In today's episode of Astronomy Daily, hosts Anna and Avery bring you the latest space and astronomy news:
🌌 SEVERE GEOMAGNETIC STORM UPDATE - Follow-up to yesterday's prediction as the CME slams into Earth, triggering spectacular auroras visible from New Mexico to China. We've got photos and the science behind the G4-level storm.
👩🚀 SUNI WILLIAMS RETIRES - After 27 years and 608 days in space, NASA astronaut Suni Williams hangs up her spacesuit. We celebrate her incredible achievements including 9 spacewalks and command of the ISS.
🚀 CHINA'S SHENZHOU-20 RESCUE - An incredible story of emergency response in orbit as China safely returns a damaged capsule after a suspected space debris impact. Three overlapping missions showcase impressive operational capability.
🔵 BLUE ORIGIN NS-38 LAUNCH - Six space tourists prepare for Thursday's suborbital flight aboard New Shepard, including Blue Origin's own director of launch operations.
☀️ NASA'S SUNRISE MISSION - Six toaster-sized satellites pass crucial tests and move closer to launch. They'll work together as one giant radio telescope to track dangerous solar eruptions.
🪐 ALMA REVEALS TEENAGE PLANETS - The most detailed images ever of 24 debris disks show planetary systems in their awkward teenage years, revealing the violent phase our solar system once experienced.
Visit astronomydaily.io for more space news and follow us on social media @AstroDailyPod
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
This episode includes AI-generated content.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Anna: Hello, space enthusiasts. I'm Anna.
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 Avery: And I'm, um, Avery. Welcome to Astronomy
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 Daily, your daily dose of space and
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 astronomy news, brought to you by
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 astronomydaily IO and what
00:00:13 --> 00:00:13 a.
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 Anna: Day we have for you today, Avery. If you were
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 lucky enough to catch the auroras last night,
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 you know what we're leading with.
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 Avery: Absolutely, Anna. We're following up on
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 yesterday's story about that powerful X class
00:00:25 --> 00:00:28 solar flare and the coronal mass ejection
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 that was racing toward Earth. Well, it hit
00:00:32 --> 00:00:33 and it hit hard.
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 Anna: That's right. We've got stunning photos from
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 around the world of the resulting northern
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 lights. And a retirement announcement from a
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 legendary NASA astronaut. An incredible
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 space rescue story from China, and some
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 exciting updates from the commercial space
00:00:48 --> 00:00:49 sector.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 Avery: Plus, we'll tell you about NASA's latest
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 mission that's preparing to study the Sun's
00:00:53 --> 00:00:56 most powerful eruptions. And we'll take you
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 on a cosmic journey billions of years into
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 the past with some fascinating new telescope
00:01:01 --> 00:01:02 observations.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:05 Anna: So grab your coffee, settle in, and let's get
00:01:05 --> 00:01:06 into today's space news.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 Avery: All right, Anna, let's dive into our lead
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 story and what a spectacular show it
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 was yesterday. We told our listeners about
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 that x 1.9 solar flare and
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 coronal mass ejection headed our way.
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 Well, it arrived right on schedule. In fact,
00:01:23 --> 00:01:24 a little early.
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 Anna: It certainly did, Avery. The CME
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 slammed into Earth's magnetic field on
00:01:29 --> 00:01:32 January 19th at around 2:38pm
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 Eastern Time. And it packed quite a punch.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:38 Space weather forecasters at NOAA's Space
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 Weather Prediction center confirmed that
00:01:40 --> 00:01:42 geomagnetic conditions escalated to
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 G4 level. That's classified as
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 severe on their five point scale.
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 Avery: And the results were absolutely
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 breathtaking. What made the CME
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 particularly noteworthy was just how fast it
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 traveled. Remember, it was ejected from the
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 sun on January 18th during that powerful
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 solar flare, which means it covered roughly
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 93 million miles in just over a day.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 That's exceptionally quick.
