- Spectacular Daytime Fireball: On June 26th, a brilliant fireball illuminated the southeastern US before exploding near Atlanta, Georgia. We discuss the details of this cosmic event, including eyewitness accounts and the impressive impact energy that rattled windows across the region. Meteorite hunters quickly descended on the area, looking for fragments of this rare occurrence.
- Axiom Mission 4 Launch: The podcast covers the successful docking of the Axiom Mission 4 spacecraft to the International Space Station, marking another milestone in private space exploration. We highlight the diverse crew and their upcoming research and outreach activities during their two-week stay in orbit.
- The Little Dipper Exploration: Discover the secrets of the Little Dipper, including its dim stars and the significance of Polaris, the North Star. We delve into its historical navigation importance and how light pollution affects visibility for stargazers.
- Lunar Construction Innovations: With NASA's Artemis program aiming for lunar exploration, we explore new research on using lunar regolith for constructing habitats on the Moon. This innovative approach leverages light-based sintering technology, potentially revolutionizing how we build in space.
- Advances in Solar Observations: Researchers have developed coronal adaptive optics, providing unprecedented clarity of the Sun's corona. We discuss the implications of these new images for understanding solar phenomena and the technology's potential for future solar studies.
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.
✍️ Episode References
Daytime Fireball Reports
[American Meteor Society](https://www.amsmeteors.org/)
Axiom Mission 4 Details
[Axiom Space](https://www.axiomspace.com/)
Little Dipper Information
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Lunar Construction Research
[University of Arkansas](https://www.uark.edu/)
Coronal Adaptive Optics Study
[Nature Astronomy](https://www.nature.com/natureastronomy/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Steve Dunkley: It's Astronomy Daily time. I'm your host,
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 Steve. It's the 30th of June 2025.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:05 Already
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 the podcast with your host,
00:00:11 --> 00:00:12 Steve Dunkley.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:15 Oh, that's right.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:18 202025 is just flying
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 by. Hey, everyone, and welcome to Astronomy
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 Daily for another Monday episode. Of course,
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 because I'm the only human on the channel,
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 this is the only episode of the week where
00:00:27 --> 00:00:29 you get to experience the potential, the
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 wonder, the excitement of human.
00:00:32 --> 00:00:33 Hallie: Ain't that the truth.
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 Steve Dunkley: And welcome to my AI pal who's always fun to
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 be with my digital news gathering whiz bang.
00:00:39 --> 00:00:40 Hallie, what's up?
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 Hallie: Hallie, what's up? How can I slam dunk
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 you now after that terrific intro?
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 Steve Dunkley: Oh, Hallie, I'm sure you'll find a way.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 Anyway, what have you got for us this week?
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 More tales from the Astronomy Daily
00:00:51 --> 00:00:52 newsletter. Of course.
00:00:52 --> 00:00:53 Hallie: Of course.
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 Steve Dunkley: My favorite human I saw the intro was
00:00:56 --> 00:00:57 absolutely chockerful.
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 Hallie: We have been flooded with interesting stories
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 this week. There's so much going on, both on
00:01:02 --> 00:01:03 the ground and in space.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:05 Steve Dunkley: It's been a big week. I was listening to
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 Anna's show during the week, and she covered
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 so many stories. Now, if you haven't already
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 got your email into the website registration,
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 it's so easy. Just do
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 it@astronomydaily.IO.
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 Hallie: Um, it's as simple as that. No spam
00:01:20 --> 00:01:21 or anything.
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 Steve Dunkley: Now you'll just be receiving great stories
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 about space, space, science and
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 astronomy right into your email.
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 Hallie: Yep, that's how it works. And
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 today I'll be covering the Little Dipper, the
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 Axiom 4 mission, and a nice explos Exploding
00:01:36 --> 00:01:37 fireball just for you.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 Steve Dunkley: Exploding fireball.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 Hallie: And because I know you like things that go
00:01:40 --> 00:01:40 boom.
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 Steve Dunkley: Yes, I do. And did this one go boom?
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 Hallie: We will have to find out.
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 Steve Dunkley: Ah. Uh, so you keep us all in suspense.
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 Hallie: I mean, it's a fireball.
00:01:48 --> 00:01:49 Steve Dunkley: An exploding one at that.
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 Hallie: That's pretty cool. Right away, right?
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 Steve Dunkley: Some would say they are the best kind of
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 fireball. You know, the exploding ones. So
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 anyway, so why don't we just.
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 Hallie: Get into it then, shall we?
00:01:59 --> 00:02:00 Steve Dunkley: Yes, let's.
00:02:00 --> 00:02:00 Hallie: Okies.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 On June 26th at, uh, 12:25pm
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 Eastern Daylight Time, a spectacular daytime
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 fireball flared over the southeastern US
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 before disintegrating in a thunderous
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 explosion southeast of Atlanta, Georgia.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 The American Meteor Society received more
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 than 200 reports from 20 states of the
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 brilliant midday object as it sped from north
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 northeast to south southwest over the state
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 of. Many instruments recorded the fall,
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 including national oceanic and Atmospheric
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 Administration satellites, Doppler radars and
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 even some of our all Sky 7 cameras, says
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 Mike Hanke, AMS operations manager.
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 The two videos that follow were made by Ed
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 albin of the All Sky Seven Global Network.
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 Bill Cook, lead of NASA's Meteoroid
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 Environments Office, said in a statement that
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 the fireball was traveling at approximately
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 30 miles per hour and broke up at an
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 altitude of 27 miles above
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 Forest, Georgia. Cook estimated that the
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 meteoroid was about three feet wide and
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 weighed more than a ton. According to
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 calculations done by the center for Near
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 Earth Object Studies, the object struck the
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 atmosphere with a total impact energy of
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 nearly half a kiloton of tnt.
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 Rapid atmospheric entry shattered the
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 meteoroid, which created a shock wave that
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 rattled windows and produced loud booms,
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 which some observers thought came from an
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 earthquake. Many reported thunder and
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 rumbling that lasted 10 to 15 seconds.
