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Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Astronomy Daily.

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I'm your host, Anna, and I'm thrilled to have you

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join me today as we embark on another fascinating journey

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through the Cosmos. Whether you're a season space enthusiast or

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just curious about what's happening up there in the final Frontier,

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this podcast is the perfect place for you to catch

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up on the latest news and discoveries in the world

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of astronomy. Today, we've got an exciting lineup of stories

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to explore. We'll delve into groundbreaking research revealing that the

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asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs originated from beyond Jupiter.

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Will also reveal the incredible technological achievements of China's One mission,

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which has just unveiled a stunning high resolution global color

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map of Mars. Plus, we'll marvel at the discovery of

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a hypervelocity star identified by ordinary citizen scientists, and we'll

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discuss the innovative research being done to ensure astronauts can

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maintain their mental well being while living.

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Speaker 2: And working in space.

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Speaker 1: So sit back, relax, and get ready to journey through

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the universe with me. We've got a stellar show lined

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up for you and I can't wait to dive into

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these stories. Let's get started. Have you ever wondered about

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the colossal event that wiped out the dinosaurs? Recent findings

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have shed new light on that very asteroid, indicating it

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originated beyond Jupiter in the outer Solar System. Sixty six

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million years ago, a massive asteroid estimated to be around

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six to nine miles wide, collided with what is now

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the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This cataclysmic event not only

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ended the reign of the dinosaurs, but also wiped out

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about three quarters of the world species. Researchers have now

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pinpointed that this asteroid was a carbonaceous or C type asteroid,

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falling under a category laden with high concentrations of carbon.

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These findings rule out other theories suggesting the impactor was

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a comet or that the debris was the result.

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Speaker 2: Of volcanic activity.

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Speaker 1: The study unraveled this mystery by analyzing the isotopes of

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ruthenium in the debris layer left behind by the impact.

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Ruthenium isotopes are particularly telling because their isotopic signature in

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the clay layer was almost completely from the impactor itself,

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offering a clear distinction between inner and outer Solar System materials.

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The researchers concluded that the isotopic ratios matched those found

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in C type asteroids, thus confirming the extraterrestrial origin. This

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asteroid's journey likely began in the vast icy reaches beyond

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Jupiter before it migrated inward and ended up in the

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main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Then, possibly due

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to a collision, it was sent hurtling towards Earth, sealing

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the fate of the dinosaurs. The chixalub impact, leaving a

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crater one hundred and twelve miles wide and twelve miles deep,

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triggered a series of geological and environmental disasters, ultimately giving

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mammals a chance to dominate and eventually leading to the

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rise of humans. Understanding the origins of this asteroid not

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only fills a crucial gap in the story of Earth's history,

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but also enriches our comprehension of the Solar System's dynamics.

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Another crucial insight is that carbonaceous asteroids, although common in

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the Outer Solar System, rarely strike Earth, making this particular

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event extraordinarily unique. This new research gives us a fascinating

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peak into the ancient cosmic events that drastically shaped life

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on our planet, and as we decode these stellar secrets,

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it not only satisfies our curiosity, but may also alert

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us to the nature of other space objects that could

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someday cross our path. Again, let's turn our attention to Mars,

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the planet that keeps on giving. One of the most

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exciting developments in Mars exploration comes from China's Tianwen one mission,

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which has released a groundbreaking high resolution global color map

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of Mars. This is a significant leap forward for scientists

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and space enthusiasts alike, as it offers unprecedented detail and accuracy,

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allowing us to view the Martian surface in ways never

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possible before.

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Speaker 2: So why is this map such a big deal?

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Speaker 1: Prior to twen one, the best global images of Mars

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came from various missions, but they had spatial resolutions exceeding

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one kilometer, meaning finer details were often blurred. For example,

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the Viking Colorized Global Mosaic, one of the best prior

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data sets, could only manage resolutions of about two hundred

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and thirty two meters per pixel.

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Speaker 2: This new map from ten.

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Speaker 1: One one surpasses that by a wide margin, achieving a

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remarkable resolution of seventy six meters per pixel. The journey

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to create this stunning map began in July twenty twenty two.

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The mission utilized the moderate resolution imaging camera MORIIC on

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its orbiter, completing two hundred and eighty four orbits and

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capturing fourteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty seven images to

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cover the entire surface of Mars. These images, with resolutions

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between fifty seven and one hundred and ninety seven meters,

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provide a near perfect mosaic of the red planet. Additionally,

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the Mars Mineralogical Spectrometer MMS collected a trove of data

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in the visible and near infrared bands, contributing to the

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high quality color representation. Under the expert guidance of Professors

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Lee Chun Lai and Jang Rongshau, the chan Win one

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science team, along with collaborators, used advanced bundle adjustment technology

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to process the image data. By treating Mars as a

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unified adjustment network, they managed to reduce position deviation between

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images to less than one pixel. This meticulous approach ensured

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that the resulting map is not only high resolution, but

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also pixel level, seamless let's talk about an extraordinary recent

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discovery that has sent ripples through the astronomy community. A

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hypervelocity star named J one two hundred and forty nine

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plus thirty six.

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Speaker 2: This isn't just any star.

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Speaker 1: It's speeding through our galaxy at an incredible rate of

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about one point three million miles per hour.

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Speaker 2: Even more on inspiring.

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Speaker 1: It was first spotted by some of the eighty thousand

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citizen science volunteers participating in the Backyard World's Planet nine project.

