- Mark Your Calendars for the Total Lunar Eclipse: On September 7th and 8th, 2025, a spectacular total lunar eclipse, or Blood Moon, will be visible to over 7 billion people across Australia, Asia, Africa, and Europe. This event will last approximately five and a half hours, with the totality phase offering a breathtaking 1 hour and 22 minutes of dramatic celestial viewing.
- Solving the Hubble Tension: A new method introduced by Indian astronomers, using Mira variables, aims to address the ongoing debate surrounding the Hubble tension—the discrepancy in the measurements of the universe's expansion rate. Their findings suggest a more precise value that aligns with modern observations, potentially indicating new physics at play.
- Canada's Lunar Rover Plans: As part of the Artemis programme, Canadensis Aerospace is developing Canada's first lunar rover, set to launch in 2029. This compact explorer will search for water ice in the Moon's south polar region, a crucial resource for future lunar missions.
- Amateur Astronomer's Remarkable Discovery: In a heartwarming story from Switzerland, amateur astronomer Joseph Kaiser discovered a small moon orbiting the asteroid 2001 PE40 using a technique called stellar occultation. This significant find highlights the valuable contributions that passionate amateurs can make to the field of astronomy.
- 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 Avery and Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and exploring the wonders of our universe.
Lunar Eclipse Information
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/)
Hubble Tension Research
[Astrophysical Journal](https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637X)
Canada's Lunar Rover Details
[Canadian Space Agency](https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/default.asp)
Amateur Astronomy Discoveries
[Astronomy Magazine](https://www.astronomy.com/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
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00:00:01 --> 00:00:04 Avery: Hello, and welcome to Astronomy Daily, the
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 podcast that brings you the biggest news from
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 across the cosmos. I'm Avery.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to have you with us
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 today. We're marking our calendars for a
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 celestial event that will be seen by billion.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 Avery: That's right. We'll also be diving into a
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 major cosmic puzzle, the Hubble
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 tension and how some brilliant astronomers
00:00:24 --> 00:00:25 are trying to solve it.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 Anna: Then we'll come back a little closer to home
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 to talk about Canada's plans to send its very
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 first RO over to the Moon. And finally,
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 a truly inspiring story about how an
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 amateur astronomer made a cosmic discovery
00:00:40 --> 00:00:41 from his own backyard.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 Avery: It's a packed show, so let's get started.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 First up, Anna, tell us about this massive
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 event we should all be looking forward to.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 Anna: Certainly, everyone should circle
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 September 7th and 8th, 2025,
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 on their calendars. On those dates, we're
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 going to be treated to a total lunar eclipse,
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 also known as a Blood Moon.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 Avery: And this isn't just any eclipse. The
00:01:05 --> 00:01:08 visibility for this one is incredible.
00:01:08 --> 00:01:11 We're talking over 7 billion people
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 across Australia, Asia, Africa
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 and Europe will have a chance to see it. It's
00:01:17 --> 00:01:18 a, uh, truly global event.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 Anna: Exactly. For those who might be new to this,
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 a, uh, total lunar eclipse happens when the
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 Earth passes directly between the sun and
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 the Moon, casting a shadow on the lunar
00:01:29 --> 00:01:30 surface.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 Avery: And the Blood Moon nickname comes from that
00:01:32 --> 00:01:35 amazing reddish colour the Moon takes on.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:37 Right. It always looks so dramatic.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 Anna: It does, and there's some beautiful physics
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 behind it. As sunlight passes through Earth's
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 atmosphere, the atmosphere scatters the blue
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 light, but allows red light to pass through
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 and reach the Moon. Essentially, the
00:01:51 --> 00:01:53 Moon is being illuminated by all of the
00:01:53 --> 00:01:56 sunrises and sunsets happening on Earth at
00:01:56 --> 00:01:56 that moment.
00:01:57 --> 00:01:59 Avery: That's such a poetic way to think about it.
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 So how long will we get to enjoy this
00:02:02 --> 00:02:02 spectacle?