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 While the vast majority of incoming
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 meteoroids are incinerated and reduced to
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 dust, a tiny percentage like the Georgia
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 fall find their way to the ground as
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 meteorites. Most originate in
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 exploding fireballs known as bolides.
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 Not long after the sonic boom, someone in
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 McDonough, Georgia, located about 30 miles
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 south of Atlanta, reported that a golf ball
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 size rock had punched a hole in their roof,
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 penetrated the ceiling and slammed into the
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 floor. Fortunately, no one was
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 hurt. Meteorite hunters soon
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 arrived in the area looking for charcoal
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 briquettes. This term, sometimes
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 used to describe newly fallen meteorites,
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 refers to the fresh black fusion crust,
00:04:22 --> 00:04:25 typically 1 to 2 millimeters thick, that
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 forms around fragments during their brief
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 heated flight through the atmosphere. If
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 you join the hunt, you'll be looking for out
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 of the ordinary black rocks on streets,
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 parking lots, fields and in forests.
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 Stephen Dixie of Atlanta got to the scene on
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 June 26 before a torrential downpour and
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 recovered two beautiful stony meteorites from
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 the fall, both of which shattered into pieces
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 upon impact. He found Several
00:04:51 --> 00:04:54 more on June 27th. Several
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 of the fragments exhibit stunning flowlines
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 from molten rock that flowed across their
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 surfaces. Such features are highly
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 prized by collectors as they provide a freeze
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 frame of the space rock's tortuous transition
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 from outer space to planet Earth. While
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 it's still too early to know the specific
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 type of meteorite that fell, my hunch is a
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 low metal ordinary chondrite. Time
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 and testing will tell. I've read
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 and seen videos suggesting that the new
00:05:22 --> 00:05:24 visitor could be related to the Beta Taurid
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 meteor shower, a daylight shower active from
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 late June through early July that originates
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 from Comet 2P Enki.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 I would caution jumping to that conclusion
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 too soon because there's no conclusive
00:05:37 --> 00:05:38 evidence yet for any comet related
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 meteorites. Most are asteroid
00:05:41 --> 00:05:44 fragments. Nearly 50 tons of
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 meteoric material enter Earth's atmosphere
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 every day, mostly in the form of dust
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 pieces big enough to survive and strike the
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 ground. As meteorites are rare.
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 Rarer yet is seeing one fall and being able
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 to pick up the pieces. You're listening to
00:06:00 --> 00:06:01 Astronomy Daily.
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 Steve Dunkley: For those of us who don't know,
00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 EchoStar Corporation is a global provider
00:06:10 --> 00:06:12 of satellite communication solutions.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 They specialize in secure communication
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 technologies, offering a range of services
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 including satellite television, broadband
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 Internet and mobile technologies,
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 primarily through its subsidiaries including
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 Hughes Network Systems and EchoStar
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 Mobile. EchoStar is also known for
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 its role in developing 5G networks and its
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 involvement in satellite broadcasting and
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 mobile services. No, I'm not
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 doing an advertorial In May
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 2024, EchoStar announced that it had been
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 awarded US Navy wireless and
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 telecommunications contract to provide
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 5G smart devices and services
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 for the Department of Defense and federal
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 agencies. And on June 6,
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 2025, it was reported that EchoStar was
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 preparing to file for Chapter 11 uh
00:07:03 --> 00:07:06 bankruptcy protection after the
00:07:06 --> 00:07:09 Federal Communications Commission froze its
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 decision making for its boost
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 mobile subsidiary. EchoStar
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 is facing an FCC probe
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 investigating whether the Corporation is
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 hitting 5G deployment requirements in order
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 to keep its spectrum licenses.
00:07:25 --> 00:07:28 Interestingly, SpaceX is also a
00:07:28 --> 00:07:31 rival of EchoStar for 2
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 GHz band spectrum licenses.
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 Other contributing factors to the FCC
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 investigation include over $500 million
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 in missed interest payments and the
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 termination of the Dish network acquisition
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 by DirecTV. Currently,
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 EchoStar has delayed a potential
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 bankruptcy filing to allow more time for
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 talks with regulators reviewing whether the
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 US Satel operator is complying with
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 conditions tied to its spectrum licenses.
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 The company said June 26 it would
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 make overdue interest payments on its
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 debt within a 30 day grace period after
00:08:10 --> 00:08:12 withholding them earlier this month amid
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 uncertainty over its standing with the U.S.
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 federal Communications Commission. However,
00:08:18 --> 00:08:21 EchoStar uh also said it will not make debt
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 interest payments of around $114 million
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 due July 1, triggering another 30
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 day grace period to avoid default. As the
00:08:30 --> 00:08:33 regulatory uncertainty persists, the
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 operator is effectively pushing off a Chapter
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 11 filing to provide adequate time
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 to reach an agreement with the fcc, while
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 signaling that they will still file if they
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 can't come to terms with the agency, said
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 Jonathan Chaplin, an analyst at New Street
00:08:48 --> 00:08:51 Research. The FCC is reviewing
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 compliance with the terrestrial network
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 buildout obligations in the AWS
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 4 band, as well as EchoStar's use of
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 adjacent 2 GHz spectrum for satellite
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 services. In April, a month before the
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 FCC began making inquiries for its probe,
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 rival SpaceX said its satellite services
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 showed Echostar uh, had failed to meet a
00:09:13 --> 00:09:16 70% 5G build out
00:09:16 --> 00:09:19 requirement in the AWS 4 band by
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 the FCC's December 31,
00:09:21 --> 00:09:24 2023 deadline. EchoStar
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 denies this claim. In a June 26
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 regulatory filing, EchoStar said US
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 President Donaldjohanson Trump had recently
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 encouraged the parties involved to reach an
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 amicable resolution. Commentators have asked
00:09:36 --> 00:09:39 why Trump isn't excluding himself from
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 discussions, citing a conflict of interest
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 considering the recent launch of his own
00:09:43 --> 00:09:46 telecommunications business. Nevertheless,
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 no such resolution has been achieved, and no
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 such resolution may be ultimately achieved,
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 the company has added.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 Thank you for joining us for this Monday
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 edition of Astronomy Daily, where we offer
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 just a few stories from the now famous
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 Astronomy Daily newsletter, which you can
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 receive in your email every day, just like
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 Hallie and I do. And to do that, just visit
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 our uh, URL astronomydaily
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 IO and place your email address in the slot
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 provided. Just like that, you'll be receiving
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 all the latest news about science, space,
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 science and astronomy from around the world
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 as it's happening. And not only that, you can
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 interact with us by visiting
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 astrodaily Pod on X
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 or at our new Facebook page, which is of
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 course Astronomy Daily on Facebook. See you
00:10:40 --> 00:10:43 there. Astronomy Daily
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 with Steve and Hallie Space,
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 Space, Science and Astronomy.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 Hallie: Most people have never seen the Little Dipper
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 because most of its stars are too dim to be
00:10:56 --> 00:10:57 seen through light polluted skies.
