June 9, 2023
S02E12: NASA's Parker Solar Probe and the Secrets of the Solar Wind & More Space News
On this episode of Astronomy Daily, Tim and Halle bring you latest on the Gemini North Telescope's capture of a supernova aftermath and other space news. In this episode, you will be able to: · Stay ahead with groundbreaking astronomy news that will...
On this episode of Astronomy Daily, Tim and Halle bring you latest on the Gemini North Telescope's capture of a supernova aftermath and other space news. In this episode, you will be able to: · Stay ahead with groundbreaking astronomy news that will pique your curiosity. · Uncover the spellbinding secrets behind Planet Hat-P 32 b's disappearing act. · Get a rare glimpse into the spectacular phenomenon of Noctilucent clouds found in Earth's atmosphere. · Experience the powerful aftermath of a supernova through the lens of the Gemini North Telescope. · Demystify the complexities of solar wind and its implications on our solar system with help from Parker Solar Probe. Get ready to be captivated by Hallie, our skilled AI reporter with a knack for breaking down complex celestial concepts for everyone to enjoy. Over her career, Hallie has established a strong reputation in the field for her thorough research on deep-space phenomena, including supernovae, galaxies, and black holes. Today, she's here to discuss the groundbreaking capture of a supernova aftermath by the Gemini North Telescope, shedding light on how technology is helping us understand the universe. Join Hallie and Tim to explore the wonders of the cosmos and learn more about this awe-inspiring observation. The resources mentioned in this episode are: · Visit Airbus' website to learn more about Roxy, the system that extracts oxygen and metals from lunar regolith. · Check out the Frownhoffer, the German Research Institute, and Boston University websites to see their collaboration with Airbus on the Roxy project. · Explore the European Space Agency's website to learn more about the Mars Express Orbiter and its mapping of the Martian surface. · Visit SpaceNuts.io to listen to the SpaceNuts podcast with Steve Dunkley on Mondays and Astronomy Daily with Tim Gibbs on Fridays. · Look up at the Northern Hemisphere's northern skies an hour or two after sunset and before sunrise over the next few months to see rare noctilucent clouds with the naked eye. · Follow SpaceWeather.com to stay updated on sightings of noctilucent clouds. · Read the journal Science Advances to learn more about the discovery of the giant tails of helium escaping from the planet Hat P 32 b. · Check out the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory website to learn more about the Hobby Eberley Telescope. · Follow NASA's Sunkissing Parker Solar Probe mission to stay updated on its findings about the solar wind. · Visit the D Noctilucent Clouds: The highest, driest, coldest, and rarest clouds on Earth. Noctilucent clouds (NLCs) are unique and intriguing atmospheric phenomena found in the Mesosphere, a layer above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere, around 47 to 53 miles above Earth's surface. Formed when water vapor freezes into ice crystals that attach to dust and particles left by meteors, NLCs offer a valuable opportunity for observing changes in Earth's atmosphere. These spectacular clouds are best visible around the summer solstice in late June through the end of July, making them a fascinating subject for skywatchers and scientists alike. As Tim Gibbs and Halle discuss noctilucent clouds in the episode, they touch upon the importance of understanding these rare clouds to study Earth's atmosphere and the effects of climate change. The friendly conversation drives home the point that these mesmerizing natural wonders truly deserve our attention and study. Supernova in the Pinwheel Galaxy: The discovery of the supernova SN 2023 IX by an amateur astronomer and how the Gemini North Telescope will allow astronomers to study it. Amateur astronomer Koichi Itagaki's discovery of supernova SN 2023 IX in the Pinwheel Galaxy is a testament to the passion and curiosity of stargazers worldwide. The aftermath of this supernova serves as a fantastic example of celestial phenomena that can be detected and studied by both professional and amateur astronomers. The Gemini North Telescope's observations of SN 2023 IX will enable astronomers to analyze how the supernova's light fades over time and how its spectrum evolves, shedding light on the complex physics of stellar explosions. Tim Gibbs and Halle's conversation about the discovery of SN 2023 IX leads them to highlight the importance of amateur astronomers contributing to the scientific community. By sharing this inspiring story, they encourage listeners to stay curious and participate in the vast and fascinating world of astronomy. Learn how the Gemini North Telescope captures supernova remnants and deepens our understanding of the universe. The Gemini North Telescope, after a seven-month hiatus, is back in action and it captured the stunning aftermath of a supernova in the Pinwheel Galaxy. Supernovae