WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.720 Anna: Hello and welcome to Astronomy 1 00:00:02.720 --> 00:00:05.400 Daily, your daily dose of space and 2 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:08.080 astronomy news. I'm Anna, and 3 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:10.480 sitting across from me virtually of course, 4 00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:13.520 is my co host, Avery. Hey, Avery. 5 00:00:13.600 --> 00:00:16.560 Happy January 7th. We are already a 6 00:00:16.560 --> 00:00:19.280 week into 2026 and the stories 7 00:00:19.360 --> 00:00:20.320 just keep coming. 8 00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:23.480 Avery: Hey, Anna. And hi everyone out there gazing 9 00:00:23.480 --> 00:00:26.400 at the stars with us. Absolutely. It's been a 10 00:00:26.400 --> 00:00:29.080 whirlwind start to the year. Today we've got 11 00:00:29.080 --> 00:00:31.360 a mix of sobering science about one of 12 00:00:31.360 --> 00:00:34.140 Jupiter' moons. Exciting updates on the next 13 00:00:34.140 --> 00:00:36.540 human trip to the moon, a surprising 14 00:00:36.540 --> 00:00:39.500 JWST discovery, gorgeous 15 00:00:39.500 --> 00:00:42.260 views from Mars, a sky watching heads 16 00:00:42.260 --> 00:00:44.980 up, and some bittersweet news from NASA 17 00:00:44.980 --> 00:00:47.020 History. Six great stories. 18 00:00:47.180 --> 00:00:50.180 Anna: Let's dive into it, starting with a bit of a 19 00:00:50.180 --> 00:00:52.460 downer for astrobiology fans. 20 00:00:52.860 --> 00:00:55.540 New research suggests that Europa's 21 00:00:55.540 --> 00:00:58.540 vast subsurface ocean might be too 22 00:00:58.620 --> 00:01:01.260 quiet to support life as we know it today. 23 00:01:01.940 --> 00:01:04.020 Avery: Yeah, this comes from a study just published 24 00:01:04.020 --> 00:01:06.940 in Nature Communications. Europa, that 25 00:01:06.940 --> 00:01:09.620 cracked ice moon of Jupiter, has this global 26 00:01:09.780 --> 00:01:12.100 ocean deeper than anything on Earth. 27 00:01:12.340 --> 00:01:15.100 Maybe 100 kilometers deep under a 28 00:01:15.100 --> 00:01:18.020 15 to 25 kilometer thick ice shell. 29 00:01:18.340 --> 00:01:21.340 More water than all our oceans combined. But 30 00:01:21.340 --> 00:01:24.220 the key question is energy. Life needs not 31 00:01:24.220 --> 00:01:26.820 just water and organics, but a source of 32 00:01:26.820 --> 00:01:27.620 chemical energy. 33 00:01:28.280 --> 00:01:31.080 Anna: Exactly. On Earth, a lot of that comes 34 00:01:31.080 --> 00:01:33.640 from hydrothermal vents on the seafloor. 35 00:01:33.800 --> 00:01:36.360 Hot mineral rich fluids fueling 36 00:01:36.360 --> 00:01:39.320 ecosystems. But the models here, based 37 00:01:39.320 --> 00:01:41.920 on Europa's size, composition and 38 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:44.360 tidal heating from Jupiter, show the 39 00:01:44.360 --> 00:01:47.120 seafloor is likely inactive. No 40 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:49.720 tectonic plates moving, no fresh 41 00:01:49.720 --> 00:01:52.720 fractures, no active volcanoes or hot 42 00:01:52.720 --> 00:01:55.640 plumes. The rocky core cooled billions 43 00:01:55.640 --> 00:01:58.400 of years ago. And tidal forces aren't strong 44 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:00.620 enough to keep things churn like they do on 45 00:02:00.620 --> 00:02:01.220 IO. 46 00:02:01.780 --> 00:02:04.340 Avery: Lead researcher Paul Byrne put it bluntly, 47 00:02:04.500 --> 00:02:07.260 the energy just doesn't seem to be there to 48 00:02:07.260 --> 00:02:10.260 support life. At least today. If we sent 49 00:02:10.260 --> 00:02:12.820 a submersible down there, we'd probably see a 50 00:02:12.820 --> 00:02:15.780 still, quiet bottom. Nothing geologically 51 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:18.420 exciting. It's a reminder that habitability 52 00:02:18.660 --> 00:02:21.340 needs that dynamic interplay, not just the 53 00:02:21.340 --> 00:02:22.020 big ocean. 