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 Anna: The entire event, from the moment the Earth's
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 shadow first touches the Moon until it
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 leaves, will last about five and a half
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 hours. The most spectacular part, the
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 totality when the Moon is fully in shadow,
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 will last for an impressive 1 hour and
00:02:18 --> 00:02:19 22 minutes.
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 Avery: Plenty of time to get outside and take a
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 look. And as if that wasn't enough, there's
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 another eclipse, uh, happening right after
00:02:26 --> 00:02:27 this, isn't there?
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 Anna: Yes. Just a couple of weeks later, on
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 September 21, 2025. This
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 time, it's a partial solar eclipse, where the
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 Moon will pass in front of the sun but won't
00:02:37 --> 00:02:40 cover it completely. This one will be visible
00:02:40 --> 00:02:43 from New Zealand, Antarctica and parts of
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 Australia. So it's a busy month for sky
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 watchers in the Southern Hemisphere.
00:02:47 --> 00:02:48 Avery: Fantastic.
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 Well, from one cosmic measurement to another,
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 let's talk about the expansion of the
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 universe. This has been a source of some
00:02:56 --> 00:02:58 major debate in astronomy, right, Anna?
00:02:58 --> 00:03:01 Anna: A huge debate. It's a problem known as
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 the Hubble tension. Put simply, different
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 methods for measuring how fast the universe
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 is expanding are giving us different answers.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 And the difference is significant enough that
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 it can't be easily dismissed.
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 Avery: So you have one group measuring the expansion
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 based on the early universe, like the cosmic
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 microwave background, and another group
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 measuring it based on objects in the more
00:03:23 --> 00:03:26 modern universe, like supernovae. And their
00:03:26 --> 00:03:29 numbers don't measure match precisely.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 Anna: This discrepancy could mean one of two
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 things. Either our measurements are wrong,
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 or our fundamental understanding of physics
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 is incomplete. Now, a team of
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 Indian astronomers led by Professor Anupam
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 Bhardija has introduced a new method that
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 could help settle the debate.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 Avery: And what's their new secret weapon?
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 Anna: They're using a specific type of star called
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 Mira variables. These are old
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 pulsating red giant stars that have a very
00:03:57 --> 00:03:59 predictable relationship between their
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 pulsation period and their intrinsic
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 brightness. By measuring how bright they
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 appear from Earth, we can calculate their
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 distance with great accuracy.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 Avery: So it's another standard candle, like the
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 supernovae we use, but a totally different
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 type of object. That's a great way to double
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 check our results. And what did they find?
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 Anna: Using data from the Gaia Space Telescope,
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 they've managed to calculate the Hubble
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 constant, that's the rate of expansion. With
00:04:26 --> 00:04:29 a precision of 3.7%.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 Their measurement aligns, uh, more closely
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 with the values from other modern universe
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 observations, like those using supernovae.
00:04:38 --> 00:04:39 Avery: So this strengthens the case that the
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 discrepancy isn't just a measurement error.
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 The Hubble tension might be real. And that
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 means what?
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 Anna: It could point to new physics, something
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 we don't yet understand about the universe.
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 It could affect our calculations for the age
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 and size of the universe and
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 deepen the mystery of dark energy. This
00:05:00 --> 00:05:03 discovery is a significant step in
00:05:03 --> 00:05:05 refining our cosmic yardstick.
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 Avery: Incredible work from the edge of the
00:05:08 --> 00:05:09 universe.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 Let's bring it back to our own cosmic
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 neighbourhood. We're heading back to the
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 moon. And Canada is building the ride.
00:05:16 --> 00:05:18 Anna: That's right. As part of the Artemis
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 programme, the company Canadensis Aerospace
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 is developing Canada's very first
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 lunar rover. It's a hugely
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 exciting project, scheduled for launch in
00:05:29 --> 00:05:30 2029.
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 Avery: It's a compact little explorer, too, only
00:05:33 --> 00:05:36 about 35 kilogrammes. So what's its
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 mission? What will it be looking for.
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 Anna: The rover is headed to the moon's south
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 polar region, which is a key area of
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 interest for scientists. Its primary mission
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 is to search for water ice. Finding
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 accessible water ice is considered the holy
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 grail for future lunar exploration.
