- Milky Way in a New Light: Astronomers have unveiled a stunning new radio image of the Milky Way, captured by the Murchison Wide Field Array in Australia. This unprecedented view reveals over 3,000 supernova remnants and stellar nurseries, enhancing our understanding of the life cycle of stars from birth to death.
- Farewell to Akatsuki: The Japanese space agency JAXA has officially declared its Akatsuki spacecraft dead after a decade of revolutionizing our understanding of Venus. Despite a rocky start, Akatsuki provided invaluable data on the planet's super rotation and atmospheric dynamics.
- Comet Watching Season: Comet C 2025 A6, also known as Comet Lemmon, is currently visible in the Northern Hemisphere. Observers are encouraged to look shortly after sunset for this long-period comet, which won't return for another 1,154 years!
- China's Lunar Ambitions: China has reaffirmed its goal to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030, with significant progress on the Long March 10 rocket and lunar lander. This announcement coincides with the upcoming Shenzhou 21 mission to the Tiangong Space Station, featuring the youngest Chinese astronaut to date.
- First Stars Born in Pairs: A new study suggests that the universe's first stars, known as Population 3 stars, were commonly born in binary systems. By studying stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud, researchers found that 70% of massive stars are in close pairs, offering insights into early galaxy evolution and black hole formation.
- For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna and Avery signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the wonders of our universe.
Milky Way Radio Image
[Murchison Wide Field Array](https://www.mwfa.edu.au/)
Akatsuki Mission
[JAXA](https://www.jaxa.jp/)
Comet C 2025 A6
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
China's Lunar Plans
[China National Space Administration](http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/)
Population 3 Stars Study
[Nature Astronomy](https://www.nature.com/natastronomy/)
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Avery: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, the podcast that
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 brings you the universe one story at a time.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:06 I'm Avery.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:09 Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to be with you
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 today. Today we have a packed show.
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 We'll be looking at a stunning new image of
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 our own Milky Way, saying a, ah, fond
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 farewell to a Venus orbiter and telling you
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 how to spot a comet visiting our skies.
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 Avery: Plus, we'll cover China's ambitious plans for
00:00:25 --> 00:00:26 the Moon.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:26 Anna: And.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 Avery: And a fascinating discovery about the very
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 first stars in the universe were born. So
00:00:31 --> 00:00:32 let's jump right in.
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 Anna, where are we starting?
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 Anna: Let's start close to home, Avery. With
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 a view of our galaxy like we've never seen
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 before. Astronomers have just released a
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 milestone new image of the Milky Way, and
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 it's absolutely breathtaking.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 Avery: I've seen it, and it really is something
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 else. This isn't a typical photograph,
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 though, is it? This was captured using a
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 radio telescope array in Western Australia.
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 Anna: That's right. It's a low frequency
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 radio image from the Murchison Wide Field
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 Array. Think of it as seeing the galaxy in a
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 completely different kind of light. Instead
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 of starlight, we're seeing the radio waves
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 emitted by cosmic rays, hot gas, and
00:01:14 --> 00:01:15 other energetic phenomena.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 Avery: So it peels back the curtain in a way. The
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 dust clouds that block our view in visible
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 light are transparent to these radio waves,
00:01:23 --> 00:01:24 right?
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 Anna: Exactly. This new survey gives us an
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 unprecedented view of the entire southern
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 galactic plane. For the first time, we have
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 a deep, wide image at these low
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 frequencies. And the level of detail is
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 incredible. The team has been able to catalog
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 over 3 supernova remnants,
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 the expanding shells of exploded stars.
00:01:47 --> 00:01:50 Avery: 3. That's a huge jump in our census
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 of stellar deaths. And it's not just about
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 endings, is it? It also shows us where new
00:01:55 --> 00:01:56 star born.
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 Anna: It does. We can see stellar
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 nurseries, vast clouds of gas and dust that
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 are just beginning to collapse and form new
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 suns and planets. By studying the galaxy
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 in this way, we can better understand the
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 entire life cycle of stars, from birth
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 in these nurseries to their often
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 violent deaths as supernovae. It's a
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 true milestone for radio astronomy.
