1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: Okay, let's dive in. We're looking at something, well, something 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:05,679 really unusual happening in our solar system. 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 2: Right now, that's putting it mildly. It feels like we've 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:12,080 moved past the predictable clockwork universe we thought. 5 00:00:11,839 --> 00:00:14,279 Speaker 1: We knew, right, It's more like, I don't know. The 6 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,559 Cosmos is throwing curveballs at us objects, defying the basic 7 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,280 rules we expect them to follow. 8 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:21,399 Speaker 2: Especially when they get close to the Sun. We're seeing 9 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:25,559 celestial bodies that are getting absolutely blasted by solar heat 10 00:00:25,559 --> 00:00:30,160 and radiation, intense, heat, immense and yet they're just refusing 11 00:00:30,199 --> 00:00:34,600 to act like normal comets or asteroids. It's fundamentally puzzling. 12 00:00:34,799 --> 00:00:37,399 Speaker 1: That's exactly the mystery we want to unpack today. In 13 00:00:37,399 --> 00:00:40,240 this deep dive. We've got source material pointing to two 14 00:00:41,439 --> 00:00:43,640 very specific visitors causing a stir. 15 00:00:44,119 --> 00:00:47,719 Speaker 2: The infamous three I Atlas, the interstellar object that just 16 00:00:47,799 --> 00:00:48,960 keeps surprising. 17 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: Everyone, and now a newcomer see twenty twenty five V 18 00:00:51,399 --> 00:00:55,200 one borisof also incredibly strange, also defying expectations. 19 00:00:55,359 --> 00:00:57,759 Speaker 2: And the mission for us really is to connect the dots. 20 00:00:57,799 --> 00:01:00,520 For you listening, what are the key anomalies here? What's 21 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,520 weird about their materials supposedly, and. 22 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,519 Speaker 1: This alignment, the way they're positioned relative to us and 23 00:01:07,599 --> 00:01:10,359 each other, it seems statistically. 24 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 2: Quite improbable, extremely and we have to figure out how 25 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,120 this ties into what's happening with the Sun right now, 26 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:17,439 because it's incredibly active. 27 00:01:17,159 --> 00:01:21,159 Speaker 1: Which leads to space weather, geomagnetic storms hitting Earth exactly. 28 00:01:21,239 --> 00:01:24,519 Speaker 2: It's all connected. This isn't just abstract astronomy. It has 29 00:01:24,599 --> 00:01:28,760 real world implications. It's a high scakes observation period, no doubt. 30 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,799 Speaker 1: So setting the scene V one Borius off really grabs 31 00:01:31,799 --> 00:01:35,760 your attention immediately. It's new, its orbit is unusual. They're 32 00:01:35,799 --> 00:01:37,599 calling it a rogue object for now. 33 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 2: And it just pops up seemingly out of nowhere in 34 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:42,920 this incredibly strategic spot right. 35 00:01:42,799 --> 00:01:45,719 Speaker 1: Between the three eye atlasts and Earth. It's almost too neat. 36 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,159 Speaker 2: It raises the eyebrows definitely. And the biggest thing, just 37 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,760 like Atlas, pulmonary observation suggests it doesn't have a proper. 38 00:01:52,519 --> 00:01:55,879 Speaker 1: Tail, which for something classified as a comet, getting close 39 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:58,319 to the Sun is the fundamental test. It seems to 40 00:01:58,319 --> 00:02:00,519 be failing. It forces you to ask, what are we 41 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:01,840 actually looking at here. 42 00:02:01,799 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 2: At you know, it adds a layer of intrigue that 43 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,200 the discoverer is Gannati Boresov, the. 44 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,319 Speaker 1: Same astronomer who found two I Borisov, the second interstellar 45 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:10,280 object confirmed. 46 00:02:10,319 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 2: Yes, his name being attached gives it immediate weight in 47 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,000 the astronomical community. This isn't just a random blip. It's 48 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,759 a finding from a very skilled observer that directly challenges 49 00:02:20,759 --> 00:02:21,439 our assumptions. 50 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,479 Speaker 1: Okay, so let's dig into this new intruder. First, C 51 00:02:24,759 --> 00:02:28,240 twenty twenty five V one Borisov. 52 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 2: Right before it got the official comet designation C twenty 53 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,319 twenty five V one Borisov, it had a temporary label 54 00:02:34,599 --> 00:02:37,319 GB zero zero zero zero zero eight. 55 00:02:37,199 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: One zero, which is pretty standard right for researchers compiling 56 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,159 initial data before it's formally classified exactly, But. 57 00:02:44,159 --> 00:02:47,319 Speaker 2: The C designation is key. It means astronomers looked at 58 00:02:47,319 --> 00:02:50,479 its orbit an initial appearance and said, okay, this looks 59 00:02:50,479 --> 00:02:51,319 like a comet. 60 00:02:51,039 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: Which sets up an expectation. Comets have ice, they get 61 00:02:53,879 --> 00:02:55,960 near the sun, they sublimate, they form tails. 62 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 2: That's the textbook definition. But V one Borisov isn't following 63 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,159 the textbook. Its behavior is startling. 64 00:03:02,319 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: Starting with where it was found. You mentioned this strategic positioning. 65 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,319 Speaker 2: It's quite dramatic. Actually, when it was discovered, its position 66 00:03:08,439 --> 00:03:10,719 in the sky placed it almost perfectly on a line 67 00:03:10,759 --> 00:03:12,319 between Three Eye Atlas and Earth. 68 00:03:12,719 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: So if you were looking out from Earth towards Atlas 69 00:03:15,879 --> 00:03:19,120 V one Borisov was right there in the foreground. 70 00:03:18,759 --> 00:03:23,039 Speaker 2: Essentially precisely, imagine drawing a line through those three points 71 00:03:23,319 --> 00:03:28,479 Earth v One Borisov, Atlas. It's a very provocative geometric 72 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:29,759 setup right off the bat and. 73 00:03:29,719 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 1: It's not just hanging out way out there. Its path 74 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,120 is taking it deep into the inner solar. 75 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 2: System, incredibly deep aggressive. As you said, its trajectory brings 76 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,800 it closer to the Sun than three Eye Atlas ever. 77 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,879 Speaker 1: Got closer than Atlas, so well inside Venus' orbit. 78 00:03:44,759 --> 00:03:48,639 Speaker 2: Yes, significantly inside Venus' orbit. That's crucial context. Think about 79 00:03:48,639 --> 00:03:51,159 the environmental stress that puts on an object, the. 80 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:52,599 Speaker 1: Heat, the radiation pressure. 