Today’s episode features groundbreaking developments in space exploration, including the historic journey of Michaela Benthouse, the first wheelchair user set to fly to space aboard Blue Origin's NS37 mission. We also delve into a major survey of the Magellanic Clouds, revealing insights into their interaction with our Milky Way. Additionally, we discuss surprising findings from NASA's Parker Solar Probe regarding solar recycling, the new race for lunar resources, and the upcoming celestial fireworks from the binary star system V Sagittae. Finally, we explore the innovative Ristretto instrument aimed at studying Proxima B, our nearest exoplanet neighbor.
### Timestamps & Stories
01:05 – **Story 1: Michaela Benthouse to Become First Wheelchair User in Space**
**Key Facts**
- Michaela Benthouse, an aerospace engineer, will fly on Blue Origin's NS37 mission, marking a milestone for accessibility in space.
- The mission emphasizes the importance of inclusivity in space exploration.
03:20 – **Story 2: Major Survey of the Magellanic Clouds**
**Key Facts**
- A new five-year survey using the VISTA telescope will utilize spectroscopy to create a detailed 3D map of the Magellanic Clouds.
- This data will help understand their interaction with the Milky Way and the dynamics of the Magellanic Stream.
05:45 – **Story 3: Surprising Findings from Parker Solar Probe**
**Key Facts**
- The probe captured footage of coronal mass ejections showing material recycling back to the sun.
- This discovery could enhance our understanding of solar activity and improve space weather predictions.
08:00 – **Story 4: New Space Race for Lunar Resources**
**Key Facts**
- Nations and companies are developing technologies to mine the Moon for valuable resources like water ice and helium-3.
- Concerns arise regarding environmental impacts and the need for updated space treaties.
10:15 – **Story 5: Upcoming Nova from V Sagittae**
**Key Facts**
- The binary star system V Sagittae is predicted to undergo a nova explosion in the coming years, followed by a supernova event.
- This celestial display may be visible to the naked eye, potentially occurring around 2083.
12:00 – **Story 6: Ristretto Instrument to Study Proxima B**
**Key Facts**
- Ristretto, a new spectrograph, aims to analyze the atmosphere of Proxima B, our closest exoplanet.
- It will use advanced techniques to block out the star's glare and search for potential biosignatures in the planet's atmosphere.
### Sources & Further Reading
1. Blue Origin
2. European Southern Observatory
3. NASA Parker Solar Probe
4. Lunar Mining Developments
5. Very Large Telescope
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Avery: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 the latest news from across the cosmos. I'm
00:00:06 --> 00:00:06 Avery.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 Anna: And I'm Anna. It's great to be with you
00:00:09 --> 00:00:11 today, Avery. We're talking about everything
00:00:11 --> 00:00:13 from the first wheelchair user heading to
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 space to a star system that's getting ready
00:00:16 --> 00:00:18 to put on a celestial fireworks show.
00:00:18 --> 00:00:21 Avery: Absolutely. We'll also be diving into a new
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 survey of our galactic neighbors. A
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 surprising discovery about the sun, the new
00:00:26 --> 00:00:29 race to mine the moon, and the incredible
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 tech being built to study the planet right
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 next door. Sure. Let's get started.
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 First up, a truly historic mission from Blue
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 origin. They're targeting December 18 for
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 their NS37 mission and it's a huge
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 step forward for accessibility in space.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 Anna: It really is. Onboard the New Shepard vehicle
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 will be Michaela Benthouse, an aerospace
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 engineer at the European Space Agency who is
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 set to become the first wheelchair user to
00:00:55 --> 00:00:55 fly to space.
