Dark Sky Victory, Jupiter Redefined, and Monster Sunspot Faces Earth

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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. Today's Thursday, February

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5, 2026, and we've got a great lineup of

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stories for you today.

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Anna: We certainly do. We'll be covering a major

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victory for dark sky preservation,

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Groundbreaking measurements of Jupiter's true

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size, a monster sunspot currently

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facing Earth, mysterious Martian weather,

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some frank talk from NASA about the SLS

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rocket and how red giant star destroy

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their own planetary systems.

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Avery: Quite the cosmic menu. But before we dive in,

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a quick reminder that you can get more space

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news and community discussion at

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astronomydaily IO and you can find us on

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social media astrodaily pod across

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all platforms.

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Anna: Alright, let's start with some good news for

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astronomy. Avery. What's happening with

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Earth's darkest skies?

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Avery: This is a story that really highlights how

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fragile our connection to the night sky has

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become. Anna. Uh, astronomers around the

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world are breathing a collective sigh of

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relief after plans for a major industrial

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plant near one of Earth's darkest sky

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locations have been canceled.

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Anna: Oh, that's wonderful news. Where was this

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proposed plant going to be built?

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Avery: The development was planned near the Roque de

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los Mochacos Observatory in the Canary

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Islands, which hosts some of the most

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important telescopes in the northern

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hemisphere. This site is renowned for having

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some of the darkest, clearest skies

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accessible to modern astronomy. And the

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proposed industrial facility would have

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introduced significant light pollution to the

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area.

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Anna: I can imagine the astronomical community was

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pretty concerned. These pristine observation

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sites are becoming increasingly rare.

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Avery: Absolutely. What makes this particularly

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significant is that it represents a growing

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recognition of the scientific value of dark

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skies. The cancellation came after sustained

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advocacy from the astronomy community, who

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emphasized not just the local impact, but the

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global scientific importance of preserving

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these observation sites. With light pollution

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spreading worldwide, losing access to

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naturally dark skies would be devastating for

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ground based astronomy.

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Anna: It's encouraging to see that science

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preservation can still win out over

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industrial development. These observatories

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represent decades of investment and

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irreplaceable viewing conditions.

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Avery: Exactly. And it sets an important precedent

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for protecting other astronomical sites

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around the world. The International Dark sky

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association has noted that this decision

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could strengthen arguments for dark sky

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preservation elsewhere.

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Anna: Great to hear some positive environmental

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news for a change.

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Now, speaking of observations from those

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pristine sites, let's talk about what we've

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Learned about Jupiter. NASA's Juno mission

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has completely redefined our understanding of

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the gas giant's size and shape, hasn't it?

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Avery: It really has, Anna. Um, this is one of those

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discoveries that makes you realize how much

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we still don't know about even our most

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familiar planetary neighbors. Juno's

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precise measurements have revealed that

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Jupiter is both larger and more oblate than

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we previously thought.

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Anna: When you say oblate, you mean it's flattened

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at the poles, right?

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Avery: Exactly. All rotating bodies experience this

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to some degree. Even Earth bulges slightly at

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the equator. But Jupiter's rapid rotation

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makes this effect much more pronounced.

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What's new is just how pronounced it actually

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is. Juno's gravity measurements have shown

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that Jupiter's equatorial diameter is

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slightly larger than our previous estimates,

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While the distance between the poles is

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actually smaller. The planet is basically

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wider and flatter than we realized.

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Anna: So what caused this miscalculation? I mean,

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we've been observing Jupiter for centuries.

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Avery: Well, measuring the size of a gas giant with

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no solid surface is trickier than it

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sounds. Earlier measurements relied primarily

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on optical observations, essentially looking

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at where Jupiter's atmosphere becomes opaque.

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But Juno uses extremely precise

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gravity measurements as it orbits the planet.

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By measuring tiny variations in how Jupiter's

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gravity affects the spacecraft's trajectory,

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scientists can determine the planet's mass

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distribution with unprecedented accuracy.

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Anna: And I assume Jupiter's rotation plays a big

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role in this shape.

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Avery: Absolutely. Jupiter rotates once every

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10 hours. That's incredibly fast for

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something so massive. This rapid spin

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creates enormous centrifugal forces that push

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material outward at the equator. What Juno

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has revealed is that this effect penetrates

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much deeper into the planet than we thought.

