Anna: Picture this. A volcanic eruption
so massive it could swallow entire
countries. Now, imagine witnessing it
from space on a moon 400
million miles away. Welcome to
Astronomy Daily, where today we're bringing
you the most explosive story from
Jupiter's volcanic moon IO,
literally. I'm Anna.
Avery: And I'm Avery. Anna. When NASA's Juno
spacecraft captured the largest volcanic
eruption ever seen on IO, it reminded
me why we explore these distant worlds. The
sheer scale of what's happening out there is
mind blowing.
Anna: Absolutely. And speaking of exploration,
we've also got some groundbreaking news about
nuclear propulsion that could revolutionize
deep space travel. Plus discoveries about
ancient Martian beaches, the communication
networks keeping Artemis astronauts connected
around the moon. A lunar world tour
happening in February, and fascinating
research about life's ingredients forming in
space.
Avery: Place.
Anna: It's Friday, January 30,
2026, and you're listening to
Astronomy Daily.
Avery: Let's get into it then, Avery.
Anna: Let's dive right into this spectacular
volcanic eruption on IO.
NASA's Juno spacecraft has been giving us
unprecedented views of Jupiter's most
volcanically active moon. And this latest
discovery is absolutely stunning.
Avery: It really is, Anna. Uh, during Juno's
71st close flyby of Jupiter on January
28, the spacecraft captured what scientists
are calling the largest volcanic eruption
ever observed on I.O. we're talking about a
plume that's absolutely colossal in
scale. The plume was spotted at a volcano
called Kanehikili. And here's what makes this
so remarkable. The plume extends an estimated
240km, or about
150 miles above IO's
surface.
Anna: That's incredible. To put that in perspective
for our listeners, that's roughly the
distance from New York to Philadelphia. But
instead of a road trip, we're talking about a
volcanic plume shooting straight up into
space.
Avery: Exactly. And what makes IO such a volcanic
powerhouse is the immense tidal forces it
experiences. Jupiter's massive gravity,
combined with the gravitational pulls from
its sister moons Europa and ganymede,
literally flexes IO's interior,
generating enormous amounts of heat. It's
like continuously kneading dough, but on a
planetary scale.
Anna: The images Juno captured are fascinating,
too. Scientists used the spacecraft's
Juno Cam instrument, and what they saw was
this enormous umbrella shaped plume
extending from Kane Hakili. Scott
Bolton, Juno's principal investigator from
the Southwest Research Institute, described
it as both enormous and incredibly
faint, which is why these observations are
so valuable.
Avery: Right. And this isn't just about impressive
visuals. Understanding IO's volcanism helps
us learn about tidal heating processes
throughout the solar system. Plus, Juno has
been on quite the journey the Spacecraft has
made 18 close flybys of IO since
entering Jupiter's orbit back in 2016, and
it's scheduled to continue observations until
at least 2025.
Anna: Actually, Avery, we're now in 2026.
So Juno has been extended beyond that
original timeline, which is fantastic news
for continued observations. This
discovery really highlights how active
and dynamic IO remains. It's not just
the most volcanically active body in our
solar system. It's constantly surprising us
with the scale of its eruptions.
Avery: Absolutely. And, um, there's something almost
poetic about witnessing such raw primordial
forces at work on another world. While we
deal with our relatively tame volcanic
activity here on Earth, IO is experiencing
eruptions that dwarf anything in our planet's
history.
Anna: It's a powerful reminder that our solar
system is far from a static, quiet
place. There are worlds out there where the
geology is extreme, beyond our
everyday comprehension.
Alright, let's shift gears from volcanic
fury to the cutting edge of space
propulsion technology. Anna?
Avery: Uh, if we're going to send humans deeper into
the solar system, to Mars and beyond, we need
better propulsion systems than what we
currently have. That's where nuclear
technology comes in. And NASA just achieved a
significant milestone.
Anna: This is exciting stuff, Avery.
NASA and the Department of Energy recently
fired up crusty. And yes, that's actually
the acronym they went with, which stands for
Kilopower Reactor using Stirling
Technology. This test represents a major
step toward making nuclear power a reality
for deep space missions.
Avery: I love that acronym. But beyond the fun name,
this is serious technology. CRUSTY is a
small fission reactor designed to provide
reliable power in the harsh environments of
deep space. We're talking about a system that
could generate around 10 kilowatts of
electrical power continuously for over a
decade.
