July 19, 2025
Making Water on the Moon, The Hubble Bubble Hypothesis, and Neptune's Unique Orbital Partner
- Revolutionising Lunar Exploration: Discover the groundbreaking research from a team of Chinese scientists who are developing innovative technology to produce water, oxygen, and fuel directly from lunar soil. This game-changing approach could significantly reduce the costs of transporting resources from Earth, making sustainable lunar habitats a reality. With the potential to utilise the Moon's own resources, this closed-loop system could transform our future in space.
- - The Hubble Bubble Theory: Delve into the intriguing new theory suggesting our Milky Way galaxy might be suspended within a vast cosmic void, dubbed the Hubble Bubble. This concept could provide solutions to the ongoing Hubble Tension, offering fresh insights into the universe's expansion and our cosmic neighbourhood.
- - A Cosmic Dance with Neptune: Learn about the newly discovered trans-neptunian object, 2020 VN40, which exhibits a unique orbital rhythm, completing one orbit for every ten of Neptune's. This fascinating discovery sheds light on the dynamics of distant solar system bodies and hints at the complexities of our solar system's evolution.
- - Catching the Southern Delta Aquariad Meteor Shower: Prepare for the upcoming Southern Delta Aquariad meteor shower peaking on July 29. We provide tips on how to maximise your viewing experience, including the best times and locations to spot these shooting stars as Earth passes through the debris trail of comet 96P/Machholz.
- For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- 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.
Lunar Resource Utilisation
[Chinese University of Hong Kong](https://www.cuhk.edu.hk)
Hubble Bubble Theory
[Royal Astronomical Society](https://ras.ac.uk)
Trans-Neptunian Object Discovery
[Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics](https://www.cfa.harvard.edu)
Southern Delta Aquariad Meteor Shower
[NASA](https://www.nasa.gov)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.
WEBVTT
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Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose of
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cosmic curiosities and stellar stories.
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I'm your host, Anna, and I'm thrilled to have you join us for
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another exciting journey through the universe.
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Today, we're diving into some fascinating
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breakthroughs. We'll explore how new technology might allow
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us to make water and fuel right on the moon,
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potentially changing the future of lunar exploration.
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We'll also ponder an intriguing theory that suggests our
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entire galaxy might be floating inside a massive
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cosmic void. A Hubble bubble, if you.
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Which could reshape our understanding of the universe's
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expansion. And for those who love to look up,
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we'll guide you on how to best catch an upcoming celestial
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spectacle. The Southern Delta Aquarian meteor
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shower. Plus, we've got a quirky tale about a newly
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discovered space rock doing a strange orbital dance with
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Neptune. So buckle up because there's a lot to
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unpack in today's episode.
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First up, let's talk about something that could truly
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revolutionise our future in space.
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Making essential resources directly on the
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moon. Imagine if astronauts didn't have to
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haul every drop of water or every breath of
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oxygen from Earth. Well, a team of
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researchers from China is working to make that a reality,
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developing a new technology that they say could produce water,
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oxygen and even fuel from lunar soil.
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This is a game changer because shipping just one litre of water to
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the moon currently costs a staggering
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33,000 Australian dollars, which is roughly
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US$22,000. So
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finding ways to use the moon's own resources will be
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absolutely critical if humanity is going to
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return there and establish temporary or even long term
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habitats. The new approach uses what's called
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photothermal technology, detailed in a paper published
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in the journal Joule. Lunar soil isn't just
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inert dust. It actually holds stores of carbon dioxide
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and water, along with other minerals that could be incredibly
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useful for space mission crews. The real puzzle has
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always been how to extract these molecules efficiently on the
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moon's surface. As co author Lu Wang from the
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Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, put it,
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they never fully imagined the magic that the lunar
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soil possessed. Wang's team had
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previously analysed lunar soil samples brought back by
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China's Chang's five spacecraft, discovering
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that moon dust indeed contains many useful
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compounds. Their latest research builds on this,
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showing it's possible to extract water from lunar soil.