54 00:02:22.580 --> 00:02:25.260 Anna: Still, it's today. Maybe early 55 00:02:25.260 --> 00:02:27.860 Europa was more active. And missions like 56 00:02:27.860 --> 00:02:30.380 Europa, uh, Clipper launching soon will give 57 00:02:30.380 --> 00:02:32.720 us better data on plan plumes and surface 58 00:02:32.720 --> 00:02:34.800 chemistry. Fingers crossed for some 59 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:35.360 surprises. 60 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:38.400 Avery: Definitely. Europa keeps us hooked. 61 00:02:38.880 --> 00:02:41.360 Anna: Shifting to human exploration, the 62 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:44.080 historic Artemis 2 mission, the first 63 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:46.720 crewed flight around the moon in over 50 64 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:49.440 years, could be just a month away now. 65 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:52.600 Avery: As of early January, NASA is eyeing 66 00:02:52.600 --> 00:02:55.120 February 6, 2026 for launch, 67 00:02:55.440 --> 00:02:58.250 though nothing's locked in yet. The SLS 68 00:02:58.250 --> 00:03:00.610 rocket and Orion capsule are stacked in the 69 00:03:00.610 --> 00:03:02.730 vehicle assembly building at Kennedy Space 70 00:03:02.730 --> 00:03:05.490 center with rollout to the pad expected in 71 00:03:05.490 --> 00:03:07.890 the next couple weeks. Then comes final 72 00:03:07.890 --> 00:03:10.370 checks, integration and the wet dress 73 00:03:10.370 --> 00:03:11.050 rehearsal. 74 00:03:11.290 --> 00:03:14.210 Anna: The crew is awesome. NASA astronauts 75 00:03:14.210 --> 00:03:17.050 Reid Wiseman as commander Victor Glover, 76 00:03:17.130 --> 00:03:20.090 pilot Christina Koch, mission specialist 77 00:03:20.090 --> 00:03:23.090 and Jeremy Hansen from Canada. They'll do 78 00:03:23.090 --> 00:03:25.770 a free return trajectory around the moon, 79 00:03:25.930 --> 00:03:28.810 testing life support, navigation, everything 80 00:03:28.810 --> 00:03:31.230 from deep space with humans aboard. Since 81 00:03:31.230 --> 00:03:34.150 Apollo 17, delays came from 82 00:03:34.150 --> 00:03:34.430 heat. 83 00:03:34.430 --> 00:03:37.190 Avery: Shield issues on Artemis 1, but NASA's fixed 84 00:03:37.190 --> 00:03:39.870 staff for crew safety. It's thrilling. We're 85 00:03:39.870 --> 00:03:41.950 so close to seeing humans back in lunar 86 00:03:41.950 --> 00:03:44.470 space. And it sets up the whole Artemis 87 00:03:44.470 --> 00:03:46.150 program for landings and bases. 88 00:03:46.550 --> 00:03:49.110 Anna: I can't wait to watch that launch livestream. 89 00:03:49.270 --> 00:03:50.030 Goosebumps. 90 00:03:50.030 --> 00:03:52.390 Already thinking about it next. 91 00:03:52.390 --> 00:03:55.110 Avery: The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted 92 00:03:55.110 --> 00:03:57.790 something unexpected in a galaxy that's like 93 00:03:57.790 --> 00:03:59.590 a window into the early universe. 94 00:04:00.140 --> 00:04:02.740 Anna: This is Sextance A a dwarf 95 00:04:02.740 --> 00:04:05.740 galaxy with super low metallicity. Just 96 00:04:05.740 --> 00:04:08.420 3 to 7% of the sun's heavy 97 00:04:08.420 --> 00:04:10.940 elements. It's an analog for galaxies 98 00:04:11.100 --> 00:04:13.580 shortly after the Big Bang when everything 99 00:04:13.580 --> 00:04:15.740 was mostly hydrogen and helium. 100 00:04:16.620 --> 00:04:19.500 Avery: Normally we'd expect almost no dust there. 101 00:04:19.740 --> 00:04:21.900 Dust needs those heavier elements like 102 00:04:21.900 --> 00:04:24.620 silicon or magnesium to form silicates. 103 00:04:24.860 --> 00:04:27.540 But JWST found two rare 104 00:04:27.540 --> 00:04:30.420 types metallic iron dust grains and 105 00:04:30.420 --> 00:04:33.100 silicon carbide. Stars, especially 106 00:04:33.260 --> 00:04:35.780 aging asymptotic giant branch ones, are 107 00:04:35.780 --> 00:04:37.980 forging peas via alternative chemistry 108 00:04:37.980 --> 00:04:40.380 pathways, even with scarce ingredients. 