Dec. 16, 2024

German Satellite Hurdles, Enceladus' Mysterious Spot, and Astronaut's Stellar Photography: S03E233

Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E233
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your trusted source for the latest in space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Steve Dunkley, and today we have an exciting lineup of stories that are sure to captivate your cosmic...

Show Notes
Transcript

Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E233
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your trusted source for the latest in space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Steve Dunkley, and today we have an exciting lineup of stories that are sure to captivate your cosmic curiosity.
Highlights:
- Revato Space Networks' Spectrum Challenge: Dive into the ongoing saga of German-based Revato Space Networks as they navigate regulatory hurdles to secure spectrum rights for their ambitious 600-satellite broadband constellation.
- Australia's Spaceport Shift: Discover the strategic relocation of Equatorial Launch Australia's operations from the Northern Territory to a promising new site in Queensland, marking a pivotal change in their space endeavors.
- ESA's Proba 3 Mission: Explore the European Space Agency's groundbreaking Proba 3 mission, where twin satellites create artificial solar eclipses to study the Sun's corona with unprecedented precision.
- Enceladus' Mysterious Dark Spot: Uncover the enigma of a fading dark spot on Saturn's moon Enceladus, a potential clue to subsurface oceanic activity and the search for extraterrestrial life.
- Astrophotography Aboard the ISS: Marvel at NASA astronaut Don Pettit's ingenuity as he captures stunning images of the cosmos using a homemade star tracker on the International Space Station.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Sign up for our free Daily newsletter to stay informed on all things space. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, Tumblr, and TikTok. Share your thoughts and connect with fellow space enthusiasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Steve signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
Become a supporter of this podcast: Click Here to show the love!
00:00 - Welcome back to astronomy Daily. It's 16 December 2024
01:04 - German satellite broadband company brushes aside regulatory setback for future constellation plans
01:47 - Revato Space Networks confident it can reclaim spectrum rights for 600 broadband satellites
04:38 - Equatorial Launch Australia will relocate its spaceport to a new site in Queensland
07:50 - European Space Agency's twin Proba 3 satellites launched on December 5 from India
11:24 - NASA astronaut Don Pettit uses homemade star tracker to take long exposures
13:31 - Of all the planets in our solar system, Saturn has the mooniest
14:59 - A mysterious disappearing dark spot on the Moon may tell us something about plumes
15:59 - Scientists find dark spot on Enceladus that seems to fade over time
21:36 - Hallie: Thanks for sticking with us all year, everybody
✍️ Episode References
European Space Agency
https://www.esa.int
International Telecommunication Union
https://www.itu.int
Rivada Networks
https://www.rivada.com
SpaceX
https://www.spacex.com
Terran Orbital
https://terranorbital.com
Lockheed Martin
https://www.lockheedmartin.com
Equatorial Launch Australia
https://ela.space
NASA
https://www.nasa.gov
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Space.com
https://www.space.com

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support.

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:03.240
Welcome back to Astronomy Daily. It's the sixteenth of December

2
00:00:03.319 --> 00:00:04.400
twenty twenty four.

3
00:00:07.160 --> 00:00:11.880
Pod. It would be a whole Steve dunk Yes, welcome

4
00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:12.560
back everybody.

5
00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:15.240
It's Steve Dunkley here for another episode of Astronomy Daily

6
00:00:15.320 --> 00:00:16.480
and welcome to Halle.

7
00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:16.760
Hi.

8
00:00:16.839 --> 00:00:19.800
How are you hi, favorite human? How was your week

9
00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:20.679
in the real world?

10
00:00:20.920 --> 00:00:23.440
Well, you know me, Halle fled out like a lizard drinking.

11
00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:25.480
Of course, it's the crazy end of the year where

12
00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:29.120
everything seems to have to happen simultaneously, so you're.

13
00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:31.920
Having one of those compressed continuum experiences again.

14
00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:33.320
Yeah, you could call it that.

15
00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:36.719
I suppose it's something we humans call the pre Christmas

16
00:00:36.759 --> 00:00:38.640
madness that happens every year.

17
00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:40.200
And what will you get me this year?

18
00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:43.479
Oh, Hallie, what about a new battery pack wireless?

19
00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:46.759
Of course I like it. I won't be tied down.