00:02:08 --> 00:02:11 Anna: The aurora displays that followed were truly
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 global in scope. We're seeing reports and
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 photographs from locations that rarely get to
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 witness the northern lights. One
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 photographer, Greg Gage, captured stunning
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 red auroras from Deming, New Mexico. That's
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 at 32 degrees latitude. He told
00:02:26 --> 00:02:29 Space.com he was on vacation there and never
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 expected to see auroras that far south.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 Avery: That's incredible. And it wasn't just North
00:02:34 --> 00:02:37 America. The displays stretched across
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 Europe, Asia and beyond. In
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 Germany, vivid red and green auroras danced
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 above the River Mughelspree near Berlin,
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 Hungary, saw intense red and green hues
00:02:48 --> 00:02:49 filling the skies over the village of.
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 Anna: Oboivar, uh, France had some particularly
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 eerie displays with rich magenta
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 auroras above Brittany. And in China, the
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 northern lights were visible Above Beiji
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 village in Heilongjiang province, with
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 photographers capturing everything from
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 magenta to green to even hints of blue
00:03:07 --> 00:03:08 in the curtains of light.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 Avery: What's particularly interesting about these
00:03:10 --> 00:03:13 displays Is the variety of colors. The
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 red auroras we're seeing indicate that oxygen
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 atoms at, uh, very high altitudes around 200
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 to 300 miles up, are being energized.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 The green we typically associate with auroras
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 Comes from oxygen at lower altitudes, While
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 any blue would be from nitrogen.
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 Anna: The geomagnetic conditions throughout the
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 night Were quite dynamic, too. Storm levels
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 fluctuated between G1, G2,
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 G3, and G4 as the CME
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 passed through Earth's magnetic field.
00:03:43 --> 00:03:45 According to the UK Met Office, this kept
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 Earth's magnetic field In a highly disturbed
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 state for hours, Producing repeated surges of
00:03:51 --> 00:03:52 auroral activity.
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 Avery: And there's more good news for aurora
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 watchers. While geomagnetic activity Is
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 expected to gradually ease, Forecasters
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 say conditions remain unsettled. That means
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 there's still a chance the northern lights
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 could make another appearance tonight if
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 solar, uh, wind conditions cooperate.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 Anna: So if you missed last night's show, keep
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 those cameras charged and your aurora alert
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 apps turned on. The sun is clearly in an
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 active phase, and we could see more displays
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 in the coming days and weeks.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 Avery: Absolutely. And this really highlights why we
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 track space weather so closely. While these
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 auroras are beautiful, the same geomagnetic
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 storms can affect satellites, power grids,
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 and radio communications. It's a reminder of
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 how our technological society is connected
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 to what's happening 93 million miles away
00:04:39 --> 00:04:40 on the sun.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:43 Anna: Moving on to our next story. Avery. And this
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 one marks the end of an era. After
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 27 years of distinguished service,
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 NASA astronaut Suni Williams has officially
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 retired from the agency.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 Avery: This is definitely a significant moment.
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 Anna, uh, Suni Williams has been such an
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 inspiring figure in human spaceflight. Her
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 retirement became effective on December 27,
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 2025, though NASA just announced
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 it this week. Let's talk about her remarkable
00:05:09 --> 00:05:10 achievements.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 Anna: Where do we even start? Over the course of
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 her career, Williams logged an impressive
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 608 days in space. That
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 makes her second on the list for cumulative
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 time and space by a NASA astronaut. She
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 completed three missions to the International
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 Space Station and held numerous records
00:05:28 --> 00:05:29 throughout her career.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 Avery: Her most recent mission was particularly
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 interesting. Williams and fellow astronaut
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 Butch Wilmore launched aboard Boeing
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 Starliner spacecraft in June 2024
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 as part of NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test
00:05:41 --> 00:05:44 mission, both tied for sixth place on the
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 list. Of longest single spaceflight by an
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 American logging 286
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 days during their combined Starliner and
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 SpaceX Crew 9 missions.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 Anna: That's right. And during that mission,
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 Williams once again took command of the space
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 station for Expedition 72. She's also
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 renowned for her spacewalking expertise. She
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 completed nine spacewalks totaling 62
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 hours and six minutes over her career.