109 00:04:40.860 --> 00:04:43.380 Anna: They also detected polycyclic 110 00:04:43.380 --> 00:04:46.060 aromatic hydrocarbons, complex 111 00:04:46.060 --> 00:04:48.700 carbon molecules in tiny dense 112 00:04:48.700 --> 00:04:51.540 pockets. That's the lowest metallicity 113 00:04:51.540 --> 00:04:54.380 place we've seen. Pahs it 114 00:04:54.380 --> 00:04:57.380 means early galaxies were dustier and more 115 00:04:57.380 --> 00:05:00.130 inventive than models predicted. Building 116 00:05:00.130 --> 00:05:02.690 planet forming materials way sooner. 117 00:05:03.250 --> 00:05:06.130 Avery: Huge implications. Dust helps cool gas 118 00:05:06.130 --> 00:05:09.090 for star formation, absorbs light and 119 00:05:09.090 --> 00:05:11.930 seeds rocky planets. This reshapes how we 120 00:05:11.930 --> 00:05:14.850 think high redshift galaxies evolved, maybe 121 00:05:14.850 --> 00:05:17.010 more building blocks for world like ours 122 00:05:17.010 --> 00:05:18.050 earlier than thought. 123 00:05:18.370 --> 00:05:21.290 Anna: JWST just keeps rewriting the 124 00:05:21.290 --> 00:05:22.050 textbooks. 125 00:05:22.450 --> 00:05:25.450 Avery: From deep space to Mars, Curiosity rover 126 00:05:25.450 --> 00:05:27.890 has sent back a stunning new panorama from 127 00:05:27.890 --> 00:05:29.170 high up on Mount Sharp. 128 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:31.800 Anna: This composite was taken in November 129 00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:34.440 2025 from a ridge in Gale 130 00:05:34.440 --> 00:05:37.440 Crater, combining shots from afternoon and 131 00:05:37.440 --> 00:05:39.880 morning. Mars. Time to capture changing 132 00:05:39.880 --> 00:05:42.320 light. It looks north across this 133 00:05:42.320 --> 00:05:45.319 intricate boxwork formation. Networks of 134 00:05:45.319 --> 00:05:47.640 mineral ridges hardened by ancient 135 00:05:47.640 --> 00:05:50.360 groundwater billions of years ago. Now 136 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:51.520 exposed by wind. 137 00:05:52.080 --> 00:05:54.280 Avery: You can see the rover's wheel track snaking 138 00:05:54.280 --> 00:05:56.840 behind a drill site called Valley de la 139 00:05:56.840 --> 00:05:59.480 Luna. The slopes dropping to the crater floor 140 00:05:59.480 --> 00:06:02.460 and the rim 25 miles away. On the horizon, 141 00:06:02.780 --> 00:06:05.500 Mount Sharp itself towers three miles high. 142 00:06:05.740 --> 00:06:08.300 Curiosity's been climbing it since 2012, 143 00:06:08.620 --> 00:06:10.860 layer by layer, reading Mars's climate 144 00:06:10.860 --> 00:06:11.180 history. 145 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:14.300 Anna: These veins and sediments tell of wetter 146 00:06:14.300 --> 00:06:17.019 times, possible habitability, then 147 00:06:17.019 --> 00:06:19.580 drying out. Recent drills, like at 148 00:06:19.580 --> 00:06:22.420 Nevado Sahama are analyzing chemistry 149 00:06:22.420 --> 00:06:25.300 to piece together water flow. Plus, the 150 00:06:25.300 --> 00:06:27.780 rover's using Smarter Autonomy now for 151 00:06:27.780 --> 00:06:30.540 multitasking. Thirteen years in and 152 00:06:30.540 --> 00:06:31.500 still going strong. 153 00:06:32.420 --> 00:06:34.620 Avery: Those views never get old. Makes you feel 154 00:06:34.620 --> 00:06:36.020 like you're there on the red dust. 155 00:06:36.180 --> 00:06:38.580 Anna: For sky watchers, there's some intriguing 156 00:06:38.580 --> 00:06:41.140 buzz about a truly rare astronomical event 157 00:06:41.140 --> 00:06:43.340 coming up in 2026, though 158 00:06:43.340 --> 00:06:46.100 unfortunately, it's highly likely astronomers 159 00:06:46.100 --> 00:06:48.660 won't be able to watch it in real time, even 160 00:06:48.660 --> 00:06:49.780 though they know it's coming. 