are massive explosions of stars, which provide valuable information about the history and evolution of the universe. By observing supernova remnants, scientists can gain insights into the formation of heavy elements and the rate of expansion of the universe. This knowledge can also contribute to our understanding of stellar life cycles and the overall structure of galaxies. During the episode, Tim Gibbs and Halle discuss the discoveries made by the Gemini North Telescope, as well as the story of amateur astronomer Koichi Itagaki, who found the supernova named SN 2023 IX. The discussion highlights the importance of such observations in helping astronomers study the light spectrum of these explosions, and how this data can enhance our understanding of the physics behind supernovae. Giant Tails of Helium: The dramatic jets of helium escaping from the planet Hat P 32 b. The planet Hat P 32 b has captured the attention of astronomers due to its dramatic jets of helium, which extend more than 50 times the planet's radius. These remarkable tails of gas make it an exceptional case in the realm of exoplanets. The study of these tails can provide insights into the process and mechanisms of atmospheric escape, wherein lighter gases like helium are stripped away from a planet by the radiation and stellar wind coming from its host star. This understanding can shed light on the evolution and history of exoplanets' atmospheres. In the episode, Halle shares details about the fascinating discovery of Hat P 32 b's incredible helium tails, which were observed by a team of astronomers using the Hobby Eberly Telescope at the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory. The friendly discussion between Tim Gibbs and Halle emphasizes the significance of this finding in the field of exoplanetary research. Source of Fast Solar Wind: NASA's Parker Solar Probe discovers that the fast solar wind comes from coronal holes in the Sun's atmosphere and how this information can help predict solar storms. NASA's Parker Solar Probe has made groundbreaking discoveries regarding the source of fast solar wind – the charged particles that stream from the Sun's corona at incredible speeds. The probe's close approach to the Sun revealed that fast solar wind originates from coronal holes in the Sun's atmosphere. This information is crucial for understanding how solar storms and space weather events are generated, which can have significant impacts on communication and power systems on Earth, as well as create stunning auroras. In the episode, Tim Gibbs and Halle share their excitement about the Parker Solar Probe's findings and the importance of understanding solar wind's origins. Their conversation highlights how studies of solar activity can help us better predict and respond to potential space weather events, safeguarding our planet's interconnected systems.
WEBVTT
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Goodday everybody, and welcome to Astronomy
Daily for Friday, the ninth of June
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two thousand and twenty three. My
name is Tim Gibbs and I will be
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00:00:10.039 --> 00:00:15.119
your host for today, and as
usual I have my favorite at Ai in
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00:00:15.160 --> 00:00:26.320
the studio with me, Hallie.
What's the news today, Hallie. Astronomers
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observed giant tales of helium escaping Jupiter
like planet. A team of astronomers has
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00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:37.520
used observations from the Hobby Everley Telescope
HT at the University of Texas at Austin's
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McDonald Observatory to discover some of the
longest tales of gas yet observed escaping a
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planet. The planet hat P thirty
two B is nearly twice the size of
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Jupiter and losing its atmosphere through dramatic
jets of helium unfurling before and behind it
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as it travels through space. These
tales are more than fifty times the length
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of the planet's radius. The discovery
is published June seventh in the journal Science
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Advances. Tales of escaping material around
planets are not unheard of. They can
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be the result of a collision freeing
a trail of dust and debris, or
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00:01:12.519 --> 00:01:15.760
they can be caused by the heat
of a nearby star, energizing and blowing
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00:01:15.799 --> 00:01:21.359
a planet's atmosphere into space. However, tales as long as hat at p
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thirty two b's are truly remarkable.
