- 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/)
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Steve Dunkley: It's Astronomy Daily time. I'm your host, Steve.
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 It's the 30th of June 2025. 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 --> 00:00:21 by. Hey, everyone, and welcome to Astronomy Daily for
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 another Monday episode. Of course, because I'm the
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 only human on the channel, this is the only episode of the
00:00:27 --> 00:00:30 week where you get to experience the potential, the wonder,
00:00:30 --> 00:00:31 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 --> 00:00:50 Anyway, what have you got for us this week? More tales from the
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 Astronomy Daily 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 this week. There's
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 so much going on, both on the ground and in space.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 Steve Dunkley: It's been a big week. I was listening to Anna's show during the
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 week, and she covered 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 --> 00:01:24 Steve Dunkley: Now you'll just be receiving great stories about
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 space, space, science and astronomy right
00:01:27 --> 00:01:28 into your email.
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 Hallie: Yep, that's how it works. And
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 today I'll be covering the Little Dipper, the Axiom 4
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 mission, and a nice explos Exploding 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 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 --> 00:01:54 Steve Dunkley: Some would say they are the best kind of fireball. You know, the
00:01:54 --> 00:01:57 exploding ones. So anyway, so why don't we
00:01:57 --> 00:01:57 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 before
00:02:17 --> 00:02:20 disintegrating in a thunderous explosion southeast of
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 Atlanta, Georgia. The American
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 Meteor Society received more than 200 reports
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 from 20 states of the brilliant midday object as
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 it sped from north northeast to south southwest over
00:02:31 --> 00:02:34 the state of. Many instruments recorded
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 the fall, including national oceanic and
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 Atmospheric Administration satellites, Doppler
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 radars and even some of our all Sky 7
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 cameras, says Mike Hanke, AMS
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 operations manager. The two videos
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 that follow were made by Ed albin of the All Sky
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 Seven Global Network. Bill Cook,
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 lead of NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office, said
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 in a statement that the fireball was traveling at
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 approximately 30 miles per hour and broke
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 up at an altitude of 27 miles above
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 Forest, Georgia. Cook estimated that the
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 meteoroid was about three feet wide and weighed more than
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 a ton. According to calculations
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 done by the center for Near Earth Object Studies,
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 the object struck the atmosphere with a total impact
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 energy of nearly half a kiloton of tnt.
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 Rapid atmospheric entry shattered the meteoroid,
00:03:26 --> 00:03:29 which created a shock wave that rattled windows and
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 produced loud booms, which some observers thought came
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 from an earthquake. Many reported
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 thunder and rumbling that lasted 10 to 15
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 seconds. While the vast majority of
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 incoming meteoroids are incinerated and reduced to
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 dust, a tiny percentage like the Georgia
00:03:46 --> 00:03:49 fall find their way to the ground as meteorites.
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 Most originate in exploding fireballs known as
00:03:52 --> 00:03:55 bolides. Not long after the
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 sonic boom, someone in McDonough, Georgia,
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 located about 30 miles south of Atlanta, reported
00:04:01 --> 00:04:04 that a golf ball size rock had punched a hole in their
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 roof, penetrated the ceiling and slammed into
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 the floor. Fortunately, no one
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 was hurt. Meteorite hunters soon
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 arrived in the area looking for charcoal briquettes.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 This term, sometimes used to describe newly fallen
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 meteorites, refers to the fresh black
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 fusion crust, typically 1 to 2 millimeters
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 thick, that forms around fragments during their brief
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 heated flight through the atmosphere. If
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 you join the hunt, you'll be looking for out of the ordinary
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 black rocks on streets, parking lots,
00:04:36 --> 00:04:37 fields and in forests.
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 Stephen Dixie of Atlanta got to the scene on June
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 26 before a torrential downpour and
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 recovered two beautiful stony meteorites from the fall,
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 both of which shattered into pieces upon impact.
00:04:50 --> 00:04:53 He found Several more on June 27th.
