WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:03.200 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose 1 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:05.920 of space and astronomy news. I'm Anna. 2 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:08.640 Avery: And I'm Avery. Today is Tuesday, January 3 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:11.360 20, 2026, and we've got a 4 00:00:11.360 --> 00:00:13.680 fantastic lineup of stories covering 5 00:00:13.760 --> 00:00:16.600 everything from solar storms to Chinese space 6 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:19.160 technology and some fascinating discoveries 7 00:00:19.160 --> 00:00:21.440 about how young stars shape their cosmic 8 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:22.080 neighborhoods. 9 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:24.760 Anna: That's right. We're going to dive into some 10 00:00:24.760 --> 00:00:26.880 breaking news about the Sun's latest 11 00:00:26.880 --> 00:00:28.960 outburst. There's been quite a development 12 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:31.760 there that aurora chasers definitely need to 13 00:00:32.060 --> 00:00:32.300 about. 14 00:00:32.620 --> 00:00:35.260 Avery: Plus, China continues to make impressive 15 00:00:35.260 --> 00:00:37.620 strides in reusable rocket technology with 16 00:00:37.620 --> 00:00:40.580 the long 3-12-B. And we'll get a sneak peek 17 00:00:40.580 --> 00:00:43.020 at their upcoming Xuntian Space Telescope 18 00:00:43.020 --> 00:00:44.820 that's set to rival some of the best 19 00:00:44.820 --> 00:00:46.140 observatories in orbit. 20 00:00:46.380 --> 00:00:49.140 Anna: We'll also journey into the Orion molecular 21 00:00:49.140 --> 00:00:51.940 cloud to see how baby stars are literally 22 00:00:51.940 --> 00:00:54.740 carving out their homes in space. Check out 23 00:00:54.740 --> 00:00:57.580 this week's busy launch schedule and explore 24 00:00:57.580 --> 00:01:00.100 a fascinating new theory about how some 25 00:01:00.100 --> 00:01:02.620 exoplanets might protect themselves from 26 00:01:02.620 --> 00:01:03.740 deadly radiation. 27 00:01:04.280 --> 00:01:06.800 Avery: So grab your coffee, settle in, and let's get 28 00:01:06.800 --> 00:01:08.600 started with today's Astronomy Daily. 29 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:11.720 Anna: Alright, Avery, let's jump right into our top 30 00:01:11.720 --> 00:01:14.200 story. And this one's developing even as we 31 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:17.120 speak. The sun threw a massive tantrum this 32 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:19.360 weekend, and Earth is already feeling the 33 00:01:19.360 --> 00:01:19.800 effects. 34 00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:22.680 Avery: That's right, Anna. Uh, on Sunday, January 35 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:25.640 18, the sun unleashed a powerful X 36 00:01:25.960 --> 00:01:28.720 1.9 class solar flare from Sunspot 37 00:01:28.720 --> 00:01:31.700 region AR4341. For our 38 00:01:31.700 --> 00:01:34.380 listeners who might not be familiar, X class 39 00:01:34.380 --> 00:01:36.700 flares are the most powerful category of 40 00:01:36.700 --> 00:01:39.220 solar eruptions. And this one came with a 41 00:01:39.220 --> 00:01:40.980 particularly energetic friend. 42 00:01:41.220 --> 00:01:44.020 Anna: A, uh, coronal mass ejection, or a cme. 43 00:01:44.100 --> 00:01:44.500 Right. 44 00:01:44.900 --> 00:01:47.259 Avery: Exactly. This CME was what 45 00:01:47.259 --> 00:01:49.620 forecasters call a, uh, full halo event, 46 00:01:50.020 --> 00:01:52.860 meaning it was aimed directly at Earth. The 47 00:01:52.860 --> 00:01:54.900 interesting twist here is that it arrived 48 00:01:54.980 --> 00:01:57.310 much sooner than predicted. Space weather 49 00:01:57.310 --> 00:01:59.470 forecasters initially expected it to hit 50 00:01:59.470 --> 00:02:02.470 sometime within 24 hours of the flare, but 51 00:02:02.470 --> 00:02:03.910 it actually slammed into Earth's 52 00:02:03.910 --> 00:02:06.710 magnetosphere yesterday, January 19th 53 00:02:06.710 --> 00:02:09.070 at 2:38pm Eastern Time. 54 00:02:09.310 --> 00:02:11.430 Anna: And I'm guessing from the reports I've been 55 00:02:11.430 --> 00:02:13.710 seeing, this wasn't a gentle arrival. 56 00:02:14.270 --> 00:02:16.990 Avery: Not at all. The CME triggered severe 57 00:02:16.990 --> 00:02:19.750 G4 geomagnetic storms. According 58 00:02:19.750 --> 00:02:21.990 to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction center, 59 00:02:21.990 --> 00:02:24.580 this is actually a pretty rare event. We're 60 00:02:24.580 --> 00:02:27.340 also dealing with an S IV severe solar 61 00:02:27.340 --> 00:02:29.180 radiation storm that's ongoing. 62 00:02:29.580 --> 00:02:32.060 Anna: Now, for those wondering why this matters, 63 00:02:32.220 --> 00:02:34.780 let's talk about what makes a CME GEO 64 00:02:34.780 --> 00:02:37.660 effective or not. It's all about magnetic 65 00:02:37.660 --> 00:02:39.100 field orientation, isn't it? 66 00:02:39.420 --> 00:02:41.980 Avery: That's the crucial factor when a CME 67 00:02:41.980 --> 00:02:44.860 arrives. If its magnetic field is oriented 68 00:02:44.860 --> 00:02:47.380 southward, what scientists call a negative 69 00:02:47.380 --> 00:02:50.220 BZ component, it can connect with Earth's 70 00:02:50.220 --> 00:02:52.750 northward pointing magnetic field. Think of 71 00:02:52.750 --> 00:02:55.030 it like opening a door. The southward 72 00:02:55.030 --> 00:02:57.510 orientation essentially allows solar wind 73 00:02:57.510 --> 00:02:59.590 energy to pour into our magnetosphere, 74 00:02:59.590 --> 00:03:01.390 triggering geomagnetic storms. 75 00:03:01.790 --> 00:03:04.270 Anna: And in this case, that door was wide open. 76 00:03:04.830 --> 00:03:07.830 Avery: Exactly. Data from the DSCOVR 77 00:03:07.830 --> 00:03:10.630 and a spacecraft which monitor the solar wind 78 00:03:10.630 --> 00:03:13.310 upstream of Earth confirmed that southward 79 00:03:13.310 --> 00:03:16.110 BZ component. That's what made this storm so 80 00:03:16.110 --> 00:03:16.590 potent. 81 00:03:17.070 --> 00:03:19.030 Anna: So what does this mean for people on the 82 00:03:19.030 --> 00:03:21.480 ground? Obviously, there's the spectacular 83 00:03:21.480 --> 00:03:24.080 side with Auroras, but there are practical 84 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:25.960 concerns too, right? 