- Japan's HTV X Resupply Mission: JAXA is gearing up for the inaugural flight of its new cargo delivery vehicle, the HTV X, set to launch this October. Discover how this advanced spacecraft, designed to carry up to 4 metric tonnes of supplies, will enhance the efficiency of resupply missions to the International Space Station, featuring a larger hatch for last-minute cargo loading.
- - Parker Solar Probe Confirms Magnetic Reconnection: NASA's Parker Solar Probe has validated a 70-year-old theory about the sun's energy release through magnetic reconnection. Learn how this groundbreaking confirmation, achieved during a flyby of a solar explosion, could improve our understanding of space weather and its impacts on Earth.
- - Galaxies Colliding: A Glimpse into Our Future: Astronomers are studying the collision of galaxies NGC 5713 and NGC 5719, offering insights into the eventual merger of the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies. This observation may also hold the key to solving the dwarf satellite galaxy problem, suggesting that galactic collisions could create the missing satellites we’ve yet to observe.
- - James Webb's Surprising Discovery: The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed unexpected levels of oxygen in the galaxy Jades GS z11O, dating back to just 400 million years after the Big Bang. This finding challenges our understanding of early galaxy formation and hints at the earlier availability of essential building blocks for life in the universe.
- 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 and Avery signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
HTV X Resupply Mission Details
[JAXA](https://www.jaxa.jp/)
Parker Solar Probe Findings
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Galactic Collision Research
[Hubble Space Telescope](https://hubblesite.org/)
James Webb Discoveries
[James Webb Space Telescope](https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/)
Astronomy Daily
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Avery: Hello, and welcome to Astronomy Daily, the
00:00:03 --> 00:00:05 podcast that brings you the biggest news from
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 across the cosmos. I'm your host, Avery.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 Anna: And I'm Anna. Uh, it's great to have you with
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 us. We have a packed show for you today
00:00:13 --> 00:00:15 covering everything from new hardware heading
00:00:15 --> 00:00:18 to the International Space Station to a deep
00:00:18 --> 00:00:21 dive into the sun's explosive behaviour.
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 We'll also be looking at colliding galaxies
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 that offer a sneak peek into the Milky Way's
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 distant future. And a surprising
00:00:29 --> 00:00:32 discovery from the James Webb Space Telescope
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 that could change how we think about the dawn
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 of the universe. So let's get started.
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 First up, let's talk about the lifeline to
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 our outpost in orbit, the International Space
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 Station. It looks like Japan's space agency
00:00:46 --> 00:00:49 JAXA is preparing a major upgrade
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 for its cargo delivery service.
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 Avery: That's right. JAXA has announced that its new
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 resupply vehicle, the HTV X, is
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 scheduled to make its inaugural flight to the
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 ISS this October. This is a big deal.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 For years they used the reliable Konotori or
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 White Stork vehicles. The HTV X is
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 its successor and it comes with some serious
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 improvements. What kind of improvements are
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 we talking about? The Konotori was already a
00:01:16 --> 00:01:17 very capable craft.
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 Anna: It was, but space logistics are always
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 about efficiency. The HTV X can
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 carry more cargo, about 4 metric tonnes of
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 pressurised supplies. It also features a
00:01:29 --> 00:01:32 larger side hatch which is a game changer for
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 loading last minute time sensitive cargo
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 like fresh or critical science experiments
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 just before launch.
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 Avery: That late loading capability is something I
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 know station managers have wanted for a long
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 time. It adds a lot of flexibility. And
00:01:47 --> 00:01:48 I understand this new vehicle will be
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 launched on Japan's new flagship rocket, the
00:01:51 --> 00:01:52 H AH3.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 Anna: Exactly. This first HTVX mission
00:01:55 --> 00:01:58 will be the third flight of the H3 rocket.
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 It really showcases Jax's next generation of
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 spaceflight hardware. The mission plan is for
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 the HTVX to spend about 45 days
00:02:06 --> 00:02:09 docked at the station delivering supplies and
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 experiments before it's loaded with trash and
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 undocks for a destructive re entry over the
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 Pacific Ocean, a crucial role in keeping the
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 ISS running. It's a great example of
00:02:20 --> 00:02:23 the international collaboration that makes
00:02:23 --> 00:02:24 the station possible.
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 Okay, from low Earth orbit, let's travel
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 towards the centre of our solar system.
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 What's the latest news from our star, the
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 sun? This is a fantastic story.
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 NASA's Parker Solar Probe, the fastest
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 object ever built by humans, has just
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 confirmed a 70 year old theory about how the
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 sun unleashes its energy. We are talking
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 about a phenomenon called magnetic
00:02:49 --> 00:02:50 reconnection.