81 00:03:53,039 --> 00:03:56,599 Speaker 2: It must be immense off the charts, and its closest approach, 82 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,639 the perihelium, is coming up very soon mid November. The 83 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:00,879 current estimate is around. 84 00:04:00,639 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: The sixteenth Okay, so mid November it's going to get 85 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,319 its absolute maximum dose of solar energy. 86 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 2: And for anything classified as a comet, that should be showtime. 87 00:04:08,479 --> 00:04:12,560 We should be seeing dramatic physical changes, a big, bright. 88 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: Tail, But that brings us squarely to the main anomaly, 89 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:17,560 the missing tail. It's just not there, is it. 90 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 2: Well, it's complicated, but the consensus is leaning heavily towards 91 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,240 no obvious tail. It does have a coma, right. 92 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:26,639 Speaker 1: Let's clarify that difference for people. The coma isn't the. 93 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 2: Tail, correct. The coma is the fuzzy cloud, the atmosphere 94 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,439 of gas and dust right around the solid nucleus. Think 95 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,680 of it as the immediate boil off. Observations put V 96 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:40,600 one Borisov's coma at about forty arc seconds across. 97 00:04:40,319 --> 00:04:44,199 Speaker 1: Forty arcseconds, okay, And the tail, that long stream pointing 98 00:04:44,199 --> 00:04:44,879 away from the sun. 99 00:04:45,079 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 2: That's the missing piece. It seems to be almost non existent. 100 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:49,199 And the data we have. 101 00:04:49,319 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 1: Is messy, messy, how like conflicting report, very conflicting. 102 00:04:54,199 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 2: Our sources indicate that out of ten specific observations looking 103 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,600 for a tail, only two observers report or at seeing 104 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:02,480 anything that might qualify only. 105 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: Two out of ten. That's already telling it is. 106 00:05:04,439 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 2: And even those two positive reports don't agree with each 107 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:08,959 other at all. They're highly discrepant. 108 00:05:09,079 --> 00:05:10,319 Speaker 1: How discrepant are we talking? 109 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 2: Okay? Remember the koma size is around forty arc seconds, right, 110 00:05:13,439 --> 00:05:15,279 that's the baseline fuzzball. 111 00:05:14,879 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 1: Got it? 112 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,079 Speaker 2: One observer reported a potential tail length of fifty arc seconds. 113 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:21,639 The other reported seventy two arc seconds. 114 00:05:21,959 --> 00:05:26,079 Speaker 1: Well, wait, seventy two compared to fifty when the coma 115 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,160 itself is only forty that's a massive disagreement. 116 00:05:29,439 --> 00:05:33,439 Speaker 2: Huge and astronomical terms. A twenty two arc second difference 117 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,720 for such a faint feature is enormous, especially when you 118 00:05:36,759 --> 00:05:41,519 consider eight other skilled observers, presumably using similar equipment around 119 00:05:41,519 --> 00:05:43,720 the same time, saw absolutely nothing. 120 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: So what does that discrepancy suggest. Maybe they saw a 121 00:05:46,519 --> 00:05:49,800 brief temporary puff of something, or maybe instrument noise. 122 00:05:49,879 --> 00:05:53,519 Speaker 2: It could be several things, a localized temporary outgassing event 123 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:58,199 that quickly dissipated, or perhaps differences in equipment sensitivity or 124 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,800 atmosphere conditions at the time above, or frankly, it could 125 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:03,519 be measurement instability or error. 126 00:06:03,759 --> 00:06:06,959 Speaker 1: Forty arcseconds. Just for context, how big is that visually, 127 00:06:07,079 --> 00:06:08,439 like compared to the moon or something. 128 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:11,639 Speaker 2: It's tiny from our perspective. Forty arc seconds is roughly 129 00:06:11,639 --> 00:06:14,720 the apparent size of a large lunar crater viewed from Earth. Now, 130 00:06:14,759 --> 00:06:17,639 imagine trying to measure a faint, wispy extension on something 131 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,920 that small, faint and moving fast against background stars. 132 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:24,759 Speaker 1: Okay, Yeah, So the disagreement between fifty and seventy two, 133 00:06:25,079 --> 00:06:28,399 plus the fact most saw nothing strongly suggests there isn't 134 00:06:28,399 --> 00:06:31,000 a persistent classic cometary tale. 135 00:06:31,319 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 2: That's the leading conclusion. It seems V one Borisov just 136 00:06:35,079 --> 00:06:39,120 doesn't have the significant amount of volatile material, the water ice, 137 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,800 the CO two ice that you need to create that 138 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:44,800 spectacular visible tail when sunlight hits. 139 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 1: It, even though it's diving deep into the heat zone. 140 00:06:46,879 --> 00:06:49,800 Speaker 2: Even then, which of course immediately makes us think of 141 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:50,240 the other. 142 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,879 Speaker 1: Object three I Atlasts, because that's been its whole story, 143 00:06:52,879 --> 00:06:55,360 hasn't it? Resilience against the sun exactly? 144 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 2: Atlas is the poster child for this kind of anomalous resilience. 145 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,720 It's the veteran here. It's already past its perihelium, its 146 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:03,959 closest point to the Sun. 147 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,439 Speaker 1: And it didn't just pass perihelion. It went through something 148 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,920 called superior conjunction around October twenty first. Right. 149 00:07:09,959 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 2: Superior conjunction is when from our viewpoint on Earth, the 150 00:07:13,279 --> 00:07:14,519 object goes behind. 151 00:07:14,279 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: The sun, so it's basically getting hit with the full 152 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:18,480 force of the Sun's output from. 153 00:07:18,319 --> 00:07:21,879 Speaker 2: The far side, maximum exposure, not just light, but the 154 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:25,800 solar wind, coronal mass ejections, particle radiation of the works. 