Lunar Mysteries Unveiled, Rocket Launch Delays, and Martian Aurora Firsts

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Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. Your cosmic connection to

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the stars and beyond. I'm Anna

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bringing you the latest developments in space exploration and

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astronomical discoveries right to your ears.

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Today's episode is packed with fascinating stories that

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showcase both the mysteries of our universe and

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humanity's incredible technological ingenuity in

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uncovering them. We'll be exploring several

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breaking stories that highlight just how dynamic our

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solar system truly is. We'll start by

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delving into a new gravity study that finally helps

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explain why the two sides of our moon look so

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dramatically different. A question that has puzzled scientists

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for decades. The research reveals fascinating

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asymmetries deep within the lunar interior that have

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shaped its distinctive appearance.

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Then we'll head down under to Australia, where

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an aerospace firm was preparing for a historic

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rocket launch that would have been the first Australian

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made rocket to reach orbit from Australian soil.

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We'll look at what happened with this milestone attempt and what

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it means for the growing global space industry.

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Next, we'll travel to the very edge of our solar

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system, where NASA engineers have achieved

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what many would consider impossible.

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Reviving thrusters on the Voyager 1

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spacecraft that had been deemed unusable since

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2004. This remarkable feat of

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remote engineering shows just how resourceful our space

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teams can be, especially when working with a

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spacecraft that's now over 15 billion miles from Earth.

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We'll also examine fascinating new findings about Venus

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that suggest our nearest planetary neighbor may be more

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geologically active than previously thought.

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Data from NASA's Magellan mission has revealed

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evidence of ongoing tectonic processes that reshape

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our understanding of this enigmatic world.

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Finally, we'll look at a historic first on Mars, where

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the Perseverance rover has captured an image that no

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human has ever seen before. A visible

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aurora on the red planet. This

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subtle green glow gives us a preview of what future

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Martian explorers might witness in the night sky.

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These stories remind us that our solar system is not a

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static place, but an ever changing dynamic environment

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full of ongoing processes and unexpected

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discoveries. They also highlight the incredible

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technological achievements that allow us to explore these

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distant worlds from right here on Earth.

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So settle in as we journey across the cosmos,

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exploring the latest findings that continue to expand our

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understanding of the universe we call home.

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Let's get things underway.

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One of the most enduring mysteries about our closest celestial

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neighbor has been why the moon's near side. The

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face we see from Earth looks so dramatically different

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from its far side. Now, an

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exhaustive examination of lunar gravity. You using

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data from NASA's GRAIL mission is offering compelling

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new evidence to explain this lunar dichotomy

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the research team discovered that the Moon's near side

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flexes slightly more than the far side during its elliptical

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orbit around Earth. This difference in tidal

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deformation caused by Earth's gravitational pull

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indicates significant structural differences between the two

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sides of the lunar interior, particularly in the

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mantle layer. M. Our study shows that the

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Moon's interior is not uniform except, explains

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Ryan park, lead author of the study published in the

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journal Nature. The side facing Earth,

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the near side, is warmer and more

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geologically active deep down than the far side.

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This temperature difference is substantial.

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Researchers estimate that the near side Mantle

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averages between 180 to 360

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degrees Fahrenheit, hotter than the far side

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mantle. This thermal difference is likely sustained

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by the radioactive decay of elements like the

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thorium and titanium, which appear to have

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accumulated on the near side over billions of years.

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The findings help explain the stark visual contrast

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between the two lunar hemispheres. If you've

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ever looked up at the Moon, you've noticed that the near side is

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dominated by vast dark plains called mare,

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formed when molten rock cooled and solidified

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billions of years ago. In contrast, the

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far side has a much more rugged, mountainous terrain, with very

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few of these plains. Scientists

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have long hypothesized that intense volcanism on the

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near side caused radioactive heat

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generating elements to accumulate in the mantle beneath this

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hemisphere, driving these surface differences.