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The measurements suggest that Jupiter's

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interior structure, including how its

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metallic hydrogen layer behaves, is more

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complex than our models predicted.

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Anna: This probably has implications for

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understanding other gas giants, too, both in

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our solar system and around other stars.

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Avery: Definitely. Understanding Jupiter's interior

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helps us refine our models of how gas giants

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form and evolve. And since we can't

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exactly drill into Jupiter to see what's

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inside, these gravity measurements are the

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next best thing. Every new piece of data from

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Juno helps us understand not just Jupiter,

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but the entire class of giant planets.

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Anna: Fascinating stuff. It's amazing that after

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all this time studying Jupiter, we're still

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discovering fundamental things about its

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basic structure.

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Now let's shift from distant Jupiter to our

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very own sun, which is putting on quite a

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show right now. Avery, there's a massive

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sunspot facing Earth at the moment.

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Avery: There certainly is, Anna, and it's a monster.

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The sunspot currently facing earth spans

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about 15 earth diameters across. That's

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roughly 120,000 miles. To put that

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in perspective, you could fit 15 earths side

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by side across a single sunspot.

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Anna: That's genuinely hard to wrap your head

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around. And I Understand, people can actually

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see this with the right equipment, yes.

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Avery: But this comes with a crucial safety warning.

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Never look directly at the sun without proper

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solar filters. This can cause permanent eye

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damage or blindness. However, with proper

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eclipse glasses or solar filters designed

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specifically for solar observation, amateur

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astronomers can spot this sunspot fairly

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easily. It's large enough to be visible even

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with modest magnification.

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Anna: What exactly is a sunspot for? Uh, our

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listeners who might not know.

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Avery: Sunspots are regions on the Sun's surface

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where powerful magnetic fields break through,

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temporarily suppressing the hot convective

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currents that normally transport heat from

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the Sun's interior. This makes these regions

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cooler than their surroundings, around

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6,500 degrees Fahrenheit, compared

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to the normal surface temperature of about

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10,000 degrees. That temperature difference

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is why they appear dark against the brighter

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background.

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Anna: And these magnetic fields, they're what cause

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solar flares and coronal mass ejections,

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right?

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Avery: Exactly. Large, complex sunspot groups like

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this one have tangled magnetic field lines

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that can suddenly reconnect and release

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enormous amounts of energy. This particular

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sunspot is being closely monitored because of

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its size and complexity. When these magnetic

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structures become unstable, they can unleash

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powerful solar flares and potentially hurl

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billions of tons of charged particles toward

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Earth in what's called a coronal mass

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ejection, or cme.

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Anna: Should we be concerned about potential

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impacts on Earth?

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Avery: Base weather forecasters are definitely

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keeping a close eye on it. A large CME

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directed at Earth could affect satellites,

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power grids, and radio communications and

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could produce aurora displays at lower

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latitudes than usual. However, our sun

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monitoring satellites like SoHo and SDO

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give us advance warning, typically several

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days before CME arrives. So while this

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sunspot certainly has the potential to be

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active, we have the monitoring infrastructure

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in place to track any eruptions and issue

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warnings if necessary.

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Anna: It's one of those reminders that we live

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inside the Sun's atmosphere. In a sense,

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we're constantly bathed in the solar wind.

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Avery: That's a great way to think about it. Earth's

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magnetic field shields us from most of the

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effects, but we're definitely connected to

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our star's activity. And for amateur

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astronomers, it's a rare chance to see solar

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activity on this scale with safe solar

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viewing equipment.

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Anna: All right. From solar weather to Martian

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weather. Avery, there's been an unusual

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storm on Mars. That's revealing something new

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about the Red Planet.

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Avery: Yes, and this is a particularly intriguing

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discovery because it challenges some of our

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assumptions about Martian meteorology.

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Researchers have observed an unusual storm

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system on Mars that's providing new insights

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into the planet's atmospheric dynamics and

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what lies beneath its dusty surface.

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Anna: What made this storm unusual? I mean, Mars

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is famous for its dust storms.

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Avery: True. But this storm exhibited behavior that

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didn't fit our standard models of Martian

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weather patterns. The storm's movement and

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structure suggested it was being influenced

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by subsurface features. Essentially, the

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topology and composition beneath Mars

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surface was affecting how the storm developed

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and moved across the planet.