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 Avery: Because if you have water, you have drinking
00:05:57 --> 00:06:00 water. For astronauts, you can grow plants
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 and you can even split the H2O into hydrogen
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 and oxygen to make rocket fuel. It would be a
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 total game changer for establishing a long
00:06:08 --> 00:06:09 term presence on the moon.
00:06:10 --> 00:06:12 Anna: Exactly. The rover also has a second
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 objective to measure lunar radiation.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:18 Understanding the radiation environment is
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 critical for ensuring the safety of future
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 astronauts. But it's not going to be an easy
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 job. The lunar surface is incredibly
00:06:27 --> 00:06:27 hostile.
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 Avery: I'll say. The temperature swings are mind
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 boggling. The rover has to be built to
00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 withstand everything from -200 degrees
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 Celsius in the shadows to a boiling
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 100 degrees Celsius in direct sunlight.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 Anna: And then there's the lunar regolith, that
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 fine abrasive dust that gets into
00:06:46 --> 00:06:49 everything. Navigating through it is a
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 major engineering challenge. It's a testament
00:06:52 --> 00:06:54 to the team at Canadensis that they're taking
00:06:54 --> 00:06:55 this on.
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 Avery: Absolutely. We'll be cheering it on in
00:06:58 --> 00:06:58 2029.
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 Now for our final story. We're celebrating a
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 different kind of explorer. One without a
00:07:04 --> 00:07:06 billion dollar budget, but with just as much
00:07:06 --> 00:07:07 passion.
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 Anna: This is a wonderful story that really
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 highlights the incredible contributions of
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 amateur astronomers. It comes from
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 Switzerland, where an amateur named Joseph
00:07:18 --> 00:07:20 Kaiser has discovered a small moon
00:07:21 --> 00:07:22 orbiting an asteroid.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:25 Avery: That's amazing. How on Earth does an amateur
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 astronomer spot something like that?
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 Asteroids are tiny and a moon orbiting one
00:07:30 --> 00:07:31 would be even smaller.
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 Anna: He used a very clever technique called
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 stellar occultation. This is when an
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 object, in this case the asteroid, passes
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 in front of a distant star,
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 temporarily blocking its light.
00:07:44 --> 00:07:47 Avery: Right. So he was watching the star, expecting
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 it to blink out for a moment as the main
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 asteroid, named 2001 PE40
00:07:52 --> 00:07:52 passed.
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 Anna: Exactly. But what he observed was
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 something unexpected. After the main
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 asteroid passed and the star's light
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 returned, it disappeared a second time,
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 very briefly. That second blink
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 was caused by a smaller object
00:08:10 --> 00:08:13 trailing the asteroid. Its own tiny
00:08:13 --> 00:08:13 moon.
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 Avery: That is brilliant. What a moment that must
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 have been, realising what he'd seen. Do we
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 know anything about the size of these
00:08:21 --> 00:08:21 objects?
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 Anna: We do. The main asteroid is about
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 12.6 kilometres long.
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 Its newly discovered moon is about
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 2.9 kilometres long and orbits at
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 a distance of just under 24 kilometres.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 It's a significant find and a huge
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 achievement for amateur astronomy.
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 Avery: It really is. It goes to show that you don't
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 need to be a professional with a giant
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 observatory to make a real contribution to
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 science. All you need is patience and skill
00:08:49 --> 00:08:50 and a clear night sky.
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 Anna: A perfect story to end on.
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 And that brings us to the close of another
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 episode of Astronomy Daily.
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 Avery: We covered a lot of ground today, from a
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 future blood moon for billions to a new way
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 of measuring our expanding universe, to
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 Canada's future lunar rover. And a
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 fantastic discovery by an amateur astronomer.
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 Anna: Thank you so much for joining us. We hope
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 you'll subscribe to the podcast so you don't
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 miss an episode, and please visit our
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 website@astronomydaily.IO for even more
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 news and all our back episodes.
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 Avery: Until next time, this has been Avery and
00:09:25 --> 00:09:25 Anna.
00:09:26 --> 00:09:27 Anna: Keep looking up. Uh.