- Unexpected Launch Delay: Discover the surprising reasons behind the recent scrub of SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch at Vandenberg Space Force Base. We explore how a regional power outage affected air traffic control communications, leading to a decision that paused NASA's solar wind mission, tracers. Learn about the swift recovery as SpaceX successfully launched from Cape Canaveral just hours later.
- - Dynamic Europa Revealed: Dive into the latest findings from the James Webb Space Telescope regarding Jupiter's moon Europa. We discuss how new observations challenge previous assumptions about its icy surface and suggest ongoing geological activity beneath, including the presence of a subsurface ocean that could harbour life.
- - Comet 3I Atlas: An Ancient Visitor: Meet Comet 3I Atlas, the oldest comet observed, and learn about its serendipitous discovery through the Vera C Rubin Observatory. We delve into its intriguing characteristics and trajectory, revealing insights into its interstellar origins and the potential for future studies as it approaches the Sun.
- - Safely Photographing the Sun: Unlock the secrets to capturing the beauty of our Sun with expert tips on solar photography. We cover essential safety precautions and the specialised equipment needed to reveal intricate details like sunspots and prominences, ensuring you can document our dynamic star safely.
- 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.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch Scrub
[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/)
James Webb Space Telescope Observations
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Comet 3I Atlas Discovery
[Vera C Rubin Observatory](https://www.ctio.noao.edu/noao/content/Vera-C-Rubin-Observatory)
Solar Photography Tips
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.
Sponsor Details:
Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!
Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your gateway to
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 the latest cosmic revelations. I'm your host,
00:00:05 --> 00:00:08 Anna, and today we have an episode packed
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 with exciting space news. We'll kick things
00:00:10 --> 00:00:12 off with an unexpected launch delay that saw
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 a crucial solar wind mission temporarily
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 grounded. And we'll uncover the surprising
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 reason behind that scrub, then prepare to
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 meet an ancient interstellar visitor, Comet
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 3i/Atlas Atlas, and discover how it was
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 accidentally spotted even before its official
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 discovery. Finally, we'll provide practical
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 tips for safely observing and photographing
00:00:33 --> 00:00:35 our very own star, the dynamic Sun.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:38 Let's dive in. Let's start
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 by delving into some recent launch news,
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 specifically a SpaceX Falcon 9 scrub at
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 Vandenberg Space Force Base that caught many
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 off guard. What initially looked like a
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 straightforward hold turned out to be a bit
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 more complex. SpaceX was all set to
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 launch tracers, NASA's latest mission to
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 study solar wind and its impact on earth.
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 From Vandenberg's SLC4E, the
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 booster was even planning a return to launch
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 site landing. Everything seemed to be going
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 smoothly in the final countdown, right up
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 until the hold, hold, hold call came in
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 indicating the launch was paused and for
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 Falcon 9, scrubbed for the day.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 The initial announcement cited FAA airspace
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 concerns, which isn't entirely uncommon and
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 as a range can go red if a boat or plane
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 enters the exclusion zone. However, this time
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 the reason was far more unusual. The Federal
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 Aviation Administration or faa,
00:01:32 --> 00:01:34 confirmed that the airspace concerns weren't
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 about a specific aircraft, but rather the air
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 traffic control centre monitoring those
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 aircraft. This particular centre,
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 the LA artc, is responsible
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 for a massive flight information region
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 covering Southern California where Vandenberg
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 is located, along with parts of Nevada, Utah
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 and Arizona. A regional power
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 outage in the Santa Barbara area caused
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 communication problems for the LAR TCC.
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 This meant they couldn't verify or perhaps
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 even tell SpaceX whether the range was clear
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 for launch. Without that crucial green light,
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 SpaceX had no choice but to scrub the Falcon
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 9 launch due to the unacceptable range
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 configuration. While this specific launch
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 faced an unexpected hurdle, another attempt
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 was pencilled in for the very next day.
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 Interestingly, despite this West coast snag,
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 SpaceX did manage a successful launch just
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 hours later from Cape Canaveral Space Force
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 station in Florida. Two satellites for SES
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 owned O3B networks, MPower M9 and
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 MPower M10, lifted off during their second
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 launch opportunity. This particular Florida
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 launch had its own set of challenges as its
00:02:43 --> 00:02:44 first attempt the previous day was also
00:02:44 --> 00:02:46 scrubbed, though that was due to weather
00:02:46 --> 00:02:49 conditions rather than range issues. It just
00:02:49 --> 00:02:50 goes to show the dynamic and often
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 unpredictable nature of Space operations.
