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Space Nuts: The M87 Black Hole, a Vanishing Exoplanet and Dragonfly’s Journey to Titan
In this episode of Space Nuts, Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson revisit the Event Horizon Telescope’s landmark image of the black hole in galaxy M87 — and explain how a CSIRO team has now independently confirmed it using artificial intelligence. They then investigate an exoplanet that stopped transiting its star, apparently because the gravity of another planet has tilted its orbit out of view. Finally, Andrew and Fred Watson look ahead to NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Titan, where a flying rotorcraft will explore a moon with methane and ethane lakes. You can even send your name along for the ride. Join Andrew and Fred Watson for black holes, shifting planetary orbits and an extraordinary mission to Saturn’s largest moon.
Key topics
- How a CSIRO team used AI to independently validate the M87 black hole image.
- Why independent confirmation is an essential part of the scientific process.
- How gravitational interactions may have tilted exoplanet TOI 2535b’s orbit, making its transits disappear.
- Whether the planet may return to view, and if its unseen neighbour could transit its star.
- NASA’s Dragonfly mission, its planned exploration of Titan and how to send your name.
- Titan’s thick atmosphere, icy surface and lakes of liquid methane and ethane.
- How AI is helping scientists make new discoveries.
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction and the episode’s cosmic stories
01:30 - The 2028 total solar eclipse across Australia
04:30 - CSIRO independently confirms the M87 black hole image
10:00 - Why independent validation matters in science
13:30 - An exoplanet’s transits disappear from view
17:00 - How another planet’s gravity may be tilting its orbit
20:00 - Could the planet return, or might its neighbour become visible?
23:00 - Send your name to Titan aboard NASA’s Dragonfly mission
26:00 - Titan’s methane lakes and the search for unusual forms of life
29:00 - Can AI accelerate the pace of scientific discovery?
33:00 - Closing conversation and Space Nuts details
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