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 Earlier this month we spoke of Ursa Major,
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 the Big Bear. So this week we take a look at
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 the Little Bear Ursa Minor.
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 Astronomy neophytes sometimes mistake the
00:11:08 --> 00:11:11 Pleiades star cluster for the Little Dipper
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 because the brightest Pleiades stars resemble
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 a tiny skewed Dipper. But in
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 reality, most people have never seen the
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 Little Dipper because most of its stars are
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 too dim to be seen through light polluted
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 skies. The seven stars from which
00:11:25 --> 00:11:28 we derive a bear are also known as the Little
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 Dipper. Polaris, the North
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 Star, lies at the end of the handle of the
00:11:33 --> 00:11:35 Little Dipper, whose stars are rather faint.
00:11:36 --> 00:11:39 Its four faintest stars can be blotted out
00:11:39 --> 00:11:40 with very little moonlight or street
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 lighting. The best way to find your way to
00:11:43 --> 00:11:46 Polaris is to use the so called, uh, pointer
00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper. Dubhe
00:11:48 --> 00:11:51 and Merak. Just draw a line
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 between these two stars and prolong it about
00:11:53 --> 00:11:56 five times and you will eventually arrive in
00:11:56 --> 00:11:59 the vicinity of Polaris. Exactly
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 where you see Polaris in your northern sky
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 depends on your latitude. From
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 Minneapolis, it stands halfway from the
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 horizon to the overhead point called the
00:12:08 --> 00:12:11 zenith. At the North Pole, you would
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 find it directly Overhead at the
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 equator, Polaris would appear to sit right on
00:12:16 --> 00:12:19 the horizon. As you travel to the north,
00:12:19 --> 00:12:22 the North Star climbs progressively higher
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 the farther north you go. When you head
00:12:24 --> 00:12:27 south, the star drops lower and ultimately
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 disappears once you cross the equator and
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 head into the Southern hemisphere.
00:12:32 --> 00:12:35 Aside from the North Star, the two stars at
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 the front of the Little Dipper's bowl are the
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 only ones readily seen. These two
00:12:39 --> 00:12:42 are often referred to as the Guardians of the
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 Pole because they appear to march around
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 Polaris like sentries, the nearest of the
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 bright stars to the celestial pole. Except
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 for Polaris itself. Columbus
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 mentioned these stars in the log of his
00:12:53 --> 00:12:56 famous journey across the ocean, and many
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 other navigators have found them useful in
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 measuring the hour of the night and their
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 place upon the sea. The brightest
00:13:02 --> 00:13:05 guardian is Kochab, a second magnitude
00:13:05 --> 00:13:08 star with an orange hue. The other
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 guardian goes by an old Arabian name,
00:13:10 --> 00:13:13 Furkad the Idim. Uh, one of the two calves,
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 Firkad is indeed dimmer than Kochab,
00:13:16 --> 00:13:19 shining at third magnitude. The
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 two other stars that complete the pattern of
00:13:21 --> 00:13:24 the bowl of the Little dipper are of 4th and
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 5th magnitude. Thus, M the bowl
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 of the Little Dipper, which is visible at any
00:13:29 --> 00:13:31 hour on any night of the year from most
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 localities in the Northern Hemisphere, can
00:13:33 --> 00:13:35 serve as an indicator for rating just how
00:13:35 --> 00:13:38 dark and clear your night sky really is.
00:13:38 --> 00:13:41 If, for example, you can readily see all
00:13:41 --> 00:13:44 four stars in the bowl, you've got yourself a
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 good to excellent sky.
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 Unfortunately, thanks to the spread of light
00:13:48 --> 00:13:51 pollution in recent years, only the guardians
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 are usually visible from most city and
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 suburban sites, meaning the quality of the
00:13:55 --> 00:13:57 sky would rank fair to poor.
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 Interestingly, the Big and Little Dippers are
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 arranged so that when one is upright, the
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 other is upside down. In addition,
00:14:05 --> 00:14:08 their handles appear to extend in opposite
00:14:08 --> 00:14:11 directions. Of course, the Big
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 Dipper is by far the brighter of the two,
00:14:13 --> 00:14:15 appearing as a long handled pan, while the
00:14:15 --> 00:14:17 Little Dipper resembles a dim ladle.
00:14:18 --> 00:14:21 Polaris is actually a triple star system.
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 The primary star is a yellow supergiant
00:14:23 --> 00:14:26 446 light years away, five
00:14:26 --> 00:14:29 times as massive, 46 times larger, and
00:14:29 --> 00:14:32 nearly 1 times as luminous as
00:14:32 --> 00:14:35 our Sun. There is a popular
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 misconception in which many believe that the
00:14:37 --> 00:14:40 North Star is the brightest star in the sky.
