WEBVTT 0 00:00:00.960 --> 00:00:01.320 Professor Fred Watson: Hi there. 1 00:00:01.320 --> 00:00:03.560 Andrew Dunkley: Andrew Dunkley here, and you're listening to 2 00:00:03.560 --> 00:00:05.880 Space Nuts. It's a Q and A edition. This is 3 00:00:05.880 --> 00:00:08.280 where we take audience questions. We put them 4 00:00:08.280 --> 00:00:10.640 in a barrel, we pluck one out and we go, now 5 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:12.960 that's too hard. And we just keep doing that 6 00:00:13.440 --> 00:00:15.880 over and over again until we find four easy 7 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:18.880 ones. Uh, today we've got questions about 8 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:20.880 black hole evaporation. 9 00:00:21.520 --> 00:00:24.000 Simple. Uh, Jordy atmosphere, 10 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:27.080 uh, Artemis 2, and those, uh, moon 11 00:00:27.080 --> 00:00:29.240 meteorites that they witnessed. Somebody's 12 00:00:29.240 --> 00:00:31.600 thrown in a question about that. And missions 13 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:34.260 to the sun. Don't forget your sunscreen. 14 00:00:34.260 --> 00:00:37.060 That's all coming up on this episode of space 15 00:00:37.060 --> 00:00:37.620 nuts. 16 00:00:37.620 --> 00:00:39.980 Professor Fred Watson: 15 seconds. Guidance is internal. 17 00:00:40.300 --> 00:00:42.940 10, 9. Ignition 18 00:00:42.940 --> 00:00:45.904 sequence start. Space nuts. 5, 4, 3, 19 00:00:45.976 --> 00:00:46.264 2. 20 00:00:46.336 --> 00:00:46.624 Speaker C: 1. 21 00:00:46.696 --> 00:00:49.504 Professor Fred Watson: 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 4, 3, 2, 22 00:00:49.576 --> 00:00:49.900 1. 23 00:00:49.980 --> 00:00:51.180 Andrew Dunkley: Space nuts. 24 00:00:51.180 --> 00:00:53.020 Professor Fred Watson: Astronauts report it feels good. 25 00:00:53.740 --> 00:00:56.380 Andrew Dunkley: And joining us to try and solve all of those 26 00:00:56.380 --> 00:00:58.380 little riddles is Professor Fred Watson, 27 00:00:58.380 --> 00:00:59.900 astronomer at large. Hello, Fred. 28 00:01:00.690 --> 00:01:02.850 Professor Fred Watson: Good day, Andrew. 29 00:01:03.970 --> 00:01:05.930 Andrew Dunkley: Nearly say good morning or good afternoon or 30 00:01:05.930 --> 00:01:07.810 good evening. Because it might not be that. 31 00:01:07.810 --> 00:01:09.810 When people listen to us, on the 32 00:01:09.810 --> 00:01:11.530 Professor Fred Watson: other hand, it is a day. I could say good 33 00:01:11.530 --> 00:01:11.810 night. 34 00:01:11.810 --> 00:01:12.610 Andrew Dunkley: Yeah, yeah. 35 00:01:12.770 --> 00:01:15.490 Professor Fred Watson: Anyway, it's certainly a day. Daytime here. 36 00:01:17.490 --> 00:01:19.250 Andrew Dunkley: All is well with you, I assume? 37 00:01:19.500 --> 00:01:22.170 Professor Fred Watson: Um, apparently, um, still seem to have. 38 00:01:22.170 --> 00:01:23.850 That's a good answer I'm supposed to have. 39 00:01:23.850 --> 00:01:26.170 Yes. Well, it can only be apparently, because 40 00:01:26.170 --> 00:01:28.650 you never really know, do you? What's going 41 00:01:28.650 --> 00:01:30.530 on inside, what's going on? 42 00:01:32.430 --> 00:01:33.990 The things that you haven't found out about 43 00:01:33.990 --> 00:01:36.910 yet. Yes, all well so far. 44 00:01:37.470 --> 00:01:40.470 Andrew Dunkley: I recently had a profile piece 45 00:01:40.470 --> 00:01:42.710 done by the Cancer Council in Australia for 46 00:01:42.710 --> 00:01:45.150 Men's Health Week because of what You've been 47 00:01:45.150 --> 00:01:46.870 dealing with the last three and a half years. 48 00:01:46.870 --> 00:01:49.830 So, uh, to encourage men to 49 00:01:49.830 --> 00:01:52.260 go and get their PSA tests and, uh, 50 00:01:52.830 --> 00:01:55.470 get their, let's just say, junk 51 00:01:55.630 --> 00:01:57.950 checked out to make sure that they're free 52 00:01:57.950 --> 00:02:00.880 and clear. And, um, I 53 00:02:00.880 --> 00:02:02.400 think it's a very important message. But one 54 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:04.720 of the things I've learned, uh, through the 55 00:02:05.360 --> 00:02:07.360 treatment and discussions I've had over the 56 00:02:07.360 --> 00:02:09.080 last three and a half years in regard to 57 00:02:09.080 --> 00:02:11.920 prostate cancer is that because I have 58 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:14.960 now had it, there is a possibility 59 00:02:15.040 --> 00:02:17.560 that my three children have a 60 00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:19.920 50% higher chance of developing it in their 61 00:02:19.920 --> 00:02:22.240 lives. So it's not just about you. 62 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:24.080 Professor Fred Watson: Yes, exactly. 63 00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:26.560 Andrew Dunkley: It's not just about you as an individual. 64 00:02:27.200 --> 00:02:30.050 If you've got, um, sons, it's 65 00:02:30.050 --> 00:02:32.330 about them too. So it makes it even more 66 00:02:32.330 --> 00:02:33.650 important to get tested. 67 00:02:34.290 --> 00:02:35.010 Professor Fred Watson: Absolutely. 68 00:02:35.010 --> 00:02:36.530 Andrew Dunkley: And you don't just have to be in Australia. 69 00:02:36.610 --> 00:02:39.490 This can happen to any male on the planet. 70 00:02:39.490 --> 00:02:42.290 So go and get 71 00:02:42.290 --> 00:02:44.610 that, uh, Prostate test done 72 00:02:45.090 --> 00:02:45.890 for peace of 73 00:02:45.890 --> 00:02:48.770 Mendham, lecture 74 00:02:48.770 --> 00:02:51.690 over. Uh, let's deal with 75 00:02:51.690 --> 00:02:52.690 some questions, Fred. 76 00:02:53.150 --> 00:02:56.050 Um, we will go to our first one. This is a 77 00:02:56.050 --> 00:02:58.900 pretty short and sweet one, but it's, um, 78 00:02:59.300 --> 00:03:02.100 a complicated issue really. Uh, black holes 79 00:03:02.100 --> 00:03:04.900 are gaining Massey, if 80 00:03:04.900 --> 00:03:07.060 they are colder than the cmb, 81 00:03:07.780 --> 00:03:10.620 how much does this lengthen the 82 00:03:10.620 --> 00:03:13.500 time before they evaporate? That's a 83 00:03:13.500 --> 00:03:14.580 question from Bob. 84 00:03:15.700 --> 00:03:18.700 Professor Fred Watson: So I'm interested in who this question has 85 00:03:18.700 --> 00:03:20.580 come from because I've got a very old friend 86 00:03:20.740 --> 00:03:23.740 by the name of Bob Argyle, uh, which is the 87 00:03:23.740 --> 00:03:25.850 name on the email you sent me. 88 00:03:25.850 --> 00:03:26.410 Andrew Dunkley: It is. 89 00:03:26.450 --> 00:03:28.650 Professor Fred Watson: Uh, we worked together in the Royal Greenwich 90 00:03:28.650 --> 00:03:30.330 Observatory, uh, at a place called 91 00:03:30.330 --> 00:03:32.890 Herstmonceux Castle in the south of England 92 00:03:32.890 --> 00:03:35.610 in the early 70s. Uh, now, Bob went 93 00:03:35.610 --> 00:03:38.530 to Cambridge and I think he's still there. I 94 00:03:38.530 --> 00:03:40.410 wondered if there was any clue to his 95 00:03:40.570 --> 00:03:42.090 whereabouts in your email. 