Cosmic Chronicles: Mars’ Rock Samples, Easter’s Unique Date, and the Alpha Centauri Enigma
Astronomy Daily | Space News: S04E88
In this episode of Astronomy Daily, host Anna takes you on an enthralling expedition across the cosmos, unveiling the latest discoveries and intriguing phenomena that are expanding our understanding of the universe. From the surface of Mars to the depths of black holes, this episode is a treasure trove of astronomical insights that will captivate your imagination.
Highlights:
- Perseverance Rover's Discoveries on Mars: Join us as we delve into the latest findings from NASA's Perseverance rover, which has uncovered a variety of rocky outcrops on the rim of Jezero Crater. These samples are providing critical insights into Mars's geological history and the potential for past life on the Red Planet.
- The Astronomical Origins of Easter: Explore the fascinating intersection of astronomy and tradition as we explain why Easter 2025 will occur unusually late. Learn about the Paschal Moon and how ecclesiastical rules influence the celebration of this ancient holiday.
- Interstellar Objects from Alpha Centauri: Discover groundbreaking research suggesting that millions of interstellar objects from Alpha Centauri may be residing in our solar system. This study reshapes our understanding of cosmic interactions and the interconnectedness of star systems.
- Citizen Science Month: April is Citizen Science Month, and we discuss NASA's ambitious goal of achieving one million acts of science. Find out how you can contribute to real astronomical discoveries and become part of a global scientific community. To find out more visit: https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/ (https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/)
- Supermassive Black Hole Eruptions: Witness the dramatic awakening of a supermassive black hole, which has produced the most powerful X-ray eruptions ever recorded. This extraordinary event is challenging existing scientific models and providing new insights into black hole dynamics.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) . Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Perseverance rover's discoveries on Jezero Crater
10:30 - The astronomical origins of Easter 2025
17:00 - Interstellar objects from Alpha Centauri
22:15 - Citizen Science Month initiatives
27:30 - Supermassive black hole eruptions
✍️ Episode References
Mars Perseverance Rover
[NASA]( https://www.nasa.gov (https://www.nasa.gov/) )
Easter and Astronomy
[The Church of England]( https://www.churchofengland.org/ (https://www.churchofengland.org/) )
Interstellar Research
[Planetary Science Journal]( https://www.planetarysciencejournal.com/ (https://www.planetarysciencejournal.com/) )
Citizen Science Projects
[NASA Citizen Science]( https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science (https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/) )
Black Hole Observations
[Nature Astronomy]( https://www.nature.com/natureastronomy/ (https://www.nature.com/natureastronomy/) )
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily]( http://www.astronomydaily.io/ (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) )
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/26576857?utm_source=youtube
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Perseverance rover’s discoveries on Jezero Crater
10:30 - The astronomical origins of Easter 2025
17:00 - Interstellar objects from Alpha Centauri
Kind: captions
Language: en
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hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily
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your gateway to the cosmos i'm Anna and
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today we're exploring some fascinating
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developments across our universe from
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our neighboring planets to distant
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galaxies coming up on today's episode
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we'll venture to Mars where the
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Perseverance rover has discovered
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diverse rocky outcrops on the rim of
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Jezero Crater providing new insights
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into the red planet's ancient history
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we'll also dive into some celestial
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mathematics to explain why Easter will
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come unusually late this year despite
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the timing of the full moon it's a
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fascinating intersection of astronomy
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and tradition then we'll explore
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research suggesting that millions of
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interstellar objects from Alpha Centauri
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might be hiding in our own solar system
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creating connections between star
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systems we never imagined april is
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Citizen Science Month and I'll tell you
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how you can join NASA's ambitious goal
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of achieving 1 million acts of science
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and become part of real astronomical
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discoveries finally we'll witness the
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dramatic awakening of a super massive
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black hole erupting with the most
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powerful X-ray blasts ever recorded
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challenging scientists understanding of
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these cosmic behemoths so buckle up for
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a journey across the cosmos as we
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explore the latest discoveries and
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wonders of our universe let's get
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started with our favorite red
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planet nasa's Perseverance rover has
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made a remarkable discovery on the rim
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of Mars' Jazerero Crater stumbling upon
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a treasure trove of diverse rocky
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outcrops that have scientists buzzing
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with excitement since January this
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plucky little rover has been analyzing
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what scientists describe as a hodgepodge
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of rocks on the crater rim and the
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findings are proving more valuable than
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anticipated perseverance has been
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working at an impressive pace cing five
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rocks and successfully sealing samples
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from three of them in collection tubes
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it has conducted detailed close-up
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analysis of seven rocks while assessing