85 00:03:26.040 --> 00:03:28.240 Avery: The good news is that this storm could push 86 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:30.480 the northern lights much further south than 87 00:03:30.480 --> 00:03:33.440 usual. According to NOAA scales, G4 88 00:03:33.440 --> 00:03:36.040 storms can make auroras visible as far south 89 00:03:36.040 --> 00:03:39.000 as Alabama and Northern California. But there 90 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:41.520 are some downsides. These storms can disrupt 91 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:44.000 GPS navigation, affect satellite 92 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:46.760 operations, increase atmospheric drag on 93 00:03:46.760 --> 00:03:49.160 spacecraft, and potentially impact power 94 00:03:49.160 --> 00:03:51.240 grids and high frequency radio commun. 95 00:03:52.180 --> 00:03:54.300 Anna: And the flare itself caused immediate 96 00:03:54.300 --> 00:03:56.020 problems when it erupted, correct? 97 00:03:56.340 --> 00:03:58.860 Avery: Yes. The X dot 1.9 flare 98 00:03:58.860 --> 00:04:01.820 triggered strong R3 level radio blackouts 99 00:04:01.820 --> 00:04:04.220 across the sunlit side of Earth, with the 100 00:04:04.220 --> 00:04:06.780 Americas taking the biggest hit. Radio 101 00:04:06.780 --> 00:04:09.140 blackouts happen because the intense X rays 102 00:04:09.140 --> 00:04:11.500 and extreme ultraviolet radiation from the 103 00:04:11.500 --> 00:04:13.860 flare ionized the upper atmosphere, 104 00:04:13.860 --> 00:04:14.900 disrupting radio. 105 00:04:14.900 --> 00:04:17.660 Anna: Signals for our aurora chasers out 106 00:04:17.660 --> 00:04:19.700 there. What's the forecast looking like? 107 00:04:20.450 --> 00:04:22.690 Avery: Well, geomagnetic storm conditions are 108 00:04:22.690 --> 00:04:24.850 expected to continue through at least today, 109 00:04:25.090 --> 00:04:27.890 January 20th. The best viewing times 110 00:04:27.890 --> 00:04:30.610 are typically between 10pm and 4am 111 00:04:30.690 --> 00:04:33.130 local time. Of course, you'll want to get 112 00:04:33.130 --> 00:04:35.330 away from city lights and find the darkest 113 00:04:35.330 --> 00:04:38.050 location possible. And keep in mind you need 114 00:04:38.050 --> 00:04:39.410 clear skies to see them. 115 00:04:39.730 --> 00:04:42.130 Anna: The timing is interesting too, isn't it? 116 00:04:42.210 --> 00:04:44.210 We're well into solar maximum. 117 00:04:44.610 --> 00:04:47.330 Avery: We are solar. Cycle 25 has been 118 00:04:47.330 --> 00:04:49.530 particularly active, and we're seeing the 119 00:04:49.530 --> 00:04:52.490 effects. The sun has been consistently active 120 00:04:52.490 --> 00:04:54.690 throughout late 2025 and into 121 00:04:54.690 --> 00:04:57.610 2026, with multiple X class 122 00:04:57.610 --> 00:05:00.450 flares and CMEs. This is exactly 123 00:05:00.450 --> 00:05:02.810 the kind of activity we expect during solar 124 00:05:02.810 --> 00:05:03.410 maximum. 125 00:05:03.730 --> 00:05:06.490 Anna: It's yet another reminder that our star is a 126 00:05:06.490 --> 00:05:09.130 dynamic, powerful force. What's 127 00:05:09.130 --> 00:05:11.130 fascinating to me is how much we've learned 128 00:05:11.130 --> 00:05:13.410 about predicting these events. Even if this 129 00:05:13.410 --> 00:05:14.930 one arrived earlier than expected. 130 00:05:15.900 --> 00:05:18.100 Avery: Absolutely. Space weather forecasting has 131 00:05:18.100 --> 00:05:20.900 come a long way, but CMEs are still 132 00:05:20.900 --> 00:05:23.260 notoriously tricky. Their speed, 133 00:05:23.260 --> 00:05:25.980 direction, and crucially, their magnetic 134 00:05:25.980 --> 00:05:28.260 orientation all factor into how they'll 135 00:05:28.260 --> 00:05:30.660 interact with Earth. We often don't know the 136 00:05:30.660 --> 00:05:32.620 full picture until spacecraft like 137 00:05:32.620 --> 00:05:35.380 DSCOVR sample them directly when 138 00:05:35.380 --> 00:05:37.020 they're almost at our doorstep. 139 00:05:37.420 --> 00:05:39.420 Anna: Well, if you're in the northern tier states 140 00:05:39.420 --> 00:05:42.180 of the US Or Canada. Keep your eyes on the 141 00:05:42.180 --> 00:05:44.900 sky tonight. This could be a spectacular 142 00:05:44.900 --> 00:05:45.500 display. 143 00:05:46.060 --> 00:05:48.700 Avery: Shifting gears from solar fireworks to human 144 00:05:48.700 --> 00:05:49.420 engineering. 145 00:05:49.580 --> 00:05:51.740 Let's talk about China's latest achievement 146 00:05:51.740 --> 00:05:54.700 in reusable rocket technology. The China 147 00:05:54.700 --> 00:05:57.180 Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation 148 00:05:57.340 --> 00:06:00.140 has successfully conducted a static fire test 149 00:06:00.140 --> 00:06:01.980 of the Long March 12B. 150 00:06:02.460 --> 00:06:04.860 Anna: This is China's follow up to the Long March 151 00:06:04.860 --> 00:06:07.540 12A, which we covered when it made its maiden 152 00:06:07.540 --> 00:06:10.220 flight back in late December 2025, right? 153 00:06:10.910 --> 00:06:13.590 Avery: Exactly. And if you recall, that first 154 00:06:13.590 --> 00:06:16.310 flight was partially successful. The second 155 00:06:16.310 --> 00:06:18.630 stage successfully delivered its payload to 156 00:06:18.630 --> 00:06:21.150 orbit, but the reusable first stage 157 00:06:21.150 --> 00:06:23.670 crashed near the intended recovery area in 158 00:06:23.670 --> 00:06:26.390 Gansu Province. So there's definitely been 159 00:06:26.390 --> 00:06:27.390 some lessons learned. 160 00:06:27.790 --> 00:06:29.910 Anna: Let's talk specs. What can you tell us about 161 00:06:29.910 --> 00:06:31.230 the Long March 12B? 162 00:06:31.710 --> 00:06:34.310 Avery: It's a fairly substantial vehicle. The 163 00:06:34.310 --> 00:06:37.150 rocket stands approximately 70 meters tall. 164 00:06:37.150 --> 00:06:39.750 That's about 230ft with a 165 00:06:39.750 --> 00:06:42.720 diameter of 4 meters. Both stages use 166 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:45.480 liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants, which 167 00:06:45.480 --> 00:06:47.280 is interesting because it's the same 168 00:06:47.280 --> 00:06:49.760 propellant combination that SpaceX uses in 169 00:06:49.760 --> 00:06:50.760 their Falcon 9. 170 00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:53.880 Anna: And in terms of capability, in its. 171 00:06:53.880 --> 00:06:56.720 Avery: Baseline configuration, the long March 12B 172 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.520 can lift about 20 metric tons to low Earth 173 00:06:59.520 --> 00:07:02.080 orbit. That puts it firmly in the heavy 174 00:07:02.080 --> 00:07:05.000 medium lift category. When fully fueled, the 175 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:07.480 entire vehicle has a liftoff mass of around 176 00:07:07.640 --> 00:07:08.760 700 tons. 177 00:07:09.510 --> 00:07:11.870 Anna: So what exactly did this static fire test 178 00:07:11.870 --> 00:07:12.470 accomplish? 