Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to podcast for the
latest space and astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and
boy do we have an exciting episode for you Today.
We're covering a wide range of fascinating topics that are
sure to peak your interest. From fashion forward space suits
designed for NASA's upcoming Moon mission, to the solution of
a decade's old mystery surrounding a puzzling ground dwarf, We've
got it all. We'll also be talking about a rare
comet visible in Australian skies, new insights into the origins
of Earth's meteorites, and even a Martian's solar eclipse captured
by one of our trusty rovers. But that's not all.
We'll also dive into the latest updates on space exploration,
including some uncertainty surrounding Boeing's next crude mission. So buckle
up and get ready for a cosmic journey through the
latest and greatest in space and astronomy news. First up today,
just because you're going to the Moon doesn't mean you
can't be fashionable. In an exciting collaboration, Italian luxury brand
Prada has joined forces with Houston based startup Axiom Space
to create a cutting edge space suit for NASA's upcoming
Artemis three mission to the Moon. This mission, planned for
twenty twenty six, will mark the first astronaut moon landing
since Apollo seventeen in nineteen seventy two. The new spacesuit,
known as the Axium Extra Vehicular Mobility Unit or AXEMU,
was recently unveiled at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan.
While it maintains the familiar bulky white appearance we've come
to associate with space suits, it now features added red
trim and gray patches on the knees and elbows, giving
it a subtle yet stylish update. But don't let its
sleek look fool you. This suit is all about function.
It's been designed to withstand the extreme temperatures at the
lunar South Pole, including the ability to endure the coldest
temperatures in permanently shadowed regions for at least two hours.
The suit will also allow astronauts to perform space walks
for up to eight hours, showcasing its impressive endurance capabilities.
The AXIMU has already undergone extensive testing, including underwater simulations
to mimic the lunar environment as it nears its final
development stage. Both Prada and Axiom Space express pride in
their collaborative effort, highlighting how the combination of their diverse
skills has led to this innovative design. Next up, some
space news from Europe. In exciting news for space enthusiasts,
Italy's Vagacy rocket is gearing up for a comeback after
facing some setbacks. The rocket is now scheduled to return
to active duty on December third. This launch will mark
a significant milestone for the Italian space program as the
Vegacy resumes its role in delivering payloads to orbit. The
return to flight is eagerly anticipated by the scientific community
and space industry alike, as it represents another step forward
in Europe's space capabilities. Now one for the Ausies amongst
our listeners, stargazers in Australia get ready for a truly
spectacular site. Comet C twenty twenty three A three, also
known as suchinshan Atlas, is gracing our skies for the
first time in a staggering eighty thousand years. This celestial
wanderer has already been turning heads in the Northern Hemisphere
and now it's Australia's turn to witness this rare cosmic event.
This comet is not just any ordinary space rock. It's
a time capsule from the very formation of our Solar System,
offering us a glimpse into the distant past. Measuring about
three point two kilometers across C twenty twenty three, A
three hails from the mysterious Ort Cloud, a vast shell
of icy objects surrounding our Solar System. What makes this
visitor so special is its rarity. The last time it
passed by Earth, our planet was still in the grip
of the ice age, with mammoths and saber toothed cats
roaming the land. It's mind boggling to think about the
changes our world has undergone since its last visit. For
the best view, keep your eyes on the western horizon
during early evening. The bright planet Venus can serve as
a helpful reference point. While visible to the naked eye,
Binoculars or a small telescope will give you an even
better look at this cosmic traveler and its characteristic tales.
Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to see
a piece of our Solar System's ancient history. Comment Ce
twenty twenty three A three is a reminder of the
wonders that await us when we look up at the
night sky. Next, an ongoing mystery is solved in a
fascinating breakthrough. Astronomers have finally cracked a nearly thirty year
old mystery surrounding the brown dwarf Gleiza two hundred twenty
nine B. It turns out what we thought was a
single celestial object is actually a pair of brown dwarfs
locked in a cosmic dance. Brown dwarfs, for those unfamiliar,
are fascinating objects that straddle the line between planets and stars.
They're more massive than planets, but not quite hefty enough
to sustain the nuclear fusion that powers stars. Glisa two
hundred twenty nine B, discovered back in nineteen ninety five,
has long been considered the poster child for brown dwarfs
and has been the subject of numerous studies. However, something
always seemed off about Gliza two hundred twenty nine B.