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another 83 from a distance using its
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laser technology while this might not
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sound like a substantial workload over
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several months NASA reports this has
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actually been the rover's fastest
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science mission since landing on the red
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planet in
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2021 the rover reached the crater rim in
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December 2024 and has been exploring a
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135 m tall slope that scientists have
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nicknamed Witch Hazel Hill what makes
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this location so special is the
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remarkable variety of rock types found
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in close proximity to each other project
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scientist Katie Stack Morgan from NASA's
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory explains the
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significance during previous science
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campaigns in Jezero it could take
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several months to find a rock that was
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significantly different from the last
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rock we sampled and scientifically
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unique enough for sampling but up here
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on the Crater Rim there are new and
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intriguing rocks everywhere the rover
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turns it has been all we had hoped for
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and more the western rim of Jazer Crater
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features numerous fragmented rocks that
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were once molten scientists believe
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these rocks were brought to the surface
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by meteor impacts billions of years ago
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possibly including the very impact that
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created Jezero crater itself one
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particularly exciting sample was
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collected on January 28th from a rock
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dubbed Shallow Bay this rock likely
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formed around 3.9 billion years ago
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potentially making it the oldest sample
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collected by the rover so far about 110
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m away from Shallow Bay another
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intriguing rock caught scientists
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attention because it contains minerals
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that crystallized from magma deep within
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the Martian crust these diverse mineral
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compositions are crucial for scientists
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attempting to piece together Mars'
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geological history by analyzing these
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rocks researchers hope to better
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understand how the planet formed and
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evolved over billions of years including
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whether conditions were ever suitable
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for life to exist
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the abundance and diversity of these
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rocks will help scientists determine if
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Mars was once habitable and if it might
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still harbor environments that could
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support life today each sample provides
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a window into different periods of
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Martian history and different
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environmental conditions as Stack Morgan
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enthusiastically puts it the last four
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months have been a whirlwind for the
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science team and we still feel that
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which Hazel Hill has more to tell us
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we'll use all the rover data gathered
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recently to decide if and where to
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collect the next sample from the crater
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rim crater rims you got to love
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them if you've ever wondered why the
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date of Easter seems to jump around the
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calendar from year to year you're not
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alone easter 2025 is coming particularly
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late falling on April 20th and there's a
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fascinating astronomical reason behind
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this mobile holiday easter's date is
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determined by what's known as the Pascal
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moon the first full moon that occurs on
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or after the spring equinox in theory
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Easter should fall on the Sunday
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immediately following this full moon
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this connection between Easter and lunar
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cycles has ancient origins linking the
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Christian celebration to the Hebrew
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calendar and Passover in 2025 the April
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full moon traditionally known as the
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pink full moon will occur on April 12th
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despite its name this moon won't
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actually appear pink the name comes from
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the blooming of moss pink flocks flowers
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that typically coincide with this lunar
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event since this full moon happens after
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the spring equinox it's also the Pascal