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 With various factors, from power outages to
00:02:56 --> 00:02:57 weather, playing a role in getting these
00:02:57 --> 00:02:58 missions off the ground.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 From one dynamic event to another, let's now
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 turn our gaze to Jupiter's intriguing moon
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 Europa. New observations from the James
00:03:07 --> 00:03:10 Webb Space Telescope are painting a vivid and
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 frankly quite chaotic picture of its icy
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 shell, revealing it to be a dynamic world far
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 from frozen in time. For decades, scientists
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 often pictured Europa's frozen surface as a
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 still, silent shell. But these new findings
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 are completely changing that perception.
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 According to Richard Cartwright, a
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 spectroscopist at Johns Hopkins University's
00:03:29 --> 00:03:32 Applied Physics Laboratory and lead author of
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 this new study, the surface of Europa is
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 likely quite porous and warm enough in
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 certain areas to allow ice to rapidly
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 recrystallize. This suggests a level of
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 activity we hadn't fully appreciated. Even
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 more exciting is what this surface activity
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 reveals about Europa's subsurface ocean
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 regions, known as chaos terrains. Highly
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 disrupted areas where blocks of ice appear to
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 have broken off, drifted and then refrozen
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 are proving to be incredibly valuable. They
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 act as potential windows into Europa's
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 mysterious interior, hinting at ongoing
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 geological processes. The study
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 specifically focused on two regions in
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 Europa's southern hemisphere, Tara Regio
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 and Pas Regio. Tara Regio
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 in particular, has emerged as one of the
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 moon's most intriguing areas. The Webb
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 telescope's observations detected crystalline
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 ice not just on the surface, but also deeper
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 below, which challenges previous assumptions
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 about how ice is distributed on Europa.
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 By measuring the spectral properties of these
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 chaos regions using remotely sensed data,
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 scientists are gaining crucial insights into
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 Europa's chemistry and, significantly, its
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 potential for habitability. Ujwal
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 Raut, programme manager at the Southwest
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 Research Institute and a co author of the
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 study, emphasised that their data strongly
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 suggests that what they are observing must be
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 sourced from the interior, possibly from a
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 vast subsurface ocean and nearly 20 miles,
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 or 30 kilometres beneath Europa's thick
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 icy shell. To better understand this,
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 Raut and his team conducted laboratory
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 experiments. They studied how water freezes
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 on Europa, where the surface is constantly
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 bombarded by charged particles from space.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 Unlike Earth, where ice naturally forms a
00:05:16 --> 00:05:19 hexagonal crystal structure, Europa's intense
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 radiation disrupts this, causing it to become
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 amorphous ice, a disordered non
00:05:24 --> 00:05:27 crystalline form. These experiments were
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 vital in demonstrating how the ice changes
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 over time, offering clues about the Moon's
00:05:32 --> 00:05:35 surface dynamics. When combined with Webb's
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 fresh data, these findings add to the
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 mounting evidence of a vast hidden liquid
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 ocean beneath Europa's icy crust.
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 Cartwright pointed out that in these same
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 fascinating regions, they've also found
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 strong indications of Sodium chloride,
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 essentially table salt likely originating
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 from that interior ocean. Furthermore,
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 they've seen some of the strongest evidence
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 for carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 Europa. The chemistry in these specific
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 locations is truly bizarre and incredibly
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 exciting. These fractured surface features
00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 strongly suggest geologic activity is pushing
00:06:10 --> 00:06:12 material up from beneath Europa's icy shell.
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 Webb's Near Spec instrument is particularly
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 well suited for studying Europa's surface
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 because it can detect key chemical signatures
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 across a wide range of infrared wavelengths.
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 This includes features associated with
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 crystalline water ice and a specific form of
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 carbon dioxide called 13 CO2.
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 This is significant for understanding the
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 moon's geological and chemical processes.
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 The team detected higher levels of carbon
00:06:38 --> 00:06:40 dioxide in these areas compared to
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 surrounding regions, leading them to conclude
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 that it most likely originates from the
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 subsurface ocean rather than external sources
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 like meteorites, which would result in a more
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 even distribution given that carbon
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 dioxide is unstable under Europa's intense
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 radiation environment. These deposits are
00:06:58 --> 00:07:01 thought to be relatively recent and directly
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 linked to ongoing geological processes.
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 The evidence for a liquid ocean underneath
00:07:06 --> 00:07:09 Europa's icy shell continues to grow, making
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 this an incredibly thrilling time for
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 planetary science. The discovery of carbon
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 13, an isotope of carbon, further deepens
00:07:17 --> 00:07:19 the mystery. As Cartwright noted, it's hard
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 to explain its presence, but every road leads
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 back to an internal origin. This aligns with
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 other hypotheses about the origin of carbon
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 dioxide detected in Tara Regio. This new
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 study also comes at a perfect time, as NASA's
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 Europa Clipper mission is currently en route
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 to the Jovian moon with an expected arrival
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 in April 2030. The spacecraft will perform
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 dozens of close flybys, gathering critical
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 data about the hidden ocean, building upon
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 the incredible insights from the James Webb
00:07:47 --> 00:07:48 Space Telescope.