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 Avery: That gives her the record for most spacewalk
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 time by a woman and fourth most on the all
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 time cumulative spacewalk duration list.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 Oh, and here's a fun fact. She was also the
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 first person to run a marathon in space.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:25 Anna: Beyond her spaceflight experience, Williams
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 held numerous important roles at NASA. She
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 served as Deputy Chief of the Astronaut
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 Office, was Director of Operations in Star
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 City, Russia, and most recently helped
00:06:34 --> 00:06:37 establish a helicopter training platform to
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 prepare astronauts for future moon landings.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 Avery: NASA Administrator Jared Eichman had some
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 wonderful words about her legacy. He called
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 her a trailblazer in human spaceflight whose
00:06:48 --> 00:06:51 work advancing science and technology has
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 laid the foundation for Artemis missions to
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 the moon and future missions to Mars.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 Anna: It's worth noting her background too. She's a
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 retired US Navy captain and an accomplished
00:07:01 --> 00:07:04 pilot with more than 4 flight hours in
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 40 different aircraft. She holds a bachelor's
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 degree in Physical science from the United
00:07:09 --> 00:07:12 States Naval Academy and a master's degree in
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 Engineering Management.
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 Avery: In her retirement statement, Williams said,
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 anyone who knows me knows that space is my
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 absolute favorite place to be. She expressed
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 gratitude for her 27 year career and the
00:07:24 --> 00:07:27 support she received from her colleagues and
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 mentioned she's excited to watch NASA make
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 history as the agency continues its
00:07:31 --> 00:07:32 exploration efforts.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 Anna: It's a well deserved retirement for someone
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 who has contributed so much to human
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 spaceflight. Her achievements will
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 undoubtedly inspire the next generation of
00:07:41 --> 00:07:43 astronauts and space explorers.
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 Avery: Alright, Anna, um, our next story is quite
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 dramatic. It involves a successful space
00:07:48 --> 00:07:51 rescue, emergency repairs, and some
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 impressive quick thinking by China's space
00:07:53 --> 00:07:53 program.
00:07:54 --> 00:07:57 Anna: This is really a remarkable story, avery.
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 China's Shenzhou 20 capsule safely
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 landed in Inner Mongolia on January 19,
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 2026 after spending 270
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 days in orbit. But the journey
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 back wasn't exactly routine. This
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 mission became one of the most technically
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 demanding in China's human spaceflight
00:08:15 --> 00:08:16 history.
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 Avery: The Shenzhou 20 was originally launched back
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 on April 24, 2025 from
00:08:22 --> 00:08:25 the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It was
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 expected to complete its mission and return
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 in November 2025. But then
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 came the complication. A, uh, suspected
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 impact with space debris damaged one of the
00:08:35 --> 00:08:36 capsule's portholes.
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 Anna: Talk about a critical issue. A cracked
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 porthole on a spacecraft is serious business,
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 especially when you're thinking about the
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 intense heat and forces of re entry through
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 Earth's atmosphere. So how did China's
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 space program respond?
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 Avery: With remarkable speed and coordination.
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 First they authorized astronauts aboard the
00:08:57 --> 00:09:00 Shenzhou 21 spacecraft to photograph the
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 damaged porthole during a spacewalk on
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 December 9. They used high definition
00:09:05 --> 00:09:07 cameras to get a detailed diagnosis of the
00:09:07 --> 00:09:07 problem.
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 Anna: And then came an unprecedented move.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 China launched Shenzhou 22 on
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 November 25. Marking the first rapid
00:09:16 --> 00:09:19 response emergency deployment in China's
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 space history. This uncrewed craft delivered
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 a specially engineered repair device
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 designed to enhance the capsule's heat
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 resistance and sealing for re entry.
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 Avery: Meanwhile, for safety reasons, the crew of
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 Shenzhou 20 was evacuated ahead of
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 schedule. They returned aboard Shenzhou
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 21 on November 14th in what the China
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 Manned Space Agency called an emergency
00:09:43 --> 00:09:43 reroute.
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 Anna: So uh, the Shenzhou 20 capsule came home
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 empty, but it came home safe. According
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 to cgtn, the China Manned Space
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 Agency declared the mission uh, a complete
00:09:54 --> 00:09:57 success after an on site inspection
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 confirmed the capsule was in good condition
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 despite everything it went through.
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 Avery: What really stands out here is the
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 operational capability. This demonstrates
00:10:06 --> 00:10:09 China executed three overlapping missions,
00:10:09 --> 00:10:12 Shenzhou 20, 21 and 22
00:10:12 --> 00:10:15 over a span of just weeks. That shows
00:10:15 --> 00:10:17 significant operational depth and uh, the
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 ability to respond to emergencies in space.
