Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to source for the
Speaker 1: most recent space and astronomy news. I'm Anna and I'll
Speaker 1: be your host for today's cosmic Journey. We've got an
Speaker 1: action packed episode lined up for you, covering a wide
Speaker 1: range of fascinating topics from our Solar System and beyond.
Speaker 1: We'll start by exploring the upcoming Drakeened meteor shower, known
Speaker 1: for its potential to produce spectacular displays in the night sky.
Speaker 1: Then we'll zoom out to the International Space Station for
Speaker 1: an update on crew changes and mission developments. From there,
Speaker 1: we'll venture even further into space, discussing new research on
Speaker 1: the effects of long term space travel on the human brain,
Speaker 1: crucial information for future Mars missions. We'll also delve into
Speaker 1: some cutting edge astronomy, looking at how the James Web
Speaker 1: Space Telescope is helping to solve one of cosmology's biggest puzzles. Plus,
Speaker 1: we'll talk about Earth's temporary new mini moon and check
Speaker 1: in on the Curiosity Rovers ongoing mission on Mars. So
Speaker 1: buckle up and get ready for an exciting tour of
Speaker 1: the latest astronomical discoveries and space exploration news. Get ready
Speaker 1: for a celestial spectacle stargazers. The Drakenid meteor Shower is
Speaker 1: set to light up our night skies in the coming days.
Speaker 1: This annual event is famous for its potential to produce
Speaker 1: breathtaking meteor storms, and this year's show promises to be
Speaker 1: a treat for skywatchers. The Drakenids are expected to peak
Speaker 1: on October seventh, with the best viewing time right after nightfall.
Speaker 1: Unlike other meteor showers that require you to stay up late,
Speaker 1: the Drakenids are considerate enough to perform their cosmic dance
Speaker 1: in the early evening hours. These meteors get their name
Speaker 1: from the constellation Draco the Dragon, as they appear to
Speaker 1: radiate from that point in the sky. But don't worry
Speaker 1: about finding Draco. Meteors will be visible across the night sky.
Speaker 1: The Drakenids are caused by debris left behind by Comet
Speaker 1: twenty one p slashed Giacobini's inner. As Earth passes through
Speaker 1: this trail of cosmic dust, we're treated to a beautiful
Speaker 1: light show as the particles burn up in our atmosphere.
Speaker 1: While most years see a modest display of around ten
Speaker 1: metiears per hour, the Drakenids are known for occasional outbursts
Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty three and nineteen forty six, observers witness
Speaker 1: thousands of meteors per hour a true meteor storm. To
Speaker 1: maximize your chances of seeing the Drakenids, find a dark
Speaker 1: location away from city lights. No special equipment is needed,
Speaker 1: just your eyes and a comfortable place to relax. Patience
Speaker 1: is key, as it can take up to thirty minutes
Speaker 1: for your eyes to fully adjust to the darkness. While
Speaker 1: this year's shower is expected to be relatively mild, astronomers
Speaker 1: are already looking ahead to twenty twenty five. That's when
Speaker 1: come at twenty one, piece slash Jacobeani's inner will make
Speaker 1: its closest approach to Earth, potentially setting the stage for
Speaker 1: another spectacular outburst. So mark your calendars, bundle up, and
Speaker 1: prepare for a cosmic light show courtesy of the Drachenids.
Speaker 1: It's a reminder of the wonders that await us when
Speaker 1: we take the time to look up and marvel at
Speaker 1: the night sky. Next up and update from the ISS.
Speaker 1: In a significant development at the International Space Station, astronauts
Speaker 1: Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams are gearing up for their
Speaker 1: return journey aboard the SpaceX Crew nine Dragon in spacecraft.
Speaker 1: This marks a notable transition, as the duo initially arrived
Speaker 1: at the station via the Boeing Starliner. The astronauts have
Speaker 1: been busy integrating with the newly arrived Crew nine spacecraft.
Speaker 1: They've completed crucial tasks such as trying on their SpaceX
Speaker 1: Intravehicular Activity space suits and conducting pressurized suit leak checks.
