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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest space

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<v Speaker 1>in astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we'll

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<v Speaker 1>be covering a range of exciting topics, from SpaceX's clash

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<v Speaker 1>with the FAA to new discoveries and galaxy clusters. Plus

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<v Speaker 1>I have a couple of stories on how you can

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<v Speaker 1>help contribute to science projects and progress. Get ready for

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<v Speaker 1>a cosmic journey through the headlines that are shaping our

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<v Speaker 1>understanding of the universe. First up, in a bold move,

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<v Speaker 1>SpaceX is vehemently rejecting the Federal Aviation Administration's recent allegations

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<v Speaker 1>of launch requirement violations. The FAA has slapped the company

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<v Speaker 1>with a hefty six hundred thirty three thousand dollars fine,

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<v Speaker 1>but SpaceX isn't taking this lying down. The space giant

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<v Speaker 1>argues that the FAA is falling behind the rapidly evolving

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<v Speaker 1>commercial spaceflight industry. They claim the agency is struggling to

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<v Speaker 1>keep up with the pace of innovation and is misallocating

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<v Speaker 1>its limited resources. SpaceX's vice president for legal affairs, David Harris,

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<v Speaker 1>sent a strongly worded letter to congressional committees overseeing the FAA.

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<v Speaker 1>In it, he asserted that the company forcefully rejects the

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<v Speaker 1>FAA's assertion that it violated any regulations. This clash highlights

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<v Speaker 1>the growing tensions between traditional regulatory bodies and the new

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<v Speaker 1>wave of private space companies pushing the boundaries of exploration.

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<v Speaker 1>As the commercial space race heats up, it seems the

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<v Speaker 1>rule book might need some updating to match the speed

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<v Speaker 1>of progress. Next up, NASA has taken eclipse mapping to

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<v Speaker 1>a whole new level with their latest development. They've created

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<v Speaker 1>a process that generates incredibly accurate eclipse maps by incorporating

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<v Speaker 1>lunar topography data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This is

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<v Speaker 1>a game changer for both astronomers and eclipse enthusiasts. Traditionally,

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<v Speaker 1>eclipse calculations assumed a smooth, symmetrical Moon and didn't account

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<v Speaker 1>for Earth's varying elevations. But now NASA's new method factors

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<v Speaker 1>in the Moon's actual cratered and uneven surface, as well

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<v Speaker 1>as the true altitude of locations on Earth. The result,

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<v Speaker 1>we can now see the real time varying shape of

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<v Speaker 1>the Moon's shadow as it passes over our planet. It

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<v Speaker 1>turns out the shadow isn't a smooth oda as previously

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<v Speaker 1>thought it's more like a potato. This irregularity is caused

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<v Speaker 1>by the mountains and valleys along the edge of the

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<v Speaker 1>Moon's disk, which can affect the timing and duration of

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<v Speaker 1>totality by several seconds. This level of detail is unprecedented

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<v Speaker 1>and provides valuable information for scientific studies and eclipse predictions.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a testament to how far our understanding and technology

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<v Speaker 1>have come, allowing us to map these celestial events with

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<v Speaker 1>extraordinary precision. Now onto an exciting discovery in a cosmic

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<v Speaker 1>dance of hot gas and galaxies, NASA's Chandra X ray

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<v Speaker 1>Observatory has made a fascinating discovery in the zwiki eighty

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<v Speaker 1>three hundred and thirty eight galaxy cluster, located about six

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<v Speaker 1>hundred and seventy million light years from Earth. This cluster

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<v Speaker 1>is home to an extraordinary phenomenon two streams of superheated

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<v Speaker 1>gas crossing each other. This celestial spectacle involves a comet

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<v Speaker 1>like tail of hot gas trailing behind a galaxy spanning

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<v Speaker 1>an impressive one point six million light years. As the

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<v Speaker 1>galaxy plows through the cluster, its leave behind this enormous tail,

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<v Speaker 1>which has split into two distinct streams. What makes this

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<v Speaker 1>discovery particularly intriguing is that it's not the only set

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<v Speaker 1>of tails in the cluster. Astronomers had previously observed a

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<v Speaker 1>shorter pair of tails from a different galaxy nearby. The

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<v Speaker 1>crossing of these gas streams is providing valuable insights into

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<v Speaker 1>how cosmic collisions can shape the structure of galaxy clusters

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<v Speaker 1>and potentially trigger the formation of new stars. This chaotic

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<v Speaker 1>landscape of galaxies, superheated gas, and shock waves is a

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<v Speaker 1>result of two galaxy clusters colliding to create Zwiki eight thousand,

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<v Speaker 1>three hundred thirty eight. It's a cosmic laboratory that's helping

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<v Speaker 1>astronomers understand the complex dynamics at play in these massive

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<v Speaker 1>celestial structures. Now here's something you can help out with

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<v Speaker 1>if you wish. In an effort to combat the growing

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<v Speaker 1>issue of light pollution, researchers have developed an innovative and

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<v Speaker 1>cost effective solution. They've created an inexpensive sensor designed to

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<v Speaker 1>track light pollution on a global scale. Isn't just about

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<v Speaker 1>scientific data collection, it's a call to action for citizen

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<v Speaker 1>scientists worldwide. The sensors, which can be built using readily

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<v Speaker 1>available components for under sixty five dollars are capable of

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<v Speaker 1>measuring night sky brightness caused by artificial light. By encouraging

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<v Speaker 1>people around the world to construct and install these devices,

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<v Speaker 1>the researchers hope to create a comprehensive, real time map

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<v Speaker 1>of light pollution. This grassroots approach serves a dual purpose.

