- Rethinking the Milky Way and Andromeda Collision: Explore the latest research challenging the long-held belief that our Milky Way is on a collision course with the Andromeda galaxy. New simulations suggest a nearly 50% chance that these two galaxies may not collide at all within the next 10 billion years, reshaping our understanding of cosmic interactions.
- Robots Revolutionising Solar Power: Discover how the UK Atomic Energy Agency is pioneering the use of robots to construct gigawatt-scale solar power satellites in space. This innovative project aims to harness the intense solar energy available in orbit, potentially providing a continuous stream of clean energy back to Earth.
- Unusual Full Moon in June: Learn about the upcoming Full Moon on June 11, 2025, which will appear unusually low in the northern sky. This rare event is part of an 18.6-year cycle that influences the Moon's position, creating fascinating celestial patterns that have been observed for millennia.
- Space Launch Highlights: Stay updated on the latest launches from SpaceX and Rocket Lab, including a historic Axiom mission featuring a diverse international crew. With multiple Starlink deployments and significant milestones for human spaceflight, the commercial space sector is rapidly evolving and expanding access to space.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:10 - Rethinking the Milky Way and Andromeda collision
10:00 - Robots revolutionising solar power
15:30 - Unusual Full Moon in June
20:00 - Space launch highlights
✍️ Episode References
Milky Way and Andromeda Research
[Nature Astronomy](https://www.nature.com/)
UK Atomic Energy Agency Solar Project
[UKAEA](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-atomic-energy-authority)
Lunar Standstill Cycle
[NASA Moon Phases](https://moon.nasa.gov/)
SpaceX Launch Updates
[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/)
Rocket Lab Launch Information
[Rocket Lab](https://www.rocketlabusa.com/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
For Commercial-Free versions become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 the latest developments in space science and astronomy.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:08 I'm your host, Anna. And today we've got a fascinating
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 lineup of cosmic news to share with you. We'll start with a
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 surprising revelation about our galactic neighbourhood.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 Then we'll look at how robots could revolutionise space
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 based solar power with breakthrough technology that might
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 soon beam, constant clean energy back to Earth.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 We'll also examine why June's upcoming Full Moon
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 will be sitting unusually low in the northern sky,
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 a rare celestial event. And finally,
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 we'll catch up on the Latest launches from SpaceX and Rocket Lab,
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 including historic milestones for human spaceflight.
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 So stay with us as we journey through today's cosmic headlines
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 on Astronomy Daily. Let's
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 kick things off today with a story that might help you sleep easier
00:00:45 --> 00:00:46 at night.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 For what seems like billions of years, astronomers have been telling
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 us that our Milky Way galaxy is on an inevitable collision
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 course with our nearest large galactic
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 neighbourhood, Andromeda. This cosmic
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 crash was thought to be about 4 to 5 billion years in
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 our future, with the merger eventually creating
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 what scientists had already named Milcomeda.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 But now this long held belief is being challenged
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 by new research. A paper published in Nature
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 Astronomy suggests that this galactic collision might not
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 be as certain as we once thought. Scientists have
00:01:18 --> 00:01:21 analysed the latest and most accurate observations from both
00:01:21 --> 00:01:24 the Gaia and Hubble space telescopes, combined
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 with recent mass estimates to recalculate the possible
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 future scenarios for our Local Group of galaxies
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 over the next 10 billion years.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 The Milky Way's path through the universe isn't just
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 influenced by Andromeda. It's actually affected
00:01:39 --> 00:01:42 by the gravitational pull of several objects in our
00:01:42 --> 00:01:44 cosmic neighbourhood, including the smaller
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 Triangulum Galaxy, also known as
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 Messier33, along with the Large and
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 Small Magellanic Clouds and various
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 superclusters. What's particularly interesting is how
00:01:54 --> 00:01:57 these other cosmic bodies play a significant role in
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 determining whether the Milky Way and Andromeda will
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 actually collide. The research shows that while
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 the Triangulum Galaxy increases the merger probability,
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 the Large Magellanic Cloud's orbit runs
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 perpendicular to the Milky Way Andromeda path,
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 which actually makes their merger less likely.
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 The most striking finding from these new simulations
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 is that there's nearly a 50% chance that the Milky Way
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 and Andromeda won't collide at all within the
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 next 10 billion years. That's a dramatic
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 shift from what was previously considered almost inevitable.
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 The researchers do acknowledge some uncertainties in their
00:02:33 --> 00:02:36 model. They assumed, for example, that the mass
00:02:36 --> 00:02:39 distributions within the galaxies remain constant
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 over the next 10 billion years, which may not be
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 entirely accurate, but their updated simulations
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 using the latest observational data and physics
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 cast considerable doubt on whether this cosmic collision
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 will ever occur. Interestingly, the
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 study suggests there's a higher chance that the Milky Way will actually
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 collide with the Large Magellanic cloud in about 2
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 billion years. Of course, none of us will be
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 around to witness any of these potential cosmic crashes,
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 but it's fascinating how our understanding of even the
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 largest scale events in our cosmic neighbourhood
00:03:11 --> 00:03:12 continues to evolve.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 Next today, and I assure this is real and not some fancy sci fi
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 dream. In a breakthrough that could revolutionise
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 clean energy production, the UK Atomic Energy
00:03:21 --> 00:03:24 Agency has demonstrated that remotely operated
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 robots can successfully build gigawatt scale
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 solar power satellites without human intervention.
