1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,839
Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest space

2
00:00:02,839 --> 00:00:05,960
in astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we'll

3
00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:09,160
be covering a range of exciting topics, from SpaceX's clash

4
00:00:09,199 --> 00:00:13,439
with the FAA to new discoveries and galaxy clusters. Plus

5
00:00:13,439 --> 00:00:15,199
I have a couple of stories on how you can

6
00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,600
help contribute to science projects and progress. Get ready for

7
00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,160
a cosmic journey through the headlines that are shaping our

8
00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:24,800
understanding of the universe. First up, in a bold move,

9
00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,760
SpaceX is vehemently rejecting the Federal Aviation Administration's recent allegations

10
00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:33,520
of launch requirement violations. The FAA has slapped the company

11
00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,560
with a hefty six hundred thirty three thousand dollars fine,

12
00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:40,320
but SpaceX isn't taking this lying down. The space giant

13
00:00:40,399 --> 00:00:43,479
argues that the FAA is falling behind the rapidly evolving

14
00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:47,280
commercial spaceflight industry. They claim the agency is struggling to

15
00:00:47,359 --> 00:00:50,000
keep up with the pace of innovation and is misallocating

16
00:00:50,079 --> 00:00:55,119
its limited resources. SpaceX's vice president for legal affairs, David Harris,

17
00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,320
sent a strongly worded letter to congressional committees overseeing the FAA.

18
00:00:59,719 --> 00:01:02,560
In it, he asserted that the company forcefully rejects the

19
00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,840
FAA's assertion that it violated any regulations. This clash highlights

20
00:01:06,879 --> 00:01:10,599
the growing tensions between traditional regulatory bodies and the new

21
00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,959
wave of private space companies pushing the boundaries of exploration.

22
00:01:14,519 --> 00:01:17,200
As the commercial space race heats up, it seems the

23
00:01:17,239 --> 00:01:19,560
rule book might need some updating to match the speed

24
00:01:19,599 --> 00:01:22,959
of progress. Next up, NASA has taken eclipse mapping to

25
00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:26,079
a whole new level with their latest development. They've created

26
00:01:26,079 --> 00:01:29,799
a process that generates incredibly accurate eclipse maps by incorporating

27
00:01:29,879 --> 00:01:33,400
lunar topography data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This is

28
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,319
a game changer for both astronomers and eclipse enthusiasts. Traditionally,

29
00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,799
eclipse calculations assumed a smooth, symmetrical Moon and didn't account

30
00:01:41,799 --> 00:01:45,920
for Earth's varying elevations. But now NASA's new method factors

31
00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,200
in the Moon's actual cratered and uneven surface, as well

32
00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,200
as the true altitude of locations on Earth. The result,

33
00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,120
we can now see the real time varying shape of

34
00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,079
the Moon's shadow as it passes over our planet. It

35
00:01:58,159 --> 00:02:00,799
turns out the shadow isn't a smooth oda as previously

36
00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,319
thought it's more like a potato. This irregularity is caused

37
00:02:04,359 --> 00:02:06,560
by the mountains and valleys along the edge of the

38
00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,639
Moon's disk, which can affect the timing and duration of

39
00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,000
totality by several seconds. This level of detail is unprecedented

40
00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,400
and provides valuable information for scientific studies and eclipse predictions.

41
00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,400
It's a testament to how far our understanding and technology

42
00:02:21,439 --> 00:02:24,360
have come, allowing us to map these celestial events with

43
00:02:24,439 --> 00:02:29,960
extraordinary precision. Now onto an exciting discovery in a cosmic

44
00:02:30,039 --> 00:02:33,280
dance of hot gas and galaxies, NASA's Chandra X ray

45
00:02:33,319 --> 00:02:37,199
Observatory has made a fascinating discovery in the zwiki eighty

46
00:02:37,319 --> 00:02:40,719
three hundred and thirty eight galaxy cluster, located about six