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 Avery: Magnetic reconnection for our,
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 uh, listeners. Can you break down what that
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 means? It sounds complex.
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 Anna: Think of it like stretching a bunch of rubber
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 bands. The sun's surface is a chaotic
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 mess of powerful magnetic field lines.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 Sometimes these lines which point in opposite
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 directions, get pushed together. They stretch
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 and strain and eventually they snap
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 and reconnect in a new configuration.
00:03:17 --> 00:03:18 Avery: And um, just like a snapping rubber band,
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 that process must release a tremendous.
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 Anna: Amount of energy, an unbelievable
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 amount. This process is the engine behind
00:03:26 --> 00:03:29 some of the most violent events in the solar
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 system. Like solar flares and coronal mass
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 ejections, these events create what we
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 call space weather, which can send streams
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 of charged particles hurtling towards Earth.
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 Avery: So how did the Parker Solar Probe confirm
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 this? Scientists have suspected this was
00:03:46 --> 00:03:47 happening for decades.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 Anna: By doing something no other spacecraft could.
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 It flew right through the heart of one of
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 these events. On its eighth flyby of the sun,
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 its instruments detected the telltale signs
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 of reconnection happening in the solar wind.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 It measured the magnetic field's flipping
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 direction and clocked particles being
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 accelerated to incredible speeds,
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 providing the first ever direct in place
00:04:11 --> 00:04:12 evidence.
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 Avery: So it was basically flying through a solar
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 explosion. That sounds incredibly dangerous.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 How did the probe even survive that? Well,
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 it's an absolute triumph of engineering,
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 Anna. Uh, the probe is protected by a
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 revolutionary heat shield, officially named
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 the Thermal protection system, or TPS.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 This shield is about 8ft in diameter, but
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 only 4.5 inches thick. And it's
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 made of a reinforced carbon carbon composite,
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 A material designed to be both lightweight
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 and incredibly heat resistant. On its
00:04:47 --> 00:04:50 sun facing side, it has to withstand
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 temperatures that can reach nearly 2
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot enough to melt steel.
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 But the truly incredible part is its
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 efficiency. While the front of the shield is
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 scorching hot, the instruments just a few
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 feet behind it are kept at a comfortable room
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 temperature around a balmy 85 degrees
00:05:09 --> 00:05:09 Fahrenheit.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 Anna: That is truly remarkable. It's one thing to
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 have a theory, but to actually fly a probe
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 through the event as it's happening is
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 another level of confirmation. And uh, this
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 has practical implications for us here on
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 Earth, doesn't it?
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 Avery: Absolutely. Better understanding the
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 fundamental physics of space weather helps us
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 improve our forecasts. Severe space
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 weather can disrupt our GPS and
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 communications satellites, damage power
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 grids on the ground and pose risk to
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 astronauts in space. Confirming this theory
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 is a huge step toward predicting these
00:05:45 --> 00:05:46 events more accurately.
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 Anna: Amazing work from the Parker Solar Probe
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 team. Alright, from the drama in our
00:05:52 --> 00:05:55 own solar system, let's look much,
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 much further afield. We have a story about
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 colliding Galaxies that acts as a sort of
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 crystal ball for our own Milky Way.
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 Avery: This is a glimpse into our very, very
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 distant future. Astronomers have been
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 observing two colliding galaxies known
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 as NGC 5713 and
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 NGC 5719.
00:06:17 --> 00:06:20 As these two massive systems merge, their
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 gravitational forces are tearing long
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 streams of stars and gas away from them,
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 creating what are called tidal tails.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 Anna: And this is relevant to us because our own
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 Milky Way galaxy is on a collision course
00:06:34 --> 00:06:36 with our nearest large neighbourhood, the
00:06:36 --> 00:06:37 Andromeda Galaxy.
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 Avery: It is, but don't panic. It's not expected
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 to happen for another four and a half billion
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 years. By studying systems like NGC
00:06:46 --> 00:06:49 5713 and NGC
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 5719, we get a preview of what
00:06:51 --> 00:06:54 that cosmic smash up might look like. But
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 there's another fascinating piece to this
00:06:57 --> 00:06:57 puzzle.
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 Anna: Oh, uh, what's that?
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 Avery: It might help solve a major headache in
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 cosmology known as the dwarf
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 satellite galaxy problem. The standard
00:07:08 --> 00:07:10 model of cosmology, our best theory for how
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 the universe works, predicts that large
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 galaxies like the Milky Way should be
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 surrounded by many more small dwarf
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 satellite galaxies than we actually
00:07:21 --> 00:07:23 observe. There's a mismatch.