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moon for
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2025 given this timing you might expect
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Easter to fall on April 13th the Sunday
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immediately following the Pascal moon
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however Easter 2025 will actually be
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celebrated a full week later on April
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20th this discrepancy highlights the
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complex relationship between
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astronomical observations and
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ecclesiastical rules the explanation
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involves the difference between
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astronomical reality and church
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tradition while astronomers calculate
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the exact moment of a full moon based on
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the moon's position relative to Earth
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and the sun the church follows
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ecclesiastical tables that don't always
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align perfectly with astronomical
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events additionally there's a
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geographical factor at play in North
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America the Pascal full moon occurs on
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Saturday April 12th but in European
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longitudes including the Vatican this
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same full moon happens after midnight
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technically placing it on Sunday April
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13th since the first Sunday after the
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Pascal moon in the Old World would be
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April 20th that's when Easter will be
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celebrated globally the rules for
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determining Easter's date have other
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interesting quirks for instance the
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church fixes the vernal equinox on March
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21st even though astronomically it now
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falls no later than March 20th this can
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lead to some peculiar situations in 2038
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for example the equinox will fall on
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March 20th with a full moon the very
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next day but Easter won't be celebrated
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until April 25th the latest possible
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date it can occur easter can fall as
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early as March 22nd which last happened
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in 1818 and won't happen again until
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2285 and as late as April 25th
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interestingly when Easter occurs in
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March it's always preceded and followed
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by April eers in adjacent years between
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2 and
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7,999 Easter will fall most frequently
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on April 19th occurring on that date 231
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times however if we narrow our focus to
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just this millennium April 16th becomes
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the most common Easter date so when you
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mark Easter 2025 on your calendar for
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April 20th remember you're participating
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in a tradition that blends ancient
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astronomical observations with
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ecclesiastical calculations a
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fascinating intersection of science and
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faith that continues to evolve through
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the
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centuries next up today have you ever
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wondered if objects from other star
00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:48.390
systems might be passing through our
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cosmic neighborhood a fascinating new
00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:52.870
study from Western University suggests
00:07:52.880 --> 00:07:54.869
that our solar system could be home to
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millions of interstellar visitors
00:07:56.960 --> 00:07:58.550
primarily from our nearest stellar
00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:01.589
neighbor Alpha Centuri astrophysicists
00:08:01.599 --> 00:08:03.909
Cole Greg and Paul Wagert have developed
00:08:03.919 --> 00:08:05.830
a groundbreaking computer model that
00:08:05.840 --> 00:08:07.670
simulates interstellar activity between
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our solar system and Alpha Centuri their
00:08:11.039 --> 00:08:13.189
research published in the planetary
00:08:13.199 --> 00:08:15.510
science journal this March points to
00:08:15.520 --> 00:08:17.510
Alpha Centtory as a likely source of
00:08:17.520 --> 00:08:19.430
interstellar material found within our
00:08:19.440 --> 00:08:21.909
solar system alpha Centuri is
00:08:21.919 --> 00:08:24.150
particularly interesting because it's a
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triple star system unlike our single sun
00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:29.189
arrangement yet the researchers believe
00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:31.430
it might behave similarly to our own
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solar system when it comes to ejecting
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material into space as Greg explains
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giant planets introduce a degree of
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chaos perturbing orbits and giving
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objects the velocity boost they need to
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escape their stars gravitational pole
00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:48.750
the model suggests something truly
00:08:48.760 --> 00:08:51.350
remarkable approximately 1 million
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interstellar objects larger than 100 m
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in diameter originating from Alpha
00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:58.630
Centuri may currently be within our
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solar systems or cloud that vast shell
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of icy objects surrounding our planetary