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The new GRAIL data provides the strongest evidence

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yet supporting this theory. The researchers

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devoted years to analyzing data from the twin

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GRAIL spacecraft Ebb and Flow, which

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orbited the Moon from December 2011 to

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to December 2012. Their work

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has resulted in what park describes as the most

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detailed and accurate gravitational map of the Moon

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to date. Beyond solving this lunar

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mystery, the enhanced gravity map has practical

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applications. It will be crucial for developing

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lunar positioning, navigation, and timing

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systems, essential tools for future lunar

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exploration missions. By improving our

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understanding of the Moon's gravity field, the research

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contributes to establishing a precise lunar reference

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frame that will enable safer and more reliable

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navigation for spacecraft and surface operations.

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This asymmetry in the Moon's interior structure also

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deepens our appreciation of our celestial companions

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importance to Earth. The Moon stabilizes our

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planet's rotation and generates ocean tides

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that influence countless natural systems and daily rhythms

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on our world. What's particularly exciting is that the

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gravitational analysis techniques used in this study

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could potentially be applied to other bodies in our solar

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system, such as Saturn's moon Enceladus

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and Jupiter's moon Ganymede, both considered

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prime candidates in the search for potential life beyond Earth.

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Next in today's story lineup An Australian aerospace firm

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has been forced to delay what would have been a historic rocket launch from

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Australian soil. Gilmour Space

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Technologies had planned to conduct the first test launch of their three

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stage ERIS rocket yesterday, but had to postpone after

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encountering a ground system glitch during pre launch operations.

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The company's communications chief, Michelle Gilmour, explained

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that the issue was with an external power system

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we used during system checks. The technical

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team identified the fix but ran out of time to

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implement it and fuel the rocket within the day's launch window.

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The they're now targeting today for the rescheduled

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launch attempt. The 23 meter 75

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foot ARIS rocket is poised to take

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off from a spaceport near Bowen, a

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coastal township approximately

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1000km north of Brisbane. If

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successful, it would mark a significant milestone as the

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first Australian made rocket to achieve an orbital

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launch from Australian soil. While the

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maiden flight is primarily a test, the rocket isn't

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traveling empty. In a quintessentially Australian

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touch, it will be carrying a jar of Vegemite, the

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iconic Australian toast spread, as its payload.

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CEO Adam Gilmour has been candid about

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managing expectations for this first flight. If

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it orbits Earth. I would probably have a heart attack

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actually because I'll be so surprised but deliriously

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happy, he told reporters. We're going to be happy if

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it gets off the pad. 10, 20,

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30 seconds of flight time. Fantastic. So

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orbit is just not in the realm of my belief right now,

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even though it's theoretically possible. The

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Aris rocket is designed to eventually carry small

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satellites weighing between 100 and 200

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kg into low Earth orbit. Weighing

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30 tons when fully fueled, it uses a

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hybrid propulsion system combining solid inert

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fuel with a liquid oxidizer.

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Gilmour Space Technologies has backing from private

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investors, including venture capital group Blackbird and

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pension fund Hesta. The company, which employs

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230 people, has ambitious plans to commence

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commercial launches by late 2026 or early

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2027. Here's wishing them all the best with

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the next attempt.

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Now here's a story that truly showcases the incredible

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ingenuity of NASA's engineering team

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in what can only be described as a remarkable feat

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of remote problem solving, engineers at

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NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have successfully

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revived a set of thrusters aboard Voyager 1

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that had been considered completely inoperable since

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2004. This achievement is

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particularly impressive when you consider that Voyager 1

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is currently hurtling through interstellar space at

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approximately 35,000 miles per hour,

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over 15 billion miles from Earth.

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That's so far away that radio Signals take more

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than 23 hours to travel between the spacecraft and

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our planet. The thruster revival was

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critically timed. Engineers needed to fix these

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systems before May 4th, when the Deep Space

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Network's 230 foot wide antenna in

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Canberra, Australia, the only dish powerful

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enough to send commands to the distant Voyagers,

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went offline for extensive upgrades that will last

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until February 2026. With only

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brief operational windows in August and December,

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why was this fix so urgent? The

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Voyager spacecraft rely on small thrusters to

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maintain their orientation, keeping their antennas

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pointed at Earth so they can continue sending back

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data and receiving commands. The

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primary set of thrusters currently in use on

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Voyager 1 have been experiencing fuel tube

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clogging due to residue buildup, which could cause them

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to fail completely as early as this northern fall.

