Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose of the most
exciting developments in space science and exploration. I'm your host, Anna,
and today we've got an absolutely packed show with stories
from across the cosmos. We'll be diving into a mysterious
fast radio burst that's challenging everything we thought we knew
about these enigmatic signals, and we'll explore record breaking supersonic
winds on a distant exoplanet that would make Earth's strongest
hurricanes look like a gentle breeze. We'll also look at
some groundbreaking achievements in space technology, including a remarkable breakthrough
in oxygen production aboard China's space station and a historic
first for European space launches. Plus, we've got fascinating new
discoveries about rapidly spinning black holes and innovative plans for
powering future lunar missions. So strap in as we embark
on this cosmic journey through the latest and most captivating
space news of the day. Scientists have made a fascinating
discovery that's challenging our understanding of one of space's most
mysterious phenomena, Fast radio bursts FRBs, a newly detected burst
designated FRB two zero two four zero two zero nine A,
has been found in a place we wouldn't expect, on
the outskirts of an ancient, dead elliptical galaxy. These FRBs
are incredibly energetic pulses of radio light that flash across
the universe for just milliseconds. Since their first discovery in
two thousand and seven, we've detected over one thousand of them,
but this one is special. Until now, we've only found
FRBs in young, active galaxies where stars are still being born.
What makes this discovery particularly intriguing is that this FRB
was detected in a galaxy that's eleven point three billion
years old, practically a cosmic senior citizen. Not only that,
but it's located in an unusual spot, about one hundred
thirty thousand light years from the galaxy center, in a
region where very few stars exist. The leading theory has
been that FRBs come from magnetars highly magnetized neutron stars
formed when massive stars die in spectacular supernova explosions, but
this new discovery doesn't fit that explanation. The galaxy where
this FRB was found is simply too old and inactive
to support the formation of new magnetars through this process.
The burst was first picked up in February twenty twenty
four by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, and it
wasn't just a one time event. Between February and July,
it pulsed twenty one more times, giving scientists plenty of
opportunities to study its behavior. This discovery suggests we might
need to rethink our theories about FRBs, As Northwestern Universities
one five Fong puts it, just when we think we
understand an astrophysical phenomenon, the universe throws us a curveball.
It's possible there could be a whole subclass of FRBs
associated with older systems that were only now beginning to understand.
At just two billion light years from Earth, this FRB
is giving us a front row seat to what might
be an entirely new cat category of cosmic phenomena, reminding
us once again that the universe still has plenty of
surprises in store for us. And here's another surprising discovery
for you. Hold on to your telescopes because astronomers have
just discovered something extraordinary on the distant exoplanet WASP one
hundred twenty seven B. Using the European Southern Observatories very
large telescope in Chile, they've detected the fastest planetary winds
ever measured, and we're talking about speeds that make Earth's
most violent storms look like gentle breezes. These incredible winds
are whipping around WASP one hundred twenty seven bees equator
at a mind boggling thirty three thousand kilometers per hour.
To put that in perspective, that's nearly six times faster
than the planet's rotation speed. Even Neptune, which held the
previous record for fastest winds in our Solar system, only
manages speeds of about one thousand, eight hundred kilometers per hour.
WASP one hundred twenty seven B itself is quite the
fascinating world. Located about five hundred light years away. It's
slightly larger than Jupiter but much less dense, earning it
the nickname Puffy Planet. What makes these observations even more
remarkable is that scientists have detected a clear pattern in
these supersonic winds. One side of the atmosphere is racing
toward us, while the other side is moving away at
the same incredible speed. The research team's observations have revealed
more than just wind speeds. They've confirmed the presence of water, vapor,
and carbon monoxide in the planet's atmosphere, and discovered that
its poles are cooler than the rest of the planet.
There's even a slight temperature difference between its morning and
evening sides, showing that this distant world has complex weather
patterns similar to what we see in our own Solar System.