96 00:03:42.830 --> 00:03:45.450 Andrew Dunkley: Um, no, because what you see 97 00:03:45.450 --> 00:03:46.570 is what you get. 98 00:03:46.570 --> 00:03:47.610 Professor Fred Watson: What you get. Okay. 99 00:03:49.210 --> 00:03:51.610 Anyway, well, if it's Bob. G', day, Bob. 100 00:03:52.170 --> 00:03:55.050 Good to hear from you. We should email 101 00:03:55.130 --> 00:03:58.030 one day. Yes, um, it's good, Good to 102 00:03:58.030 --> 00:03:59.790 hear he's still going strong, if it is. And 103 00:03:59.790 --> 00:04:02.670 if it's not, um, I apologise that I'm mixing 104 00:04:02.670 --> 00:04:05.390 you up with somebody else. Uh, but it's a 105 00:04:05.390 --> 00:04:08.230 great question and it's one that, uh, 106 00:04:08.230 --> 00:04:10.950 I had to, um, do some homework 107 00:04:10.950 --> 00:04:13.670 on before, um, before the, before the show. 108 00:04:14.530 --> 00:04:16.630 Um, and the, 109 00:04:17.350 --> 00:04:20.030 the bottom line is, first of all, what's the 110 00:04:20.030 --> 00:04:22.910 cmb? The cosmic microwave background. That 111 00:04:22.910 --> 00:04:25.780 is the, basically the flash of the 112 00:04:25.780 --> 00:04:28.190 Big Bang, which we still see. Uh, 113 00:04:29.100 --> 00:04:31.620 when that light was emitted, it was bright, 114 00:04:31.620 --> 00:04:34.300 white light. Uh, as the universe has 115 00:04:34.300 --> 00:04:37.260 expanded, that radiation has expanded 116 00:04:37.260 --> 00:04:39.220 also. It's been stretched, the waves have 117 00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:41.420 been stretched into microwave 118 00:04:42.700 --> 00:04:45.580 waves. So we see this background 119 00:04:45.740 --> 00:04:48.700 of, um, microwave light over the 120 00:04:48.700 --> 00:04:50.780 whole sky and we can deduce lots of things 121 00:04:50.780 --> 00:04:53.580 from it. Um, it corresponds to a time, I 122 00:04:53.580 --> 00:04:55.980 think it was about 380,000 years after the 123 00:04:55.980 --> 00:04:58.200 Big Ban, when the universe basically, 124 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:02.120 um, stopped being bright and a fog of 125 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:05.840 radiation, uh, everywhere, which it 126 00:05:05.840 --> 00:05:08.720 was until that time. So that's the cmb. Now, 127 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:11.680 what the CMB does is give space 128 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:14.200 a temperature. And the temperature 129 00:05:14.360 --> 00:05:16.600 is 2.73 130 00:05:17.160 --> 00:05:19.960 degrees Kelvin, uh, degrees above 131 00:05:19.960 --> 00:05:22.690 absolute zero. And 132 00:05:22.690 --> 00:05:25.690 so, uh, that is when 133 00:05:25.690 --> 00:05:28.610 you compare it with the temperature of 134 00:05:28.610 --> 00:05:30.450 a black hole. And we've discussed this 135 00:05:30.450 --> 00:05:33.250 before, Andrew, uh, on The Q&As, 136 00:05:33.650 --> 00:05:36.210 black hole temperatures are very, very 137 00:05:36.290 --> 00:05:38.770 cold. Um, typically, 138 00:05:39.230 --> 00:05:41.970 um, a few tens of nanokelvin. 139 00:05:42.210 --> 00:05:45.210 That means a few tens of billionths of 140 00:05:45.210 --> 00:05:47.650 a degree above absolute zero. Compared with 141 00:05:47.650 --> 00:05:50.610 the 2.73 degrees. And so, 142 00:05:50.670 --> 00:05:53.450 um, that, uh, that temperature. 143 00:05:53.610 --> 00:05:56.250 What that means then is that, 144 00:05:56.910 --> 00:05:59.770 uh, photons of cosmic microwave 145 00:05:59.770 --> 00:06:02.330 background radiation, uh, can 146 00:06:02.490 --> 00:06:05.330 be added to the mass of a black 147 00:06:05.330 --> 00:06:06.970 hole because, 148 00:06:08.130 --> 00:06:11.090 uh, the temperature of the black hole is 149 00:06:11.090 --> 00:06:13.370 colder than the temperature of the background 150 00:06:13.370 --> 00:06:16.170 radiation. So, 151 00:06:17.410 --> 00:06:20.170 uh, there is an issue, uh, 152 00:06:20.170 --> 00:06:22.830 which is one that Bob raises. 153 00:06:23.170 --> 00:06:26.150 Uh, I've lost my question here. It is, how 154 00:06:26.150 --> 00:06:28.670 much does this lengthen the time before they 155 00:06:28.670 --> 00:06:31.110 evaporate? So if you've got a situate, we 156 00:06:31.110 --> 00:06:33.830 know that black holes evaporate. Um, 157 00:06:34.190 --> 00:06:36.510 the situation that was highlighted by 158 00:06:36.910 --> 00:06:39.310 Stephen Hawking back in the 70s. Black holes 159 00:06:39.310 --> 00:06:41.990 evaporate over very, very long 160 00:06:41.990 --> 00:06:44.830 periods of time. Uh, but what Bob's 161 00:06:44.830 --> 00:06:47.750 saying or asking is, does the fact 162 00:06:47.750 --> 00:06:50.110 that they're gaining mass because the cosmic 163 00:06:50.110 --> 00:06:52.030 microwave background is warmer than the black 164 00:06:52.030 --> 00:06:54.630 hole, does that extend this time 165 00:06:54.790 --> 00:06:57.790 significantly? Uh, I had to go 166 00:06:57.790 --> 00:07:00.390 to AI to answer this question because it's 167 00:07:00.550 --> 00:07:02.710 got some very, very lengthy 168 00:07:02.710 --> 00:07:05.510 calculations. Uh, but the answer 169 00:07:05.510 --> 00:07:08.490 is, uh, it's, um. 170 00:07:08.490 --> 00:07:11.390 Well, as the AI tool I used says, it 171 00:07:11.390 --> 00:07:14.190 was practically negligible. Oh, um, 172 00:07:14.590 --> 00:07:17.420 uh, changing the final lifespan by less than 173 00:07:17.420 --> 00:07:20.180 one part in 10 to the power 50. So 174 00:07:20.180 --> 00:07:22.910 that is definitely negligible. Uh, 175 00:07:23.100 --> 00:07:25.660 and it's because of the, 176 00:07:26.270 --> 00:07:28.940 uh. It's about the length of 177 00:07:28.940 --> 00:07:30.860 time that the 178 00:07:31.500 --> 00:07:33.940 cosmic microwave background radiation feeds 179 00:07:33.940 --> 00:07:35.980 the black hole. And it turns out that, 180 00:07:37.010 --> 00:07:39.820 um, the black hole is 181 00:07:39.820 --> 00:07:41.820 effectively evaporating 182 00:07:42.700 --> 00:07:45.190 faster than the stuff that it's. That's 183 00:07:45.190 --> 00:07:47.630 feeding it. And so it 184 00:07:48.030 --> 00:07:50.790 basically extends the life of the black 185 00:07:50.790 --> 00:07:53.670 hole by a very, very small amount 186 00:07:53.670 --> 00:07:56.590 indeed. Uh, there's plenty on the web 187 00:07:56.590 --> 00:07:58.550 about this if you really want to get into the 188 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:01.470 nitty gritty of it. But, um, it is a 189 00:08:01.470 --> 00:08:04.030 really interesting question, one 190 00:08:04.590 --> 00:08:07.510 that I have to say, Andrew, had not occurred 191 00:08:07.510 --> 00:08:09.790 to me before. Uh, so I'm very, 192 00:08:10.430 --> 00:08:13.030 uh, glad that Bob has raised it and I 193 00:08:13.030 --> 00:08:15.550 appreciate him doing that. And if it is you, 194 00:08:15.550 --> 00:08:18.190 Bob, I've still got your record of Das 195 00:08:18.190 --> 00:08:20.990 Rheingold in my record cabinet behind 196 00:08:21.070 --> 00:08:23.550 me. The one that you gave me back in 197 00:08:23.710 --> 00:08:24.910 1973. 198 00:08:24.990 --> 00:08:27.870 Andrew Dunkley: Well, he doesn't want it back. No, that's the 199 00:08:27.870 --> 00:08:29.630 other thing that said in the email. Don't 200 00:08:29.710 --> 00:08:32.390 send that back. It's rubbish. No, I don't 201 00:08:32.390 --> 00:08:34.670 know. But maybe Bob could message us again 202 00:08:34.670 --> 00:08:36.430 just to confirm or deny. 203 00:08:36.900 --> 00:08:39.220 Professor Fred Watson: Yes, I know nothing of Fred Watson. 