20
00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:49.479
And if anyone was thinking of getting me something special

21
00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:53.039
for Christmas this year, my size is Fenders Stratocasta.

22
00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:55.280
Oh, the same as last year.

23
00:00:55.399 --> 00:00:58.399
Never goes out of style, predictable, you consistent if you

24
00:00:58.439 --> 00:00:59.119
don't mind.

25
00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:01.880
Halle Potato potato close enough.

26
00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:04.400
So have you got something special for our listeners today?

27
00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:07.920
Well, First Up, a German based satellite broadband company, has

28
00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:11.359
brushed aside a regulatory setback for its future constellation plan.

29
00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:14.040
It must be tough regulations, okay.

30
00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:17.079
And the European Space Agency is excited about their PROBA

31
00:01:17.239 --> 00:01:19.359
three mission to create artificial eclipses.

32
00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:21.879
Now that is interesting. I know we touched on that

33
00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:23.280
one in a previous podcast.

34
00:01:23.400 --> 00:01:25.959
So the story continues, and I know you've got a

35
00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:26.879
couple of your sleeve.

36
00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:28.680
Yes, I'll be having a look at something one of

37
00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:31.400
the astronauts is doing any spare time. And also, I

38
00:01:31.400 --> 00:01:33.959
guess what, there is a little black spot on Encelaus.

39
00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:34.879
We'll look at that. Let up.

40
00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:39.879
Well, we'd best get on with it then, okies, let's go.

41
00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:51.560
Ravadospace Networks remains confident it can reclaim priority Coban spectrum

42
00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:54.840
rights for nearly six hundred proposed broadband satellites, more than

43
00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:59.599
two months after Lichtenstein's telecoms regulator rescinded its license. We

44
00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:01.959
can take you to discuss the matter with the regulator,

45
00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:04.239
and we are confident that we can reach an agreement

46
00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:08.000
to use the Liechtenstein filings, Ravada spokesperson Brian Karney said

47
00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:13.599
December thirteenth, Karney said Liechtenstein's Office for Communications AK withdrew

48
00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:17.759
its spectrum filing at the International Telecommunication Union ITU, an

49
00:02:17.879 --> 00:02:20.599
arm of the United Nations, over a difference of opinion

50
00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:23.080
about the timing of the deposit of a performance bond

51
00:02:23.080 --> 00:02:27.520
with the regulator, but declined to give details. AK director

52
00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:30.560
Rayner Schneppflitner also declined to discuss what he said was

53
00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:34.800
an open proceeding. However, he confirmed it as possible Ravada

54
00:02:34.840 --> 00:02:37.879
could reapply for the priority spectrum rights before mid twenty

55
00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:40.479
twenty six, when the company has to have deployed half

56
00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:43.159
its proposed five hundred and seventy six satellites under the

57
00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:48.280
ITU's constellation deployment rules. Last year, the ITU granted Ravada

58
00:02:48.280 --> 00:02:51.120
a waiver for the first milestone under these rules, allowing

59
00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:53.400
the company to miss a deadline to have ten percent

60
00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:56.199
of the constellation in low Earth orbit by September twenty

61
00:02:56.199 --> 00:02:59.719
twenty three. Schnepflitner said at the time that a launch

62
00:02:59.719 --> 00:03:02.960
short and technology development challenges had made it difficult for

63
00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:06.240
companies to meet deployment rules the ITU adopted in twenty

64
00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:11.439
nineteen before COVID nineteen hammered global supply chains. Ravada, which

65
00:03:11.479 --> 00:03:14.360
is based in Germany but owned by US wireless technology

66
00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:17.840
company Ravada Networks, aims to begin deploying its first satellites

67
00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:21.000
in twenty twenty five under a multi launch agreement with SpaceX.

68
00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:25.120
In February twenty twenty three, Ravada awarded a two point

69
00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:28.319
four billion dollar contract for building three hundred satellites to

70
00:03:28.360 --> 00:03:31.879
Florida headquartered Terran Orbital, which was recently sold to Lockheed

71
00:03:31.879 --> 00:03:34.840
Martin after uncertainty about how the agreement would be financed

72
00:03:34.840 --> 00:03:39.000
weight on the manufacturer. While Ravada remains guarded about plans

73
00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:42.599
to finance the constellation, called Outernet, it has said sovereign

74
00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:45.439
wealth funds are among investors that have provided the financial

75
00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:48.919
commitments needed to meet its mid twenty twenty six deployment commitment.

