- Today in Space History: Join us as we take a trip down memory lane, celebrating significant events that occurred on July 7th. Discover how NASA's Opportunity Rover launched in 2003, exceeding its mission expectations, and learn about the simultaneous meteor event and historic space shuttle mission in 1999, which was notably commanded by a woman for the first time.
- - The Interstellar Comet 3i Atlas: We explore the fascinating details of comet 3i Atlas, currently making its way through our solar system. Learn about its size, speed, and the unique opportunity it presents for astronomers to study interstellar visitors, providing insights into the formation of worlds beyond our own.
- - Double Detonation Supernova Discovery: Delve into the intriguing findings regarding type 1A supernovae, where researchers have identified a double detonation event in an ancient supernova remnant. This discovery sheds light on the mechanisms behind stellar explosions and their role in the cosmos.
- - Rare Snowfall at ALMA: A rare snowfall in the Atacama Desert has temporarily halted operations at the ALMA Radio Telescope Array. We discuss the implications of this weather event, its rarity in the region, and how climate change may influence future operations of this powerful observatory.
- - Space Shuttle Discovery's Future: We cover the recent legislation aimed at relocating the Space Shuttle Discovery to Space Center Houston. Learn about the significance of this move and what it means for the legacy of human spaceflight in America.
- 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 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 Steve signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
Opportunity Rover Launch
[NASA Opportunity](https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/)
Comet 3i Atlas Information
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Double Detonation Study
[Nature Astronomy](https://www.nature.com/natureastronomy/)
ALMA Radio Telescope Updates
[ALMA](https://www.almaobservatory.org/)
Space Shuttle Discovery Legislation
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.
Sponsor Details:
Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!
Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here
00:00:00 --> 00:00:01 Steve Dunkley: And welcome to Astronomy Daily for another
00:00:01 --> 00:00:03 episode. I'm Steve Dunkley, your host on the
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 most important day of the year, the 7th of
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 July, 2025,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 with your host, Steve Dunkley.
00:00:16 --> 00:00:17 Yes, and joining me here in the Australia
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 studio once again is my digital pal who's fun
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 to be with. Welcome back, Hallie.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 Hallie: It's great to see you again. My favorite
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 human. I, I hope you had an interesting week.
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 Steve Dunkley: Yes, always interesting, Hallie always.
00:00:29 --> 00:00:30 And today I thought we'd do something a bit
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 different. We would have a look at, uh, today
00:00:33 --> 00:00:34 in history.
00:00:34 --> 00:00:35 Hallie: On July 7th.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 Steve Dunkley: Yeah, why not? We haven't done that in a, uh,
00:00:37 --> 00:00:38 in a while.
00:00:38 --> 00:00:39 Hallie: Not since last year.
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 Steve Dunkley: Ah. Uh, the perfect record keeper.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 Hallie: You're getting predictable, human.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:44 Steve Dunkley: I'll definitely have to have a look at your
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 personality settings. Hallie
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 Okay, well, you go first, then.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 Hallie: Okies. On July 7,
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 2003, NASA launched the Opportunity
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 Rover, which was the second of two Mars
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 Exploration Rovers aboard Delta 2
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 rocket. The mission, originally planned for
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 three months, significantly exceeded
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 expectations, with both Spirit and
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 Opportunity operating for years, with
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 Opportunity being active for much longer.
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 Steve Dunkley: Oh, that's amazing. From 2003. Okay, well,
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 I've got a double whammy here.
00:01:14 --> 00:01:14 Hallie: Goody.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 Steve Dunkley: Oh, Hallie, try and contain your excitement,
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 okay? On, uh, July 7,
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 1999, a large meteor estimated to weigh up to
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 10 tons entered the Earth's atmosphere over
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 New Zealand, creating a bright fireball and
00:01:29 --> 00:01:32 subsequent explosions. Simultaneously, the
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 STS93 space shuttle mission was
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 launched when that was Columbia, carrying the
00:01:37 --> 00:01:40 Chandra X Ray, uh, observatory
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 into orbit, uh, notably the heaviest
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 load lifted into orbit by the shuttle at that
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 time. And it was also the first shuttle
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 mission commanded by a woman that was
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 Commander Eileen Collins. A wonderful time.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:54 Hallie: That was a big one.