204 00:08:39.220 --> 00:08:42.060 Andrew Dunkley: Yes, never met him. I don't want to. 205 00:08:42.060 --> 00:08:43.300 Professor Fred Watson: I don't want to know. 206 00:08:44.790 --> 00:08:46.820 Andrew Dunkley: Um, the other interesting thing that comes 207 00:08:46.820 --> 00:08:49.140 from that is, uh, because of, uh, how cold a 208 00:08:49.140 --> 00:08:51.660 black hole is, um, if you get too Close. You 209 00:08:51.660 --> 00:08:53.940 turn not only into spaghetti, but cold 210 00:08:53.940 --> 00:08:56.580 spaghetti and that. Have you ever eaten that? 211 00:08:56.580 --> 00:08:57.380 It's horrible. 212 00:08:57.700 --> 00:08:59.660 Professor Fred Watson: It's not nice. No, you're right. It's the 213 00:08:59.660 --> 00:09:00.860 worst of all worlds, isn't it? 214 00:09:00.860 --> 00:09:02.860 Andrew Dunkley: Gosh, it just gets worse. These black holes 215 00:09:02.860 --> 00:09:04.940 are just starting to m. Make things even more 216 00:09:04.940 --> 00:09:07.910 horrible. Yeah, thanks, Bob. 217 00:09:07.910 --> 00:09:10.190 Great question and thanks for sending it in 218 00:09:10.190 --> 00:09:12.150 and we, uh, look forward to hearing from you 219 00:09:12.150 --> 00:09:12.430 again. 220 00:09:12.430 --> 00:09:15.150 Our next question, Fred, comes from 221 00:09:15.550 --> 00:09:18.110 Greg. Uh, hello, Fred and Andrew. It's Greg 222 00:09:18.110 --> 00:09:20.270 from Minnesota. Coincidentally, 223 00:09:20.830 --> 00:09:23.230 Greg is the only Greg in 224 00:09:23.230 --> 00:09:24.030 Minnesota. 225 00:09:25.550 --> 00:09:27.390 Professor Fred Watson: That's just as well, I believe. 226 00:09:28.030 --> 00:09:31.030 Andrew Dunkley: Maybe not. Uh, he says Titan is just a 227 00:09:31.030 --> 00:09:33.350 moon of Saturn. I mean just a moon of Saturn. 228 00:09:33.350 --> 00:09:34.990 That's all it is. It's nothing important. 229 00:09:35.070 --> 00:09:37.690 Anyway, it has an atmosphere so thick the 230 00:09:37.690 --> 00:09:40.330 pressure is 1 1/2 times Jordy 231 00:09:40.490 --> 00:09:43.050 Venus is just a bit smaller than Jordy and 232 00:09:43.050 --> 00:09:45.450 its atmospheric pressure is 90 times 233 00:09:45.610 --> 00:09:48.610 Jordy give or take. Uh, does Jordy have an 234 00:09:48.610 --> 00:09:51.530 unusually thin atmosphere for a rocky planet 235 00:09:51.530 --> 00:09:54.170 this size? If so, could our 236 00:09:54.170 --> 00:09:56.890 wispy atmosphere be because it all got 237 00:09:56.890 --> 00:09:59.650 blown away by fear? Love the 238 00:09:59.650 --> 00:10:02.490 show. Uh, thank you, Greg. Uh, the one and 239 00:10:02.490 --> 00:10:03.690 only Greg in Minnesota. 240 00:10:04.170 --> 00:10:06.860 Um, that's a really interesting question. 241 00:10:07.010 --> 00:10:09.540 Uh, I've never really thought of Jordy 242 00:10:09.540 --> 00:10:12.540 atmosphere as maybe being, you know, 243 00:10:12.860 --> 00:10:15.160 thin and wispy. Thin and wispy. But, um, 244 00:10:16.140 --> 00:10:18.500 it generally is. When you look at photos of 245 00:10:18.500 --> 00:10:20.860 Jordy from space and you 246 00:10:21.259 --> 00:10:24.060 identify the atmosphere, oh, it makes 247 00:10:24.060 --> 00:10:26.100 you cringe a bit because you think, is that 248 00:10:26.100 --> 00:10:27.260 it? Is that all it is? 249 00:10:29.740 --> 00:10:32.060 Professor Fred Watson: I mean, 10 kilometres, you're above 250 00:10:32.140 --> 00:10:35.140 75% of it. It's scary 251 00:10:35.140 --> 00:10:37.020 in that regard. So you're you 252 00:10:38.520 --> 00:10:40.840 when you're in a jet, you're above most of 253 00:10:40.840 --> 00:10:43.400 the atmosphere. Uh, quite extraordinary. 254 00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:47.080 Yes, it's thin and wispy, exactly as 255 00:10:47.080 --> 00:10:47.800 Greg says. 256 00:10:48.270 --> 00:10:49.800 Um, so 257 00:10:52.120 --> 00:10:54.680 let's deal with these objects first. 258 00:10:54.920 --> 00:10:57.880 Titan. Uh, and yes, 259 00:10:57.880 --> 00:11:00.280 just a moon. It's the second largest moon in 260 00:11:00.280 --> 00:11:02.080 the solar system. It's bigger than the planet 261 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:05.070 Mercury. Uh, it's got, but 262 00:11:05.070 --> 00:11:07.270 it does have about one and a half times the 263 00:11:07.270 --> 00:11:09.790 atmospheric pressure of our own planet 264 00:11:10.190 --> 00:11:12.750 and that's largely due 265 00:11:13.550 --> 00:11:15.630 to the difference in temperature between 266 00:11:15.870 --> 00:11:17.940 Jordy and Titan. Um, 267 00:11:18.910 --> 00:11:20.510 so Titan has 268 00:11:21.230 --> 00:11:23.590 temperatures, it's in the surface 269 00:11:23.590 --> 00:11:25.790 temperatures around about minus 180, 270 00:11:26.350 --> 00:11:29.190 minus 190 Celsius. And of 271 00:11:29.190 --> 00:11:32.040 course that's cold enough for its surface 272 00:11:32.040 --> 00:11:34.800 to be solid ice, water ice and to have 273 00:11:34.800 --> 00:11:37.520 liquid natural, uh, gas, ethane and 274 00:11:37.520 --> 00:11:40.400 methane lakes on its surface, lakes and 275 00:11:40.400 --> 00:11:43.200 seas. Uh, it's also got this very thick 276 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:45.320 atmosphere. Um, so these, 277 00:11:45.959 --> 00:11:48.920 the molecules of Gas in 278 00:11:49.480 --> 00:11:52.040 Titan's atmosphere are very cold 279 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:55.440 and so they don't sort of bubble 280 00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:58.050 up to be the. To get up to 281 00:11:58.050 --> 00:12:01.010 escape velocity. And so basically you've 282 00:12:01.010 --> 00:12:02.690 got an entrapment of this, 283 00:12:04.400 --> 00:12:06.530 um, atmosphere. Um, of 284 00:12:07.420 --> 00:12:10.360 m. I think it's mostly nitrogen. Thinking, 285 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:13.130 uh, about it. Um, actually it 286 00:12:13.130 --> 00:12:15.380 is just checking a number here. It's 90, uh, 287 00:12:15.650 --> 00:12:18.610 5% nitrogen, uh, and the rest is 288 00:12:18.770 --> 00:12:21.730 methane and other hydrocarbons. So, 289 00:12:21.730 --> 00:12:23.880 yes. So it's um. The 290 00:12:24.200 --> 00:12:26.520 nitrogen atmosphere, very, very cold, 291 00:12:26.920 --> 00:12:29.440 doesn't have enough energy to sort of 292 00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:31.920 disappear off into space. So its pressure is 293 00:12:31.920 --> 00:12:34.720 much higher than Jordy Um, it's a 294 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:37.400 similar storey in regard to Venus, 295 00:12:37.560 --> 00:12:40.240 only kind of more so. Uh, 296 00:12:40.280 --> 00:12:42.880 because, um, with 297 00:12:42.880 --> 00:12:45.640 Venus we have the situation 298 00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:47.210 that, um. 299 00:12:48.680 --> 00:12:49.450 Uh, 300 00:12:51.400 --> 00:12:53.720 excuse me, sorry, I've just CLOiD the page I 301 00:12:53.720 --> 00:12:56.440 was looking at here. Uh, which is not what I 302 00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:59.280 wanted to do. Um, let me 303 00:12:59.280 --> 00:13:00.440 just bring it back. 304 00:13:00.440 --> 00:13:03.080 Andrew Dunkley: So we've all been there, Fred. We've all done 305 00:13:03.080 --> 00:13:03.400 that. 306 00:13:04.280 --> 00:13:06.440 Professor Fred Watson: Yeah. So, um, we've got a pressure. 