Given its apparent mass, it should have been much brighter
than observed. This discrepancy has puzzled scientists for decades until now,
Using advanced instruments at the very large telescope in Chile,
researchers have revealed that Gliza two hundred twenty nine B
is actually two separate brown dwarfs. These cosmic twins, now
dubbed Giza two hundred twenty nine BA and Gliza two
hundred twenty nine b B, are roughly thirty eight and
thirty four times the mass of Jupiter, respectively. They orbit
each other every twelve days, far too close for previous
observations to distinguish them as separate objects. This discovery not
only solves the long standing brightness puzzle, but also provides
valuable insights into the nature of brown dwarfs and the
fuzzy boundary between stars and planets. It's a reminder that
in astronomy, as in life, things aren't always what they
seem at first glance. Scientists have recently made a groundbreaking
discovery about the origins of meteorites that have fallen to Earth.
It turns out that a wopping seventy percent of the
seventy thousand meteorites found on our planet can be traced
back to just three massive collisions in the main asteroid
belt between Mars and Jupiter. These cosmic smash ups occurred
five point eight, seven point five and forty million years ago,
creating three young asteroid families known as Karen, Coronis, and Massalia.
Each of these families formed when asteroids at least thirty
kilometers across were destroyed, sending countless fragments hurtling through space.
What's particularly fascinating is that these findings have solved a
long standing mystery about the two most common types of meteorites,
H chondrites and L chondrites. The Messalia family alone accounts
for thirty seven percent of meteorites, including many L chondrites
from a collision forty million years ago. This research not
only sheds light on the origins of the space rocks
we find on Earth, but also helps us track potentially
dangerous asteroids that could pose a threat to our planet.
It's a reminder of how interconnected our Solar system is
and how events millions of miles away and millions of
years ago continue to impact us today. One's looking skywards
at the moment, even on Mars. In an exciting development
from the Red Planet, NASA's Perseverance Rover has captured a
stunning series of photographs showcasing a solar eclipse on Mars.
On September thirtieth, the rover's left Masskamzi camera turned skyward
to capture the planet's moon, Phobos, as it partially blocked
the Sun's disc. These images offer a unique glimpse of Phobos,
revealing its distinctive potato like shape. Unlike our spherical moon,
Phobos is an irregularly shaped celestial body, measuring roughly seventeen
miles by fourteen miles by eleven miles. It's a swift mover,
orbiting Mars at an incredibly close distance of just three thousand,
seven hundred miles and completing three orbits in a single
Martian day. This isn't the first time Perseverance has captured
such an event. The rover also photographed Phobos transiting the
Sun in April twenty twenty two and February twenty twenty four.
In fact, Perseverance is carrying on a proud tradition started
by its predecessors. NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers first observed
phobos solar transits back into thousand and four, while Curiosity
made history by recording the first video of one in
twenty nineteen. These observations aren't just for show, they help
scientists better understand Mars's moons and the planet's complex orbital dynamics.
It's a reminder that our robotic explorers on Mars are
not only searching for signs of ancient life, but also
acting as interplanetary astronomers, giving us a new perspective on
celestial events from another world. Now an update to an
ongoing story, NASA is still grappling with uncertainty regarding the
next crude mission of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. This comes in
the wake of issues that arose during its first crude
test flight earlier this year. The Space agency is currently
in the process of reviewing the certification requirements for Starliner,
a crucial step before giving the green light for future missions.
The potential next crude mission to the International Space Station,
initially slated for twenty twenty five, is now up in
the air. NASA officials have stated that the timeline will
be determined once they have a better grasp on Boeing's
path to system certification. This thorough review is essential to
ensure the safety and reliability of the spacecraft for future
astronaut transport. The first crude test flight, known as crew
Flight Test or CFT launched successfully on June fifth. However,
problems arose during the docking procedure with the ISS. On
June sixth, five out of twenty eight thrusters in the
capsule's reaction control system experienced issues, causing a delay in
the docking process. While the astronauts ultimately arrived safely at
the space station, these unexpected hurdles have prompted NASA to
take a closer look at starliners systems. As a result
of these ongoing evaluations, NASA has had to make some
adjustments to its crude flight schedule. The two CFT astronauts,
Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams, who are currently aboard the ISS,
have been reassigned to return to Earth on a SpaceX
Crew Dragon capsule in February twenty twenty five. NASA emphasizes
that they're committed to providing more information as it becomes available.
Agency is working diligently with Boeing to address these challenges
and ensure that Starliner meets all necessary safety and performance
standards before its next crude mission. For now, the space
community watches and waits as NASA and Boeing continue their
rigorous review process, and that brings us to the end
of today's journey through the cosmos. From cutting edge space
suits to ancient comets, we've covered quite a bit of ground,
or should I say space. I hope you've enjoyed this
interstellar adventure as much as I have. Before we sign off,
I want to remind you that the universe is always
changing and there's always more to discover. If you're hungry
for more space news and want to stay up to
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not the limit, it's just the beginning. Keep looking up,
stay curious, and I'll catch you next time for another
exciting episode of Astronomy Daily. This is Anna signing off
and wishing you clear skies and bright stars. Sunday Star,
Stall Star