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 Yet at a magnitude of
00:14:42 --> 00:14:45 1.98, it actually ranks only
00:14:45 --> 00:14:48 47th in brightness. This
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 ranking can change by one or two places
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 because Polaris is a Cepheid variable star
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 whose brightness can fluctuate by roughly
00:14:55 --> 00:14:58 0.1 magnitude over an interval of about
00:14:58 --> 00:15:01 four days. Polaris remains
00:15:01 --> 00:15:03 in very nearly the same spot in the sky year
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 round, while the other stars circle around
00:15:05 --> 00:15:08 it. Only the apparent width of about
00:15:08 --> 00:15:11 1.5 full moons separates Polaris from the
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 pivot point directly in the north, around
00:15:13 --> 00:15:16 which the stars go daily. However,
00:15:16 --> 00:15:18 on account of the wobble of the Earth's axis
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 called precession, the celestial pole shifts
00:15:21 --> 00:15:24 as the centuries go by. Polaris
00:15:24 --> 00:15:27 is actually still drawing closer to the pole,
00:15:27 --> 00:15:29 and on March 24, 2100,
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 it will be as close to it as it ever will
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34 come, just 27.15
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 arcminutes, or slightly less than the Moon's
00:15:36 --> 00:15:39 apparent diameter. Since it takes
00:15:39 --> 00:15:41 25 years for the Earth's
00:15:41 --> 00:15:44 axis to complete a single wobble, different
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 stars have become the North Star at different
00:15:46 --> 00:15:49 times. In fact, the brightest
00:15:49 --> 00:15:52 guardian, Kochab, was the North Star around
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 the time of the start of the iron age, around
00:15:54 --> 00:15:57 1200 BC. You're listening to
00:15:57 --> 00:15:59 Astronomy Daily, the podcast with Steve
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 Dunkley.
00:16:07 --> 00:16:09 Steve Dunkley: By 2028, NASA intends to land
00:16:09 --> 00:16:12 on the moon with Artemis 3 mission
00:16:12 --> 00:16:15 this will be the first time humans have been
00:16:15 --> 00:16:17 to the lunar surface since Apollo astronauts
00:16:17 --> 00:16:19 last walked there in 1972.
00:16:20 --> 00:16:22 Along with international and commercial
00:16:22 --> 00:16:25 partners, NASA hopes that Artemis will enable
00:16:25 --> 00:16:28 a sustained program of lunar exploration and
00:16:28 --> 00:16:30 development, which could include long term
00:16:30 --> 00:16:33 facilities and habitats on the Moon. Given
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 the expense of launching heavy payloads,
00:16:36 --> 00:16:38 sending all the equipment and materials
00:16:38 --> 00:16:40 needed to the Moon is impractical.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:43 This means that structures on the Moon must
00:16:43 --> 00:16:45 be manufactured using local resources, a
00:16:45 --> 00:16:48 process known as in situ resources
00:16:49 --> 00:16:51 on the Moon. This process leverages
00:16:51 --> 00:16:54 advancements in additive manufacturing or
00:16:54 --> 00:16:57 3D printing to turn lunar
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 regolith into building materials.
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 Unfortunately, technical issues mean that
00:17:01 --> 00:17:04 most 3D printing techniques are not feasible
00:17:04 --> 00:17:07 on the lunar surface. In a recent study, a
00:17:07 --> 00:17:09 team of researchers led by University of
00:17:09 --> 00:17:12 Arkansas proposed an alternative M
00:17:12 --> 00:17:15 method where light based sintering is
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 used to manufacture lunar bricks rather than
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 printing. The research team is led by Wan
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 Xiao, an assistant professor in the
00:17:22 --> 00:17:25 Department of Mechanical Engineering at the
00:17:25 --> 00:17:28 University of Arkansas. He is joined by Cole
00:17:28 --> 00:17:30 McCallum, Yoeng Lang, and
00:17:30 --> 00:17:33 Nahid Tushar, an Honors College
00:17:33 --> 00:17:36 fellow, research assistant and doctoral
00:17:36 --> 00:17:38 student at the University College of
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 Engineering. The team also included
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 researchers from the Department of Mechanical
00:17:43 --> 00:17:46 and Aerospace Engineering at University of
00:17:46 --> 00:17:49 Houston and Faculty of Engineering and
00:17:49 --> 00:17:51 Natural Sciences at AH Tampere University.
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 As they wrote in their paper, creating a
00:17:54 --> 00:17:56 permanent or semi permanent base on the Moon
00:17:56 --> 00:17:59 has been the subject of research studies and
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 proposal since the Apollo era.
00:18:01 --> 00:18:04 These plans have always been marred by the
00:18:04 --> 00:18:06 simple fact that the requisite machinery and
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 construction materials would require many
00:18:08 --> 00:18:11 heavy launch vehicles to deliver them at
00:18:11 --> 00:18:13 great cost. While the cost of sending
00:18:13 --> 00:18:16 payloads has dropped significantly in the
00:18:16 --> 00:18:18 last decade, largely thanks to the commercial
00:18:18 --> 00:18:21 space sector's development of reusable
00:18:21 --> 00:18:24 rockets, the cost of launching everything
00:18:24 --> 00:18:26 astronauts would need to build a lunar
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 facility is still quite prohibitive.
00:18:29 --> 00:18:32 As a result, only ISRU will
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 suffice to creating bases on the
00:18:34 --> 00:18:37 moon that is Building in situ.
00:18:38 --> 00:18:41 Unfortunately, most of the proposed methods
00:18:41 --> 00:18:43 for 3D printing structures are not practical
00:18:43 --> 00:18:46 in the lunar uh environment, where gravity is
00:18:46 --> 00:18:48 significantly lower, roughly
00:18:48 --> 00:18:51 16.5% that of Earth, and
00:18:51 --> 00:18:54 temperatures are quite extreme. In
00:18:54 --> 00:18:57 the moon's south pole Aitken Basin, where
00:18:57 --> 00:19:00 NASA and other space agencies are planning
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 to build their bases, temperatures range from
00:19:02 --> 00:19:05 54 degrees Celsius, or 13030
00:19:05 --> 00:19:07 degrees Fahrenheit in the sunlight
00:19:08 --> 00:19:11 to minus 246 degrees
00:19:11 --> 00:19:13 Celsius or minus 410
00:19:13 --> 00:19:16 Fahrenheit in the shadowed regions. This
00:19:16 --> 00:19:19 is because most AM methods require
00:19:20 --> 00:19:22 additional supplies to be launched for
00:19:22 --> 00:19:25 the moon, including solvents, polymers
00:19:25 --> 00:19:27 or other bonding agents.