179 00:07:13.030 --> 00:07:15.350 Avery: The test, which took place Friday at the 180 00:07:15.350 --> 00:07:18.150 Jiuquan Satellite Launch center in northwest 181 00:07:18.150 --> 00:07:21.030 China, was all about validation. Ground 182 00:07:21.030 --> 00:07:23.270 teams ignited the first stage engines and 183 00:07:23.270 --> 00:07:25.550 sustained combustion for a period while 184 00:07:25.550 --> 00:07:27.230 monitoring performance and control 185 00:07:27.230 --> 00:07:29.710 parameters. They were verifying fueling 186 00:07:29.710 --> 00:07:32.510 procedures, ignition sequences, and making 187 00:07:32.510 --> 00:07:34.910 sure all the propulsion and support systems 188 00:07:34.910 --> 00:07:36.870 worked smoothly under planned conditions. 189 00:07:37.570 --> 00:07:40.010 Anna: And the reusability aspect, how does that 190 00:07:40.010 --> 00:07:40.290 work? 191 00:07:40.850 --> 00:07:43.210 Avery: This is where it gets really interesting. The 192 00:07:43.210 --> 00:07:45.450 first stage is designed to separate from the 193 00:07:45.450 --> 00:07:48.010 second stage during flight, then flip itself 194 00:07:48.010 --> 00:07:51.010 around for re entry, using aerodynamic grid 195 00:07:51.010 --> 00:07:53.610 fins for guidance. Picture those waffle like 196 00:07:53.610 --> 00:07:56.490 fins you see on Falcon 9 boosters. Then 197 00:07:56.490 --> 00:07:59.250 it uses deployable landing legs to touch down 198 00:07:59.250 --> 00:08:01.650 vertically at a designated landing zone. 199 00:08:01.970 --> 00:08:04.410 Anna: So it's very much following the SpaceX 200 00:08:04.410 --> 00:08:04.930 playbook. 201 00:08:05.390 --> 00:08:07.910 Avery: It is. Though China has been developing this 202 00:08:07.910 --> 00:08:10.470 technology independently, the goal is the 203 00:08:10.470 --> 00:08:13.390 same reusability to cut mission costs and 204 00:08:13.390 --> 00:08:15.710 increase launch cadence. This is especially 205 00:08:15.870 --> 00:08:18.150 important for China's commercial space sector 206 00:08:18.150 --> 00:08:20.270 and their growing Satellite Constellation 207 00:08:20.270 --> 00:08:20.830 projects. 208 00:08:21.230 --> 00:08:23.790 Anna: And you mentioned The Long March 12A's 209 00:08:23.790 --> 00:08:25.670 landing attempt failed. Are they 210 00:08:25.670 --> 00:08:27.270 incorporating what they learned from that 211 00:08:27.270 --> 00:08:28.430 into the 12B? 212 00:08:28.750 --> 00:08:31.510 Avery: Absolutely. Engineering teams are still 213 00:08:31.510 --> 00:08:33.470 investigating what went wrong with that 214 00:08:33.470 --> 00:08:35.980 December landing attempt. And the lessons 215 00:08:35.980 --> 00:08:38.540 from that mission are being fed directly into 216 00:08:38.540 --> 00:08:40.940 refinements for the long March 12th B's 217 00:08:40.940 --> 00:08:43.860 reentry and landing systems. That's actually 218 00:08:43.860 --> 00:08:45.700 a really important part of the development 219 00:08:45.780 --> 00:08:46.100 process. 220 00:08:46.100 --> 00:08:48.940 Anna: Uh, so when might we see an actual 221 00:08:48.940 --> 00:08:51.060 launch of the long March 12b. 222 00:08:51.460 --> 00:08:54.100 Avery: Based on this successful static fire test? 223 00:08:54.180 --> 00:08:56.700 We're probably looking at flight tests in the 224 00:08:56.700 --> 00:08:59.220 near future. They still need to do more 225 00:08:59.220 --> 00:09:01.340 ground testing and verification, but 226 00:09:01.340 --> 00:09:03.540 successful engine testing is a major 227 00:09:03.540 --> 00:09:05.700 milestone on the path to orbital flight. 228 00:09:06.250 --> 00:09:08.370 Anna: It's interesting to watch multiple countries 229 00:09:08.370 --> 00:09:11.130 and companies working on reusable rocket 230 00:09:11.130 --> 00:09:13.490 technology. It really does seem to be the 231 00:09:13.490 --> 00:09:14.810 future of spaceflight. 232 00:09:15.370 --> 00:09:18.370 Avery: No question. When you can land and reuse your 233 00:09:18.370 --> 00:09:20.850 first stage, which is the most expensive part 234 00:09:20.850 --> 00:09:23.450 of the rocket, the economics of space access 235 00:09:23.610 --> 00:09:26.290 change dramatically. China positioning 236 00:09:26.290 --> 00:09:28.890 themselves with both the 12A and 12B 237 00:09:28.890 --> 00:09:31.010 shows they're committed to competing in this 238 00:09:31.010 --> 00:09:31.450 arena. 239 00:09:32.150 --> 00:09:34.590 Anna: Staying with China's space program, let's 240 00:09:34.590 --> 00:09:36.470 look ahead to what could be one of the most 241 00:09:36.470 --> 00:09:39.030 capable space telescopes ever launched. 242 00:09:39.190 --> 00:09:42.110 The Chinese space station telescope known as 243 00:09:42.110 --> 00:09:44.990 Xuntian is gearing up for launch as soon 244 00:09:44.990 --> 00:09:46.630 as early 2027. 245 00:09:47.030 --> 00:09:49.350 Avery: And scientists just completed something 246 00:09:49.510 --> 00:09:52.270 pretty important. A, uh, full end to end 247 00:09:52.270 --> 00:09:54.670 observation simulation to test how the 248 00:09:54.670 --> 00:09:57.030 telescope will perform once it's in orbit. 249 00:09:57.520 --> 00:10:00.000 Anna: Let's start with the basics. How big is this 250 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:00.320 thing? 251 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:03.520 Avery: Xuntian features a 2 meter primary 252 00:10:03.520 --> 00:10:06.480 mirror that's about 6.6ft across. 253 00:10:07.040 --> 00:10:09.840 For comparison, that's slightly smaller than 254 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:12.760 Hubble's 2.4 meter mirror. But here's 255 00:10:12.760 --> 00:10:15.160 where it gets interesting. Juntian is 256 00:10:15.160 --> 00:10:17.760 designed specifically as a survey instrument. 257 00:10:17.760 --> 00:10:20.320 And in that role, it's going to be far more 258 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:21.440 capable than Hubble. 259 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:22.480 Anna: How so? 260 00:10:23.060 --> 00:10:25.980 Avery: It's all about field of view. Juntian's 261 00:10:25.980 --> 00:10:28.820 field of view is about 300 times larger than 262 00:10:28.820 --> 00:10:31.580 Hubble's. That means it can survey the sky 263 00:10:31.580 --> 00:10:34.180 much more efficiently. Combine that with a 264 00:10:34.180 --> 00:10:37.020 2.5 billion pixel camera and the 265 00:10:37.020 --> 00:10:39.660 ability to observe from near ultraviolet to 266 00:10:39.660 --> 00:10:42.140 near infrared wavelengths, and you've got 267 00:10:42.140 --> 00:10:45.060 yourself an extremely powerful sky surveying 268 00:10:45.060 --> 00:10:45.540 machine. 269 00:10:46.100 --> 00:10:48.500 Anna: That's impressive. What will it be looking 270 00:10:48.500 --> 00:10:48.820 for? 271 00:10:49.430 --> 00:10:51.590 Avery: The science goals are pretty ambitious. 