Speaker 1: The team also tested the suit's audio configurations and performed
Speaker 1: seat fit checks inside the Dragon spacecraft. These preparations are
Speaker 1: essential as Wilmore and Williams will now use the Crew
Speaker 1: nine Dragon as their primary and emergency return vehicle. They're
Speaker 1: set to remain on the space station as part of
Speaker 1: Expedition seventy two, continuing their science mission until February twenty
Speaker 1: twenty five. Joining Wilmore and Williams for the return journey
Speaker 1: will be NASA astronaut Nick Haig and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov,
Speaker 1: who arrived at the station on September twenty ninth. Meanwhile,
Speaker 1: the Crew eight spacecraft, which had been serving as the
Speaker 1: emergency return vehicle for Wilmore and Williams, is preparing for
Speaker 1: its own departure. The temporary seats inside Crew eight will
Speaker 1: be dismantled before it leaves the station. Crew eight, consisting
Speaker 1: of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominic, Michael Barrett, and Jeanette Epps,
Speaker 1: along with ros Cosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gribenkin, is scheduled to
Speaker 1: return to Earth in about a week, weather permitting. This
Speaker 1: crew rotation highlights the ongoing collaboration between NASA and commercial
Speaker 1: partners in maintaining a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit,
Speaker 1: furthering our understanding of space and paving the way for
Speaker 1: future exploration. As we look towards future Mars missions, scientists
Speaker 1: are uncovering some concerning effects that deep space travel might
Speaker 1: have on the human brain. Recent studies on mice have
Speaker 1: shed light on the long lasting impact of galactic cosmic
Speaker 1: radiation on cognitive abilities. When we venture beyond Earth's protective
Speaker 1: magnetic field, astronauts are exposed to high energy particles from
Speaker 1: sources like supernova explosions. This galactic cosmic radiation can penetrate
Speaker 1: spacecraft's shielding, posing a real threat to human health during
Speaker 1: itsx extended missions. In a groundbreaking experiment, researchers simulated the
Speaker 1: space radiation environment. Using a specialized ion beam. They exposed
Speaker 1: both male and female mice to radiation levels similar to
Speaker 1: what astronauts would experience on a deep space mission. The
Speaker 1: results were eye opening. The radiation impaired numerous central nervous
Speaker 1: system functions in the mice, including memory pattern separation, anxiety levels, vigilance,
Speaker 1: social behavior, and motor controls. Surprisingly, female mice seemed to
Speaker 1: be more affected than males. But it's not all doom
Speaker 1: and gloom. The study also revealed a potential protective measure.
Speaker 1: Mice that were given antioxidant and anti inflammatory drugs showed
Speaker 1: less severe cognitive effects from the radiation exposure. These findings
Speaker 1: are crucial for planning long duration space missions, especially to Mars.
Speaker 1: As we prepare to send humans farther into space than
Speaker 1: ever before, Understanding and mitigating these risks will be essential
Speaker 1: for the health and safety of our astronauts. Next, the
Speaker 1: space telescope that just keeps on giving. The James Webb
Speaker 1: Space Telescope has once again wowed astronomers with a stunning image,
Speaker 1: this time capturing a distant supernova in a galaxy that
Speaker 1: appears stretched like warm taffy. But this golden smear isn't
Speaker 1: just visually striking, It could help solve one of the
Speaker 1: biggest mysteries in cosmology. The supernova, nicknamed Supernova Hope, exploded
Speaker 1: when the universe was just three point five billion years old.
Speaker 1: What makes it special is that it's a type IA supernova,
Speaker 1: which astronomers use as standard candles to measure cosmic distances.
Speaker 1: This ties into a major problem in cosmology called the
Speaker 1: Hubble tension. Essentially, scientists can't agree on the exact rate
Speaker 1: at which the universe is expanding. Measurements from the early
Speaker 1: universe don't match up with those from the more recent universe.
Speaker 1: Supernova Hope could provide a bridge between these two methods.
Speaker 1: By observing how its light is bent by the gravitational
Speaker 1: lensing effect of a galaxy cluster, astronomers can calculate a
Speaker 1: new value for the Hubble constant. Interestingly, then, incial results
Speaker 1: from Supernova Hope seem to align more closely with measurements
Speaker 1: from the local universe. While this is just one data point,
Speaker 1: it gives astronomers hope that the James Web Telescope could
Speaker 1: help resolve this cosmic conundrum. As we continue to peer
Speaker 1: deeper into the universe. Each discovery brings us closer to
Speaker 1: understanding the fundamental nature of our cosmos. The Hubble tension
Speaker 1: may soon become a thing of the past thanks to
Speaker 1: the incredible capabilities of our newest space observatory. Now, let's
Speaker 1: answer a question being asked around the globe at the moment.