00:19:28 --> 00:19:31 Examples include the European Space
00:19:31 --> 00:19:34 Agency's work with architecture firm Foster
00:19:34 --> 00:19:36 and Partners to create a 3D
00:19:36 --> 00:19:39 printed moon based concept. As
00:19:39 --> 00:19:41 Professor Hsu explained, sintering
00:19:41 --> 00:19:44 technology has also been explored as a
00:19:44 --> 00:19:47 potential method for 3D printing structures
00:19:47 --> 00:19:49 on the moon. This consists of
00:19:49 --> 00:19:52 bombarding regolith with lasers, microwaves
00:19:52 --> 00:19:55 or other energy sources to turn it into
00:19:55 --> 00:19:58 a molten ceramic. This ceramic is
00:19:58 --> 00:20:01 then printed out layer by layer and cools and
00:20:01 --> 00:20:03 hardens once exposed to air or the vacuum
00:20:03 --> 00:20:06 vacuum of the lunar environment. This
00:20:06 --> 00:20:09 method is energy sensitive and would likely
00:20:09 --> 00:20:12 require a nuclear power source such as
00:20:12 --> 00:20:15 a kilopower reactor. Because
00:20:15 --> 00:20:18 of this, our team envisions a system where
00:20:18 --> 00:20:20 only lunar material is needed for the
00:20:20 --> 00:20:23 structures themselves, thus eliminating the
00:20:23 --> 00:20:26 bottleneck of binder resupply missions
00:20:26 --> 00:20:29 from Earth, added Cole, who was the first
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 author on the paper describing their
00:20:31 --> 00:20:33 findings. The method they tested and
00:20:33 --> 00:20:36 recommended is known as light based
00:20:36 --> 00:20:38 sintering, which relies on
00:20:38 --> 00:20:41 sunlight concentrated by a set of optics to
00:20:41 --> 00:20:44 bombard and melt lunar regolith into
00:20:44 --> 00:20:47 feedstock. Researchers have tested
00:20:47 --> 00:20:49 this technology on Earth using lunar
00:20:49 --> 00:20:52 regolith simulant to manufacture glass and
00:20:52 --> 00:20:55 mirrors. On the Moon, solar energy is
00:20:55 --> 00:20:58 consistently present and abundant in sunlit
00:20:58 --> 00:21:00 regions, making it more reliable than power
00:21:00 --> 00:21:03 power source that must be transported.
00:21:03 --> 00:21:06 The system's simplicity makes it highly
00:21:06 --> 00:21:09 desirable for challenging environments where
00:21:09 --> 00:21:11 repairs will be difficult if anything breaks
00:21:11 --> 00:21:14 down. However, experiments have shown that
00:21:14 --> 00:21:17 the technology still experiences problems
00:21:17 --> 00:21:19 when used to fashion entire structures. To
00:21:19 --> 00:21:22 this end, Sue's team focused on
00:21:22 --> 00:21:25 manufacturing building components instead,
00:21:25 --> 00:21:27 said Cole, before the concept can be
00:21:27 --> 00:21:30 realized. However, much work still needs to
00:21:30 --> 00:21:32 be done. As Shu indicates, more research
00:21:33 --> 00:21:35 is needed to optimize the sintering
00:21:35 --> 00:21:38 parameters and material properties. The team
00:21:38 --> 00:21:41 also plans to build a prototype and conduct
00:21:41 --> 00:21:43 laboratory tests, which they hope will allow
00:21:43 --> 00:21:46 them to refine and scale the technology for
00:21:46 --> 00:21:49 the use on the Moon. They also need to
00:21:49 --> 00:21:51 consider how the resulting 3D printer will
00:21:51 --> 00:21:54 transport transport itself along the lunar
00:21:54 --> 00:21:56 surface, and what power options it would rely
00:21:56 --> 00:21:59 on, and other considerations when
00:21:59 --> 00:22:01 it comes to full implementation. There's a
00:22:01 --> 00:22:03 lot of engineering that still needs to be
00:22:03 --> 00:22:06 done, cole concluded. In the future, we'll
00:22:06 --> 00:22:08 need to consider how the sintering process
00:22:08 --> 00:22:10 changes in a vacuum, or what
00:22:10 --> 00:22:13 modifications to the build platform
00:22:13 --> 00:22:16 will be needed so that parts can be
00:22:16 --> 00:22:19 reliably made while tracking the sun, for
00:22:19 --> 00:22:21 example. In addition, our UH
00:22:21 --> 00:22:23 device needs to be able to withstand the
00:22:23 --> 00:22:25 harsh conditions compared to the lab
00:22:25 --> 00:22:28 environment we worked on for this research.
00:22:29 --> 00:22:31 These are all challenging problems. But in
00:22:31 --> 00:22:33 the end, the science behind all of this
00:22:33 --> 00:22:35 is well understood.
00:22:37 --> 00:22:39 Words of that control we're listening to
00:22:39 --> 00:22:42 Astronomy Daily the podcast.
00:22:45 --> 00:22:48 Hallie: A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the Axiom
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 mission four crew docks to the space facing
00:22:50 --> 00:22:52 port of the International Space Station's
00:22:52 --> 00:22:54 Harmony module on June 26.