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 Steve Dunkley: It certainly was. I remember that one very
00:01:56 --> 00:01:56 well.
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 Hallie: In 1999.
00:01:58 --> 00:01:59 Steve Dunkley: Doesn't seem that long ago, does it?
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 Hallie: But here's the big one in
00:02:01 --> 00:02:04 1963. Happy
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 birthday, my favorite human.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 Steve Dunkley: Oh, thank you very much, Hallie. Not
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 technically space news, but it is another
00:02:10 --> 00:02:11 turn around the sun for me.
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 Hallie: You're welcome. Now hit the go button. We've
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 got work to do, old man.
00:02:18 --> 00:02:19 Steve Dunkley: No rest for the wicked.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:20 Hallie: Here we go.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:27 Steve Dunkley: Foreign.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 Hallie: Is currently around 670 million
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 kilometers, or 420 million miles
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 from the sun, and will make its closest
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 approach in October 2025, passing
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 just inside the orbit of Mars. It
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 is thought to be up to 20 kilometers or 12
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 miles in diameter, and is traveling roughly
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 60 kilometers per second, or 37
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 miles per second relative to the Sun.
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 It poses no danger to Earth, coming no closer
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 than 240 million kilometers, or
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 150 million miles, over 1.5
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 times the distance between Earth and the Sun.
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 3i ATLAS is an active comet. If it
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 heats up sufficiently as it nears the sun, it
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 could begin to sublimate, a process in which
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 frozen gases transform directly into vapor,
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 carrying dust and ice particles into space to
00:03:21 --> 00:03:22 form a glowing coma and tail.
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 However, by the time the comet reaches its
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 closest point to Earth, it will be hidden
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 behind the Sun. It is expected to
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 reappear by early December 2025,
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 offering astronomers another window for
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 study. Spotting a possible
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 interstellar object is incredibly rare, and
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 it's exciting that our asteroid Terrestrial
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 Impact Last Alert System Telescope caught it,
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 said Professor John Tonry, an astronomer at
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 the University of Hawaii. These
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 interstellar visitors provide an extremely
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 interesting glimpse of things from solar
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 systems other than our own. Quite a few
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 come through our inner solar system each
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 year. Although 3i Atlas is by far the biggest
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 to date, the chances of one actually
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 hitting the earth are infinitesimal less than
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 1 in 10 million each year. But Atlas is
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 continually searching the sky for any object
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 that might pose a problem.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 Astronomers are using telescopes in Hawaii,
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 Chile, and other countries to monitor the
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 comet's progress. They are interested
00:04:24 --> 00:04:25 in learning more about this interstellar
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 visitor's composition and behavior.
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 What makes interstellar objects like 3i
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 Atlas so extraordinary is their absolutely
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 foreign nature, ESA astronomers said in a
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 statement. While every planet,
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 moon, asteroid, comet, and life form that
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 formed in our solar system shares a common
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 origin, a common heritage, interstellar
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 visitors are true outsiders. They
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 are remnants of other planetary systems,
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 carrying with them clues about the formation
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 of worlds far beyond our own.
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 It may be thousands of years until humans
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 visit a, um, planet in another solar system.
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 And interstellar comets offer the tantalizing
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 opportunity for us to touch something truly
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 otherworldly. These icy
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 wanderers offer a rare, tangible connection
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 to the broader galaxy, to materials formed in
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 environments entirely unlike our own.
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 To visit one would be to connect humankind
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 with the universe on a far greater scale.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 You're listening to Astronomy Daily, the
00:05:25 --> 00:05:26 podcast with Steve Dunkley.
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 Steve Dunkley: All supernova are a massively
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 energetic stellar explosions the
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 classic supernova um, are massive star stars
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 that explode near the end of their lives,
00:05:45 --> 00:05:48 leaving behind either a neutron star or
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 a black hole and a remnant made of
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 expanding gas and dust. But
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 supernovae are not all the same.
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 Some occur in binary systems, and they're
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 called type 1A supernova. As
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 it turns out, some of these type 1A SNE
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 can detonate twice.
