1
00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,080
Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose of the most

2
00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:07,360
exciting developments in space science and exploration. I'm your host, Anna,

3
00:00:07,559 --> 00:00:10,320
and today we've got an absolutely packed show with stories

4
00:00:10,359 --> 00:00:13,759
from across the cosmos. We'll be diving into a mysterious

5
00:00:13,759 --> 00:00:16,879
fast radio burst that's challenging everything we thought we knew

6
00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:21,239
about these enigmatic signals, and we'll explore record breaking supersonic

7
00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,559
winds on a distant exoplanet that would make Earth's strongest

8
00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,960
hurricanes look like a gentle breeze. We'll also look at

9
00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:32,640
some groundbreaking achievements in space technology, including a remarkable breakthrough

10
00:00:32,679 --> 00:00:36,560
in oxygen production aboard China's space station and a historic

11
00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:41,200
first for European space launches. Plus, we've got fascinating new

12
00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,560
discoveries about rapidly spinning black holes and innovative plans for

13
00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,359
powering future lunar missions. So strap in as we embark

14
00:00:48,359 --> 00:00:51,039
on this cosmic journey through the latest and most captivating

15
00:00:51,039 --> 00:00:54,439
space news of the day. Scientists have made a fascinating

16
00:00:54,439 --> 00:00:57,479
discovery that's challenging our understanding of one of space's most

17
00:00:57,479 --> 00:01:03,200
mysterious phenomena, Fast radio bursts FRBs, a newly detected burst

18
00:01:03,359 --> 00:01:07,040
designated FRB two zero two four zero two zero nine A,

19
00:01:07,599 --> 00:01:10,159
has been found in a place we wouldn't expect, on

20
00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:14,239
the outskirts of an ancient, dead elliptical galaxy. These FRBs

21
00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,920
are incredibly energetic pulses of radio light that flash across

22
00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:21,640
the universe for just milliseconds. Since their first discovery in

23
00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:24,920
two thousand and seven, we've detected over one thousand of them,

24
00:01:25,159 --> 00:01:28,280
but this one is special. Until now, we've only found

25
00:01:28,359 --> 00:01:32,239
FRBs in young, active galaxies where stars are still being born.

26
00:01:33,159 --> 00:01:37,079
What makes this discovery particularly intriguing is that this FRB

27
00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,799
was detected in a galaxy that's eleven point three billion

28
00:01:40,879 --> 00:01:45,480
years old, practically a cosmic senior citizen. Not only that,

29
00:01:45,719 --> 00:01:48,959
but it's located in an unusual spot, about one hundred

30
00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:52,000
thirty thousand light years from the galaxy center, in a

31
00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,879
region where very few stars exist. The leading theory has

32
00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:01,000
been that FRBs come from magnetars highly magnetized neutron stars

33
00:02:01,079 --> 00:02:06,079
formed when massive stars die in spectacular supernova explosions, but

34
00:02:06,159 --> 00:02:09,520
this new discovery doesn't fit that explanation. The galaxy where

35
00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,360
this FRB was found is simply too old and inactive

36
00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,319
to support the formation of new magnetars through this process.

37
00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,919
The burst was first picked up in February twenty twenty

38
00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:23,280
four by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, and it

39
00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,560
wasn't just a one time event. Between February and July,

40
00:02:27,039 --> 00:02:30,919
it pulsed twenty one more times, giving scientists plenty of

41
00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:35,080
opportunities to study its behavior. This discovery suggests we might

42
00:02:35,159 --> 00:02:39,400
need to rethink our theories about FRBs, As Northwestern Universities

43
00:02:39,479 --> 00:02:41,919
one five Fong puts it, just when we think we

44
00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:46,199
understand an astrophysical phenomenon, the universe throws us a curveball.

45
00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,240
It's possible there could be a whole subclass of FRBs

46
00:02:49,319 --> 00:02:53,159
associated with older systems that were only now beginning to understand.