00:04:54 --> 00:04:57 Several of the fragments exhibit stunning flowlines from
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 molten rock that flowed across their surfaces.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 Such features are highly prized by collectors as they provide
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 a freeze frame of the space rock's tortuous transition
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 from outer space to planet Earth. While
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 it's still too early to know the specific type of
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 meteorite that fell, my hunch is a low metal
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 ordinary chondrite. Time and
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 testing will tell. I've read and
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 seen videos suggesting that the new visitor could be related
00:05:23 --> 00:05:26 to the Beta Taurid meteor shower, a daylight
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 shower active from late June through early July that
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 originates from Comet 2P Enki.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 I would caution jumping to that conclusion too soon
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 because there's no conclusive evidence yet for any comet
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 related meteorites. Most are
00:05:41 --> 00:05:44 asteroid fragments. Nearly 50
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 tons of meteoric material enter Earth's
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 atmosphere every day, mostly in the form of dust
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 pieces big enough to survive and strike the ground.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 As meteorites are rare. Rarer
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 yet is seeing one fall and being able to pick up the
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 pieces. You're listening to 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 --> 00:06:18 technologies, offering a range of services including
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 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 mobile
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 services. No, I'm not doing an
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 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 --> 00:06:56 for the Department of Defense and federal agencies.
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 And on June 6, 2025, it was reported
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 that EchoStar was preparing to file for
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 Chapter 11 uh bankruptcy protection
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 after the Federal Communications Commission
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 froze its decision making for its
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 boost mobile subsidiary.
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 EchoStar is facing an FCC
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 probe investigating whether the
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 Corporation is hitting 5G deployment
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 requirements in order to keep its spectrum
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 licenses. Interestingly,
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 SpaceX is also a rival of
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 EchoStar for 2 GHz band
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 spectrum licenses. Other contributing
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 factors to the FCC investigation include
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 over $500 million in
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 missed interest payments and the termination of the
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 Dish network acquisition by
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 DirecTV. Currently, EchoStar
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 has delayed a potential
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 bankruptcy filing to allow more time for talks
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 with regulators reviewing whether the US Satel
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 operator is complying with conditions tied to its
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 spectrum licenses. The company said
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 June 26 it would make
00:08:05 --> 00:08:08 overdue interest payments on its debt within a
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 30 day grace period after withholding them earlier
00:08:11 --> 00:08:14 this month amid uncertainty over its
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 standing with the U.S. federal Communications Commission.
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 However, EchoStar uh also said it will not
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 make debt interest payments of around $114
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 million due July 1,
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 triggering another 30 day grace period to avoid
00:08:29 --> 00:08:31 default. As the regulatory uncertainty
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 persists, the operator is effectively pushing
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 off a Chapter 11 filing to provide
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 adequate time to reach an agreement with the fcc,
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 while signaling that they will still file
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 if they 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 --> 00:08:54 compliance with the terrestrial network buildout
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 obligations in the AWS 4
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 band, as well as EchoStar's use of adjacent
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 2 GHz spectrum for satellite services.
00:09:03 --> 00:09:05 In April, a month before the FCC began
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 making inquiries for its probe, rival
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 SpaceX said its satellite services showed
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 Echostar uh, had failed to meet a 70%
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 5G build out requirement in the
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 AWS 4 band by the FCC's
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 December 31, 2023
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 deadline. EchoStar denies this claim.
00:09:25 --> 00:09:28 In a June 26 regulatory filing,
00:09:28 --> 00:09:31 EchoStar said US President Donaldjohanson Trump had
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 recently encouraged the parties involved to reach an
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 amicable resolution. Commentators have asked why
00:09:36 --> 00:09:39 Trump isn't excluding himself from discussions,
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 citing a conflict of interest considering the recent launch
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 of his own telecommunications business.
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 Nevertheless, no such resolution has been
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 achieved, and no such resolution may be
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 ultimately achieved, the company has added.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 Thank you for joining us for this Monday edition of
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 Astronomy Daily, where we offer just a few stories from the now
00:10:07 --> 00:10:10 famous Astronomy Daily newsletter, which you can receive in
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 your email every day, just like Hallie and I do.
00:10:13 --> 00:10:16 And to do that, just visit our uh, URL
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 astronomydaily IO and place your
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 email address in the slot provided. Just like that,
00:10:21 --> 00:10:24 you'll be receiving all the latest news about science,
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 space, science and astronomy from around the world as
00:10:27 --> 00:10:30 it's happening. And not only that, you can interact with
00:10:30 --> 00:10:31 us by visiting
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 astrodaily Pod on X
00:10:35 --> 00:10:38 or at our new Facebook page, which is of course
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 Astronomy Daily on Facebook. See you there.