00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:06.389
neighborhood and this number is expected
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to increase as Alpha Centuri moves
00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:10.790
closer to us with its closest approach
00:09:10.800 --> 00:09:13.070
predicted in about 28,000
00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:15.350
years assuming Alpha Centtory is
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ejecting material which it should be
00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:19.110
there are plenty of reasons to expect
00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:20.949
some of that material is making its way
00:09:20.959 --> 00:09:23.750
to us notes Professor Wagert who has
00:09:23.760 --> 00:09:25.670
discovered more than 80 minor planets
00:09:25.680 --> 00:09:28.310
during his career this research builds
00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:30.150
on our understanding of interstellar
00:09:30.160 --> 00:09:32.870
objects that began with the 2017
00:09:32.880 --> 00:09:35.269
discovery of Umuam Mua the first
00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:37.509
confirmed interstellar visitor spotted
00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:40.949
by Western scientist Robert Werick um
00:09:40.959 --> 00:09:43.350
Mua a reddish object estimated to be
00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:46.870
between 100 and 1,000 m long was just
00:09:46.880 --> 00:09:48.790
the first glimpse of what could be a
00:09:48.800 --> 00:09:51.509
much larger population of interstellar
00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:53.430
wanderers before you worry about
00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:55.670
interstellar impacts the researchers
00:09:55.680 --> 00:09:58.550
offer reassurance their model projects
00:09:58.560 --> 00:10:00.470
that while as many as 10 meteors from
00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:02.150
Alpha Centuri might enter Earth's
00:10:02.160 --> 00:10:04.509
atmosphere annually these would be
00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:06.790
microscopic no larger than 100
00:10:06.800 --> 00:10:09.829
micrometers in size in fact only about
00:10:09.839 --> 00:10:11.829
one in a trillion meteors striking Earth
00:10:11.839 --> 00:10:14.470
might originate from Alpha Centtory the
00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:16.310
real significance of this research lies
00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:18.150
in how it transforms our understanding
00:10:18.160 --> 00:10:21.030
of cosmic systems as Greg eloquently
00:10:21.040 --> 00:10:22.710
puts it throughout the history of
00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:25.110
astronomy every time we look at a system
00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:27.509
we think of it as a closed system the
00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:29.350
galaxy isn't a collection of all these
00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:32.069
individual star systems rather they
00:10:32.079 --> 00:10:33.990
should be studied as an interconnected
00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:36.230
system one that shares all of this
00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:38.590
interstellar material among the
00:10:38.600 --> 00:10:41.190
stars this interconnected view of our
00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:43.670
galaxy challenges the traditional notion
00:10:43.680 --> 00:10:47.030
of star systems as isolated entities
00:10:47.040 --> 00:10:49.910
instead it suggests a cosmic ecosystem
00:10:49.920 --> 00:10:52.069
where matter regularly travels between
00:10:52.079 --> 00:10:54.790
neighboring stars creating a complex web
00:10:54.800 --> 00:10:56.870
of interstellar exchange that has been
00:10:56.880 --> 00:10:58.990
ongoing for billions of
00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:01.430
years next something you may like to
00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:04.230
take part in april marks a special time
00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:06.710
for science enthusiasts around the world
00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:09.190
it's citizen science month and NASA is
00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:10.710
embarking on an ambitious mission
00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:12.389
they're calling 1 million acts of
00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:15.110
science this initiative aims to harness
00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:16.870
the collective power of volunteers
00:11:16.880 --> 00:11:18.710
everywhere to help solve some of
00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:21.190
astronomy's greatest mysteries citizen
00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:22.710
science represents a beautiful
00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:24.310
intersection of professional research
00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:26.790
and public participation through these
00:11:26.800 --> 00:11:29.030
programs ordinary people like you and me
00:11:29.040 --> 00:11:30.550
can contribute meaningfully to
00:11:30.560 --> 00:11:32.710
scientific discovery without specialized
00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:35.430
degrees or equipment nasa's citizen
00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:37.430
science projects are designed to address
00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:40.069
real world problems protect our planet
00:11:40.079 --> 00:11:42.550
and unravel the secrets of the universe
00:11:42.560 --> 00:11:45.670
the concept is simple yet powerful by
00:11:45.680 --> 00:11:47.750
distributing scientific tasks across
00:11:47.760 --> 00:11:50.470
thousands of volunteers researchers can
00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:52.310
accomplish what would be impossible for
00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:55.030
even the largest professional teams your
00:11:55.040 --> 00:11:56.790
contribution combined with others around
00:11:56.800 --> 00:11:59.190
the globe creates a formidable force for
00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:01.910
scientific advancement so what exactly
00:12:01.920 --> 00:12:04.389
counts as an act of science it could be
00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:05.910
as straightforward as categorizing
00:12:05.920 --> 00:12:07.910
galaxies based on their shapes
00:12:07.920 --> 00:12:10.230
identifying features on Mars tracking
00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:12.230
changes in cloud patterns or monitoring
00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:14.949
light pollution in your local area many
00:12:14.959 --> 00:12:16.629
projects require nothing more than a
00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:19.110
smartphone and a curious mind what makes
00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:21.030
these initiatives particularly valuable
00:12:21.040 --> 00:12:23.430
is that they're not just busy work the
00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:25.269
data collected through citizen science
00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:27.430
efforts has led to genuine discoveries
00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:29.509
and appears in peer-reviewed scientific
00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:32.150
publications your contributions help
00:12:32.160 --> 00:12:34.790
NASA scientists understand our changing
00:12:34.800 --> 00:12:37.670
planet identify new asteroids study
00:12:37.680 --> 00:12:39.990
distant galaxies and monitor space
00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:42.710
weather the beauty of citizen science is
00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:45.350
its accessibility projects are designed