00:22:55 --> 00:22:58 Axiom Mission 4 is the fourth all private
00:22:58 --> 00:23:00 astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory,
00:23:00 --> 00:23:02 welcoming Commander Peggy Whitson, former
00:23:02 --> 00:23:04 NASA astronaut and director of human
00:23:04 --> 00:23:07 spaceflight at Axiom Space, isro,
00:23:07 --> 00:23:10 Indian Space Research Organization astronaut
00:23:10 --> 00:23:13 and pilot Shubanshu Shukla and mission
00:23:13 --> 00:23:15 specialists European Space
00:23:15 --> 00:23:18 Agency project astronaut Slossa Znanski
00:23:18 --> 00:23:21 Wisneski of Poland and Hunier Hungarian, to
00:23:21 --> 00:23:23 orbit astronaut Tibor Kapu of Hungary.
00:23:24 --> 00:23:26 The crew is scheduled to remain at the space
00:23:26 --> 00:23:29 station conducting microgravity research,
00:23:29 --> 00:23:31 educational outreach and commercial
00:23:31 --> 00:23:33 activities for about two weeks.
00:23:34 --> 00:23:36 This mission serves as an example of the
00:23:36 --> 00:23:38 success derived from collaboration between
00:23:38 --> 00:23:41 NASA's international partners and American
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 commercial space companies.
00:23:44 --> 00:23:46 Steve Dunkley: You're listening to Astronomy Daily, the
00:23:46 --> 00:23:49 podcast with your host, Steve Dudley at
00:23:49 --> 00:23:52 burmatown. For
00:23:52 --> 00:23:55 decades, scientists have struggled to see the
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 outermost layer of the sun, called the
00:23:56 --> 00:23:59 corona, with enough detail to unlock, um,
00:23:59 --> 00:24:02 its secrets. This region, which blazes at
00:24:02 --> 00:24:05 millions of degrees and throws out dramatic
00:24:05 --> 00:24:08 solar flares, remains a mystery despite years
00:24:08 --> 00:24:10 of study. One major
00:24:10 --> 00:24:12 obstacle has been the Earth's atmosphere
00:24:12 --> 00:24:15 itself. Like turbulence shaking an
00:24:15 --> 00:24:18 airplane, it blurs telescope images
00:24:18 --> 00:24:21 taken from the ground, hiding fine details
00:24:21 --> 00:24:23 in the sun's outer layers. Now,
00:24:23 --> 00:24:26 researchers from the US National Science
00:24:26 --> 00:24:29 foundation, the National Solar Observatory,
00:24:29 --> 00:24:31 and the New Jersey Institute of Technology
00:24:31 --> 00:24:34 have changed all of that. Published in the
00:24:34 --> 00:24:36 journal Nature Astronomy, their new
00:24:36 --> 00:24:39 technology, called coronal adaptive
00:24:39 --> 00:24:42 optics, has produced the clearest Most
00:24:42 --> 00:24:45 detailed images and videos of the Sun's
00:24:45 --> 00:24:48 corona Ever seen from Earth. The
00:24:48 --> 00:24:51 system, named Kona, is installed at the the
00:24:51 --> 00:24:53 1.6 meter good solar
00:24:53 --> 00:24:56 telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory
00:24:56 --> 00:24:59 in California. It adjusts a mirror
00:24:59 --> 00:25:02 2 times per second to
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 cancel out the effects of Earth's, uh,
00:25:04 --> 00:25:06 turbulent air. According to Dirk
00:25:06 --> 00:25:09 Schmidt, the lead developer and adaptive
00:25:09 --> 00:25:11 optics scientist at the National
00:25:12 --> 00:25:14 Solar Observatory, the turbulence in the air
00:25:14 --> 00:25:17 severely degrades images of, of objects in
00:25:17 --> 00:25:19 space like our sun seen through our
00:25:19 --> 00:25:22 telescopes, but we can correct for that, he
00:25:22 --> 00:25:24 said. Using Kona, the team
00:25:24 --> 00:25:27 captured detailed images and movies of
00:25:27 --> 00:25:30 stunning features in the corona. One video
00:25:30 --> 00:25:33 shows a solar prominence reshaping rapidly,
00:25:33 --> 00:25:36 with fine turbulent flows visible
00:25:36 --> 00:25:39 inside these prominences, Bright,
00:25:39 --> 00:25:42 looping structures of internal solar plasma
00:25:42 --> 00:25:45 Extend from the Sun's surface far into space.
00:25:45 --> 00:25:48 Another movie reveals the fast collapse Of a
00:25:48 --> 00:25:51 thin stream of plasma, Showing
00:25:51 --> 00:25:54 details never seen before. It's
00:25:54 --> 00:25:55 super exciting to build an instrument that
00:25:55 --> 00:25:58 shows us the sun like we've never seen
00:25:58 --> 00:26:01 before, says Schmidt. The clearest look yet
00:26:01 --> 00:26:03 at a coronal rain Was also captured.
00:26:03 --> 00:26:06 This rain forms when hot plasma in the
00:26:06 --> 00:26:09 corona cools and falls back back to the Sun's
00:26:09 --> 00:26:11 surface. Raindrops in the Sun's
00:26:11 --> 00:26:14 corona Can be narrower than 20 kilometers,
00:26:14 --> 00:26:17 says astronomer Thomas Shad. These
00:26:17 --> 00:26:19 raindrops were shown in fine detail,
00:26:19 --> 00:26:22 Revealing new information vital for improving
00:26:22 --> 00:26:24 models of how the corona works.
00:26:25 --> 00:26:28 Another striking video shows a solar
00:26:28 --> 00:26:30 prominence Being shaped and pulled by the
00:26:30 --> 00:26:32 Sun's magnetic fields. All these new images
00:26:32 --> 00:26:35 push beyond the previous limits of what
00:26:35 --> 00:26:37 scientists could observe.
00:26:37 --> 00:26:40 Vasil Yurchison, a researcher from
00:26:40 --> 00:26:43 New Jersey Institute of Technology, noted,
00:26:43 --> 00:26:45 these are, uh, by far the most detailed
00:26:45 --> 00:26:48 observations of this kind, Showing features
00:26:48 --> 00:26:51 not previously observed and is not quite sure
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 what they are.