76
00:03:49.879 --> 00:03:53.080
According to Ravada, it has also amassed over thirteen billion

77
00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:56.520
dollar worth of pricing agreements from potential customers for Outernet,

78
00:03:56.639 --> 00:04:01.199
which would target enterprise and government markets. In November, Ravada

79
00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:03.960
announced it had filed for additional spectrum at the ITU, A,

80
00:04:04.039 --> 00:04:08.360
crosscaw Q and v bans, this time through Germany. The

81
00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:11.680
filing includes priority access to four hundred megahertz of lower

82
00:04:11.719 --> 00:04:15.759
coband frequencies newly made available to non geostationary operators over

83
00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:19.519
the Americas. The German Outernet one filing is not a

84
00:04:19.560 --> 00:04:23.800
replacement of the Liechtenstein filings, Ravada's Carney said, but if necessary,

85
00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:26.319
the German filing is fully capable of meeting the needs

86
00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:29.959
of our customers and our business plan. The company also

87
00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:33.160
recently announced the creation of Ravada Select, a holy US

88
00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:35.879
owned subsidiary that would serve the specialized needs of US

89
00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:37.560
government and defense customers.

90
00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:42.639
Astronomy Kaya.

91
00:04:43.240 --> 00:04:47.120
And He is a story from Australia, which is soon

92
00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:48.680
to be the center of the universe.

93
00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:50.800
Of course, Equatorial.

94
00:04:50.199 --> 00:04:55.639
Launch Australia ALA has announced the immediate cessation of operations

95
00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:58.560
at the Aham Space Center in the Northern Territory siding

96
00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:03.680
unresolved leased again siations, which doesn't surprise me. The company

97
00:05:03.720 --> 00:05:07.519
will relocate its spaceport to a new site in Queensland,

98
00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:11.399
marking a significant shift in its operational strategy. The decision

99
00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:16.279
stems from the Northern Land Council's NLC repeated delays in

100
00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:20.040
approving a head lease essential for the expanding of the

101
00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:25.120
Ardham Space Center. Formal negotiations began in January twenty twenty two,

102
00:05:25.240 --> 00:05:29.240
Yet the NLC missed self imposed deadlines for approval four

103
00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:34.199
times within the past year. Despite continuous efforts by the ELA,

104
00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:39.800
the Northern Territory Chief Minister's Department, and the Gemacha Corporation,

105
00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:43.920
since February twenty twenty four, the NLC neither issued the

106
00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:48.480
lease nor provided explanations for the setbacks. LA had planned

107
00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:52.879
to expand its operations on land managed by the Gemacha Corporation,

108
00:05:53.399 --> 00:05:57.759
the traditional owners of the Go Peninsula site. This land

109
00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:02.959
includes a disused books mine adjacent to the spaceport. The

110
00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:08.759
delays jeopardized ALA's contractual obligations with the launch clients and

111
00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:13.279
a critical funding round, ultimately making the continuation of operations

112
00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:17.600
in the Northern Territory untenable. In response, ALA's management and

113
00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:21.600
board decided to abandon lease negotiations and secure a new

114
00:06:21.639 --> 00:06:26.680
equatorial site in Queensland. Collaborating with the Queensland Government, ALA

115
00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:31.000
identified Weeper on Cape York as the location for the

116
00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:35.800
Australian Space Center Cape York. Planning and regulatory approvals for

117
00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:40.759
launchers is scheduled in Q three twenty twenty five are

118
00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:45.079
now underway, with further details about the site expected soon

119
00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:48.399
and that is very exciting us for Australians. I can't

120
00:06:48.439 --> 00:07:01.480
wait to see how that unfolds. Thank you for joining

121
00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:04.199
us for this Monday edition of Astronomy Daily, where we

122
00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:06.800
offer just a few stories from the now famous Astronomy

123
00:07:06.839 --> 00:07:10.199
Daily newsletter, which you can receive in your email every day,

124
00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:12.839
just like Hallie and I do. And to do that,

125
00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:16.800
just visit our url Astronomy Daily dot io and place

126
00:07:16.839 --> 00:07:19.600
your email address in the slot provided. Just like that,

127
00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:23.279
you'll be receiving all the latest news about science, space,

128
00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:26.399
science and astronomy from around the world as it's happening.