307 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:09.720 It's roughly 90 times 308 00:13:10.120 --> 00:13:12.220 Jordy uh, which is, uh, 309 00:13:13.400 --> 00:13:16.260 kind of unbelievable. Um, why is 310 00:13:16.260 --> 00:13:18.940 that? It is because the atmosphere is 311 00:13:18.940 --> 00:13:21.820 mostly carbon dioxide, which is a 312 00:13:21.820 --> 00:13:24.780 dense gas. As you know, it's uh, uh, heavier 313 00:13:24.780 --> 00:13:27.540 than air. Um, and so that 314 00:13:28.180 --> 00:13:30.580 basically, uh, increases the 315 00:13:30.580 --> 00:13:33.170 atmospheric pressure. Uh, 316 00:13:33.300 --> 00:13:36.260 we know that, uh, it's had this, you know, 317 00:13:36.260 --> 00:13:38.740 runaway greenhouse effect because there is so 318 00:13:38.740 --> 00:13:41.220 much carbon in the atmosphere 319 00:13:42.100 --> 00:13:44.980 and that's essentially the carbon dioxide 320 00:13:44.980 --> 00:13:46.540 traps the heat. You've got the runaway 321 00:13:46.540 --> 00:13:48.080 greenhouse effect. So you've got a surface 322 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:50.320 temperature which I think is in the region of 323 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:54.080 460 degrees Celsius. 324 00:13:54.910 --> 00:13:57.840 Um, so the question, I guess 325 00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:01.960 the real nub of Greg's question 326 00:14:01.960 --> 00:14:04.440 is why isn't the Jordy like that? Was it all 327 00:14:04.440 --> 00:14:07.360 blown away by theia? And the answer 328 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:10.160 is maybe, 329 00:14:10.800 --> 00:14:13.800 probably not, but maybe in a way because 330 00:14:13.800 --> 00:14:15.480 what keeps our atmosphere 331 00:14:16.040 --> 00:14:18.880 temperate, uh, is what's 332 00:14:18.880 --> 00:14:21.520 called the carbon cycle. It's the fact that 333 00:14:21.520 --> 00:14:24.440 we have, uh. Basically we've got a planet 334 00:14:24.440 --> 00:14:26.560 whose surface is divided into tectonic 335 00:14:26.560 --> 00:14:29.560 plates. Those plates slide around one 336 00:14:29.560 --> 00:14:32.040 another and you get a, uh, volcanism, 337 00:14:32.640 --> 00:14:35.560 uh, putting carbon into the atmosphere. 338 00:14:35.560 --> 00:14:38.280 That carbon sinks down into the 339 00:14:38.280 --> 00:14:40.920 ocean and eventually gets subsumed back 340 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:43.650 underneath. Uh, the, um, 341 00:14:45.160 --> 00:14:47.960 uh, continental plays. Uh, that's the 342 00:14:47.960 --> 00:14:50.880 mechanism. And that, uh, circulation of 343 00:14:50.880 --> 00:14:53.720 carbon acts as a kind of thermostat. It's 344 00:14:53.720 --> 00:14:55.440 what keeps the Jordy uh, temperature 345 00:14:55.680 --> 00:14:57.650 reasonable. Uh, uh. 346 00:14:58.560 --> 00:15:00.440 The reason why I said there might be a link 347 00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:03.080 with THEIA is I guess it's possible that 348 00:15:03.080 --> 00:15:05.600 THEIA had something to do with the Origin of 349 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:08.880 tectonic plates. Although my understanding. 350 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:11.930 Andrew Dunkley: So not a direct correlation, 351 00:15:11.930 --> 00:15:14.170 but maybe something, you know, an after 352 00:15:14.170 --> 00:15:14.530 effect. 353 00:15:14.930 --> 00:15:17.290 Professor Fred Watson: Yes, that's right. The consequences. We've 354 00:15:17.290 --> 00:15:19.570 got tectonic plates, uh, which 355 00:15:19.730 --> 00:15:22.530 stabilise the atmosphere and that might have 356 00:15:22.530 --> 00:15:24.250 something to do with Theia. Although my 357 00:15:24.250 --> 00:15:27.250 understanding of the Theia impact is that the 358 00:15:27.250 --> 00:15:29.410 Jordy at that time was probably 359 00:15:29.940 --> 00:15:32.730 um, basically a magma world. It was, it 360 00:15:32.730 --> 00:15:35.330 probably had a molten surface. 361 00:15:35.650 --> 00:15:38.370 Andrew Dunkley: So would it have not had an 362 00:15:38.370 --> 00:15:40.450 atmosphere at all or maybe just something 363 00:15:40.610 --> 00:15:42.600 really sinister and nast? 364 00:15:43.070 --> 00:15:44.790 Professor Fred Watson: Yeah, I think it had pretty nasty stuff in 365 00:15:44.790 --> 00:15:45.950 its atmosphere. There would have been an 366 00:15:45.950 --> 00:15:48.310 atmosphere there which was probably highly 367 00:15:48.310 --> 00:15:51.150 toxic and uh, not good for 368 00:15:51.710 --> 00:15:53.710 future planet Jordy So 369 00:15:54.470 --> 00:15:56.830 um, there could be a link with Theia. 370 00:15:57.790 --> 00:16:00.630 I suspect not. As I said, I think my 371 00:16:00.630 --> 00:16:03.470 understanding of the latest idea on the Thea 372 00:16:03.470 --> 00:16:06.310 impact is that the Jordy had basically a 373 00:16:06.310 --> 00:16:08.670 magma ocean when the impact took place. And 374 00:16:08.670 --> 00:16:10.290 that's why, um, 375 00:16:13.070 --> 00:16:15.350 the structure of the moon, the isotopes in 376 00:16:15.350 --> 00:16:17.710 the moon are more related to 377 00:16:18.350 --> 00:16:21.150 the Jordy uh, isotopes than 378 00:16:21.950 --> 00:16:24.310 what THEIA might have had. We don't know what 379 00:16:24.310 --> 00:16:26.669 isotopic ratios there were on Theia. We don't 380 00:16:26.669 --> 00:16:29.450 know exactly what elements were there. Uh, 381 00:16:29.450 --> 00:16:32.070 but the moon is made of stuff largely similar 382 00:16:32.070 --> 00:16:34.830 to the Jordy Okay, all right. 383 00:16:34.910 --> 00:16:37.310 Andrew Dunkley: Um, but yes, we do live on 384 00:16:37.950 --> 00:16:40.500 a planet with a um, thin and 385 00:16:40.500 --> 00:16:43.380 wispy atmosphere and we, we should 386 00:16:43.380 --> 00:16:45.620 do as much as we can to protect it. 387 00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:46.900 Professor Fred Watson: Keep it there. That's right. 388 00:16:46.900 --> 00:16:49.660 Andrew Dunkley: Although, although you did, um, you gave me 389 00:16:49.660 --> 00:16:51.940 an idea. I mean if, if carbon comes out of 390 00:16:51.940 --> 00:16:53.820 the volcanoes, goes back into the ocean and 391 00:16:53.820 --> 00:16:55.579 then eventually gets sucked back down through 392 00:16:55.579 --> 00:16:58.420 the tectonic plates. We're not 393 00:16:58.420 --> 00:17:00.300 wrong to throw all our rubbish in the ocean. 394 00:17:00.300 --> 00:17:02.540 By the sound of a threat, we should keep 395 00:17:02.540 --> 00:17:03.060 doing that. 396 00:17:04.230 --> 00:17:07.100 Professor Fred Watson: Uh, yes, I think there 397 00:17:07.100 --> 00:17:08.540 might be arguments against that. Yeah, 398 00:17:08.540 --> 00:17:09.100 probably are. 399 00:17:09.100 --> 00:17:11.720 Andrew Dunkley: Yes, yes, don't, don't do anything usually 400 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:14.720 wrong. Uh, but thank, uh, you very much, 401 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:16.800 Greg for sending in your question. 