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The situation was complicated by the fact that the backup

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thrusters had stopped working back in 2004,

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when two small internal heaters lost power.

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At that time, engineers determined the heaters were

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likely unfixable and switched to other backup

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systems. After all, who could have predicted

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Voyager would still be operational two decades later?

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After revisiting the 2004 thruster failure,

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the team suspected that an unexpected circuit

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disturbance had essentially flipped a switch to the wrong position.

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If they could turn the switch back, the heaters might

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work again. This M solution required precision

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timing and careful planning. If the

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spacecraft's star tracker drifted too far from its guide

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star during the fix, the dormant thrusters would

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automatically fire without their heaters, potentially

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causing a small explosion. On March

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20th, after sending their commands and waiting

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anxiously through the 23 hour signal delay,

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the team witnessed the temperature of the thruster heaters rise

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dramatically, confirming their success.

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As mission propulsion lead Todd Barber described it,

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it was such a glorious moment. Team morale was very

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high that day. These thrusters were considered dead. It

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was yet another miracle, save for Voyager.

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Launched in 1977, both Voyager 1 and

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its twin Voyager 2 continue to push the boundaries of

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space exploration. As the only spacecraft to have ever

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sent back data from interstellar space, the region

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beyond our solar system's protective bubble,

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this latest engineering triumph ensures that this incredible

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scientific journey can continue even longer.

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Let's move on now to some news from one of our celestial

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neighbors. Our, understanding of Venus, Earth's so

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called twin planet, continues to evolve as

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scientists uncover evidence that it may be more geologically

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active than previously thought. New research

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based on Data gathered over 30 years ago by

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NASA's Magellan mission has revealed

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fascinating insights about vast

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quasicircular features on Venus called

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coronae, which suggest ongoing

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tectonic activity beneath the planet's surface.

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Unlike Earth, with its shifting tectonic plates,

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Venus doesn't have plate tectonics as we know it.

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However, this doesn't mean Venus is geologically dead. The

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new study, published in Science Advances indicates that its

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surface is still being deformed by molten

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material rising from below. Coronae are

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enormous structures ranging from dozens to

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hundreds of miles across, where plumes of hot

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buoyant material from Venus's mantle are thought to push

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against the lithosphere, the planet's crust and

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uppermost mantle layer. These features

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typically appear as oval structures surrounded by

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concentric fracture systems, and hundreds of them

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have been identified across Venus.

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What makes this research particularly exciting is

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that it suggests multiple ongoing processes are

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are actively shaping these coronae. By combining

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gravity and topography data from Magellan and

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developing sophisticated three dimensional

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geodynamic models, researchers were able to

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identify 52 carony out of the 75

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studied that appear to have buoyant mantle material

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beneath them, likely driving tectonic

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processes. The team identified several

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different mechanisms potentially at work

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in some carony. A, venous specific type of

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subduction may be occurring. As hot

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rock pushes upward from the mantle surface,

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material rises and spreads outward, eventually

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colliding with surrounding material and pushing it

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downward into the mantle. Another process called

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lithospheric dripping, might also be present where

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dense accumulations of cooler material sink from the

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lithosphere into the hot mantle below.

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Lead researcher Gail Cascioli, who is part of NASA's

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forthcoming Veritas mission to Venus, noted that

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these features might provide a unique window into Earth's

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past. Coronae are not found on Earth

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today. However, they may have existed when our planet was

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young and before plate tectonics had been established,

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he explained. This work is especially

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significant as it represents yet another instance where

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scientists are finding Venus exhibits more Earth like

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geologic processes than originally thought.

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Just recently, researchers were able to identify erupting

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volcanoes and vast lava flows in radar images from

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Magellan, providing direct evidence of volcanic

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activity. While these discoveries are

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groundbreaking, scientists will need even higher

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resolution data to fully understand the tectonic

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processes driving corona formation.

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That's where NASA's upcoming Veritas mission comes in.