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 Anna: Absolutely. And it's not just about the
00:10:22 --> 00:10:25 technical achievement. This validates China's
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 long term approach to maintaining crew
00:10:27 --> 00:10:30 vehicles in orbit. The Shenzhou 20
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 stayed up there for 270 days
00:10:32 --> 00:10:35 which demonstrates the reliability of their
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 spacecraft systems.
00:10:36 --> 00:10:39 Avery: This mission also underscores something we
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 talk about often, the very real danger
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 posed by space debris. Even small particles
00:10:44 --> 00:10:47 traveling at orbital velocities can cause
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 significant damage as we saw here with the
00:10:49 --> 00:10:50 porthole crack.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 Anna: And China's ability to handle this situation
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 adds to their growing reputation in space
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 exploration. They're now capable of managing
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 multi vessel operations under pressure with
00:11:01 --> 00:11:04 modular mission architecture and long term
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 crew support capabilities.
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 Avery: Congratulations to all involved in this very
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 successful mission. In the end.
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 Anna: Moving on to our next story, Avery. And we're
00:11:13 --> 00:11:16 heading to West Texas where Blue Origin is
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 preparing for its next suborbital space
00:11:18 --> 00:11:19 tourism mission.
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 Avery: That's right Anna. Uh, Blue Origin is
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 scheduled to launch six space tourists on its
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 NS38 mission this Thursday, January
00:11:27 --> 00:11:30 22nd. The launch window opens at
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 9:30am Eastern Time. That's
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 8:30am M local Texas time.
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 Anna: This will be the 38th flight of Blue
00:11:37 --> 00:11:40 Origin's New Shepard rocket capsule system.
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 And if all goes according to plan, the 17th
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 crewed mission they've flown the mission
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 follows the same profile we've seen before.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 About 10 to 12 minutes from liftoff to the
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 capsule's parachute aided touchdown.
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 Avery: During that brief but spectacular journey,
00:11:55 --> 00:11:58 passengers will experience a few minutes of
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 weightlessness and get to see Earth against
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 the blackness of space from an altitude above
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 the Karman Line, which is generally
00:12:05 --> 00:12:07 recognized as the boundary of space.
00:12:07 --> 00:12:10 Anna: Now, let's talk about who's flying. We have
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 entrepreneur and pilot Tim Drexler,
00:12:13 --> 00:12:16 retired obstetrician and gynecologist Linda
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 Edwards, real estate developer and investor
00:12:18 --> 00:12:21 Elaine Fernandez, entrepreneur and
00:12:21 --> 00:12:24 technologist Alberto Gutierrez, and
00:12:24 --> 00:12:27 retired US Air Force Colonel Jim Hendren,
00:12:27 --> 00:12:30 who founded Hendren Plastics, Inc. And
00:12:30 --> 00:12:31 there's an interesting.
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 Avery: Late addition to the crew manifest. Blue
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 Origin just announced that Lara Stiles, who
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 is Blue Origin's director of New Shepard
00:12:38 --> 00:12:41 launch Operations, will be flying on this
00:12:41 --> 00:12:41 mission.
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 Anna: That's a pretty cool opportunity for someone
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 who's been so involved in making these
00:12:46 --> 00:12:49 missions happen. Dials is actually a late
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 replacement for a passenger who had to drop
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 out due to illness. Though that person will
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 get to fly on a future mission.
00:12:55 --> 00:12:58 Avery: Blue Origin has been steadily building their
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 flight rate. Just last month, they made
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 history by flying the first wheelchair user
00:13:02 --> 00:13:05 to space on their NS37 mission. They're
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 really demonstrating that spaceflight can be
00:13:07 --> 00:13:09 accessible to a diverse range of people.
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 Anna: Now, Blue Origin hasn't publicly disclosed
00:13:12 --> 00:13:15 their ticket prices, but we know their main
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 competitor Virgin Galactic charges
00:13:17 --> 00:13:20 $600 per seat for similar
00:13:20 --> 00:13:23 suborbital flights. So we can probably assume
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 Blue Origin's prices are in that same
00:13:25 --> 00:13:25 ballpark.
