Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily source for the most
Speaker 1: fascinating developments in space and astronomy. I'm excited to bring
Speaker 1: you today's lineup of incredible stories from across the Cosmos.
Speaker 1: We'll be diving into Iran's latest achievement in space exploration,
Speaker 1: exploring some mind bending new theories about advanced civilizations, and
Speaker 1: sharing a groundbreaking discovery about a star that's remarkably similar
Speaker 1: to our Sun. We'll also check in on jupiter spectacular
Speaker 1: show in our night sky, investigate a mysterious comet hiding
Speaker 1: in plain sight, and get the latest updates from the
Speaker 1: International Space Station. Let's get started. Iran's space program has
Speaker 1: marked a significant milestone with their latest launch successfully placing
Speaker 1: their largest payload yet into orbit. The launch took place
Speaker 1: on Friday, using one of their two stage Simorg rockets,
Speaker 1: carrying a combined weight of six hundred and sixty pounds
Speaker 1: of space technology into the heavens. The mission deployed three
Speaker 1: distinct payloads into an elliptical orbit ranging from one hundred
Speaker 1: and eighty four to two hundred and fifty five miles
Speaker 1: above Earth. Among these payloads is the Salman One, an
Speaker 1: innovative space HUG designed to boost satellites to higher orbits,
Speaker 1: and the Fokker one Cube SAT alongside an undisclosed research payload.
Speaker 1: The salman I space TUG represents a particularly notable advancement,
Speaker 1: as it would enable Iran to move satellites from low
Speaker 1: Earth orbit up to geosynchronous orbit, where spacecraft maintained position
Speaker 1: over the same area of Earth. This capability could significantly
Speaker 1: reduce the need for larger launch vehicles and cut fuel
Speaker 1: costs for future missions. However, this achievement has been met
Speaker 1: with mixed reactions from the international community. While Iranian state
Speaker 1: media celebrates it as a milestone for their space sector,
Speaker 1: western nations have expressed serious concerns. The United States and
Speaker 1: its allies view these developments through a more critical lens,
Speaker 1: suggesting these launches might advance Iran's ballistic missile capabilities. A
Speaker 1: US intelligence report from July highlighted that the cymorg rocket
Speaker 1: technology could potentially accelerate the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles,
Speaker 1: should Iran choose to pursue that path. These concerns stem
Speaker 1: from the parallel technologies used in both space rockets and
Speaker 1: missile systems. This latest launch follows Iran's earlier success in January,
Speaker 1: when they achieved their first orbital launch of the Cymorg rocket.
Speaker 1: Prior to that, they conducted a test flight with what
Speaker 1: they described as an indigenous biocapsule, part of their stated
Speaker 1: ambition to eventually put Iranian astronauts into space. A groundbreaking
Speaker 1: new perspective on the Fermi paradox is challenging our fundamental
Speaker 1: assumptions about how advanced civilizations might appear to us. Researchers
Speaker 1: are suggesting that we might be looking for the wrong
Speaker 1: signs when searching for intelligent life in the cosmos. The
Speaker 1: traditional view of the Fermi paradox points to a striking contradiction.
Speaker 1: Given the vast number of stars and planets in our galaxy,
Speaker 1: there should be abundant intelligent life out there, yet we
Speaker 1: see no evidence of it. This new research proposes an
Speaker 1: intriguing solution. Perhaps advanced civilizations become so integrated with their
Speaker 1: planet's natural systems that they become virtually indistinguishable from nature itself.
Speaker 1: The key lies in understanding sustainability on a cosmic scale,
Speaker 1: rather than pursuing endless expansion and energy consumption, as suggested
Speaker 1: by the Kardashev scale. Successful civilizations might actually fold back
Speaker 1: into their planet's biosphere. This means that instead of building
Speaker 1: massive structures like dice in spheres or colonizing entire galaxies,
Speaker 1: advanced species might develop in ways that harmonize completely with
Speaker 1: their home worlds. This perspective suggests that our current technological
Speaker 1: trajectory focused on constant growth and expansion, might not be
Speaker 1: the universal path we assumed it to be. Instead, truly
Speaker 1: advanced civilizations might develop in ways that strengthen and enhance
Speaker 1: their planet's natural systems, rather than replacing them. What's particularly
Speaker 1: fascinating is how this could affect our search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Speaker 1: If this theory holds true, we might need to completely
Speaker 1: rethink our search methods. Rather than looking for artificial structures
Speaker 1: or radio signals, we might need to look for subtler signs,
Speaker 1: perhaps planets with unusually stable and complex ecosystems. This also
Speaker 1: raises profound questions about our own future. Perhaps the mark
Speaker 1: of an advanced civilization is in its ability to conquer
Speaker 1: nature or spread across the stars, but rather its capacity
Speaker 1: to achieve perfect harmony with its home world. It suggests
Speaker 1: that our ultimate destiny might not be to reach for
Speaker 1: the stars, but to become one with the very planet
Speaker 1: that gave us life. Next up today, in an exciting first,
Speaker 1: astronomers have detected an astrosphere around a star remarkably similar
Speaker 1: to our Sun. This discovery was made while observing a
Speaker 1: star nicknamed the Moth, and it's giving us unp precedented
Speaker 1: insights into how stars like our Sun protect their planetary systems.
