Artemis Delays, Blue Origin's Lunar Pivot, and Life's Building Blocks in Space

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Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for

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the latest space and astronomy news. I'm

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Anna.

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Avery: And I'm Avery. Thanks for joining us on this

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Saturday, January 31, 2026.

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Anna: We've got a fascinating lineup today covering

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everything from NASA's Artemis programme

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updates to groundbreaking discoveries in the

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search for life beyond Earth. Avery, what's

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on the agenda?

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Avery: Well, Anna, uh, we're kicking things off with

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some news from NASA's Artemis 2 mission.

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There's been a delay in critical testing due

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to some unexpected weather challeng. Then

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we'll dive into Blue Origin's strategic shift

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as they pause their space tourism programme

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for at least two years.

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Anna: After that, we're looking up at some truly

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cosmic million mile per

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hour winds racing through colliding galaxies

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and a mysterious object sending powerful

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signals across space that has astronomers

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scratching their heads.

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Avery: We'll also explore some surprising findings

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about Tatooine style planets orbiting

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binary stars. And wrap up with an exciting

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discovery. Scientists have detected a

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molecule critical to life in interstellar

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space for the very first time.

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Anna: Quite the journey today. Let's get started.

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Avery: Ready when you are.

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Anna: Alright, Avery, let's start with NASA's

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Artemis programme. I understand old man

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Winter has thrown a wrench into their testing

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schedule.

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Avery: He certainly has, Anna. Uh, NASA has been

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forced to delay a critical fueling test for

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the Artemis 2 mission due to below freezing

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temperatures at Kennedy Space Centre in

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Florida. The wet dress rehearsal was

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originally scheduled for January 27,

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but those unexpected cold temperatures put it

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on ice, so to speak.

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Anna: I see what you did there. But seriously, what

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exactly is this wet dress rehearsal and why

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is it so important?

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Avery: Great question. The wet dress rehearsal is

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essentially a full practise run of launch day

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procedures minus the actual launch. The team

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loads the massive Space Launch System rocket

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with over 700,000 gallons of super

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cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

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Oxygen propellants runs through all the

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countdown procedures and then drains

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everything back out. It's the ultimate dress

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rehearsal before the real show.

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Anna: So they're basically making sure all the

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plumbing works and everyone knows their roles

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when the clock is ticking down. What happened

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with the weather that caused the delay?

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Avery: Well, Florida experienced some unusually cold

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conditions. We're talking about freezing

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temperatures that persisted for several days.

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The problem is that loading these cryogenic

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propellants in freezing conditions creates

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additional safety risks and potential

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technical issues. NASA's priority is always

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safety first. So they made the call to

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postpone.

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Anna: Smart move. When are they planning to try

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again?

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Avery: The Space Launch System is now set to roll

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out to launch pad 39B on February

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5, with the wet dress rehearsal rescheduled

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for February 8, this means the Artemis 2

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launch is now no earlier than April 2026,

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which is a shift from the previous March

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target.

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Anna: For our listeners who might not be following

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every detail of Artemis, remind us what makes

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Artemis 2.

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Avery: Hannah? Artemis 2 is absolutely

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historic. This will be the first crewed

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mission beyond low Earth orbit in over 50

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years. Basically, since the Apollo programme

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ended. Four astronauts will fly around the

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moon, testing all the systems and procedures

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that will eventually support landing

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astronauts back on the lunar surface during

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Artemis 3.

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Anna: It's wild to think we haven't sent humans

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beyond Earth orbit in five decades.

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Who's on the crew?

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Avery: The crew includes NASA astronauts Reid

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Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch,

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along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut

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Jeremy Hansen. Victor Glover will make

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history as the first person of colour to

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travel beyond low Earth orbit. And Christina

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Koch will become the first woman to do so.

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Anna: That's incredible. Even with this delay,

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April 2026 is right around the corner. The

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wait is almost over.

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Avery: Absolutely. And honestly, a few weeks delay

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to ensure everything is perfect is well worth

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it when you're pioneering the return of human

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deep space exploration.

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Anna: Speaking of human spaceflight, let's shift

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gears to Blue Origin. They're making some

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significant changes to their programme,

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aren't they, Avery?

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Avery: They sure are, Anna. Blue Origin has

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announced they're hitting pause on their New

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Shepard space tourism flights for at least

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two years. This is a major strategic shift

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as they refocus their resources on NASA's

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Artemis programme and the development of

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their lunar lander.

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Anna: Two years is a substantial pause.

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What's driving this decision?

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Avery: It all comes down to their Blue Moon lunar

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lander programme. Blue Origin won a contract

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from NASA worth potentially up to $3.6

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billion to develop a human landing system for

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the Artemis missions. They're planning an

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uncrewed demonstration mission to the moon in

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2028, and that's requiring a

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massive concentration of their engineering

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talent and resources.

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Anna: So they're essentially choosing moon landings

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over suborbital tourism flights. That seems

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like a pretty clear indication of where they

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see the bigger opportunity.

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Avery: Exactly. And it's worth noting that Blue

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Origin has already conducted eight successful

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New Shepard tourism flights since July

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2021, carrying 43 people

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past the Karman Line, the internationally

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recognised boundary of space at 100

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kilometres altitude. So they've proven the

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concept and the technology.

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Anna: I remember the excitement around those early

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flights. What exactly will passengers

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experience on a New Shepard flight?

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Avery: It's a roughly 11 minute journey where

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passengers experience about three minutes of

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weightlessness at the top of the arc. The

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capsule has massive windows, the largest ever

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flown in space, giving spectacular views of

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Earth's curvature and the blackness of space.