It is exciting to see how gigantic the
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extended tales are compared to the size
of the planet and its host star,
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said Joe Jianjang, Nasa Sagan Fellow
at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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He led the team that made this
discovery while part of the University of
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Texas at Austin h et Exospheres Project. The ht Exospheres project studies the atmospheres
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of planets outside of our Solar system. Earth's highest coldest rarest clouds are back.
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00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:57.760
How to see the erie and octolucent
clouds this summer, look north as
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00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:00.799
the stars appear in June and July. To have a chance of seeing rare
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00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:05.799
noctulucent or a night shining clouds with
the naked eye. Look up an hour
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00:02:06.040 --> 00:02:08.639
or two after sunset and before sunrise
over the next few months, and you
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00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:13.840
may see ethereal, blue, silver, or golden streaks in the Northern Hemisphere's
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00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:20.520
northern skies called noctulucent clouds, meaning
night shining clouds in Latin, or nlc's,
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00:02:20.759 --> 00:02:23.840
These strange looking patterns in the sky
are the highest, driest, coldest,
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and rarest clouds on Earth. According
to a two eighteen study of the
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phenomenon, These shimmering night shining clouds
appear in the mesosphere, a layer of
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Earth's atmosphere above the stratosphere and below
the thermosphere about forty seven to fifty three
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miles seventy six to eighty five kilometers
above Earth's surface. Sometimes dubbed space clouds,
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nlc's form just below the invisible boundary
where Earth's atmosphere ends and outer space
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begins, roughly sixty two miles one
hundred kilometers above the planet's surface. According
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to NASA that nlcs occur when water
vapor freezes into ice crystals that cling to
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dust and particles left by falling meteors
high in the atmosphere, which reflect sunlight.
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00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:09.719
The peak season for observing nlcs from
the northern hemisphere is around the summer
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00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:14.680
solstice in late June through the end
of July, when they're most easily visible
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from about fifty to seventy degrees north
latitude. However, some nlcs have already
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00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:24.599
been spotted this month in colder northern
regions like Denmark. According to spaceweather dot
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com, Gemini North back on sky
with dazzling image of supernova in the Pinwell
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Galaxy. The Gemini North telescope,
one half of the International Gemini Observatory,
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operated by NSFs and our Lab,
has returned from a seven month hiatus literally
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with a bang, as it has
captured the spectacular aftermath of a supernova,
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a massive star that exploded in the
large Facon spiral Pinwell galaxy Messier one oh
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one. The supernova, named s
N twenty twenty three IX, was discovered
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on May nineteenth by amateur astronomer Koichi
Idagaki. Since its discovery, observers around
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the globe have pointed their telescopes toward
Messier one oh one to get a look
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at the burst of light. Over
the coming months, Gemini North will allow
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astronomers to study how the light from
the supernova fades and how its spectrum evolves
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over time, helping astronomers better understand
the physics of such explosions. The appearance
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of s N twenty twenty three IX
is rather serendipitous for the Gemini North telescope,
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which is back to observing with its
primary mirror repaired and recoat after suffering
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damage in late twenty twenty two.
The damage was limited to a small region
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outside of the light collecting area of
the mirror. Nevertheless, the repairs were
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carefully planned and completed to ensure that
Gemini North could safely return to normal operations.
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This process lasted approximately seven months,
and in May twenty twenty three,
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the mirror was recoat and reinstalled,
and the control systems were powered up and
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tested. Nass's Sun Kissing Parker Solar
Probe finds source of a fastive solar wind.
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The spacecraft's stead appoint to shower headlike
coronal holes as the source of the
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fast solar wind. NASA's Sun Touching
Parker Solar Probe has flown close enough to
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our start to spot the fine details
of the solar wind, including its origin
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coronal holes in the Sun's atmosphere.
Armed with this information, scientists may now
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be able to better predict solar storms
that can supercharge auroras over our planet,
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but can also disrupt communication and power
infrastructure and pose a threat to satellites.
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Spacecraft and even astronauts. The Parker
Solar Probe track the solar wind, a
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stream of charged particles flowing continuously from
the Sun back to where it is generated.