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But it gets even more exciting. They can then use
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that extracted water and the carbon dioxide
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exhaled by astronauts to produce
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hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide. These
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products in turn can be used to create fuel and
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breathable oxygen. All that's needed
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to power this remarkable process is the
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photothermal technology, which efficiently
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converts sun sunlight into heat. The team
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was particularly surprised by the tangible success
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of this integrated method. They found
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that combining lunar water extraction with
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photothermal carbon dioxide catalysis could
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significantly enhance energy utilisation
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and reduce the cost and complexity of developing the
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necessary infrastructure on the Moon. It's a truly
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ingenious closed loop system. Now, while these lab
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experiments are a huge step forward, the researchers
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are also very realistic about the challenges ahead.
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They remind us that the Moon's extreme environment
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poses unique hurdles for implementing this
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technology. We're talking about drastic
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temperature fluctuations, an ultra high vacuum,
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intense solar radiation and low gravity.
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All of these factors complicate things considerably.
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Furthermore, lunar soil doesn't have a uniform composition
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across the Moon's surface. Some areas will
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naturally be richer in resources than others. And
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even with this innovative system, the carbon
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dioxide exhaled by astronauts might not be enough to
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meet all the water, fuel and oxygen needs for a larger
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base. Overcoming these technical hurdles,
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along with the significant development, deployment and
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operational costs, will be crucial to making sustainable
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lunar resource utilisation and space exploration a
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widespread reality. But but it's certainly a very
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promising start from the
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possibility of making our own resources on the Moon.
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Let's zoom out to a much grander scale.
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Remember how they were theorising that we might be living inside a
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black hole? Well, we have a new theory to ponder
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with an intriguing Are we here on
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Earth and our entire Milky Way galaxy actually
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trapped inside a giant cosmic void?
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This fascinating theory, based on echoes from the Big Bang,
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suggests exactly that. Researchers presenting at
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the Royal Astronomical Society National Astronomy
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meeting unveiled fresh evidence that our galaxy
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is suspended within a region of space that is
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less dense than the cosmic average. This
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vast 2 billion light year expanse has been
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dubbed the Hubble Bubble and it's estimated to be about
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20% less dense than the average matter density across
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the universe. If this idea holds true, it
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it could provide a much needed solution to a persistent mystery in
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cosmology known as the Hubble Tension.
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This tension arises from conflicting measurements of the
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universe's expansion rate, which also impacts our
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understanding of its true age. One
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method based on analysing the cosmic microwave
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backgroundessentially. Cosmic fossils from the
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universe's first light suggests an expansion rate
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of 67 kilometres per second per megaparsec.
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However, a second method which measures distances using
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Type Ia supernovas and variable stars
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indicates a higher expansion rate of
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73.2 kilometres per second per
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megaparsec. That's a noticeable discrepancy
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The Hubble bubble theory posits that if the Milky
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Way is indeed situated within such a less dense
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region, then the local expansion inside this
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void would naturally appear faster than in the
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denser, more distant parts of the cosmos.
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Indranil Banik, the study's lead author, explained that
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a large local void would cause matter to be pulled by
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gravity towards its higher density exterior, making
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the void emptier over time. This effect would
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accelerate local expansion. For this theory to
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work, our galaxy would need to be located quite close to
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the centre of this low density Hubble bubble.
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Bannock and his team used data from baryon
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acoustic oscillations, the sounds of the Big Bang,
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to support previous research from the 1990s
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that had already noted fewer galaxies in our local
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universe than expected. These ancient sound
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waves, frozen in place when the universe cooled,
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act like a standard ruler that allows
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astronomers to chart cosmic expansion history.
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What's truly striking is that their research found it's
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100 times more likely that we live in a cosmic
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void than than in a region of average density.
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This suggests we might be in a very unique cosmic
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neighbourhood. The next steps for Banik and his team
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will involve comparing their void model to
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other cosmological models and exploring
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potential adjustments to the standard model of
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cosmology. It's, uh, a truly mind
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bending concept that could redefine our place
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in the universe from the
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vastness of the cosmos and potential cosmic voids.