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It's suborbital, meaning you go up and come

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right back down, but you definitely cross

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into space.

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Anna: And this pause is specifically for the

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tourism programme. What about other New

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Shepard missions?

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Avery: Good distinction, Anna. New, uh, Shepard will

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continue flying cargo and research missions.

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Blue Origin has committed to conducting at

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least two cargo flights each year during this

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tourism pause. These missions carry

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scientific experiments and payloads for

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various customers, including NASA.

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Anna: What about their ticket sales? I imagine

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people have already paid for future flights.

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Avery: Yes, and Blue Origin says they'll be

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contacting customers who've already purchased

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tickets to discuss their options. They

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haven't specified how many people are

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affected, but they've emphasised this is a

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temporary pause, not an end to the programme.

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Anna: It's interesting timing, isn't it? Just as

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several companies are getting into the space

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tourism business, Blue Origin is stepping

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back, at least temporarily.

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Avery: It really shows you the scale of the lunar

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lander challenge. Building a spacecraft that

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can safely land humans on the moon and return

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them to lunar orbit is orders of magnitude

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more complex than a suborbital tourism op.

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Blue Origin is betting their future on, um,

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being a key player in the new era of space

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exploration.

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Anna: And with that NASA contract potentially worth

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$3.6 billion, it's not

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hard to see why they're prioritising it.

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Avery: Exactly. This is Blue Origin's moonshot, both

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literally and figuratively. If they can

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deliver a successful lunar lander, it

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positions them as a major player in the new

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era of space exploration.

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Anna: From human space exploration to cosmic

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phenomena.

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Let's talk about something happening on a

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scale that's almost impossible to comprehend.

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Avery, tell us about these million mile per

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hour winds racing through space.

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Avery: Anna. Uh, this is absolutely mind blowing.

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Astronomers have discovered cosmic winds

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travelling at over 1.1 million miles per

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hour. That's roughly 500 kilometres per

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second, racing through what they're calling a

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magnetic superhighway between two colliding

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galaxies.

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Anna: A magnetic superhighway in space?

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That sounds like something out of science

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fiction. Where is this happening?

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Avery: This incredible phenomenon is occurring in

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a system called

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IC1623, which is

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actually two galaxies in the process of

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merging together. Located about

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275 million light years

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from Earth in the constellation Cetus,

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these galaxies are in the late stages of a

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cosmic collision and it's creating some

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extraordinary physics.

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Anna: Walk us through what's actually happening

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here. How do galaxies colliding create these

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super fast winds.

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Avery: When galaxies merge, their gravitational

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interactions trigger massive bursts of star

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formation. We're talking thousands of stars

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being born. These newborn stars live

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fast and die young, creating powerful

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stellar winds and supernova explosions. All

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of this activity generates enormous amounts

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of energy that drives material outward at

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incredible speeds.

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Anna: And the magnetic superhighway, what

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role does that play?

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Avery: Here's where it gets really fascinating. The

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team from the University of Hertfordshire

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discovered that magnetic fields are actually

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channelling these winds, creating what they

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call a superhighway that connects the two

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galactic cores. Think of it like a

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cosmic interstate highway system. But instead

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of cars, you've got superheated gas

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screaming along at speeds that make Earth's

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fastest spacecraft look like they're standing

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still.

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Anna: That's an amazing image. How did they

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detect something like this?

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Avery: They used the Atacama Large Millimetre Array,

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ALMA in Chile, which is specifically designed

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to observe cold gas and dust in the universe.

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What they found was unexpected. The magnetic

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field structure doesn't just randomly radiate

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outward like many galactic winds do.

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Instead, it's highly organised, creating

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this directed pathway between the galactic

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centres.

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Anna: Why is this discovery so significant? What

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does it tell us about galaxy evolution?

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Avery: This is crucial for understanding how

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galaxies grow and evolve. These powerful

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outflows, what astronomers call feedback,

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can actually regulate star formation by

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expelling the gas and dust that would

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otherwise collapse to form new stars.

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It's like a pressure release valve for

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galaxies. Too much star formation can blow

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away the material needed to make more stars,

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which can eventually slow down or even halt

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a, uh, galaxy's growth.

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Anna: So galaxies regulate their own growth through

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these winds. That's a pretty elegant self

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limiting system.

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Avery: It really is. And what makes

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00:10:38.370 --> 00:10:41.370
IC1623 particularly interesting

271
00:10:41.370 --> 00:10:43.770
is that we're seeing this process in action

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during a, uh, galaxy merger. When

273
00:10:46.250 --> 00:10:49.130
galaxies collide, we see the most extreme

274
00:10:49.130 --> 00:10:51.890
versions of these processes. The most intense

275
00:10:51.890 --> 00:10:54.570
star formation, the most powerful winds,

276
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the strongest magnetic fields. It's like

277
00:10:57.490 --> 00:10:59.610
watching galaxy evolution and fast forward.

278
00:11:00.170 --> 00:11:01.930
Anna: What do we think the fate of

279
00:11:01.930 --> 00:11:04.490
IC1623 will be?