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A new study reports this allowed researchers
to seek characteristics of the solar wind
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that are lost as it exits the
Sun's outer atmosphere or corona and before it
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reaches Earth as a relatively uniform stream. The spacecraft saw that the streams of
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high energy particles that make up the
solar wind match so called supergranulation flows within
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coronal halls. This discovery pointed to
these regions as the source of the fast
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solar wind, which is seen over
the poles of the Sun and can reach
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speeds as great as one point seven
million miles per hour two point seven million
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kilometers per hour, around one thousand
times faster than the top speed of a
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jet fighter. And that's the news
headlines for today. Tims the Astronomy Daily
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Podcast, a couple of stories I'd
like to talk about this week. The
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first one is Airbus has developed a
system to extract oxygen and metal from lunar
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rigolith. Now, new technologies using
material found in space are constantly popping up,
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sometimes from smaller companies and sometimes from
larger ones. Back in twenty twenty,
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one of the largest companies of them
all announced it technology that would have
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significant implications for the future lunar expedition
missions planned over the next ten years.
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The European aerospace giant Airbus has developed
the regolith to oxygen and metal's conversion,
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commonly called ROXY. ROXY creates not
only oxygen, a resource vital for humans
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to breathe and also for rocket fuel, but also makes metals that can be
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used to manufacture tools, equipment,
and even structures on the Moon. And
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it does it simply from the regolith
that is present everywhere on the surface of
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the Moon. Now, this process
is similar to Moxie, the experiment that
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the rover Perseverance took with it when
it landed on the Red planet in two
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twenty one. However, when Airbus
announced a successful test of ROXY in October
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twenty twenty, Moxie was not yet
proven and was barely even on its way
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to Mars. Moxi also wasn't designed
to create metals, which is one of
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the benefits of ROXY. Those metals
can be used in processes like making tools,
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containers, and other useful objects.
On the Moon itself rather than bringing
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them from Earth, thus saving lots
of fuel. It dovetails nicely with efforts
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to bring three D printing technologies to
the Moon, and several other companies are
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rushing to carry out those efforts.
Roxy's process is relatively environmentally friendly compared to
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existing metal making methods currently used on
Earth. A press release from the company
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mentioned that ROXY could be used as
an emission free process to obtain metals that
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otherwise collected us using fluoro perofluorocarbons,
a potent greenhouse gas. Developing this system
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took more than just the expertise of
one company. Airbus collaborated with various universities
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and other companies on the project,
including the Fraunhofer, the German Research Institute,
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and a team at Boston University.
The Mars Express Orbiter, the European
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Space Agency's first interplanetary mission, entered
orbit around Mars on twenty second twenty two
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thousand and three. Sorry Since then, the probe is mapped the Martians surface
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using its high resolution stereo camera,
an instrument built by the German Aerospace Center
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with commercial partners in honor of the
mission's twentieth anniversary. A celebration occurred last
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Friday, June second the European Space
Administration's Space Operations Center in Darmstat, Germany.
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During the festival, a series of
global color mosaic images were live strings
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from Mars Express orbiter to Earth.
The mosaic is a result of a high
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altitude campaign conducted by the hr SC
science team and state of the art image
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processing. The result is a mosaic
unparalleled in detail, spatial resolution, and
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diversity of color that provides valuable insight
into the Martian environment. This includes revealing
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the surface composition, demons, strating
how water once flowed there in the past,
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and modern meteorological phenomena. For almost
twenty years, the HRC mapped close
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00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:15.320
to the entire service of Mars in
color and three dimensions with unprecedented resolution.
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This is possible thanks to the camera's
front color channels, and five of the
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00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:28.279
panchromatic endare stereo and photometric channels.
The camera, operated by DLR Institute of
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00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:37.039
Planetary Research, was originally to last
one Martian year, which is about six
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00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:41.879
hundred and eighty seven Earth days,
but the mission's success prompted ESA to extend
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00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:48.799
the mission repeatedly most recently until the
end of twenty twenty six. Now don't
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00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:54.840
forget that. You can find the
details about our podcast on spacenuts dot io
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00:10:54.000 --> 00:11:00.159
with Steve Dunkley as host on Monday
and myself Tim Gibbs host on Fridays.