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 Avery: Incredible. From the life of stars to the end
00:02:24 --> 00:02:25 of a mission.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 On a more somber note, we have to say goodbye
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 to a very tenacious spacecraft.
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 Anna: Yes, unfortunately,
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 jaxa, the Japanese space agency,
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 has officially declared its Akatsuki
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 spacecraft as dead. It was orbiting Venus,
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 and for a while, it was the only active
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 mission at our sister planet.
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 Avery: I remember its story. It had such a dramatic
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 journey. It didn't make it into orbit on the
00:02:51 --> 00:02:52 first try. Did it?
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 Anna: Not at all. Its main engine failed during
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 the orbital insertion burn back in 2010
00:02:58 --> 00:03:01 and flew right past Venus. The team
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 had to put it into a holding pattern,
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 orbiting the sun for five years. Then,
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 in a brilliant feat of engineering, they used
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 its smaller thrusters to make a second
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 successful attempt to enter orbit in 2015.
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 Avery: Just an amazing comeback story for a robotic
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 probe. And it delivered some fantastic
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 science for nearly a decade after that.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 Anna: It really did. Akatsuki
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 completely revolutionized our understanding
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 of Venus's climate. Its biggest contribution
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 was studying the planet's super
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 rotation, a phenomenon where the atmosphere
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 whips around the planet 60 times faster
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 than the planet itself rotates. The probe's
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 infrared cameras tracked cloud movements and
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 helped us understand the dynamics driving
00:03:46 --> 00:03:47 those extreme winds.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 Avery: A, true testament to the ingenuity of its
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 mission controllers. It's sad to see it go,
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 and it leaves a temporary void in our
00:03:54 --> 00:03:55 exploration of Venus.
00:03:56 --> 00:03:56 Anna: It is.
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 But let's turn from a world we can't visit
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 to a visitor you can see in our own skies.
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 Avery, it's comet watching season.
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 Avery: It certainly is. Observers in the Northern
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 Hemisphere have a chance to spot Comet C
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 2025 A6, also known as
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 Comet Lemmon. It's currently making its way
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 through the inner solar system and is putting
00:04:19 --> 00:04:20 on a nice little show.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 Anna: So how can our listeners find it?
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 Avery: The best time to look is shortly after
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 sunset. You'll want to find a spot with a
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 clear view of the western horizon, away from
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 city lights, if you can. It made its closest
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 approach to Earth on October 21, and
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 it will reach its closest point to the sun on
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 November eight. So it's right in its prime
00:04:39 --> 00:04:39 viewing window.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 Anna: Now, will you need a telescope?
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 Avery: It might just be bright enough to be visible
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 to the naked eye under very dark skies,
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 but a good pair of binoculars is your best
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 bet. You'll be looking for a small, fuzzy
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 patch of light, maybe with a fake tail.
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 Anna: And this is a special visitor.
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 Comet LEMMON is a long period comet, which
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 means it comes from the Oort Cloud, the most
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 distant and icy region of our solar system.
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 And after it rounds the sun, it's going to be
00:05:09 --> 00:05:10 flung back out into.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 Avery: Deep space, and it won't be back for
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 another 1154
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 years. So, as you said, Anna, this is your
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 one and only chance to see it. Don't miss it.
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 Anna: From a fleeting visitor to a more permanent
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 destination. The world's space agencies
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 are looking to the future, and a big part of
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 that future is a return to the Moon.
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 Avery: That's right. And this week, China reiterated
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 its Ambitious goal to land their astronauts
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 on the lunar surface by 2030. Officials
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 confirmed that everything is moving forward
00:05:43 --> 00:05:43 on schedule.
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 Anna: This isn't just talk. They're developing some
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 serious hardware. They mentioned that the new
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 super heavy lift rocket, the long March
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 10th is progressing smoothly. That's the
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 rocket powerful enough to send the crew and
00:05:58 --> 00:05:59 lander to the moon.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 Avery: They also said the development of the lander
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 itself, the lunar rover and the new moon
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 landing suits are all well underway. The
00:06:07 --> 00:06:08 announcement came at ah, the same time they
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 introduced the next crew heading to their
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 Tiangong Space Station, which really
00:06:13 --> 00:06:14 highlights how their human spaceflight
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 program is operating at a very high tempo.