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Let's bring our focus a little closer to home. Though
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still quite far out in our own solar system,
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astronomers have recently made an incredibly intriguing
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discovery. A peculiar space rock at the very
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edge of our solar system is locked in a fascinating
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rhythmic dance with Neptune. This Object,
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officially designated 2020 VN40,
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belongs to a group of distant solar system bodies known as
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Trans neptunian objects, or TNOs.
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What makes 2020 VN40 so special
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is that it's the very first object ever found that orbits
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the sun exactly once for every 10 orbits
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Neptune completes. Considering that one
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Neptunian year stretches across a remarkable
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164.8 Earth years,
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this means 2020 VN40
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has an incredibly long year, lasting
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approximately 1,648 Earth
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years, or nearly 20,000 Earth months.
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Researchers believe this slow ponderous orbital
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dance with Neptune might have begun when the ice
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giant's gravity temporarily snared it.
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This discovery is a significant step in understanding the
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dynamics of objects at the solar system's fringe.
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As Rosemary pike from the Centre for Astrophysics at
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Harvard and Smithsonian noted, it shows that
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Even very distant regions influenced by
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Neptune can contain objects. And it
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gives us new clues about how the solar system
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evolved. The unique orbital rhythm
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of 2020 VN40 was
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unearthed from data collected by the Large Inclination
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distant objects, or LIDO survey.
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This survey specifically hunts for TNOs with orbits
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that carry them far above and below the main orbital plane of
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Earth around the Sun. Exploring previously
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uncharted areas of our solar system, what
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truly sets 2020 VN4.0 apart is
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its unusual perihelion alignment with
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Neptune. Most other bodies in rhythmic
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alignment with Neptune make their closest approaches to the
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sun when Neptune is at its farthest. But
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2020 VN4.0 defies this trend,
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reaching its perihelion when Neptune is also
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relatively close to the Sun. While this might
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sound like they're side by side, 2020
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VN4.0's highly tilted path means it's
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actually far below the solar system's plane during this alignment.
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This new motion, as Ruth Murray Clay from the
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University of California, Santa Cruz described it,
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is like finding a hidden rhythm in a song we
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thought we knew. It suggests that objects with highly
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tilted orbits can adopt novel and unexpected types of, um,
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movement, revealing more complexity in our solar system
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than previously imagined. The hunt is now
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on for more bodies like 2020 VN4.0,
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with the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory poised to play a
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crucial role in this exciting investigation. This
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discovery truly opens a new window into the solar system's
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past. And now for something you can
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enjoy right here on Earth, if you know where to look.
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The 2025 Southern Delta Aquariad meteor
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shower is upon us, with its peak expected on
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July 29. This annual shower is
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active from July 18 to August 12 as
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our planet drifts through an ancient trail of debris.
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This debris is thought to have been shed by a 4 mile
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wide comet named 96PMachholz.
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When these tiny particles hit Earth's atmosphere, the
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friction makes them ignite, creating those beautiful
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streaks of light we call shooting stars. The shower
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is at its strongest in the week around its July 29
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peak, when you might spot up to eight faint
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meteors per hour. These shooting stars will
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appear to emanate from a specific patch of sky known as a
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radiant within the constellation Aquarius,
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very close to the bright star Delta Aquarii, which
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gives the shower its name. For the best
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chance to spot a southern Delta Aquariad, aim for the
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early morning hours in the week surrounding July 29th.
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During this time, the radiant will be highest in the southern
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sky, and the waxing crescent Moon will be well below
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the horizon, ensuring a dark canvas for your
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meteor hunt. As its name suggests,
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this shower is most visible to stargazers in the southern
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hemisphere, where the radiant will be higher in the post
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sunset sky. However, don't despair if
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you're north of the equator, the shower will still be
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visible just at a slightly lower hourly rate.
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To maximise your chances, first locate the bright star
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Delta Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius
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above the southern horizon, or use a stargazing
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app to guide you. Then find a patch of
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sky about 40 degrees away from this radiant
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in the direction directly above your head. As
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a handy guide, the width of your outstretched fist, from
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your thumb to the outside of your little finger, covers about
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10 degrees in the night sky.