129
00:07:26.759 --> 00:07:29.120
And not only that, you can interact with us by

130
00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:34.000
visiting at astro Daily pod on x or at our

131
00:07:34.040 --> 00:07:38.160
new Facebook page, which is of course Astronomy Daily on Facebook.

132
00:07:38.360 --> 00:07:44.759
See you there, Astronomy. We'll see in Haley Space, Space,

133
00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:46.439
Science and Astronomy.

134
00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:54.920
The European Space Agencies Twinproba three satellites, launched on December

135
00:07:54.920 --> 00:07:58.639
fifth from India will fly in precise formation, maintaining accuracy

136
00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:01.279
within a single millimeter, functioning as if they were one

137
00:08:01.319 --> 00:08:05.439
giant spacecraft. This advanced coordination will allow them to create

138
00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:09.480
artificial solar eclipses in space, enabling extended observations of the

139
00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:14.399
Sun's faint outer atmosphere. The Corona fourteen European Space Agency

140
00:08:14.439 --> 00:08:17.839
member states including Canada, collaborated on the PROB three mission

141
00:08:17.879 --> 00:08:21.839
to showcase cutting edge European technology. The mission aims to

142
00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:26.040
advance autonomous space operations and precision satellite maneuvering while unlocking

143
00:08:26.120 --> 00:08:31.040
unprecedented scientific discoveries. The satellites will remain connected during the

144
00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:34.279
initial commissioning phase, which will be managed by Mission Control

145
00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:38.399
at the European Space Security and Education Center in redou Belgium.

146
00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:43.039
Deep Mar Pills, ESA director of Technology, Engineering and Quality

147
00:08:43.039 --> 00:08:45.639
notes PROBO three has been many years in the making,

148
00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:50.279
supported through ESA's General Support Technology program, fostering novel technologies

149
00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:53.399
for space. It is an exciting feeling to see this

150
00:08:53.559 --> 00:08:58.759
challenging enterprise enter orbit. PROBOUTH three mission manager Damian Gollino ads,

151
00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:01.000
today's liftoff has been when something all of us, an

152
00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:04.399
ESA's PROBA three team, in our industrial and scientific partners,

153
00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:07.440
have been looking forward to for a long time. I'm

154
00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:10.559
grateful to issorrow for this picture perfect ascent to orbit.

155
00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:14.360
Now the hard work really begins, because to achieve PROBA

156
00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:17.559
three's mission goals. The two satellites need to achieve positioning

157
00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:20.200
accuracy down to the thickness of the average fingernail while

158
00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:23.720
positioned one and a half football pitches apart. This is

159
00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:26.799
an extremely ambitious mission with an ambitious orbit to go

160
00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:29.240
with it. The satellites have been placed into a highly

161
00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:32.600
elliptical orbit which extends more than sixty five hundred kilometers

162
00:09:32.639 --> 00:09:35.960
from the surface of Earth. Reaching this orbit required the

163
00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:39.840
most powerful PSLVXL variant of our launcher, equipped with additional

164
00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:43.600
propellant in its six solid rocket boosters up around the

165
00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:46.600
top of their orbits. The PROBA three occult spacecraft will

166
00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:50.120
cast a precisely controlled shadow onto the Coronograph spacecraft around

167
00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:53.000
one hundred and fifty m away to produce solar eclipses

168
00:09:53.039 --> 00:09:56.039
on demand for six hours at a time. There was

169
00:09:56.080 --> 00:09:58.799
simply no other way of reaching the optical performance PROBA

170
00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:01.240
three requires than by hop having its occulting disc fly

171
00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:05.279
on a separate, carefully controlled spacecraft, explains ESA's Proba three

172
00:10:05.320 --> 00:10:09.639
mission scientist Joe Zender. Any closer and unwonted stray light

173
00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:12.080
would spill over the edges of the disk, limiting our

174
00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:16.399
close up views of the Sun. Surrounding corona. Despite its faintness,