Speaker 1: For those wondering what an astrosphere is, think of it
Speaker 1: as a star's protective bubble. Just as our Sun creates
Speaker 1: the heliosphere that shields our Solar system from harsh cosmic rays,
Speaker 1: other stars create their own protective bubbles through their stellar winds.
Speaker 1: While we've seen these bubbles around various types of stars before,
Speaker 1: this is the first time we've observed one around a
Speaker 1: star so similar to our Sun. The star in question,
Speaker 1: officially known as HD six one zero zero five, earned
Speaker 1: its nickname the Moth because it's surrounded by a debris
Speaker 1: disc that looks like wings when viewed from Earth. What
Speaker 1: makes this discovery particularly interesting is that this star is
Speaker 1: only about one hundred million years old, practically a teenager
Speaker 1: compared to our four billion year old son. This younger
Speaker 1: age means it's more active and has stronger stellar winds
Speaker 1: than our Sun currently does. Using the Chandra X ray observatory,
Speaker 1: researchers detected a hay of X ray light extending outward
Speaker 1: from the star to a distance equivalent to one hundred
Speaker 1: times the Earth Sun distance. This glowing bubble is actually
Speaker 1: the star's astrosphere, and its circular shape tells us something fascinating.
Speaker 1: The stellar wind is so powerful that it maintains its
Speaker 1: shape even as the star plows through dense interstellar gas.
Speaker 1: This discovery is more than just a cosmic curiosity. By
Speaker 1: studying the astrosphere of this younger sunlike star, we're essentially
Speaker 1: looking at a snapshot of what our own solar system
Speaker 1: might have been like in its youth. It's like finding
Speaker 1: a baby picture of our solar system's protective shield, giving
Speaker 1: us valuable insights into how our cosmic neighborhood has evolved
Speaker 1: over billions of years. As I like to remind you,
Speaker 1: keep looking up, and this weekend is the perfect time
Speaker 1: to do just that. Stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts are in
Speaker 1: for a treat this weekend as Jupiter reaches opposition, creating
Speaker 1: the best viewing opportunity of twenty twenty four for the
Speaker 1: Soul System's largest planet, the gas giant, will appear at
Speaker 1: its biggest and brightest in our night sky as it
Speaker 1: positions itself directly opposite the Sun when viewed from Earth.
Speaker 1: This special alignment occurs on Saturday at three point fifty
Speaker 1: pm Eastern Time, with Jupiter rising in the east just
Speaker 1: as the sun sets in the west. You'll find it
Speaker 1: shining brilliantly in the constellation Taurus, reaching its highest point
Speaker 1: in the night sky around midnight local time. What makes
Speaker 1: this event particularly special is that Jupiter will also make
Speaker 1: its closest approach to Earth, coming within just three hundred
Speaker 1: eighty million miles of our planet. While that might sound
Speaker 1: like an enormous distance, it's actually quite close in astronomical terms,
Speaker 1: and it's this proximity that gives us such excellent viewing conditions.
Speaker 1: Even though Jupiter will appear as a bright point of
Speaker 1: light to the naked eye, you don't need professional equipment
Speaker 1: to make the most of this opportunity. A decent pair
Speaker 1: of binoculars will reveal Jupiter's disc and even allow you
Speaker 1: to spot its largest moons, known as the Galilean moons.
Speaker 1: If you have access to a telescope, you'll be able
Speaker 1: to see even more detail, including some of Jupiter's distinctive
Speaker 1: cloud bands. Look for Jupiter in the eastern sky after sunset.