00:00:56 --> 00:00:58 Avery: That's just fantastic. And she's not just a
00:00:58 --> 00:01:01 passenger, she's an aerospace engineer
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 herself. That adds another layer to this.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 Anna: Exactly. It's not just about tourism. It's
00:01:06 --> 00:01:08 about opening up the field of space
00:01:08 --> 00:01:10 exploration to talented professionals who
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 might have been excluded in the past. It's a
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 suborbital flight lasting about 10 minutes,
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 but it sends a powerful message that space is
00:01:18 --> 00:01:18 for everyone.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 Avery: It really challenges the old right stuff
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 astronaut mold. And she'll be joined by a
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 pretty interesting crew, including investors
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 and even a former top engineer from SpaceX,
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 Hans Konigsmann. And it's not just a
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 symbolic gesture. The engineering that goes
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 into making a spacecraft accessible for
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 someone with different physical needs is non
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 trivial. It forces designers to rethink
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 everything from seating and restraints to how
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 crew members interact with the cabin in m
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 microgravity. These are solutions that could
00:01:48 --> 00:01:50 benefit all future astronauts.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 Anna: A diverse group for a landmark flight. We
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 wish the entire NS37 crew a safe
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 and incredible journey.
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 Alright, let's shift our focus from low Earth
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 orbit to our nearest galactic neighbors, the
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 Magellanic Clouds. A major new survey is
00:02:05 --> 00:02:08 about to give us an unprecedented look at
00:02:08 --> 00:02:09 these satellite galaxies.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:12 Avery: Ah, yes, the large and small Magellic clouds
00:02:12 --> 00:02:14 for our listeners in the northern hemisphere.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 They might not be familiar, but they're a
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 stunning sight from southern latitudes. So
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 what's this new survey the 1001MC
00:02:22 --> 00:02:22 all about?
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 Anna: The key is the technology. It's a five year
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 survey using the foremost instrument on the
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 VISTA telescope in Chile. Now past
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 surveys have given us beautiful images, which
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 is called photometry, measuring brightness
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 and position. This one is all about
00:02:37 --> 00:02:38 spectroscopy.
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 Avery: Right. So spectroscopy Breaks down the
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 starlight into its component wavelengths,
00:02:43 --> 00:02:46 like a fingerprint. What can that fingerprint
00:02:46 --> 00:02:46 tell us?
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 Anna: It tells us so much more. We can learn a,
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 star's chemical composition, Its temperature,
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 How fast it's moving toward or away from us,
00:02:54 --> 00:02:56 and even how quickly it's spinning. By
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 gathering spectra for about half a million
00:02:59 --> 00:03:02 stars, this survey will create a detailed 3D
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 map of the cloud's chemistry and motion.
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 Avery: And that helps us understand how they're
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 interacting with our Milky Way. Right. I've
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 read about the Magellanic Stream, that huge
00:03:11 --> 00:03:13 river of gas Being pulled from the clouds by
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 our galaxy's gravity.
00:03:15 --> 00:03:18 Anna: Precisely. This data, led by Dr. Lara
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 Cullinan's group, Will give us the missing
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 link to model that interaction accurately. It
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 will help us piece together the history of
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 this cosmic dance and predict the ultimate
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 fate of these two small galaxies.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 Avery: So this isn't just about taking a picture.
00:03:31 --> 00:03:34 It's about conducting a census, A cosmic
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 demographic survey. Are we looking at a
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 timeline of years or decades before we can
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 start drawing major conclusions from this
00:03:41 --> 00:03:41 data?
00:03:41 --> 00:03:44 Anna: The survey itself runs for five years, but
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 initial data releases Will likely happen
00:03:46 --> 00:03:49 along the way. The full impact will unfold
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 over the next decade as theorists use this
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 incredibly rich dataset to refine their
00:03:54 --> 00:03:56 models of galaxy formation and evolution.
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 It's a foundational project.
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 Avery: From a cosmic dance to a cosmic U turn.
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 NASA's Parker Solar Probe has captured some
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 incredible footage from its journey to touch
00:04:07 --> 00:04:08 the sun.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 Anna: This is genuinely surprising. During its
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 closest approach, the probe observed a
00:04:13 --> 00:04:16 coronal mass ejection, or cme.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 This is a massive eruption of solar material
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 and magnetic fields from the sun.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 Avery: And we usually think of CMEs as a one way
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 street blasting out into space. If they're
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 aimed at Earth, they can cause geomagnetic
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 stor and the aurora.