155 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:27,920 It was positioned right in the firing line. 156 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,319 Speaker 1: If anything was going to finally make it break apart 157 00:07:30,439 --> 00:07:33,600 or sublimate dramatically, that should have been the moment, the 158 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:35,120 ultimate stress test. 159 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 2: You'd think. So if it had any significant amount of 160 00:07:38,319 --> 00:07:41,680 typical cometary ice left that period should have triggered a 161 00:07:41,759 --> 00:07:46,560 huge outburst, a massive visible tail. But defying expectations seems 162 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:49,560 to be what three ie atlis does best. Even after 163 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,319 that intense solar blasting during and after superior conjunction, it 164 00:07:53,399 --> 00:07:55,920 is still not showing an obvious, large scale tail. 165 00:07:56,079 --> 00:07:58,959 Speaker 1: It just keeps holding itself together. The enigma continues. 166 00:07:59,079 --> 00:08:05,199 Speaker 2: It really does contains that same puzzling characteristic, remarkably resilient, essentially. 167 00:08:04,759 --> 00:08:07,519 Speaker 1: Tail liss And it's not just about surviving, is it. 168 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,360 There's also this weirdness with its brightness. 169 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:14,319 Speaker 2: Ah, yes, the brightness paradox. This is fascinating. Based purely 170 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,399 on its orbit and distance, astronomers calculated what its apparent 171 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:19,720 magnitude how bright it should look to us should be, 172 00:08:19,879 --> 00:08:23,240 and the prediction was the expected value was around magnitude 173 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:27,040 eleven point two, which is pretty faint, requires a decent telescope. 174 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,399 Speaker 1: Okay, but what are we actually seeing now? 175 00:08:29,439 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 2: The latest observations put it at magnitude nine point eight. 176 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:37,039 Speaker 1: Nine point eight. Okay. Now for listeners, the magnitude scale 177 00:08:37,159 --> 00:08:39,919 is backward right. Lower numbers mean brighter. 178 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 2: Correct, and it's a logarithmic scale, which is key. A 179 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,799 difference of one point four magnitudes from eleven point two 180 00:08:44,799 --> 00:08:47,279 down to nine point eight isn't a small change. 181 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: How much brighter is that? 182 00:08:48,639 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 2: In real terms, every whole magnitude difference corresponds to about 183 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:55,159 two point five to four times the brightness, So one 184 00:08:55,159 --> 00:08:58,399 point four magnitudes means it's significantly brighter. You're looking at 185 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:02,600 something like maybe three point six times brighter than predicted 186 00:09:02,639 --> 00:09:03,799 somewhere in that bulb power. 187 00:09:03,919 --> 00:09:06,559 Speaker 1: So it's much brighter than it should be based on 188 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:09,919 just reflecting sunlight at its distance. What does that imply? 189 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:11,600 Is it shedding reflective material? 190 00:09:11,879 --> 00:09:14,639 Speaker 2: That's the logical inference. It must be reflecting more sunlight, 191 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,519 which could mean its surface area has increased somehow, or 192 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:20,440 it's shedding fine reflective particles into a cloud around it, 193 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:22,360 increasing the overall reflected light. 194 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: But if it's shedding material, shouldn't that create a tail. 195 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:28,559 Speaker 2: That's the contradiction, precisely the contradiction. We know it is 196 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:32,759 shedding some material because it's trajectory shows slight deviations what 197 00:09:32,799 --> 00:09:35,320 we call non gravitational acceleration. 198 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: Meaning forces other than the suns and planet's gravity are 199 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,080 acting on it, like tiny jets pushing it. 200 00:09:40,279 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 2: Exactly, little puffs of gas or dust escaping are giving 201 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:47,200 it tiny nudges, altering its orbit slightly from what pure 202 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:48,480 gravity would dictate. 203 00:09:48,399 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: And normally for a commet, that non gravitational force is 204 00:09:52,159 --> 00:09:55,320 the direct result of ice turning to gas, creating the 205 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:59,399 jets that form the tail. It confirms mass loss, yes. 206 00:09:59,759 --> 00:10:03,200 Speaker 2: But with Atlas we see the non gravitational nudges confirming 207 00:10:03,279 --> 00:10:07,440 mass loss, yet we don't see the corresponding large visible tail. 208 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: So the material coming off must be. 209 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:12,919 Speaker 2: Different, that's the strong implication. This leads us to clues 210 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:17,039 about its composition. The material being lost isn't volatile ized 211 00:10:17,039 --> 00:10:20,240 that creates a big visible gas and fine dust plume. 212 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: So what could it been said, rock dust, metal particles. 213 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:26,159 Speaker 2: That's the thinking. The inference is that the material being 214 00:10:26,159 --> 00:10:29,279 ablated or stripped off by the solar environment is likely 215 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,600 much less volatile, things like rocky minerals, fine silicate dust, 216 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,120 possibly metallic particles, maybe even high concentrations of carbon in 217 00:10:36,159 --> 00:10:36,600 some form. 218 00:10:36,759 --> 00:10:40,159 Speaker 1: Okay, let's train analogy. A normal comet getting close to 219 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:43,639 the sun is like holding an ice cube over a flame. 220 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,240 It melts, it drips, its steams, very obvious change, very 221 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:49,559 visible mass loss. 222 00:10:49,799 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 2: Good analogy. The water ice sublimates directly to gas, carrying 223 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,679 fine dust with it, creating that huge visible coma and 224 00:10:57,799 --> 00:10:58,559 tail the steam. 225 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:01,559 Speaker 1: But Atlas is more like holding a chunk of rock 226 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:04,399 or metal over the same flame. It gets incredibly hot, 227 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:06,559 maybe some fine dust or vapor comes off, but the 228 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,840 core structure remains solid. The mass loss is less dramatic, 229 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:10,960 less visible. 