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 The crew for China's next manned flight to
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 the Tiangong Space Station will include the
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 country's youngest ever astronaut to
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 undertake a space mission, as well as four
00:06:26 --> 00:06:27 lab mice.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 Anna: The Shenzhou 21 mission is set to blast
00:06:30 --> 00:06:33 off at 11:44pm M on Friday
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 15:44 GMT from the Zhuquan
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 Satellite Launch center in northwest China.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 Avery: This crew will be led by veteran space pilot
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 Zhang Liu, who took part in the Shenzhou 15
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 mission more than two years ago. He will lead
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 payload specialist Zhang Hongsheng and flight
00:06:51 --> 00:06:54 engineer Wu Fei on their first space flight.
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 Anna: Wu, who has just turned 32, is
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 set to become the youngest Chinese astronaut
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 to undertake a space mission to date.
00:07:03 --> 00:07:06 Avery: Also along for the ride are four mice, two
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 male and two female, which will be the
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 subjects of China's first in orbit
00:07:11 --> 00:07:12 experiments on rodents.
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 Anna: It certainly feels like we're entering a new
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 era of lunar exploration with multiple
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 countries aiming for the Moon this decade.
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 It's going to be a very exciting few years.
00:07:23 --> 00:07:24 Avery: Definitely.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 For our final story, Anna, let's go from the
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 future of spaceflight to the most distant
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 past, all the way back to the universe's
00:07:31 --> 00:07:32 cosmic dawn.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 Anna: It's a fascinating story. A new study is
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 providing strong evidence that the very first
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 stars in the UniverseWhat astronomers call
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 Population 3 stars were commonly
00:07:44 --> 00:07:45 born in pairs.
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 Avery: Born in pairs? That's incredible. How on
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 Earth can astronomers figure that out,
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 looking back over 13 billion years?
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 Anna: Well, we can't observe those first stars
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 directly. They were too massive and short
00:07:58 --> 00:08:01 lived. So scientists have to be clever.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 They used the Very Large Telescope in Chile
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 to study stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud,
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 a nearby dwarf galaxy.
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 Avery: Okay, but how does that help? Those aren't
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 population three stars.
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 Anna: They aren't. But the Small Magellanic Cloud
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 has very low metallicity. That's
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 the astronomical term for any element heavier
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 than hydrogen and helium. Its chemical
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 environment is much closer to the pristine
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 conditions of the early universe than our own
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 Milky Way is.
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 Avery: So these stars are like a local analog, a
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 window into how stars formed when heavy
00:08:37 --> 00:08:38 elements were scarce.
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 Anna: Precisely. And what the researchers found
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 was striking. By observing the most
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 massive stars in this low metallicity
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 environment, they discovered that at least
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 70% of them are in close
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 binary systems orbiting a, companion
00:08:55 --> 00:08:55 star.
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 Avery: Wow. 70%. That's not
00:08:59 --> 00:08:59 a coincidence.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:03 Anna: Not at all. It provides the
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 strongest observational evidence to date
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 that the first massive stars in the universe
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 were also primarily born as twins
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 or in multiple star systems.
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 This has huge implications for
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 understanding how early galaxies evolved,
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 how the first black holes were formed, and
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 how the universe was seeded with the heavy
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 elements that eventually made life like us
00:09:28 --> 00:09:29 possible.
00:09:29 --> 00:09:32 Avery: A, truly fundamental discovery.
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 And that's all the time we have for this
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 episode of Astronomy Daily. From our own
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 galactic backyard to the dawn of time, it's
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 been another busy week in the cosmos.
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 Anna: It certainly has. Thank you so much for
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 joining us. We'll be back next time with more
00:09:47 --> 00:09:50 of the latest news from across the universe.
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 Avery: Until then, this is Avery reminding you to
00:09:53 --> 00:09:54 keep looking up