47
00:02:53,879 --> 00:02:56,960
At just two billion light years from Earth, this FRB

48
00:02:57,159 --> 00:02:58,879
is giving us a front row seat to what might

49
00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,120
be an entirely new cat category of cosmic phenomena, reminding

50
00:03:02,199 --> 00:03:04,879
us once again that the universe still has plenty of

51
00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:09,439
surprises in store for us. And here's another surprising discovery

52
00:03:09,439 --> 00:03:12,520
for you. Hold on to your telescopes because astronomers have

53
00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:17,280
just discovered something extraordinary on the distant exoplanet WASP one

54
00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:22,080
hundred twenty seven B. Using the European Southern Observatories very

55
00:03:22,159 --> 00:03:26,360
large telescope in Chile, they've detected the fastest planetary winds

56
00:03:26,439 --> 00:03:29,960
ever measured, and we're talking about speeds that make Earth's

57
00:03:30,039 --> 00:03:34,319
most violent storms look like gentle breezes. These incredible winds

58
00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,599
are whipping around WASP one hundred twenty seven bees equator

59
00:03:37,639 --> 00:03:40,639
at a mind boggling thirty three thousand kilometers per hour.

60
00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,280
To put that in perspective, that's nearly six times faster

61
00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:48,080
than the planet's rotation speed. Even Neptune, which held the

62
00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,719
previous record for fastest winds in our Solar system, only

63
00:03:51,759 --> 00:03:55,319
manages speeds of about one thousand, eight hundred kilometers per hour.

64
00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,879
WASP one hundred twenty seven B itself is quite the

65
00:03:58,919 --> 00:04:03,680
fascinating world. Located about five hundred light years away. It's

66
00:04:03,719 --> 00:04:07,120
slightly larger than Jupiter but much less dense, earning it

67
00:04:07,199 --> 00:04:11,199
the nickname Puffy Planet. What makes these observations even more

68
00:04:11,199 --> 00:04:14,199
remarkable is that scientists have detected a clear pattern in

69
00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,480
these supersonic winds. One side of the atmosphere is racing

70
00:04:17,519 --> 00:04:20,360
toward us, while the other side is moving away at

71
00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:24,959
the same incredible speed. The research team's observations have revealed

72
00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,759
more than just wind speeds. They've confirmed the presence of water, vapor,

73
00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,560
and carbon monoxide in the planet's atmosphere, and discovered that

74
00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:34,959
its poles are cooler than the rest of the planet.

75
00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,639
There's even a slight temperature difference between its morning and

76
00:04:38,759 --> 00:04:42,519
evening sides, showing that this distant world has complex weather

77
00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:45,480
patterns similar to what we see in our own Solar System.

78
00:04:46,439 --> 00:04:50,959
This discovery is particularly significant because until recently, astronomers could

79
00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:56,519
only measure basic characteristics of exoplanets, like their mass and radius. Now,

80
00:04:56,519 --> 00:05:00,040
thanks to advanced instruments like those on the Very Large Telescope,

81
00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,839
we can actually map the weather on these distant worlds

82
00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,439
and analyze their atmospheres in detail. This is helping us

83
00:05:06,519 --> 00:05:10,199
better understand not just how these planets formed, but potentially

84
00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,600
giving us insights into the origins of our own Solar System.

85
00:05:13,879 --> 00:05:17,120
What's particularly interesting is that this kind of detailed observation

86
00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:21,160
can currently only be done from ground based observatories. Even

87
00:05:21,199 --> 00:05:24,720
our most advanced space telescopes don't yet have the velocity

88
00:05:24,759 --> 00:05:28,399
precision needed for these measurements, but with new facilities like

89
00:05:28,439 --> 00:05:32,279
the Extremely Large Telescope under construction. We're looking forward to

90
00:05:32,319 --> 00:05:36,519
exploring even finer details of these alien weather patterns, and

91
00:05:36,639 --> 00:05:42,439
maybe even studying the atmospheres of smaller rocky planets. Meanwhile,

92
00:05:42,519 --> 00:05:45,360
a bit closer to Earth, the science goes on in

93
00:05:45,399 --> 00:05:49,639
a groundbreaking development aboard China's Tiangong space station, the Shenzo

94
00:05:49,759 --> 00:05:53,480
nineteen crew has successfully demonstrated the world's first in orbit

95
00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:58,800
artificial photosynthesis technology. This remarkable achievement isn't just about growing