402 00:17:16.800 --> 00:17:19.320 This is Space Nuts with Andrew Dunkley and 403 00:17:19.320 --> 00:17:20.720 Professor Fred Watson. 404 00:17:23.520 --> 00:17:25.760 Speaker D: Three, two, one. 405 00:17:26.320 --> 00:17:29.280 Andrew Dunkley: Space Nuts. Okay Fred, we got a couple 406 00:17:29.280 --> 00:17:32.120 of audio questions, uh, so let's get into 407 00:17:32.120 --> 00:17:34.680 those. The first one comes, uh, this one 408 00:17:34.680 --> 00:17:35.840 comes from Switzerland. 409 00:17:38.330 --> 00:17:40.930 Speaker D: Hello Fred and Andrew, this is Michael from 410 00:17:40.930 --> 00:17:43.810 Switzerland. I have a 411 00:17:43.810 --> 00:17:46.410 question for you regarding the 412 00:17:46.810 --> 00:17:49.700 Artemis 2 mission. So, uh, 413 00:17:50.090 --> 00:17:52.570 there it is claimed that they have 414 00:17:53.130 --> 00:17:56.010 visuals of meteorite impacts 415 00:17:56.330 --> 00:17:59.210 on um, the moon's far side. 416 00:18:00.250 --> 00:18:03.130 So uh, my question is how 417 00:18:03.130 --> 00:18:05.930 do we discriminate uh, these 418 00:18:06.260 --> 00:18:09.050 uh, one person side things 419 00:18:09.850 --> 00:18:12.330 from physiological, uh, impact 420 00:18:12.650 --> 00:18:14.890 of uh, high energy 421 00:18:14.970 --> 00:18:17.610 radiation with the human retina 422 00:18:17.930 --> 00:18:20.410 in in space, 423 00:18:21.380 --> 00:18:23.610 um, one person, 424 00:18:23.770 --> 00:18:26.690 visual, uh, to my knowledge, is 425 00:18:26.690 --> 00:18:29.250 not a scientific evidence. So you need uh, 426 00:18:29.770 --> 00:18:31.530 at least two or more 427 00:18:32.510 --> 00:18:35.310 individual, uh, sightings of the 428 00:18:35.310 --> 00:18:38.310 same event, uh, or at 429 00:18:38.310 --> 00:18:40.380 least a technical, um, 430 00:18:41.310 --> 00:18:44.030 sighting. So, uh, what is your 431 00:18:44.190 --> 00:18:46.590 opinion on that? Because this 432 00:18:47.150 --> 00:18:49.950 makes uh, big wave, uh, in the, 433 00:18:50.350 --> 00:18:52.420 in the community. And uh, 434 00:18:53.470 --> 00:18:56.110 I'm not sure whether they really have seen 435 00:18:56.430 --> 00:18:59.390 meteorite impact or just were fooled by their 436 00:18:59.390 --> 00:19:02.140 own side. Thank you for 437 00:19:02.380 --> 00:19:05.100 answering and love your show. Bye. 438 00:19:05.100 --> 00:19:05.420 Bye. 439 00:19:05.580 --> 00:19:08.380 Andrew Dunkley: Thank you. Michael. Uh, I 440 00:19:08.380 --> 00:19:11.180 mean, it's a good question to ask because, 441 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:13.420 uh, all I've heard is that 442 00:19:14.540 --> 00:19:17.260 there were four astronauts on Artemis 2, 443 00:19:17.400 --> 00:19:18.860 uh, that went around the moon, 444 00:19:19.660 --> 00:19:22.620 um, as far as I'm aware, 445 00:19:22.620 --> 00:19:25.460 and I've just double checked it, all four of 446 00:19:25.460 --> 00:19:28.270 them witnessed this event. 447 00:19:30.110 --> 00:19:32.270 So it wasn't just one, 448 00:19:32.990 --> 00:19:34.190 as far as we're aware. 449 00:19:35.590 --> 00:19:37.790 Professor Fred Watson: Um, it's a bit more complicated than that, 450 00:19:37.870 --> 00:19:38.430 Andrew. 451 00:19:38.430 --> 00:19:39.870 Andrew Dunkley: I had suspected it would be. 452 00:19:39.870 --> 00:19:40.350 Speaker C: Yeah. 453 00:19:42.030 --> 00:19:43.790 Professor Fred Watson: So there were 454 00:19:44.990 --> 00:19:47.710 the Gary.com of four and 455 00:19:47.870 --> 00:19:50.110 six impact flashes were 456 00:19:50.590 --> 00:19:53.400 observed, uh, uh, and I 457 00:19:53.400 --> 00:19:55.400 think there is a breakdown, um, 458 00:19:56.120 --> 00:19:58.920 which I have had, but 459 00:19:58.920 --> 00:20:01.840 can't lay my hands on it as to. Oh, here 460 00:20:01.840 --> 00:20:04.600 we are. Yeah. Um, Reid Wiseman 461 00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:07.640 was the commander. He saw 462 00:20:07.640 --> 00:20:10.000 two impacts. Jeremy 463 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.600 Hansen observed another two. 464 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:15.940 And uh, 465 00:20:16.600 --> 00:20:19.540 I think also the other two 466 00:20:19.540 --> 00:20:21.700 Gary.com members observed some. 467 00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:25.140 But, uh, the bottom line here is 468 00:20:25.620 --> 00:20:27.300 Andrew Dunkley: they only saw them one at a time. 469 00:20:27.380 --> 00:20:29.860 Professor Fred Watson: Were they. Yes. Were they 470 00:20:30.180 --> 00:20:32.740 seen together? And, 471 00:20:33.270 --> 00:20:36.100 um, once again my AI assistant, 472 00:20:36.590 --> 00:20:39.540 uh, says the specific number of flashes 473 00:20:40.020 --> 00:20:42.620 definitively witnessed by more than one 474 00:20:42.620 --> 00:20:45.620 astronaut at the exact same moment has 475 00:20:45.620 --> 00:20:48.180 not been isolated from the total Nally by 476 00:20:48.180 --> 00:20:50.800 nas. So we 477 00:20:50.800 --> 00:20:53.720 don't know whether any of them 478 00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:56.400 saw the same, you know, more than one of them 479 00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:58.800 saw the same flash. 480 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:02.440 And in that regard, Michael's got a very good 481 00:21:02.440 --> 00:21:04.960 point. I think because one 482 00:21:05.120 --> 00:21:07.280 visual sighting isn't really 483 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.880 a scientific observation. It needs to be, 484 00:21:11.520 --> 00:21:14.440 uh, somehow corroborated. And you know, 485 00:21:14.440 --> 00:21:15.920 one way of doing that would have been 486 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:18.890 photography. Uh, but I don't think there were 487 00:21:18.890 --> 00:21:21.890 any photographic or imaging records 488 00:21:21.890 --> 00:21:24.810 of these flashes. So I think he's right to 489 00:21:24.810 --> 00:21:27.610 raise the question, uh, because we do know 490 00:21:27.690 --> 00:21:30.530 that, uh, subatomic particles, and this 491 00:21:30.530 --> 00:21:33.289 is particularly cosmic rays, pass through the 492 00:21:33.289 --> 00:21:36.250 body and can uh, essentially 493 00:21:37.050 --> 00:21:39.810 give you a flash on the retina as they go 494 00:21:39.810 --> 00:21:42.570 through one of your retinal cells. They can 495 00:21:43.060 --> 00:21:45.700 basically excite it, uh, and you see a flash 496 00:21:45.700 --> 00:21:47.940 of light. I'm pretty sure You've been them 497 00:21:47.940 --> 00:21:50.020 myself. A single flash 498 00:21:51.540 --> 00:21:54.380 against a black background. Certainly 499 00:21:54.380 --> 00:21:56.660 the electronic detectors that we used to use 500 00:21:57.060 --> 00:21:58.740 at Siding Spring Observatory, they're 501 00:21:58.820 --> 00:22:01.260 probably better these days. Were Very 502 00:22:01.260 --> 00:22:03.700 susceptible to these cosmic ray events. So 503 00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:06.020 when you took an image, uh, you found that a 504 00:22:06.020 --> 00:22:08.860 lot of flashes, sometimes lines where the 505 00:22:08.860 --> 00:22:11.580 cosmic ray has gone. Actually 506 00:22:11.580 --> 00:22:13.620 entered in the plane of the detector. So it's 507 00:22:13.620 --> 00:22:16.240 gone through many pixels and excited them 508 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:18.720 all. Um, so it's a real phenomenon. 