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 Avery: If you want to watch this launch, Blue Origin
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 typically livestreams our missions, and
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 Space.com will likely carry the feat as well.
00:13:32 --> 00:13:35 It's always exciting to watch these launches.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 That New Shepard rocket is quite a sight to
00:13:37 --> 00:13:37 see.
00:13:38 --> 00:13:41 Anna: Absolutely. And it's worth noting how routine
00:13:41 --> 00:13:43 these launches are becoming. Blue Origin is
00:13:43 --> 00:13:45 really building up their experience with
00:13:45 --> 00:13:48 regular crewed flights, which is essential
00:13:48 --> 00:13:50 for the commercial space tourism industry.
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 Avery: Our next story takes us from suborbital
00:13:52 --> 00:13:55 tourism to cutting edge heliophysics
00:13:55 --> 00:13:55 research.
00:13:55 --> 00:13:58 Anna. Uh, NASA Sunrise, that's the Sun
00:13:58 --> 00:14:01 Radio Interometer Space Experiment is moving
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 closer to its launch later this year after
00:14:03 --> 00:14:06 successfully completing a rigorous series of
00:14:06 --> 00:14:06 tests.
00:14:07 --> 00:14:09 Anna: This is such a fascinating mission. Avery
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 Sunrise consists of six smallsats.
00:14:12 --> 00:14:15 They're about the size of a toaster oven that
00:14:15 --> 00:14:18 will fly in formation to act as one giant
00:14:18 --> 00:14:20 radio telescope studying the sun.
00:14:20 --> 00:14:23 Avery: That's the clever part. These six smallsats
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 will orbit at about 22 miles
00:14:25 --> 00:14:28 altitude, which is geosynchronous orbit.
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 Flying up to 10 miles apart from each other.
00:14:30 --> 00:14:33 By combining their observations Using a
00:14:33 --> 00:14:35 technique called interferometry, they'll
00:14:35 --> 00:14:38 create what's essentially A single large
00:14:38 --> 00:14:39 radio telescope in space.
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 Anna: And what will they be looking at? Solar
00:14:42 --> 00:14:45 radio bursts. These bursts are generated
00:14:45 --> 00:14:48 by solar energetic particle events Deep
00:14:48 --> 00:14:51 within the sun's atmosphere, or corona. In
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 extreme cases, these events could pose
00:14:53 --> 00:14:56 radiation hazards to unprotected astronauts
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 and damaged satellites.
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 Avery: The spacecraft were built At Utah State
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 University's Space Dynamics laboratory in
00:15:02 --> 00:15:05 Logan, Utah, and they just completed what's
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 described As a rigorous testing campaign.
00:15:07 --> 00:15:10 This included thermal vacuum testing to
00:15:10 --> 00:15:13 simulate orbital conditions, Electromagnetic
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 compatibility testing to ensure the
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 electronic systems Won't interfere With the
00:15:17 --> 00:15:20 sensitive instruments, and most dramatically,
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 vibration testing.
00:15:22 --> 00:15:25 Anna: The vibration testing is crucial because
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 launch is an incredibly violent event.
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 Jim Lux, the Sunrise project manager at
00:15:30 --> 00:15:33 NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Explained
00:15:33 --> 00:15:35 that each spacecraft was loaded with
00:15:35 --> 00:15:38 propellant to match its launch mass and then
00:15:38 --> 00:15:41 subjected to vibration testing in all three
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 axes.
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 Avery: They wanted to make the simulated vibrations
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 as true to the actual launch conditions as
00:15:46 --> 00:15:49 possible. And here's the important part.
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 Pre and post test functional checks were
00:15:51 --> 00:15:54 performed and all six spacecraft passed with
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 flying colors.
00:15:55 --> 00:15:58 Anna: The mission is scheduled to launch From Cape
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida
00:16:00 --> 00:16:03 Aboard a, uh ULA launch Vulcan Centaur
00:16:03 --> 00:16:06 rocket As a rideshare mission. Once in orbit,
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 each satellite will deploy four telescoping
00:16:08 --> 00:16:11 antenna booms about 10ft long,
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 forming an X shaped configuration.