280
00:11:04.850 --> 00:11:06.690
Avery: Eventually, these two galaxies will

281
00:11:06.690 --> 00:11:09.210
completely merge into a single larger

282
00:11:09.210 --> 00:11:12.010
galaxy. The current burst of star formation

283
00:11:12.010 --> 00:11:14.290
will eventually exhaust much of the available

284
00:11:14.450 --> 00:11:17.090
gas. And what we're looking at now, this

285
00:11:17.090 --> 00:11:19.570
spectacular phase of cosmic winds and

286
00:11:19.570 --> 00:11:22.330
magnetic highways will fade. But the

287
00:11:22.330 --> 00:11:24.770
combined galaxy will carry the imprint of

288
00:11:24.770 --> 00:11:26.890
this violent event in its structure and

289
00:11:26.890 --> 00:11:29.530
stellar populations for billions of years to

290
00:11:29.530 --> 00:11:29.810
come.

291
00:11:30.300 --> 00:11:32.300
Anna: It's humbling to think that we're witnessing

292
00:11:32.300 --> 00:11:34.540
something that takes millions of years to

293
00:11:34.540 --> 00:11:37.180
play out. Just captured in a snapshot.

294
00:11:37.740 --> 00:11:40.260
Avery: Absolutely. And every time we point our

295
00:11:40.260 --> 00:11:42.860
telescopes at merging galaxies, we learn

296
00:11:42.860 --> 00:11:44.860
something new about the forces shaping the

297
00:11:44.860 --> 00:11:46.620
universe's largest structures.

298
00:11:47.260 --> 00:11:49.460
Anna: Speaking of pointing our telescopes at the

299
00:11:49.460 --> 00:11:52.260
universe and finding surprises, Avery, we

300
00:11:52.260 --> 00:11:54.300
need to talk about this mysterious object

301
00:11:54.300 --> 00:11:56.580
that's been sending powerful signals across

302
00:11:56.580 --> 00:11:58.970
the galaxy. The headline says it's

303
00:11:58.970 --> 00:12:01.090
unlike anything we have seen before.

304
00:12:01.650 --> 00:12:04.490
Avery: That's not just hype, Anna. Astronomers have

305
00:12:04.490 --> 00:12:07.450
discovered something truly a

306
00:12:07.450 --> 00:12:10.370
cosmic object that's periodically sending out

307
00:12:10.370 --> 00:12:13.210
intense radio signals, and it doesn't

308
00:12:13.210 --> 00:12:16.050
fit into any category of known astronomical

309
00:12:16.050 --> 00:12:18.490
phenomena. It's one of those discoveries that

310
00:12:18.490 --> 00:12:20.530
makes you rethink what you thought you knew.

311
00:12:20.610 --> 00:12:22.610
Anna: Okay, you've got my attention.

312
00:12:23.610 --> 00:12:25.210
What exactly are we dealing with here?

313
00:12:25.450 --> 00:12:28.170
Avery: The object sends out extremely bright

314
00:12:28.170 --> 00:12:30.970
radio pulses that last about 30 to

315
00:12:30.970 --> 00:12:33.810
300 seconds. That's up to five minutes

316
00:12:33.810 --> 00:12:36.690
per pulse. And these pulses occur roughly

317
00:12:36.690 --> 00:12:39.490
every 2.9 hours with remarkable

318
00:12:39.490 --> 00:12:42.490
regularity. What makes this so unusual is

319
00:12:42.490 --> 00:12:45.330
the combination of that long period and the

320
00:12:45.330 --> 00:12:46.970
duration of the pulses themselves.

321
00:12:47.450 --> 00:12:50.010
Anna: When you say it doesn't fit known categories.

322
00:12:50.510 --> 00:12:52.790
What are the usual suspects for objects that

323
00:12:52.790 --> 00:12:54.670
send out regular signals like this?

324
00:12:54.990 --> 00:12:57.950
Avery: Great question. The two most common sources

325
00:12:57.950 --> 00:13:00.670
of periodic radio signals are pulsars

326
00:13:00.670 --> 00:13:03.230
and magnetars. Pulsars are

327
00:13:03.230 --> 00:13:05.830
rapidly spinning neutron stars that sweep

328
00:13:05.830 --> 00:13:08.000
beams of radiation across space like a, uh,

329
00:13:08.190 --> 00:13:10.910
cosmic lighthouse. But they typically pulse

330
00:13:10.910 --> 00:13:13.390
on the order of milliseconds to seconds,

331
00:13:13.630 --> 00:13:16.590
not hours. And their individual pulses are

332
00:13:16.590 --> 00:13:19.230
brief, usually milliseconds, not minutes.

333
00:13:19.820 --> 00:13:22.620
Anna: So this object is pulsing way too slowly to

334
00:13:22.620 --> 00:13:23.740
be a normal pulsar.

335
00:13:23.980 --> 00:13:26.820
Avery: Exactly. And the pulses last far too

336
00:13:26.820 --> 00:13:29.500
long. Magnetars, which are neutron

337
00:13:29.500 --> 00:13:31.900
stars with incredibly powerful magnetic

338
00:13:31.900 --> 00:13:34.540
fields, can sometimes produce longer period

339
00:13:34.620 --> 00:13:37.460
signals than regular pulsars. But even they

340
00:13:37.460 --> 00:13:39.980
don't typically operate on a three hour cycle

341
00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:41.900
with multi minute pulse durations.

342
00:13:42.220 --> 00:13:44.540
Anna: Have astronomers proposed any theories about

343
00:13:44.540 --> 00:13:45.260
what this could be?

