Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest space
in astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and we've got
an exciting lineup of stories for you today, from groundbreaking
rocket launches to mind bending discoveries in the depths of space.
We'll be covering the most recent developments in space exploration
and astronomical research. We'll dive into United Launch Alliance's latest
Vulcan rocket flight, explore a peculiar galaxy captured by the
Hubble Space Telescope, and preview Blue Origin's upcoming spacecraft debut.
We'll also discuss a record breaking triple Star system, examine
surprising findings from the James Webb Space Telescope about early galaxies,
and catch up with NASA's Parker Solar Probe as it
continues its close encounters with our son. So buckle up
and get ready for a journey through the cosmos as
we explore these fascinating stories from the world of astronomy
and space science. United Launch Alliance's second Vulcan rocket flight
took off last Friday, marking a crucial test in the
company's efforts to certify the new launcher for high priority
national security missions. While the rocket successfully reached orbit. The
flight wasn't without drama. One of the two solid propellants
strap on boosters, experienced an anomaly during the ascent. About
thirty seven seconds after liftoff, observers noticed a shower of
sparks and what appeared to be debris falling away from
the right side booster. The issue seemed to originate near
the nozzle at the base of the booster, causing a
noticeable change in the exhaust plumes shape. Despite this setback,
the vulcan continued its climb to space, demonstrating impressive resilience.
The core stage's two Blue Origin built B four engines,
each generating five hundred fifty thousand pounds of thrust, carried
on with the mission. After the first stage separation, the
Centaur upper stage took over, completing two burns to demonstrate
its ability to restart in space, a key requirement for
complex military payload trajectories. ULA CEO Tory Bruno acknowledged the
booster anomaly, but emphasized that the overall trajectory remained nominal
throughout the flight, Any plans to investigate the issue thoroughly
once the mission is complete. This flight was the second
of two certification test flights needed before the Vulcan can
carry high priority payloads for the US Space Force and
National Reconnaissance Office. The impact of the booster anomaly on
the certification process remains uncertain, but it's clear that ULA
will need to address any concerns before moving forward with
national security launches. The Vulcan represents the future of ULA,
set to replace both the retired Delta four and the
soon to be phased out at Las five rockets. With
over seventy missions already booked before its first flight, the
stakes are high for ULA to resolve any issues quickly
and maintain customer confidence in the new launch system. Now,
let's turn our attention to a fascinating discovery made by
the Hubble Space Telescope. The Venerable Observatory has captured an
image of a galaxy that's breaking the mold when it
comes to classification. Located about fifty four million light years
away in the Virgo galaxy cluster GGC four thousand, six
hundred and ninety four is what astronomers call a peculiar galaxy.
At first glance, it appears to have characteristics of both
elliptical and spiral galaxies. Making it a real cosmic oddball.
NGC four thousand, six hundred and ninety four has a
smooth looking, armless disc that's nearly devoid of star formation,
similar to an elliptical galaxy. However, its stellar population is
still relatively young and new stars are actively forming in
its core. This gives NGC four thousand, six hundred and
ninety four a markedly different stellar profile from a classic
elliptical galaxy. What's even more intriguing is the chaotic structure
of dust visible in the hubble image. This indicates some
kind of disturbance in the galaxy's past. As it turns out,
NGC four thousand, six hundred and ninety four has undergone
a violent collision with a nearby dwarf galaxy VCC twenty
sixty two. This cosmic crash has left NGC four thousand,
six hundred and ninety four accreting gas from its smaller neighbor,
fueling its unique character. Teruristics. Astronomers classify NGC four thousand,
six hundred and ninety four as a lenticular galaxy, a
type that lacks the distinct spiral arms but still has
a central bulge and disc. These galactic oddballs are crucial
for understanding how galaxies evolve over time. The discovery of
NGC four thousand, six hundred and ninety four reminds us
that the universe is full of surprises and not everything
fits neatly into our pre defined categories. By studying these
peculiar galaxies, astronomers can gain valuable insights into the complex
processes that shape our cosmic neighborhood. Let's get an update
now from Blue Origin, who've been far from taking things easy.
Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos,
is gearing up for an exciting milestone this Monday, October seventh.
They're set to debut a brand new spacecraft on their
NS twenty seven mission. This uncrude flight will mark the
first launch for this particular New Shepherd vehicle. The mission
is scheduled to lift off from Blue Origins West Texas
site during a window that opens at nine am Eastern time.
While no humans will be on board, the capsule will
carry twelve research payloads, including new navigation systems for both
New Shepherd and Blue Origin's larger New Glen rocket. This
new vehicle features some notable upgrades. Blue Origin says It
includes technology improvements to enhance performance and reusability, as well
as an updated exterior design. The company also mentions that
it has accommodations for payloads on the booster itself. The
NS twenty seven mission represents an important step for Blue
Origins commercial space flight ambitions. It's the second human rated
New Shepherd vehicle, which should allow the company to increase
its flight capacity and better meet growing customer demand for
suborbital space tourism and research flights. If successful, this launch
will pave the way for Blue Origin to expand its
operations and potentially increase the frequency of its crude flights
in the future. It's a clear sign that the company
is pushing forward in the competitive commercial space industry. Moving
on now to a NASA mission update. NASA's exoplanet hunting spacecraft,
the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite or TESTS, has made a
groundbreaking discovery that's pushing the boundaries of what we thought
possible in stellar systems. Scientists have spotted a record breaking
triple star system that's so tightly packed it could fit
comfortably between our Sun and its closest planet, Mercury. This
extraordinary system, known as TICK two, nine zero zero six
one four eight four is located about five thousand light
years away in the constellation Sickness. It consists of twin
stars that orbit each other every one point eight earth days,
with a third star circling this pair every twenty five days.