00:03:30 --> 00:03:33 This development, part of the Albatross project in
00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 collaboration with clean tech firm Space Solar,
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 marks a significant step toward achieving round the clock
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 renewable energy from space. The project,
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 based at the UKEAEA's Cullam campus in
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 Oxfordshire, utilised dual arm robotic
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 manipulators to construct satellite components designed to be
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 several kilometres long and about 20 metres
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 wide. This robotic approach offers both
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 cost advantages and safety benefits by
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 reducing the need for astronaut involvement in the
00:04:01 --> 00:04:04 assembly, maintenance and eventual
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 decommissioning of these massive structures.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 What makes this concept particularly promising
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 is the intensity of solar energy available in
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 space. According to the European Space
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 Agency, sunlight at the top of Earth's
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 atmosphere is more than 10 times stronger than at
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 ground level. These orbital solar
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 collectors would capture this uninterrupted energy source
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 and beam it back to Earth as microwaves, which could
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 then be converted into electricity by ground based
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 antennas. The robotic technology being
00:04:35 --> 00:04:38 developed at UKEAEA's remote applications in
00:04:38 --> 00:04:41 Challenging Environment Centre isn't just for space
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 applications. These same innovations support
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 fusion energy production on Earth, highlighting the
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 synergy between terrestrial and space based energy
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 solutions. Space solar is moving
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 quickly with this technology, expecting to Commission its
00:04:55 --> 00:04:58 first 30 megawatt demonstrator system by
00:04:58 --> 00:05:00 2029 and reach full gigawatt
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 scale capac within the following decade,
00:05:03 --> 00:05:06 potentially providing a continuous stream of clean energy
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 from the limitless solar resources available in orbit.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:13 If you've been watching the night sky, you might notice
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 something unusual happening this June. The
00:05:16 --> 00:05:19 Full Moon on June 11, 2025 will
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 appear remarkably low in the sky for Northern
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 Hemisphere observers. In fact, it
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 will be the lowest full moon we've seen in decades.
00:05:28 --> 00:05:31 This isn't random chance or an astronomical anomaly. It's
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 actually part of a fascinating 18.6
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 year cycle that affects how we see our lunar companion
00:05:37 --> 00:05:40 Unlike what many people assume, the Moon's
00:05:40 --> 00:05:43 orbit isn't aligned with Earth's equator or even with
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 Earth's path around the Sun. The Moon's
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 orbit is actually tilted by about 5.15
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 degrees relative to the ecliptic. That's the plane
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 of Earth's orbit around the Sun. This
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 tilt, combined with Earth's own 23.5
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 degree axial tilt, creates some interesting
00:06:00 --> 00:06:02 effects that play out over long time periods.
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 Because of these combined tilts, the Moon can appear
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 anywhere from 28.65 degrees south
00:06:08 --> 00:06:11 to 28.65 degrees north in our sky.
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 This means that over time, the Moon seems to wander north
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 and south against the background stars.
00:06:17 --> 00:06:20 Astronomers call the extreme points in this cycle lunar
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 standstills. The last major lunar
00:06:23 --> 00:06:26 standstill occurred in 2006, and now
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 we're approaching another one. During this period,
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 the Moon's path swings to its maximum extremes,
00:06:31 --> 00:06:34 making it appear exceptionally high in winter and
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 exceptionally low in summer for Northern Hemisphere
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 observers. That's why this June's Full Moon
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 will barely skim the treetops for many North
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 American and European viewers. And if you're
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 in places like Alaska or Iceland, the
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 Moon might not rise at all.
00:06:51 --> 00:06:54 Meanwhile, observers in the Southern hemisphere will experience
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 the opposite effect. They'll see what's essentially their
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 own long night's Moon riding remarkably high
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 in their June skies. This
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 gradual shifting of the Moon's path
00:07:05 --> 00:07:08 happens because the Moon's orbital plane is
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 slowly being dragged around once every 18.6
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 years, primarily due to the gravitational
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 pull of the Sun. Astronomers call
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 this the nodal precession. What's
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 particularly fascinating is that ancient peoples recognised and
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 tracked these lunar cycles at the
00:07:25 --> 00:07:28 Callanish stones in Scotland, erected during the
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 bronze age over 4000 years ago.
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 Archaeoastronomers have discovered alignments that mark the
00:07:33 --> 00:07:36 rising and setting positions of the Moon
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 at its extreme standstills.