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Meteors seen further from the radiant wheel often have
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longer trails, making them easier to spot.
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You'll also have a much better chance if you head away from
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city lights and give your eyes about 30 minutes to
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fully adapt to the darkness. After that,
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simply lie back, perhaps in a comfortable deck
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chair, and lose yourself in the night sky.
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Keep an eye out for bright meteors streaking across the sky from
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the north too. If you see one, you might
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have spotted a member of the Perseid meteor shower, which
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is also active since mid July.
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Happy stargazing? And that
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brings us to the end of another fascinating journey through the
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cosmos. Today we've explored the innovative
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possibilities of extracting water and fuel from
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lunar soil, pondered whether our Milky Way
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galaxy is truly nestled within a vast cosmic
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void, and discovered a new, intriguing
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dance partner for Neptune in the outer solar system.
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And of course, we learned how to catch a glimpse of the beautiful
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southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower.
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Thank you for joining me, Anna, on Astronomy Daily.
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00:13:00.070 --> 00:13:03.030
Don't forget, you can dive deeper into all the latest space
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00:13:03.030 --> 00:13:04.710
and astronomy news by visiting our
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00:13:04.710 --> 00:13:07.590
website@astronomydaily.IO. there
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00:13:07.590 --> 00:13:10.430
you can sign up for our free daily newsletter and keep up to
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00:13:10.430 --> 00:13:13.390
date with our constantly updating news feed. Be sure
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00:13:13.390 --> 00:13:16.130
to subscribe to Astronomy Daily on Apple Podcasts,
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00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:19.000
Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your
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00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:21.560
podcasts so you never miss an episode.
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Until next time, keep looking up.
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Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose of
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00:00:02.920 --> 00:00:05.520
cosmic curiosities and stellar stories.
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00:00:05.840 --> 00:00:08.680
I'm your host, Anna, and I'm thrilled to have you join us for
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00:00:08.680 --> 00:00:10.880
another exciting journey through the universe.
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00:00:11.520 --> 00:00:13.960
Today, we're diving into some fascinating
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00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:16.960
breakthroughs. We'll explore how new technology might allow
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00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:19.360
us to make water and fuel right on the moon,
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00:00:19.680 --> 00:00:22.320
potentially changing the future of lunar exploration.
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00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:25.800
We'll also ponder an intriguing theory that suggests our
9
00:00:25.800 --> 00:00:28.800
entire galaxy might be floating inside a massive
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00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:31.680
cosmic void. A Hubble bubble, if you.
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Which could reshape our understanding of the universe's
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00:00:34.780 --> 00:00:37.340
expansion. And for those who love to look up,
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00:00:37.580 --> 00:00:40.580
we'll guide you on how to best catch an upcoming celestial
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00:00:40.580 --> 00:00:43.220
spectacle. The Southern Delta Aquarian meteor
15
00:00:43.220 --> 00:00:46.100
shower. Plus, we've got a quirky tale about a newly
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00:00:46.100 --> 00:00:48.740
discovered space rock doing a strange orbital dance with
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00:00:48.740 --> 00:00:51.540
Neptune. So buckle up because there's a lot to
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unpack in today's episode.
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First up, let's talk about something that could truly
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revolutionise our future in space.
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Making essential resources directly on the
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moon. Imagine if astronauts didn't have to
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haul every drop of water or every breath of
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oxygen from Earth. Well, a team of
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researchers from China is working to make that a reality,
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developing a new technology that they say could produce water,
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oxygen and even fuel from lunar soil.