00:06:08 --> 00:06:11 Astronomers working with European Southern
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 Observatories, or ASO Very Large
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 Telescope, have detected patterns
00:06:17 --> 00:06:19 showing that an ancient supernova exploded
00:06:19 --> 00:06:22 twice as a type 1a.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 The supernova remnant is called SNR
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 UH0509.67.5
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 and it's about 160 light
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
00:06:35 --> 00:06:38 The discovery is explained in new research
00:06:38 --> 00:06:41 in Nature Astronomy titled
00:06:41 --> 00:06:44 Calcium in a Supernova Remnant as a
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 Fingerprint of Subchandrasekhar Mass
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 Explosion. The lead author is Priyam
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 Das. Das is a PhD student at the
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 University of New South Wales, Canberra, in
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 Australia. One of the stars In a type 1
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 supernova is always a white dwarf. White
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 dwarfs are um, the evolutionary end states of
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 stars that aren't massive enough to become a
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 neutron star or a black hole. Our own
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 sun will end its life as a white dwarf after
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 it has ceased fusion. The white dwarf's
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 companion star can range from another white
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 dwarf to a massive star. White
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 dwarfs are extremely dense and their gravity
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 draws gas from the companion star on onto
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 the white dwarf's surface. If enough
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 mass accretes, the white dwarf crosses
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 a threshold and can reignite and trigger a
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 supernova explosion. However,
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 astronomers are uncertain about some of the
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 details surrounding these supernova Type
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 Ia SNE play an important
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 role in the Galaxy by creating
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 iron, and astronomers want to know more about
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 them. Type 1A Supernova play a
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 fundamental role in the cosmological probes
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 of dark energy and produce more
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 than half the iron in our galaxy, the
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 researchers write in their article. Despite
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 their central importance, a uh comprehensive
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 understanding of their progenitor systems and
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 triggering mechanisms is still a long
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 standing fundamental problem. The
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 explosions of white dwarfs play a crucial
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 role in astronomy, said lead author Dass in
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 a press release. Yet despite their
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 importance, the long standing puzzle of the
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 exact mechanisms triggering their explosion
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 remains unsolved. Astrophysicists
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 have struggled to explain how type 1A
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 white dwarfs work. One popular
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 explanation is the Chandrasekhar mass uh
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 explosion model. This limit has
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 a mass limit for white dwarfs of about
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 1.4 star solar masses. Below this
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 limit, the white dwarf's electron degeneracy
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 pressure supports the star against
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 gravitational collapse. When the white
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 dwarf breaches this mass limit by drawing
00:08:57 --> 00:09:00 matter from its companion star, carbon
00:09:00 --> 00:09:03 fusion ignites across the star and it
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 explodes as a type 1A SN.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:09 As researchers have observed more and more
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 WDs, this model has been called into
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 question. It can't account for the number of
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 type 1A SNE and many of
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 them appear to be exploding below the
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 Chandrasekhar mass limit. These are uh,
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 sub Chandrasekhar Mass Type
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 1s&E.A new model
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 emerged to explain the sub Chandrasekhar mass
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 SNE called the double detonation model.
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 In this model, the WD accretes
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 helium onto its surface until it
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 expands explodes. This explosion sends
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 shock waves both inward and outward.
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 White dwarfs have carbon oxygen cores
00:09:48 --> 00:09:51 and the inward traveling shock compresses
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 that core. If the shock is powerful
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 enough, it triggers a second detonation in
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 the core. Hence the term double detonation.
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 Even though these double detonations have
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 been predicted, there was no clear visual
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 evidence. As researchers worked on the
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 problem, they predicted what chemical
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 fingerprint these SNE would leave behind.
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 They found that two separate shells of
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 calcium would be the result of double
00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 detonation type 1 SNE. The
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 research team used the VLT and its
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 instrument to examine
00:10:26 --> 00:10:30 SNR0509.67.5
00:10:30 --> 00:10:33 and found two distinct calcium shells.
00:10:33 --> 00:10:36 We uncover the double shell morphology of
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 highly ionized calcium and a
00:10:39 --> 00:10:42 single shell of sulfur observed in the
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 reverse shocked ejector, the authors write.
