Vera Rubin's Revelations, Asteroid Close Calls, and Private Astronaut Adventures

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Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. Your exciting look at the very

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latest in space news. I'm Anna and today we're

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diving into a cosmic journey that spans from groundbreaking

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new telescopes revealing deep space mysteries to

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critical Earth observations and the latest in human

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spaceflight. We've got an incredible lineup for you.

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We'll explore the first breathtaking images released by the new

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Vera Rubin Observatory, discuss a potentially

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dramatic close call with an asteroid that could impact the

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moon, and and update you on a private astronaut

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mission heading to the International Space Station. Plus,

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we'll delve into the decoding of an ancient radio

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signal that the universe tried to keep secret for

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billions of years. And marvel at

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spectacular new views of Earth from orbit, thanks

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to ESA's biomass satellite. Get ready for an

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action packed episode. The

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astronomical community is buzzing with excitement as the

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Vera C Rubin Observatory has officially released its

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very first images of space. This

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momentous occasion heralds a new era of discoveries about our

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universe. Perched atop the Kerro Pachon

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peak in the Chilean Andes, this giant

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telescope is designed for an ambitious 10 year

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to create an unprecedented time lapse video of deep

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space, providing a comprehensive view of the

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entire southern hemisphere's sky every three days.

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Rubin's true claim to fame lies in its imaging

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powerhouse, the world's most powerful digital camera.

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It's a 3.2 billion pixel behemoth known as the

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Legacy Survey of Space and time, or

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LSST. For perspective, the latest

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iPhone has a 48 million pixel camera. The

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LSST alone weighs 3 tonnes and features an 8

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metre wide mirror. This incredible instrument will allow

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astronomers to capture details far beyond what was

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previously possible. Named in honour of

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pioneering American astronomer Vera Florence Cooper

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Rubin, whose groundbreaking work provided the first

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direct evidence for dark matter. The observatory

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is poised to help answer some of the cosmos's deepest

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questions. These include the nature of dark matter and

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dark energy, and how galaxies have evolved.

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Thousands of astronomers globally will rely on the

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vast amounts of data Rubin will generate.

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It's expected to deliver an astounding 10 million

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alerts every single day, flagging objects that have

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either changed position or brightness. Some alerts could

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reveal entirely new cosmic phenomena. As

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Professor Rachel Webster from the University of Melbourne, who

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leads Australia's collaboration, puts it in

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reality, there is so much we still don't know about the

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universe, so the scope of what may be discovered is

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what's really exciting. Professor Webster

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explains. Rubin will survey the entire southern sky with

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an agnostic approach, expecting unexpected

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new things. This includes very faint

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diffuse objects and sudden transient events.

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Things that go bang in the night or Explode and

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change brightness rapidly. The

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success of Rubin also relies on advanced technology and

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international collaboration, leveraging cutting

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edge tools like artificial intelligence. Its

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data will complement the Square Kilometre Array telescope

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currently under construction, promising to

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significantly advance our understanding of dark matter,

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dark energy, and even how supermassive black

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holes interact with their environments. And a

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sample of what can be achieved. In just 10 hours of

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observing the night sky, the powerful new telescope

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detected more than 2,000 new asteroids, including a

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few that will pass near Earth. Incredible. This

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truly represents a thrilling leap forward in astrophysics

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from the awe inspiring depths of the universe.

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We now turn our attention a little closer to home. To

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a celestial body that might just have a very eventful year

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in 2032. Our moon.

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While initial worries about a direct impact on Earth have

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thankfully been ruled out, a new study suggests that a

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city killer asteroid named 2024

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yr4 might still be headed for a dramatic

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encounter not with us, but with our lunar companion.

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This asteroid, approximately 60 metres wide,

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was briefly the subject of concern earlier this year,

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with a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth in

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December 2032, a significant

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probability for a space rock of this size.

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Subsequent observations from telescopes

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put those fears to rest for our planet.

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However, new data from the James Webb Space

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Telescope in May has nudged the odds of it

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crashing into the moon up to 4.3%.