Anna: 10 kilowatts might not sound like much
compared to a power plant, but in space, it's
transformational. That's enough to power life
support systems, scientific instruments and
habitats on Mars or the Moon. Traditional
solar panels become less effective the
farther you get from the Sun. But nuclear
reactors work anywhere.
Avery: Exactly. And the technology behind CRUSTY is
elegantly simple in concept, if complex in
execution. It uses a solid uranium
core about the size of a paper towel roll.
Nuclear fission in this core generates heat,
which is then converted to electricity using
Stirling engines. These are highly efficient
engines that convert heat to mechanical
energy and then to electricity.
Anna: What I find particularly impressive is the
safety engineering. These systems are
designed to be inherently safe with passive
cooling systems that don't require active
intervention. During the Nevada test,
engineers put CRUSTY through its paces,
simulating various failure Scenarios to prove
it could handle extreme conditions.
Avery: Right. And this isn't just theoretical
anymore. The successful test demonstrates
that the technology works. Now NASA is
looking at scaling this up for actual mission
use. Imagine a Mars base powered by one
or more of these reactors, Providing
consistent power regardless of dust storms,
nighttime or seasons.
Anna: It also opens up possibilities for missions
to the outer solar system. Places like Titan
or Europa, where solar power is
essentially useless, Suddenly become more
accessible. With relia viable nuclear power
sources, we could have rovers or even
submarines Exploring these distant worlds.
Avery: And let's not forget about nuclear thermal
propulsion, which is related but different.
That's where nuclear reactors heat propellant
to generate thrust, potentially cutting Mars
transit times in half between power
generation and propulsion. Nuclear technology
could be the key to humanity becoming a truly
space faring civilization.
Anna: It's one of those technologies that sounds
like science fiction, but is rapidly becoming
science fact. The crusty test proves we
have the engineering capability. Now it's
about implementation and integration into
actual mission architectures.
Speaking of missions, let's head to Mars,
where scientists have discovered intriguing
evidence of ancient water.
Avery: Anna, uh, one of the biggest questions about
Mars Is whether it ever had conditions
suitable for life. Every time we find
evidence of ancient water, we get closer to
answering that question. And this latest
discovery is particularly compelling.
Anna: It really is. Avery researchers have
identified what they believe to be ancient
beach deposits in Mars Gale Crater, where the
Curiosity rover has been exploring. These
aren't just random rocks. They're sedimentary
layers that tell a story of water
lapping at ancient shorelines but billions of
years ago.
Avery: The evidence comes from detailed analysis of
rock formations that show characteristics
consistent with beach environments. We're
talking about specific grain sizes, Layering
patterns, and chemical signatures that match
what we see in coastal deposits here on
Earth. The team identified features like
ripple marks and cross bedding that form when
waves and currents move sediment.
Anna: What makes this discovery particularly
significant for habitability Is that beach
environments on Earth Are incredibly
productive ecosystems. The interface between
water and land, where you have tides,
nutrients washing in, and varying
conditions, Creates opportunities for diverse
life forms.
Avery: Exactly. If Mars had stable shorelines
billions of years ago, those would have been
prime locations for any potential Martian
life to emerge and thrive. You've got water,
you've got minerals being concentrated,
you've got energy from the sun, all the
ingredients that life needs.
Anna: The research also helps us understand
Mars's climate history. For beaches to
exist, you need a stable body of water
over extended periods, not just brief
flooding events. This suggests that ancient
Mars had a more Earth like hydrological
cycle Than we might have thought with lakes
or seas that persisted long enough to create
these coastal features.
Avery: And the location in Gale Crater is
significant too. Curiosity has been slowly
climbing Mount Sharp in the center of the
crater. And as it climbs, it's essentially
reading through Mars's geological history.
Like pages in a book, these beach deposits
fit into a broader narrative of a wetter,
warmer, ancient Mars.
Anna: The implications for future missions are
huge. If we can identify ancient beaches
and shorelines, those become high priority
targets for searching for biosignatures,
chemical or physical evidence that life once
existed. We might want to send future rovers
or even sample return missions to these
locations.
Avery: It's also worth noting how far we've come in
our understanding of Mars From a planet we
once thought was completely dry and dead. We
now know Mars had rivers, lakes, possibly
oceans, beaches and deltas. Each
discovery adds another piece to the puzzle of
what ancient Mars was really like.
Anna: And who knows, maybe one day humans will
walk on those ancient beaches 4 billion
years after waves last touched them. But
before we send humans to Mars, we need to
perfect operations around the moon.
Let's talk about the communication networks
being prepared for Artemis 2.