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This is a game changer because shipping just one litre of water to
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00:01:22.340 --> 00:01:24.500
the moon currently costs a staggering
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33,000 Australian dollars, which is roughly
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US$22,000. So
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finding ways to use the moon's own resources will be
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absolutely critical if humanity is going to
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return there and establish temporary or even long term
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habitats. The new approach uses what's called
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photothermal technology, detailed in a paper published
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00:01:44.600 --> 00:01:47.320
in the journal Joule. Lunar soil isn't just
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inert dust. It actually holds stores of carbon dioxide
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and water, along with other minerals that could be incredibly
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useful for space mission crews. The real puzzle has
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always been how to extract these molecules efficiently on the
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moon's surface. As co author Lu Wang from the
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00:02:01.910 --> 00:02:04.910
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, put it,
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they never fully imagined the magic that the lunar
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soil possessed. Wang's team had
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previously analysed lunar soil samples brought back by
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China's Chang's five spacecraft, discovering
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that moon dust indeed contains many useful
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compounds. Their latest research builds on this,
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showing it's possible to extract water from lunar soil.
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But it gets even more exciting. They can then use
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that extracted water and the carbon dioxide
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exhaled by astronauts to produce
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hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide. These
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products in turn can be used to create fuel and
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breathable oxygen. All that's needed
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to power this remarkable process is the
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photothermal technology, which efficiently
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converts sun sunlight into heat. The team
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was particularly surprised by the tangible success
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of this integrated method. They found
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that combining lunar water extraction with
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photothermal carbon dioxide catalysis could
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significantly enhance energy utilisation
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and reduce the cost and complexity of developing the
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necessary infrastructure on the Moon. It's a truly
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ingenious closed loop system. Now, while these lab
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experiments are a huge step forward, the researchers
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are also very realistic about the challenges ahead.
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They remind us that the Moon's extreme environment
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poses unique hurdles for implementing this
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technology. We're talking about drastic
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temperature fluctuations, an ultra high vacuum,
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intense solar radiation and low gravity.
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All of these factors complicate things considerably.
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Furthermore, lunar soil doesn't have a uniform composition
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across the Moon's surface. Some areas will
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naturally be richer in resources than others. And
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even with this innovative system, the carbon
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dioxide exhaled by astronauts might not be enough to
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meet all the water, fuel and oxygen needs for a larger
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base. Overcoming these technical hurdles,
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along with the significant development, deployment and
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operational costs, will be crucial to making sustainable
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lunar resource utilisation and space exploration a
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widespread reality. But but it's certainly a very
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promising start from the
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possibility of making our own resources on the Moon.
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Let's zoom out to a much grander scale.
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Remember how they were theorising that we might be living inside a
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black hole? Well, we have a new theory to ponder
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with an intriguing Are we here on
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Earth and our entire Milky Way galaxy actually
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trapped inside a giant cosmic void?
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This fascinating theory, based on echoes from the Big Bang,
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00:04:33.850 --> 00:04:36.850
suggests exactly that. Researchers presenting at
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the Royal Astronomical Society National Astronomy
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meeting unveiled fresh evidence that our galaxy
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is suspended within a region of space that is
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less dense than the cosmic average. This
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vast 2 billion light year expanse has been
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dubbed the Hubble Bubble and it's estimated to be about
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20% less dense than the average matter density across
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the universe. If this idea holds true, it
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it could provide a much needed solution to a persistent mystery in
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cosmology known as the Hubble Tension.
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This tension arises from conflicting measurements of the
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universe's expansion rate, which also impacts our
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understanding of its true age. One
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method based on analysing the cosmic microwave
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backgroundessentially. Cosmic fossils from the
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universe's first light suggests an expansion rate
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of 67 kilometres per second per megaparsec.
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However, a second method which measures distances using
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Type Ia supernovas and variable stars
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indicates a higher expansion rate of
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73.2 kilometres per second per
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megaparsec. That's a noticeable discrepancy
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The Hubble bubble theory posits that if the Milky
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Way is indeed situated within such a less dense
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00:05:46.500 --> 00:05:49.380
region, then the local expansion inside this
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void would naturally appear faster than in the
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denser, more distant parts of the cosmos.
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Indranil Banik, the study's lead author, explained that
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a large local void would cause matter to be pulled by
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gravity towards its higher density exterior, making
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the void emptier over time. This effect would
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accelerate local expansion. For this theory to
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work, our galaxy would need to be located quite close to
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the centre of this low density Hubble bubble.