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If this happens, it would be quite an event.

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Lead study author Paul Wiegert from Canada's University of

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Western Ontario estimates it would be the largest

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asteroid to strike the moon in around 5,000 years,

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releasing energy comparable to a large nuclear

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explosion. Simulations indicate that up to

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100 million kilogrammes of material could be shot out from

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the moon's surface. Now here's where it gets

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interesting for us down on Earth. If the asteroid were

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to hit the side of the moon facing our planet, which is

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roughly a 50% chance, up to

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10% of that ejected debris could be pulled into

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Earth's gravity over the following days.

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While our atmosphere would protect the surface from these

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millimetre to centimetre sized lunar rocks,

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these fast moving particles, described as

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being a lot like a bullet, could pose a

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serious threat to our orbiting satellites.

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By 2032, we expect a much larger

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number of satellites orbiting Earth. And an impact

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could lead to more than a thousand times the normal number of

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meteors threatening them. For those of us

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on the ground, however, this cosmic bullet

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train could mean a truly spectacular

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meteor shower lighting up the night sky.

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It's important to remember that the current odds of

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a direct hit on the near side of the moon

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remain at just 2%. We won't get

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another clear look at asteroid 2024 yr

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4 until 2028, so for

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now it's a waiting game. But if a direct

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lunar hit does become likely, scientists believe

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humanity would have enough time to plan a mission to potentially

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deflect it. Much like NASA's DART mission

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successfully altered the trajectory of dimorphos in

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2022. Though Weigert

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cautions that deflecting something zooming so close to Earth

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could be a little dangerous, this fascinating

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research is currently a preprint study awaiting

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peer review and submission to the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

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Shifting our focus from potential lunar impacts, let's

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turn to the exciting world of private spaceflight, where

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humanity continues its push into low Earth orbit.

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SpaceX and Axiom Space have just announced a new

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launch date for the AXE4 mission to the International

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Space Station, bringing us another step closer

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to a more accessible space for astronauts from around the

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globe. The four person crew is now slated

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to lift off aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon

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spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket no

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earlier than June 25 at 2:31am

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um EDT from Launch

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Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space

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Centre in Florida. You might recall this launch

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was previously delayed last week due to a leak

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detected aboard the ISS's Zvezda module.

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While the leak itself isn't new, a change in its

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pressure data prompted NASA and Axiom to postpone the

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mission to ensure safety. No update on the

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leak's current status was provided with the new launch

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announcement, but the green light suggests confidence

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in the station's integrity. This mission is

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set to be a landmark one for several reasons. The

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Axe 4 crew will be led by former NASA astronaut and

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Axiom's director of human Space Flight Peggy Whitson,

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who will serve as mission Commander. Joining her are

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Shubanshu Shukla from India, Slavas

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Usnanski Wisniewski from Poland, and and Tibor

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Kapu from Hungary. What's particularly exciting

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about this crew is that for Shubanshu, Slawos and

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Tibor, this will mark their nation's first ever

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astronauts to launch on a mission to the iss.

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It's a fantastic testament to the expanding international

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participation in space exploration. The

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mission is expected to last two weeks, and during their time

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aboard the orbiting lab, the Axe 4 crew

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plans to conduct an impressive number of activities.

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They're scheduled to undertake more than 60 science experiments

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and STEM. That's science, technology, engineering and

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math outreach events surpassing any previous

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Axiom mission. If all goes according to this

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New schedule the Cruise Dragon spacecraft is slated

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to dock with the ISS at approximately

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7am M. EDT on Thursday,

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June 26. It's an exciting time for private

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spaceflight, showcasing the growing capabilities and

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collaborations that are shaping the future of human

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presence in space.