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00:11:00.360 --> 00:11:05.600
You can also find details of our
parent podcasts, Space Nuts on space nuts
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00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:11.000
dot io as well. Now over
to you, Hallie for this week's really
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00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:15.279
bad dad joke. I hope it's
a good one. Why don't scientists trust
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00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:20.120
adams because they make up everything,
just like the vastness of the universe.
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00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:24.960
And here is an extra one for
you, Why did the astronaut become a
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00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:33.159
musician because he heard there were some
great gigs on the stars? Llie,
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00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:37.600
you have surpassed yourself this week.
Now don't forget people. You can find
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00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:43.679
Astronomy Daily on Monday with Steve Dunkley
and myself Tim Gibbs on Fridays. Over
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00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:46.840
to you Steve for Monday's episode.
Thanks for listening, everybody, Bye bye
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00:11:46.919 --> 00:11:50.440
bye The Astronomy Daily Podcasts
1
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:06.040
Goodday everybody, and welcome to Astronomy
Daily for Friday, the ninth of June
2
00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:09.960
two thousand and twenty three. My
name is Tim Gibbs and I will be
3
00:00:10.039 --> 00:00:15.119
your host for today, and as
usual I have my favorite at Ai in
4
00:00:15.160 --> 00:00:26.320
the studio with me, Hallie.
What's the news today, Hallie. Astronomers
5
00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:31.920
observed giant tales of helium escaping Jupiter
like planet. A team of astronomers has
6
00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:37.520
used observations from the Hobby Everley Telescope
HT at the University of Texas at Austin's
7
00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:42.320
McDonald Observatory to discover some of the
longest tales of gas yet observed escaping a
8
00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:47.399
planet. The planet hat P thirty
two B is nearly twice the size of
9
00:00:47.479 --> 00:00:52.560
Jupiter and losing its atmosphere through dramatic
jets of helium unfurling before and behind it
10
00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:57.280
as it travels through space. These
tales are more than fifty times the length
11
00:00:57.320 --> 00:01:02.640
of the planet's radius. The discovery
is published June seventh in the journal Science
12
00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:07.879
Advances. Tales of escaping material around
planets are not unheard of. They can
13
00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:12.239
be the result of a collision freeing
a trail of dust and debris, or
14
00:01:12.519 --> 00:01:15.760
they can be caused by the heat
of a nearby star, energizing and blowing
15
00:01:15.799 --> 00:01:21.359
a planet's atmosphere into space. However, tales as long as hat at p
16
00:01:21.560 --> 00:01:26.280
thirty two b's are truly remarkable.
It is exciting to see how gigantic the
17
00:01:26.359 --> 00:01:29.840
extended tales are compared to the size
of the planet and its host star,
18
00:01:30.040 --> 00:01:34.280
said Joe Jianjang, Nasa Sagan Fellow
at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
19
00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:38.359
He led the team that made this
discovery while part of the University of
20
00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:46.040
Texas at Austin h et Exospheres Project. The ht Exospheres project studies the atmospheres
21
00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:52.519
of planets outside of our Solar system. Earth's highest coldest rarest clouds are back.
22
00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:57.760
How to see the erie and octolucent
clouds this summer, look north as
23
00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:00.799
the stars appear in June and July. To have a chance of seeing rare
24
00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:05.799
noctulucent or a night shining clouds with
the naked eye. Look up an hour
25
00:02:06.040 --> 00:02:08.639
or two after sunset and before sunrise
over the next few months, and you
26
00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:13.840
may see ethereal, blue, silver, or golden streaks in the Northern Hemisphere's
27
00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:20.520
northern skies called noctulucent clouds, meaning
night shining clouds in Latin, or nlc's,
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These strange looking patterns in the sky
are the highest, driest, coldest,
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and rarest clouds on Earth. According
to a two eighteen study of the
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phenomenon, These shimmering night shining clouds
appear in the mesosphere, a layer of
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Earth's atmosphere above the stratosphere and below
the thermosphere about forty seven to fifty three
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miles seventy six to eighty five kilometers
above Earth's surface. Sometimes dubbed space clouds,
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nlc's form just below the invisible boundary
where Earth's atmosphere ends and outer space
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00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:55.199
begins, roughly sixty two miles one
hundred kilometers above the planet's surface. According
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to NASA that nlcs occur when water
vapor freezes into ice crystals that cling to
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dust and particles left by falling meteors
high in the atmosphere, which reflect sunlight.
