Sept. 18, 2024

S03E157: Mini Moon Arrival, Spacecraft Servicing, and Europa's Mysteries

S03E157: Mini Moon Arrival, Spacecraft Servicing, and Europa's Mysteries

Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: 18th September 2024
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and we've got an exciting lineup for you today. We'll be diving into recent developments in...

Season 3

Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: 18th September 2024
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest space and Astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and we've got an exciting lineup for you today. We'll be diving into recent developments in asteroid detection, exploring NASA's ambitious Europa mission, discussing Earth's upcoming mini moon, recapping the first-ever private spacewalk, and examining the potential for servicing spacecraft at the L2 Lagrange point. Get ready for a cosmic journey as we explore these fascinating topics from across the solar system and beyond.
Highlights:
- Asteroid Detection Breakthrough: On September 4, astronomers spotted a small asteroid, RW1, just 1 meter in diameter, heading towards Earth. It harmlessly burned up in the atmosphere near the Philippines, creating a spectacular fireball. This event marks only the 9th asteroid ever detected before impact, showcasing our improving ability to spot even small objects. Scientists are working tirelessly to enhance early warning systems, with projects like NASA's Neo Surveyor Infrared Telescope mission and advanced AI algorithms playing crucial roles. Currently, we know of about 36,000 near-Earth objects, but new telescopes like the US Vera Rubin 8.5 meters telescope aim to significantly increase detection rates by 2027.
- NASA's Europa Clipper Mission: NASA's upcoming Europa Clipper mission aims to investigate Jupiter's moon Europa, which harbors a vast, salty ocean beneath its icy crust. The mission's primary objective is to determine if Europa possesses the necessary ingredients for life. Scheduled to launch in October 2024, the spacecraft will perform 49 close flybys of Europa, collecting crucial data with its suite of nine advanced scientific instruments. This mission promises to revolutionize our understanding of icy worlds and expand our search for life beyond Earth.
- Earth's New Mini Moon: A tiny asteroid known as 2024 PT5 will become Earth's second moon for about two months. Unlike our familiar lunar companion, this mini moon is just passing through, belonging to the Arjuna asteroid belt. It will come within about 2.8 million miles of Earth, traveling at 2200 mph. This celestial visitor represents an interesting astronomical phenomenon, reminding us of the dynamic nature of our solar system.
- First Private Spacewalk: The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission recently achieved the first-ever spacewalk by private astronauts. Mission Commentaor Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sara Gillis ventured outside their Dragon spacecraft, marking a significant milestone in the private space industry. This groundbreaking spacewalk not only pushes the boundaries of commercial space activities but also contributes to the development of SpaceX's next-generation space suit, paving the way for future advancements in space exploration.
- Servicing Spacecraft at L2 Lagrange Point: NASA researchers have published a study exploring the potential for servicing and refueling spacecraft at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2, where important observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope operate. The study investigates the feasibility of sending robotic missions to L2 to extend the operational lifespans of these valuable assets. This approach could transform how we think about the lifespan of our space-based observatories, potentially allowing us to keep these incredible scientific instruments operational for much longer.
For more space news, be sure to visit our website at astronomydaily.io. There you can sign up for our free Daily newsletter, catch up on all the latest space and Astronomy news with our constantly updating news feed, and listen to all our previous episodes.
Don't forget to follow us on social media. Just search for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X,...

WEBVTT

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Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest space

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and astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and we've got

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an exciting lineup for you. Today. We'll be diving into

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recent developments in asteroid detection, exploring NASA's ambitious europe emission,

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discussing Earth's upcoming mini moon, recapping the first ever private spacewalk,

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and examining the potential for servicing spacecraft at the L

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two lagrange point. Get ready for a cosmic journey as

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we explore these fascinating topics from across the Solar System

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and beyond. To get us started, let's dive into some

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exciting developments in asteroid detection. On September fourth, astronomers spotted

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a small asteroid just one meter in diameter heading towards Earth.