00:07:39 --> 00:07:42 These ancient stone circles served as astronomical
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 calendars, helping people track longer periods
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 of time than the regular monthly lunar cycle. So
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 when you look at this unusually low full Moon in June,
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 remember you're witnessing the same celestial mechanics
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 that our ancestors observed and celebrated thousands of
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 years ago. A living connection to humanity's
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 earliest attempts to understand the rhythms of the cosmos.
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 Let's switch gears now and look at what's happening in space. Launches this
00:08:06 --> 00:08:09 week. SpaceX continues to dominate the launch
00:08:09 --> 00:08:12 schedule, with an impressive five missions packed into just
00:08:12 --> 00:08:14 one week. Rocket Lab kicked things off with
00:08:14 --> 00:08:17 their 65th Electron launch, nicknamed
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 Full Stream, ahead just before June 3rd ended in
00:08:20 --> 00:08:23 New Zealand time. They successfully deployed a
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 BlackSky Generation 3 satellite into orbit.
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 This marks Rocket Lab's 10th launch for BlackSky technology,
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 making them the most frequent launch provider for this
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 constellation. The Gen 3 satellites are quite
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 impressive, capable of producing images with 50
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 centimetre resolution and equipped with shortwave
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 infrared sensors. SpaceX has been even
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 busier with multiple Starlink deployments across
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 different launch sites. From Cape Canaveral in
00:08:48 --> 00:08:51 Florida, they launched Starlink Group 1219,
00:08:52 --> 00:08:55 carrying 23 Starlink V2 mini
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 satellites, 13 of which feature the new
00:08:57 --> 00:09:00 direct to cell capabilities. This mission
00:09:00 --> 00:09:03 used booster B1077, making
00:09:03 --> 00:09:06 its remarkable 21st flight. The
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 very same day, SpaceX conducted another
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 Starlink launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 California, delivering 27 more
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 satellites to, a different orbital inclination.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 And if that wasn't enough, they scheduled yet another
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 StarLink mission for June 8 from Vandenberg,
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 adding 26 more satellites to their rapidly growing
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 constellation. Beyond Starlink, SpaceX
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 is launching the SXM10 satellite for SiriusXM
00:09:30 --> 00:09:33 on June 7. This third generation satellite weighs
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 over 6 kilogrammes and will replace older
00:09:36 --> 00:09:39 satellites in the constellation that have been in service since
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 2005 and 2006.
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 SiriusXM currently serves over 33 million
00:09:44 --> 00:09:47 subscribers, highlighting how space technology directly
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 impacts everyday services many of us use.
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 Perhaps most exciting is the Axiom 4 crewed
00:09:52 --> 00:09:55 mission launching June 9th. Commander Peggy Whitson
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 will lead a diverse international crew, including
00:09:58 --> 00:10:01 Shubanshu Shukla from India, Slavosh
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 Usnanski from Poland and Tibor
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 Kapu from Hungary, each representing only
00:10:06 --> 00:10:09 the second astronaut from their respective countries to reach
00:10:09 --> 00:10:11 space. They'll spend up to two weeks
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 aboard the International Space Station, conducting 60
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 scientific experiments, setting a record for
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 the most research activities during an Axiom mission.
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 The Dragon capsule for this mission is brand new,
00:10:24 --> 00:10:27 making its first flight, While the Falcon 9 booster
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 is flying for just its second time, having been used
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 only 41 days earlier for a Starlink mission.
00:10:33 --> 00:10:36 These milestones highlight how commercial space missions are
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 now creating opportunities for nations that don't have their own
00:10:38 --> 00:10:41 human spaceflight programmes to send their citizens
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 to orbit. It's democratising access to
00:10:44 --> 00:10:47 space in ways we couldn't have imagined even a decade
00:10:47 --> 00:10:50 ago. Well,
00:10:50 --> 00:10:53 what an incredible journey through space we've taken today.
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 From reconsidering the collision course of galaxies to
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 robots building solar satellites in orbit.
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 From the moon's fascinating dance across our skies
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 to the remarkable diversity of launches carrying
00:11:04 --> 00:11:07 humans and technology beyond our atmosphere.
00:11:08 --> 00:11:11 I'm Anna and I want to thank you for joining me on this episode of
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 Astronomy Daily. If you enjoyed today's Cosmic
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 Update, please visit astronomydaily IO where
00:11:16 --> 00:11:19 you can sign up for our free daily newsletter delivering the
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 latest space news right to your inbox.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 Don't miss future episodes by subscribing to the podcast
00:11:25 --> 00:11:28 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or
00:11:28 --> 00:11:31 wherever you get your podcasts. Your support helps
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 us continue bringing the wonders of the universe down to
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 Earth. Until next time, keep looking
00:11:36 --> 00:11:39 up. There's always something fascinating happening in our
00:11:39 --> 00:11:40 cosmic neighbourhood.