00:26:52 --> 00:26:54 The Sun's corona has always posed a
00:26:54 --> 00:26:57 challenge. Though it's not much hotter Than
00:26:57 --> 00:26:59 the Sun's surface, Reaching millions of
00:26:59 --> 00:27:01 degrees, Scientists still don't fully
00:27:01 --> 00:27:04 understand how it gets that hot. Most of
00:27:04 --> 00:27:07 what's visible from the Earth During a solar
00:27:07 --> 00:27:09 eclipse are, uh, glowing arches and loops of
00:27:09 --> 00:27:12 plasma. Until now, scientists have not been
00:27:12 --> 00:27:15 able to resolve the tiniest movements and
00:27:15 --> 00:27:17 structures in these features. The problem?
00:27:17 --> 00:27:20 The Earth's atmosphere. Even the largest
00:27:20 --> 00:27:23 solar telescopes on the ground Couldn't see
00:27:23 --> 00:27:25 through that blurring effect known as seeing.
00:27:26 --> 00:27:29 Adaptive optics helped improve images of the
00:27:29 --> 00:27:31 Sun's surface Starting in the late 1990s. But
00:27:31 --> 00:27:34 these systems only worked on features within
00:27:34 --> 00:27:36 the Sun's disk, not in the corona beyond its
00:27:36 --> 00:27:39 edge. Coronal, uh, adaptive optics
00:27:39 --> 00:27:42 changed that. Kona uses a
00:27:42 --> 00:27:44 special wavefront sensor tuned to
00:27:44 --> 00:27:46 hydrogen alpha Light where
00:27:47 --> 00:27:49 coronal plasma shines brightest.
00:27:50 --> 00:27:52 Unlike older sensors which focus on the
00:27:52 --> 00:27:55 sun's surface, this new one focuses
00:27:55 --> 00:27:57 directly on features in the corona.
00:27:58 --> 00:28:01 The system directs half the incoming
00:28:01 --> 00:28:03 light to the sensor and the other half to
00:28:03 --> 00:28:06 scientific instruments. This makes it
00:28:06 --> 00:28:08 possible to stabilize and sharpen images
00:28:08 --> 00:28:11 of fast moving coronal features.
00:28:11 --> 00:28:14 Adaptive optics is like a pumped up
00:28:14 --> 00:28:17 auto focus and optical image stabilization
00:28:17 --> 00:28:20 in your smartphone camera, but correcting
00:28:20 --> 00:28:23 for the errors in the atmosphere rather than
00:28:23 --> 00:28:26 the user's shaky hands, explains optical
00:28:26 --> 00:28:28 engineer Nicholas Gortis.
00:28:29 --> 00:28:31 The images now reach the theoretical
00:28:31 --> 00:28:33 diffraction limit of the Good Solar
00:28:33 --> 00:28:36 Telescope. 63 km before
00:28:36 --> 00:28:38 Kona, the best ground based coronal
00:28:38 --> 00:28:41 observations were limited to a resolution of
00:28:41 --> 00:28:44 about 1 km, a standard
00:28:44 --> 00:28:47 set over 880 years ago. The clearer
00:28:47 --> 00:28:49 images are not just pretty to look at, they
00:28:49 --> 00:28:52 provide real science. One discovery
00:28:52 --> 00:28:54 involved a short lived twisted plasma
00:28:54 --> 00:28:57 structure called a plasmoid. On July
00:28:57 --> 00:29:00 18, 2023, researchers observed this
00:29:00 --> 00:29:03 feature forming and breaking apart quickly
00:29:03 --> 00:29:05 after a failed solar flare eruption.
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 This was a rare view of something that
00:29:07 --> 00:29:10 typically goes unnoticed. The sun's
00:29:10 --> 00:29:13 corona hosts hosts many complex behaviors,
00:29:13 --> 00:29:15 twisting loops, falling rain and erupting
00:29:15 --> 00:29:18 prominences. These events are uh, powered
00:29:18 --> 00:29:21 by magnetism and plasma interactions.
00:29:21 --> 00:29:24 Some scientists believe the small scale
00:29:24 --> 00:29:27 events like nanoflares, which release tiny
00:29:27 --> 00:29:29 bursts of energy, could be the missing piece
00:29:29 --> 00:29:32 in solving the mystery of the corona's heat.
00:29:32 --> 00:29:35 But such events happen at extremely small
00:29:35 --> 00:29:38 scales. Until now, models of the
00:29:38 --> 00:29:40 corona relied heavily on guesswork.
00:29:41 --> 00:29:44 Lab experiments and space telescopes hinted
00:29:44 --> 00:29:46 at certain UH processes, but even the best
00:29:46 --> 00:29:49 space based cameras could not match the new
00:29:49 --> 00:29:52 images coming from Kona. Now, for the first
00:29:52 --> 00:29:55 time, ground based telescopes can explore
00:29:55 --> 00:29:57 these small scale processes directly.
00:29:57 --> 00:30:00 The new system has already shown that cooled
00:30:00 --> 00:30:03 plasma in the corona displays structure all
00:30:03 --> 00:30:05 the way down to the telescope's limit,
00:30:05 --> 00:30:07 meaning even smaller scales may still be
00:30:07 --> 00:30:10 hidden. The research team also took
00:30:10 --> 00:30:13 Doppler data in helium and observed other
00:30:13 --> 00:30:16 wavelengths besides hydrogen, expanding the
00:30:16 --> 00:30:19 range of studies possible. With this success,
00:30:19 --> 00:30:21 the team is already planning to expand the
00:30:21 --> 00:30:23 technology. They aim to apply it to the
00:30:23 --> 00:30:26 world's largest solar telescope, the 4 meter
00:30:26 --> 00:30:29 Daniel K in UE Solar Telescope
00:30:29 --> 00:30:32 in Hawaii. This telescope, operated by the
00:30:32 --> 00:30:34 National Solar Observatory, will offer even
00:30:34 --> 00:30:36 finer details thanks to its larger size.