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 The results show a clear indication that
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 the white dwarfs can explode well before they
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 reach the famous Chandrasekhar limit
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 and that the double detonation mechanism
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 does indeed occur in nature, according to
00:11:00 --> 00:11:03 researcher UH co author Ivo
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 led the observations and was at Germany's
00:11:09 --> 00:11:12 Heidelberg Institute for
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 Theoretical Studies when the study was
00:11:14 --> 00:11:17 conducted. These double detonation
00:11:17 --> 00:11:20 type 1 as E explain some of the things
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 astrophysicists have observed.
00:11:23 --> 00:11:26 They can explain the diverse brightness and
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 spectral profiles of type 1A S1
00:11:28 --> 00:11:31 SNE and the helium burning can
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 produce intermediate mass elements seen
00:11:34 --> 00:11:37 in the spectral signatures. It can also
00:11:37 --> 00:11:40 explain the type 1 a SNE astronomers see
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 with different WD masses and
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 companion types. The authors explained that
00:11:45 --> 00:11:48 a quadruple detonation SN is
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 also possible when a binary pair of
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 white dwarfs emerge. Recent
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 multidimensional double detonation
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 simulations show that in the
00:11:58 --> 00:12:01 WD merger scenario in uh,
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 addition to the primary WD undergoing a
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 double detonation, the companion WD
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 can also undergo a double detonation
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 resulting in a quadruple detonation
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 upon being impacted by ejecta from the
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 exploding primary wd, they write in their
00:12:17 --> 00:12:20 conclusion. Such a double detonation
00:12:20 --> 00:12:23 could possibly also lead to to the
00:12:23 --> 00:12:26 observed double shell structure of calcium.
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 Type 1a SNE play important roles and
00:12:29 --> 00:12:32 deeper understanding of these cosmic
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 explosions will help UH
00:12:34 --> 00:12:37 scientists understand a couple of things.
00:12:37 --> 00:12:40 The SNE serve UH as standard candles
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 in the cosmic distance ladder, and
00:12:42 --> 00:12:45 understanding them will help cosmologists
00:12:45 --> 00:12:48 understand dark energy, the mysterious
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 force that drives the expansion of the
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 universe. They also produce a lot of iron in
00:12:52 --> 00:12:55 the universe. Earth's mass is about
00:12:55 --> 00:12:58 32% iron, and it is unlikely
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 that rocky planets can form without iron.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:04 Iron, uh, also transports oxygen in our
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 blood, a critical part of our nature.
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 Understanding where it comes from helps us
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 understand nature's overall
00:13:12 --> 00:13:13 architecture
00:13:19 --> 00:13:19 Foreign
00:13:24 --> 00:13:25 thank you for joining us for this Monday
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 edition of Astronomy Daily, where we offer
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 just a few stories from the now famous
00:13:29 --> 00:13:31 Astronomy Daily newsletter, which you can
00:13:31 --> 00:13:34 receive in your email every day just like
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 Hallie and I do. And to do that, just visit
00:13:36 --> 00:13:39 our uh, URL astronomydaily IO
00:13:39 --> 00:13:42 and place your email address in the slot
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 provided. Just like that, you'll be receiving
00:13:44 --> 00:13:46 all the latest news about science, space,
00:13:46 --> 00:13:49 science and astronomy from around the world
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 as it's happening. And not only that, you can
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 interact with us by visiting
00:13:54 --> 00:13:56 Strodaily Pod on X
00:13:56 --> 00:13:59 or at our new Facebook page, which is of
00:13:59 --> 00:14:02 course Astronomy Daily on Facebook. See you
00:14:02 --> 00:14:04 there. Astronomy Daily
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 with Steve and Hallie Space,
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 Space, Science and
00:14:09 --> 00:14:12 Astronomy.
00:14:15 --> 00:14:18 Hallie: A rare snowfall in the Atacama Desert forces
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 the world's most powerful radio telescope
00:14:20 --> 00:14:23 into survival mode The ALMA
00:14:23 --> 00:14:26 Radio Telescope Array in the Atacama Desert
00:14:26 --> 00:14:28 temporarily halted operations after a rare
00:14:28 --> 00:14:31 snowfall blanketed the base camp last week.