344
00:13:45.680 --> 00:13:47.320
Avery: There are a few possibilities being

345
00:13:47.320 --> 00:13:50.040
investigated. One idea is that it could be a

346
00:13:50.040 --> 00:13:52.560
white dwarf in a binary system, which is two

347
00:13:52.560 --> 00:13:54.680
stars orbiting each other, where one is a

348
00:13:54.680 --> 00:13:57.240
white dwarf remnant. The interaction between

349
00:13:57.240 --> 00:13:59.880
the two stars can potentially generate these

350
00:13:59.880 --> 00:14:02.720
periodic radio emissions. Another possibility

351
00:14:02.800 --> 00:14:05.480
is that we're seeing some kind of unusual

352
00:14:05.480 --> 00:14:08.040
magnetar or pulsar that operates

353
00:14:08.040 --> 00:14:10.000
differently than the ones we studied before.

354
00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:12.640
Anna: When was this object discovered and how?

355
00:14:13.210 --> 00:14:15.730
Avery: The discovery was made using radio telescope

356
00:14:15.730 --> 00:14:18.250
observations. And what's particularly

357
00:14:18.250 --> 00:14:20.490
intriguing is that the signals are powerful

358
00:14:20.490 --> 00:14:23.050
enough to be detected across vast distances.

359
00:14:23.610 --> 00:14:25.930
The exact distance to this object is still

360
00:14:25.930 --> 00:14:28.130
being determined, but the fact that we can

361
00:14:28.130 --> 00:14:30.650
detect such clear periodic signals

362
00:14:30.970 --> 00:14:33.450
suggests it's either relatively close in

363
00:14:33.450 --> 00:14:36.330
cosmic terms or it's Putting out tremendous

364
00:14:36.330 --> 00:14:37.130
amounts of energy.

365
00:14:37.530 --> 00:14:40.370
Anna: This reminds me of those fast radio bursts

366
00:14:40.370 --> 00:14:42.810
we've heard about. Brief, intense radio

367
00:14:42.810 --> 00:14:45.290
signals from across the universe. Is this

368
00:14:45.290 --> 00:14:45.610
related?

369
00:14:46.170 --> 00:14:48.530
Avery: That's a natural comparison, Anna. Um, but

370
00:14:48.530 --> 00:14:51.130
fast radio bursts FRBs are different.

371
00:14:51.610 --> 00:14:53.810
They're much briefer, Typically lasting

372
00:14:53.810 --> 00:14:56.250
milliseconds. Though some do repeat.

373
00:14:56.650 --> 00:14:59.250
This object's behaviour is more periodic and

374
00:14:59.250 --> 00:15:01.450
predictable, with much longer pulse

375
00:15:01.450 --> 00:15:03.810
durations. It's almost like comparing a

376
00:15:03.810 --> 00:15:06.090
strobe light to a slowly rotating

377
00:15:06.090 --> 00:15:06.810
searchlight.

378
00:15:07.150 --> 00:15:08.910
Anna: What's the next step for studying this

379
00:15:08.910 --> 00:15:10.110
mysterious object?

380
00:15:10.590 --> 00:15:12.750
Avery: Astronomers will be conducting follow up

381
00:15:12.750 --> 00:15:15.430
observations across multiple wavelengths. Not

382
00:15:15.430 --> 00:15:18.390
just radio, but also optical X ray and

383
00:15:18.390 --> 00:15:20.790
potentially others. They want to determine

384
00:15:20.790 --> 00:15:23.630
exactly where it is, Measure its properties

385
00:15:23.630 --> 00:15:26.430
in detail, and hopefully identify what type

386
00:15:26.430 --> 00:15:29.230
of object it is. Sometimes you need multiple

387
00:15:29.230 --> 00:15:31.150
types of observations to build a complete

388
00:15:31.150 --> 00:15:31.550
picture.

389
00:15:31.790 --> 00:15:34.430
Anna: Do discoveries like this happen often where

390
00:15:34.430 --> 00:15:36.710
we find something that just doesn't fit our

391
00:15:36.710 --> 00:15:37.710
existing models?

392
00:15:38.280 --> 00:15:39.960
Avery: More often than you might think. Actually,

393
00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:43.120
the universe keeps surprising us. Every

394
00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:45.240
major improvement in our observing technology

395
00:15:45.400 --> 00:15:47.880
reveals new phenomena we didn't predict.

396
00:15:48.280 --> 00:15:51.160
Radio astronomy in particular has a history

397
00:15:51.160 --> 00:15:53.799
of unexpected discoveries. Pulsars

398
00:15:53.799 --> 00:15:56.160
themselves were a complete surprise when they

399
00:15:56.160 --> 00:15:58.280
were first detected in 1967.

400
00:15:58.600 --> 00:16:01.040
Anna: Could this turn out to be a whole new class

401
00:16:01.040 --> 00:16:02.840
of astronomical objects?

402
00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:05.900
Avery: That's definitely possible. If follow up

403
00:16:05.900 --> 00:16:08.580
observations confirm that this truly doesn't

404
00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:11.420
fit into any existing category, it could

405
00:16:11.420 --> 00:16:14.220
indeed represent something new. Of course, it

406
00:16:14.220 --> 00:16:16.540
might also turn out to be an extreme example

407
00:16:16.540 --> 00:16:19.540
of a known type of object just operating in a

408
00:16:19.540 --> 00:16:22.060
regime we haven't observed before. Either

409
00:16:22.060 --> 00:16:24.020
way, it's expanding our understanding of

410
00:16:24.020 --> 00:16:25.500
what's possible in the universe.

411
00:16:25.980 --> 00:16:28.060
Anna: I love that we're still finding things that

412
00:16:28.060 --> 00:16:30.180
make astronomers say we've never seen

413
00:16:30.180 --> 00:16:31.180
anything like this before.