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 Anna: That's the conventional picture. But Parker's
00:04:34 --> 00:04:36 images clearly show that not all the material
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 escapes. A significant portion actually
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 slows down, reverses course, and falls
00:04:42 --> 00:04:45 back toward the sun in these elongated
00:04:45 --> 00:04:48 blobs, which scientists are calling inflows.
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 Avery: So the sun is recycling its own magnetic
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 fields. What does that mean for us? Does this
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 change how we predict space weather?
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 Anna: It could. Understanding this recycling
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 process Gives us a more complete model of the
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 sun's magnetic activity. Better models mean
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 better forecasts, which is vital for
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 protecting our satellites, Power grids and
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 astronauts from the most intense solar
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 storms. This is the first time we've seen it
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 so clearly. And it's a huge new piece of the
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 solar puzzle.
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 Avery: Okay. From solar physics to lunar
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 politics. Anna, There's a new space race
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 underway. But it's not about planting flags.
00:05:25 --> 00:05:26 It's about mining the Moon.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 Anna: That's right. The ambition has moved from
00:05:29 --> 00:05:32 exploration to exploitation. We have
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 nations and a growing number of private
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 companies like Interlude and Astrobotic
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 actively developing technologies to extract
00:05:39 --> 00:05:40 lunar resources.
00:05:41 --> 00:05:42 Avery: And the resources they're after are
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 incredibly valuable for future space travel.
00:05:45 --> 00:05:47 You have water ice, which can be turned into
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 rocket fuel and helium 3 for potential
00:05:50 --> 00:05:51 fusion reactors.
00:05:51 --> 00:05:54 Anna: The potential is enormous. The Moon could
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 become a critical staging post for the rest
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 of the solar system. But this gold rush
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 mentality is raising serious concerns.
00:06:02 --> 00:06:04 We're talking about the risk of environmental
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 damage to a pristine world and the potential
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 for geopolitical conflict over the most
00:06:09 --> 00:06:10 resource rich areas.
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 Avery: And we don't really have any rules for this,
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 do we? The Outer space treaty of
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 1967 feels completely
00:06:18 --> 00:06:18 outdated.
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 Anna: It's woefully insufficient. It says no
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 nation can own the Moon, but it's silent on
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 whether a private company can own the
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 resources it extracts. It's a huge legal
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 vacuum. Bodies are trying to hash
00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 out new agreements like the Artemis Accords,
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 but there's no global consensus yet.
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 Avery: And that lack of consensus is the real
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 danger. Without clear, internationally agreed
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 upon rules, you risk a first come, first
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 serve situation that could lead to disputes
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 and even sabotage. Establishing a framework
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 for peaceful, sustainable resource use is as
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 critical as developing the technology to get
00:06:56 --> 00:06:56 there.
00:06:57 --> 00:06:59 Anna: Lets wish the policymakers well then.
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 Avery: Indeed, we're essentially heading into a Wild
00:07:02 --> 00:07:05 west scenario on the Moon. This is a story we
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 will definitely be following closely.
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 Anna: Let's turn our gaze now to a different kind
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 of cosmic event on the horizon. There's a
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 star system called V Sagittea that
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 astronomers are watching very, very closely.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 Avery: Right, this is a future headliner. So
00:07:20 --> 00:07:23 V Sagitta is a binary system, two
00:07:23 --> 00:07:25 stars orbiting each other. What makes this
00:07:25 --> 00:07:26 pair so special?
00:07:27 --> 00:07:29 Anna: It's what they call a cataclysmic variable.
00:07:29 --> 00:07:32 One star is a white dwarf, the incredibly
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 dense, collapsed core of a dead star. It's
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 pulling in a stream of gas from its larger
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 companion star, and it's doing so at an
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 unprecedented accelerating rate.