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 Astronomy Daily with Steve and Hallie
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 Space, Space, Science and
00:10:47 --> 00:10:48 Astronomy.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:54 Hallie: Most people have never seen the Little Dipper because most of
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 its stars are too dim to be seen through light
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 polluted skies. Earlier this
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 month we spoke of Ursa Major, the Big Bear.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:05 So this week we take a look at the Little Bear Ursa
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 Minor. Astronomy neophytes
00:11:07 --> 00:11:10 sometimes mistake the Pleiades star cluster for the Little
00:11:10 --> 00:11:13 Dipper because the brightest Pleiades stars resemble a
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 tiny skewed Dipper. But in
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 reality, most people have never seen the Little
00:11:18 --> 00:11:21 Dipper because most of its stars are too dim to
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 be seen through light polluted skies.
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 The seven stars from which we derive a bear are
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 also known as the Little Dipper.
00:11:29 --> 00:11:32 Polaris, the North Star, lies at the end of
00:11:32 --> 00:11:35 the handle of the Little Dipper, whose stars are rather
00:11:35 --> 00:11:38 faint. Its four faintest stars can be
00:11:38 --> 00:11:41 blotted out with very little moonlight or street lighting.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 The best way to find your way to Polaris is to use the so
00:11:45 --> 00:11:48 called, uh, pointer stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 Dubhe and Merak. Just draw
00:11:50 --> 00:11:53 a line between these two stars and prolong it about
00:11:53 --> 00:11:56 five times and you will eventually arrive in the
00:11:56 --> 00:11:59 vicinity of Polaris. Exactly where
00:11:59 --> 00:12:02 you see Polaris in your northern sky depends on your
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 latitude. From Minneapolis, it
00:12:04 --> 00:12:07 stands halfway from the horizon to the overhead point
00:12:08 --> 00:12:11 called the zenith. At the North Pole, you
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 would find it directly Overhead at the
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 equator, Polaris would appear to sit right on the
00:12:16 --> 00:12:19 horizon. As you travel to the north,
00:12:19 --> 00:12:22 the North Star climbs progressively higher the farther
00:12:22 --> 00:12:25 north you go. When you head south,
00:12:25 --> 00:12:28 the star drops lower and ultimately disappears
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 once you cross the equator and head into the Southern
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 hemisphere. Aside from the North
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 Star, the two stars at the front of the Little Dipper's
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 bowl are the only ones readily seen.
00:12:39 --> 00:12:42 These two are often referred to as the Guardians of the
00:12:42 --> 00:12:45 Pole because they appear to march around Polaris like
00:12:45 --> 00:12:47 sentries, the nearest of the bright stars to the
00:12:47 --> 00:12:50 celestial pole. Except for Polaris itself.
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 Columbus mentioned these stars in the log of his
00:12:53 --> 00:12:56 famous journey across the ocean, and many other
00:12:56 --> 00:12:59 navigators have found them useful in measuring the hour of
00:12:59 --> 00:13:02 the night and their place upon the sea. The
00:13:02 --> 00:13:04 brightest guardian is Kochab, a second
00:13:04 --> 00:13:07 magnitude star with an orange hue.
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 The other 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 --> 00:13:22 two other stars that complete the pattern of the bowl of the
00:13:22 --> 00:13:25 Little dipper are of 4th and 5th magnitude.
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 Thus, M the bowl of the Little Dipper, which is visible
00:13:28 --> 00:13:31 at any hour on any night of the year from most
00:13:31 --> 00:13:34 localities in the Northern Hemisphere, can serve as an
00:13:34 --> 00:13:37 indicator for rating just how dark and clear your night
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 sky really is. If, for
00:13:39 --> 00:13:42 example, you can readily see all four stars in
00:13:42 --> 00:13:45 the bowl, you've got yourself a good to excellent sky.
00:13:46 --> 00:13:49 Unfortunately, thanks to the spread of light pollution in
00:13:49 --> 00:13:52 recent years, only the guardians are usually visible
00:13:52 --> 00:13:55 from most city and suburban sites, meaning the
00:13:55 --> 00:13:57 quality of the sky would rank fair to poor.