272 00:10:51.990 --> 00:10:53.950 According to the National Astronomical 273 00:10:53.950 --> 00:10:56.270 Observatories under the Chinese Academy of 274 00:10:56.270 --> 00:10:58.710 Sciences, Chuntian should make major 275 00:10:58.710 --> 00:11:00.550 contributions across multiple 276 00:11:01.270 --> 00:11:04.230 cosmology, galaxy formation and evolution, 277 00:11:04.550 --> 00:11:07.230 the structure and evolution of our own Milky 278 00:11:07.230 --> 00:11:09.830 Way, and studies of stars and planets. 279 00:11:10.150 --> 00:11:12.230 Anna: I've also heard it might help us understand 280 00:11:12.550 --> 00:11:14.310 dark matter and dark energy. 281 00:11:15.040 --> 00:11:17.360 Avery: Exactly. Those are two of the biggest 282 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:20.120 mysteries in astrophysics. And a wide Field 283 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:22.960 survey telescope like Shuntian is perfectly 284 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:25.360 suited to contribute to that research by 285 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:27.880 mapping large areas of the sky and observing 286 00:11:27.880 --> 00:11:30.719 how galaxies cluster and move, Scientists 287 00:11:30.719 --> 00:11:32.920 can gather evidence about the nature of dark 288 00:11:32.920 --> 00:11:34.080 matter and dark energy. 289 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:37.720 Anna: Now what makes Xuntian really unique is how 290 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:40.000 it will operate in relation to China's 291 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:41.920 Tiangong Space Station. Right. 292 00:11:42.530 --> 00:11:45.130 Avery: That's one of the coolest aspects. Chun Tian 293 00:11:45.130 --> 00:11:48.050 will fly independently in low Earth orbit, co 294 00:11:48.050 --> 00:11:50.650 orbiting with Tiangong, but doing its own 295 00:11:50.650 --> 00:11:52.970 thing. However. And um, this is the really 296 00:11:52.970 --> 00:11:55.370 neat part. It's designed to dock with the 297 00:11:55.370 --> 00:11:55.570 space. 298 00:11:55.570 --> 00:11:58.370 Anna: Station when needed dough astronauts can 299 00:11:58.370 --> 00:11:59.970 service it exactly. 300 00:12:00.210 --> 00:12:02.690 Avery: Just like NASA astronauts serviced Hubble 301 00:12:02.690 --> 00:12:05.010 five times between 1993 and 302 00:12:05.010 --> 00:12:07.890 2009. According to recent video from 303 00:12:07.890 --> 00:12:10.490 China Central Television astronauts will be 304 00:12:10.490 --> 00:12:12.610 able to conduct spacewalks to maintain, 305 00:12:12.850 --> 00:12:15.470 repair or even upgrade the observatory. 306 00:12:15.950 --> 00:12:18.430 This is a huge advantage because it extends 307 00:12:18.430 --> 00:12:20.630 the operational life of the telescope and 308 00:12:20.630 --> 00:12:22.910 allows for technology upgrades over time. 309 00:12:23.470 --> 00:12:26.190 Anna: That's actually brilliant. Hubble's servicing 310 00:12:26.190 --> 00:12:28.470 missions turned it from a disappointment into 311 00:12:28.470 --> 00:12:30.550 one of the most productive scientific 312 00:12:30.550 --> 00:12:31.950 instruments ever built. 313 00:12:32.510 --> 00:12:35.270 Avery: Absolutely. And China clearly learned from 314 00:12:35.270 --> 00:12:37.950 that example. Being able to service a space 315 00:12:38.030 --> 00:12:40.510 telescope in orbit is enormously valuable. 316 00:12:41.210 --> 00:12:43.130 Anna: Tell us about these simulations they just 317 00:12:43.130 --> 00:12:43.690 completed. 318 00:12:43.930 --> 00:12:46.330 Avery: The research team built what they call an end 319 00:12:46.330 --> 00:12:49.130 to end simulation suite. Basically they 320 00:12:49.130 --> 00:12:51.650 created mock observations that replicate the 321 00:12:51.650 --> 00:12:54.010 expected instrumental and observational 322 00:12:54.010 --> 00:12:56.650 conditions. They tested both the optical 323 00:12:56.650 --> 00:12:59.090 systems and other observation systems to 324 00:12:59.090 --> 00:13:01.370 evaluate the telescope's overall performance 325 00:13:01.850 --> 00:13:03.610 before it ever leaves the ground. 326 00:13:04.170 --> 00:13:06.890 Anna: That makes sense. Better to find problems in 327 00:13:06.890 --> 00:13:08.410 simulation than after launch. 328 00:13:09.050 --> 00:13:10.810 Avery: The results were published in the journal 329 00:13:10.970 --> 00:13:13.690 Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics in 330 00:13:13.690 --> 00:13:16.570 early January. This kind of validation work 331 00:13:16.570 --> 00:13:19.250 is crucial for a mission of this scale and 332 00:13:19.250 --> 00:13:19.930 complexity. 333 00:13:20.250 --> 00:13:23.090 Anna: When you say early 2027, how 334 00:13:23.090 --> 00:13:24.330 firm is that timeline? 335 00:13:24.569 --> 00:13:27.450 Avery: It's a no earlier than timeline. These 336 00:13:27.450 --> 00:13:30.170 large space telescopes are complex beasts and 337 00:13:30.170 --> 00:13:33.090 schedules can slip. But if everything stays 338 00:13:33.090 --> 00:13:35.570 on track, we could see Xuntian launching on a 339 00:13:35.570 --> 00:13:38.330 long March 5th B rocket sometime in the 340 00:13:38.330 --> 00:13:39.930 first half of 2027. 341 00:13:40.410 --> 00:13:42.330 Anna: It's going to be really interesting to see 342 00:13:42.330 --> 00:13:44.210 what Chuntian discovers once it's 343 00:13:44.210 --> 00:13:46.610 operational. Having another major space 344 00:13:46.610 --> 00:13:48.690 telescope conducting surveys will be 345 00:13:48.690 --> 00:13:50.250 fantastic for astronomy. 346 00:13:50.650 --> 00:13:52.530 Avery: Next, let's head out to one of the most 347 00:13:52.530 --> 00:13:55.010 famous star forming regions in our cosmic 348 00:13:55.010 --> 00:13:57.810 neighborhood. The Orion Molecular Cloud 349 00:13:57.810 --> 00:14:00.370 complex. The Hubble Space Telescope has 350 00:14:00.370 --> 00:14:02.730 captured some stunning new images that reveal 351 00:14:02.730 --> 00:14:05.370 how baby stars are literally carving out 352 00:14:05.370 --> 00:14:07.970 space for themselves in the surrounding gas 353 00:14:07.970 --> 00:14:08.490 and dust. 354 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:11.640 Anna: This is such a beautiful topic. These are 355 00:14:11.640 --> 00:14:14.280 protostars, right? Stars that haven't quite 356 00:14:14.280 --> 00:14:15.000 grown up yet? 357 00:14:15.400 --> 00:14:18.000 Avery: That's right. Protostars are young stellar 358 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.000 objects that are still in the process of 359 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:22.440 accumulating mass from the molecular clouds. 360 00:14:22.440 --> 00:14:24.400 They're Forming in. They haven't started 361 00:14:24.400 --> 00:14:26.720 fusing hydrogen into helium yet, which is 362 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:29.040 what defines a main sequence star like our 363 00:14:29.040 --> 00:14:31.240 Sun. But even though they're not doing 364 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:33.160 fusion, they're far from quiet. 