47
00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,639
hundred and seventy million light years from Earth. This cluster

48
00:02:43,759 --> 00:02:47,879
is home to an extraordinary phenomenon two streams of superheated

49
00:02:47,879 --> 00:02:51,439
gas crossing each other. This celestial spectacle involves a comet

50
00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,560
like tail of hot gas trailing behind a galaxy spanning

51
00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,840
an impressive one point six million light years. As the

52
00:02:57,879 --> 00:03:01,400
galaxy plows through the cluster, its leave behind this enormous tail,

53
00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,879
which has split into two distinct streams. What makes this

54
00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:08,439
discovery particularly intriguing is that it's not the only set

55
00:03:08,479 --> 00:03:11,960
of tails in the cluster. Astronomers had previously observed a

56
00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,000
shorter pair of tails from a different galaxy nearby. The

57
00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,280
crossing of these gas streams is providing valuable insights into

58
00:03:18,319 --> 00:03:22,319
how cosmic collisions can shape the structure of galaxy clusters

59
00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,520
and potentially trigger the formation of new stars. This chaotic

60
00:03:26,599 --> 00:03:30,800
landscape of galaxies, superheated gas, and shock waves is a

61
00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:35,039
result of two galaxy clusters colliding to create Zwiki eight thousand,

62
00:03:35,199 --> 00:03:38,759
three hundred thirty eight. It's a cosmic laboratory that's helping

63
00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:43,000
astronomers understand the complex dynamics at play in these massive

64
00:03:43,039 --> 00:03:46,319
celestial structures. Now here's something you can help out with

65
00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,000
if you wish. In an effort to combat the growing

66
00:03:49,039 --> 00:03:52,759
issue of light pollution, researchers have developed an innovative and

67
00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:57,000
cost effective solution. They've created an inexpensive sensor designed to

68
00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,879
track light pollution on a global scale. Isn't just about

69
00:04:00,919 --> 00:04:04,319
scientific data collection, it's a call to action for citizen

70
00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,199
scientists worldwide. The sensors, which can be built using readily

71
00:04:08,199 --> 00:04:11,639
available components for under sixty five dollars are capable of

72
00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,800
measuring night sky brightness caused by artificial light. By encouraging

73
00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,920
people around the world to construct and install these devices,

74
00:04:19,399 --> 00:04:22,759
the researchers hope to create a comprehensive, real time map

75
00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,120
of light pollution. This grassroots approach serves a dual purpose.

76
00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,639
Not only will it provide valuable data for scientists, but

77
00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,720
it also aims to raise public awareness about the detrimental

78
00:04:32,759 --> 00:04:37,120
effects of light pollution, from disrupting ecosystems and wildlife behavior

79
00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:41,480
to interfering with astronomical observations, the impact of excessive artificial

80
00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,519
light is far reaching. By participating in this project, citizen

81
00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,279
scientists can contribute to our understanding of light pollutions spread

82
00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:53,120
and help inform strategies to mitigate its effects. It's a

83
00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:57,120
powerful example of how technology and community engagement can come

84
00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:01,160
together to address a global environmental challenge. I'll include links

85
00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:02,680
in the show notes so you can find out more

86
00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,040
about the project and instructions on how to build your

87
00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:07,800
own sensor if you'd like to give it a go. Now,

88
00:05:07,879 --> 00:05:10,560
let's talk about one of the most exciting astronomical hunts

89
00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,160
of the past decade, the search for aracoth. After new

90
00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:18,079
Horizons successful flyby of Pluto in twenty fifteen, scientists were

91
00:05:18,079 --> 00:05:20,800
eager to extend the mission, but they faced a major

92
00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:24,920
challenge finding a suitable target in the vast unexplored Kuiper Belt.