To put this in perspective, the previous record holder for
the tightest three star system had an outer orbit of
thirty three days, set back in nineteen fifty six. What
makes this discovery even more remarkable is the stability of
the system. The stars orbit in nearly the same plane,
which helps maintain their gravitational balance. However, this delicate dance
won't last forever. In a few million years, the twin
stars at the heart of the system will expand and
eventually merge, triggering a massive supernova explosion. This finding isn't
just a cosmic curiosity. It has significant implications for our
understanding of star formation and evolution. The compact nature of
the system suggests that these stars likely form together from
the same process, challenging our models of how multiple star
systems come into being. The discovery was made possible through
a combination of test data, machine learning algorithms, and the
keen eyes of citizens scientists. It highlights the power of
collaborative efforts between professional astronomers and amateur enthusiasts in pushing
the boundaries of astronomical research. Looking ahead, NASA's upcoming Nancy
Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch in twenty twenty seven,
promises to reveal even more of these tightly packed star systems.
With its superior resolution, Roman could potentially help us discover
systems with even shorter orbits, or perhaps even more stars
crammed into a single system. This record breaking triple star
system serves as a reminder that the universe still has
plenty of surprises in store for us, continually challenging and
expanding our understanding of the cosmos. Speaking of discoveries, here's
another one from an old friend. The James Web Space
Telescope continues to astound scientists with its groundbreaking discoveries. Recent
observations have unveiled surprisingly bright and mature galaxies in the
early universe, challenging our existing models of galaxy formation and cosmology.
These ancient galaxies, observed just three hundred million years after
the Big Bang, are far more luminous than scientists anticipated.
Their brightness suggests they contain more stars in mass than
previously thought possible for such young cosmic objects. What's even
more intriguing is that many of these early galaxies show
signs of actively growing black holes at their centers, another
indication of their unexpectedly rapid maturation. These findings have left
astronomers scratching their heads. How could these galaxies have formed
so quickly and become so bright in such a short
time after the universe's birth. It's a puzzle that's forcing
us to reconsider our understanding of early galaxy evolution. Some
scientists propose that star formation in the early universe may
have been more intense or bursty than we previously believed.
Others suggest factors like lower amounts of galactic dust or
a different distribution of star masses could explain the unexpected brightness.
But these observations aren't just challenging our ideas about galaxy formation.
They're also prompting some researchers to consider modifications to our
broader cosmological theories. Some have even suggested that these findings
might require us to reconsider the age of the universe itself. However,
it's important to note that before we start rewriting our
cosmology textbooks. We need a more detailed understanding of the
physical processes at work in these early galaxies. As we
continue to gather data and refine our models, we may
find explanations that fit within our current framework of understanding.
What's clear is that the James Web Space Telescope is
living up to its promise of revolutionizing our view of
the early universe. As we peer further back in time,
we're sure to encounter more surprises that will push the
boundaries of our knowledge and spark new questions about the cosmos.
And finally, today, another NASA record breaking update. NASA's Parker
Solar Probe has once again pushed the boundaries of solar
exploration with its latest close encounter with our star. On
September thirtieth, the probe completed its twenty first close approach
to the Sun, matching its own impressive distance record by
coming within just four point five to one million miles
of the solar surface. During this close approach, or perihelion,
the spacecraft reached speeds of nearly three hundred and ninety
five thousand miles per hour as it raced around the Sun.
This mind boggling velocity is about one hundred and eighty
times faster than the speed of a typical commercial airliner.
But the Parker Solar Probe isn't done breaking records yet.
After a fly by a venus in November, which will
use the planet's gravity to adjust the probe's trajectory, it
will make an even closer approach to the Sun on
December twenty fourth. This upcoming encounter will bring the spacecraft
within a mere three point eight million miles of the
Solar surface, traveling at speeds around four hundred thirty thousand
miles per hour. These incredibly close passes allow scientists to
gather unprecedented data about the Sun's atmosphere, magnetic fields, and
the solar wind. The information collected by the Parker Solar
Probe is helping us better understand our star and its
effects on space weather, which can impact technology both in
orbit and on Earth. And that brings us to the
end of today's journey through the cosmos. From record breaking
star systems to mysterious early galaxies, the universe never fails
to amaze and inspire us. I'm Anna, and I hope
you've enjoyed this episode of Astronomy Daily. If you're hungry
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Thanks for tuning in, and remember keep looking up because
the sky is never the limit. Until next time. This
is Anna for Astronomy Daily. Signing off Sunday Stars starz
Star