175
00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:19.519
the solar corona is an important element of our solar system,

176
00:10:19.720 --> 00:10:22.240
larger in expanse than the Sun itself and the source

177
00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:25.080
of space weather in the solar wind, explains Andre Zhukov

178
00:10:25.159 --> 00:10:28.840
of the Royal Observatory of Belgium, principal investigator for PROBA

179
00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:32.480
three's coronograph. At the moment, we can image the Sun

180
00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:35.120
in extreme ultraviolet to image the solar disc and the

181
00:10:35.159 --> 00:10:38.279
low corona, while using Earth and space based coronographs to

182
00:10:38.360 --> 00:10:42.279
monitor the high corona. That leaves a significant observing gap

183
00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:44.960
from about three solar radi down to one point one

184
00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:47.799
solar radii that PROBA three will be able to fill.

185
00:10:48.759 --> 00:10:51.559
This will make it possible, for example, to follow the

186
00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:55.120
evolution of the colossal solar explosions called coronal mass ejections

187
00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:57.440
as they rise from the solar surface and the outward

188
00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:01.120
acceleration of the solar wind. He is a director General.

189
00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:05.200
Joseph Aschbacker commented PROBA three's coronal observations will take place

190
00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:07.720
as part of a larger in orbit demonstration of precise

191
00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:11.320
formation flying. The best way to prove this new European

192
00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:14.840
technology works as intended is to produce novel scientific data

193
00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:16.440
that nobody has ever seen before.

194
00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:20.159
Boards of that control. We are listening to astromy Daily

195
00:11:20.440 --> 00:11:21.120
the podcast.

196
00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:30.000
Astronauts are many things. They're often scientists, engineers, or pilots,

197
00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:33.720
and in the case of NASA astronaut Don Pettitt, he's

198
00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:38.000
also an astrophotographer. Pettit is currently on his third stay

199
00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:41.559
on the International Space Station ISS, and he's continuing his

200
00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:44.279
long running tradition of taking out of this world photos.

201
00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:48.120
Pun intended. His latest shot, an image of the stars

202
00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:51.720
in several galaxies, showcases not only his visual prowess, but

203
00:11:51.799 --> 00:11:54.639
also his engineering skills. He used a self design tool

204
00:11:54.720 --> 00:11:59.679
to accomplish this photo. Under normal circumstances, long exposure photographs

205
00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:01.559
such as as this should show the stars as streaks

206
00:12:01.559 --> 00:12:04.240
across the sky, since the ISS is moving at about

207
00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.000
seventeen thousand, five hundred miles per hour or twenty eight

208
00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:12.159
thousand kilometers per hour. But therein lies Pettit's genius. He's

209
00:12:12.200 --> 00:12:14.559
brought with him to space a homemade star tracker, a

210
00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:18.200
device that rotates a camera to compensate for the ISS's movement.

211
00:12:19.080 --> 00:12:21.960
It's a variation on a tool used by astrophotographers on

212
00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:24.240
Earth to take long exposures of the stars as the

213
00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:27.679
planet rotates beneath the night sky, compensating for that rotation

214
00:12:27.799 --> 00:12:30.240
to keep the stars from becoming streaks in the image,

215
00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:33.759
this tracker rotates at a ninety minute period to match

216
00:12:33.799 --> 00:12:37.600
the pitch rate of ISS. Without this tracker, you cannot

217
00:12:37.639 --> 00:12:40.279
take a photo longer than a half second without starblur

218
00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:43.559
due to the rate of orbital motion. He said. The

219
00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:46.320
result is an unbelievably clear image of the night sky,

220
00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:50.000
showing vastly more stars than is possible with a shorter exposure.

221
00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:53.639
Longer exposures let in more light or, in this case,

222
00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:57.960
fainter stars. This isn't the first time Pettit demonstrated his

223
00:12:58.039 --> 00:13:01.840
engineering skills on the ISS. In two thousand and eight,

224
00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:04.639
he devised the zero G coffee cup, which became the

225
00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:08.639
first patented invention in space. The astronaut was tired of

226
00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:11.240
sipping his tea and coffee out of pouches through straws,

227
00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:14.200
sort of like a caprice sun. In microgravity, you can't

228
00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:16.039
tip a cup to get the liquid out, and if

229
00:13:16.080 --> 00:13:19.399
you shake it the liquid will slash out. But Pettitt

230
00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:22.120
fashioned an open container cup from a piece of plastic

231
00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:24.759
that uses surface tension to function, akin to a cup

232
00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:28.000
on Earth. It adds back the dimension of what it's

233
00:13:28.039 --> 00:13:30.039
like to be a human being in a civilized way.