230 00:11:11,159 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 2: Exactly, It suggests the solar wind and radiation are eroding 231 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,480 or spattering tougher material off the surface rather than boiling ice. 232 00:11:18,919 --> 00:11:22,200 This might release heavier particles like fine sand or metallic dust, 233 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,840 which don't expand into that huge diffuse cloud needed for 234 00:11:25,879 --> 00:11:26,519 a long tail. 235 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: They might stay closer to the nucleus or dissipate differently, 236 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:31,480 making them very hard to see from. 237 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,879 Speaker 2: Earth precisely so it stays intact. It gets brighter than expected, 238 00:11:35,039 --> 00:11:38,080 maybe because the eroding surface is reflective or it's creating 239 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:42,240 a localized dust cloud, but it resists that explosive vaporization. 240 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:45,320 Speaker 1: Which points to an object that's either incredibly dense or 241 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,679 native materials much tougher than the icy snowballs we usually 242 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:50,799 find in the Ort cloud or Kuiper Belt. 243 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 2: It strongly suggests a fundamentally different kind of composition for 244 00:11:55,399 --> 00:11:59,519 an interstellar visitor. It challenges our models of what these 245 00:11:59,519 --> 00:12:00,600 things are actually made of. 246 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: And just to nail this down, have recent orbital checks 247 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:08,639 confirmed this resilience. Did the solar blasting significantly alter its path? 248 00:12:08,879 --> 00:12:12,919 Speaker 2: Well, the latest orbital solutions, updated around November fifth, actually 249 00:12:12,919 --> 00:12:16,559 showed its non gravitational acceleration was a bit less than 250 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:18,720 some earlier calculations suggested. 251 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 1: Less so even less push from outgassing than previously thought. 252 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 2: Yes, it confirms there's some slight mass loss happening, some 253 00:12:25,519 --> 00:12:28,679 non gravitational effect, but it wasn't a major event that 254 00:12:28,759 --> 00:12:31,879 dramatically shifted its orbit. It reinforces the idea that this 255 00:12:31,919 --> 00:12:34,279 thing is tough. It's the ultimate cosmic survivor. 256 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:36,879 Speaker 1: It seems okay. So we have these two objects, three 257 00:12:36,879 --> 00:12:39,720 I Atlas and V one boris Off, both showing this 258 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:44,360 remarkable resilience, both lacking the expected tail. That similarity alone is. 259 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 2: Interesting, very interesting, But it becomes significantly more compelling when 260 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,960 you layer in the geometry where they are relative to 261 00:12:52,039 --> 00:12:53,000 each other and to us. 262 00:12:53,919 --> 00:12:57,919 Speaker 1: If these were just typical fragile comments behaving normally, maybe 263 00:12:57,919 --> 00:13:00,960 their alignment wouldn't mean as much incidents. 264 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:05,440 Speaker 2: Right, But because they both share this highly unusual, tough characteristic, 265 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:10,360 their sequential appearance in this specific configuration, well, that makes 266 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:11,000 you pay attention. 267 00:13:11,159 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: The odds start to stack up. 268 00:13:12,519 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 2: You mean, you have to consider it. Look at the 269 00:13:14,399 --> 00:13:17,440 sky right now, from Earth's perspective, three eye Atlas and 270 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:20,399 V one Borisov are visually very close. 271 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:23,639 Speaker 1: Together, almost conjunct, you said, like nearly overlapping in our 272 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:24,200 line of sight. 273 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:28,799 Speaker 2: Nearly. Yes, They are both currently appearing within the constellation Virgo, 274 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:30,639 very close neighbors in the night sky. 275 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 1: And wasn't there a third unusual object nearby? 276 00:13:33,519 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 2: Two yes, adding to the general strangeness of that patch 277 00:13:36,279 --> 00:13:39,279 of sky see twenty twenty five K one Atlas another 278 00:13:39,279 --> 00:13:42,960 comet discovered by the ATLA survey coincidentally it's nearby and 279 00:13:43,039 --> 00:13:44,559 the constellation Leo, and that. 280 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:46,440 Speaker 1: One is unusual, but in a different way. It has 281 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:47,200 a weird tail. 282 00:13:47,639 --> 00:13:51,159 Speaker 2: It does. It's noted for having a distinctly golden yellow 283 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:53,879 colored tail. The thinking there is it might be due 284 00:13:53,879 --> 00:13:57,080 to higher amounts of sodium or maybe even vaporized iron 285 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,720 nickel metals in its dust. So also awe but odd 286 00:14:00,759 --> 00:14:03,320 in a different way than our two tailless wonders. 287 00:14:03,399 --> 00:14:06,559 Speaker 1: Okay, so K one Atlas highlights that the neighborhood is interesting, 288 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:09,919 but the main focus is the pair in Virgo three 289 00:14:09,919 --> 00:14:11,639 I Atlas and V one Borisov. 290 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 2: Definitely, and their alignment wasn't just visual proximity in the sky. 291 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:18,480 There was a point around November eighth, just a couple 292 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:21,320 of days after the main observation dates were drawing from, 293 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:24,639 where the three bodies were almost physically aligned in space. 294 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 1: Earth V one Borisov and three Iyeatless in a near straight. 295 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:32,000 Speaker 2: Line very close to it. V one Borisov was positioned 296 00:14:32,039 --> 00:14:34,960 slightly above the ecliptic plane, the main plane where planet's orbit, 297 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,360 but still remarkably close to that direct line connecting Earth 298 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:38,240 and three eyelis. 299 00:14:38,279 --> 00:14:42,159 Speaker 1: Wow. Okay, that geometric arrangement, combined with the identical anomaly, 300 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,080 it forces you into that thought experiment territory, doesn't it. 301 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,919 Speaker 2: It really does, the coincidence thought experiment. You have two objects, 302 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:52,879 one confirmed interstellar, one rogue with an unusual orbit, possibly 303 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:57,000 also from outside the main system. They appear sequentially, they 304 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:00,000 end up in near perfect alignment with Earth, and they 305 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:04,519 share the exact same highly unusual physical property no tail, 306 00:15:05,039 --> 00:15:06,600 despite intense solar heating. 