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Anna: So, uh, the ground itself is influencing the

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weather. How does that work?

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Avery: It's similar to how mountains on Earth affect

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weather patterns. But Mars has some unique

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factors. The thin Martian atmosphere, um,

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less than 1% of Earth's atmospheric pressure,

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Means that surface features have a

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proportionately larger impact on atmospheric

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circulation. Additionally, variations in

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surface temperature Due to different rock and

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soil composition can create localized heating

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patterns that drive atmospheric motion.

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Anna: And what did the storm reveal about what's

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underground?

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Avery: The storm's behavior suggested there are

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variations in subsurface composition that

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weren't previously mapped. By tracking how

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the storm responded to these hidden features,

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Scientists could essentially use the storm as

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a probe to detect what's below the surface.

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It's a bit like how doctors use ultrasound.

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You're using one thing to indirectly sense

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another.

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Anna: That's a clever way to gather geological

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information. Are there implications for

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future Mars missions?

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Avery: Definitely. Understanding these subsurface,

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um, features is important for several

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reasons. First, they could indicate locations

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where subsurface water ice might be present.

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Second, um, they help us understand Mars's

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geological history and how the planet

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evolved. And third, for future crewed

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missions, knowing what's underground is

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essential for landing site selection and

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resource utilization. You want to land

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somewhere with access to useful materials.

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Anna: It's fascinating how atmospheric science and

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geology intersect like this one storm

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can tell you so much about an entire planet.

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Avery: Exactly. And it's another example of how

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every Mars observation opens new questions.

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And the more we learn, the more complex and

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interesting Mars becomes.

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Anna: Indeed.

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Now, speaking of complex and interesting, uh,

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let's talk about NASA's Space Launch System.

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There's been some remarkably frank discussion

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from NASA about this rocket's future, hasn't

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there?

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Avery: Yes, and it's notable precisely because

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NASA officials are rarely this candid about

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program challenges. Anna, for the first time,

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NASA is publicly acknowledging what many

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industry analysts have been saying for years.

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The Space Launch System has fundamental cost

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and sustainability issues that need to be

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addressed.

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Anna: This is the rocket that's supposed to take

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astronauts back to the moon. Part of the

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Artemis program, right?

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Avery: That's correct. The SLS is the most

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powerful rocket NASA has ever built, Designed

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specifically For deep space missions. It

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successfully launched Artemis 1 in late

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2022, sending an uncrewed Orion

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spacecraft around the moon. And it's

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scheduled to launch Artemis 2, the first

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crewed lunar mission in over 50 years. Though

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that timeline keeps shifting.

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Anna: So, uh, what's the issue? The rocket works,

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doesn't it?

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Avery: The rocket does work. When it flies, it

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performs beautifully. The problem is the

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economics. Each SLS Launch costs

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roughly $4 billion, and the system can

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only fly about once a year with current

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infrastructure. For comparison,

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SpaceX's Starship, which is also designed for

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deep space missions and has greater payload

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capacity, is projected to cost a tiny

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fraction of that per launch and could

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potentially fly dozens of times per year.

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Anna: 4 billion per launch. That's hard

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to justify, especially when alternatives

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exist.

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Avery: Exactly. And that's what makes these recent

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NASA statements so significant.

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Administrators are openly discussing the

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elephant in the room that maintaining SLS in

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its current form may not be sustainable for a

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long term lunar or Mars exploration program.

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They're acknowledging that the program needs

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to either dramatically reduce costs or

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potentially transition to commercial

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alternatives.

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Anna: This must be a difficult position for NASA.

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The SLS represents decades of development

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and enormous investment.

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Avery: It absolutely is. There are also political

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considerations. The SLS program supports

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jobs across multiple states and has strong

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congressional backing. But NASA is facing

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budgetary pressure and needs to make

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realistic plans for sustainable exploration.

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The acknowledgment that SLS's costs are

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problematic is a significant shift towards

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having honest conversations about the future

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of deep space exploration.

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Anna: What are the alternatives? Would NASA switch

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to something like Starship entirely?

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Avery: That's one option being discussed, though

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it's complicated. NASA has already

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contracted with SpaceX to provide a lunar

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lander version of Starship for Artemis

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missions. So there's already commercial

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partnership in place. Some proposals suggest

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using commercial heavy lift rockets for cargo

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and potentially even crew, while others

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advocate for a hybrid approach. The challenge

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is that any major change would require

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congressional approval and significant

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replanning of Artemis architecture.