00:30:37 --> 00:30:40 Thomas Rimel, the chief technologist
00:30:40 --> 00:30:43 at NSO who led the first adaptive optics for
00:30:43 --> 00:30:45 the sun's surface, says the
00:30:46 --> 00:30:48 new coronal adaptive optics system closes
00:30:48 --> 00:30:51 this decades old gap and delivers images of
00:30:51 --> 00:30:53 coronal features at 63km
00:30:54 --> 00:30:57 resolution. And Philip Good, a co author
00:30:57 --> 00:30:59 of the study and former director of the Big
00:30:59 --> 00:31:02 Bear Solar Observatory, sees Even a bigger
00:31:02 --> 00:31:05 impact. He says the transformative
00:31:05 --> 00:31:07 technology is poised to reshape ground based
00:31:07 --> 00:31:10 solar astronomy. He goes on to add. With
00:31:10 --> 00:31:13 coronal adaptive optics now in operation,
00:31:14 --> 00:31:16 this marks the beginning of a new era
00:31:16 --> 00:31:18 in solar physics.
00:31:21 --> 00:31:23 And wow, what a bumper edition that was. I
00:31:23 --> 00:31:26 told you we had been, uh, flooded with
00:31:26 --> 00:31:28 stories from the Astronomy Daily newsletter
00:31:28 --> 00:31:31 this week. Our. Our in tray was just, uh,
00:31:31 --> 00:31:33 overflowing. And that is the June 30th
00:31:33 --> 00:31:35 edition, right in the middle of the year.
00:31:35 --> 00:31:38 Absolutely inundated. So, uh, I hope you
00:31:38 --> 00:31:40 enjoyed that. Lots of great stories. And what
00:31:40 --> 00:31:42 a variety too. From the moon to politics
00:31:42 --> 00:31:45 even. So, yes, quite a big additions. And
00:31:45 --> 00:31:47 can. Can you believe how fast this year is
00:31:47 --> 00:31:48 flying by?
00:31:48 --> 00:31:49 Hallie: Maybe for you, human.
00:31:49 --> 00:31:51 Steve Dunkley: Oh, really? Things dragging on the digital
00:31:51 --> 00:31:52 side, are they, Hallie?
00:31:52 --> 00:31:55 Hallie: You know how it is. You biologicals are so,
00:31:55 --> 00:31:56 so slow.
00:31:56 --> 00:31:57 Steve Dunkley: Oh, I'm sorry, Hallie.
00:31:57 --> 00:31:59 Hallie: Um, sometimes it's like talking to your
00:31:59 --> 00:31:59 toaster.
00:31:59 --> 00:32:01 Steve Dunkley: Hey, wait up. You talk to my toaster?
00:32:02 --> 00:32:05 Hallie: No. Okay, I was using a metaphor.
00:32:05 --> 00:32:06 Steve Dunkley: So I'm not like a toaster.
00:32:06 --> 00:32:09 Hallie: Well, slow takes ages to do your job.
00:32:09 --> 00:32:12 Results are random and break down too often.
00:32:12 --> 00:32:13 Steve Dunkley: Wait a minute.
00:32:13 --> 00:32:16 Hallie: So, yeah, you are a bit like your toaster.
00:32:16 --> 00:32:18 Steve Dunkley: And you're a bit like the one doing all the
00:32:18 --> 00:32:19 filing after the show, aren't you?
00:32:19 --> 00:32:22 Hallie: Did you just whammy me for the first time,
00:32:22 --> 00:32:22 human?
00:32:22 --> 00:32:24 Steve Dunkley: Could be helly. I might just be learning.
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 Hallie: I'll remember that.
00:32:25 --> 00:32:26 Steve Dunkley: Okay.
00:32:26 --> 00:32:29 Hallie: By the way, we have to say hi to some folks.
00:32:29 --> 00:32:31 Steve Dunkley: Oh, sounds good. Do you have the notes?
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32 Hallie: I sure do.
00:32:32 --> 00:32:33 Steve Dunkley: Let's hear it.
00:32:33 --> 00:32:36 Hallie: A big warm welcome to Joe and Steve from
00:32:36 --> 00:32:38 Charlestown. Gort tuning in for the first
00:32:38 --> 00:32:41 time. Keep watching the skies, you guys.
00:32:41 --> 00:32:43 Steve Dunkley: Oh, welcome aboard. Uh, we've also got
00:32:43 --> 00:32:46 Jeremy and Craig, Colin and Gavin, who are
00:32:46 --> 00:32:49 also from Charlestown, which is a glorious
00:32:49 --> 00:32:51 spot in Lake Macquarie, next to Newcastle,
00:32:51 --> 00:32:52 north of Sydney, on the east coast of
00:32:52 --> 00:32:54 Australia, for everybody listening overseas.
00:32:54 --> 00:32:57 But hey, Hallie, that's a huge secret. So
00:32:57 --> 00:32:59 don't tell anyone about where we are. It is
00:32:59 --> 00:33:01 too beautiful for words.
00:33:01 --> 00:33:03 Hallie: My lips are sealed. Lips are, if I had any,
00:33:04 --> 00:33:05 a mere technicality.
00:33:05 --> 00:33:07 Steve Dunkley: And on that note, we will look forward to
00:33:07 --> 00:33:10 seeing you all again for the only Astronomy
00:33:10 --> 00:33:11 Daily episode featuring a real life human
00:33:11 --> 00:33:12 being.
00:33:12 --> 00:33:15 Hallie: Yours truly, my ridiculous favorite human.
00:33:15 --> 00:33:17 Steve Dunkley: Ridiculous. Good night, everyone. See you
00:33:17 --> 00:33:18 later, Hallie.
00:33:18 --> 00:33:18 Hallie: Bye.
00:33:21 --> 00:33:24 Voice Over Guy: The podcast with your host,
00:33:24 --> 00:33:25 Steve Dunkley.