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Bannock and his team used data from baryon
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acoustic oscillations, the sounds of the Big Bang,
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to support previous research from the 1990s
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that had already noted fewer galaxies in our local
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universe than expected. These ancient sound
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waves, frozen in place when the universe cooled,
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act like a standard ruler that allows
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astronomers to chart cosmic expansion history.
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What's truly striking is that their research found it's
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100 times more likely that we live in a cosmic
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void than than in a region of average density.
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This suggests we might be in a very unique cosmic
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00:06:51.090 --> 00:06:53.930
neighbourhood. The next steps for Banik and his team
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will involve comparing their void model to
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other cosmological models and exploring
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potential adjustments to the standard model of
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cosmology. It's, uh, a truly mind
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bending concept that could redefine our place
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in the universe from the
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vastness of the cosmos and potential cosmic voids.
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Let's bring our focus a little closer to home. Though
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still quite far out in our own solar system,
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astronomers have recently made an incredibly intriguing
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discovery. A peculiar space rock at the very
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edge of our solar system is locked in a fascinating
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00:07:28.260 --> 00:07:31.140
rhythmic dance with Neptune. This Object,
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00:07:31.140 --> 00:07:33.980
officially designated 2020 VN40,
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belongs to a group of distant solar system bodies known as
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Trans neptunian objects, or TNOs.
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00:07:40.860 --> 00:07:43.780
What makes 2020 VN40 so special
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is that it's the very first object ever found that orbits
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00:07:46.740 --> 00:07:49.300
the sun exactly once for every 10 orbits
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Neptune completes. Considering that one
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Neptunian year stretches across a remarkable
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00:07:54.260 --> 00:07:56.660
164.8 Earth years,
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00:07:57.140 --> 00:07:59.780
this means 2020 VN40
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00:08:00.100 --> 00:08:02.420
has an incredibly long year, lasting
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00:08:02.420 --> 00:08:05.180
approximately 1,648 Earth
169
00:08:05.180 --> 00:08:07.780
years, or nearly 20,000 Earth months.
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Researchers believe this slow ponderous orbital
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00:08:11.460 --> 00:08:14.260
dance with Neptune might have begun when the ice
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giant's gravity temporarily snared it.
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This discovery is a significant step in understanding the
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dynamics of objects at the solar system's fringe.
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As Rosemary pike from the Centre for Astrophysics at
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00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:29.320
Harvard and Smithsonian noted, it shows that
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00:08:29.320 --> 00:08:31.800
Even very distant regions influenced by
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Neptune can contain objects. And it
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00:08:34.600 --> 00:08:37.000
gives us new clues about how the solar system
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evolved. The unique orbital rhythm
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00:08:39.880 --> 00:08:42.360
of 2020 VN40 was
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unearthed from data collected by the Large Inclination
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distant objects, or LIDO survey.
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00:08:47.890 --> 00:08:50.770
This survey specifically hunts for TNOs with orbits
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00:08:50.770 --> 00:08:53.730
that carry them far above and below the main orbital plane of
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Earth around the Sun. Exploring previously
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uncharted areas of our solar system, what
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00:08:59.330 --> 00:09:02.250
truly sets 2020 VN4.0 apart is
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00:09:02.250 --> 00:09:04.770
its unusual perihelion alignment with
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00:09:04.770 --> 00:09:07.690
Neptune. Most other bodies in rhythmic
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00:09:07.690 --> 00:09:10.490
alignment with Neptune make their closest approaches to the
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00:09:10.490 --> 00:09:13.420
sun when Neptune is at its farthest. But
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00:09:13.420 --> 00:09:16.140
2020 VN4.0 defies this trend,
194
00:09:16.300 --> 00:09:18.820
reaching its perihelion when Neptune is also
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00:09:18.820 --> 00:09:21.740
relatively close to the Sun. While this might
196
00:09:21.740 --> 00:09:24.712
sound like they're side by side, 2020
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00:09:24.928 --> 00:09:27.860
VN4.0's highly tilted path means it's
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00:09:27.860 --> 00:09:30.860
actually far below the solar system's plane during this alignment.