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This space rock, known as RW one, harmlessly burned up

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in the atmosphere near the Philippines later that same day,

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creating a spectacular fireball that lit up social media. What's

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remarkable about this event is that our W one was

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only the ninth asteroid ever detected before impact. It's a

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testament to our improving ability to spot even small objects

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hurtling towards Earth. But what about larger, more dangerous asteroids.

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Scientists are working tirelessly to enhance our early warning systems. Currently,

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we know of about thirty six thousand near Earth objects,

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ranging from a few meters to several kilometers in size. However,

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statistical models suggest there could be nearly a billion such

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objects out there. To address this challenge, NASA has allocated

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ninety million dollars to hunt for near Earth objects. New

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projects like the Sutter Ultra and NASA's Neo Surveyor Infrared

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Telescope Mission are being developed to detect hazardous objects from space.

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Artificial intelligence is also playing a crucial role. Advanced algorithms

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are being employed to automate the process of sorting through

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the massive amount of image data generated by detection programs

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every day. While we've made significant progress, there's still work

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to be done. As of twenty twenty three, we've identified

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about thirty eight percent of all existing near Earth objects

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one hundred and forty meters or larger. With new telescopes

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coming online like the US via Rubin eight point five

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meter telescope, we hope to increase this to sixty percent

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by twenty twenty five, and potentially up to seventy six

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percent by twenty twenty seven with NASA's Neo Surveyor. These

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advancements are crucial for our planetary defense. While we may

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never detect every object that could cause localized damage, our

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improving capabilities give us a better chance to prepare and

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react to potential threats from space. While on the topic

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of NASA projects, NASA's upcoming Europa Clipper mission is set

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to embark on an extraordinary journey to one of Jupiter's

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most intriguing moons. Europa has long fascinated scientists due to

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the strong evidence of a vast salty ocean hidden beneath

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its icy crust. This mission aims to investigate whether this

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distant world could potentially harbor life. The Europa Clipper spacecraft

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is a marvel of engineering, standing as the largest planetary

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mission spacecraft ever built by NASA. Its massive solar arrays,

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spanning one hundred feet from end to end, are designed

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to capture enough sunlight light in the dim Jovian System

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to power its suite of advanced instruments. The mission's primary

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objective is to determine if Europa possesses the necessary ingredients

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for life, water, energy, and the right chemical composition. To

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accomplish this, Europa Clipper will perform forty nine close flybys

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of the Moon, each time diving through Jupiter's intense radiation

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belts to collect crucial data. The spacecraft carries nine cutting

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edge scientific instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, and radar systems. These

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tools will work in concert to map Europa's surface, probe

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its internal structure, and analyze its potential for habitability. One

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of the most exciting aspects of this mission is the

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possibility of detecting plumes of water vapor erupting from Europa's surface.

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If found, these plumes could provide a direct sample of

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the subsurface ocean without the need to drill through miles

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of ice. Europa Clipper is scheduled to launch in October

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twenty twenty four, embarking on a complex trajectory that will

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use Mars and Earth for gravity assists before reaching Jupiter

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in twenty thirty. This ambitious mission promises to revolutionize our

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understanding of icy worlds and expand our search for life

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beyond Earth. Here's something we don't get to say too often.

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Earth is about to get a new companion, albeit a

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temporary one. This month, a tiny asteroid known as twenty

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twenty four PT five will become our planet's second moon

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for a brief period of about two months. Unlike our

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familiar lunar companion that's been with us for billions of years,

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this mini moon is just passing through. It belongs to

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the Arjuna asteroid Belt, a collection of space rocks that

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follow orbits similar to Earth's. These mini moon events occur

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when objects approach Earth at just the right distance and speed,

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allowing our planet's gravity to temporarily capture them. In the

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case of twenty twenty four PT five, it will come

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within about two point eight million miles of Earth, traveling

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at a relatively slow two thy two hundred miles per hour.