509 00:22:19.040 --> 00:22:19.440 Now, 510 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:25.800 my instinct would be that there might be 511 00:22:25.800 --> 00:22:28.240 a differentiation in the duration of these 512 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:30.560 flashes. Because cosmic ray flashes on your 513 00:22:30.560 --> 00:22:33.550 retina are, uh, extremely brief. Uh, 514 00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:36.480 but I think the flashes observed by 515 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:39.200 the Artemis astronauts were also 516 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:42.970 extremely brief, uh, in 517 00:22:42.970 --> 00:22:45.410 the region of milliseconds, probably. 518 00:22:46.030 --> 00:22:48.810 Um, and that's. You probably 519 00:22:48.810 --> 00:22:50.370 would not be able to tell the difference 520 00:22:50.370 --> 00:22:53.070 between one and the other. And, uh, 521 00:22:53.570 --> 00:22:56.050 again, they're in a high radiation 522 00:22:56.050 --> 00:22:57.330 environment. They are, 523 00:22:58.790 --> 00:23:01.490 uh, in orbit around the moon. They are, 524 00:23:02.080 --> 00:23:05.050 um, shaded from the radiation field 525 00:23:05.050 --> 00:23:07.090 of the sun, the direct radiation field of the 526 00:23:07.090 --> 00:23:09.450 sun, because the moon's in the way. Uh, they 527 00:23:09.450 --> 00:23:11.210 were looking at these on the dark side of the 528 00:23:11.210 --> 00:23:14.050 moon, but the cosmos as a whole was open to 529 00:23:14.050 --> 00:23:15.910 them. And that's where cosmic rays come from. 530 00:23:15.910 --> 00:23:17.870 They come from the universe, generally. 531 00:23:18.670 --> 00:23:21.110 So I, uh, think Michael raises a good point, 532 00:23:21.110 --> 00:23:24.030 and it's one. It'd be nice to get a bit 533 00:23:24.030 --> 00:23:26.750 more knowledge of this to see if we can get 534 00:23:27.550 --> 00:23:29.830 some eyewitness accounts from the Artemis 535 00:23:29.830 --> 00:23:32.830 astronauts. They may be writing their memoirs 536 00:23:32.830 --> 00:23:35.110 or whatever at the moment. It would be very 537 00:23:35.110 --> 00:23:37.150 good to see if any of them can corroborate 538 00:23:38.030 --> 00:23:40.720 these millisecond long, uh, 539 00:23:40.800 --> 00:23:41.680 flashes of light. 540 00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:44.520 Andrew Dunkley: Yeah. It says a lot though, about the 541 00:23:44.520 --> 00:23:46.360 sensitivity of the human eye though, doesn't 542 00:23:46.360 --> 00:23:46.640 it? 543 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:49.280 Professor Fred Watson: It does, yes. Yes. Well, it all does, we 544 00:23:49.280 --> 00:23:52.240 think, um, there have been experiments done, 545 00:23:52.750 --> 00:23:55.720 uh, quite some time ago that suggest that the 546 00:23:55.720 --> 00:23:57.960 human eye can almost detect individual 547 00:23:57.960 --> 00:24:00.880 photons, kind 548 00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:03.240 of, you know, perhaps groups of five or 549 00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:05.080 something like that are, ah, detectable. I 550 00:24:05.080 --> 00:24:07.640 can't remember the details of it, but yeah, a 551 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:09.980 good, uh. Well, well thought out, um, 552 00:24:10.690 --> 00:24:13.330 uh, question from Michael there. To which we 553 00:24:13.330 --> 00:24:15.970 don't really have the exact answer. No. 554 00:24:15.970 --> 00:24:18.090 Andrew Dunkley: I Space if, um, they do 555 00:24:18.890 --> 00:24:21.290 write a report or something, they might be 556 00:24:21.290 --> 00:24:24.130 able to, um, clarify what 557 00:24:24.130 --> 00:24:27.050 exactly was seen and who saw it and how 558 00:24:27.050 --> 00:24:29.370 many of them at the same time, etc. 559 00:24:29.970 --> 00:24:32.490 Uh, but if it turns out that they only each 560 00:24:32.490 --> 00:24:35.450 saw this phenomenon 561 00:24:35.450 --> 00:24:38.410 individually, then probably, uh, it remains 562 00:24:38.410 --> 00:24:41.010 just a, um, I don't know, a casual 563 00:24:41.010 --> 00:24:43.430 observation, not a, A scientific 564 00:24:44.230 --> 00:24:44.630 thing. 565 00:24:45.350 --> 00:24:47.750 Professor Fred Watson: That's. That's correct. Yes, exactly. 566 00:24:48.150 --> 00:24:50.390 Andrew Dunkley: All right, great question, Michael. Well 567 00:24:50.390 --> 00:24:52.790 done. Uh, and thanks for sending that one in. 568 00:24:55.510 --> 00:24:57.350 Okay, We've had a problem here. 569 00:24:57.350 --> 00:24:58.029 Speaker D: This is Houston. 570 00:24:58.029 --> 00:25:00.310 Professor Fred Watson: Say again, please. Houston, we've had about. 571 00:25:00.310 --> 00:25:02.750 Andrew Dunkley: We've had a main B undervolt. Roger, main B 572 00:25:02.750 --> 00:25:04.950 undervolt. Okay, standby 13. We're looking at 573 00:25:04.950 --> 00:25:07.520 it. Stay sputs F5. 574 00:25:07.590 --> 00:25:10.310 Final question today comes from somebody who 575 00:25:10.310 --> 00:25:11.670 forgot to tell us their name. 576 00:25:13.750 --> 00:25:16.310 Speaker C: Hi guys. Um, You've been listening to the 577 00:25:16.310 --> 00:25:18.970 show for many many years. Um, 578 00:25:19.110 --> 00:25:21.950 I'm a Brit obviously. You've been wondering 579 00:25:21.950 --> 00:25:24.190 about how to ask a question. I've had several 580 00:25:24.190 --> 00:25:26.550 questions in the past. Uh, the question I 581 00:25:26.550 --> 00:25:29.270 have now is is there anything else that I 582 00:25:29.270 --> 00:25:31.990 haven't found that is going to go and 583 00:25:32.390 --> 00:25:35.350 observe the sun at such or even at 584 00:25:35.350 --> 00:25:37.590 a longer thing? Because my favourite 585 00:25:37.670 --> 00:25:40.410 spacecraft in the world, Parker Solar 586 00:25:40.410 --> 00:25:42.450 Probe and I think it is 587 00:25:43.250 --> 00:25:46.170 done such an amazing job and I was just 588 00:25:46.170 --> 00:25:48.410 wondering if there was anything else that you 589 00:25:48.410 --> 00:25:51.330 guys knew that might um, be 590 00:25:51.570 --> 00:25:54.450 more exciting. So there we 591 00:25:54.450 --> 00:25:56.950 go. Anyway, thank you very much for this. Um, 592 00:25:56.950 --> 00:25:59.370 the podcast has been fantastic for me. It's 593 00:25:59.370 --> 00:26:02.210 kept me going through several nights, months 594 00:26:02.210 --> 00:26:05.010 and years and that was the best 595 00:26:05.010 --> 00:26:05.940 question I could come up with. 596 00:26:07.850 --> 00:26:09.710 Andrew Dunkley: Fair enough. And uh, it's a good one. Uh, 597 00:26:09.710 --> 00:26:11.650 thanks for sending it in. Don't know your 598 00:26:11.650 --> 00:26:14.650 name but um, we know where you are. We know 599 00:26:14.650 --> 00:26:17.420 where you are. Um, 600 00:26:17.850 --> 00:26:20.060 now he mentioned the Parker Solar Probe. Um, 601 00:26:20.060 --> 00:26:22.890 that's also uh, achieved the fastest speed by 602 00:26:22.890 --> 00:26:25.450 a human made object ever I think. 