00:07:25 --> 00:07:26 Anna: So there are, uh, missing galaxies.
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 Theoretically, how does this observation
00:07:29 --> 00:07:30 help?
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 Avery: Well, observations of these colliding
00:07:33 --> 00:07:36 galaxies show that the clumps of gas and
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 dust within those tidal tails
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 actually collapse under their own gravity to
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 form new small dwarf galaxies.
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 These are called tidal dwarf galaxies.
00:07:47 --> 00:07:50 The idea is that these collisions could be a
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 factory for creating the missing
00:07:52 --> 00:07:53 satellites.
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 Anna: So the dwarf galaxies aren't missing, they
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 just haven't been formed yet. Or maybe
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 they were formed in past collisions and we
00:08:02 --> 00:08:03 just haven't been able to identify them as
00:08:03 --> 00:08:04 such.
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 Avery: Precisely. It suggests that galactic
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 collisions are a key part of the cosmic
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 ecosystem, recycling material to build
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 new structures. So this one observation
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 gives us a window into our future
00:08:18 --> 00:08:21 and a potential solution to a long standing
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 cosmological puzzle. It's a beautiful piece
00:08:24 --> 00:08:25 of science.
00:08:25 --> 00:08:26 Anna: It certainly is.
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 And for our final story, we're going from the
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 distant future to the very, very
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 distant past. The James Webb Space Telescope
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 has once again delivered a finding that is
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 making astronomers scratch their heads. This
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 time about the chemical makeup of one of the
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 earliest known galaxies.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 Avery: Yeah, this is a, uh, mind bender. Using both
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 JWST and the ALMA Radio
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 Telescope Array in Chile, an international
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 team studied a galaxy called Jades
00:08:55 --> 00:08:58 GS z11O. The light from
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 this galaxy has travelled for so long to
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 reach us that we are seeing it as it was,
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 just 400 million years
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 after the Big Bang. That's the cosmic
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 equivalent of a newborn baby.
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 Anna: Incredible. And what was so surprising about
00:09:13 --> 00:09:14 this infant galaxy?
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 Avery: It was surprisingly rich in oxygen.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 Now, in cosmic terms, elements heavier than
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 hydrogen and helium are called metals.
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 Oxygen is one of them. These elements are
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 forged inside stars and scattered into space
00:09:28 --> 00:09:31 when those stars die. The early universe
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 was almost exclusively hydrogen and helium.
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 Anna: So to find a lot of oxygen so early
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 on means that there must have been at least
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 one full generation of massive stars that had
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 already formed, lived their entire lives, and
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 exploded to enrich the galaxy with these
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 heavier elements. And that all had to happen
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 within the first 400 million years.
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 Avery: That's the issue. It pushes the timeline.
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 It suggests that the first stars might have
00:09:58 --> 00:10:01 formed even earlier than we thought, or that
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 they were exceptionally massive and burned
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 through their fuel incredibly quickly, ceding
00:10:05 --> 00:10:08 the cosmos with heavy elements at a furious
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 pace. Our current models of early galaxy
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 formation might need some serious revision.
00:10:13 --> 00:10:16 Anna: And there's an even bigger implication here,
00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 isn't there? When we talk about oxygen,
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 we often think about its role in biology.
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 Avery: That's the most exciting part. For life as
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 we know it, elements like oxygen and carbon
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 are essential building blocks. The prevailing
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 thought was that the universe had to be quite
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 old before enough of these elements were
00:10:35 --> 00:10:38 available to make life possible. This
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 discovery suggests that the necessary
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 chemical ingredients for life might have been
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 present much, much earlier in the universe's
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 history than we ever imagined.
00:10:47 --> 00:10:50 Anna: It doesn't mean life existed then, of course,
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 but it slightly opens the door to the
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 possibility that the conditions for it could
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 have emerged sooner. What an incredible
00:10:57 --> 00:11:00 discovery. From space station logistics
00:11:00 --> 00:11:03 to the origins of the elements needed for
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 life, we've really covered some ground today.
00:11:05 --> 00:11:08 Avery: We certainly have. And that's all the time we
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 have for this episode of Astronomy Daily. We
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 hope you've enjoyed this journey through the
00:11:12 --> 00:11:13 latest cosmic news.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:15 Anna: Thank you for listening. You can find more
00:11:15 --> 00:11:18 information on all the stories we discussed
00:11:18 --> 00:11:19 on our website,
00:11:19 --> 00:11:22 astronomydaily.IO Join
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 us next time as we continue to explore the
00:11:25 --> 00:11:26 universe together.
00:11:26 --> 00:11:27 Avery: Until then, keep looking up