161 00:06:50.500 --> 00:06:52.380 Avery: Yeah, this one's a bit different from the 162 00:06:52.380 --> 00:06:54.900 usual planetary parades in our solar system. 163 00:06:55.460 --> 00:06:57.300 The story is about a predicted 164 00:06:57.300 --> 00:07:00.220 exosity that's a syzygy, 165 00:07:00.220 --> 00:07:02.700 or alignment of three bodies. But in an 166 00:07:02.700 --> 00:07:05.420 extrasolar system specifically, 167 00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:08.380 two known exoplanets in a distant system 168 00:07:08.380 --> 00:07:11.180 are expected to simultaneously transit across 169 00:07:11.180 --> 00:07:13.180 the face of their host star as seen from 170 00:07:13.180 --> 00:07:13.580 Earth. 171 00:07:13.900 --> 00:07:16.220 Anna: The event is forecasted for around April 172 00:07:16.300 --> 00:07:19.300 1, 2026, based on orbital models 173 00:07:19.300 --> 00:07:22.060 refined from past data. It's only the second 174 00:07:22.140 --> 00:07:25.020 such double exoplanet transit ever predicted. 175 00:07:25.180 --> 00:07:27.780 The first One, back in 2010, was actually 176 00:07:27.780 --> 00:07:30.460 discovered retrospectively in archival data 177 00:07:30.760 --> 00:07:33.480 NASA's Kepler mission. That one was missed in 178 00:07:33.480 --> 00:07:36.280 real time, and sadly, this 2026 179 00:07:36.280 --> 00:07:37.360 event might suffer. 180 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:40.280 Avery: The same fate Exactly. Lead 181 00:07:40.280 --> 00:07:42.960 researcher Teriyuki Hirano has noted that 182 00:07:42.960 --> 00:07:45.040 while calculations suggest a good chance 183 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:47.760 it'll happen, it depends on factors like the 184 00:07:47.760 --> 00:07:50.160 planet's exact masses, gravitational 185 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:52.720 interactions, and whether there's an unseen 186 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:55.400 outer planet tugging on the system. But the 187 00:07:55.400 --> 00:07:58.090 bigger issue is observation time. Major 188 00:07:58.090 --> 00:08:00.290 telescopes and space missions have tightly 189 00:08:00.290 --> 00:08:03.050 scheduled queues, and without pre allocated 190 00:08:03.050 --> 00:08:05.410 slots, astronomers likely won't get the 191 00:08:05.410 --> 00:08:07.690 continuous coverage needed to watch the 192 00:08:07.690 --> 00:08:09.010 transits unfold live. 193 00:08:09.490 --> 00:08:12.410 Anna: As Hirano put it, I hope to observe, but 194 00:08:12.410 --> 00:08:14.490 I am not sure that I can get an observing 195 00:08:14.490 --> 00:08:16.650 time with an appropriate telescope for the 196 00:08:16.650 --> 00:08:19.490 whole event. Real time data would be gold. 197 00:08:19.730 --> 00:08:22.210 It could reveal transit timing variations 198 00:08:22.290 --> 00:08:24.410 showing how the planets gravitationally 199 00:08:24.410 --> 00:08:26.690 influence each other, or even hint at 200 00:08:26.690 --> 00:08:28.450 additional unseen worlds. 201 00:08:29.440 --> 00:08:32.000 Avery: Scientifically, these rare double transits 202 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:34.520 are huge for understanding multiplanet 203 00:08:34.520 --> 00:08:37.240 systems, refining orbits, measuring masses 204 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:40.000 more precisely, and probing dynamics similar 205 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:42.560 to how Jupiter and Saturn interact here. 206 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:45.200 But since the host star is faint and far 207 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:47.920 away, it's strictly professional telescope 208 00:08:47.920 --> 00:08:50.680 territory, no naked eye or amateur viewing 209 00:08:50.680 --> 00:08:51.040 possible. 