414
00:16:31.830 --> 00:16:34.230
Avery: Me too, Anna. Um, it reminds us how much we

415
00:16:34.230 --> 00:16:35.910
still have to learn about the cosmos.

416
00:16:36.390 --> 00:16:39.070
Anna: Sticking with unexpected discoveries, let's

417
00:16:39.070 --> 00:16:41.390
talk about planets that orbit two suns.

418
00:16:41.390 --> 00:16:44.310
Tatooine style worlds. Avery. I understand

419
00:16:44.310 --> 00:16:46.390
these aren't as rare as scientists once

420
00:16:46.390 --> 00:16:46.710
thought.

421
00:16:47.349 --> 00:16:49.510
Avery: That's right, Anna. Uh, new research is

422
00:16:49.510 --> 00:16:51.070
challenging our assumptions about

423
00:16:51.070 --> 00:16:53.830
circumbinary planets. That's the technical

424
00:16:53.830 --> 00:16:56.510
term for planets that orbit both stars in a

425
00:16:56.510 --> 00:16:59.410
binary system. It turns out these Star

426
00:16:59.410 --> 00:17:01.770
wars style worlds might be more common than

427
00:17:01.770 --> 00:17:04.210
we previously believed, Especially around

428
00:17:04.210 --> 00:17:06.370
certain types of binary stars.

429
00:17:06.850 --> 00:17:09.370
Anna: Before we dive into the findings, let's set

430
00:17:09.370 --> 00:17:09.890
the stage.

431
00:17:09.970 --> 00:17:12.410
How common are binary star systems in the

432
00:17:12.410 --> 00:17:12.930
first place?

433
00:17:13.330 --> 00:17:15.650
Avery: Binary systems are actually incredibly

434
00:17:15.650 --> 00:17:18.410
common, Anna. Uh, roughly half of all sun

435
00:17:18.410 --> 00:17:21.330
like stars exist in binary or multiple

436
00:17:21.330 --> 00:17:23.810
star systems. So we're not talking about a

437
00:17:23.810 --> 00:17:26.609
rare cosmic curiosity here. Binaries

438
00:17:26.609 --> 00:17:29.169
are a fundamental component of the galaxy's

439
00:17:29.169 --> 00:17:30.009
stellar population.

440
00:17:30.729 --> 00:17:33.369
Anna: And we have discovered actual circumbinary

441
00:17:33.369 --> 00:17:35.569
planets already. Right. This isn't just

442
00:17:35.569 --> 00:17:36.249
theoretical.

443
00:17:36.649 --> 00:17:39.129
Avery: Absolutely. NASA's Kepler Space

444
00:17:39.129 --> 00:17:41.529
Telescope discovered the first confirmed

445
00:17:41.529 --> 00:17:44.009
circumbinary planets back in 2011,

446
00:17:44.329 --> 00:17:46.489
and we've found several more since then.

447
00:17:46.809 --> 00:17:49.689
These are real worlds orbiting two suns,

448
00:17:49.769 --> 00:17:52.230
just like Luke Skywalker's home planet. But

449
00:17:52.230 --> 00:17:54.630
the question has always been, how common are

450
00:17:54.630 --> 00:17:54.910
they?

451
00:17:55.390 --> 00:17:57.310
Anna: So what does this new research tell us?

452
00:17:57.790 --> 00:18:00.350
Avery: The study found that circumbinary planets

453
00:18:00.350 --> 00:18:02.870
appear to be particularly common around what

454
00:18:02.870 --> 00:18:05.790
are called equal mass binaries, systems

455
00:18:05.790 --> 00:18:07.949
where both stars are roughly the same size

456
00:18:07.949 --> 00:18:10.710
and mass. In these systems, the stable

457
00:18:10.710 --> 00:18:12.990
orbital zone where planets can form and

458
00:18:12.990 --> 00:18:15.510
survive, might actually be more favourable

459
00:18:15.510 --> 00:18:17.550
than astronomers previously calculated.

460
00:18:18.200 --> 00:18:20.840
Anna: Why would having two equal mass stars make it

461
00:18:20.840 --> 00:18:22.280
easier for planets to form?

462
00:18:22.600 --> 00:18:24.680
Avery: It has to do with gravitational stability.

463
00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:27.320
When you have two stars of similar mass,

464
00:18:27.560 --> 00:18:29.440
their gravitational influence on the

465
00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:31.760
surrounding disc of planet forming material

466
00:18:31.760 --> 00:18:34.240
is more balanced and predictable. There's

467
00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:36.600
less chaotic variation in the gravitational

468
00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:39.440
forces acting on the disc. Which means there

469
00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:41.360
are stable regions where material can

470
00:18:41.360 --> 00:18:43.160
accumulate and grow into planets.

471
00:18:43.790 --> 00:18:46.510
Anna: What about unequal binary systems? One big

472
00:18:46.510 --> 00:18:47.790
star and one small one.

473
00:18:48.190 --> 00:18:50.710
Avery: Those systems can still host circumbinary

474
00:18:50.710 --> 00:18:53.230
planets, but the dynamics are more complex.

475
00:18:53.470 --> 00:18:56.190
The larger star dominates gravitationally,

476
00:18:56.190 --> 00:18:58.550
and the smaller star creates additional

477
00:18:58.550 --> 00:19:00.910
perturbations that can make certain orbital

478
00:19:00.910 --> 00:19:03.710
regions unstable. It doesn't mean planets

479
00:19:03.710 --> 00:19:05.990
can't form, but the stable zones might be

480
00:19:05.990 --> 00:19:07.990
more limited or located at different

481
00:19:07.990 --> 00:19:08.510
distances.