This discovery is particularly significant because until recently, astronomers could
only measure basic characteristics of exoplanets, like their mass and radius. Now,
thanks to advanced instruments like those on the Very Large Telescope,
we can actually map the weather on these distant worlds
and analyze their atmospheres in detail. This is helping us
better understand not just how these planets formed, but potentially
giving us insights into the origins of our own Solar System.
What's particularly interesting is that this kind of detailed observation
can currently only be done from ground based observatories. Even
our most advanced space telescopes don't yet have the velocity
precision needed for these measurements, but with new facilities like
the Extremely Large Telescope under construction. We're looking forward to
exploring even finer details of these alien weather patterns, and
maybe even studying the atmospheres of smaller rocky planets. Meanwhile,
a bit closer to Earth, the science goes on in
a groundbreaking development aboard China's Tiangong space station, the Shenzo
nineteen crew has successfully demonstrated the world's first in orbit
artificial photosynthesis technology. This remarkable achievement isn't just about growing
plants in space. It's about creating oxygen and rocket fuel
components right there in orbit, marking a significant leap forward
in our ability to sustain long term space missions. The
experiments took place in a relatively simple drawer shaped device
where semiconductor catalysts work their magic by converting carbon dioxide
and water into oxygen and ethylene, a hydrocarbon that can
be used to create spacecraft propellants. What makes this particularly
impressive is that, unlike conventional methods that require high temperatures
and pressure, this process works efficiently at room temperature and
standard atmospheric pressure. This innovation could be a game changer
for space exploration. Currently, the International Space Station relies on
electrolysis for its oxygen needs a process that consumes about
one third of the station's total life support energy. While effective,
this method simply wouldn't be practical for long duration missions
to the Moon or Mars. The new Chinese technology offers
a more energy efficient alternative that could help solve one
of the biggest challenge in space exploration, how to keep
astronauts breathing without constantly resupplying from Earth. The implications go
beyond just producing oxygen. The system is cleverly designed to
be upgraded while in orbit, allowing scientists to test different
catalysts and reactions. By adjusting the catalyst, they can produce
various useful products, including methane for propulsion or formic acid
that could be used to synthesize sugars. This flexibility could
prove invaluable for future space missions where resources need to
be carefully managed and recycled. This development positions China at
the forefront of sustainable space technologies, demonstrating a crucial capability
that will be essential for humanity's long term presence in
space as we look toward establishing permanent bases on the
Moon and eventual missions to Mars. The ability to generate
essential resources like oxygen and fuel in situ could be
the key to making these ambitious goals achievable. And some
news for our European listeners. Europe has just marked a
historic milestone in its space exploration journey, with German startup
Rocket Factory Augsburg securing the first ever license for vertical
rocket launches from mainland Europe. This groundbreaking authorization from the
UK Civil Aviation Authority allows them to conduct launches from
the sax of Word Spaceport, located on the remote Shetland
Islands off Scotland's coast. The license permits up to ten
launches per calendar year, with a maximum of two launches
within any given month. This careful regulation emphasizes both public
safety and environmental impact considerations. For RFA, this isn't just
a regulatory win, it's a powerful endorsement of their technical
capabilities and represents a significant shift in European space innovation.
The company has already made significant progress in their launch preparations,
though they faced a setback last August when a static
fire test of their RFA one rockets first stage ended
in an explosion. However, they're now back on track, focusing
on building a new first stage equipped with nine helix
staged combustion engines. The good news is that other crucial components,
including the second stage, third stage, orbital transfer vehicle and
the faring are already flight qualified. This development is part
of a broader emergence of European launch startups, with companies
from Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom all working to
develop their own orbital rockets. The Sacks of Word spaceport
isn't alone either. Similar facilities in Norway and Sweden are
also preparing to host launches, signaling a new era of
European space capability. What we're witnessing is nothing less than
the dawn of a new commercial space age in Europe.