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 Interestingly, the Big and Little Dippers are
00:14:00 --> 00:14:03 arranged so that when one is upright, the other is
00:14:03 --> 00:14:06 upside down. In addition, their
00:14:06 --> 00:14:08 handles appear to extend in opposite directions.
00:14:09 --> 00:14:12 Of course, the Big Dipper is by far the brighter of
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 the two, 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 --> 00:14:38 misconception in which many believe that the North Star
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 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 --> 00:14:51 ranking can change by one or two places because
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 Polaris is a Cepheid variable star whose
00:14:53 --> 00:14:56 brightness can fluctuate by roughly 0.1
00:14:56 --> 00:14:59 magnitude over an interval of about four days.
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03 Polaris remains in very nearly the same spot in
00:15:03 --> 00:15:06 the sky year round, while the other stars circle around it.
00:15:06 --> 00:15:09 Only the apparent width of about 1.5 full
00:15:09 --> 00:15:12 moons separates Polaris from the pivot point directly in
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 the north, around which the stars go daily.
00:15:15 --> 00:15:18 However, on account of the wobble of the Earth's axis
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 called precession, the celestial pole shifts as
00:15:21 --> 00:15:24 the centuries go by. Polaris
00:15:24 --> 00:15:27 is actually still drawing closer to the pole, and on
00:15:27 --> 00:15:30 March 24, 2100, it will
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 be as close to it as it ever will come, just
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35 27.15 arcminutes, or slightly less
00:15:35 --> 00:15:38 than the Moon's apparent diameter. Since
00:15:38 --> 00:15:41 it takes 25 years for the
00:15:41 --> 00:15:44 Earth's axis to complete a single wobble, different
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 stars have become the North Star at different times.
00:15:48 --> 00:15:51 In fact, the brightest guardian, Kochab, was
00:15:51 --> 00:15:54 the North Star around the time of the start of the iron age,
00:15:54 --> 00:15:57 around 1200 BC. You're listening to
00:15:57 --> 00:16:00 Astronomy Daily, the podcast with Steve 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 to the lunar
00:16:15 --> 00:16:18 surface since Apollo astronauts last walked there in
00:16:18 --> 00:16:21 1972. Along with international
00:16:21 --> 00:16:24 and commercial partners, NASA hopes that
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 Artemis will enable a sustained program of
00:16:26 --> 00:16:29 lunar exploration and development, which could
00:16:29 --> 00:16:32 include long term facilities and habitats on
00:16:32 --> 00:16:35 the Moon. Given the expense of launching heavy
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 payloads, sending all the equipment and
00:16:37 --> 00:16:40 materials needed to the Moon is impractical.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:43 This means that structures on the Moon must be
00:16:43 --> 00:16:45 manufactured using local resources, a
00:16:45 --> 00:16:48 process known as in situ resources
00:16:49 --> 00:16:52 on the Moon. This process leverages advancements
00:16:52 --> 00:16:55 in additive manufacturing or 3D printing
00:16:55 --> 00:16:58 to turn lunar regolith into building
00:16:58 --> 00:17:01 materials. Unfortunately, technical issues mean
00:17:01 --> 00:17:04 that most 3D printing techniques are not feasible on
00:17:04 --> 00:17:07 the lunar surface. In a recent study, a team
00:17:07 --> 00:17:10 of researchers led by University of Arkansas
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 proposed an alternative M method where
00:17:13 --> 00:17:15 light based sintering is used to
00:17:15 --> 00:17:18 manufacture lunar bricks rather than printing.
00:17:18 --> 00:17:21 The research team is led by Wan Xiao, an
00:17:21 --> 00:17:23 assistant professor in the Department of
00:17:23 --> 00:17:26 Mechanical Engineering at the University of Arkansas.