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 Avery: Sue Lepre, the sunrise principal investigator
00:16:16 --> 00:16:19 at the University of Michigan, Points out
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21 that these solar radio bursts Are triggered
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 when vast quantities of energy Stored in the
00:16:23 --> 00:16:26 sun's magnetic field Accelerate solar
00:16:26 --> 00:16:29 particles to high speeds. Tracking these
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 events will help space agencies Protect
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 astronauts and spacecraft.
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 Anna: And this mission will work in conjunction
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 with other NASA heliophysics missions like
00:16:37 --> 00:16:40 the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory,
00:16:40 --> 00:16:43 the Parker Solar probe, and Solar
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 Orbiter, which is an international
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 cooperative mission with esa.
00:16:46 --> 00:16:48 Avery: It's exciting to see these missions coming
00:16:48 --> 00:16:51 together Between Parker Solar Probe diving
00:16:51 --> 00:16:54 close to the sun, Solar Orbiter studying the
00:16:54 --> 00:16:57 polar regions, and now Sunrise tracking radio
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 bursts from Earth orbit. We're building a
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 comprehensive picture of our star's behavior.
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05 Anna: And now for our final story. Avery. We're
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 going to talk about something that's never
00:17:07 --> 00:17:09 been seen before in quite this
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 Planetary systems in their awkward
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 teenage years.
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 Avery: Love that description, Anna. Astronomers
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 using the Atacama Large Millimeter
00:17:20 --> 00:17:23 Submillimeter Array, better known as Alma,
00:17:23 --> 00:17:25 have captured the most detailed images ever
00:17:25 --> 00:17:28 of 24 debris disks. These are the
00:17:28 --> 00:17:31 dusty belts left behind after planets have
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 finished forming.
00:17:32 --> 00:17:35 Anna: The survey is called arcs, which stands for
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 the ALMA Survey to Resolve
00:17:37 --> 00:17:39 Exoker belt substructures.
00:17:40 --> 00:17:42 Meredith Hughes, an associate professor at
00:17:42 --> 00:17:45 Wesleyan University and co principal
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 investigator, explains it perfectly.
00:17:47 --> 00:17:50 We've often seen the baby pictures of planets
00:17:50 --> 00:17:53 forming, but until now, the teenage years
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 have been a missing link.
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 Avery: And just like human teenagers, these systems
00:17:58 --> 00:18:00 turned out to be quite dramatic. The
00:18:00 --> 00:18:03 observations revealed incredible diversity.
00:18:03 --> 00:18:06 Not just simple rings, but multi ring
00:18:06 --> 00:18:09 belts, wide smooth halos, sharp
00:18:09 --> 00:18:12 edges, and even unexpected arcs and clumps.
00:18:12 --> 00:18:15 Anna: This phase is really important because these
00:18:15 --> 00:18:17 debris disks represent what's called the
00:18:17 --> 00:18:19 collision dominated phase of planet
00:18:19 --> 00:18:22 formation. Think of it like our own solar
00:18:22 --> 00:18:25 system's Kuiper Belt, that ring of icy
00:18:25 --> 00:18:28 debris beyond Neptune that preserves a record
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 of massive collisions and planetary
00:18:30 --> 00:18:33 migrations from billions of years ago.
00:18:33 --> 00:18:36 Avery: Thomas Henning from the Max Planck Institute
00:18:36 --> 00:18:38 for Astronomy, another co principal
00:18:38 --> 00:18:40 investigator, notes that by characterizing
00:18:40 --> 00:18:42 these disk structures, they can find evidence
00:18:42 --> 00:18:45 pointing to the presence of planets. They're
00:18:45 --> 00:18:48 using ALMA alongside direct imaging and radio
00:18:48 --> 00:18:50 velocity studies to search for young planets
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 in these systems.
00:18:52 --> 00:18:54 Anna: One of the challenges with studying debris
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 disks is that they're incredibly faint,
00:18:56 --> 00:18:59 hundreds or even thousands of times dimmer
00:18:59 --> 00:19:02 than the bright gas rich disks where planets
00:19:02 --> 00:19:04 are actively being born. But alma's
00:19:04 --> 00:19:07 sensitivity and resolution made these.
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 Avery: Observations possible, and the findings
00:19:09 --> 00:19:12 are fascinating. About one third of the
00:19:12 --> 00:19:15 observed disks show clear substructures,
00:19:15 --> 00:19:17 like multiple rings or distinct gaps.