365 00:14:33.400 --> 00:14:35.080 Anna: They're quite energetic, actually, 366 00:14:35.760 --> 00:14:37.040 incredibly so. 367 00:14:37.040 --> 00:14:39.720 Avery: Protostars generate powerful winds and jets 368 00:14:39.720 --> 00:14:41.880 that shape their surroundings in dramatic 369 00:14:41.880 --> 00:14:44.880 ways. These jets and winds carve out bubbles 370 00:14:44.880 --> 00:14:47.320 and caverns in the surrounding gas. And 371 00:14:47.320 --> 00:14:49.480 astrophysicists have been trying to better 372 00:14:49.480 --> 00:14:51.120 understand this feedback process. 373 00:14:51.680 --> 00:14:53.120 Anna: What's driving these jets? 374 00:14:53.440 --> 00:14:56.200 Avery: It's a fascinating process. Material from the 375 00:14:56.200 --> 00:14:58.920 molecular cloud first forms a disk around the 376 00:14:58.920 --> 00:15:01.680 protostar. Not all of that material makes it 377 00:15:01.680 --> 00:15:04.470 onto the star itself. Some gets accelerated 378 00:15:04.470 --> 00:15:06.870 to high speeds along the star's magnetic 379 00:15:06.870 --> 00:15:09.510 field lines and shot out from the poles as 380 00:15:09.510 --> 00:15:11.630 focus beams of mostly hydrogen. 381 00:15:11.950 --> 00:15:14.430 Anna: So they're like cosmic fire hoses. 382 00:15:14.750 --> 00:15:17.030 Avery: That's a good analogy. And in addition to 383 00:15:17.030 --> 00:15:19.830 these focused jets, protostars also produce 384 00:15:19.830 --> 00:15:22.510 wide angle stellar winds that flow in all 385 00:15:22.510 --> 00:15:25.310 directions. These winds from young stars are 386 00:15:25.310 --> 00:15:27.510 actually far more powerful than the solar 387 00:15:27.510 --> 00:15:29.710 wind from our sun or other main sequence 388 00:15:29.710 --> 00:15:30.190 stars. 389 00:15:30.600 --> 00:15:32.200 Anna: What did the Hubble images reveal? 390 00:15:32.520 --> 00:15:35.040 Avery: The three new images show protostars at 391 00:15:35.040 --> 00:15:37.840 different stages, all in the Orion molecular 392 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:40.520 complex. You can actually see the cavernous 393 00:15:40.520 --> 00:15:42.720 shapes these young stars have carved out from 394 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:44.960 the surrounding gas. It's quite striking 395 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:47.560 visually, these dark, sometimes intricate 396 00:15:47.560 --> 00:15:49.720 structures against the glowing background of 397 00:15:49.720 --> 00:15:50.440 the nebula. 398 00:15:50.520 --> 00:15:52.840 Anna: But there was a surprising finding in the 399 00:15:52.840 --> 00:15:53.800 research, wasn't there? 400 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:56.200 Avery: Yes, and it challenges some assumptions. 401 00:15:56.630 --> 00:15:58.830 Researchers found that the cavities carved by 402 00:15:58.830 --> 00:16:01.470 these jetson winds didn't grow larger as the 403 00:16:01.470 --> 00:16:03.430 stars moved through their later formation 404 00:16:03.430 --> 00:16:06.030 stages. You might expect the cavities to keep 405 00:16:06.030 --> 00:16:08.190 expanding over time, but that's not what they 406 00:16:08.190 --> 00:16:08.790 observed. 407 00:16:09.270 --> 00:16:10.710 Anna: So what does that tell us? 408 00:16:10.950 --> 00:16:13.270 Avery: Well, the Orion molecular cloud has been 409 00:16:13.270 --> 00:16:15.910 experiencing a declining star formation rate. 410 00:16:15.990 --> 00:16:18.590 And these protostars also have lower rates of 411 00:16:18.590 --> 00:16:21.110 mass accretion over time. Scientists 412 00:16:21.110 --> 00:16:22.790 initially thought maybe this could be 413 00:16:22.790 --> 00:16:25.110 attributed to the jets and winds carving out 414 00:16:25.110 --> 00:16:27.740 all the available gas. But the new findings 415 00:16:27.740 --> 00:16:30.500 suggest that's not the case. The cavity sizes 416 00:16:30.500 --> 00:16:31.780 weren't the limiting factor. 417 00:16:32.180 --> 00:16:34.580 Anna: So something else is controlling the star 418 00:16:34.580 --> 00:16:35.380 formation rate. 419 00:16:35.460 --> 00:16:37.860 Avery: Exactly. There must be other factors at play 420 00:16:37.860 --> 00:16:40.580 in regulating how quickly stars form and grow 421 00:16:40.580 --> 00:16:43.260 in this region. It's a reminder that even in 422 00:16:43.260 --> 00:16:45.740 well studied regions like Orion, we're still 423 00:16:45.740 --> 00:16:47.900 learning the details of how star formation 424 00:16:47.900 --> 00:16:48.340 works. 425 00:16:48.500 --> 00:16:50.780 Anna: I love that these images aren't just pretty 426 00:16:50.780 --> 00:16:53.140 pictures. They're revealing actual physics. 427 00:16:53.530 --> 00:16:55.530 Avery: That's what makes astronomy so exciting. 428 00:16:55.770 --> 00:16:58.170 Every observation adds a piece of the puzzle. 429 00:16:58.410 --> 00:17:00.090 In this case, we're learning that the 430 00:17:00.090 --> 00:17:02.330 feedback from young stars through their jets 431 00:17:02.330 --> 00:17:04.850 and winds. While dramatic and visually 432 00:17:04.850 --> 00:17:07.610 spectacular, might not be the main factor 433 00:17:07.610 --> 00:17:09.290 controlling star formation in the region. 434 00:17:09.530 --> 00:17:11.610 Anna: It's also interesting to think about our own 435 00:17:11.610 --> 00:17:13.570 sun going through this phase billions of 436 00:17:13.570 --> 00:17:14.090 years ago. 437 00:17:14.410 --> 00:17:17.170 Avery: Absolutely. When the sun was young, it was in 438 00:17:17.170 --> 00:17:19.410 a cluster with its siblings, probably in a 439 00:17:19.410 --> 00:17:21.950 molecular cloud, much like Orion. It would 440 00:17:21.950 --> 00:17:24.510 have had these same powerful jets and winds 441 00:17:24.510 --> 00:17:26.590 shaping the gas and dust around it. 442 00:17:26.910 --> 00:17:29.510 Eventually the molecular cloud dispersed, the 443 00:17:29.510 --> 00:17:32.150 star cluster broke up and the sun ended up as 444 00:17:32.150 --> 00:17:34.030 the solitary star we know today. 445 00:17:34.190 --> 00:17:36.270 Anna: Orion is close enough that we can study these 446 00:17:36.270 --> 00:17:38.550 processes in detail, which is really lucky 447 00:17:38.550 --> 00:17:39.390 for astronomers. 448 00:17:39.630 --> 00:17:42.590 Avery: Very lucky. At about 1350 449 00:17:42.590 --> 00:17:44.710 light years away, it's one of the nearest 450 00:17:44.710 --> 00:17:47.510 large star forming regions. We can resolve 451 00:17:47.510 --> 00:17:49.790 individual protostars and their surrounding 452 00:17:49.790 --> 00:17:52.070 structures, which gives us insights we can 453 00:17:52.070 --> 00:17:54.010 apply to understanding star formation 454 00:17:54.010 --> 00:17:55.930 throughout the galaxy and beyond. 