00:17:26 --> 00:17:29 He is joined by Cole McCallum, Yoeng
00:17:29 --> 00:17:32 Lang, and Nahid Tushar,
00:17:32 --> 00:17:34 an Honors College fellow, research
00:17:34 --> 00:17:37 assistant and doctoral student at the
00:17:37 --> 00:17:40 University College of Engineering. The team
00:17:40 --> 00:17:43 also included researchers from the Department of
00:17:43 --> 00:17:45 Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at
00:17:45 --> 00:17:48 University of Houston and Faculty of
00:17:48 --> 00:17:51 Engineering and Natural Sciences at AH Tampere
00:17:51 --> 00:17:54 University. As they wrote in their paper, creating a
00:17:54 --> 00:17:56 permanent or semi permanent base on the Moon has
00:17:56 --> 00:17:59 been the subject of research studies and proposal
00:18:00 --> 00:18:03 since the Apollo era. These plans have always
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 been marred by the simple fact that the requisite
00:18:05 --> 00:18:08 machinery and construction materials would require
00:18:08 --> 00:18:11 many heavy launch vehicles to deliver them at great
00:18:11 --> 00:18:13 cost. While the cost of sending
00:18:13 --> 00:18:16 payloads has dropped significantly in the last
00:18:16 --> 00:18:19 decade, largely thanks to the commercial space
00:18:19 --> 00:18:22 sector's development of reusable rockets,
00:18:22 --> 00:18:25 the cost of launching everything astronauts
00:18:25 --> 00:18:28 would need to build a lunar facility is still
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 quite prohibitive. As a result, only
00:18:30 --> 00:18:33 ISRU will suffice to
00:18:33 --> 00:18:36 creating bases on the moon that is
00:18:36 --> 00:18:38 Building in situ. Unfortunately,
00:18:38 --> 00:18:41 most of the proposed methods for 3D
00:18:41 --> 00:18:44 printing structures are not practical in the lunar
00:18:44 --> 00:18:47 uh environment, where gravity is significantly lower,
00:18:47 --> 00:18:50 roughly 16.5% that of
00:18:50 --> 00:18:53 Earth, and temperatures are quite extreme.
00:18:54 --> 00:18:57 In 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 --> 00:20:04 hardens once exposed to air or the vacuum vacuum of
00:20:04 --> 00:20:06 the lunar environment. This method is
00:20:06 --> 00:20:09 energy sensitive and would likely require
00:20:09 --> 00:20:12 a nuclear power source such as a
00:20:12 --> 00:20:15 kilopower reactor. Because of
00:20:15 --> 00:20:18 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 --> 00:20:31 author on the paper describing their findings.
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 The method they tested and recommended is known
00:20:34 --> 00:20:37 as light based sintering, which
00:20:37 --> 00:20:40 relies on sunlight concentrated by a set of
00:20:40 --> 00:20:43 optics to bombard and melt lunar
00:20:43 --> 00:20:45 regolith into feedstock.
00:20:45 --> 00:20:48 Researchers have tested this technology on Earth
00:20:48 --> 00:20:51 using lunar regolith simulant to
00:20:51 --> 00:20:54 manufacture glass and mirrors. On the
00:20:54 --> 00:20:57 Moon, solar energy is consistently present and
00:20:57 --> 00:20:59 abundant in sunlit regions, making it more
00:20:59 --> 00:21:02 reliable than power power source that must be
00:21:02 --> 00:21:05 transported. The system's simplicity
00:21:05 --> 00:21:08 makes it highly desirable for challenging
00:21:08 --> 00:21:10 environments where repairs will be difficult if
00:21:10 --> 00:21:13 anything breaks down. However, experiments
00:21:13 --> 00:21:16 have shown that the technology still experiences
00:21:16 --> 00:21:19 problems when used to fashion entire
00:21:19 --> 00:21:21 structures. To this end, Sue's team focused
00:21:21 --> 00:21:24 on manufacturing building components
00:21:24 --> 00:21:27 instead, said Cole, before the concept
00:21:27 --> 00:21:30 can be realized. However, much work still needs to be done.
00:21:30 --> 00:21:33 As Shu indicates, more research is needed
00:21:33 --> 00:21:36 to optimize the sintering parameters and
00:21:36 --> 00:21:39 material properties. The team also plans
00:21:39 --> 00:21:41 to build a prototype and conduct laboratory
00:21:41 --> 00:21:44 tests, which they hope will allow them to refine
00:21:44 --> 00:21:47 and scale the technology for the use on the Moon.