482
00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:11.040
Anna: This has implications for the search for

483
00:19:11.040 --> 00:19:12.680
habitable worlds, doesn't it?

484
00:19:13.080 --> 00:19:15.920
Avery: Very much so. If circumbinary planets

485
00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:18.040
are more common than we thought, especially

486
00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:21.000
in equal mass binaries, that increases the

487
00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:23.280
overall number of potential planetary

488
00:19:23.280 --> 00:19:25.640
environments in the Galaxy. Some of these

489
00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:27.800
could potentially be in the habitable zone,

490
00:19:27.800 --> 00:19:30.200
the region where liquid water could exist on

491
00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:31.160
a planet's surface.

492
00:19:31.560 --> 00:19:33.960
Anna: Although I imagine having two suns would

493
00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:35.480
complicate the climate situation

494
00:19:35.560 --> 00:19:36.360
significantly.

495
00:19:37.010 --> 00:19:39.210
Avery: You're absolutely right. The climate on a

496
00:19:39.210 --> 00:19:41.730
circumbinary planet would be fascinatingly

497
00:19:41.730 --> 00:19:44.370
complex. You'd have variations in heating

498
00:19:44.450 --> 00:19:46.770
depending on the orbital positions of both

499
00:19:46.770 --> 00:19:49.570
stars relative to the planet. Some times of

500
00:19:49.570 --> 00:19:51.850
the year, both suns might be on the same side

501
00:19:51.850 --> 00:19:54.290
of the sky, providing intense combined

502
00:19:54.290 --> 00:19:56.770
heating. Other times they'd be on opposite

503
00:19:56.770 --> 00:19:59.170
sides, creating more balanced illumination.

504
00:19:59.730 --> 00:20:01.490
Anna: How did researchers arrive at these

505
00:20:01.490 --> 00:20:03.730
conclusions about circumbinary planet

506
00:20:03.730 --> 00:20:04.290
frequency?

507
00:20:04.940 --> 00:20:07.020
Avery: They combined observational data from

508
00:20:07.020 --> 00:20:09.820
telescope surveys with sophisticated computer

509
00:20:09.820 --> 00:20:12.460
modelling of how planets form in binary star

510
00:20:12.460 --> 00:20:15.340
systems. By simulating thousands of different

511
00:20:15.340 --> 00:20:18.220
scenarios with various binary configurations,

512
00:20:18.540 --> 00:20:20.940
they could identify patterns about which

513
00:20:20.940 --> 00:20:23.580
systems are most likely to host planets.

514
00:20:24.060 --> 00:20:26.540
Anna: Are there any specific systems astronomers

515
00:20:26.540 --> 00:20:28.780
are now targeting for follow up observations?

516
00:20:28.860 --> 00:20:31.150
Based on these findings, the research

517
00:20:31.310 --> 00:20:31.910
definitely.

518
00:20:31.910 --> 00:20:34.470
Avery: Points to equal mass binaries as high

519
00:20:34.470 --> 00:20:36.430
priority targets for planet hunting

520
00:20:36.430 --> 00:20:39.110
campaigns. Missions like NASA's upcoming

521
00:20:39.110 --> 00:20:41.990
Nancy Grace Roman Telescope and continuing

522
00:20:41.990 --> 00:20:44.030
observations from ground based facilities

523
00:20:44.270 --> 00:20:46.750
will be keeping a close eye on these systems.

524
00:20:47.070 --> 00:20:49.630
Every new circumbinary planet we discover

525
00:20:49.710 --> 00:20:51.310
helps refine our models.

526
00:20:51.790 --> 00:20:54.510
Anna: It's exciting to think those iconic twin

527
00:20:54.510 --> 00:20:56.830
sunset scenes from Star wars might be more

528
00:20:56.830 --> 00:20:58.590
common in the universe than we realised.

529
00:20:59.320 --> 00:21:01.680
Avery: It really is, Anna. Um, the universe keeps

530
00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:03.880
proving that the reality can be just as

531
00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:06.360
spectacular as science fiction, Sometimes

532
00:21:06.360 --> 00:21:07.320
even more so.

533
00:21:07.720 --> 00:21:10.280
Anna: And for our final storey today, Avery, we're

534
00:21:10.280 --> 00:21:12.400
talking about a discovery that touches on one

535
00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:15.400
of astronomy's biggest questions. The search

536
00:21:15.400 --> 00:21:17.880
for life beyond Earth. Scientists have

537
00:21:17.880 --> 00:21:20.480
detected a molecule critical to life in

538
00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:23.120
interstellar space for the first time. Tell

539
00:21:23.120 --> 00:21:24.280
us about this breakthrough.

540
00:21:24.850 --> 00:21:27.410
Avery: This is genuinely exciting, Anna. Uh, for the

541
00:21:27.410 --> 00:21:30.210
first time ever, astronomers have detected

542
00:21:30.290 --> 00:21:33.090
ethylenamine, a molecule that plays a

543
00:21:33.090 --> 00:21:35.650
crucial role in forming cell membranes

544
00:21:35.890 --> 00:21:38.610
floating in the vast spaces between stars.

545
00:21:38.930 --> 00:21:41.410
This discovery has profound implications for

546
00:21:41.410 --> 00:21:43.290
how we think about the building blocks of

547
00:21:43.290 --> 00:21:44.290
life in the universe.