455 00:17:56.170 --> 00:17:58.650 Anna: Alright, let's shift from natural cosmic 456 00:17:58.650 --> 00:18:00.970 phenomena to human made space activities. 457 00:18:01.290 --> 00:18:03.290 We've got a busy week of launches coming up. 458 00:18:03.290 --> 00:18:03.850 Avery. 459 00:18:03.930 --> 00:18:06.650 Avery: We do indeed. Seven launches from six 460 00:18:06.650 --> 00:18:08.850 different sites across the globe. Let's run 461 00:18:08.850 --> 00:18:09.290 through them. 462 00:18:09.370 --> 00:18:11.450 Anna: The week actually started this morning with a 463 00:18:11.450 --> 00:18:12.570 Chinese launch, correct? 464 00:18:12.730 --> 00:18:15.250 Avery: That's right. A uh, Chang Zhang 12 rocket, 465 00:18:15.250 --> 00:18:18.090 also known as Long March 12, lifted off 466 00:18:18.090 --> 00:18:21.090 from Commercial Launch Complex 2 at Wenchang 467 00:18:21.090 --> 00:18:24.070 Space Launch Site in Hainan, China. This was 468 00:18:24.070 --> 00:18:26.670 at 7:48 UTC. Carrying nine 469 00:18:26.670 --> 00:18:29.550 SatNet satellites to low Earth orbit. The 470 00:18:29.550 --> 00:18:32.190 CZ12 can lift about 12,000 471 00:18:32.270 --> 00:18:34.430 kilograms to LEO. And this was a 472 00:18:34.430 --> 00:18:36.470 demonstration of China's commercial launch 473 00:18:36.470 --> 00:18:36.990 capabilities. 474 00:18:37.390 --> 00:18:38.910 Anna: Moving on to tomorrow. 475 00:18:38.910 --> 00:18:41.710 Avery: What do we have tomorrow? January 21st 476 00:18:41.790 --> 00:18:43.990 we have Rocket Lab launching from New 477 00:18:43.990 --> 00:18:46.310 Zealand. Their Electron rocket will be 478 00:18:46.310 --> 00:18:48.910 carrying two satellites for open Cosmos as 479 00:18:48.910 --> 00:18:51.230 part of a secure broadband constellation 480 00:18:51.230 --> 00:18:54.050 being built in the uk. The mission is called 481 00:18:54.050 --> 00:18:57.050 the Cosmos will see you now. And liftoff is 482 00:18:57.050 --> 00:18:59.810 scheduled for 11:09 UTC. From their 483 00:18:59.810 --> 00:19:01.890 facility on the Mahia Peninsula. 484 00:19:01.890 --> 00:19:04.650 Anna: Rocket Lab has really established a solid 485 00:19:04.650 --> 00:19:05.890 cadence with Electron. 486 00:19:05.970 --> 00:19:08.729 Avery: They have. This will be Electron's 80th 487 00:19:08.729 --> 00:19:11.130 mission. That's a remarkable achievement for 488 00:19:11.130 --> 00:19:13.930 a small rocket. The vehicle has proven itself 489 00:19:13.930 --> 00:19:16.570 reliable and capable, especially for these 490 00:19:16.570 --> 00:19:18.610 small satellite constellation deployments. 491 00:19:18.770 --> 00:19:21.010 Anna: It's Wednesday. That gets particularly 492 00:19:21.010 --> 00:19:23.250 interesting with the Isar Aerospace launch. 493 00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:26.420 Avery: Yes, this is Isar's second attempt to launch 494 00:19:26.420 --> 00:19:29.020 their Spectrum rocket from the Andoya rocket 495 00:19:29.020 --> 00:19:32.020 range in Norway. The mission is called Onward 496 00:19:32.020 --> 00:19:34.300 and Upward, which is fitting given that their 497 00:19:34.300 --> 00:19:37.020 first attempt in March 2025 failed 498 00:19:37.020 --> 00:19:39.100 shortly after liftoff due to an engine issue. 499 00:19:39.339 --> 00:19:40.540 Anna: What's different this time? 500 00:19:40.700 --> 00:19:42.620 Avery: Well, they've been investigating what went 501 00:19:42.620 --> 00:19:44.420 wrong on that first flight and making 502 00:19:44.420 --> 00:19:47.100 refinements. Spectrum is a two stage 503 00:19:47.100 --> 00:19:49.460 rocket Powered by Aquila engines using 504 00:19:49.460 --> 00:19:52.290 propane and liquid oxygen, it's designed for 505 00:19:52.290 --> 00:19:54.370 the satellite Constellation market and can 506 00:19:54.370 --> 00:19:56.810 lift about a thousand kilograms to leo. 507 00:19:57.050 --> 00:19:59.210 They're carrying several cubesats for the 508 00:19:59.210 --> 00:20:01.370 European Space Agency's Boost program. 509 00:20:01.610 --> 00:20:03.610 Anna: So fingers crossed for ISAR on Wednesday. 510 00:20:03.690 --> 00:20:04.410 What else? 511 00:20:04.570 --> 00:20:07.450 Avery: Wednesday is also when SpaceX has their first 512 00:20:07.450 --> 00:20:09.570 Falcon 9 launch of the week. They're 513 00:20:09.570 --> 00:20:11.890 launching 24 Starlink satellites from 514 00:20:11.890 --> 00:20:14.490 Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. 515 00:20:14.810 --> 00:20:17.490 Liftoff is currently targeted for 2:43 516 00:20:17.490 --> 00:20:20.290 UTC on January 22, which 517 00:20:20.290 --> 00:20:22.610 is 6:43pm Pacific Time on the 518 00:20:22.610 --> 00:20:23.350 21st. 519 00:20:23.350 --> 00:20:25.590 Anna: Vandenberg has been busy lately. 520 00:20:25.670 --> 00:20:28.590 Avery: Very busy. This mission will use booster 521 00:20:28.590 --> 00:20:30.950 B1093 on its 10th flight. 522 00:20:31.270 --> 00:20:33.550 Landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still 523 00:20:33.550 --> 00:20:35.790 Love youe in the Pacific. It's another 524 00:20:35.790 --> 00:20:38.310 example of SpaceX's routine reuse. 525 00:20:38.470 --> 00:20:41.030 This particular booster has previously flown 526 00:20:41.030 --> 00:20:43.350 seven Starlink missions and two military 527 00:20:43.350 --> 00:20:43.750 missions. 528 00:20:43.910 --> 00:20:46.590 Anna: Do we have a New Shepard launch from Blue 529 00:20:46.590 --> 00:20:47.510 Origin this week? 530 00:20:47.750 --> 00:20:50.310 Avery: Correct. Blue Origin is targeting Thursday, 531 00:20:50.630 --> 00:20:53.016 January 22nd at 1430 532 00:20:53.164 --> 00:20:55.780 UTC. That's 9:30am Eastern 533 00:20:55.940 --> 00:20:58.820 for New Shepard's 17th crewed mission, 534 00:20:58.820 --> 00:21:01.740 designated NS38. This will 535 00:21:01.740 --> 00:21:04.460 be a suborbital flight from Launch Site 1 in 536 00:21:04.460 --> 00:21:07.180 West Texas, carrying six people past the 537 00:21:07.180 --> 00:21:09.500 Karman Line and into space for a few minutes 538 00:21:09.500 --> 00:21:10.339 of weightlessness. 539 00:21:10.580 --> 00:21:12.620 Anna: New Shepard has really become a regular 540 00:21:12.620 --> 00:21:13.700 operation for them. 541 00:21:13.940 --> 00:21:16.540 Avery: It has. The capsule will separate from the 542 00:21:16.540 --> 00:21:18.780 booster, which will return for a propulsive 543 00:21:18.780 --> 00:21:20.820 landing while the capsule lands under 544 00:21:20.820 --> 00:21:23.460 parachutes with retro thrusters firing just 545 00:21:23.460 --> 00:21:25.620 before touchdown to soften the landing for 546 00:21:25.620 --> 00:21:26.320 the crew. 547 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:28.560 Anna: And we round out the week with. 548 00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:31.840 Avery: Two more launches on Sunday, January 25. 