307 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:09,799 Speaker 1: You have to ask, what are the odds of that 308 00:15:09,879 --> 00:15:11,720 happening purely by random chance? 309 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,559 Speaker 2: It certainly strains credulity based on our current understanding of 310 00:15:16,159 --> 00:15:20,120 typical object populations and behaviors. What's the likelihood of finding 311 00:15:20,279 --> 00:15:25,519 two such rare, resilient, possibly metallic or rocky bodies appearing 312 00:15:25,519 --> 00:15:27,720 one after the other in that specific lineup. 313 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,879 Speaker 1: It pushes the boundaries, especially when, as we discussed, their 314 00:15:30,919 --> 00:15:33,879 survival might require physics or material science we don't fully 315 00:15:33,879 --> 00:15:34,360 grasp yet. 316 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 2: And this is where that provocative idea from the source 317 00:15:36,519 --> 00:15:40,000 material comes in. It's speculative, highly speculative, but you see 318 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:41,120 why it emerges. 319 00:15:40,799 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: The idea being if three i Atlists wasn't just a 320 00:15:43,279 --> 00:15:45,960 passive object but could have released something. 321 00:15:46,399 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 2: Yes, the thought experiment posits if hypothetically three iat Lists 322 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:56,799 launched a smaller component towards Earth sometime earlier, what would 323 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:58,879 that component look like by the time we detected it. 324 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 1: Okay, we'd likely be smaller than Atlas, fainter. 325 00:16:02,279 --> 00:16:04,919 Speaker 2: Correct, it would probably be made of the same tough, 326 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:07,960 non volatile material. So it also wouldn't have an obvious 327 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,240 tail and its position. Its position would be exactly where 328 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:15,000 V one Borisov was found between Alice and Earth. I'm 329 00:16:15,039 --> 00:16:16,240 roughly the same trajectory. 330 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: So the observed characteristics of VW one Borisov, smaller, fainter, 331 00:16:20,639 --> 00:16:24,000 no tail, positioned directly in the path that they fit 332 00:16:24,039 --> 00:16:25,399 that narrative quite neatly. 333 00:16:25,519 --> 00:16:28,879 Speaker 2: They do fit the narrative description surprisingly well. But and 334 00:16:28,919 --> 00:16:30,440 this is a huge butt, we. 335 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:34,279 Speaker 1: Have to apply critical thinking. Extreme claims require extreme evidence. 336 00:16:34,399 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 2: Absolutely, the scientific hurdles to the launch idea are enormous. First, 337 00:16:38,799 --> 00:16:42,000 the composition of Atlas itself inferred to be rocky, metallic, 338 00:16:42,279 --> 00:16:45,519 non volatile. How would such an object launch a piece 339 00:16:45,559 --> 00:16:47,039 of itself? What mechanism? 340 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: It's not like a comet breaking apart due to thermal stress. 341 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:50,559 This thing seems solid. 342 00:16:50,919 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 2: Exactly where would the energy come from to eject a 343 00:16:54,519 --> 00:16:58,679 fragment with enough velocity to achieve V one? Borsov's current 344 00:16:58,799 --> 00:17:03,960 orbit raises immense questions about propulsion, energy sources and the 345 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:05,920 structural integrity of Atlas itself. 346 00:17:06,079 --> 00:17:08,920 Speaker 1: So while the alignment and matching anomalies make for a 347 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:10,400 compelling story. 348 00:17:10,319 --> 00:17:13,039 Speaker 2: It remains firmly in the realm of thought experiment. We 349 00:17:13,319 --> 00:17:18,960 absolutely must exhaust every plausible natural explanation first, and there 350 00:17:19,039 --> 00:17:22,319 might be natural explanations we haven't considered yet. Maybe these 351 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:25,039 types of resilient objects are more common than we thought, 352 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:27,480 and this is just a statistical fluke alignment. 353 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,279 Speaker 1: We have to assume it's a sequence of bizarre but 354 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,480 natural events until we get definitive data proving otherwise. 355 00:17:34,279 --> 00:17:36,680 Speaker 2: Without a doubt. But the mere fact that the non 356 00:17:36,759 --> 00:17:39,799 natural possibility is even being whispered about, even as a 357 00:17:39,799 --> 00:17:43,240 fringe thought experiment, tells you how truly weird and unexpected 358 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:44,279 these observations are. 359 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:47,559 Speaker 1: It means the universe is presenting astronomers with phenomena that 360 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:50,599 are forcing them to think outside the established boxes. Look 361 00:17:50,599 --> 00:17:52,279 at the sky with fresh eyes. 362 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:54,920 Speaker 2: And we can't just look at these objects in isolation. 363 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,119 We have to consider the environment they're flying through. Right now, 364 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:01,039 the Sun is in incredibly active. 365 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:04,119 Speaker 1: Yeah, the solar activity context is huge here. This isn't 366 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:06,640 happening during a quiet solar minimum. 367 00:18:06,279 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 2: Not at all. We're heading towards solar maximum and the 368 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:13,720 Sun is really churning out activity. There are large sunspot groups. 369 00:18:13,519 --> 00:18:17,640 Speaker 1: Visible, and specifically sunspots on the side facing Earth. 370 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 2: Yes, crucially, there are active regions on the Earth facing 371 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,119 side and they seem to be magnetically connected or aligned 372 00:18:25,599 --> 00:18:28,720 towards an area astronomer's track called a six lemon. 373 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,839 Speaker 1: A six lemon, what does that signify? Is it just 374 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:32,519 a coordinate? 375 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,440 Speaker 2: It's essentially a region identified as being geo effective, Meaning 376 00:18:36,599 --> 00:18:38,839 when active regions on the Sun are pointing towards a 377 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:42,519 six lemon, any eruptions from them, like chromal mass ejections 378 00:18:42,799 --> 00:18:46,960 CMEs or high speed solar windstreams are highly likely to 379 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:48,319 be directed straight towards. 