Oct. 8, 2024
Hera Probe Launch, Mars Climate Clues, and Steamworld Exoplanet
Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E174
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your trusted source for the latest space and Astronomy news. I'm Anna, your host, and today we're diving into an exciting array of cosmic stories. From asteroid missions to...
Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S03E174
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your trusted source for the latest space and Astronomy news. I'm Anna, your host, and today we're diving into an exciting array of cosmic stories. From asteroid missions to groundbreaking discoveries, we've got you covered.
Highlights:
- Europe's Hera Probe Launch: In a significant stride for planetary defense, the Hera probe has successfully launched to examine the aftermath of NASA's DART mission on the Dimorphos asteroid. Despite weather challenges, the mission is on track to provide crucial data on kinetic impact as a planetary defense strategy, with a destination reach set for late 2026.
- Taurid Swarm Asteroid Study: New research from the Zwicky Transient Facility Telescope has eased fears regarding the Taurid Swarm's potential threat to Earth. Findings suggest only a few large asteroids are present, reducing the perceived risk of a major impact event, while offering insights into the fragmentation of space debris over time.
- Mars Ancient Climate Insights: NASA's Curiosity rover reveals new data from Gale Crater, shedding light on Mars' climate history. The study of carbonate minerals suggests a past with transient water presence, offering a deeper understanding of Mars' transformation from a potentially habitable environment to its current state.
- Steamy Exoplanet Discovery: The James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled a water-rich atmosphere on exoplanet GJ 9827 D, located 98 light-years away. This marks the first detection of a non-hydrogen-dominated atmosphere on an exoplanet, hinting at the potential for more Earth-like worlds.
- Primordial Black Holes Hunt: Innovative methods are being proposed to detect elusive primordial black holes, believed to have formed shortly after the Big Bang. Researchers suggest looking for hollow structures in planetoids and using metal plates as detectors to trace these cosmic relics, pushing the boundaries of cosmological exploration.
For more space news, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. There, you can sign up for our free Daily newsletter, catch up on all the latest space and Astronomy news with our constantly updating newsfeed, and listen to all our previous episodes.
Don't forget to follow us on social media. Just search for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, and TikTok.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support.
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your trusted source for the latest space and Astronomy news. I'm Anna, your host, and today we're diving into an exciting array of cosmic stories. From asteroid missions to groundbreaking discoveries, we've got you covered.
Highlights:
- Europe's Hera Probe Launch: In a significant stride for planetary defense, the Hera probe has successfully launched to examine the aftermath of NASA's DART mission on the Dimorphos asteroid. Despite weather challenges, the mission is on track to provide crucial data on kinetic impact as a planetary defense strategy, with a destination reach set for late 2026.
- Taurid Swarm Asteroid Study: New research from the Zwicky Transient Facility Telescope has eased fears regarding the Taurid Swarm's potential threat to Earth. Findings suggest only a few large asteroids are present, reducing the perceived risk of a major impact event, while offering insights into the fragmentation of space debris over time.
- Mars Ancient Climate Insights: NASA's Curiosity rover reveals new data from Gale Crater, shedding light on Mars' climate history. The study of carbonate minerals suggests a past with transient water presence, offering a deeper understanding of Mars' transformation from a potentially habitable environment to its current state.
- Steamy Exoplanet Discovery: The James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled a water-rich atmosphere on exoplanet GJ 9827 D, located 98 light-years away. This marks the first detection of a non-hydrogen-dominated atmosphere on an exoplanet, hinting at the potential for more Earth-like worlds.
- Primordial Black Holes Hunt: Innovative methods are being proposed to detect elusive primordial black holes, believed to have formed shortly after the Big Bang. Researchers suggest looking for hollow structures in planetoids and using metal plates as detectors to trace these cosmic relics, pushing the boundaries of cosmological exploration.
For more space news, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. There, you can sign up for our free Daily newsletter, catch up on all the latest space and Astronomy news with our constantly updating newsfeed, and listen to all our previous episodes.
Don't forget to follow us on social media. Just search for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, and TikTok.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-podcast--5648921/support.
WEBVTT
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Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest space
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and astronomy news. I'm your host Anna. Today We've got
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a packed episode covering exciting developments in space exploration and
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cosmic discoveries. We'll discuss a new mission to probe an asteroid,
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reassuring news about potential Earth threatening space rocks, insights into
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Mars's ancient climate, a steam world exoplanet, and the hunt
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for elusive primordial black holes. Stay tuned for these fascinating
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stories from the Cosmos. In a thrilling development for planetary defense,
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Europe's Hara probe has successfully launched on its mission to
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investigate the aftermath of NASA's double Asteroid Redirection Test or DART.
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Despite concerns about an approaching hurricane, the probe blasted off
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from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a SpaceX Falcon nine rocket.
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Harah's primary objective is to conduct what the European Space
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Agency calls a crime scene investigation of the dimorphos asteroid.