00:21:47 --> 00:21:50 They also need to consider how the resulting
00:21:50 --> 00:21:53 3D printer will transport transport itself along
00:21:53 --> 00:21:56 the lunar surface, and what power options it would
00:21:56 --> 00:21:58 rely on, and other considerations
00:21:59 --> 00:22:02 when it comes to full implementation. There's a lot of
00:22:02 --> 00:22:05 engineering that still needs to be done, cole concluded.
00:22:05 --> 00:22:07 In the future, we'll need to consider how the
00:22:07 --> 00:22:10 sintering process changes in a vacuum,
00:22:10 --> 00:22:13 or what modifications to the build
00:22:13 --> 00:22:16 platform 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 --> 00:22:24 device needs to be able to withstand the harsh
00:22:24 --> 00:22:27 conditions compared to the lab environment we worked
00:22:27 --> 00:22:29 on for this research. These are all
00:22:29 --> 00:22:32 challenging problems. But in the end, the science
00:22:32 --> 00:22:35 behind all of this is well understood.
00:22:37 --> 00:22:40 Words of that control we're listening to Astronomy
00:22:40 --> 00:22:42 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 port of the
00:22:50 --> 00:22:53 International Space Station's Harmony module on
00:22:53 --> 00:22:56 June 26. Axiom Mission
00:22:56 --> 00:22:59 4 is the fourth all private astronaut mission to the
00:22:59 --> 00:23:01 orbiting laboratory, welcoming Commander Peggy
00:23:01 --> 00:23:04 Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of
00:23:04 --> 00:23:06 human spaceflight at Axiom Space,
00:23:06 --> 00:23:09 isro, Indian Space Research Organization
00:23:09 --> 00:23:12 astronaut and pilot Shubanshu Shukla and
00:23:12 --> 00:23:15 mission 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 --> 00:23:27 The crew is scheduled to remain at the space station
00:23:27 --> 00:23:30 conducting microgravity research, educational
00:23:30 --> 00:23:32 outreach and commercial activities for about
00:23:32 --> 00:23:35 two weeks. This mission serves as
00:23:35 --> 00:23:38 an example of the success derived from collaboration between
00:23:38 --> 00:23:41 NASA's international partners and American commercial
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 space companies.
00:23:44 --> 00:23:47 Steve Dunkley: You're listening to Astronomy Daily, the podcast
00:23:47 --> 00:23:50 with your host, Steve Dudley at burmatown.
00:23:51 --> 00:23:54 For decades, scientists have struggled to see
00:23:54 --> 00:23:57 the outermost layer of the sun, called the corona,
00:23:57 --> 00:24:00 with enough detail to unlock, um, its
00:24:00 --> 00:24:02 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 of
00:24:08 --> 00:24:11 study. One major obstacle
00:24:11 --> 00:24:14 has been the Earth's atmosphere itself. Like
00:24:14 --> 00:24:16 turbulence shaking an airplane, it blurs
00:24:16 --> 00:24:19 telescope images taken from the ground, hiding
00:24:19 --> 00:24:22 fine details in the sun's outer layers.
00:24:23 --> 00:24:25 Now, researchers from the US National
00:24:25 --> 00:24:28 Science foundation, the National Solar
00:24:28 --> 00:24:31 Observatory, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology
00:24:31 --> 00:24:34 have changed all of that. Published in the
00:24:34 --> 00:24:37 journal Nature Astronomy, their new technology,
00:24:37 --> 00:24:40 called coronal adaptive optics,
00:24:40 --> 00:24:43 has produced the clearest Most detailed images
00:24:43 --> 00:24:46 and videos of the Sun's corona Ever seen
00:24:46 --> 00:24:49 from Earth. The system, named
00:24:49 --> 00:24:51 Kona, is installed at the the 1.6
00:24:51 --> 00:24:54 meter good solar telescope
00:24:54 --> 00:24:56 at Big Bear Solar Observatory in
00:24:56 --> 00:24:59 California. It adjusts a mirror
00:24:59 --> 00:25:02 2 times per second to
00:25:02 --> 00:25:05 cancel out the effects of Earth's, uh, turbulent air.
00:25:05 --> 00:25:08 According to Dirk Schmidt, the lead developer
00:25:08 --> 00:25:11 and adaptive optics scientist at the
00:25:11 --> 00:25:14 National Solar Observatory, the turbulence in
00:25:14 --> 00:25:17 the air 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 said.