380 00:18:48,079 --> 00:18:49,880 Speaker 1: Earth, like looking down the barrel of a gun. 381 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,000 Speaker 2: Basically, pretty good analogy. Yes, it funnels that solar energy 382 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:55,000 in those charged particles right into our neighborhood. 383 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: And the suggestion is that these incoming objects interacting with 384 00:18:58,279 --> 00:19:00,839 the Sun might be stirring things up even more. 385 00:19:01,279 --> 00:19:04,519 Speaker 2: It's a plausible connection explored in the source. The idea 386 00:19:04,559 --> 00:19:07,160 is that having these objects, particularly V one boris Off 387 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,519 plunging deep into the inner Solar system and interacting heavily 388 00:19:10,559 --> 00:19:14,319 with the solar environment could help sustain or even amplify 389 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:16,559 the already high levels of solar activity for a. 390 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:20,200 Speaker 1: While, keeping the Sun excited, potentially leading to more flares 391 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:21,880 and seames aimed our way. 392 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,079 Speaker 2: Potentially it adds another layer of complexity to the space 393 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:28,240 weather forecast. We already have an active Sun, and now 394 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:31,039 we have these unusual visitors potentially adding to the mix. 395 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:33,400 Speaker 1: And we're already seeing the effects on Earth, aren't we 396 00:19:33,559 --> 00:19:34,839 Geomagnetic storms? 397 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely, the data shows heightened geomagnetic fluctuations. Recently, we 398 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:43,440 experienced a storm classified as G three minus GMx. 399 00:19:43,519 --> 00:19:45,319 Speaker 1: Okay, G three, How serious is that? 400 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:47,640 Speaker 2: On the scale The scale goes from G one minor 401 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,759 to G five extreme. G three's classified as strong. It's 402 00:19:51,799 --> 00:19:52,880 definitely significant. 403 00:19:53,039 --> 00:19:55,559 Speaker 1: What kind of impacts can a G three storm have? 404 00:19:56,039 --> 00:19:59,319 Speaker 2: At G three levels? You can start seeing problems intermittent 405 00:19:59,319 --> 00:20:03,079 issues with set light navigation like GPS accuracy and low 406 00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:08,079 frequency radio communications power grid operators might see voltage fluctuations 407 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:11,880 and might need to take corrective actions. Sometimes protective relays 408 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:16,319 can trip unnecessarily. Aurora displays become visible at much lower 409 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:17,640 latitudes than usual. 410 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:23,400 Speaker 1: So not catastrophic, but definitely noticeable and potentially disruptive to technology. 411 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,160 Speaker 2: Correct and a G five, just for comparison, could cause 412 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:31,599 widespread voltage control problems, grid collapses, transformer damage, widespread satellite 413 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:37,079 navigation outages for days, high frequency radio blackouts much more severe, and. 414 00:20:37,079 --> 00:20:39,079 Speaker 1: The fact we were recently at G three levels meant 415 00:20:39,079 --> 00:20:41,039 the expectation was for more activity. 416 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:44,559 Speaker 2: Yes, shortly after the period these observations cover, the forecasts 417 00:20:44,559 --> 00:20:48,839 were for continued, strong, possibly even severe G four geomagnetic storms. 418 00:20:49,319 --> 00:20:51,720 When the Sun is this active, and especially with these 419 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:55,440 potential alignment triggers, the impact on Earth's magnetic field is 420 00:20:55,440 --> 00:20:57,000 direct and can be quite potent. 421 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:01,039 Speaker 1: Can you quickly explain how solar storms cause geomagnetic storms 422 00:21:01,039 --> 00:21:02,279 on Earth? What's the mechanism? 423 00:21:02,519 --> 00:21:06,279 Speaker 2: Sure? When a CME or a fast solar windstream hits 424 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:10,960 Earth's magnetosphere, our planet's magnetic shield, it compresses it and 425 00:21:11,039 --> 00:21:14,799 transfers energy into it. This causes rapid fluctuations in the 426 00:21:14,839 --> 00:21:19,480 magnetic field lines. These changing magnetic fields then induce electrical 427 00:21:19,519 --> 00:21:23,599 currents in conductive materials on the Earth's surface. Think physics class. 428 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:28,119 Speaker 1: Changing magnetic field induces current electromagnetic induction exactly. 429 00:21:28,559 --> 00:21:33,559 Speaker 2: These induced currents, called geomagnetically induced currents or GICs, flow 430 00:21:33,599 --> 00:21:38,240 through long conductors like power lines, pipelines, railway signaling systems, 431 00:21:38,279 --> 00:21:39,640 and communication. 432 00:21:39,119 --> 00:21:40,839 Speaker 1: Cables, and that's where the damage happens. 433 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:44,559 Speaker 2: That's the risk. The extra current can overload systems, cause 434 00:21:44,599 --> 00:21:48,440 transformers to overheat and potentially fail trip circuit breakers, leading 435 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:50,599 to blackouts or interfere with signaling. 436 00:21:50,799 --> 00:21:53,599 Speaker 1: Okay, got it. It really connects the dots between distant 437 00:21:53,599 --> 00:21:55,680 solar flares and potential problems right here. 438 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,279 Speaker 2: It absolutely does, which brings us back to that phrase 439 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:01,480 used by researchers mentioned in our sorel, the feeling that 440 00:22:01,559 --> 00:22:04,559 the universe is running the simulation all the way through. 441 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,200 Speaker 1: It's such an evocative phrase. What do you think they 442 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:07,799 mean by that? 443 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,119 Speaker 2: I think it captures the feeling that we're seeing a 444 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:14,319 sequence of events that tests multiple systems at once. The 445 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:19,480 appearance of not one, but two highly anomalous objects, their 446 00:22:19,519 --> 00:22:24,160 strange properties, their specific alignment coinciding with high solar activity 447 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,880 and the resulting geomagnetic effects. It feels like a full 448 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:31,200 stress test of our observational capabilities and our understanding of 449 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:32,079 the system. 450 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:34,920 Speaker 1: Like a drill, almost a cosmic fire drill. 451 00:22:34,839 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 2: Exactly, And the underlying message, regardless of whether these objects 452 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:42,759 are natural rarities or something else, entirely is the same preparedness. 