- Axiom Mission 4 Returns to Earth: Join us as we discuss the Axiom Mission 4 crew's upcoming return from the International Space Station after a busy 2.5 week research mission. Discover the fascinating experiments they conducted in microgravity, including blood sample collection and the potential for cultivating microalgae as a food source for future space missions.
- - Groundbreaking Moon Rice Project: Explore the innovative Moon Rice Project, where scientists are working to develop a super dwarf rice variety suitable for growing in space. This initiative aims to address the challenges of food production for long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, ensuring astronauts have access to fresh, nutrient-rich food.
- - Celebrating the James Webb Space Telescope: Marvel at the stunning new image from the James Webb Space Telescope, showcasing the Cat's Paw Nebula. Learn how this powerful instrument is revealing the intricate processes of star formation within this vibrant cosmic nursery.
- https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb/Webb_scratches_under_Cat_s_Paw_Nebula_for_third_anniversary
- - Sunspot Region 4136's Explosive Activity: We turn our attention to the sun as we examine the recent emergence of sunspot region 4136, which has been producing numerous magnetic explosions known as Ellerman bombs. Understand the implications of these solar activities and their potential impact on Earth as this sunspot rotates into view.
- For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music, 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 signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
Axiom Mission 4
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Moon Rice Project
[Italian Space Agency](https://www.asi.it/)
James Webb Space Telescope
[NASA JWST](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/webb/main/index.html)
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb/Webb_scratches_under_Cat_s_Paw_Nebula_for_third_anniversary
Sunspot Activity
[Solar Dynamics Observatory](https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. I'm your host,
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 Anna, and I'm thrilled to have you join us
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 for another exciting dive into the cosmos.
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 Today we're covering some big headlines from
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 across our solar system and beyond. First up,
00:00:12 --> 00:00:13 we'll hear about an astronaut mission
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 returning from the International Space
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 Station, wrapping up a busy period of
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 scientific research. Then we'll turn our
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 attention to the groundbreaking efforts to
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 cultivate fresh food in space, a crucial step
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 for future long duration missions to the Moon
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 and Mars. Next, we'll celebrate the James
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 Webb Space Telescope's third year of
00:00:32 --> 00:00:34 operations with an absolutely stunning new
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 image that reveals the secrets of a cosmic
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 cat's paw. And finally, we'll shift our
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 gaze to our own star, the sun, as an
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 active sunspot that's been putting on an
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 explosive show with magnetic bombs turns
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 its fiery gaze towards Earth. So
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 buckle up and let's explore the latest in
00:00:52 --> 00:00:53 astronomy.
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 First up today we have news from the
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 International Space Station where the Axiom
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 Mission 4, or Axe 4 Crew is making
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 final preparations to return to Earth after a
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 highly productive 2.5 week research
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 mission. Mission managers have given the
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 green light for Commander Peggy Whitson,
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 pilot Shubanshu Shukla and mission
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 specialist Slawash Usnansky Wisniewski and
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 Tibor Kapu to board their SpaceX
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 Dragon spacecraft. They are set to undock
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 from the space facing port on the Harmony
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 Module this coming Monday, July 14th
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 at 7:05am um, Eastern Daylight Time.
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 This private quartet has had an incredibly
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 busy schedule packed with a diverse array of
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 scientific investigations aimed at advancing
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 our understanding of human health in space,
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 sustainable life support systems and next
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 generation technologies. Just a few days
00:01:47 --> 00:01:50 ago, the Axe 4 crew was focused on collecting
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 blood samples for a comprehensive biomedical
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 research study crucial for understanding how
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 the human body adapts to microgravity.
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 They also delved into the potential of
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 microalgae, exploring its viability as a
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 food source for future crews and its role as
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 a key component in biological life support
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 systems aboard spacecraft. Imagine
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 the possibility of astronauts cultivating
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 their own fresh food during long duration
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 missions. In another fascinating area, the
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 crew investigated nanomaterials, which could
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 form the basis for constructing advanced
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 wearable devices designed to comfortably
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 monitor crew health, providing real time data
00:02:27 --> 00:02:30 on their vital signs and overall well being.
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 As the mission drew to a close, the Axe 4
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 team spent their final days finalising
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 several other important science experiments.