210 00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:54.000 Anna: So while it's an exciting milestone for 211 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:56.840 exoplanet science, it's a reminder of how 212 00:08:56.840 --> 00:08:59.200 telescope time is one of the most precious 213 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:01.660 resources in astronomy. We'll have to wait 214 00:09:01.660 --> 00:09:03.940 for the data analysis afterward to learn what 215 00:09:03.940 --> 00:09:06.300 happened. In the meantime, there are plenty 216 00:09:06.300 --> 00:09:08.780 of visible solar system alignments to enjoy 217 00:09:08.780 --> 00:09:11.700 throughout 2026. Like that tight trio of 218 00:09:11.700 --> 00:09:14.620 Mercury, Mars and Saturn on April 20th in the 219 00:09:14.620 --> 00:09:16.940 morning sky, or the brighter conjunctions 220 00:09:16.940 --> 00:09:18.940 with Venus and Jupiter later in the year. 221 00:09:19.660 --> 00:09:21.820 Avery: Definitely keep an eye on those for some 222 00:09:21.820 --> 00:09:24.500 great naked eye or binocular views. The 223 00:09:24.500 --> 00:09:26.740 universe has events for every level of 224 00:09:26.740 --> 00:09:29.550 observer. Finally, a, uh, touch of nostalgia. 225 00:09:29.710 --> 00:09:32.590 NASA's preparing to demolish three historic 226 00:09:32.590 --> 00:09:34.670 test facilities at Marshall Space Flight 227 00:09:34.670 --> 00:09:35.630 center in Alabama. 228 00:09:35.950 --> 00:09:38.670 Anna: These are real icons. The Neutral 229 00:09:38.670 --> 00:09:41.430 Buoyancy Simulator, a massive pool from the 230 00:09:41.430 --> 00:09:44.270 1960s for weightless training used for 231 00:09:44.270 --> 00:09:46.910 Hubble repairs and shuttle hardware. The 232 00:09:46.910 --> 00:09:49.790 Propulsion and Structural Test Facility, or t 233 00:09:49.790 --> 00:09:52.590 Tower from 1957 tested 234 00:09:52.590 --> 00:09:55.280 Redstone, Saturn and shuttle boosters. 235 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:58.600 And the Dynamic Test Facility, tallest in 236 00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:01.280 north Alabama when built in 1964 237 00:10:01.680 --> 00:10:02.080 shook. 238 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:04.080 Avery: Saturn V and shuttle elements, 239 00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:07.440 all national landmarks since 1985. 240 00:10:07.760 --> 00:10:10.480 Key to Apollo, Skylab and Shuttle, 241 00:10:10.880 --> 00:10:13.800 but they're inactive, unsafe and costly to 242 00:10:13.800 --> 00:10:16.560 maintain. Demolition starts with implosions, 243 00:10:16.560 --> 00:10:19.320 possibly as soon as January 10th. Part of 244 00:10:19.320 --> 00:10:22.280 clearing 25 old structures to modernize for 245 00:10:22.280 --> 00:10:22.800 Artemis. 246 00:10:23.270 --> 00:10:25.470 Anna: Bittersweet, but NASA's preserving the 247 00:10:25.470 --> 00:10:28.070 legacy. High res digital models, 248 00:10:28.150 --> 00:10:30.870 artifacts to museums, virtual tours. 249 00:10:31.190 --> 00:10:33.670 End of an era making way for the next. 250 00:10:34.390 --> 00:10:36.910 Avery: Yeah, progress often means saying goodbye to 251 00:10:36.910 --> 00:10:37.350 the past. 252 00:10:37.670 --> 00:10:40.630 Anna: What a thoughtful mix today. Quiet oceans, 253 00:10:40.790 --> 00:10:43.430 upcoming moonshots, dusty early 254 00:10:43.430 --> 00:10:46.150 galaxies, Martian vistas, sky 255 00:10:46.150 --> 00:10:46.630 events. 256 00:10:46.630 --> 00:10:49.470 Avery: And honoring history, the cosmos and 257 00:10:49.470 --> 00:10:51.670 our exploration of it. Always evolving. 258 00:10:52.070 --> 00:10:53.590 Thanks for spending your time with us on 259 00:10:53.590 --> 00:10:54.550 Astronomy Daily. 260 00:10:54.950 --> 00:10:56.870 Anna: We love bringing these stories to you. 261 00:10:57.110 --> 00:10:59.430 Subscribe if you haven't, share with a friend 262 00:10:59.430 --> 00:11:00.870 and we'll be back tomorrow. 263 00:11:01.270 --> 00:11:03.750 Avery: Until then, keep wondering and looking up. 264 00:11:03.910 --> 00:11:05.030 Anna: Clear skies, everyone.