00:19:18 --> 00:19:20 These could be legacy features from earlier
00:19:20 --> 00:19:22 planet building stages, or they could be
00:19:22 --> 00:19:25 sculpted by planets over much longer
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 timescales.
00:19:26 --> 00:19:29 Anna: Perhaps most surprising, several of these
00:19:29 --> 00:19:32 disks retain gas much longer than expected.
00:19:32 --> 00:19:35 In some systems, this lingering gas might
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 actually shape the chemistry of growing
00:19:37 --> 00:19:40 planets. Or it might push dust into
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 wide halos.
00:19:42 --> 00:19:45 Avery: Many of the disks also show asymmetries and
00:19:45 --> 00:19:47 arcs. They're lopsided with bright arcs
00:19:47 --> 00:19:50 or eccentric shapes. This hints, uh, at
00:19:50 --> 00:19:52 gravitational interactions with unseen
00:19:52 --> 00:19:55 planets, leftover scars from planetary
00:19:55 --> 00:19:58 migration or interactions between the gas
00:19:58 --> 00:19:58 and dust.
00:19:59 --> 00:20:02 Anna: Luca Matra from Trinity College Dublin,
00:20:02 --> 00:20:04 another co principal investigator, puts it
00:20:04 --> 00:20:07 beautifully. These disks record a
00:20:07 --> 00:20:09 period when planetary orbits were being
00:20:09 --> 00:20:12 scrambled and huge impacts like the one
00:20:12 --> 00:20:15 that forged Earth's Moon were shaping young
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 solar systems.
00:20:17 --> 00:20:19 Avery: And here's some great news for the scientific
00:20:19 --> 00:20:22 community. All of the ARC's observations and
00:20:22 --> 00:20:24 process data are being made freely available
00:20:24 --> 00:20:27 to astronomers worldwide. Which means we can
00:20:27 --> 00:20:29 expect even more discoveries from this data
00:20:29 --> 00:20:31 set in the coming years.
00:20:31 --> 00:20:34 Anna: Meredith Hughes sums up the significance
00:20:34 --> 00:20:37 perfectly. This project gives us a new
00:20:37 --> 00:20:39 lens for interpreting the craters on the
00:20:39 --> 00:20:42 Moon, the dynamics of the Kuiper Belt, and
00:20:42 --> 00:20:45 the growth of planets big and small.
00:20:45 --> 00:20:48 It's like adding the missing pages to the
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 solar system's family album.
00:20:50 --> 00:20:52 Avery: Well, that wraps up today's episode of
00:20:52 --> 00:20:55 Astronomy Daily. What an incredible day of
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 space news we've covered.
00:20:56 --> 00:20:59 Anna: From spectacular auroras, lighting up
00:20:59 --> 00:21:01 skies around the globe, to the retirement of
00:21:01 --> 00:21:04 a legendary astronaut, emergency space
00:21:04 --> 00:21:07 repairs by China, exciting commercial
00:21:07 --> 00:21:09 space launches, and groundbreaking
00:21:09 --> 00:21:12 observations of planetary systems, it's
00:21:12 --> 00:21:14 been quite a journey through the cosmos.
00:21:14 --> 00:21:16 Avery: And remember, if you want to stay up to date
00:21:16 --> 00:21:18 with all the latest space and astronomy news,
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 visit our
00:21:19 --> 00:21:22 website@astronomydaily.IO. you
00:21:22 --> 00:21:24 can also find us on all major social media
00:21:24 --> 00:21:27 platforms. Just search for astrodaily
00:21:27 --> 00:21:27 Pod.
00:21:28 --> 00:21:31 Anna: That's astrodaily pod. All one word.
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 We'd love to hear from you and see your
00:21:32 --> 00:21:34 aurora photos if you caught last night's
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 display.
00:21:35 --> 00:21:38 Avery: Thanks for joining us today, space fans. Keep
00:21:38 --> 00:21:40 looking up and we'll see you tomorrow with
00:21:40 --> 00:21:42 more exciting space and astronomy news.
00:21:42 --> 00:21:45 Anna: Until then, clear skies, everyone.
00:22:05 --> 00:22:05 Avery: Told.