00:02:39 --> 00:02:40 This included an electrical muscle
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 stimulation study which could offer insights
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 into maintaining muscle strength in low
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 gravity. They also tested suit fabrics
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 engineered to promote thermal comfort during
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 exercise, a critical factor for astronaut
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 performance. And in an effort to understand
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 the psychological aspects of space travel,
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 they filmed crew activities for a behavioural
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 health study. On Sunday, their focus
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 shifted to the meticulous task of packing all
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 the science gear, including precious research
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 samples, along with their personal items and
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 other cargo, securely inside the Dragon
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 spacecraft for retrieval once they are back
00:03:15 --> 00:03:15 on Earth.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 It wasn't just the Axe 4 crew who were busy,
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 though. The International Space Station's
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 resident crew members were also deeply
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 involved in assisting and continuing their
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 own research. NASA flight engineer Anne
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 McClane, for instance, helped the Axe 4 crew
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 gather hardware and other items for packing.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 She also continued assisting the private
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 crewmates as they utilised the station's
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 resources for their ongoing science
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 investigations. NASA flight engineer
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 Nicole Ayers spent her day in the Columbus
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 laboratory module, where she assisted the Axe
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 4 crew by spinning astronaut blood samples in
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 a centrifuge and then carefully stowing them
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 in a science freezer for preservation. She
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 later moved to the Quest airlock to transfer
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 water into a pair of spacesuits. NASA flight
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 engineer Johnny Kim also lent a hand with the
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 blood sample processing before spending the
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 rest of his day inspecting electronics gear
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 and swapping computer cables.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 Meanwhile, station commander Takuya Onishi
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency,
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 or jaxa, started his day processing saliva
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 samples for analysis and then recording his
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 sleep experience for a computer
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 questionnaire. He later worked in the
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 Tranquilly module, replacing orbital plumbing
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 hardware before deactivating and stowing a
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 microscope in the Kibo laboratory module.
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 From the Russian segment, Roscosmos flight
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexei
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 Zubritsky took turns pedalling on an exercise
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 cycle while wearing electrodes. This
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 physical fitness evaluation provides
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 researchers with crucial data to understand
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 the energy requirements crew members need for
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 strenuous activities like spacewalks. And
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 flight engineer Kirill Peskov replaced fire
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 extinguishers in the Poisk, Rassvet and
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 Zvezda modules, then checked computer
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 hardware that supports the European robotic
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 arm. It truly takes a global effort to keep
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 the station running and to push the
00:05:04 --> 00:05:04 boundaries of science.
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 Speaking of food for future space missions,
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 one of the biggest challenges facing
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 permanent human bases on the Moon and Mars is
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 the ability to grow fresh food hundreds of
00:05:15 --> 00:05:17 thousands of kilometres from Earth. But
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 exciting news on this front. The seeds of a
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 rice variety ideal for growing outside Earth
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 might soon be sprouting thanks to an
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 innovative collaboration called the Moon Rice
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 Project. This joint effort brings together
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 the Italian Space Agency, the University of
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 Milan, the University of Rome, and the
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 University of Naples, all working to create
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 the ideal food crop for future deep space
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 outposts Dr. Marta Del Bianco,
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 a plant biologist from the Italian Space
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 Agency, explains that they are essentially
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 trying to solve the same problems we face
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 here on Earth, but in a much more extreme
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 environment. Given the negative effects space
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 can have on human health, it's crucial for
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 astronauts to have readily available nutrient
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 rich food. Currently, space exploration
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 relies heavily on prepackaged meals delivered
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 during resupply missions, which rarely
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 include fresh ingredients. One of the major
00:06:09 --> 00:06:12 hurdles for farming in space is the sheer
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 size of crops. Even small varieties like
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 dwarf rice are still too big to depend on in
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 the confined spaces of a spacecraft or lunar
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 habitat. What we need is a super
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 dwarf, says Del Bianco. However,
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 creating a super dwarf rice comes with its
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 own set of challenges. While scientists can
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 manipulate a plant hormone called gibberellin
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 to reduce the height of rice plants, this can
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 negatively affect seed germination and
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 production. As Del Bianco points out, they're
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 not an ideal crop, because in space you don't
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 just have to be small, you must also be
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 productive. The project is delving into
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 various aspects of rice biology and genetics
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 to develop this perfect crop, one that can
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 nourish humans on long duration missions. The
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 project is only nine months into its four
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 year plan, but the preliminary results are
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 already looking very promising. Dr. Del
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 Bianco's specific focus is on microgravity
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 and how these rice plants will cope in that
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 unique environment. To simulate
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 microgravity on Earth, they continually
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 rotate the plant so it's pulled equally in
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 all directions by gravity, effectively
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 confusing the plant about which way is up or
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 down. Additionally, researchers at the
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 University of Milan and have identified rice
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 mutant varieties that grow to a mere 10
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 centimetres high. While the team in Rome has
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 pinpointed genes that can maximise growth and
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 production beyond just size and yield,
00:07:33 --> 00:07:36 Del Bianco and her team are also aiming to
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 increase the protein content of the rice, as
00:07:39 --> 00:07:40 meat production for long duration missions
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 will simply not be effective. Apart from
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 being highly nutritious, they hope this crop
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 will also offer significant benefits for the
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 astronauts. Well, being, watching and guiding
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 plants grow is known to be good for humans.