After decades of relying on launches from French Guiana, Europe
is finally developing the infrastructure and capability to send rockets
into orbit from its own soil, marking a significant step
toward independent access to space. Now our obligatory black hole
story for the day, and it's a beauty in a
fast discovery that's reshaping our understanding of the cosmos. Astronomers
have found that supermassive black holes are spinning much faster
than we previously believed. This revelation comes from an extensive
survey conducted by the Sloane Digital Sky Survey's Reverberation Mapping project,
which looked at black holes spanning billions of years of
cosmic history. What makes this finding particularly intriguing is that
these rapid spin rates are telling us something fundamental about
how these cosmic giants grew over time. The traditional view
suggested that supermassive black holes primarily got bigger through dramatic
galaxy mergers. However, these new measurements are painting a very
different picture. The research team found that black holes from
about ten billion years ago were spinning particularly fast, faster
than their more recent counterparts. This suggests that rather than
growing through violent mergers, these ancient cosmic monsters built up
their mass more gradually, consuming nearby gas and dust in
a smooth, controlled manner. It's like watching a graceful dancer
rather than a chaotic mosh pit. What's even more surprising
is that when galaxies merge, it actually tends to slow
down the spin of their central black holes. This helps
explain why we see a mix of different spin rates
in more recent times, rather than the more uniform rapid
spins we observe in the early universe. These findings are
opening up exciting new directions for black hole research. The
James Webb Space Telescope is continually discovering more distant supermassive
black holes for scientists to study, and detailed follow up
observations will help us better understand how these mysterious objects
grow and evolved over cosmic time. It's like doing cosmic archaeology,
piecing together the history of the universe's most enigmatic objects.
This research challenges our previous assumptions about black hole formation
and growth, reminding us once again that the universe often
has surprising ways of doing things that were only just
beginning to understand. In further Chinese space news, today, Chinese
researchers have unveiled an innovative solution to one of the
biggest challenges in lunar exploration, keeping spacecraft powered during the
long lunar night. They're exploring the possibility of using laser
wireless power transmission from satellites orbiting the Moon to supply
energy to surface vehicles and equipment. The Moon's unique rotation
means that any given location experiences about fourteen days of
complete darkness, with temperatures plunging to a bone chilling minus
two hundred degrees celsius. This poses a significant challenge for
solar powered spacecraft, which need to maintain some level of
power just to survive these extreme conditions. This laser system
could be particularly valuable for exploring permanently shadowed craters near
the lunar poles. These craters, never touched by direct sunlight,
are thought to contain valuable water ice, a crucial resource
for future lunar operations. Traditional power solutions like radioisotope generators
have limited output and are expensive, while nuclear reactors, though powerful,
bring their own set of safety and complexity concerns. The
concept works by using laser beams to transmit power wirelessly
from orbiting satellites to receivers on the lunar surface, which
then convert the light into usable electricity. While promising, the
technology still faces several hurdles, including improving efficiency, managing transmission ranges,
and solving various operational challenges. This research ties into China's
ambitious international Lunar Research Station plans, with missions planned for
twenty twenty six and twenty twenty eight to explore the
lunar South Pole. As they work toward establishing a permanent
presence on the Moon in the twenty thirties. Solving the
energy supply challenge will be crucial for sustainable lunar exploration
and development. While the technology is still in development, it
sense a potentially game changing approach to powering lunar missions,
offering flexibility and scalability in the vacuum of space. It's
another step forward in humanity's ongoing efforts to establish a
lasting presence on our celestial neighbor. Well. That brings us
to the end of another fascinating episode of Astronomy Daily.
From mysterious radio bursts to supersonic planetary wins and groundbreaking
developments in space technology, it's been quite a journey through
the cosmos today. If you'd like to stay up to
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Anna with Astronomy Daily. Until next time, keep looking up.
There's always something amazing happening in our universe. Star Star
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