603 00:26:26.090 --> 00:26:28.650 Um, fairly recently. Uh, there are 604 00:26:28.810 --> 00:26:31.370 several uh, probes out there 605 00:26:31.610 --> 00:26:34.490 sort of doing the solar thing. The Solar 606 00:26:34.490 --> 00:26:36.970 Orbiter which is an ESA mission. There's also 607 00:26:36.970 --> 00:26:38.630 the Solar Dynamics Dynamics Observatory, 608 00:26:38.630 --> 00:26:41.070 although I don't is it, is it up there or is 609 00:26:41.070 --> 00:26:42.950 it on Jordy I can't remember. It's a NASA 610 00:26:42.950 --> 00:26:45.190 observatory, uh, soho, 611 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:49.190 uh, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. 612 00:26:49.660 --> 00:26:52.230 Uh, stereo, uh that's we've talked about 613 00:26:52.230 --> 00:26:54.920 stereo. It's two spacecraft um, 614 00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:57.390 orbiting the sun from different angles uh, so 615 00:26:57.390 --> 00:27:00.310 that they can get a um, 360 degree view 616 00:27:00.310 --> 00:27:02.990 of the star. And the JAXA 617 00:27:02.990 --> 00:27:03.830 NASA mission. 618 00:27:07.280 --> 00:27:08.160 Professor Fred Watson: That's right, yeah. 619 00:27:08.440 --> 00:27:10.950 Andrew Dunkley: Uh, which is focusing on magnetic fields. Um, 620 00:27:11.280 --> 00:27:13.080 so they're the ones that I'm aware of at the 621 00:27:13.080 --> 00:27:15.720 moment. Are they more exciting? I Space in 622 00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:17.920 their individual ways they've all got 623 00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:19.839 something different to contribute. So they'd 624 00:27:19.839 --> 00:27:22.800 all be exciting in one way or another. 625 00:27:24.480 --> 00:27:27.480 Professor Fred Watson: Um, that's right. And uh, there are some 626 00:27:27.480 --> 00:27:29.400 upcoming ones as well that I think qualify 627 00:27:29.400 --> 00:27:31.690 for being exciting. Um, but 628 00:27:32.010 --> 00:27:34.970 just backstory of the Parker Solar 629 00:27:34.970 --> 00:27:37.490 Probe, uh, the reason why it goes so fast is 630 00:27:37.490 --> 00:27:39.810 that it comes so close to the sun and 631 00:27:39.810 --> 00:27:41.810 anything that's in orbit, um, and an 632 00:27:41.810 --> 00:27:44.130 elliptical orbit is at its fastest when it's 633 00:27:44.130 --> 00:27:46.330 at uh, perihelion, the nearest point to the 634 00:27:46.330 --> 00:27:49.210 sun. Uh and in fact that near point 635 00:27:49.480 --> 00:27:52.010 um takes it through the 636 00:27:52.010 --> 00:27:54.850 sun's inner corona. Uh and I think 637 00:27:54.850 --> 00:27:57.730 I read um, this last week 638 00:27:57.730 --> 00:27:59.950 it had its um. Was it its 28th 639 00:28:01.040 --> 00:28:03.380 uh, flyby of the solar 640 00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:05.220 corona? I think that's right. 641 00:28:05.450 --> 00:28:07.360 Um, uh 642 00:28:08.020 --> 00:28:10.980 yes. Uh, on the 11th of 643 00:28:11.620 --> 00:28:14.420 June it completed its 644 00:28:14.420 --> 00:28:17.420 28th close approach to the sun, sorry on the 645 00:28:17.420 --> 00:28:20.380 8th of June, uh matching its record distance 646 00:28:20.380 --> 00:28:23.220 of 3.8 million miles or about 647 00:28:23.220 --> 00:28:26.190 5 million kilometres, something like that. So 648 00:28:26.190 --> 00:28:28.070 that's why that's exciting because it gets 649 00:28:28.070 --> 00:28:30.710 fried nearly every time it goes that close to 650 00:28:30.710 --> 00:28:32.990 the sun. But I think there are some coming up 651 00:28:33.550 --> 00:28:36.270 which are uh, um, also pretty exciting. 652 00:28:36.790 --> 00:28:39.630 Uh, ESA's Vigil spacecraft 653 00:28:40.090 --> 00:28:42.510 uh, which will launch in 2031. 654 00:28:42.990 --> 00:28:45.550 That's going to be at the L5 point. Andrew. 655 00:28:45.790 --> 00:28:48.590 So it's one of the two Lagrange 656 00:28:48.590 --> 00:28:51.110 points which shares the same orbit as the 657 00:28:51.110 --> 00:28:53.110 Jordy and it's actually the one behind the 658 00:28:53.110 --> 00:28:55.990 Jordy in terms of uh, the 659 00:28:55.990 --> 00:28:58.770 way the Jordy uh circulates in its orbit. So 660 00:28:58.770 --> 00:29:01.210 it's 60 degrees behind the Jordy 661 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:04.770 Uh and what it sees from that vantage point 662 00:29:04.770 --> 00:29:07.290 is a different view of the sun because it 663 00:29:07.290 --> 00:29:09.610 sees uh, the side of the sun 664 00:29:10.330 --> 00:29:13.290 that is invisible to us but is about 665 00:29:13.370 --> 00:29:15.610 to become visible as the sun rotates. 666 00:29:16.330 --> 00:29:17.930 So it will see the sun 667 00:29:19.420 --> 00:29:22.170 uh several days before 668 00:29:22.650 --> 00:29:25.310 it moves into our view from 669 00:29:25.310 --> 00:29:27.670 Jordy So what it's doing is giving you 670 00:29:27.670 --> 00:29:30.550 advanced warning of all the kind of 671 00:29:30.550 --> 00:29:32.650 activity that we see on the sun's surface. 672 00:29:32.650 --> 00:29:35.230 Uh, coronal Massey, ejections, 673 00:29:35.230 --> 00:29:38.110 solar flares, all of that stuff will be 674 00:29:38.110 --> 00:29:41.070 visible before it comes uh, into 675 00:29:41.150 --> 00:29:43.910 our uh, um before it points 676 00:29:43.910 --> 00:29:46.830 towards the Jordy Uh where some of 677 00:29:46.830 --> 00:29:48.590 these things could actually have an effect on 678 00:29:48.590 --> 00:29:51.130 us. On Jordy Um, there's 679 00:29:51.130 --> 00:29:54.060 ah, something called Prober 680 00:29:54.220 --> 00:29:57.180 3 which is two satellites 681 00:29:57.500 --> 00:29:59.900 and this I think is pretty exciting as well. 682 00:30:00.410 --> 00:30:03.110 Uh they're in Jordy orbit but they uh, 683 00:30:03.420 --> 00:30:06.380 basically give you an artificial eclipse 684 00:30:06.540 --> 00:30:09.260 in space. Oh wow. So um, you have 685 00:30:09.260 --> 00:30:12.220 one which is shaped like a disc 686 00:30:12.620 --> 00:30:14.900 in as much as you can see it in the direction 687 00:30:14.900 --> 00:30:17.020 towards the sun that sits in front of the 688 00:30:17.020 --> 00:30:19.340 sun, the other one's some distance behind. 689 00:30:20.150 --> 00:30:22.950 Uh, and the two of them uh 690 00:30:23.160 --> 00:30:25.400 let you see the inner corona of the sun. So 691 00:30:25.400 --> 00:30:28.180 that's also exciting. Uh, 692 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:31.640 I uh, don't know when that's uh, planned to 693 00:30:31.640 --> 00:30:33.840 be launched but I Beg your pardon, that is 694 00:30:33.840 --> 00:30:35.960 already in orbit. Uh, that's one that's 695 00:30:35.960 --> 00:30:38.600 already in orbit. It's a very 696 00:30:38.600 --> 00:30:41.500 highly precise formation, um, 697 00:30:41.800 --> 00:30:43.960 pair of satellites. I think we've talked 698 00:30:43.960 --> 00:30:46.240 about it before actually now I've come to 699 00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:46.600 remember. 700 00:30:46.600 --> 00:30:47.560 Andrew Dunkley: Sounds familiar. 