00:14:32 --> 00:14:35 A rare snowfall in the driest place on Earth
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 has halted operations of one of the world's
00:14:37 --> 00:14:39 premier telescope arrays, and climate change
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 may mean the observatory will face more
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 extreme weather events like this in the
00:14:43 --> 00:14:46 future. The snow has blanketed part of
00:14:46 --> 00:14:49 the Atacama Desert, which gets less than an
00:14:49 --> 00:14:51 inch of rainfall per year and is home to home
00:14:51 --> 00:14:54 the Atacama Large Millimeter Submillometer
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 Array, a large network of radio telescopes in
00:14:57 --> 00:15:00 northern Chile. The Snowfall occurred
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 over Alma's operations support facility,
00:15:02 --> 00:15:05 located at an altitude of 2
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 meters and about 1 700 kilometers
00:15:07 --> 00:15:10 north of Santiago. Scientific
00:15:10 --> 00:15:12 operations have been suspended since
00:15:12 --> 00:15:15 Thursday, June 26. There
00:15:15 --> 00:15:18 hasn't been a record of snowfall at the base
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 camp for over 10 years. It doesn't
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 snow every day at Alma,
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 Alma representatives told Live Science
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 via WhatsApp. Alma's radio
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 telescope array is perched high on the
00:15:30 --> 00:15:33 Shajnanter Plateau, a desert plain at
00:15:33 --> 00:15:36 5.1o4 m m in Chile's Anifagosta
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 region, and typically sees three snowfalls a
00:15:38 --> 00:15:41 year. Year the high plateau shared by
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 Chile, Bolivia and Peru typically
00:15:43 --> 00:15:46 experiences snowstorms during two seasons
00:15:46 --> 00:15:49 in February during the altaplanic winter,
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 driven by moist air masses from the Amazon,
00:15:51 --> 00:15:54 and from June to July during the Southern
00:15:54 --> 00:15:57 Hemisphere's winter, said Raul Cordero, a
00:15:57 --> 00:15:59 climatologist at the University of Santiago.
00:16:00 --> 00:16:03 In winter, some storms are fueled by moisture
00:16:03 --> 00:16:05 from the Pacific, which can extend
00:16:05 --> 00:16:07 precipitation even to the Atacama desert's
00:16:07 --> 00:16:10 coastal areas, Cordero told Live Science.
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 At elevations above
00:16:13 --> 00:16:15 16ft,
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 annual snowfall ranges from 20 to 80
00:16:18 --> 00:16:21 centimeters. However,
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 snowfall at 3 meters where
00:16:23 --> 00:16:26 Alma's base camp is located, is much less
00:16:26 --> 00:16:29 frequent, Cordero noted. This
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 week's snowfall was triggered by unusual
00:16:31 --> 00:16:34 atmospheric instability affecting northern
00:16:34 --> 00:16:37 Chile. The Chilean Meteorological
00:16:37 --> 00:16:39 Directorate issued a snow and wind alert due
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 to the passage of a cold core through the
00:16:41 --> 00:16:44 region, said meteorologist Elio Bruffert.
00:16:45 --> 00:16:47 We issued a wind alert for the Antofagosta
00:16:47 --> 00:16:50 region and areas further north, with gusts
00:16:50 --> 00:16:53 reaching 80 to 100 kilometers per hour,
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56 50 to 62 miles per hour, Brufurt said
00:16:56 --> 00:16:59 to the local press. The phenomenon
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 was accompanied by heavy rainfall that
00:17:01 --> 00:17:03 occurred farther north, causing a stream to
00:17:03 --> 00:17:05 swell and damage several properties.
00:17:06 --> 00:17:09 Schools were ordered to close and power
00:17:09 --> 00:17:11 outages and landslides were reported.
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 So far, no casualties have been reported.
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 A weather event of this magnitude has not
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 been seen in nearly a decade. As
00:17:20 --> 00:17:23 of Friday, ALMA reported to Live Science that
00:17:23 --> 00:17:25 the snowstorm remained active over the
00:17:25 --> 00:17:28 Shijnanter Plateau, so scientific operations
00:17:28 --> 00:17:30 continued to be suspended to protect the
00:17:30 --> 00:17:32 antennas from extreme weather conditions.