Avery: Anna. When the Artemis 2 crew ventures around
the moon next year, they'll be farther from
Earth than any humans have Traveled since
Apollo 17 in 1972.
Keeping them connected requires an incredibly
sophisticated network of ground stations and
satellites.
Anna: That's right, Avery. NASA has been building
out what's essentially a cosmic communication
infrastructure. And the latest updates show
that the networks are ready to support the
mission. We're talking about the Deep Space
Network, the Near Space Network, and even
partnerships with commercial satellite
operators.
Avery: Let's break down what makes this so
challenging. When the Orient craft carrying
the Artemis 2 crew swings around the far side
of Moon, there's a period where they're
completely out of direct line of sight with
Earth. No radio signals can reach them
directly because the moon itself is in the
way.
Anna: That's where the tracking and data relay
satellites come in. NASA has been upgrading
the Deep Space Network, those massive dish
antennas in California, Spain and Australia
that communicate with distant spacecraft.
These dishes can pick up incredibly faint
signals from the Orion capsule even when it's
280,000 miles away.
Avery: The redundancy built into the system is
impressive, too. Multiple ground stations can
track Orion simultaneously, ensuring that if
one station loses signal due to weather or
other issues, others can maintain contact.
The crew will never be more than a few
minutes without a communication link.
Anna: What's particularly interesting is how much
bandwidth they'll have. Unlike the Apollo
missions, which had relatively limited voice
communications, they Artemis 2 will have high
definition video capabilities, allowing
mission control and the public to see what
the crew sees in real time. Imagine
watching HD footage of Earth rising over
the lunar horizon as it happens.
Avery: That's going to be spectacular. And it's
not just about keeping the crew connected for
safety, though that's obviously paramount.
These communications enable real time science
operations, medical monitoring, and the kind
of public engagement that makes these
missions so inspiring.
Anna: The testing that's been done is extensive
too. NASA has run countless
simulations putting the network through every
conceivable scenario, from normal operations
to emergency situations. They've
verified that commands can be sent and
received quickly enough to respond to any
issues that might arise.
Avery: And this network infrastructure they're
building for Artemis will surf missions for
decades to come. When we establish a
permanent lunar base, when we send astronauts
to Mars, these same communication principles
and much of the same hardware will be the
backbone keeping everyone connected.
Anna: It's a reminder that space exploration
isn't just about rockets and spacecraft. It's
about building the infrastructure to support
human presence beyond Earth.
Speaking of the Moon, there's a beautiful
celestial show coming up in February that
everyone can enjoy from Earth.
Avery: Anna I, uh, love these monthly lunar
highlights. February is shaping up to be a
great month for lunar watchers, with some
beautiful planetary conjunctions and
interesting phases to observe.
Anna: Absolutely, Avery. Let's walk our listeners
through what they can expect. The month kicks
off with the Moon in a waxing crescent phase,
and on February 1st and 2nd, we'll see a
lovely conjunction with Venus. If you look to
the western sky just after sunset, you'll see
the bright crescent Moon paired with the
brilliant evening star.
Avery: Venus is always stunning, and when you add
the Moon to the picture, it creates one of
those scenes that makes even non astronomers
stop and look up. A few days later, on
February 4, the moon will pass near Saturn,
giving us another beautiful evening pairing.
Anna: The full moon arrives on February 12, and
this one has a particularly evocative
traditional name, the Snow Moon. Various
cultures have called it the Hunger Moon or
the Storm Moon, reflecting the harsh
conditions of late winter in the northern
hemisphere. Of course, the Moon doesn't know
what season it is down here, so the name is
purely a human cultural addition.
Avery: After full phase, the Moon starts waning, and
this is when morning observers get their
treats. On February 17, early
risers can catch the waning gibbous Moon near
the star Spica in the constellation Virgo.
Then on February 20, the moon makes a
close approach to Jupiter, which will still
be prominent in the pre dawn sky.
Anna: One of my favorite things to watch is how the
Moon appears to march across the sky from
night to night, visiting different stars and
planets. It's like a natural cosmic
clock, and you don't need any equipment
beyond your eyes to enjoy it, though
binoculars definitely enhance the view.
Avery: Speaking of binoculars, the waxing crescent
phases early in the month are perfect for
observing what astronomers call Earthshine.
That's when you can see the dark portion of
the Moon faintly illuminated by sunlight
reflecting off Earth. It's this beautiful
ghostly glow that reveals the entire disc.