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00:09:31.180 --> 00:09:34.180
This new motion, as Ruth Murray Clay from the
200
00:09:34.180 --> 00:09:36.620
University of California, Santa Cruz described it,
201
00:09:37.020 --> 00:09:39.940
is like finding a hidden rhythm in a song we
202
00:09:39.940 --> 00:09:42.820
thought we knew. It suggests that objects with highly
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00:09:42.820 --> 00:09:45.710
tilted orbits can adopt novel and unexpected types of, um,
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00:09:45.780 --> 00:09:48.780
movement, revealing more complexity in our solar system
205
00:09:48.940 --> 00:09:51.860
than previously imagined. The hunt is now
206
00:09:51.860 --> 00:09:54.620
on for more bodies like 2020 VN4.0,
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00:09:54.860 --> 00:09:57.740
with the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory poised to play a
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00:09:57.740 --> 00:10:00.700
crucial role in this exciting investigation. This
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00:10:00.700 --> 00:10:03.580
discovery truly opens a new window into the solar system's
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00:10:03.580 --> 00:10:06.540
past. And now for something you can
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00:10:06.540 --> 00:10:08.540
enjoy right here on Earth, if you know where to look.
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The 2025 Southern Delta Aquariad meteor
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00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:15.160
shower is upon us, with its peak expected on
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00:10:15.160 --> 00:10:17.840
July 29. This annual shower is
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active from July 18 to August 12 as
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our planet drifts through an ancient trail of debris.
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This debris is thought to have been shed by a 4 mile
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wide comet named 96PMachholz.
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When these tiny particles hit Earth's atmosphere, the
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friction makes them ignite, creating those beautiful
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streaks of light we call shooting stars. The shower
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is at its strongest in the week around its July 29
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peak, when you might spot up to eight faint
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meteors per hour. These shooting stars will
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appear to emanate from a specific patch of sky known as a
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radiant within the constellation Aquarius,
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very close to the bright star Delta Aquarii, which
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gives the shower its name. For the best
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chance to spot a southern Delta Aquariad, aim for the
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early morning hours in the week surrounding July 29th.
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During this time, the radiant will be highest in the southern
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sky, and the waxing crescent Moon will be well below
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the horizon, ensuring a dark canvas for your
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meteor hunt. As its name suggests,
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this shower is most visible to stargazers in the southern
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hemisphere, where the radiant will be higher in the post
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sunset sky. However, don't despair if
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you're north of the equator, the shower will still be
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visible just at a slightly lower hourly rate.
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To maximise your chances, first locate the bright star
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Delta Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius
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above the southern horizon, or use a stargazing
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app to guide you. Then find a patch of
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sky about 40 degrees away from this radiant
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in the direction directly above your head. As
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a handy guide, the width of your outstretched fist, from
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your thumb to the outside of your little finger, covers about
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10 degrees in the night sky.
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Meteors seen further from the radiant wheel often have
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longer trails, making them easier to spot.
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You'll also have a much better chance if you head away from
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city lights and give your eyes about 30 minutes to
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fully adapt to the darkness. After that,
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simply lie back, perhaps in a comfortable deck
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chair, and lose yourself in the night sky.
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Keep an eye out for bright meteors streaking across the sky from
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the north too. If you see one, you might
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have spotted a member of the Perseid meteor shower, which
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is also active since mid July.
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Happy stargazing? And that
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brings us to the end of another fascinating journey through the
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cosmos. Today we've explored the innovative
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possibilities of extracting water and fuel from
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lunar soil, pondered whether our Milky Way
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galaxy is truly nestled within a vast cosmic
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void, and discovered a new, intriguing
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dance partner for Neptune in the outer solar system.
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And of course, we learned how to catch a glimpse of the beautiful
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southern Delta Aquarid meteor shower.
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Thank you for joining me, Anna, on Astronomy Daily.
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Don't forget, you can dive deeper into all the latest space
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and astronomy news by visiting our
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website@astronomydaily.IO. there
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you can sign up for our free daily newsletter and keep up to
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date with our constantly updating news feed. Be sure
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Until next time, keep looking up.