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 Now let's shift our focus from the icy moon
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 Europa to an even more distant and Ancient
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 Comet, 3i/Atlas This celestial object
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 holds a special place in astronomical
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 history, as it is only the third interstellar
00:08:04 --> 00:08:06 object humanity has ever observed entering
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 our solar system. The previous two 1i
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 Oumuamua in 2017 and 2i
00:08:11 --> 00:08:14 Borisov in 2019 have already made their
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 grand exits. But 3i/Atlas is still giving us
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 plenty to talk about. What makes this comet
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 particularly captivating isn't just its
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 interstellar origin, but also the
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 serendipitous way its earliest high
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 resolution images were captured. Get this.
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 The Vera C Rubin Observatory, a
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 powerful new facility designed to scan the
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 universe, actually took pictures of 3i/Atlas
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 before it was even officially discovered.
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 During its science validation phase, the
00:08:40 --> 00:08:41 Rubin Observatory just happened to be
00:08:41 --> 00:08:44 pointing at the right part of the sky where
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 3i/Atlas was located. Unbeknownst to the
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 operators, it snapped images of the comet
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 between June 21 and July 7, even
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 a few days before the telescope officially
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 released its first look images to the public.
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 These observations are incredibly important
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 because they represent the earliest, highest
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 resolution images we have of this rare
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 interstellar visitor. At that time, the
00:09:06 --> 00:09:09 observatory's 8.4-metre Simui Survey
00:09:09 --> 00:09:12 Telescope, combined with its 3.2-gigapixel
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 Legacy Survey of Space and Time camera
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 provided unparalleled detail. Adding to
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 the excitement, the Hubble Space Telescope
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 also caught its first glimpse of Comet
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 3i/Atlas. These Hubble images confirm the
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 comet's puffy coma, a cloud of gas and dust
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 surrounding its nucleus. The arrival of
00:09:28 --> 00:09:31 3i/Atlas Atlas has really ignited a period of
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 intense study for astronomers, with many
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 instruments now attempting to get a good look
00:09:35 --> 00:09:38 at it. Since its initial spotting on July 1,
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 2025 by the Atlas Survey Telescope,
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 recent research suggests that 3i/Atlas could
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 be even more exciting than initially thought.
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 Its trajectory through our solar system
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 indicates it comes from a region of the Milky
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 Way that is older than our own 4.6 billion
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 year old solar system. With an estimated
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 age of 7 billion years, 3i/Atlas
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 Atlas holds the title of the oldest comet
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 we've ever seen, offering a potential
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 window into the earliest days of planetary
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 systems far beyond our own.
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 The images captured, especially those from
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 Rubin, reveal a comet that largely behaved as
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 expected, confirming its cometary nature with
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 a clear coma of gas and dust.
00:10:20 --> 00:10:23 Interestingly, the apparent size of its coma
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 grew by about 58% during the observation
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 period as it continued to approach the Sun.
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 But here's where it gets truly unique. It had
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 a sunward pointing tail. This unusual
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 phenomenon, explained by what's called
00:10:35 --> 00:10:38 anisotropic dust emission, is relatively
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 rare, but has been observed in other comets.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 It could be due to the slow ejection of large
00:10:43 --> 00:10:46 particles that aren't pushed back as quickly
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 by the Sun's radiation pressure or perhaps a
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 rotational axis that nearly aligns with its
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 orbital plane. While 3i/Atlas
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 hasn't shown any signs of non gravitational
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 acceleration. Unlike 1i
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 Oumuamua, astronomers will be watching
00:11:00 --> 00:11:03 closely as it approaches its perihelion in
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 October, though it will unfortunately be
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 blocked by the sun from September through
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 December and won't be visible during that
00:11:09 --> 00:11:12 crucial period. Nevertheless, the data from
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 3i/Atlas is already incredibly rich.
00:11:15 --> 00:11:18 Optical and near infrared spectroscopy
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 has revealed that it's an active interstellar
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 comet containing abundant water ice with a
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 dust composition similar to D type asteroids,
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 space rocks rich in organic molecules,
00:11:28 --> 00:11:31 silicates and carbon. This kind of detailed
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 Insight helps us paint a more intimate
00:11:33 --> 00:11:35 picture of planetary systems beyond our own.
00:11:35 --> 00:11:38 The Vera C Rubin Observatory, which
00:11:38 --> 00:11:41 inadvertently gave us these early views, is
00:11:41 --> 00:11:43 expected to discover between 5 and 50 more
00:11:43 --> 00:11:46 interstellar objects as they zip through our
00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 solar system over its decade long survey,
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 promising a future filled with even more
00:11:50 --> 00:11:51 cosmic surprises.