Speaker 1: It will be one of the brightest objects in the
Speaker 1: night sky, making it easy to spot even from light
Speaker 1: polluted areas. The planet will remain visible for most of
Speaker 1: the night, giving everyone plenty of time to catch a
Speaker 1: glimpse of this spectacular celestial show. In an exciting new
Speaker 1: discovery that's making astronomers rethink the boundaries between cosmic objects,
Speaker 1: scientists have identified another Main Belt comet hiding in plain
Speaker 1: sight within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This
Speaker 1: fascinating object, designated as four hundred and fifty six p
Speaker 1: slash pan Stars, has become the fourteenth confirmed Main Belt comet,
Speaker 1: adding to a rare class of celestial bodies that challenge
Speaker 1: our traditional classifications. These enigmatic objects belong to a broader
Speaker 1: category known as active asteroisroids, sharing characteristics of both rocky
Speaker 1: asteroids and icy comets. What makes them particularly intriguing is
Speaker 1: their ability to display comet like behavior while maintaining asteroid
Speaker 1: like orbits along with their mysterious cousins, the dark comets,
Speaker 1: which scientists believe make up about sixty percent of near
Speaker 1: Earth objects, they're helping us better understand the complexity of
Speaker 1: our solar system. The newly discovered object caught scientists attention
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty one when pan Star's telescopes in Hawaii
Speaker 1: observed its sporting a small dusty tail, but determining its
Speaker 1: true nature required patience and careful observation. After all, sometimes
Speaker 1: asteroids can appear active simply due to collisions with other
Speaker 1: space rocks, creating temporary dust clouds that might be mistaken
Speaker 1: for cometary activity. Following years of monitoring by a dedicated
Speaker 1: team of astronomers, the object revealed its true identity through
Speaker 1: a pattern of repeated activity. When observed at different distances
Speaker 1: from the Sun, it showed a fascinating cycle of activation
Speaker 1: and dormancy. As it approached about four hundred twenty eight
Speaker 1: million kilometers from the Sun, the object began displaying a
Speaker 1: distinct tail pointing away from our star, classic cometary behavior
Speaker 1: caused by ice sublimating beneath its surface. With a nucleus
Speaker 1: measuring roughly one kilometer across, this celestial hybrid raises intriguing
Speaker 1: questions about the early Solar System. Its existence suggests that
Speaker 1: the boundary between where ice could and couldn't exist during
Speaker 1: our Solar System's formation wasn't as clear cut as previously thought.
Speaker 1: These Main Belt comets might actually be preserved remnants from
Speaker 1: our cosmic past, offering valuable clues about how our solar
Speaker 1: neighborhood came to be. This discovery not only adds another
Speaker 1: member to an exclusive club of celestial objects, but also
Speaker 1: reminds us that the distinction between asteroids and comets isn't
Speaker 1: always black and white. Sometimes the most interesting discoveries lie
Speaker 1: in these gray areas, challenging our understanding of what's possible
Speaker 1: in our cosmic backyard. Finally, today, an update on the ISS.
Speaker 1: Life aboard the International Space Station has settled into a
Speaker 1: more routine rhythm lately, though that doesn't mean it's been
Speaker 1: without its share of excitement. The Expedition seventy two crew
Speaker 1: has been handling several unexpected challenges with their usual professional expertise.
Speaker 1: Just last month, they faced an unusual situation during the
Speaker 1: arrival of the Progress MS twenty nine resupply spacecraft. Upon
Speaker 1: opening the hatch, crew members detected what they described as
Speaker 1: a smell similar to spray paint, along with some concerning
Speaker 1: droplets near the connection point. Taking no chances, the Russian
Speaker 1: cosmonauts donned protective gear and sealed off the area while
Speaker 1: they activated air scrubbers to deal with the situation. Fortunately,
Speaker 1: further investigation revealed the source to be harmless outgassing from
Speaker 1: materials in the Progress vehicle's pressurized section, not any dangerous
Speaker 1: propellant leaks. After confirming air quality had returned to nor
Speaker 1: the crew was able to resume their crucial cargo transfer operations.
Speaker 1: The station also had to perform some fancy flying to
Speaker 1: avoid a piece of space debris, specifically a fragment from
Speaker 1: a Defense meteorological satellite that broke up back in twenty fifteen.
Speaker 1: Using the Progress MS twenty eight spacecraft's thrusters, they executed
Speaker 1: a precise five and a half minute maneuver to ensure
Speaker 1: safe distance from the potential hazard. It marked the thirty
Speaker 1: ninth time the ISS has had to dodge orbital debris,
Speaker 1: highlighting one of the ongoing challenges of operating in Earth orbit.
Speaker 1: Despite these occasional hurdles, the crew still found time to
Speaker 1: celebrate Thanksgiving together, enjoying a special meal of freeze dried
Speaker 1: turkey and all the traditional fixings. It was a welcome
Speaker 1: break in their busy schedule of maintaining the station, conducting
Speaker 1: scientific research, and preparing for upcoming vehicle arrivals and departures
Speaker 1: as they continue their vital work two hundred and fifty
Speaker 1: miles above Earth. And that wraps up today's episode of
Speaker 1: Astronomy Daily. Thank you for joining me on this journey
Speaker 1: through the latest developments in space and astronomy. This is
Speaker 1: Anna and I hope you've enjoyed exploring these fascinating stories
Speaker 1: with me. If you'd like to stay up to date
Speaker 1: with all the latest space news, head over to Astronomy
Speaker 1: Daily dot io, where you can listen to all our
Speaker 1: previous episodes and catch up on our constantly updating news feed.
Speaker 1: While you're there, don't forget to sign up for our
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Speaker 1: weekend and stay curious about our incredible universe, so stories
Speaker 1: to tell. H