00:25:23 --> 00:25:26 Using Kona, the team captured detailed
00:25:26 --> 00:25:29 images and movies of stunning features in the
00:25:29 --> 00:25:31 corona. One video shows a solar
00:25:31 --> 00:25:34 prominence reshaping rapidly, with fine
00:25:34 --> 00:25:37 turbulent flows visible inside
00:25:37 --> 00:25:40 these prominences, Bright, looping structures
00:25:40 --> 00:25:43 of internal solar plasma Extend
00:25:43 --> 00:25:46 from the Sun's surface far into space. Another
00:25:46 --> 00:25:49 movie reveals the fast collapse Of a thin
00:25:49 --> 00:25:51 stream of plasma, Showing details
00:25:51 --> 00:25:54 never seen before. It's super exciting
00:25:54 --> 00:25:57 to build an instrument that shows us the sun like we've
00:25:57 --> 00:26:00 never seen before, says Schmidt. The clearest look
00:26:00 --> 00:26:03 yet 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, says
00:26:14 --> 00:26:17 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 Sun's
00:26:30 --> 00:26:33 magnetic fields. All these new images push
00:26:33 --> 00:26:36 beyond the previous limits of what scientists
00:26:36 --> 00:26:38 could observe. Vasil
00:26:38 --> 00:26:41 Yurchison, a researcher from New
00:26:41 --> 00:26:44 Jersey Institute of Technology, noted, these are,
00:26:44 --> 00:26:46 uh, by far the most detailed observations of this
00:26:46 --> 00:26:49 kind, Showing features not previously observed
00:26:49 --> 00:26:52 and is not quite sure 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 the Sun's
00:26:57 --> 00:26:59 surface, Reaching millions of degrees,
00:27:00 --> 00:27:03 Scientists still don't fully understand how it gets that
00:27:03 --> 00:27:06 hot. Most of what's visible from the
00:27:06 --> 00:27:08 Earth During a solar eclipse are, uh, glowing
00:27:08 --> 00:27:11 arches and loops of plasma. Until now,
00:27:11 --> 00:27:14 scientists have not been able to resolve the tiniest
00:27:14 --> 00:27:17 movements and structures in these features. The
00:27:17 --> 00:27:20 problem? The Earth's atmosphere. Even the
00:27:20 --> 00:27:23 largest 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 the Sun's
00:27:34 --> 00:27:37 disk, not in the corona beyond its edge.
00:27:37 --> 00:27:40 Coronal, uh, adaptive optics changed that.
00:27:40 --> 00:27:43 Kona uses a special wavefront
00:27:43 --> 00:27:46 sensor tuned to hydrogen alpha Light
00:27:46 --> 00:27:49 where coronal plasma shines
00:27:49 --> 00:27:51 brightest. Unlike older sensors which
00:27:51 --> 00:27:54 focus on the sun's surface, this new one
00:27:54 --> 00:27:57 focuses directly on features in the
00:27:57 --> 00:28:00 corona. The system directs
00:28:00 --> 00:28:02 half the incoming light to the sensor and the
00:28:02 --> 00:28:05 other half to scientific instruments. This makes
00:28:05 --> 00:28:08 it 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 the
00:28:23 --> 00:28:26 user's shaky hands, explains optical
00:28:26 --> 00:28:28 engineer Nicholas Gortis.
00:28:29 --> 00:28:32 The images now reach the theoretical diffraction
00:28:32 --> 00:28:35 limit of the Good Solar Telescope. 63
00:28:35 --> 00:28:37 km before Kona, the best ground based
00:28:37 --> 00:28:40 coronal observations were limited to a
00:28:40 --> 00:28:43 resolution of about 1 km,
00:28:43 --> 00:28:46 a standard set over 880 years ago.
00:28:46 --> 00:28:49 The clearer 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 after a
00:29:03 --> 00:29:06 failed solar flare eruption. This was a
00:29:06 --> 00:29:09 rare view of something that typically goes unnoticed.