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From the immediate future of human spaceflight,

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let's now journey back in time billions of years

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to unravel one of the universe's most ancient and

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secretive messages. Scientists are

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beginning to decode a mysterious radio signal from deep

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space that has been hiding secrets about the

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universe's earliest stars, offering

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a rare glimpse into moments the cosmos tried to keep

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from us for aeons. In the vast,

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dark expanse of the universe, there's a profound

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mystery surrounding the first stars, those

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massive, luminous celestial bodies known as

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Population 3, stars that illuminated the

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cosmos in its earliest stages. These

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stars are so incredibly distant in time that their

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properties have remained largely unknown despite

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decades of scientific inquiry. But now a

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new method is bringing them into focus, using faint

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signals emitted billions of years ago. The

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breakthrough lies in a subtle, almost undetectable radio

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signal that has persisted through time. The

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21 centimetre signal. This cosmic

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whisper, emitted by hydrogen atoms shortly after the Big

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Bang, serves as a crucial marker from a period

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known as the cosmic dawn. This was the

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pivotal moment when the very first stars began to form

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and light up the universe. What makes the

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21 centimetre signal so incredibly valuable

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is that, unlike visible light or X

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rays, it can offer direct insights into the

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masses, behaviours and distribution

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of these elusive first stars. Until

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recently, however, astronomers hadn't fully

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grasped how this delicate signal could truly unlock the

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secrets of the early cosmos. An

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international team of astronomers, led by Professor

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Anastasia Fialkoff and at the University of

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Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy, has cracked

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a crucial aspect of this signal. Their

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groundbreaking work, published in Nature

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Astronomy, reveals that this ancient radio

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signal is remarkably sensitive to the properties of

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these initial stars. Specifically, their

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research suggests that the signal could be used to estimate

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the masses of Population 3 stars

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whose light we can never directly observe.

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This insight is truly significant, opening a new

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door to understanding the early universe, which was

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primarily composed of hydrogen and helium.

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By studying how the 21 centimetre signal has

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been altered by these stars, astronomers can begin

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to map the transformation from a dark, uniform

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mass to the complex and diverse cosmos we

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see today. This monumental effort is being

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supported by two ambitious projects, reach,

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or the Radio Experiment for the Analysis of cosmic

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hydrogen, and the Square Kilometre Array, known

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as ska. REACH is currently in its

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early calibration phase. Using radio antennas

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to capture the faint 21 centimetre signal.

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The SKA, on the other hand, is an even

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larger array of antennas under construction, poised to

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map vast regions of space and study fluctuations in

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cosmic radiation, providing an invaluable

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resource for understanding the earliest epochs of the

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universe. These projects are absolutely

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essential to the future of radio astronomy,

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focusing on statistical patterns of faint signals to

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study the early universe in unprecedented detail.

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Professor Fielkov's team predicts that both REACH and

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SKA will allow astronomers to study the

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distribution, luminosity and masses of

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population three stars, deepening our

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understanding of the forces that shaped the cosmos in

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its infancy. One of the most

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fascinating aspects of this research is its

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exploration of how X ray binaries,

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pairs of stars where one is a collapsed object like a black

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hole, impact the 21 centimetre

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signal. These binaries are thought to have played

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a significant role in the early universe by

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emitting high energy radiation that affected the

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surrounding gas and consequently altered

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the 21 centimetre signal. Professor

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Fielkov's team developed a model incorporating the

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effects of X ray binaries, suggesting

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that previous studies might have underestimated their

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influence. This discovery adds another layer

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of complexity to our understanding of how the first

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stars shaped the universe, making the 21

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centimetre signal an even more powerful tool for

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mapping the earliest moments in cosmic history.

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The potential of the 21 centimetre signal is further

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amplified by the increasing power of radio

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telescopes. Unlike optical telescopes that

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capture detailed images of distant stars and galaxies,

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radio telescopes like REACH and SKA

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rely on detecting these faint signals to infer the

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properties of cosmic phenomena. While they won't provide

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direct images of individual stars, they offer an

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extraordinary opportunity to study large scale patterns in the

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universe's earliest phases. As Dr.

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Eloy Dilara Acedo, principal

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investigator of the REACH project, notes, these

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radio observations are essential for understanding the

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mass and properties of the first stars, laying

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crucial groundwork for future discoveries.