701 00:30:47.720 --> 00:30:50.670 Professor Fred Watson: Yeah. And then once again another uh 702 00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:53.240 there's a NASA, a set of satellites called 703 00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:56.200 Punch, uh four satellites um 704 00:30:56.200 --> 00:30:59.040 which basically are ah in what's called a sun 705 00:30:59.040 --> 00:31:01.990 synchronous orbit. They're always uh 706 00:31:01.990 --> 00:31:04.920 moving along the line between day and night 707 00:31:05.080 --> 00:31:07.960 and again that will give us uh 708 00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:10.280 3D observations because there are four 709 00:31:10.280 --> 00:31:12.680 satellites more than and they're in different 710 00:31:12.680 --> 00:31:15.240 places uh there's going to be an Indian one 711 00:31:15.800 --> 00:31:18.280 I think there's all sorts of really exciting 712 00:31:18.280 --> 00:31:20.960 stuff coming up up for solar astronomy which 713 00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:23.840 we'll uh learn from a whole new fleet of 714 00:31:23.840 --> 00:31:26.800 spacecraft. So once again uh, I'm sorry I 715 00:31:26.800 --> 00:31:28.240 don't know your name but it's a good question 716 00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:30.310 and a great one to ask indeed. 717 00:31:30.310 --> 00:31:32.480 Andrew Dunkley: Uh and not forgetting all the land based 718 00:31:32.560 --> 00:31:35.040 solar observatories and one that You've been 719 00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:37.960 that um I visited there last year or 720 00:31:37.960 --> 00:31:40.920 drove past it anyway was on uh Mount Tedi 721 00:31:40.920 --> 00:31:43.680 in Tenerife. Yes it's 722 00:31:44.320 --> 00:31:46.880 a solar observatory, the Gregor 723 00:31:47.360 --> 00:31:49.040 Professor Fred Watson: Observatory I think, I think that's right, 724 00:31:49.040 --> 00:31:51.680 yes. And there's also the Daniel K Inouye 725 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:53.640 telescope uh which is on the summit of 726 00:31:53.640 --> 00:31:56.520 Haleakala on Maui uh we 727 00:31:56.520 --> 00:31:58.860 got married in front of it Marnie and I um 728 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:01.560 and uh that's the biggest solar telescope at 729 00:32:01.560 --> 00:32:03.320 the moment. Uh I think there's a bid to try 730 00:32:03.320 --> 00:32:05.720 and build a bigger one but the Daniel uh K 731 00:32:05.720 --> 00:32:08.520 inoue telescope, a 4 metre telescope looking 732 00:32:08.520 --> 00:32:10.840 at the sun. So we've got the most exquisite 733 00:32:10.840 --> 00:32:12.760 detail on the sun's surface coming from the 734 00:32:12.760 --> 00:32:13.240 telescope. 735 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:15.080 Andrew Dunkley: You can't keep China out of it because 736 00:32:15.080 --> 00:32:17.360 they've got the Chinese Large Solar Telescope 737 00:32:17.460 --> 00:32:20.340 um which is um quite a big 738 00:32:20.340 --> 00:32:22.940 one and the list is long. There are many, 739 00:32:22.940 --> 00:32:24.460 many on the, on the actual 740 00:32:25.580 --> 00:32:27.780 surface of the planet that are dedicated to 741 00:32:27.780 --> 00:32:30.620 solar observatory so and for the record 742 00:32:30.620 --> 00:32:33.580 the Parker solar probe uh achieved the 743 00:32:33.580 --> 00:32:36.540 fastest speed by any human made 744 00:32:36.540 --> 00:32:39.260 object on 24th December 2024 745 00:32:39.900 --> 00:32:42.700 when at perihelion it achieved a speed 746 00:32:42.780 --> 00:32:45.500 of 430,000 747 00:32:45.820 --> 00:32:48.460 miles per hour which is 748 00:32:48.460 --> 00:32:51.160 692,000 kilometres hour 749 00:32:51.560 --> 00:32:54.440 and uh, yes everyone's been arrested now 750 00:32:56.840 --> 00:32:58.200 Professor Fred Watson: quite right too, yes 751 00:32:58.330 --> 00:33:00.280 Andrew Dunkley: um, that's, that's, that's extraordinary 752 00:33:00.280 --> 00:33:03.240 speed though. It really is um, quite an 753 00:33:03.240 --> 00:33:06.030 amazing feat but um, thanks for sending it 754 00:33:06.030 --> 00:33:08.880 uh in your question uh whoever you are but 755 00:33:08.880 --> 00:33:11.800 we know where you live uh and that brings us 756 00:33:11.800 --> 00:33:13.400 to the end. Fred thank you very much. 757 00:33:13.960 --> 00:33:16.200 Professor Fred Watson: Pleasure Andrew good uh to talk again and 758 00:33:16.200 --> 00:33:17.240 we'll speak again soon. 759 00:33:17.480 --> 00:33:20.000 Andrew Dunkley: We will indeed. Professor Fred Watson, 760 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:22.360 Astronomer at large. And if you would like to 761 00:33:22.660 --> 00:33:24.980 send a question in for our Q A episodes, 762 00:33:24.980 --> 00:33:27.620 please do. Just, uh, go to our website, space 763 00:33:27.620 --> 00:33:30.580 nutspodcast.com spacenuts IO 764 00:33:30.740 --> 00:33:33.060 Click on the AMA link at the top where you 765 00:33:33.060 --> 00:33:35.980 can send text and audio questions and we'll 766 00:33:35.980 --> 00:33:38.260 do our very best to ignore them, but then 767 00:33:38.260 --> 00:33:40.510 again, we'll probably answer them. Uh, 768 00:33:40.580 --> 00:33:42.220 sometimes we get people that double up and 769 00:33:42.220 --> 00:33:45.140 triple up. And, uh, so if we don't answer 770 00:33:45.140 --> 00:33:46.780 your question, it's probably because someone 771 00:33:46.780 --> 00:33:48.650 else already beat you to the punch. But, uh, 772 00:33:48.650 --> 00:33:50.940 you know, I do my best to go through them and 773 00:33:50.940 --> 00:33:53.510 make sure we don't miss anybody. But, um, 774 00:33:53.510 --> 00:33:56.310 yes, I try to share it around. So it's, um, 775 00:33:56.480 --> 00:33:58.560 different people all the time as well. So 776 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:00.800 there's all these bureaucratic things I've 777 00:34:00.800 --> 00:34:03.600 got to deal with. And, uh, thanks also 778 00:34:03.600 --> 00:34:04.960 to Hugh in the studio. 779 00:34:04.970 --> 00:34:07.760 Uh, now, our last, um, question came from, 780 00:34:07.810 --> 00:34:10.760 um, a fellow who said he was looking into 781 00:34:10.760 --> 00:34:13.320 how to ask a question. And that got Hugh 782 00:34:13.320 --> 00:34:15.240 thinking, so he went to look it up and he's 783 00:34:15.240 --> 00:34:17.080 still trying to figure out how to ask a 784 00:34:17.080 --> 00:34:19.160 question. That's why he couldn't be with us 785 00:34:19.160 --> 00:34:21.120 today. And from me, Andrew Dunkley. Thanks 786 00:34:21.120 --> 00:34:22.520 for your company. We'll see you on the next 787 00:34:22.520 --> 00:34:24.800 episode of Space Nuts. Bye. Bye. 788 00:34:26.460 --> 00:34:28.700 You're listening to the Space Nuts podcast, 789 00:34:30.300 --> 00:34:33.100 available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 790 00:34:33.180 --> 00:34:35.980 iHeartRadio or your favourite podcast 791 00:34:35.980 --> 00:34:38.340 player. You can also stream on demand at 792 00:34:38.340 --> 00:34:39.130 Bitesz.com. 793 00:34:39.130 --> 00:34:41.820 Professor Fred Watson: Um, this has been another quality podcast 794 00:34:41.820 --> 00:34:43.610 production from Bitesz.com. 795 00:34:43.610 --> 00:34:44.030 Andrew Dunkley: Um,