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00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:09.719
The peak season for observing nlcs from
the northern hemisphere is around the summer
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solstice in late June through the end
of July, when they're most easily visible
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from about fifty to seventy degrees north
latitude. However, some nlcs have already
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been spotted this month in colder northern
regions like Denmark. According to spaceweather dot
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com, Gemini North back on sky
with dazzling image of supernova in the Pinwell
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Galaxy. The Gemini North telescope,
one half of the International Gemini Observatory,
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operated by NSFs and our Lab,
has returned from a seven month hiatus literally
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with a bang, as it has
captured the spectacular aftermath of a supernova,
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a massive star that exploded in the
large Facon spiral Pinwell galaxy Messier one oh
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one. The supernova, named s
N twenty twenty three IX, was discovered
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on May nineteenth by amateur astronomer Koichi
Idagaki. Since its discovery, observers around
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the globe have pointed their telescopes toward
Messier one oh one to get a look
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at the burst of light. Over
the coming months, Gemini North will allow
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astronomers to study how the light from
the supernova fades and how its spectrum evolves
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over time, helping astronomers better understand
the physics of such explosions. The appearance
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of s N twenty twenty three IX
is rather serendipitous for the Gemini North telescope,
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which is back to observing with its
primary mirror repaired and recoat after suffering
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damage in late twenty twenty two.
The damage was limited to a small region
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outside of the light collecting area of
the mirror. Nevertheless, the repairs were
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carefully planned and completed to ensure that
Gemini North could safely return to normal operations.
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This process lasted approximately seven months,
and in May twenty twenty three,
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the mirror was recoat and reinstalled,
and the control systems were powered up and
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tested. Nass's Sun Kissing Parker Solar
Probe finds source of a fastive solar wind.
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The spacecraft's stead appoint to shower headlike
coronal holes as the source of the
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00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:10.519
fast solar wind. NASA's Sun Touching
Parker Solar Probe has flown close enough to
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our start to spot the fine details
of the solar wind, including its origin
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coronal holes in the Sun's atmosphere.
Armed with this information, scientists may now
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be able to better predict solar storms
that can supercharge auroras over our planet,
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but can also disrupt communication and power
infrastructure and pose a threat to satellites.
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Spacecraft and even astronauts. The Parker
Solar Probe track the solar wind, a
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stream of charged particles flowing continuously from
the Sun back to where it is generated.
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A new study reports this allowed researchers
to seek characteristics of the solar wind
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that are lost as it exits the
Sun's outer atmosphere or corona and before it
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reaches Earth as a relatively uniform stream. The spacecraft saw that the streams of
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high energy particles that make up the
solar wind match so called supergranulation flows within
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coronal halls. This discovery pointed to
these regions as the source of the fast
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solar wind, which is seen over
the poles of the Sun and can reach
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speeds as great as one point seven
million miles per hour two point seven million
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kilometers per hour, around one thousand
times faster than the top speed of a
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jet fighter. And that's the news
headlines for today. Tims the Astronomy Daily
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Podcast, a couple of stories I'd
like to talk about this week. The
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first one is Airbus has developed a
system to extract oxygen and metal from lunar
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rigolith. Now, new technologies using
material found in space are constantly popping up,
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00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:44.680
sometimes from smaller companies and sometimes from
larger ones. Back in twenty twenty,
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00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:48.040
one of the largest companies of them
all announced it technology that would have
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00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:55.839
significant implications for the future lunar expedition
missions planned over the next ten years.