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It's amazing to see how collaborative efforts between professional astronomers

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and dedicated amateurs can lead to such groundbreaking findings. Hypervelocity

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stars are rare, and J one thousand, two hundred forty

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nine plus thirty six holds the distinction of being the

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first very low mass hypervelocity star discovered. Located just four

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hundred light years from Earth, it stands as the nearest

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known hypervelocity star to our planet. To put it in perspective,

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our Sun orbits around the Milky Way at about two

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hundred and twenty kilometers per second. J two hundred forty

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nine plus thirty six, however, is moving at almost three

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times that speed, clocking in at about six hundred kilometers

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per second.

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Speaker 2: What makes J one two.

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Speaker 1: Hundred forty nine plus thirty six exceptionally intriguing is its

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potential trajectory that suggests it might eventually escape the gravitational

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pull of the Milky Way entirely. This star isn't just

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speeding through space. It's possibly headed for an exit from

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our galaxy. Such a scenario leads us to question what

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forces could have propelled it to such velocities.

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Speaker 2: There are a.

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Speaker 1: Couple of fascinating theories. One possibility is that JA A

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two hundred forty nine plus thirty six was originally in

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close orbit with a white dwarf. If the white dwarf

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underwent a supernova explosion, it could have given J one thousand,

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two hundred forty nine plus thirty six the necessary kick

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to achieve its hypervelocity status. Another theory suggests that it

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might have been flung out from a globular cluster with

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black hole binaries through complex gravitational interactions. This discovery is

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significant not only because it expands our understanding of hypervelocity stars,

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but also because it highlights the effectiveness of citizen science projects.

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By partnering with initiatives like backyard worlds Planet nine. Anyone

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with an interest in astronomy can contribute to real scientific discoveries.

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So what's next for J one thousand, two hundred forty

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nine plus thirty six. Astronomers are keen on studying its

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elemental composition to uncover more about its origins, whether it's

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the remnants of a supernova or a dynamical ejection from

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a globular cluster. This speedy starr offers a stellar opportunity

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to unlock more secrets of our galaxy. Life on the

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International Space Station is a far cry from what we

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experience on Earth. Imagine seeing multiple sunrises and sunsets every

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day from your confined space, dealing with packed schedules, and

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adjusting to the lack of gravity. These unique conditions of

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spaceflight can seriously impact the performance and well being of astronauts. Fortunately,

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a range of studies on the ISS are focused on

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understanding these effects and testing new technologies to counteract them.

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One fascinating project is ESA's Circadian Light study. This investigation

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is testing an innovative lighting system designed to help astronauts

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maintain a more natural daily rhythm, also known as circadian rhythm.

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An LED panel automatically adjusts the light spectrum throughout the

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day to mimic natural daylight conditions on Earth. This study

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aims to see how this lighting system influences sleep, stress levels,

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and overall well being. The insights could also benefit shift

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workers and those in extreme or remote environments.

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Speaker 2: Back on Earth.

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Speaker 1: Earlier Can ducted the Circadian Rhythm's investigation, which looked at

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how daily rhythms are affected during long space missions. In space,

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the cycles of light and dark don't match. The twenty

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four hour routine were used to Traditionally, measuring core body

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temperature has been the gold standard for determining circadian rhythms,

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but it can be quite invasive and inconvenient. For this investigation,

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researchers developed non invasive skin sensor technology that continuously records

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body core temperature over extended periods. As we look towards

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missions to the Moon or Mars, communication delays will be inevitable.

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The Calm Delay Assessment study explored how these delays might

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impact astronauts dealing with medical and other emergencies. The findings

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showed that communication delays increased stress and frustration, reduced task efficiency,

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and impair teamwork. However, the study also highlighted potential countermeasures

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such as enhanced training and improved teamwork strategies to mitigate

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these challenges. Moving on to mental health, the Neuromapping Study

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has been investigat how spaceflight alters brain structure and function.

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Speaker 2: Not only did this.

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Speaker 1: Research find significant changes in brain connectivity, but it also

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identified substantial increases in brain volume linked to longer missions.

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The finding suggests that intervals between missions should be more

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than three years to allow for full recovery. For a

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more personal perspective, the journal's investigation had crew members write

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daily entries. These entries provided valuable insights into how various

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factors like work, sleep, and group interactions affect mental well

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being in space. The studies findings are helping improve living

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and working conditions for future astronauts. Lastly, ESA's VR Mental

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Care project is exploring the use of virtual reality technology

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to help astronauts relax and maintain better mental health during

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their missions. Using a VR headset, astronauts can escape to

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virtually simulated environments, potentially easing stress, anxiety, and even post

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traumatic stress disorder. Thank you so much for joining me

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on this episode of Astronomy Daily.

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Speaker 2: I hope you found our journey through the.

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Speaker 1: Latest discoveries in space and astronomy as fascinating as I did.

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I'm Anna and it's always a pleasure to share this

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cosmic adventure with you. If you want to stay updated

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with the latest happenings in the universe, don't forget to

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visit our website at Astronomy Daily dot io. There you

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can sign up for our free daily newsletter, read our blogs,

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and catch up on all the latest space and astronomy

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news with our constantly updating news feed. Plus, you can

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listen to all our back episodes anytime. We're also on

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social media. Just search for astro Daily Pod on Facebook,

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x YouTube, and TikTok to find our latest updates and

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join our community of fellow space enthusiasts. Once again, I'm

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Anna and this has been Astronomy Daily. Keep looking up

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and I'll see you next time. Sunday start story is

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control