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 Avery: And when that stolen gas builds up on the
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 surface of the super dense white dwarf. Boom.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 Anna: Boom is right. The immense pressure and
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 temperature will ignite a runaway
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 thermonuclear reaction. A nova.
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 Astronomers predict this will happen in the
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 coming years. And when it does, the system
00:07:59 --> 00:08:02 will brighten so dramatically, it will likely
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 be one of the brightest stars in our night
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 sky, easily visible to the naked eye.
00:08:07 --> 00:08:09 Avery: That's incredible, but that's not even the
00:08:09 --> 00:08:10 grand finale, is it?
00:08:11 --> 00:08:14 Anna: Not at all. This process is causing the
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 two stars to spiral closer and closer
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 together. Eventually, they will collide and
00:08:18 --> 00:08:21 merge, triggering a full blown
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 supernova. The resulting explosion will
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 be so mind bogglingly br,
00:08:26 --> 00:08:29 it might even be visible during the daytime.
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 An amazing if violent astronomical
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 event in the making.
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 Avery: Do we have a more precise prediction than
00:08:36 --> 00:08:39 in the coming years? Is this something we
00:08:39 --> 00:08:40 might see in our lifetimes?
00:08:40 --> 00:08:43 Anna: The models, based on decades of observation
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 of its accelerating orbital decay point to a
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 date around 2083 plus or minus a
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 decade. So, yes, it's very likely to happen
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 within the lifetime of many people listening
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 today. It's a rare chance to watch a
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 celestial forecast come true.
00:08:58 --> 00:08:59 Avery: True.
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 For our final story, we're going from a
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 system far away to the one right next door.
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 We're talking about Proxima Centauri and its
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 famous exoplanet, Proxima B.
00:09:09 --> 00:09:12 Anna: That's right. Proxima B is our nearest
00:09:12 --> 00:09:14 exoplanet neighbor, which makes it a
00:09:14 --> 00:09:17 tantalizing target. But studying it is one of
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 the greatest technical challenges in
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 astronomy. The planet is completely lost
00:09:22 --> 00:09:24 in the glare of its host star.
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 Avery: How bad is the glare?
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 Anna: The star Proxima Centauri is about
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 10 million times brighter than the light
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 reflected by the planet. It's like trying to
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 see a speck of dust on a floodlight from a
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 mile away. But a new instrument called
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 Ristretto is being built to do just that.
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 Avery: Okay, so how does Ristretto pull off this
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 magic trick?
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 Anna: It's a combination of technologies. It's a
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 spectrograph that will be installed on the
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 Very Large Telescope in Chile. First, it
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 uses a coronagraph, essentially a tiny,
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 precise mask to physically block the light
00:09:58 --> 00:10:01 from the star. Then it uses a system of
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 extreme adaptive optics with deformable
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 mirrors to cancel out the blurring effect of
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 Earth's atmosphere.
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 Avery: And once the star's light is suppressed,
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 what's the ultimate goal?
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 Anna: The goal is to collect the faint light that
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 has passed through or been reflected by the
00:10:15 --> 00:10:18 planet's atmosphere. By analyzing that light,
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 Ristretto can search for the chemical
00:10:20 --> 00:10:23 fingerprints of gases like oxygen, methane,
00:10:23 --> 00:10:26 or water vapor. Potential biosignatures.
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 It's one of our best chances yet to find out
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 if the closest world beyond our solar system
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 has an atmosphere and perhaps one that could
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 support life.
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 Avery: And that's a wrap on today's top stories.
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 From new frontiers in human spaceflight to
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 the cutting edge of exoplanet research. The
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 universe never fails to amaze.
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 Anna: It certainly doesn't thanks for tuning in to
00:10:47 --> 00:10:50 Astronomy Daily. Join us next time as we
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 continue to explore the final frontier.
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 Avery: Until then, keep looking up
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 Astronomy Day.
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 Anna: Stories.