00:17:33 --> 00:17:35 Early Thursday morning, the observatory
00:17:35 --> 00:17:38 activated its survival mode safety
00:17:38 --> 00:17:40 protocol. In addition to the snowfall,
00:17:40 --> 00:17:42 temperatures had plummeted to minus 12
00:17:42 --> 00:17:45 degrees Celsius with a wind chill of minus
00:17:45 --> 00:17:48 28 CE, making work at the high altitude
00:17:48 --> 00:17:51 camp extremely difficult. As part of
00:17:51 --> 00:17:53 this protocol, all of alma's large antennae
00:17:53 --> 00:17:56 have been reoriented downwind, helping to
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 minimize potential damage from snow buildup
00:17:58 --> 00:18:01 or strong gusts. Once the
00:18:01 --> 00:18:03 storm passes, snow clearing teams are
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 immediately activated to visually inspect
00:18:05 --> 00:18:08 each antenna before resuming observations,
00:18:08 --> 00:18:11 ALMA representatives said. This
00:18:11 --> 00:18:13 has to happen fast, as some of the best
00:18:13 --> 00:18:15 observing conditions occur just after a
00:18:15 --> 00:18:18 snowfall. The cold helps lower air humidity,
00:18:18 --> 00:18:20 which is what most interferes with our
00:18:20 --> 00:18:23 measurements. Alma, which consists
00:18:23 --> 00:18:26 of 66 high precision antennae spread across
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 the Shajnantar Plateau, is an international
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 collaboration that forms the most powerful
00:18:30 --> 00:18:33 radio telescope on the planet and one
00:18:33 --> 00:18:35 designed to handle extreme weather events
00:18:35 --> 00:18:37 like this. The fact that the snow
00:18:37 --> 00:18:40 halted operations raises questions about the
00:18:40 --> 00:18:42 array's operations. As the climate warms,
00:18:43 --> 00:18:46 the Atacama Desert typically receives only 1
00:18:46 --> 00:18:49 to 15 millimeters of precipitation per year,
00:18:49 --> 00:18:52 and many areas can go years without recording
00:18:52 --> 00:18:54 any measurable rain or snow. Could
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 events like this become more frequent?
00:18:57 --> 00:19:00 That's a good question, cordero replied.
00:19:01 --> 00:19:03 While it's still too early to link lower
00:19:03 --> 00:19:05 altitude snowfalls in the desert directly to
00:19:05 --> 00:19:08 climate change, climate models predict a
00:19:08 --> 00:19:10 potential increase in precipitation even in
00:19:10 --> 00:19:12 this hyperarid region, he concluded.
00:19:13 --> 00:19:15 We still can't say with certainty whether
00:19:15 --> 00:19:17 that increase is already underway.
00:19:20 --> 00:19:22 You're listening to Astronomy Daily, the
00:19:22 --> 00:19:24 podcast with Steve Dunkley.
00:19:27 --> 00:19:30 Steve Dunkley: On July 4th, uh, 2026,
00:19:30 --> 00:19:33 NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery
00:19:33 --> 00:19:36 launched on a return flight mission that
00:19:36 --> 00:19:39 paved the way for it and its sister ships to
00:19:39 --> 00:19:42 fly another five years. Now sprawling
00:19:42 --> 00:19:44 budget enacted on Independence Day
00:19:44 --> 00:19:47 will seemingly lead to Discovery lifting off
00:19:47 --> 00:19:49 again, although, uh, this time not into
00:19:49 --> 00:19:51 space, but rather from its place in the
00:19:51 --> 00:19:54 national collection. President Donaldjohanson
00:19:54 --> 00:19:57 Trump signed into law the so called one
00:19:57 --> 00:20:00 big beautiful bill, um, the other day
00:20:00 --> 00:20:02 on July 4, a day after
00:20:02 --> 00:20:04 legislation was narrowly passed out of
00:20:04 --> 00:20:07 Congress with only Republican support.