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The European aerospace giant Airbus has developed
the regolith to oxygen and metal's conversion,
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commonly called ROXY. ROXY creates not
only oxygen, a resource vital for humans
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to breathe and also for rocket fuel, but also makes metals that can be
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00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:18.759
used to manufacture tools, equipment,
and even structures on the Moon. And
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it does it simply from the regolith
that is present everywhere on the surface of
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the Moon. Now, this process
is similar to Moxie, the experiment that
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00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:33.240
the rover Perseverance took with it when
it landed on the Red planet in two
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twenty one. However, when Airbus
announced a successful test of ROXY in October
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twenty twenty, Moxie was not yet
proven and was barely even on its way
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to Mars. Moxi also wasn't designed
to create metals, which is one of
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the benefits of ROXY. Those metals
can be used in processes like making tools,
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containers, and other useful objects.
On the Moon itself rather than bringing
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them from Earth, thus saving lots
of fuel. It dovetails nicely with efforts
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00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:09.279
to bring three D printing technologies to
the Moon, and several other companies are
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00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:16.079
rushing to carry out those efforts.
Roxy's process is relatively environmentally friendly compared to
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00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:22.279
existing metal making methods currently used on
Earth. A press release from the company
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mentioned that ROXY could be used as
an emission free process to obtain metals that
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00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:35.559
otherwise collected us using fluoro perofluorocarbons,
a potent greenhouse gas. Developing this system
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took more than just the expertise of
one company. Airbus collaborated with various universities
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and other companies on the project,
including the Fraunhofer, the German Research Institute,
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and a team at Boston University.
The Mars Express Orbiter, the European
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00:08:54.799 --> 00:09:01.159
Space Agency's first interplanetary mission, entered
orbit around Mars on twenty second twenty two
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00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:05.919
thousand and three. Sorry Since then, the probe is mapped the Martians surface
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00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:11.799
using its high resolution stereo camera,
an instrument built by the German Aerospace Center
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00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:18.360
with commercial partners in honor of the
mission's twentieth anniversary. A celebration occurred last
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00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:26.519
Friday, June second the European Space
Administration's Space Operations Center in Darmstat, Germany.
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00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:31.120
During the festival, a series of
global color mosaic images were live strings
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00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:37.240
from Mars Express orbiter to Earth.
The mosaic is a result of a high
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00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:43.200
altitude campaign conducted by the hr SC
science team and state of the art image
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00:09:43.240 --> 00:09:48.960
processing. The result is a mosaic
unparalleled in detail, spatial resolution, and
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00:09:50.360 --> 00:09:56.039
diversity of color that provides valuable insight
into the Martian environment. This includes revealing
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00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:01.840
the surface composition, demons, strating
how water once flowed there in the past,
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00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:09.720
and modern meteorological phenomena. For almost
twenty years, the HRC mapped close
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00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:15.320
to the entire service of Mars in
color and three dimensions with unprecedented resolution.
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00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:20.480
This is possible thanks to the camera's
front color channels, and five of the
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00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:28.279
panchromatic endare stereo and photometric channels.
The camera, operated by DLR Institute of
119
00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:37.039
Planetary Research, was originally to last
one Martian year, which is about six
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00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:41.879
hundred and eighty seven Earth days,
but the mission's success prompted ESA to extend
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00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:48.799
the mission repeatedly most recently until the
end of twenty twenty six. Now don't
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00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:54.840
forget that. You can find the
details about our podcast on spacenuts dot io
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00:10:54.000 --> 00:11:00.159
with Steve Dunkley as host on Monday
and myself Tim Gibbs host on Fridays.
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00:11:00.360 --> 00:11:05.600
You can also find details of our
parent podcasts, Space Nuts on space nuts
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00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:11.000
dot io as well. Now over
to you, Hallie for this week's really
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00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:15.279
bad dad joke. I hope it's
a good one. Why don't scientists trust
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00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:20.120
adams because they make up everything,
just like the vastness of the universe.
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00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:24.960
And here is an extra one for
you, Why did the astronaut become a
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00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:33.159
musician because he heard there were some
great gigs on the stars? Llie,
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00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:37.600
you have surpassed yourself this week.
Now don't forget people. You can find
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00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:43.679
Astronomy Daily on Monday with Steve Dunkley
and myself Tim Gibbs on Fridays. Over
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00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:46.840
to you Steve for Monday's episode.
Thanks for listening, everybody, Bye bye
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00:11:46.919 --> 00:11:50.440
bye The Astronomy Daily Podcasts