Anna: And for anyone interested in lunar
photography, those conjunctions with Venus
and Jupiter offer fantastic opportunities.
You don't need expensive equipment. Even a
smartphone can capture these scenes if you
have steady hands or a simple tripod.
Avery: The Moon's February tour also serves as a
nice reminder of celestial mechanics. Every
conjunction, every phase we see is the result
of the precise dance between the Earth, Moon,
and Sun. The fact that we can predict
exactly when these events will occur
centuries in advance is a testament to our
understanding of orbital dynamics, though.
Anna: Mark your calendars, folks. February 1st and
2nd for Venus, February 4th for Saturn.
February 12th for the full snow moon, and
February 20th for Jupiter. The Moon is
putting on a world tour, and admission is
absolutely free.
Now let's wrap up with some fascinating
research about the chemistry of life itself.
Avery: Anna? Uh, one of the most profound questions
in science is how life began. And new
research is revealing that some of the key
ingredients for life might form spontaneously
in space without any need for planets or
special conditions.
Anna: This is absolutely fascinating research,
Avery. Scientists have discovered that
complex organic molecules, the building
blocks of proteins and other biological
molecules, can form in the harsh environment
of interstellar space. We're not talking
about life itself, but the chemical
precursors that life needs, right?
Avery: The study focus on amino acids, which are the
fundamental components of proteins on Earth.
We know amino acids can form through
biological processes, but this research
shows they can also arise through purely
chemical reactions in space in molecular
clouds, where stars and planets eventually
form.
Anna: What makes this possible is the chemistry
happening on the surfaces of dust grains in
these molecular clouds. These grains are
coated with ices, frozen water,
methane, ammonia, and other simple
molecules. When cosmic rays or ultraviolet
light hits these ices, it triggers
chemical reactions that can build up more
complex molecules.
Avery: The researchers used laboratory simulations
that recreate the conditions in space.
Extreme cold, vacuum, and radiation.
They found that even without any biological
input, amino acids and other organic
molecules form readily. It's like space is
running a giant chemistry experiment, and the
products are the ingredients for life.
Anna: This has Huge implications for astrobiology.
And if life's building blocks form naturally
in space, then they're probably common
throughout the galaxy. When new star systems
form from these molecular clouds, they
inherit these organic molecules. Young
planets get seeded with the chemistry they
need for life to potentially emerge.
Avery: We've actually found evidence supporting this
on Earth. Some meteorites, particularly
carbonaceous chondrites, contain amino acids
and other organic compounds that formed in
space before. Before the solar system even
existed. When these meteorites fall to Earth,
they deliver this prebiotic chemistry.
Anna: It raises an interesting question about the
origin of life on Earth. Did life arise
entirely from scratch using molecules made
here? Or did it get a head start from
organic compounds delivered by comets and
asteroids? The answer might be both. A
combination of homegrown chemistry and
cosmic delivery.
Avery: And when we search for life on other worlds.
Mars, Europa, Enceladus,
exoplanets. Knowing that the basic
ingredients are probably already there makes
the question shift from could light's
chemistry exist there? To did conditions
allow that chemistry to become biology?
Anna: The research also highlights how
interconnected everything in the universe is
the same. Processes that create stars and
planets also create the molecules
necessary for life. We're literally made of
stardust, but we're also made of chemistry
that happens between the stars.
Avery: It's humbling and inspiring at the same time.
The universe isn't just capable of creating
stars and galaxies. It's also a place where
the precursors to life form naturally,
waiting for the right conditions to spark
something extraordinary.
Anna: Which brings us full circle to why we
explore. Every mission, every
observation, every discovery adds to our
understanding not just of the universe, but
our place in it and the processes that made
us possible.
Avery: What a journey we've taken today. Anna. From
explosive volcanism on IO to the chemistry
of life forming in the depths of space, it's
been a packed episode.
Anna: It really has. Avery. We've covered
groundbreaking propulsion technology, ancient
Martian beaches, cutting edge communications
for Artemis, and a beautiful lunar tour to
look forward to. If today's episode shows us
anything, it's that the universe never stops
surprising us.
Avery: Before we sign off, a quick reminder that you
can find all the links to the stories we
discussed today in our show notes. And if you
enjoyed this episode, please share it with
someone who loves space as much as you do.
Anna: You can find us on all major podcast
platforms, and we're also on YouTubeMusic if
you prefer to watch. We're
AstroDaily Pod on social media,
and you can visit our website at
astronomydaily IO for
articles, transcripts and more.