Speaker 1: Earth has recently gained a temporary celestial companion, a small
Speaker 1: asteroid that's been dubbed our new mini moon. This cosmic hitchhiker,
Speaker 1: officially named twenty twenty four PT five, was captured by
Speaker 1: Earth's gravity on September twenty ninth, and is expected to
Speaker 1: stick around for about two months before resuming its solo
Speaker 1: journey around the Sun. Now, before you get too excited
Speaker 1: about spotting a second moon in the night sky, I
Speaker 1: should mention that this mini moon is incredibly small. At
Speaker 1: just thirty three feet wide, where about the length of
Speaker 1: a school bus. It's roughly three hundred thousand times smaller
Speaker 1: than our familiar Moon. That means it's far too tiny
Speaker 1: to be seen with the naked eye or even with
Speaker 1: most amateur telescopes. This space rock is actually classed as
Speaker 1: a near Earth asteroid, likely originating from the Arjuna asteroid belt.
Speaker 1: It's predicted to orbit our planet for fifty seven days
Speaker 1: before breaking free on November twenty fifth. But don't worry
Speaker 1: if you miss it this time. Astronomers say it'll make
Speaker 1: another close pass by Earth in January twenty twenty five
Speaker 1: and again in twenty fifty five. So while we won't
Speaker 1: be able to see our temporary mini moon, it's a
Speaker 1: fascinating reminder of the dynamic nature of our cosmic neighborhood
Speaker 1: and Earth's gravitational influence. Finally, today, how about an update
Speaker 1: from Mars. NASA's Curiosity rover has been trekking across the
Speaker 1: Martian landscape for over a decade now, and its wheels
Speaker 1: are really starting to show their age. Recent images from
Speaker 1: the rovers Mars hand Lands Imager reveal significant wear and tear,
Speaker 1: with dense punctures and even major gashes in the aluminum wheels.
Speaker 1: But don't worry, spaces, Curiosity is still rolling along just fine.
Speaker 1: The rover's team has been monitoring this damage since twenty
Speaker 1: thirteen and has taken steps to prolonged wheel life, like
Speaker 1: steering Curiosity towards smoother terrain when possible. They've even uploaded
Speaker 1: new software to adjust wheel speeds and reduce pressure from rocks.
Speaker 1: While wheel damage continues to occur. It's not all bad news.
Speaker 1: NASA has used this information to improve the design of
Speaker 1: newer Mars rovers. The Perseverance Rover, for instance, now sports
Speaker 1: more durable wheels thanks to lessons learned from Curiosity's journey.
Speaker 1: As Curiosity continues its mission to search for signs of
Speaker 1: ancient microbial life on Mars, its battle worn wheels serve
Speaker 1: as a testament to the harsh realities of planetary exploration,
Speaker 1: but they also showcase the ingenuity of NASA engineers in
Speaker 1: keeping this intrepid explorer rolling across the Red planet. And
Speaker 1: that wraps up today's episode of Astronomy Daily. I hope
Speaker 1: you've enjoyed our cosmic journey through the latest space and
Speaker 1: astronomy news. From the upcoming Drakeened meteor shower to the
Speaker 1: potential resolution of the Hubble tension, We've covered quite a
Speaker 1: bit of ground, or should I say space. Remember, if
Speaker 1: you want to stay up to date with all things astronomy,
Speaker 1: be sure to visit our website at Astronomy Daily dot io.
Speaker 1: There you can sign up for our free daily newsletter
Speaker 1: catch up on all the latest Space News with our
Speaker 1: constantly updating news feed and listen to all our back episodes,
Speaker 1: and don't forget to follow us on social media. You
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Speaker 1: sharing even more celestial content. This is Anna thanking you
Speaker 1: for tuning into Astronomy Daily. Until next time, keep your
Speaker 1: eyes on the skies and your mind in the stars.
Speaker 1: Keep looking up today, Star Star. The story is the
Speaker 1: tol