96
00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:02,480
plants in space. It's about creating oxygen and rocket fuel

97
00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:06,639
components right there in orbit, marking a significant leap forward

98
00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:10,040
in our ability to sustain long term space missions. The

99
00:06:10,079 --> 00:06:13,439
experiments took place in a relatively simple drawer shaped device

100
00:06:13,759 --> 00:06:17,879
where semiconductor catalysts work their magic by converting carbon dioxide

101
00:06:17,879 --> 00:06:21,360
and water into oxygen and ethylene, a hydrocarbon that can

102
00:06:21,399 --> 00:06:25,199
be used to create spacecraft propellants. What makes this particularly

103
00:06:25,199 --> 00:06:28,959
impressive is that, unlike conventional methods that require high temperatures

104
00:06:28,959 --> 00:06:32,920
and pressure, this process works efficiently at room temperature and

105
00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,920
standard atmospheric pressure. This innovation could be a game changer

106
00:06:36,959 --> 00:06:40,720
for space exploration. Currently, the International Space Station relies on

107
00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,560
electrolysis for its oxygen needs a process that consumes about

108
00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:48,560
one third of the station's total life support energy. While effective,

109
00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,160
this method simply wouldn't be practical for long duration missions

110
00:06:52,199 --> 00:06:55,920
to the Moon or Mars. The new Chinese technology offers

111
00:06:55,959 --> 00:06:59,199
a more energy efficient alternative that could help solve one

112
00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,480
of the biggest challenge in space exploration, how to keep

113
00:07:02,519 --> 00:07:07,279
astronauts breathing without constantly resupplying from Earth. The implications go

114
00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,800
beyond just producing oxygen. The system is cleverly designed to

115
00:07:10,839 --> 00:07:14,439
be upgraded while in orbit, allowing scientists to test different

116
00:07:14,439 --> 00:07:18,439
catalysts and reactions. By adjusting the catalyst, they can produce

117
00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:22,639
various useful products, including methane for propulsion or formic acid

118
00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:26,240
that could be used to synthesize sugars. This flexibility could

119
00:07:26,279 --> 00:07:29,439
prove invaluable for future space missions where resources need to

120
00:07:29,439 --> 00:07:33,680
be carefully managed and recycled. This development positions China at

121
00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:38,680
the forefront of sustainable space technologies, demonstrating a crucial capability

122
00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,079
that will be essential for humanity's long term presence in

123
00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,720
space as we look toward establishing permanent bases on the

124
00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,120
Moon and eventual missions to Mars. The ability to generate

125
00:07:49,199 --> 00:07:52,800
essential resources like oxygen and fuel in situ could be

126
00:07:52,839 --> 00:07:56,879
the key to making these ambitious goals achievable. And some

127
00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,360
news for our European listeners. Europe has just marked a

128
00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:04,759
historic milestone in its space exploration journey, with German startup

129
00:08:04,839 --> 00:08:08,720
Rocket Factory Augsburg securing the first ever license for vertical

130
00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:13,319
rocket launches from mainland Europe. This groundbreaking authorization from the

131
00:08:13,439 --> 00:08:17,160
UK Civil Aviation Authority allows them to conduct launches from

132
00:08:17,199 --> 00:08:20,639
the sax of Word Spaceport, located on the remote Shetland

133
00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:24,480
Islands off Scotland's coast. The license permits up to ten

134
00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,040
launches per calendar year, with a maximum of two launches

135
00:08:28,079 --> 00:08:32,399
within any given month. This careful regulation emphasizes both public

136
00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:37,240
safety and environmental impact considerations. For RFA, this isn't just

137
00:08:37,279 --> 00:08:41,240
a regulatory win, it's a powerful endorsement of their technical

138
00:08:41,279 --> 00:08:45,799
capabilities and represents a significant shift in European space innovation.