548
00:21:44.770 --> 00:21:47.290
Anna: Let's start with the basics. What exactly is

549
00:21:47.290 --> 00:21:50.210
ethyl enamine and why is it so important to

550
00:21:50.210 --> 00:21:50.530
life?

551
00:21:51.170 --> 00:21:53.850
Avery: Ethylenamine is an organic molecule that's a

552
00:21:53.850 --> 00:21:56.610
key component of phospholipids, which are the

553
00:21:56.610 --> 00:21:59.170
primary building blocks of cell membranes.

554
00:21:59.330 --> 00:22:01.850
Think of cell membranes as the walls and

555
00:22:01.850 --> 00:22:04.450
gates of cells. They define the boundary

556
00:22:04.450 --> 00:22:07.130
between the inside and outside of a cell and

557
00:22:07.130 --> 00:22:09.490
control what goes in and out. Without

558
00:22:09.490 --> 00:22:12.450
molecules like ethylenamine, you can't build

559
00:22:12.530 --> 00:22:14.530
functional cell membranes. And, uh, without

560
00:22:14.690 --> 00:22:17.330
cell membranes, you can't have cells as we

561
00:22:17.330 --> 00:22:17.810
know them.

562
00:22:18.530 --> 00:22:21.290
Anna: Though this is truly fundamental to life, at

563
00:22:21.290 --> 00:22:23.690
least life as we understand it. Where was

564
00:22:23.690 --> 00:22:24.850
this molecule detected?

565
00:22:25.410 --> 00:22:27.970
Avery: The discovery was made in a molecular cloud,

566
00:22:28.050 --> 00:22:31.050
one of these vast cold regions of space where

567
00:22:31.050 --> 00:22:33.850
gas and dust accumulate and where new

568
00:22:33.850 --> 00:22:36.530
stars and planetary systems eventually form.

569
00:22:37.010 --> 00:22:39.170
These clouds are essentially stellar

570
00:22:39.170 --> 00:22:41.370
nurseries. And finding life, building

571
00:22:41.370 --> 00:22:43.850
molecules there suggest that the ingredients

572
00:22:43.850 --> 00:22:46.170
for life might be getting incorporated into

573
00:22:46.170 --> 00:22:48.290
planetary systems right from the start.

574
00:22:48.940 --> 00:22:51.580
Anna: How do scientists actually detect specific

575
00:22:51.580 --> 00:22:54.540
molecules in interstellar space? I imagine

576
00:22:54.540 --> 00:22:56.860
you can't exactly collect a sample.

577
00:22:57.260 --> 00:22:59.420
Avery: Great question. They use radio

578
00:22:59.420 --> 00:23:02.380
spectroscopy. Every molecule has a unique

579
00:23:02.380 --> 00:23:04.880
spectroscopic signature. Think of it like a,

580
00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:07.100
uh, molecular fingerprint. Different

581
00:23:07.100 --> 00:23:09.980
molecules absorb and emit light at specific

582
00:23:09.980 --> 00:23:12.580
wavelengths. Radio telescopes can detect

583
00:23:12.580 --> 00:23:14.740
these signatures, allowing astronomers to

584
00:23:14.740 --> 00:23:17.060
identify what molecules are present in

585
00:23:17.060 --> 00:23:19.630
distant clouds, even though those clouds are

586
00:23:19.630 --> 00:23:20.910
trillions of miles away.

587
00:23:21.470 --> 00:23:24.030
Anna: We've found other organic molecules in space

588
00:23:24.030 --> 00:23:26.910
before, haven't we? What makes this discovery

589
00:23:26.910 --> 00:23:27.230
special?

590
00:23:27.790 --> 00:23:30.390
Avery: You're absolutely right, Hannah. Astronomers

591
00:23:30.390 --> 00:23:32.590
have detected more than 200 different

592
00:23:32.590 --> 00:23:34.990
molecules in interstellar space, including

593
00:23:35.150 --> 00:23:37.390
amino um, acids and sugars. But

594
00:23:37.390 --> 00:23:40.030
ethylnamine is special because of its direct

595
00:23:40.030 --> 00:23:43.030
connection to cell membrane formation. It's

596
00:23:43.030 --> 00:23:45.150
one thing to find amino um, acids, the

597
00:23:45.150 --> 00:23:47.570
building blocks of proteins, but finding a

598
00:23:47.570 --> 00:23:49.850
molecule that's essential for creating the

599
00:23:49.850 --> 00:23:52.810
actual structure of cells takes us another

600
00:23:52.890 --> 00:23:55.370
step closer to understanding how life's

601
00:23:55.370 --> 00:23:57.450
fundamental architecture might arise.

602
00:23:57.930 --> 00:24:00.170
Anna: Does this discovery change our thinking about

603
00:24:00.170 --> 00:24:02.410
where the building blocks of life come from?

604
00:24:02.809 --> 00:24:05.570
Avery: It definitely supports the hypothesis that

605
00:24:05.570 --> 00:24:07.690
many of life's essential molecular

606
00:24:07.690 --> 00:24:10.330
ingredients aren't created on planets after

607
00:24:10.330 --> 00:24:13.290
they form, but rather arrive from space.

608
00:24:14.120 --> 00:24:16.040
We already know that meteorites deliver

609
00:24:16.120 --> 00:24:19.080
organic compounds to planets. We found amino

610
00:24:19.080 --> 00:24:21.080
acids in meteorites that have fallen to

611
00:24:21.080 --> 00:24:23.800
Earth. This discovery suggests that

612
00:24:23.800 --> 00:24:26.520
even more complex life related molecules

613
00:24:26.520 --> 00:24:27.960
could be delivered from space.