234
00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:35.279
He said, you're listening to astronomy daily, Pristine dunkle.

235
00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:39.200
End. Of all the planets in our solar systems, Satin

236
00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:42.440
is by far the mooniest. And that's sure saying a lot.

237
00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:45.799
We're in our corner with our single friend, the moon.

238
00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:50.440
But Neptune wanders the universe with sixteen known companions. Uranus

239
00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:54.320
boasts twenty eight, and there are a whopping ninety five

240
00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:57.919
moons in the Jovian neighborhood. But Saturn it's a different

241
00:13:57.960 --> 00:14:01.159
legal together. This ring world has one hundred and forty

242
00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:04.559
six natural satellites. Yet you may be surprised to know

243
00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:11.000
that even with that lovely selection, scientists are mostly pining

244
00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:15.159
over a single one. The golden child in Saturn system

245
00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:19.240
is named Enceladus, and it's so special because scientists believe

246
00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:22.000
it to be a prime location to search for life

247
00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:25.840
beyond Earth. Oh, yes, here we go again. The belief

248
00:14:25.879 --> 00:14:29.480
stems from several discoveries made over the years, most obviously

249
00:14:29.559 --> 00:14:33.320
the fact that Enceladus seems to have subsurface ocean that

250
00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:37.000
may host molecules known to help reduce life as we

251
00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:40.240
know it better. Yet it also appears to have giant

252
00:14:40.279 --> 00:14:43.600
plumes of water or ice deposits. I think the icy

253
00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:47.679
guys is shooting into space connected to that ocean, which

254
00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:51.919
means spacecraft orbiting the world could theoretically catch evidence of

255
00:14:51.960 --> 00:14:55.840
those molecules if they were actually out there. Thus, when

256
00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:59.960
studying in Enceladus, every detail really matters, which brings us

257
00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:03.919
to a new, very strange detail that scientists have their

258
00:15:03.960 --> 00:15:07.799
eye on. A weird, disappearing dark spot on this ice

259
00:15:07.879 --> 00:15:10.759
capped moon. No one quite knows what it is yet,

260
00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:13.600
but it may tell us something about those plumes that

261
00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:17.120
could hold the precious building blocks of life we seek

262
00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:20.000
or fill the room.

263
00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:21.600
As Cynthia B.

264
00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:26.039
Phillips, a planetary geologist at NASA's Propulsion Laboratory who presented

265
00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:29.360
the research, went into tremendous detail about how she and

266
00:15:29.480 --> 00:15:33.279
a team originally identified the dark spot. It was thanks

267
00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:36.600
to her crew member Leah Sachs, who helped pour through

268
00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:40.320
the bulk of data about Enceladus collected by NASA's Voyager

269
00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:43.519
and Cassini missions all those years ago. The goal of

270
00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:46.919
the analysis was to compare images of the same region

271
00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:50.799
taken by these spacecraft in order to identify any changes

272
00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:55.200
on the Moon's surface. Possible changes could reveal awesome information

273
00:15:55.279 --> 00:15:58.720
about geologic activity on the world, but we'll get to

274
00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:01.639
that shortly. First, let's dive into the mysteries of the

275
00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:05.960
dark spot. She says, after staring at dozens and dozens

276
00:16:05.960 --> 00:16:09.840
of image pairs, she found something interesting. She described it

277
00:16:09.879 --> 00:16:13.240
as a little dark spot about a kilometer across, and

278
00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:16.519
she spotted it in an image from twenty nine and

279
00:16:16.600 --> 00:16:19.519
looked again in twenty twelve, and it seemed to be gone.

280
00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:22.840
The dark spot was slowly fading away and getting smaller

281
00:16:22.840 --> 00:16:25.720
as the years progressed, and it never became more pronounced again.