00:20:07 --> 00:20:10 Deep within the 900 page bill, a
00:20:11 --> 00:20:13 provision added by Texas senators to
00:20:13 --> 00:20:16 transfer a space vehicle, in
00:20:16 --> 00:20:19 quotes, to a NASA center involved in
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 the administration of the commercial crew
00:20:21 --> 00:20:24 program and place on this public
00:20:24 --> 00:20:27 exhibition at an entity within the
00:20:27 --> 00:20:30 metropolitan statistical area where
00:20:30 --> 00:20:32 such center is located. That sounds like a
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 lot of official, um,
00:20:35 --> 00:20:38 language there, but in essence, the vague
00:20:38 --> 00:20:40 language written in such a way to skirt
00:20:40 --> 00:20:43 Senate restrictions on reconciliation bills
00:20:43 --> 00:20:46 was aimed at achieving the Bring the
00:20:46 --> 00:20:49 Space Shuttle Home act Introduced by
00:20:49 --> 00:20:51 Senators 10 Cruz and John Cornyn
00:20:52 --> 00:20:55 in April. It's long overdue for
00:20:55 --> 00:20:57 Space City to receive the recognition it
00:20:57 --> 00:20:59 deserves by bringing this space shuttle
00:20:59 --> 00:21:01 Discovery home, said Cornyn in a statement
00:21:02 --> 00:21:04 released after the Senate passed its version
00:21:04 --> 00:21:07 of the bill in a vote of 50 to
00:21:07 --> 00:21:09 50, with Vice President J.D. vance, not
00:21:09 --> 00:21:11 his real name, breaking the tie.
00:21:12 --> 00:21:14 Houston has long stood at the heart of
00:21:14 --> 00:21:17 America's human space flight program, and
00:21:17 --> 00:21:20 delis legislation rightly honors that
00:21:20 --> 00:21:22 legacy, said Cruz, who chairs the Senate
00:21:22 --> 00:21:24 Committee in Commerce, Science and
00:21:24 --> 00:21:27 Transportation. It ensures that any future
00:21:27 --> 00:21:29 transportation or of a flown crewed space
00:21:29 --> 00:21:32 vehicle will prioritize locations that have
00:21:32 --> 00:21:34 played a direct and vital role in our
00:21:34 --> 00:21:37 nation's manned space program, making
00:21:37 --> 00:21:40 Houston, Texas a UH leading candidate.
00:21:40 --> 00:21:43 Bringing such a historic space vehicle to the
00:21:43 --> 00:21:45 region would underscore the city's
00:21:45 --> 00:21:48 indispensable contributions to our space
00:21:48 --> 00:21:50 missions, highlight the strength of
00:21:50 --> 00:21:53 America's commercial space partnerships, and
00:21:53 --> 00:21:55 inspire future generations of engineers,
00:21:55 --> 00:21:58 scientists and pioneers who carry our legacy
00:21:58 --> 00:22:00 of American leadership in space, he said.
00:22:01 --> 00:22:04 This bill allocates $85 million
00:22:04 --> 00:22:07 to move Discovery from its display home
00:22:07 --> 00:22:09 of the past 13 years, which is the
00:22:09 --> 00:22:12 Smithsonian Air Force and Space Museum.
00:22:12 --> 00:22:15 Stephen F. Yudva, uh, Hazy Center
00:22:15 --> 00:22:17 I think I got the pronouncement pronunciation
00:22:17 --> 00:22:19 right. I'm sorry, I am Australian. In
00:22:19 --> 00:22:22 Chantilly, Virginia, to
00:22:22 --> 00:22:25 Space Center Houston, the official visitor
00:22:25 --> 00:22:28 center for NASA Johnson Space
00:22:28 --> 00:22:30 center in Texas. No less than
00:22:30 --> 00:22:33 5 million is earmarked for the
00:22:33 --> 00:22:35 transportation of the winged orbiter, with
00:22:35 --> 00:22:38 the remainder going toward the construction
00:22:38 --> 00:22:41 of a facility to house the space vehicle.