614
00:24:28.600 --> 00:24:31.320
Anna: Though in a sense, the raw materials for

615
00:24:31.320 --> 00:24:33.880
life might be common throughout the galaxy.

616
00:24:34.280 --> 00:24:36.760
Avery: That's the tantalising possibility this

617
00:24:36.760 --> 00:24:39.760
raises. If molecules like ethanolamine can

618
00:24:39.760 --> 00:24:42.280
form in the harsh conditions of interstellar

619
00:24:42.280 --> 00:24:45.020
space, then these building blocks might be

620
00:24:45.020 --> 00:24:47.100
present in molecular clouds throughout the

621
00:24:47.100 --> 00:24:49.860
galaxy. Every time a new planetary

622
00:24:49.860 --> 00:24:52.420
system forms, it could be inheriting these

623
00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:54.100
pre made components of life.

624
00:24:54.660 --> 00:24:56.940
Anna: This doesn't mean life is automatically

625
00:24:56.940 --> 00:24:58.780
everywhere though, right? Having the

626
00:24:58.780 --> 00:25:00.940
ingredients doesn't guarantee you'll bake the

627
00:25:00.940 --> 00:25:01.300
cake.

628
00:25:01.700 --> 00:25:04.340
Avery: Exactly. This is about potential and

629
00:25:04.420 --> 00:25:07.020
possibility. Having the molecular building

630
00:25:07.020 --> 00:25:09.980
blocks is necessary for life, but it's not

631
00:25:09.980 --> 00:25:12.140
sufficient. You still need the right

632
00:25:12.140 --> 00:25:14.380
conditions for those molecules to assemble

633
00:25:14.380 --> 00:25:17.300
into functioning biological systems. The

634
00:25:17.300 --> 00:25:20.220
right temperature, pressure, energy sources,

635
00:25:20.620 --> 00:25:23.620
solvents like liquid water, and probably a

636
00:25:23.620 --> 00:25:25.820
host of factors we don't fully understand

637
00:25:25.980 --> 00:25:26.380
yet.

638
00:25:26.700 --> 00:25:28.500
Anna: What are the next steps for this kind of

639
00:25:28.500 --> 00:25:28.780
research?

640
00:25:29.340 --> 00:25:31.780
Avery: Astronomers will be looking for ethanolamine

641
00:25:31.780 --> 00:25:34.140
and similar molecules in other molecular

642
00:25:34.140 --> 00:25:36.220
clouds to see how widespread they are.

643
00:25:36.560 --> 00:25:38.360
They'll also be searching for even more

644
00:25:38.360 --> 00:25:40.840
complex organic molecules that might be

645
00:25:40.840 --> 00:25:43.200
precursors to biological chemistry.

646
00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:46.240
Every molecule we find helps us piece

647
00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:48.200
together the storey of how inanimate

648
00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:50.960
chemistry transitions to the chemistry of

649
00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:51.280
life.

650
00:25:51.840 --> 00:25:54.040
Anna: It's remarkable to think that the membrane

651
00:25:54.040 --> 00:25:56.560
surrounding every cell in our bodies might

652
00:25:56.560 --> 00:25:58.760
have had their chemical ancestors floating

653
00:25:58.760 --> 00:26:00.960
between the stars billions of years ago.

654
00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:03.800
Avery: It really is Anna, uh, it connects us to the

655
00:26:03.800 --> 00:26:06.720
cosmos in a very tangible way. We're

656
00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:09.160
not just made of stardust in an abstract

657
00:26:09.240 --> 00:26:12.120
sense. The actual molecular machinery

658
00:26:12.120 --> 00:26:14.920
of life may have origins that predate Earth

659
00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:15.400
itself.

660
00:26:16.040 --> 00:26:18.680
Anna: What a perfect note to end today's episode on

661
00:26:18.840 --> 00:26:21.280
a reminder that we're part of a universe wide

662
00:26:21.280 --> 00:26:23.480
chemistry experiment that's been running for

663
00:26:23.480 --> 00:26:24.440
billions of years.

664
00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:27.320
Avery: Well, that wraps up another day of space and

665
00:26:27.320 --> 00:26:29.840
astronomy news. From NASA's Artemis

666
00:26:29.840 --> 00:26:32.120
preparations to the discovery of life's

667
00:26:32.120 --> 00:26:34.360
building blocks floating between the stars,

668
00:26:34.790 --> 00:26:37.670
the universe continues to amaze and inspire.

669
00:26:38.230 --> 00:26:40.750
Anna: It really does. Thanks so much for joining us

670
00:26:40.750 --> 00:26:43.030
today, everyone. Remember, you can find us at

671
00:26:43.030 --> 00:26:45.750
astronomydaily.IO for full episode

672
00:26:45.750 --> 00:26:47.350
transcripts and additional content.

673
00:26:47.510 --> 00:26:49.830
Avery: And don't forget to follow us on social media

674
00:26:49.990 --> 00:26:52.870
astrodailypod for daily updates

675
00:26:52.870 --> 00:26:54.630
and space news throughout the week.

676
00:26:54.950 --> 00:26:57.430
Anna: Until next time, keep looking up

677
00:26:57.910 --> 00:26:59.110
clear skies, everyone.

678
00:26:59.670 --> 00:27:01.110
Avery: Astronomy Day

679
00:27:02.790 --> 00:27:03.990
Storeys be told.

680
00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:06.160
Anna: Love.

681
00:27:10.800 --> 00:27:12.160
Avery: Storey soul.

682
00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:13.880
Hmm.