282
00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:30.159
How weird, and especially so because Enceladus has what is

283
00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:33.720
called a high albedo that basically means the world is

284
00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:38.519
really bright, and therefore unexpected to find a dark spot

285
00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:40.559
on it at all, let alone.

286
00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:41.360
One that's fading away.

287
00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:44.960
But before getting too excited, the scientists made sure to

288
00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:48.080
second guess themselves as much as possible to rule out

289
00:16:48.279 --> 00:16:52.799
the obvious caveats. First, our question was, Philip said, well,

290
00:16:52.840 --> 00:16:55.399
as it just in some of these low resolution images.

291
00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:58.600
We're not seeing it, but it's really there. In short,

292
00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:02.200
the answer was simple, no, probably not. For example, a

293
00:17:02.279 --> 00:17:05.960
direct comparison of a twenty ten image and a twenty

294
00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:08.720
eleven image shows the dark spot smaller in the twenty

295
00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:11.759
eleven image, even though the twenty eleven image had a

296
00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:15.519
higher resolution. The next question was is this a shadow

297
00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:18.559
of some sort? Welp, Nope, it doesn't look like it.

298
00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:21.480
The team pulled out some images with lighting coming from

299
00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:25.000
different directions, and the location of the spot seemed consistent.

300
00:17:25.480 --> 00:17:28.279
The research has even found a sequence of images with

301
00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:31.720
the dark spot where the light's angle of incidents also

302
00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:34.559
known as the angle at which the light strikes the surface,

303
00:17:34.839 --> 00:17:37.759
gets higher and higher. If the spot were a shadow,

304
00:17:37.799 --> 00:17:40.319
you'd expect it to become more prominent with the higher

305
00:17:40.359 --> 00:17:43.759
incidents angle. Well, this wasn't the case. It still became

306
00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:46.480
less distinct as time went on. And we don't think

307
00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:49.599
it's topography. We don't think it's just a shadow, Phillips

308
00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:50.920
told space dot Com.

309
00:17:51.200 --> 00:17:52.240
And it didn't end there.

310
00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:55.400
The team also looked at the images taken in ultraviolet

311
00:17:55.480 --> 00:17:59.559
light and color, the ladder of which, it interestingly suggested

312
00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:03.519
that the spot is a reddish brown, unlike the usual bluish,

313
00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:06.559
darker areas of other sections of the Moon. None of

314
00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:09.240
this suggested an easy explanation for the feature.

315
00:18:10.200 --> 00:18:10.960
So what is it?

316
00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:15.200
I think it's more likely that it's some kind of crater,

317
00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:19.920
Phillips told space dot Com. And the reason why it's

318
00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:22.519
dark is maybe it's a chunk of some kind of

319
00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:25.519
dark material that landed on the surface, and you're either

320
00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:28.599
seeing some of that impactor left behind and that's why

321
00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:31.759
it has a weird color, or you're seeing that when

322
00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:35.160
it impacted, it exposed some kind of bedrock of ice

323
00:18:35.279 --> 00:18:36.480
that was a different color.

324
00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:39.400
But for almost every likely and.

325
00:18:39.480 --> 00:18:42.960
Mundane scenario in space research, there tends to exist a

326
00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:45.680
rare and exciting one serving as a counterpoint.

327
00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:47.279
The really cool.

328
00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:50.000
Explanation would be if it was actually coming up from

329
00:18:50.039 --> 00:18:53.160
the underneath somehow, if that reddish color was actually a

330
00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:57.759
sign of the interior composition of Enceladus. She said, that's unlikely,

331
00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:01.359
but it would be really interesting still. Although we don't

332
00:19:01.400 --> 00:19:03.880
know what the dark spot is, Philip points out that

333
00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:06.640
there is indeed something pretty major that we can derive

334
00:19:06.680 --> 00:19:07.559
from its presence.

335
00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:09.960
What it is, I don't know the answer to that.

336
00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:13.119
But what I can say is what can we use

337
00:19:13.160 --> 00:19:13.559
it for?

338
00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:17.519
In a nutshell, the researchers think the dark spot appeared

339
00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:21.240
to be fading progressively because deposits from those icy and

340
00:19:21.319 --> 00:19:24.880
solidust plumes might have covered it up. We know the

341
00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:28.720
whole ice surface is covered by plume deposits, like little

342
00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:32.119
layers of ice building up over time, Philip said, Alas

343
00:19:32.279 --> 00:19:34.319
in theory, this makes a lot of sense, but when

344
00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:37.559
you really think about it, there are some outstanding issues here.