453 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:45,640 Speaker 1: Preparedness not just for weird space objects, but for the 454 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:47,359 tangible effects of space weather. 455 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 2: Prefisely, this whole episode underscores the urgent practical need to 456 00:22:52,079 --> 00:22:56,039 understand and prepare for severe space weather impacts on our 457 00:22:56,079 --> 00:22:58,200 increasingly technology dependent society. 458 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:01,599 Speaker 1: You know that simulation idea really resonates. I remember years 459 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,880 ago training for this really intense multi day endurance race 460 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,720 in the mountains. Part of the prep involved practicing critical 461 00:23:07,759 --> 00:23:10,720 tasks like setting up emergency shelters or navigating in the 462 00:23:10,759 --> 00:23:13,519 absolute worst conditions. We could simulate middle of the night, 463 00:23:13,599 --> 00:23:15,400 freezing rain, total exhaustion. 464 00:23:15,799 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 2: Why to make sure your systems worked under. 465 00:23:17,799 --> 00:23:21,359 Speaker 1: Pressure, exactly because you knew the real event could throw 466 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:25,000 anything at you. This feels similar. The Cosmos is throwing 467 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,319 this complex, unexpected scenario at us. It might not be 468 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,119 the big one yet, But it's a powerful reminder that 469 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:34,880 we need robust plans and infrastructure hardened against things like 470 00:23:35,319 --> 00:23:39,720 major geomagnetic storms that could cripple power grids or communications someday. 471 00:23:40,200 --> 00:23:42,759 It's a real world readiness check, and. 472 00:23:42,759 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 2: It's happening right in our backyard. Cosmically speaking, v one 473 00:23:46,519 --> 00:23:50,680 Borisov's peri helium inside Venus's orbit. The effects are close 474 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,160 to home. It really does drive home the need for 475 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:55,359 ongoing monitoring and infrastructure protection. 476 00:23:55,519 --> 00:23:58,400 Speaker 1: It's almost painful, isn't it. We have this incredible cosmic 477 00:23:58,519 --> 00:24:03,319 puzzle unfolding, potentially offering insights into new physics or exotic materials. 478 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:05,319 Speaker 2: A truly unique opportunity maybe once in a lifetime for 479 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:06,000 some aspects. 480 00:24:06,039 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: And yet getting the clear, detailed data we desperately need 481 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,160 to actually understand three iAtlas and v one Boresov has 482 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:14,440 been really difficult roadblocks everywhere. 483 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,440 Speaker 2: It's incredibly frustrating for the scientific community. Yeah, especially concerning 484 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,200 three Alis, given's been around longer and is the confirmed 485 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:22,119 interstellar one. 486 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,400 Speaker 1: We did get some imagery recently, didn't we, from the 487 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:25,599 Chinese Mars probe. 488 00:24:25,799 --> 00:24:30,839 Speaker 2: Yes, China's National Space Administration, the CNSA released images taken 489 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,839 by their tin orbiter around Mars. These were captured back 490 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:37,359 in early October, but released more recently. 491 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:40,200 Speaker 1: And were they helpful? Did they resolve the mysteries? 492 00:24:40,279 --> 00:24:46,759 Speaker 2: Honestly not really. The image quality was disappointing, very low resolution, extremely. 493 00:24:46,119 --> 00:24:49,640 Speaker 1: Pixelated, so basically a fuzzy blob pretty much. 494 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 2: You could make out a general shape, maybe slightly elongated, 495 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:57,119 but certainly no surface details, no clues about composition. At 496 00:24:57,119 --> 00:25:00,640 this stage, with such fundamental questions unanswered, those kinds of 497 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:04,119 low rist snapshots are almost more frustrating than helpful. 498 00:25:03,799 --> 00:25:05,839 Speaker 1: Because they don't give you the specifics. You can't do 499 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:08,480 spectral analysis from a pixelated blob to figure out what 500 00:25:08,519 --> 00:25:09,039 it's made of. 501 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:14,759 Speaker 2: Exactly, is it rock? Metal, carbon? Ice hidden under a crust? 502 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:17,960 Low resolution doesn't tell you. Now, there was a better 503 00:25:18,039 --> 00:25:21,640 ground based observation from a Spanish observatory around November fifth. 504 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 1: What did that show? It gave a clearer. 505 00:25:23,759 --> 00:25:27,519 Speaker 2: View of the coma of three eye Atlis. Some analysis 506 00:25:27,559 --> 00:25:31,640 suggested the coma might be slightly elongated pointing away from 507 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,839 the sun, which could hint it some minimal tail like 508 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:38,880 structure or outflow, But crucially it showed no major changes, 509 00:25:39,079 --> 00:25:42,759 no big brightening or fragmentation even after the solar storms 510 00:25:42,759 --> 00:25:44,240 it experienced around conjunction. 511 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: So still holding together, still defiant. But we need more. 512 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:50,799 We need space telescopes right, high resolution. 513 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:54,440 Speaker 2: Stuff absolutely, which brings us to the major roadblock, especially 514 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:58,400 forgetting NASA data. We know the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter MRO 515 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:01,359 was tasked with observ three iowas. 516 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: Using its high rise camera. That thing takes incredibly detailed 517 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:04,759 pictures of Mars. 518 00:26:04,839 --> 00:26:07,599 Speaker 2: That's the one high rise has the potential resolution to 519 00:26:07,839 --> 00:26:10,559 possibly see surface features, get a much better estimate of 520 00:26:10,599 --> 00:26:14,119 atalysis size and shape, maybe even spot variations in texture 521 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:17,559 or brightness that could hint at composition. That data is 522 00:26:17,599 --> 00:26:18,599 scientifically vital. 523 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:19,839 Speaker 1: Oh we haven't seen it. Why not? 524 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:23,119 Speaker 2: It's delayed and the official reason cited in our source 525 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:25,480 material is a US government shutdown. 526 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 1: Wait, really, politics, a government shutdown is holding that crucial 527 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:34,319 data about an interstellar object, potentially rewriting physics. 