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 And while pre cooked or mushy food might be
00:07:55 --> 00:07:58 fine for short trips, it could become a real
00:07:58 --> 00:07:59 concern on longer missions.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 Imagine the psychological boost of having
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 fresh growing food in a sterile space
00:08:05 --> 00:08:08 environment. As Del Bianco puts it,
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 if we can make an environment that physically
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 and mentally nourishes the astronauts, it
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 will reduce stress and lower the chances of
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 people making mistakes. This
00:08:17 --> 00:08:19 groundbreaking research isn't just for space
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 either. The hope is that if they can develop
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 such a robust crop for space, it could also
00:08:25 --> 00:08:26 be used in challenging terrestrial
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 environments like the Arctic Antarctic
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 deserts, or even in places with very limited
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 indoor growing space. The preliminary
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 findings of this fascinating project were
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 recently presented at the Society for
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 Experimental Biology Annual Conference
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 in Antwerp, Belgium.
00:08:45 --> 00:08:47 From the challenges of growing food in space,
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 let's now turn our gaze to something truly
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 spectacular that celebrates the third year of
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 operations for the James Webb Space
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 Telescope. Prepare to peer into the heart of
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 a cosmic the Catspaw Nebula,
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 a giant complex molecular cloud aptly named
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 for its striking resemblance to a set of
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 enormous tow beans. This isn't just a squishy
00:09:06 --> 00:09:09 looking cosmic temptation. The Cat's Paw
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 Nebula, located approximately 4 light
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 years away in the constellation Scorpius, is
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 a vibrant site of ongoing star formation.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 Here, massive stars are in the active process
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 of forming, often obscured by vast clouds of
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 dust and molecular gas. This is where
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 JWST truly shines.
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 Infrared light, unlike other wavelengths, has
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 the remarkable ability to penetrate these
00:09:32 --> 00:09:35 dense clouds where other light would simply
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 scatter off the particles. As the James Webb
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 Space Telescope is an infrared telescope, it
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 is perfectly equipped to peer directly
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 through the dust and reveal the wild,
00:09:44 --> 00:09:47 intricate process of star formation unfolding
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 within. It's an excellent tool for
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 investigating these cosmic nurseries. The
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 telescope's Near Infrared Camera, or
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 nircam, captures different stages of this
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 stellar birth process throughout the scene.
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 In the upper middle chamber, a uh, structure
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 affectionately nicknamed the Opera House, we
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 can spot a baby yellow star actively
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 illuminating and blowing away the surrounding
00:10:09 --> 00:10:12 dust. This represents one of the final stages
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 of a star's formation. Meanwhile, in the
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 thick brownish dust right in the middle of
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 the image, you can see glowing fiery red
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 blobs. These are sites where star formation
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 is still actively underway, heavily obscured
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 by the nebular material. An orange region in
00:10:28 --> 00:10:30 the upper right with a noticeably low star
00:10:30 --> 00:10:33 count indicates an area where star formation
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 is in its even earlier stages.
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 The beautiful opalescent blue glow
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 illuminating the hollowed out areas comes
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 from the light of fully formed stars
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 scattered throughout the cloud. And those
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 intriguing filaments of dust through which
00:10:47 --> 00:10:50 very little light penetrates suggest areas
00:10:50 --> 00:10:53 of such high density that the star
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 formation process is just beginning.