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Anna: It sounds like we're at an inflection point

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for NASA's deep space ambitions.

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Avery: We really are. This is one of those moments

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where honesty about challenges is the first

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step towards finding solutions. The fact that

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NASA is willing to have this conversation

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publicly suggests they're serious about

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finding a sustainable path forward, even if

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it means difficult decisions about programs

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that have tremendous legacy and political

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support.

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Anna: Well, we'll certainly be watching how this

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develops.

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Now for our final story, let's venture into

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the realm of stellar evolution. Avery

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red giant stars are apparently destroying

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their own planetary systems.

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Avery: They are Anna. And this research gives us a

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rather apocalyptic preview of what will

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happen to our own solar system in about 5

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billion years. Astronomers have observed how

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red giant stars, stars in their late

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evolutionary stages, systematically destroy

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gas giant planets that orbit too close to

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them.

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Anna: This is what our sun will eventually become,

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right? A red giant.

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Avery: Exactly. When stars like our sun exhaust the

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hydrogen fuel in their cores, they begin

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fusing helium and expand dramatically.

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Our sun will eventually swell to perhaps a

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hundred times its current diameter, likely

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engulfing Mercury, Venus, and possibly

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Earth. But this research focuses on what

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happens to planets that, uh, survive the

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initial expansion, particularly gas giants,

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uh, at distances similar to Jupiter and

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Saturn's current orbits.

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Anna: Though these planets survive the star's

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expansion, but not what comes after.

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Avery: Precisely. As the star becomes a red

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giant, several destructive processes occur.

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First, the star becomes much more luminous.

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Our sun will eventually be about 2,000

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times brighter than it is now. This

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intense radiation heats the atmospheres of

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gas giant planets, causing them to expand

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and potentially evaporate. Second,

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red giant stars have powerful stellar

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winds that can strip away planetary

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atmospheres. And third, the star's

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expansion causes tidal forces that can

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alter planetary orbits.

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Anna: That sounds like a recipe for planetary

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destruction. What exactly did the researchers

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observe?

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Avery: They studied multiple red giant star systems

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and found evidence of gas giant planets in

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the process of being destroyed. In some

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cases, they detected the spectral signatures

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of planetary material being stripped away

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and falling into their host star. In others,

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they found gas giants with highly eroded

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atmospheres, clearly showing the effects of

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their star's evolution. It's like watching

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different stages of the same destructive

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process.

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Anna: This presumably has implications for our

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understanding of how planetary systems evolve

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over time.

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Avery: Absolutely. One of the key findings is

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that the habitable zone, the region where

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liquid water could exist, moves outward

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as a star becomes a red giant. Moons

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of Jupiter or Saturn, currently frozen ice

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worlds, might temporarily become habitable

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as our sun swells. But this research

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shows that even if these worlds briefly enter

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the habitable zone, the gas giants they orbit

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are being actively destroyed by the dying

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star. It's a very dynamic and

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ultimately doomed situation.

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Anna: It really puts our solar system's long term

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future in perspective.

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Avery: It does, Though I should emphasize we have

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about 5 billion years before any of this

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happens, so there's no immediate cause for

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concern. But it does remind us that solar

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systems, like everything else in the

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universe, have life cycles. Understanding

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these cycles helps us interpret what we see

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around other stars and appreciate that the

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stable, long lived solar system we enjoy

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is a temporary phase in cosmic terms.

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Anna: A sobering but fascinating look at stellar

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evolution. It's one thing to know

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intellectually that the sun will eventually

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die, but quite another to see the detailed

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process of what happens to the planets.

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Avery: Exactly. And who knows, in 5 billion

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years, humanity's descendants, if they exist,

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will likely have long since relocated to

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other star systems. Understanding how stars

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age and die is actually crucial for picking

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good long term neighborhoods out in the

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galaxy.

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Anna: That's a nice optimistic note to end on.

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Well, that's all we have for you today on

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Astronomy Daily.

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Avery: And remember to check out our website at, uh,

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astronomydaily IO for more space

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news and to join our community discussions.

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You can also find us on social

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media@astrodaily.pod.

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Anna: Thanks for listening and keep looking up.

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Avery: The stories.

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We told.