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Now let's shift our gaze from the incredibly distant past

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to the immediate present. And a new eye watching our

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own planet.

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Cheers and excitement erupted at ESA's Living Planet

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Symposium in Vienna with the release of the first images

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from ESA's biomass satellite. These

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striking views offer a spectacular new window into

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Earth's forests, deserts and glaciers, marking a, uh,

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major milestone in our understanding of how our planet stores

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carbon and how vital ecosystems are being

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transformed. Just two months after its launch,

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the biomass mission is already delivering on its

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promise, providing a glimpse into the incredible

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potential of its novel radar system while still

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in its commissioning phase. Fine tuning to ensure the

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highest quality data, the early Images are

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clearly showcasing the satellite's capabilities.

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Michael Fehringer, ESA's biomass project

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manager, described these first images as

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nothing short of spectacular, emphasising

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that they are only a mere glimpse of what's still to come.

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Simonetta Celli, ESA's director of earth

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Observation Programmes, shared the emotional impact

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of seeing the results, calling it very

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symbolic of the effort behind the scenes and the potential

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that this mission has. What makes

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biomass so revolutionary is its unique P

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band radar. Unlike other satellites,

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this penetrating radar system captures the full

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vertical structure of forests beneath the canopy.

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For instance, in images from Bolivia, where

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rainforest meets riverine floodplains,

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biomass highlights distinct ecosystems like green

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rainforests, red forested wetlands and

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blue purple grasslands, all while the dark,

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snaking Beni river cuts through the landscape.

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When compared side by side with images From Copernicus

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Sentinel 2, it's clear that while Sentinel 2

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is limited to surface features, biomass

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unlocks a, uh, crucial 3D view of forests,

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vital for accurate carbon accounting. The

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satellite has also provided striking views over the

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northern Amazon rainforest in Brazil and and

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the mountainous Halmahera rainforest in

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Indonesia, revealing subtle terrain and

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vegetation differences even in dense,

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ecologically critical areas. But

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its capabilities extend far beyond forests.

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Biomass has shown its incredible power in other

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extreme environments, like the Sahara Desert in

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northern Chad. Its P band radar can penetrate

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up to 5 metres below the desert surface,

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exposing hidden structures like ancient riverbeds and

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geological formations long buried beneath the

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arid terrain. This capability opens

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new frontiers in paleoclimate research and groundwater

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mapping, offering insights into Earth's past.

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Furthermore, in the frozen expanse of

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Antarctica, biomass has peered into the Nimrod

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Glacier and the Trans Antarctic Mountains,

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demonstrating its ability to track internal ice structures

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and flow velocities. This is crucial for

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understanding ice sheet dynamics and stability, which are

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critical factors in predicting future sea level changes.

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While these initial results are still raw and not yet

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fully calibrated for scientific analysis, they

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unequivocally confirm that biomass is well on

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track to meet and potentially exceed its

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ambitious goals. Designed to span five

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years, this mission will provide consistent global

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coverage of Earth's forested regions. The

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data it collects will be vital for improving climate models,

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supporting global conservation efforts and refining

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carbon accounting. As the biomass

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satellite transitions into full operational mode,

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scientists around the world are eagerly anticipating the

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comprehensive data sets that could truly transform how

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we monitor and protect the living lungs of our

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planet. We've journeyed

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through a wide range of cosmic updates today,

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exploring everything from the profound mysteries of the

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universe's distant past, thanks to signals hidden

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for billions of years, to the immediate future. Of

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human spaceflight as private astronauts prepare for the

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iss. We also looked at potential close calls

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with asteroids and how new satellite technology is

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revolutionising our view of Earth's precious

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ecosystems. Thank you for joining us on this episode

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of Astronomy Daily. I'm your host, Anna.

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Before we sign off, remember, you can always catch up on all

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the latest space and astronomy news with our constantly updating

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newsfeed on our website, astronomydaily.IO.

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um, while you're there, you can also listen to all our

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back episodes. Don't forget to subscribe to

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get your podcasts, so you never miss an episode.

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Until tomorrow. Keep looking up.