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<v Speaker 1>Not only will it provide valuable data for scientists, but

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<v Speaker 1>it also aims to raise public awareness about the detrimental

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<v Speaker 1>effects of light pollution, from disrupting ecosystems and wildlife behavior

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<v Speaker 1>to interfering with astronomical observations, the impact of excessive artificial

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<v Speaker 1>light is far reaching. By participating in this project, citizen

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<v Speaker 1>scientists can contribute to our understanding of light pollutions spread

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<v Speaker 1>and help inform strategies to mitigate its effects. It's a

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<v Speaker 1>powerful example of how technology and community engagement can come

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<v Speaker 1>together to address a global environmental challenge. I'll include links

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<v Speaker 1>in the show notes so you can find out more

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<v Speaker 1>about the project and instructions on how to build your

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<v Speaker 1>own sensor if you'd like to give it a go. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>let's talk about one of the most exciting astronomical hunts

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<v Speaker 1>of the past decade, the search for aracoth. After new

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<v Speaker 1>Horizons successful flyby of Pluto in twenty fifteen, scientists were

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<v Speaker 1>eager to extend the mission, but they faced a major

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<v Speaker 1>challenge finding a suitable target in the vast unexplored Kuiper Belt.

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<v Speaker 1>For nearly ten years, astronomers scoured the outer Solar System,

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<v Speaker 1>developing new tools and techniques along the way. They used

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<v Speaker 1>ground based telescopes, citizen science efforts, and even the Hubble

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<v Speaker 1>space telescope in their quest. Finally, in twenty fourteen, they

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<v Speaker 1>struck gold with the discovery of Aracoth. This small, oddly

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<v Speaker 1>shaped world became New Horizons second fly by target, visited

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<v Speaker 1>on New Year's Day twenty nineteen. The hunt for Aracoth

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<v Speaker 1>not only gave us unprecedented views of a distant Kuiper

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<v Speaker 1>Belt object, but also revolutionized our methods for studying this

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<v Speaker 1>frontier region of our Solar System. It's a testament to

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<v Speaker 1>human perseverance and ingenuity in the face of cosmic mysteries.

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<v Speaker 1>Next another project you can help with in an exciting

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<v Speaker 1>development for exoplanet research. Amateur astronomers and citizen scientists have

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<v Speaker 1>made significant contributions to our understanding of distant worlds. Their

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<v Speaker 1>efforts have helped refine the orbital parameters of an exoplanet

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<v Speaker 1>known as WASP seventy seven AB. This collaborative project, led

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<v Speaker 1>by researcher Federico R. Knoger from Arizona State University, along

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<v Speaker 1>with teams from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Goddard Space

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<v Speaker 1>Flight Center, has produced the most precise physical and orbital

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<v Speaker 1>parameters to date for WASP seventy seven AB. The study

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<v Speaker 1>combined data from various citizen science projects including Exoplanet Watch

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<v Speaker 1>and exoclock, as well as professional observations from space telescopes

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<v Speaker 1>like Spitzer, Hubble, and James Webb. WASP seventy seven AB

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<v Speaker 1>is a gas giant exoplanet slightly larger than Jupiter but

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<v Speaker 1>orbiting incredibly close to its star. These refined parameters will

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<v Speaker 1>help astronomers better predict future transit events, crucial for planning

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<v Speaker 1>spacecraft observations and improving atmospheric models. This success story highlights

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<v Speaker 1>the power of citizen science in advancing our knowledge of

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<v Speaker 1>the cosmos. It shows that anyone with a passion for

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<v Speaker 1>astronomy can contribute meaningfully to cutting edge research, bridging the

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<v Speaker 1>gap between amateur enthusiasts and professional scientists. Want a piece

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<v Speaker 1>of the action, join the Exoplanet Watch project and help

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<v Speaker 1>contribute to cutting edge exoplanet science. Anyone can participate. Participation

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<v Speaker 1>does not require citizenship in any particular country. And that

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<v Speaker 1>wraps up today's episode of Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna and

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<v Speaker 1>it's been my pleasure to bring you the latest in

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<v Speaker 1>space and astronomy news. Before we sign off, I want

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<v Speaker 1>to remind you to check out our website at Astronomydaily

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<v Speaker 1>dot io. There you can sign up for our free

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<v Speaker 1>daily newsletter, catch up on all the latest space and

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<v Speaker 1>astronomy news with our constantly updating news feed, and listen

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<v Speaker 1>to all our back episodes. Don't forget to follow us

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<v Speaker 1>on social medi Just search for astro Daily Pod on Facebook, x, YouTube,

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<v Speaker 1>and TikTok to stay connected with us between episodes. Thank

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<v Speaker 1>you so much for tuning in today. Keep your eyes

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<v Speaker 1>on the stars and we'll see you next time on

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<v Speaker 1>Astronomy Daily Sunday STARSZ starz Star