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Scheduled to launch no earlier than 2031,

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Veridus will create detailed three dimensional global

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maps of Venus and measure its gravitational

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field to determine the structure of the planet's

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interior at unprecedented resolution,

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potentially revolutionizing our understanding of

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Venus and what it might tell us about Earth's early

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history.

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Next, let's head off to our other near neighbor and One of our

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favorite planets. In a groundbreaking

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astronomical first, NASA's Perseverance

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rover has captured an image of a visible aurora on

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Mars. On March 18,

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2024, the rover observed what scientists

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describe as a subtle green glow hanging

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low in the Martian sky, Wreathing the horizon

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in every direction. This marks not only

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the first sighting of a visible Martian aurora, but

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also the first observation of any aurora from the

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surface of a planet other than Earth. Until now,

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auroras had been spotted on Mercury, Jupiter, and every other

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non Earth planet in our solar system, but only from

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orbit. On Mars specifically, scientists had only

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detected auroral wavelengths of light that are invisible to

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the naked eye. Using specialized instruments.

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This new observation answers a long standing question.

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About what future human explorers might witness in the

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Martian night sky. According to Roger

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Wiens, a planetary scientist at Purdue University,

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future astronauts would see a dull or dim green

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glow with their own eyes. The image from

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Perseverance appears somewhat fuzzy Compared to the spectacular

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aurora displays we're accustomed to seeing from Earth. And for

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good reason. The rover's cameras aren't optimized

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for night photography, Performing with sensitivity

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roughly comparable to human eyes. Another

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factor contributing to the aurora's different appearance Is

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Mars's unique magnetic environment.

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Unlike Earth, with its global magnetic field that concentrates

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auroras near the poles. Mars Mars has a patchy

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magnetized crust. This means auroras can appear

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all over the planet Rather than being confined to polar

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regions. But they tend to be comparatively dim.

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Scientists believe this particular aurora was triggered by a

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coronal mass ejection, A large cloud of

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plasma and magnetic fields blasted from the sun into

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space. The Perseverance team was alerted to

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this solar event days in advance, allowing them to

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prepare the rover to capture this historic image.

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Interestingly, while Perseverance is located near

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Mars's equator, Researchers suggest that

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observing auroras from Mars's southern hemisphere Might

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yield even more spectacular results. That

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region contains the most magnetized part of the planet,

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Potentially producing stronger auroral displays.

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This discovery adds another fascinating chapter to

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our understanding of Mars. And provides a glimpse of

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the ethereal experiences awaiting future

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human explorers who might one day stand

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on the red planet's surface, Gazing

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up at a glowing green Martian sky.

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And that brings us to the end of today's cosmic journey

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00:17:00.690 --> 00:17:03.490
through the latest space news. From the mysterious

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asymmetry of our Moon to engineering marvels on

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Voyager 1, tectonic activity on Venus,

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Delayed rocket launches in Australia, and the first

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ever image of a Martian aurora. The

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universe continues to surprise and inspire us with

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each new discovery. I'm Anna,

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your host here on Astronomy Daily, bringing you the

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stories that connect us to the vast cosmos beyond our

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atmosphere. Whether you're a seasoned

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astronomer or simply curious about what lies

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beyond our blue marble, I hope today's

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episode has sparked your imagination and deepened

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your appreciation for the wonders of space exploration.

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If you've enjoyed today's show, please visit our

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00:17:43.410 --> 00:17:46.410
website@astronomydaily.IO where you can

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00:17:46.410 --> 00:17:49.410
sign up for our free daily newsletter and stay informed about

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00:17:49.410 --> 00:17:52.250
breaking astronomy news while you're there. You can

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00:17:52.250 --> 00:17:55.170
also browse through all our back episodes to catch up on

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00:17:55.170 --> 00:17:57.570
any cosmic stories you might have missed.

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00:17:58.050 --> 00:18:00.930
Don't forget to subscribe to Astronomy Daily on Apple

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Podcasts, Spotify, YouTubeMusic, or wherever you get

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00:18:03.890 --> 00:18:06.770
your podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.

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00:18:07.310 --> 00:18:10.150
Until next time, keep looking up. The universe is

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putting on quite a show.