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 From ancient comets to cutting edge
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 observatories, space. Space constantly offers
00:11:57 --> 00:12:00 us new wonders to explore. But sometimes
00:12:00 --> 00:12:02 the most extraordinary cosmic sights are
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 right here in our own solar system, if you
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 know how to look for them. For our final
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 segment today, let's turn our attention to
00:12:09 --> 00:12:12 our very own star, the sun, and
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 unlock the secrets to safely and effectively
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 photographing its intricate details.
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 Most of us have probably taken a picture of
00:12:19 --> 00:12:22 the rising or setting sun, but those images
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 typically show an overexposed ball of light.
00:12:25 --> 00:12:26 That's because even with the lowest camera
00:12:26 --> 00:12:29 settings, the sun's surface is simply too
00:12:29 --> 00:12:30 bright for standard photography gear to
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 resolve any detail. To truly capture our
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 dynamic local star, you need specialised
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 equipment and a deep understanding of safety.
00:12:38 --> 00:12:41 First and foremost, safety is paramount.
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 Never look directly at the sun without
00:12:43 --> 00:12:46 certified solar eclipse glasses, as even
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 brief exposure can cause permanent eye damage
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 when photographing. If your camera has an
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 optical viewfinder, avoid looking through it.
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 Always use the digital display as uh. Some
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 filters designed for cameras aren't safe for
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 direct eye observation. To successfully
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 photograph the sun, you must significantly
00:13:03 --> 00:13:06 reduce its effective brightness. The
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 primary tool for this is a neutral density
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 filter which attaches to the end of your
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 camera lens. These aren't your everyday
00:13:12 --> 00:13:15 filters. You need one specifically designed
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 for solar photography, capable of blocking
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 out an immense amount of light, over
00:13:19 --> 00:13:22 99.9% in fact. These
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 specialised filters ensure you can resolve
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 details while protecting your camera sensor.
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 Different filters allow you to capture
00:13:29 --> 00:13:31 different layers and features of the sun.
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 A white light filter reduces intensity across
00:13:35 --> 00:13:38 all wavelengths, revealing the sun's surface
00:13:38 --> 00:13:41 known as the photosphere. With this, you can
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 clearly see sunspots, which are cooler,
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 darker regions caused by intense magnetic
00:13:45 --> 00:13:48 fields. For even more detail, particularly of
00:13:48 --> 00:13:50 features in the sun's atmosphere above the
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 photosphere, you'll want to use specialised
00:13:52 --> 00:13:55 filters like H Alpha or kk. H
00:13:55 --> 00:13:57 Alpha filters, for instance, capture light
00:13:57 --> 00:14:00 emitted by hydrogen plasma, making the sun
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 appear red and revealing structures like
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 filaments and prominences. Filaments are
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 twisted magnetic structures seen against the
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 sun's disc, while prominences are the same
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 structures seen dramatically arcing out from
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 the sun's edge against the dark backdrop of
00:14:15 --> 00:14:18 space. CK filters, on the other hand,
00:14:18 --> 00:14:21 filter light from calcium plasma, showing a
00:14:21 --> 00:14:24 different perspective of the chromosphere. If
00:14:24 --> 00:14:26 you're feeling ambitious. You can even
00:14:26 --> 00:14:28 photograph the sun with a telescope, either
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 by mounting your camera to it or using a
00:14:30 --> 00:14:33 dedicated solar telescope. These setups often
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 come with internal filter systems designed
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 for detailed solar observation. By
00:14:37 --> 00:14:40 experimenting with these various filters and
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 understanding their unique capabilities, you
00:14:42 --> 00:14:45 can move beyond the simple overexposed disc
00:14:45 --> 00:14:48 and capture the true, ever changing nature of
00:14:48 --> 00:14:51 our star, revealing its fascinating sunspots,
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 fiery prominences, and intricate filaments.
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 Again, a final reminder always think safety
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 first and never look directly at the Sun.
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 And that brings us to the end of another
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03 fascinating journey through the cosmos on
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 Astronomy Daily. Thank you for joining me,
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 Anna, as we explored everything from
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 unexpected launch scrubs and the hidden
00:15:09 --> 00:15:12 depths of Europa to ancient interstellar
00:15:12 --> 00:15:15 comets and the art of photographing our own
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 Sun. If you enjoyed today's episode and want
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 to delve deeper into the wonders of the
00:15:19 --> 00:15:21 universe, be sure to visit our
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 website at astronomydaily.IO.
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 there you can listen to all our back episodes
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 and become a true astronomy completionist.
00:15:28 --> 00:15:31 And don't forget to subscribe to Astronomy
00:15:31 --> 00:15:34 Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
00:15:34 --> 00:15:36 YouTube, or wherever you get your
00:15:36 --> 00:15:39 podcasts, so you never miss an update.
00:15:40 --> 00:15:42 Until tomorrow, keep looking up.