 00:06:22.830 For a final story today, we turn our 166 00:06:22.830 --> 00:06:24.450 attention back to Earth orbit. 167 00:06:24.840 --> 00:06:27.000 Anna: That's right. Iran has made a significant 168 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:29.320 advancement in its national space program. 169 00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:31.840 The country successfully launched three of 170 00:06:31.840 --> 00:06:33.840 its domestically built earth observation 171 00:06:33.840 --> 00:06:34.520 satellites. 172 00:06:34.870 --> 00:06:37.400 Avery: Mhm. The satellites are named PIA, 173 00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:40.320 Zafar 2 and Casar. And what's 174 00:06:40.320 --> 00:06:42.680 also notable here is how they got to orbit. 175 00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:45.440 Anna: The launch was conducted on a Russian Soyuz 176 00:06:45.440 --> 00:06:47.440 rocket taking off from the Vostochny 177 00:06:47.440 --> 00:06:48.600 Cosmodrome in Russia. 178 00:06:48.920 --> 00:06:50.920 Avery: This really highlights the growing space 179 00:06:50.920 --> 00:06:53.400 collaboration between the two nations. It 180 00:06:53.400 --> 00:06:55.960 provides Iran with reliable access to orb. 181 00:06:56.500 --> 00:06:58.620 Russia gains a partner in various space 182 00:06:58.620 --> 00:06:59.140 activities. 183 00:06:59.540 --> 00:07:01.940 Anna: It's a major milestone for Iran's ambitions 184 00:07:01.940 --> 00:07:04.260 in space, allowing them to gather their own 185 00:07:04.260 --> 00:07:06.060 data for environmental monitoring, 186 00:07:06.060 --> 00:07:08.580 agriculture and other national applications. 187 00:07:08.820 --> 00:07:10.500 It's a very strategic development. 188 00:07:11.140 --> 00:07:12.780 Avery: And, um, that's all the time we have for 189 00:07:12.780 --> 00:07:15.260 today on Astronomy Daily. From the winds of 190 00:07:15.260 --> 00:07:18.060 red giants to hidden caves on Mars, the 191 00:07:18.060 --> 00:07:20.580 universe truly never fails to surprise us. 192 00:07:20.980 --> 00:07:22.860 Anna: We hope you've enjoyed the journey. You can 193 00:07:22.860 --> 00:07:24.340 find links to some of the things we 194 00:07:24.340 --> 00:07:26.660 discussed, including that incredible James 195 00:07:26.660 --> 00:07:28.180 Webb anniversary video on 196 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:31.320 website@astronomydaily.IO we'd. 197 00:07:31.320 --> 00:07:33.080 Avery: Love it if you'd subscribe. Wherever you get 198 00:07:33.080 --> 00:07:35.200 your podcasts, thanks so much for tuning in. 199 00:07:35.520 --> 00:07:37.520 Anna: Until next time, keep looking up.