93
00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:28,639
For nearly ten years, astronomers scoured the outer Solar System,

94
00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,120
developing new tools and techniques along the way. They used

95
00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,360
ground based telescopes, citizen science efforts, and even the Hubble

96
00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,959
space telescope in their quest. Finally, in twenty fourteen, they

97
00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,720
struck gold with the discovery of Aracoth. This small, oddly

98
00:05:42,759 --> 00:05:46,439
shaped world became New Horizons second fly by target, visited

99
00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,519
on New Year's Day twenty nineteen. The hunt for Aracoth

100
00:05:49,639 --> 00:05:52,399
not only gave us unprecedented views of a distant Kuiper

101
00:05:52,399 --> 00:05:56,240
Belt object, but also revolutionized our methods for studying this

102
00:05:56,319 --> 00:05:59,720
frontier region of our Solar System. It's a testament to

103
00:05:59,759 --> 00:06:03,199
human perseverance and ingenuity in the face of cosmic mysteries.

104
00:06:03,759 --> 00:06:06,600
Next another project you can help with in an exciting

105
00:06:06,639 --> 00:06:11,639
development for exoplanet research. Amateur astronomers and citizen scientists have

106
00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,800
made significant contributions to our understanding of distant worlds. Their

107
00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:18,959
efforts have helped refine the orbital parameters of an exoplanet

108
00:06:19,079 --> 00:06:22,800
known as WASP seventy seven AB. This collaborative project, led

109
00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,240
by researcher Federico R. Knoger from Arizona State University, along

110
00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:29,680
with teams from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Goddard Space

111
00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,120
Flight Center, has produced the most precise physical and orbital

112
00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:37,160
parameters to date for WASP seventy seven AB. The study

113
00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:41,600
combined data from various citizen science projects including Exoplanet Watch

114
00:06:41,639 --> 00:06:45,720
and exoclock, as well as professional observations from space telescopes

115
00:06:45,759 --> 00:06:49,839
like Spitzer, Hubble, and James Webb. WASP seventy seven AB

116
00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:53,279
is a gas giant exoplanet slightly larger than Jupiter but

117
00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:57,480
orbiting incredibly close to its star. These refined parameters will

118
00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,319
help astronomers better predict future transit events, crucial for planning

119
00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:06,720
spacecraft observations and improving atmospheric models. This success story highlights

120
00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,600
the power of citizen science in advancing our knowledge of

121
00:07:09,639 --> 00:07:12,600
the cosmos. It shows that anyone with a passion for

122
00:07:12,639 --> 00:07:17,120
astronomy can contribute meaningfully to cutting edge research, bridging the

123
00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:21,480
gap between amateur enthusiasts and professional scientists. Want a piece

124
00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,519
of the action, join the Exoplanet Watch project and help

125
00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:29,360
contribute to cutting edge exoplanet science. Anyone can participate. Participation

126
00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:36,439
does not require citizenship in any particular country. And that

127
00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:39,519
wraps up today's episode of Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna and

128
00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:41,279
it's been my pleasure to bring you the latest in

129
00:07:41,319 --> 00:07:44,480
space and astronomy news. Before we sign off, I want

130
00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,279
to remind you to check out our website at Astronomydaily

131
00:07:47,319 --> 00:07:50,319
dot io. There you can sign up for our free

132
00:07:50,399 --> 00:07:53,120
daily newsletter, catch up on all the latest space and

133
00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,720
astronomy news with our constantly updating news feed, and listen

134
00:07:56,759 --> 00:07:59,519
to all our back episodes. Don't forget to follow us

135
00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:03,639
on social medi Just search for astro Daily Pod on Facebook, x, YouTube,

136
00:08:03,639 --> 00:08:06,800
and TikTok to stay connected with us between episodes. Thank

137
00:08:06,839 --> 00:08:09,000
you so much for tuning in today. Keep your eyes

138
00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:10,639
on the stars and we'll see you next time on

139
00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:30,800
Astronomy Daily Sunday STARSZ starz Star