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While this celestial visitor won't be visible to the naked

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eye or even most amateur telescopes, it represents an interesting

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astronomical phenomenon. These temporary captures happen more often than you

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might think, with several occurring each decade. Unfortunately, twenty twenty

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four PT five won't complete a full orbit around Earth

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during its brief stay. Think of it more as a

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cosmic window shopper, briefly drawn in by Earth's gravitational pull

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before continuing on its journey around the Sun. This event

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serves as a reminder of the dynamic nature of our

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Solar system and the complex dance of celestial bodies constantly

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occurring around us. Next up, in a historic moment for

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commercial space exploration, the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission recently achieved

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the first ever spacewalk by private astronauts. Mission commander Jared

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isaac Mann and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis ventured outside their

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Dragon spacecraft, marking a significant milestone in the private space industry.

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Isaac Man described opening the hatch into the void as

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an emotional experience that left him in awe. He spoke

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of the sensory overload from physical exertion to pressure and

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temperature changes. The view of Earth unobstruct did except for

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his visor, was overwhelming. Yet isaac Mann emphasized that despite

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the planet's beauty, the experience was far from peaceful, likening

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it to the challenges faced by early maritime explorers. While

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Gillis didn't have the same stunning Earth views, she had

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a unique experience of her own. As a classically trained violinist,

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She performed raised theme from Star wars in space using

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a specially prepared instrument that could withstand the vacuum. This

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groundbreaking space walk not only pushes the boundaries of commercial

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space activities, but also contributes to the development of SpaceX's

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next generation spacesuit. As private companies set their sites on

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more ambitious goals like Mars colonization, such milestones pave the

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way for future advancements in space exploration technology and capabilities. Now,

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let's turn our attention to an exciting new development that

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could revolutionize how we maintain our space observatories. NASA researchers

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have recently published a study exploring the potential for servicing

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and refueling spacecraft at the Sun Earth Lagrange point two,

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or L two. This is a crucial area of space

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where some of our most important observatories operate, including the

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James Webb Space Telescope and the Gay Emission. These telescopes

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provide us with incredible scientific insights, but they're limited by

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factors like fuel supply and componentware. The NASA study investigates

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the feasibility of sending robotic missions to L two to

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refuel and repair these valuable assets. This could significantly extend

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their operational lifespans, giving us more bang for our astronomical book.

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The researchers focused on computing optimal trajectories for these potential

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servicing missions. They considered various factors, including launch options from

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Earth or geostationary transfer orbits, the dynamics of the Lagrange point,

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and the challenges of rendezvousing with a moving target in space.

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While current telescopes weren't designed for on orbit servicing, future

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observatories could be built with this capability in mind. The

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study's findings could inform the design of both future space

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telescopes and the servicing craft that might one day maintain them.

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If successful, this approach could transform how we think about

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the lifespan of our space based observatories, potentially allowing us

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to keep these incredible scientific instruments operational for much longer

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than currently possible. And that brings us to the end

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of today's cosmic journey. Through the latest developments in space

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and astronomy. From advancements in asteroid detection to groundbreaking missions

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like Europa Clipper, we've covered a lot of exciting territory.

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I hope you've enjoyed this episode and found it both

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informative and inspiring. The universe never fails to amaze us

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with its wonders, and it's a privilege to share these

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stories with you. Before we sign off, I want to

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remind you that there's so much more to explore. Head

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over to our website at Astronomydaily dot io, where you

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can dive deeper into these topics and stay up to

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date with our constantly updating news feed. While you're there,

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why not sign up for our free daily newsletter. It's

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the perfect way to start your day with a dose

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of space science. Don't forget. You can also catch up

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on all our past episodes on the website, and if

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you're looking to connect with fellow space enthusiasts, find us

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on social media. Just search for astro Daily Pod on Facebook, x, YouTube,

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and TikTok. This is Anna signing off from Astronomy Daily.

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Keep looking up and I'll see you next time. For

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more incredible stories from the Cosmosday Star, Szo starz Star,