549 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:35.000 First, China will conduct the sea launch of a 550 00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:37.840 Geelong 3 rocket from the South China Sea. 551 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:40.560 Details on the payload are still under wraps. 552 00:21:40.560 --> 00:21:42.560 They'll likely release that information after 553 00:21:42.560 --> 00:21:45.434 the launch. Liftoff is scheduled for 6:30 554 00:21:45.566 --> 00:21:46.160 UTC. 555 00:21:46.320 --> 00:21:48.240 Anna: Sea launches are always interesting. 556 00:21:48.560 --> 00:21:51.440 Avery: They are. The Jialong 3 is a four stage 557 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:53.560 solid fueled rocket that launches from a 558 00:21:53.560 --> 00:21:55.780 maritime platform. It's an interesting 559 00:21:55.780 --> 00:21:58.180 capability that gives China flexibility in 560 00:21:58.180 --> 00:22:01.100 launch azimuth and location. And finally, 561 00:22:01.420 --> 00:22:04.380 Sunday also brings SpaceX's second Falcon 562 00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:06.940 9 launch of the week. Also from Vandenberg, 563 00:22:07.260 --> 00:22:09.700 another batch of 24 Starlink satellites 564 00:22:09.700 --> 00:22:12.540 heading to orbit at 1517 UTC. 565 00:22:12.860 --> 00:22:14.788 This one will use booster 566 00:22:15.012 --> 00:22:17.580 B0088 on its 13th flight, 567 00:22:17.660 --> 00:22:19.660 another testament to booster reusability. 568 00:22:19.980 --> 00:22:22.780 Anna: That's quite a week. Seven launches from 569 00:22:22.780 --> 00:22:25.740 six sites. It really shows how routine space 570 00:22:27.240 --> 00:22:27.640 it does. 571 00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:29.880 Avery: And it's only going to get busier as more 572 00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:32.040 commercial Constellations come online and 573 00:22:32.040 --> 00:22:33.800 more providers enter the launch market. 574 00:22:34.120 --> 00:22:37.080 Anna: And May we wish them all successful launches. 575 00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:38.040 Avery: Indeed. 576 00:22:38.360 --> 00:22:41.080 Moving along for our final story, let's 577 00:22:41.080 --> 00:22:43.480 journey to distant worlds and explore a 578 00:22:43.480 --> 00:22:45.920 fascinating new theory about how some rocky 579 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:48.080 exoplanets might protect themselves from 580 00:22:48.080 --> 00:22:49.560 deadly cosmic radiation. 581 00:22:49.800 --> 00:22:52.610 Anna: This involves super Earths. Right? Those 582 00:22:52.610 --> 00:22:55.130 planets that are larger than our Earth but 583 00:22:55.130 --> 00:22:57.410 smaller than ice giants like Neptune. 584 00:22:57.490 --> 00:23:00.370 Avery: Exactly. Super Earths are actually the most 585 00:23:00.370 --> 00:23:02.490 common type of exoplanet we've found in our 586 00:23:02.490 --> 00:23:04.930 galaxy, which makes understanding them really 587 00:23:04.930 --> 00:23:07.090 important. But here's an interesting 588 00:23:08.049 --> 00:23:10.050 Many of these worlds might not be able to 589 00:23:10.050 --> 00:23:12.530 generate magnetic fields the way Earth does. 590 00:23:12.850 --> 00:23:15.170 Anna: And magnetic fields are crucial for 591 00:23:15.170 --> 00:23:17.090 protecting a planet's surface from harmful 592 00:23:17.090 --> 00:23:17.650 radiation. 593 00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:20.820 Avery: Right. Earth's magnetic field is generated by 594 00:23:20.820 --> 00:23:23.020 movement in our liquid iron outer core 595 00:23:23.020 --> 00:23:25.460 Through a process called a dynamo. But 596 00:23:25.460 --> 00:23:28.220 larger, rocky worlds like super Earths Might 597 00:23:28.220 --> 00:23:30.340 have cores that are completely solid or 598 00:23:30.420 --> 00:23:32.780 completely liquid, Neither of which can 599 00:23:32.780 --> 00:23:34.660 produce a magnetic field through the same 600 00:23:34.660 --> 00:23:35.220 mechanism. 601 00:23:35.620 --> 00:23:37.540 Anna: So how do they protect themselves? 602 00:23:37.860 --> 00:23:39.540 Avery: That's where this new research from the 603 00:23:39.540 --> 00:23:41.820 University of Rochester comes in. They 604 00:23:41.820 --> 00:23:44.740 propose an alternate source. Deep layers of 605 00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:47.660 molten rock called basal Magma Oceans, 606 00:23:47.660 --> 00:23:50.480 or BMOs, which exist at the boundary 607 00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:52.000 between a planet's mantle and. 608 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:54.600 Anna: Core molten rock generating a 609 00:23:54.600 --> 00:23:55.520 magnetic field. 610 00:23:55.760 --> 00:23:58.080 Avery: It sounds surprising, but the key is what 611 00:23:58.080 --> 00:24:00.440 happens to rock under the extreme pressures 612 00:24:00.440 --> 00:24:03.360 inside super Earths. The research team, led 613 00:24:03.360 --> 00:24:05.680 by Associate Professor Miki Nakajima, 614 00:24:05.840 --> 00:24:08.560 Conducted laser shock experiments and quantum 615 00:24:08.560 --> 00:24:11.280 simulations to recreate the conditions deep 616 00:24:11.280 --> 00:24:12.800 inside these massive planets. 617 00:24:13.120 --> 00:24:14.160 Anna: What did they find? 618 00:24:14.560 --> 00:24:16.840 Avery: Under the crushing pressures found in super 619 00:24:16.840 --> 00:24:19.240 Earths? We're talking planets three to six 620 00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:22.240 times the mass of Earth. Molten rock becomes 621 00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:24.520 electrically conductive. And if you have 622 00:24:24.520 --> 00:24:27.000 electrically conductive material in motion, 623 00:24:27.160 --> 00:24:29.080 you can generate a magnetic field. 624 00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:32.440 Anna: So these basal magma oceans could act like 625 00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:35.240 liquid metal cores, Just using rock 626 00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:35.720 instead? 627 00:24:35.960 --> 00:24:38.520 Avery: Essentially, yes. The movement of this 628 00:24:38.520 --> 00:24:40.680 electrically conductive molten rock could 629 00:24:40.680 --> 00:24:43.600 drive what they call a BMO dynamo. And 630 00:24:43.600 --> 00:24:45.480 according to their models, these dynamos 631 00:24:45.480 --> 00:24:47.360 could generate magnetic fields that are 632 00:24:47.360 --> 00:24:49.640 actually stronger and longer lasting than 633 00:24:49.640 --> 00:24:51.880 those produced by core dynamos like Earth's. 634 00:24:52.270 --> 00:24:54.590 Anna: That's remarkable. How long could these 635 00:24:54.590 --> 00:24:55.230 fields last? 636 00:24:55.630 --> 00:24:58.150 Avery: Billions of years, potentially. That's 637 00:24:58.150 --> 00:25:00.430 important because for a planet to develop and 638 00:25:00.430 --> 00:25:02.990 sustain life, you need stable protection from 639 00:25:02.990 --> 00:25:05.630 radiation over very long timescales. 