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This is the same asteroid that NASA's DART spacecraft deliberately
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crashed into last year, successfully altering its orbit. The hair
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emission will gather crucial data to help scientists better understand
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and refine kinetic impact as a viable technique for planetary
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defense against potentially hazardous asteroids. The probe is set to
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reach its destination in late twenty twenty six, where it
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will spend six months studying the effects of the dart impact.
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This mission marks a significant step forward in our ability
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to protect Earth from cosmic threats, and in related news,
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some good news for planetary defense. A recent study has
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eased concerns about a potentially dangerous asteroid swarm near Earth.
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Researchers using the zwiki transient Facility telescope investigated the Torrid Swarm,
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a stream of space debris that passes close to our planet. Previously,
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scientists speculated this region might harbor numerous large kilometer sized
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asteroids that could pose a threat. However, the new findings
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suggest there may only be a handful of these larger objects,
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perhaps just nine to fourteen in total. This dramatically reduces
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the perceived risk of a major impact event. The study
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also provides valuable insights into how asteroids and comets fragment
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over time, helping us better understand the evolution of our
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Solar System's smaller bodies. While we still need to remain
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vigilant about potential asteroid impacts. This research allows us to
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breathe a little easier regarding the torrid swarms specifically. Meanwhile,
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on Mars, the research goes on. NASA's Curiosity Rover continues
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to unveil the secrets of Mars's ancient climate. New findings
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from the rover's exploration of Gale Crater are shedding light
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on how the red planet transformed from a potentially habitable
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world to the harsh, inhospitable environment we see today. Scientists
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have been analyzing carbonate minerals found in Gale Crater, and
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the results are fascinating. These carbonates contain clues about Mars's past,
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suggesting a history of extreme evaporation and only transient liquid
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water on the surface. The isotopic composition of these minerals
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points to a climate that likely could only support temporary
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liquid water, rather than the law long standing bodies of
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water we once imagined. This paints a picture of Mars
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gradually losing its ability to sustain life as we know it.
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While these findings might seem disheartening for those hoping to
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find evidence of past Martian life, they're crucial for understanding
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the planet's evolution. The research doesn't rule out the possibility
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of an underground biosphere or a brief period of habitability
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before these carbonates formed. Next, a quick update from the JWST.
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In an exciting breakthrough, the James Webb Space Telescope has
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given us a steamy new look at an exoplanet called
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GJ nine eight hundred twenty seven D. This planet, located
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about ninety eight light years away in the constellation Pisces,
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has a water rich atmosphere that's got astronomer's buzzing. The study,
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led by Caroline piorele Gorieb from the University to Montreal,
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found that GJ nine than eight hundred and twenty seven
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d's atmosphere is packed with heavier molecules, including a significant
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amount of water vapor. This makes it a potential steam world,
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a type of planet we've theorized but never confirmed until now.
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What's really cool about this discovery is that it's the
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first time we've detected an exoplanet atmosphere where hydrogen isn't
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the main component. Instead, we're seeing something closer to what
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we might expect on a more earth like world. Now,
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before you start packing your bags for a tropical getaway.
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I should mention that GJ nine thousand, eight hundred and
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twenty seven D isn't exactly habitable. With temperatures around three
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hundred and fifty degrees celsius, it's a bit too toasty
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for a beach vacation. But this finding is still a
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huge step forward in our search for potentially habitable worlds
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beyond our Solar system. It shows us that we can
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now study atmospheres on smaller, more Earth like planets, and
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who knows, this could be the first step towards finding
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a true Earth twin out there in the cosmos. In
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our final story, Today, scientists are proposing innovative methods to
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detect elusive primordial black holes. These miniature black holes, thought
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to have formed shortly after the Big Bang, have long
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fascinated a stro honomers, but have proven incredibly difficult to find. Now,
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researchers suggest we might be able to spot evidence of
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these cosmic relics by looking for hollow structures inside planetoids
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and moons. The idea is that a small primordial black
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hole could consume the dense liquid core of these bodies,
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leaving behind a hollow shell. Another intriguing proposal involves using
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large metal plates as detectors. As a primordial black hole
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passes through, it could leave behind a microscopic tunnel, a
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telltale sign of its passage. While the chances of detecting
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one are slim, the potential payoff would be enormous for
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our understanding of the early universe. These creative approaches highlight
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the ongoing quest to solve some of the biggest mysteries
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in cosmology, pushing the boundaries of what we can observe
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and understand about our universe. And that wraps up today's
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exciting journey through the cosmos. We've covered the launch of
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Europe's Heraprobe, promising news about asteroid threats, insights into Mars's
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climate history, the discovery of a potential steam world exoplant,
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and innovative methods to search for primordial black holes. If
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you're hungry for more space and astronomy content, head over
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to our website at Astronomy Daily dot io. There you
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can sign up for our free daily newsletter, catch up
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on all the latest news with our constantly updating news feed,
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and listen to all our back episodes. Don't forget to
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follow us on social media too. You can find us
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as astro Daily Pod on Facebook, x YouTube, and TikTok.
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Thanks for listening to Astronomy Daily. I'm anna reminding you
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to keep looking up and I'll see you next time.
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For more out of this world stories, Sunday Star Star
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