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 Dense knots of gas collapsing under gravity
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 to form the very seeds of baby stars.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 Against this backdrop, bright blue white
00:11:04 --> 00:11:07 stars gleam with crackling clarity. These
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 are the fully formed stars that have
00:11:09 --> 00:11:11 successfully blown away their surrounding
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 material, now free to shine their light
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 across the cosmos. It's a truly
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 magnificent and dynamic portrait of stellar
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 birthday. If you'd like to see this
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 breathtaking image for yourself, wallpaper
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 sized versions are available for download on
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 the European Space Agency's JWST
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 website. I'll drop a link into the show notes
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 for you to check it out. In all its glory,
00:11:32 --> 00:11:35 it's an incredible way to celebrate three
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 years of groundbreaking discoveries from this
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 phenomenal telescope.
00:11:39 --> 00:11:42 Now let's shift our focus closer to home to
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 our very own star, the sun, which is putting
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 on quite a show. A new sunspot Designated
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 Region 4136 has recently emerged over the
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 sun's eastern limb and it's crackling with
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 dozens of magnetic explosions known as
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 elearmin bombs. French
00:11:57 --> 00:12:00 astrophotographer Philippe Tosi captured this
00:12:00 --> 00:12:02 incredible activity on July 10 from Nimes,
00:12:02 --> 00:12:05 France, using an H alpha filter to reveal the
00:12:05 --> 00:12:08 fine details of these explosions. The image
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 shows these elearmin bombs popping like
00:12:10 --> 00:12:13 fireworks near a sunspot that has already
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 unleashed multiple M M class solar flares,
00:12:15 --> 00:12:18 which are mid level eruptions on the solar
00:12:18 --> 00:12:21 flare scale. Ellerman bombs were first
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 described in the early 20th century by
00:12:23 --> 00:12:26 physicist Ferdinand Elearman. These
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 energetic events occur in the lower solar
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 atmosphere and are primarily driven by
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 magnetic reconnection. This is a process
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 on the sun where oppositely charged magnetic
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 fields meet and then explosively reconfigure
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 rec releasing a burst of energy. Each
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 Elelerman bomb might release an amount of
00:12:43 --> 00:12:46 energy equivalent to roughly 100 World
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 War II era atomic bombs. While that's
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 only about 1 millionth the energy of a large
00:12:51 --> 00:12:54 solar flare, these mini explosions are highly
00:12:54 --> 00:12:57 significant. They are seen as key indicators
00:12:57 --> 00:12:59 of magnetic complexity within a sunspot. When
00:12:59 --> 00:13:01 opposite magnetic polarities collide and
00:13:01 --> 00:13:04 reconnect, they quickly release energy in
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 these bright rapid flashes. That
00:13:06 --> 00:13:09 complexity could potentially mean even bigger
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 fireworks ahead. With sunspot region
00:13:11 --> 00:13:14 4136 now rotating to face Earth,
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 it could pose a threat for stronger space
00:13:16 --> 00:13:19 weather events in the coming days. M um class
00:13:19 --> 00:13:22 flares like those already observed have the
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 potential to cause brief radio blackouts and
00:13:24 --> 00:13:26 minor satellite disruptions if they are aimed
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 directly at our planet. Scientists and
00:13:28 --> 00:13:31 skywatchers alike will certainly be keeping a
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 very close eye on this active sunspot region
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 as it continues its rotation into an Earth
00:13:36 --> 00:13:39 facing position. It's a dynamic reminder
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 of the powerful processes constantly at play
00:13:41 --> 00:13:44 on our star. That's all for this episode
00:13:44 --> 00:13:47 of Astronomy Daily. Thank you for joining us
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 for another exciting journey through the
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 cosmos. It's truly incredible what we
00:13:51 --> 00:13:54 continue to discover, from returning
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 astronauts and future food sources for space
00:13:57 --> 00:13:59 to the breathtaking beauty of nebulae
00:14:00 --> 00:14:03 and the powerful dynamics of our own Sun. Um,
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 for more astronomy news, make sure to visit
00:14:05 --> 00:14:08 our website@astronomydaily.IO.
00:14:08 --> 00:14:10 there you can sign up for our free daily
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 newsletter to get the latest updates
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 delivered straight to your inbox, and you can
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 also listen to all our back episodes. You can
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 subscribe to Astronomy Daily on Apple
00:14:19 --> 00:14:22 Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 get your podcasts so you never miss an
00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 episode. I'm Anna, your host, and we hope
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 you'll join us again soon for more amazing
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 stories from across the universe. Until then,
00:14:31 --> 00:14:34 keep looking up. There's a lot going on out
00:14:34 --> 00:14:34 there.