640 00:25:05.950 --> 00:25:08.590 Anna: Now, Earth probably had a basal magma 641 00:25:08.590 --> 00:25:10.670 ocean early in its history, right? 642 00:25:10.910 --> 00:25:13.870 Avery: Yes, shortly after formation. But Earth is 643 00:25:13.870 --> 00:25:16.710 relatively small, so as it cooled, that magma 644 00:25:16.710 --> 00:25:19.410 ocean eventually solidified. Super Earths, 645 00:25:19.410 --> 00:25:21.290 though, with their higher internal pressures 646 00:25:21.290 --> 00:25:23.810 and temperatures, could maintain these basal 647 00:25:23.810 --> 00:25:26.090 magma oceans for much, much longer, 648 00:25:26.330 --> 00:25:28.730 Potentially throughout their entire lifetime. 649 00:25:28.730 --> 00:25:31.210 Anna: This has pretty significant implications for 650 00:25:31.210 --> 00:25:32.970 the search for habitable worlds. 651 00:25:33.050 --> 00:25:36.050 Avery: Absolutely. One of the Factors in determining 652 00:25:36.050 --> 00:25:38.170 whether a planet might be habitable is 653 00:25:38.170 --> 00:25:40.930 whether it has magnetic protection. Without a 654 00:25:40.930 --> 00:25:43.330 magnetic field, a planet's atmosphere can be 655 00:25:43.330 --> 00:25:45.810 stripped away by stellar wind, making it hard 656 00:25:45.810 --> 00:25:48.330 for life to survive on the surface. If super 657 00:25:48.330 --> 00:25:50.610 Earths can generate magnetic fields through 658 00:25:50.610 --> 00:25:53.250 basal magma oceans, that potentially 659 00:25:53.250 --> 00:25:55.050 increases the number of worlds that could 660 00:25:55.050 --> 00:25:55.810 harbor life. 661 00:25:55.810 --> 00:25:57.490 Anna: How do we test this theory? 662 00:25:57.650 --> 00:26:00.170 Avery: That's the exciting next step. We need to 663 00:26:00.170 --> 00:26:02.650 actually detect and measure magnetic fields 664 00:26:02.650 --> 00:26:05.010 around exoplanets, which is extremely 665 00:26:05.010 --> 00:26:07.490 challenging with current technology. But next 666 00:26:07.490 --> 00:26:09.610 generation telescopes and instruments might 667 00:26:09.610 --> 00:26:12.010 be able to do it. Professor Nakajima 668 00:26:12.010 --> 00:26:14.050 mentioned she can't wait for future magnetic 669 00:26:14.050 --> 00:26:16.090 field observations of exoplanets to test 670 00:26:16.090 --> 00:26:16.930 their hypothesis. 671 00:26:17.090 --> 00:26:19.750 Anna: It's fascinating how interdisciplinary this 672 00:26:19.750 --> 00:26:22.590 research is, combining experimental physics, 673 00:26:22.670 --> 00:26:25.550 quantum simulations, and planetary evolution 674 00:26:25.550 --> 00:26:25.950 models. 675 00:26:26.190 --> 00:26:28.710 Avery: That's what makes it so robust. They weren't 676 00:26:28.710 --> 00:26:30.510 just working on theory. They actually 677 00:26:30.590 --> 00:26:33.390 recreated the conditions inside super Earths 678 00:26:33.390 --> 00:26:35.070 with laser shock experiments at the 679 00:26:35.070 --> 00:26:37.110 Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the 680 00:26:37.110 --> 00:26:39.550 University of Rochester. Then they combined 681 00:26:39.550 --> 00:26:41.350 that with computational modeling to 682 00:26:41.350 --> 00:26:43.350 understand how these conditions would evolve 683 00:26:43.350 --> 00:26:44.670 over billions of years. 684 00:26:44.910 --> 00:26:46.990 Anna: And this was challenging work for the team, 685 00:26:46.990 --> 00:26:47.510 wasn't it? 686 00:26:47.820 --> 00:26:50.340 Avery: Very much so. Professor Nakajima mentioned 687 00:26:50.340 --> 00:26:52.540 this was her first experimental work. Her 688 00:26:52.540 --> 00:26:55.140 background is primarily computational. She 689 00:26:55.140 --> 00:26:57.260 credited support from collaborators across 690 00:26:57.340 --> 00:26:59.300 various research fields for making this 691 00:26:59.300 --> 00:27:00.860 interdisciplinary work possible. 692 00:27:01.020 --> 00:27:02.860 Anna: It's a great reminder that some of the 693 00:27:02.860 --> 00:27:05.420 biggest scientific questions require bringing 694 00:27:05.420 --> 00:27:07.820 together expertise from multiple disciplines. 695 00:27:07.900 --> 00:27:10.500 Avery: Absolutely. Understanding planetary 696 00:27:10.500 --> 00:27:13.300 interiors, magnetic field generation and 697 00:27:13.300 --> 00:27:15.660 habitability requires geophysics, 698 00:27:15.900 --> 00:27:18.380 astrophysics, planetary science, and 699 00:27:18.380 --> 00:27:20.360 material science all working together. 700 00:27:20.680 --> 00:27:23.520 Anna: So the bottom line is super Earths might 701 00:27:23.520 --> 00:27:25.600 have, ah, a built in radiation shield that we 702 00:27:25.600 --> 00:27:28.080 didn't know about, Potentially making more of 703 00:27:28.080 --> 00:27:29.880 them candidates for harboring life. 704 00:27:30.040 --> 00:27:32.600 Avery: That's exactly right. It expands our 705 00:27:32.600 --> 00:27:34.240 understanding of what makes a planet 706 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:36.600 potentially habitable and gives us new things 707 00:27:36.600 --> 00:27:38.960 to look for when we're evaluating exoplanets 708 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:40.280 as possible homes for life. 709 00:27:40.440 --> 00:27:42.560 Anna: Well, that wraps up today's edition of 710 00:27:42.560 --> 00:27:45.320 Astronomy Daily. From solar storms to 711 00:27:45.320 --> 00:27:48.120 baby stars, Chinese space technology to 712 00:27:48.120 --> 00:27:51.090 hidden magma oceans on distant worlds, it's 713 00:27:51.090 --> 00:27:52.890 been quite a journey through the cosmos. 714 00:27:52.970 --> 00:27:55.570 Avery: It really has. And remember, if you're in the 715 00:27:55.570 --> 00:27:58.090 northern tier states of the USA or Canada 716 00:27:58.250 --> 00:28:00.170 tonight, keep an eye on the sky for those 717 00:28:00.170 --> 00:28:02.530 auroras from that solar storm. Could be quite 718 00:28:02.530 --> 00:28:02.890 a show. 719 00:28:02.890 --> 00:28:05.090 Anna: Thanks for joining us for the latest space 720 00:28:05.090 --> 00:28:07.610 and astronomy news delivered fresh every day. 721 00:28:07.770 --> 00:28:10.290 Be sure to subscribe to Astronomy Daily. You 722 00:28:10.290 --> 00:28:13.290 can find us on our website@astronomydaily,IO 723 00:28:13.370 --> 00:28:15.490 or search for us on your favorite podcast 724 00:28:15.490 --> 00:28:17.720 platform. Until next time, keep looking up 725 00:28:17.720 --> 00:28:18.800 Clear skies, everyone.