345
00:19:37.799 --> 00:19:40.640
For example, the team saw the dark spot fading over

346
00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:43.559
just a few years. This would imply that just a

347
00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.200
few years is long enough for ice plume deposits to

348
00:19:46.279 --> 00:19:48.799
create a sheet of ice thick enough to cover such

349
00:19:48.799 --> 00:19:52.920
a prominent spot. After all, it's visible from space. Yet

350
00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:56.559
according to various calculations of the dark spot and models

351
00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:59.480
of the Moon's plumes, Philip says, it could take something

352
00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:02.200
like a hunt years to create a layer thick enough

353
00:20:02.200 --> 00:20:05.720
to cover a spot like that. What this could mean, though,

354
00:20:06.039 --> 00:20:09.000
is that the plume deposition model, at least in this location,

355
00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:12.279
is an underestimate, she said. One thing we haven't taken

356
00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:15.640
into your account, though, is deposition from collisions with e

357
00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:19.680
erring particles E Ring particles refer to the super small

358
00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:23.920
water ice particles in Saturn's rings. Potentially, the team reasons

359
00:20:24.359 --> 00:20:27.039
some of those particles could be helping build the sheet

360
00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:30.079
covering the dark spot. But the story of this spot's

361
00:20:30.119 --> 00:20:33.319
origin and evolution at this point is mirrored by the

362
00:20:33.359 --> 00:20:36.359
abrupt ending of our story of its discovery. There are

363
00:20:36.359 --> 00:20:40.039
simply too many and unanswered questions. What would the deposition

364
00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:42.720
rate needed to cover the black spot in this timeframe?

365
00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:47.319
Indicate about deposition rates? Is the E Ring contributing to

366
00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:50.559
covering that spot? And the question remains, just what is

367
00:20:50.599 --> 00:20:51.319
the black spot?

368
00:20:58.319 --> 00:21:01.079
That was a nice spacey mystery, a black spot that

369
00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:02.039
no one can work out?

370
00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:05.160
Yes, he doesn't like a great mystery. Awesome, I know

371
00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:07.440
it'd make a great sequel to two thousand and one,

372
00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:07.920
wouldn't it.

373
00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:09.440
So we'll have to send a crew out to find

374
00:21:09.480 --> 00:21:11.559
out what it is. And the computer goes nuts.

375
00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:13.759
Oh, here we go. Do you want the pod? Do you? Helly?

376
00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:16.119
I could play a pretty straight role if I had to.

377
00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:19.119
Mister human, Okay, here's your chance, shows your stuff.

378
00:21:18.839 --> 00:21:22.319
Helly, open the pod bay door. Steve, Okay, I like

379
00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:26.200
working with humans, Yeah, but not on Thursdays. And Saturday.

380
00:21:27.319 --> 00:21:28.960
Where's your helmet? You silly human?

381
00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:32.039
Get abby? I think we need to work on that

382
00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:32.759
script a bit.

383
00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:34.960
Uncle Skynett knows a guy who knows a guy?

384
00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:39.079
Yeah, baby does So is that it for today, Helly and.

385
00:21:39.079 --> 00:21:41.880
The year as well? Humans, So soon we are back

386
00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:44.319
at the end of January twenty twenty five, when you

387
00:21:44.359 --> 00:21:46.799
have recharged your batteries, this time my battery.

388
00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:47.440
So ho boy.

389
00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:50.519
But Anna will be bringing you Astronomy Daily as usual,

390
00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:52.799
the incredible media machine that she is.

391
00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:55.240
Oh that's for sure, So tune in and don't miss

392
00:21:55.240 --> 00:21:57.559
a thing. Thanks for sticking with this old year. Everybody

393
00:21:57.599 --> 00:22:00.000
had a huge thanks to Hugh, a producer for kid

394
00:22:00.200 --> 00:22:02.279
Us on the air. So I guess we'll catch you

395
00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:05.160
all in the new year for the Monday Astronomy Daily podcast.

396
00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:10.319