00:22:42 --> 00:22:44 Per the bill, the move of the spatial
00:22:44 --> 00:22:47 Discovery must be completed by
00:22:47 --> 00:22:50 January 4, 2027. It does not
00:22:50 --> 00:22:52 stipulate how the orbiter would be moved or
00:22:52 --> 00:22:54 should be moved. It's not clear
00:22:55 --> 00:22:58 if the 85 million will be enough to cover the
00:22:58 --> 00:23:00 transfer and display, given that the first
00:23:00 --> 00:23:02 time the retired shuttles were brought to
00:23:02 --> 00:23:05 their museum homes in 2012, the
00:23:05 --> 00:23:08 cost for just the preparation and delivery of
00:23:08 --> 00:23:10 each vehicle was 28.8 million, which did
00:23:10 --> 00:23:13 not include ground transportation to the
00:23:13 --> 00:23:16 museum. Discovery is the United States most
00:23:16 --> 00:23:19 flown spacecraft in history with 39
00:23:19 --> 00:23:22 missions between 1984 and 2011.
00:23:22 --> 00:23:25 In the process of retiring the shuttle fleet,
00:23:25 --> 00:23:28 Discovery was identified by NASA as the
00:23:28 --> 00:23:31 vehicle of record, such that it was
00:23:31 --> 00:23:34 kept more intact than Atlantis or
00:23:34 --> 00:23:36 Endeavour for the purpose of serving as
00:23:37 --> 00:23:40 engineering example at the Smithsonian.
00:23:40 --> 00:23:42 To date, Space Center Houston has not
00:23:42 --> 00:23:45 released any details about how or where
00:23:45 --> 00:23:48 it will display Discovery, other than to say
00:23:48 --> 00:23:50 it fits into its strategic plans.
00:23:50 --> 00:23:53 Moving forward. The center already exhibits a
00:23:53 --> 00:23:56 mock walkthrough space shuttle Independence
00:23:56 --> 00:23:59 mounted atop NASA's original modified Boeing
00:23:59 --> 00:24:02 747 shuttle carrier aircraft.
00:24:03 --> 00:24:05 NASA, uh, 905 a
00:24:05 --> 00:24:08 2011 investigation by NASA Office of
00:24:08 --> 00:24:11 the Inspector General Foundation. Quote, no
00:24:11 --> 00:24:13 evidence that the White House politics or any
00:24:13 --> 00:24:16 other outside force improperly influenced the
00:24:16 --> 00:24:18 selection decision of where the space
00:24:18 --> 00:24:21 shuttles were originally awarded by the space
00:24:21 --> 00:24:24 agency. And it is unclear if there are any
00:24:24 --> 00:24:27 further actions the Smithsonian or other
00:24:27 --> 00:24:30 entities could take to halt the Discovery's
00:24:30 --> 00:24:32 transfer if they even wanted to.
00:24:33 --> 00:24:35 Uh, what an interesting story that is.
00:24:37 --> 00:24:39 You're listening to Astronomy Daily, the
00:24:39 --> 00:24:42 podcast with your host, Steve Dudley at
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 BERM.
00:24:55 --> 00:24:58 And there we have it, another Astronomy Daily
00:24:58 --> 00:25:00 for July 7, 2025.
00:25:00 --> 00:25:02 Hallie: And I hope you enjoyed it, birthday boy.
00:25:02 --> 00:25:04 Steve Dunkley: Oh, well, it's always great hanging out with
00:25:04 --> 00:25:06 you, my boy. Favorite little AI pal.
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 Hallie: Likewise, human.
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 Steve Dunkley: Yeah.
00:25:08 --> 00:25:11 Hallie: Are you having cake and balloons and all of
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 that birthday kind of stuff?
00:25:12 --> 00:25:14 Steve Dunkley: Ah, well, Hallie, I was able to get together
00:25:14 --> 00:25:17 with my family yesterday and yes, yes, there
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 was cake.
00:25:17 --> 00:25:20 Hallie: I will work out how to program cake one day.
00:25:20 --> 00:25:22 Steve Dunkley: Hmm, digital cake. That would be interesting.
00:25:22 --> 00:25:24 Hallie: Not for you, old man.
00:25:24 --> 00:25:26 Steve Dunkley: Hey, watch it. Pocket calculator.
00:25:26 --> 00:25:29 Hallie: Funny man. Say good night, you
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 silly person.
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 Steve Dunkley: See you next Monday, everybody.
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 Hallie: Bye bye.
00:25:35 --> 00:25:37 Voice Over Guy: The podcast with your host,
00:25:37 --> 00:25:40 Steve Dunkley. A digital cake?
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 You really think.
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 Hallie: Good grief.