528 00:26:34,519 --> 00:26:37,599 Speaker 2: That appears to be the situation described. It suggests that 529 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:41,480 political and bureaucratic issues are actively hindering the timely release 530 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,759 and possibly even processing of this key astronomical data. 531 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: That's astounding and incredibly frustrating. 532 00:26:49,039 --> 00:26:52,640 Speaker 2: It really is because timing is everything here. These objects 533 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:55,440 are moving fast. They won't be an optimal viewing position 534 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,200 forever if we don't get high quality data while they're 535 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:01,720 relatively close and bright, especially view one boris off around 536 00:27:01,759 --> 00:27:04,319 its perihelion, that window closes. 537 00:27:04,079 --> 00:27:06,200 Speaker 1: And the chance to understand what they're truly made of, 538 00:27:06,279 --> 00:27:07,680 how they're surviving. 539 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:11,079 Speaker 2: Is lost, potentially lost, or at least significantly hampered, which 540 00:27:11,079 --> 00:27:14,160 just ramps up the pressure on the Big space observatories. 541 00:27:13,559 --> 00:27:16,039 Speaker 1: Hubble and the James web Space Telescope exactly. 542 00:27:16,079 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 2: We desperately need them to target these objects get detailed spectra. 543 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,680 Spectra can tell us the chemical composition by analyzing the 544 00:27:22,759 --> 00:27:25,799 light reflected or emitted. That's how we move beyond fuzzy 545 00:27:25,799 --> 00:27:28,359 pictures and actually figure out the material science. 546 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:30,440 Speaker 1: Are there plans for them to observe. 547 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,799 Speaker 2: One hopes observation times being allocated, but these instruments are 548 00:27:33,799 --> 00:27:38,319 in high demand, and there's another potential issue mentioned. Even 549 00:27:38,319 --> 00:27:41,200 if the high rise data from MRO is eventually released, 550 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,680 there are concerns its resolution might still not be quite 551 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:48,160 good enough, perhaps due to the object speed blurring the 552 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:51,599 image or its surface having very low contrast. 553 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:55,279 Speaker 1: Making the need for Hubble and jwst even more critical. 554 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:57,559 They are the big guns we need to solve this. 555 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:00,799 Speaker 2: They really are. We need to get past the these roadblocks, 556 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,960 political or technical, and get our best instruments focused on 557 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:06,079 these cosmic anomalies before they fly past. 558 00:28:06,279 --> 00:28:08,559 Speaker 1: Okay, let's try to wrap our heads around this whole situation. 559 00:28:08,599 --> 00:28:11,359 We've got two main players dominating this story right now. 560 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:15,519 Speaker 2: Three I atlis the confirmed interstellar visitor, still out there, 561 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:19,720 still bafflingly resilient to the Sun, way brighter than calculations predicted, 562 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:22,160 and stubbornly refusing to grow a proper tale. 563 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: And see twenty twenty five V one Borisov the newcomer, 564 00:28:26,519 --> 00:28:30,599 maybe interstellar, maybe just rogue, following Atlas's path, diving even 565 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:33,720 closer to the Sun and critically showing the same baffling 566 00:28:33,799 --> 00:28:34,440 lack of a tail. 567 00:28:34,799 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 2: Both challenging are fundamental models of what comments are and 568 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:42,640 how they behave. There are apparent toughness hints at compositions rocky, metallic, 569 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:46,000 carbon rich maybe that are very different from the icy 570 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,640 bodies we expected, especially from interstellar space, and all. 571 00:28:49,559 --> 00:28:53,039 Speaker 1: This is happening against a backdrop of intense solar activity. 572 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:57,599 Their appearance isn't just an isolated curiosity. It seems connected 573 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:01,599 geometrically and temporarily to the space weather environment. 574 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:05,000 Speaker 2: Which means tracking these objects isn't just about abstract astronomy anymore. 575 00:29:05,279 --> 00:29:10,039 It's directly linked to monitoring the Sun, forecasting geomagnetic storms, 576 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:14,079 and understanding the energetic effects playing out right here potentially 577 00:29:14,119 --> 00:29:15,119 impacting us on Earth. 578 00:29:15,559 --> 00:29:17,839 Speaker 1: It really feels like we're in a unique moment. The 579 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:22,079 inner Solar System is actively hosting these unexpected, fast moving, 580 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:26,359 incredibly tough customers. It's like astrophysics is being rewritten in 581 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:28,000 real time right above our heads. 582 00:29:28,079 --> 00:29:31,720 Speaker 2: And if these objects themselves are defying our expectations, if 583 00:29:31,759 --> 00:29:35,000 they're built differently or obey slightly different rules than we assumed, 584 00:29:35,759 --> 00:29:38,839 it makes you wonder what new physics, what new understanding 585 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:41,640 of materials might be revealed once we finally get past 586 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:43,279 these data roadblocks. 587 00:29:43,119 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: When we finally get that high resolution compositional data from 588 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:51,519 web or Hubble, what secrets will they unlock? 589 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 2: That's the billion dollar question, isn't it. 590 00:29:53,680 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: It leads to a final thought, Really, if our current science, 591 00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:02,240 our current instruments, are ingrained expectation, are struggling to fully 592 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:04,880 capture and explain these two objects that we have detected. 593 00:30:05,559 --> 00:30:08,640 What else might be out there, What other unexpected travelers 594 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,640 might be silently crossing the vast distances between the stars 595 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,720 and our own solar system completely under our radar Right. 596 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 2: Now, sobering thought the universe might be stranger than we. 597 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: Imagine, We'll definitely keep watching this space. Thank you for 598 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:22,039 joining us on this deep dive.