139
00:08:46,759 --> 00:08:50,480
The company has already made significant progress in their launch preparations,

140
00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,960
though they faced a setback last August when a static

141
00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,919
fire test of their RFA one rockets first stage ended

142
00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,639
in an explosion. However, they're now back on track, focusing

143
00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,399
on building a new first stage equipped with nine helix

144
00:09:03,519 --> 00:09:07,960
staged combustion engines. The good news is that other crucial components,

145
00:09:08,039 --> 00:09:12,360
including the second stage, third stage, orbital transfer vehicle and

146
00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:16,879
the faring are already flight qualified. This development is part

147
00:09:16,879 --> 00:09:20,440
of a broader emergence of European launch startups, with companies

148
00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:24,320
from Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom all working to

149
00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,279
develop their own orbital rockets. The Sacks of Word spaceport

150
00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,840
isn't alone either. Similar facilities in Norway and Sweden are

151
00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,200
also preparing to host launches, signaling a new era of

152
00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:39,120
European space capability. What we're witnessing is nothing less than

153
00:09:39,159 --> 00:09:42,080
the dawn of a new commercial space age in Europe.

154
00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:45,639
After decades of relying on launches from French Guiana, Europe

155
00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:49,279
is finally developing the infrastructure and capability to send rockets

156
00:09:49,279 --> 00:09:52,559
into orbit from its own soil, marking a significant step

157
00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:57,200
toward independent access to space. Now our obligatory black hole

158
00:09:57,279 --> 00:09:59,639
story for the day, and it's a beauty in a

159
00:09:59,639 --> 00:10:04,200
fast discovery that's reshaping our understanding of the cosmos. Astronomers

160
00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,159
have found that supermassive black holes are spinning much faster

161
00:10:07,279 --> 00:10:11,279
than we previously believed. This revelation comes from an extensive

162
00:10:11,279 --> 00:10:15,919
survey conducted by the Sloane Digital Sky Survey's Reverberation Mapping project,

163
00:10:16,279 --> 00:10:19,000
which looked at black holes spanning billions of years of

164
00:10:19,039 --> 00:10:23,519
cosmic history. What makes this finding particularly intriguing is that

165
00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:27,000
these rapid spin rates are telling us something fundamental about

166
00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:31,200
how these cosmic giants grew over time. The traditional view

167
00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,639
suggested that supermassive black holes primarily got bigger through dramatic

168
00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:39,799
galaxy mergers. However, these new measurements are painting a very

169
00:10:39,799 --> 00:10:43,120
different picture. The research team found that black holes from

170
00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:47,600
about ten billion years ago were spinning particularly fast, faster

171
00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:51,399
than their more recent counterparts. This suggests that rather than

172
00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,440
growing through violent mergers, these ancient cosmic monsters built up

173
00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:59,240
their mass more gradually, consuming nearby gas and dust in

174
00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,960
a smooth, controlled manner. It's like watching a graceful dancer

175
00:11:03,039 --> 00:11:06,759
rather than a chaotic mosh pit. What's even more surprising

176
00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,399
is that when galaxies merge, it actually tends to slow

177
00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:14,559
down the spin of their central black holes. This helps

178
00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:17,159
explain why we see a mix of different spin rates

179
00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:20,799
in more recent times, rather than the more uniform rapid

180
00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,320
spins we observe in the early universe. These findings are

181
00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,799
opening up exciting new directions for black hole research. The

182
00:11:27,879 --> 00:11:32,360
James Webb Space Telescope is continually discovering more distant supermassive

183
00:11:32,399 --> 00:11:35,639
black holes for scientists to study, and detailed follow up

184
00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:40,039
observations will help us better understand how these mysterious objects

185
00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:45,120
grow and evolved over cosmic time. It's like doing cosmic archaeology,

186
00:11:45,519 --> 00:11:49,240
piecing together the history of the universe's most enigmatic objects.