00:29:09 --> 00:29:12 The sun's corona hosts hosts many complex
00:29:12 --> 00:29:15 behaviors, twisting loops, falling rain and
00:29:15 --> 00:29:17 erupting prominences. These events are uh,
00:29:18 --> 00:29:20 powered by magnetism and plasma
00:29:20 --> 00:29:23 interactions. Some scientists believe
00:29:23 --> 00:29:25 the small scale events like nanoflares,
00:29:25 --> 00:29:28 which release tiny bursts of energy, could
00:29:28 --> 00:29:31 be the missing piece in solving the mystery of the
00:29:31 --> 00:29:34 corona's heat. But such events happen at
00:29:34 --> 00:29:37 extremely small scales. Until
00:29:37 --> 00:29:40 now, models of the corona relied heavily on
00:29:40 --> 00:29:42 guesswork. Lab experiments and space
00:29:42 --> 00:29:45 telescopes hinted at certain UH processes, but
00:29:45 --> 00:29:48 even the best space based cameras could
00:29:48 --> 00:29:51 not match the new images coming from Kona.
00:29:51 --> 00:29:54 Now, for the first time, ground based telescopes can
00:29:54 --> 00:29:57 explore these small scale processes directly.
00:29:57 --> 00:30:00 The new system has already shown that cooled plasma
00:30:00 --> 00:30:03 in the corona displays structure all the way
00:30:03 --> 00:30:06 down to the telescope's limit, meaning even
00:30:06 --> 00:30:09 smaller scales may still be hidden. The research
00:30:09 --> 00:30:12 team also took Doppler data in helium
00:30:12 --> 00:30:14 and observed other wavelengths besides
00:30:14 --> 00:30:17 hydrogen, expanding the range of studies
00:30:17 --> 00:30:20 possible. With this success, the team is already
00:30:20 --> 00:30:23 planning to expand the technology. They aim to apply it
00:30:23 --> 00:30:26 to the 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 finer
00:30:34 --> 00:30:36 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 the
00:30:43 --> 00:30:45 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 --> 00:31:00 of the study and former director of the Big Bear
00:31:00 --> 00:31:02 Solar Observatory, sees Even a bigger impact.
00:31:02 --> 00:31:05 He says the transformative technology
00:31:05 --> 00:31:08 is poised to reshape ground based solar
00:31:08 --> 00:31:11 astronomy. He goes on to add. With coronal
00:31:11 --> 00:31:14 adaptive optics now in operation, this
00:31:14 --> 00:31:17 marks the beginning of a new era in
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 solar physics.
00:31:21 --> 00:31:24 And wow, what a bumper edition that was. I told you we
00:31:24 --> 00:31:26 had been, uh, flooded with stories from the
00:31:26 --> 00:31:29 Astronomy Daily newsletter this week. Our. Our
00:31:29 --> 00:31:32 in tray was just, uh, overflowing. And
00:31:32 --> 00:31:35 that is the June 30th edition, right in the middle of
00:31:35 --> 00:31:38 the year. Absolutely inundated. So, uh, I hope you
00:31:38 --> 00:31:41 enjoyed that. Lots of great stories. And what a variety too.
00:31:41 --> 00:31:43 From the moon to politics even. So, yes,
00:31:43 --> 00:31:46 quite a big additions. And can. Can you believe how fast
00:31:46 --> 00:31:48 this year is flying by?
00:31:48 --> 00:31:49 Hallie: Maybe for you, human.
00:31:49 --> 00:31:52 Steve Dunkley: Oh, really? Things dragging on the digital side, are they,
00:31:52 --> 00:31:52 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 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 --> 00:32:19 Steve Dunkley: And you're a bit like the one doing all the filing after the
00:32:19 --> 00:32:19 show, aren't you?
00:32:19 --> 00:32:22 Hallie: Did you just whammy me for the first time, 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 time.
00:32:38 --> 00:32:41 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 --> 00:32:52 spot in Lake Macquarie, next to Newcastle, north of Sydney, on
00:32:52 --> 00:32:55 the east coast of Australia, for everybody listening overseas. But
00:32:55 --> 00:32:57 hey, Hallie, that's a huge secret. So don't tell
00:32:57 --> 00:33:00 anyone about where we are. It is too beautiful for
00:33:00 --> 00:33:01 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 --> 00:33:08 Steve Dunkley: And on that note, we will look forward to seeing you all again for
00:33:08 --> 00:33:11 the only Astronomy Daily episode featuring a real life
00:33:11 --> 00:33:12 human 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 later,
00:33:17 --> 00:33:18 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.