187
00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:53,799
This research challenges our previous assumptions about black hole formation

188
00:11:53,919 --> 00:11:57,799
and growth, reminding us once again that the universe often

189
00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,440
has surprising ways of doing things that were only just

190
00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:05,960
beginning to understand. In further Chinese space news, today, Chinese

191
00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:09,159
researchers have unveiled an innovative solution to one of the

192
00:12:09,159 --> 00:12:13,559
biggest challenges in lunar exploration, keeping spacecraft powered during the

193
00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:17,559
long lunar night. They're exploring the possibility of using laser

194
00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:22,120
wireless power transmission from satellites orbiting the Moon to supply

195
00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,000
energy to surface vehicles and equipment. The Moon's unique rotation

196
00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,879
means that any given location experiences about fourteen days of

197
00:12:29,919 --> 00:12:34,159
complete darkness, with temperatures plunging to a bone chilling minus

198
00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:38,679
two hundred degrees celsius. This poses a significant challenge for

199
00:12:38,759 --> 00:12:42,279
solar powered spacecraft, which need to maintain some level of

200
00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:46,759
power just to survive these extreme conditions. This laser system

201
00:12:46,799 --> 00:12:50,879
could be particularly valuable for exploring permanently shadowed craters near

202
00:12:50,919 --> 00:12:54,840
the lunar poles. These craters, never touched by direct sunlight,

203
00:12:55,159 --> 00:12:58,720
are thought to contain valuable water ice, a crucial resource

204
00:12:58,759 --> 00:13:04,000
for future lunar operations. Traditional power solutions like radioisotope generators

205
00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:09,360
have limited output and are expensive, while nuclear reactors, though powerful,

206
00:13:09,639 --> 00:13:13,519
bring their own set of safety and complexity concerns. The

207
00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:17,080
concept works by using laser beams to transmit power wirelessly

208
00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:20,639
from orbiting satellites to receivers on the lunar surface, which

209
00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:25,080
then convert the light into usable electricity. While promising, the

210
00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:30,799
technology still faces several hurdles, including improving efficiency, managing transmission ranges,

211
00:13:31,039 --> 00:13:35,639
and solving various operational challenges. This research ties into China's

212
00:13:35,639 --> 00:13:40,039
ambitious international Lunar Research Station plans, with missions planned for

213
00:13:40,159 --> 00:13:43,200
twenty twenty six and twenty twenty eight to explore the

214
00:13:43,279 --> 00:13:47,159
lunar South Pole. As they work toward establishing a permanent

215
00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,519
presence on the Moon in the twenty thirties. Solving the

216
00:13:50,639 --> 00:13:54,679
energy supply challenge will be crucial for sustainable lunar exploration

217
00:13:55,279 --> 00:13:59,600
and development. While the technology is still in development, it

218
00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:04,120
sense a potentially game changing approach to powering lunar missions,

219
00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:08,879
offering flexibility and scalability in the vacuum of space. It's

220
00:14:08,919 --> 00:14:12,919
another step forward in humanity's ongoing efforts to establish a

221
00:14:13,039 --> 00:14:18,200
lasting presence on our celestial neighbor. Well. That brings us

222
00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,279
to the end of another fascinating episode of Astronomy Daily.

223
00:14:21,799 --> 00:14:26,519
From mysterious radio bursts to supersonic planetary wins and groundbreaking

224
00:14:26,559 --> 00:14:29,960
developments in space technology, it's been quite a journey through

225
00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,039
the cosmos today. If you'd like to stay up to

226
00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:36,240
date with all the latest space and astronomy news, head

227
00:14:36,279 --> 00:14:40,240
over to our website at Astronomy Daily dot io. There

228
00:14:40,279 --> 00:14:43,120
you'll find our constantly updating news feed and can catch

229
00:14:43,159 --> 00:14:46,000
up on all our previous episodes, and don't forget to

230
00:14:46,039 --> 00:14:48,600
follow us across social media. You can find us as

231
00:14:48,679 --> 00:14:53,679
astro Daily Pod on Facebook, x YouTube, YouTube, music, Tumbler,

232
00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,840
and TikTok. We love seeing your comments and questions, so

233
00:14:56,919 --> 00:14:59,440
don't be shy about reaching out. If you're enjoying the show,

234
00:14:59,639 --> 00:15:02,360
makes sure or you're subscribed wherever you get your podcasts,

235
00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:08,080
whether that's Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or your favorite podcast platform.

236
00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:11,120
That way, you'll never miss an episode as we continue

237
00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:14,440
to explore the wonders of space together. This has been

238
00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:17,919
Anna with Astronomy Daily. Until next time, keep looking up.

239
00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:32,240
There's always something amazing happening in our universe. Star Star

240
00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:40,279
Snary