00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:48.069
to accommodate various interests time
00:12:48.079 --> 00:12:50.550
commitments and skill levels whether you
00:12:50.560 --> 00:12:52.230
have 5 minutes while waiting for your
00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:54.790
coffee or want to dedicate several hours
00:12:54.800 --> 00:12:57.190
each week there's a project perfectly
00:12:57.200 --> 00:12:59.990
suited to your availability if you're
00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:02.069
interested in participating NASA's
00:13:02.079 --> 00:13:03.990
citizen science website offers a
00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:05.629
comprehensive directory of active
00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:07.829
projects from helping classify
00:13:07.839 --> 00:13:09.670
exoplanets to tracking wildlife
00:13:09.680 --> 00:13:11.910
responses to solar eclipses the
00:13:11.920 --> 00:13:13.670
diversity of opportunities means you're
00:13:13.680 --> 00:13:15.269
bound to find something that captures
00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:17.670
your imagination by joining this
00:13:17.680 --> 00:13:19.230
worldwide community of citizen
00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:21.430
scientists you become part of something
00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:23.590
much larger than yourself a global
00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:25.509
effort to expand human knowledge and
00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:27.030
address some of our most pressing
00:13:27.040 --> 00:13:29.590
challenges and during this special month
00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:31.269
celebrating citizen science your
00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:33.350
participation helps NASA reach that
00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:36.910
ambitious goal of 1 million scientific
00:13:36.920 --> 00:13:38.949
contributions remember science isn't
00:13:38.959 --> 00:13:40.629
just for professional researchers in
00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:43.750
labs it belongs to all of us and through
00:13:43.760 --> 00:13:45.910
citizen science we all have the
00:13:45.920 --> 00:13:47.750
opportunity to push the boundaries of
00:13:47.760 --> 00:13:50.269
human understanding just a little bit
00:13:50.279 --> 00:13:52.629
further if you're interested in finding
00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:54.710
out more I'll leave a link in the show
00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:56.710
notes for you
00:13:56.720 --> 00:13:58.389
we've all experienced grumpy mornings
00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:00.230
but nothing compares to the cosmic
00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:02.150
tantrum recently thrown by a super
00:14:02.160 --> 00:14:04.590
massive black hole in a galaxy far far
00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:07.269
away astronomers have observed something
00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:10.150
truly extraordinary a monster black hole
00:14:10.160 --> 00:14:12.150
unleashing the longest and most powerful
00:14:12.160 --> 00:14:14.150
X-ray eruptions ever recorded from such
00:14:14.160 --> 00:14:16.870
an object the black hole in question
00:14:16.880 --> 00:14:20.590
sits at the center of galaxy SDSS
00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:22.590
1,335
00:14:22.600 --> 00:14:25.189
+0728 approximately 300 million
00:14:25.199 --> 00:14:27.750
lightyears from Earth after decades of
00:14:27.760 --> 00:14:30.069
inactivity this cosmic giant has
00:14:30.079 --> 00:14:32.069
suddenly awakened with a vengeance
00:14:32.079 --> 00:14:33.910
beginning to devour surrounding matter
00:14:33.920 --> 00:14:35.990
and producing what scientists call quasi
00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:39.910
periodic eruptions or QPEs this active
00:14:39.920 --> 00:14:41.910
region at the galaxy's heart nicknamed
00:14:41.920 --> 00:14:44.629
ANSKY by researchers first showed signs
00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:47.990
of awakening in late 2019 by February of
00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.710
this year astronomers using NASA's Swift
00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:53.269
X-ray Space Telescope observed the black
00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:54.949
hole erupting with flares at
00:14:54.959 --> 00:14:57.509
surprisingly regular intervals providing
00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.750
a rare opportunity to monitor a feeding
00:14:59.760 --> 00:15:02.790
black hole in real time what makes these
00:15:02.800 --> 00:15:05.110
observations particularly remarkable is
00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:08.150
their unprecedented scale as MIT
00:15:08.160 --> 00:15:11.269
researcher Yohin Chakraorti explains the
00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:14.069
bursts of X-rays from Ansky are 10 times
00:15:14.079 --> 00:15:16.470
longer and 10 times more luminous than
00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:18.430
what we see from a typical
00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:21.590
QPE each eruption releases 100 times
00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:23.350
more energy than previously observed
00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:25.430
elsewhere with eruptions occurring
00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:28.310
roughly every 4 and 1/2 days the longest
00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:30.389
interval ever seen
00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:32.470
these extreme behaviors are challenging
00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:34.870
existing scientific models and forcing
00:15:34.880 --> 00:15:36.629
astronomers to reconsider their
00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:39.350
understanding of such events typically
00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:41.430
QPEs have been associated with super
00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:43.269
massive black holes capturing and
00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:45.509
shredding stars then consuming the
00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:47.910
stellar remnants however this doesn't
00:15:47.920 --> 00:15:49.829
appear to be happening with Ansky
00:15:49.839 --> 00:15:51.590
leaving scientists puzzled about what's
00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:53.990
triggering these massive outbursts the
00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:55.590
observations were made possible through
00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:57.430
an international collaborative effort
00:15:57.440 --> 00:15:59.749
utilizing multiple space telescopes
00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:02.629
including the European Space Ay's XMM
00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:05.670
Newton NASA's NICE and Chandra missions
00:16:05.680 --> 00:16:08.550
and archived data from Aerosa these
00:16:08.560 --> 00:16:10.550
repetitive bursts may also be generating
00:16:10.560 --> 00:16:13.110
gravitational waves ripples in spaceime
00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:14.790
that could potentially be detected by
00:16:14.800 --> 00:16:16.069
future missions like the laser
00:16:16.079 --> 00:16:19.350
interferometer space antenna a joint ESA
00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:21.509
NASA space-based detector scheduled for
00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:23.670
launch in 2037
00:16:23.680 --> 00:16:25.910
having complimentary X-ray observations
00:16:25.920 --> 00:16:28.470
alongside gravitational wave data could
00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:30.550
prove crucial in solving the mysteries
00:16:30.560 --> 00:16:33.430
of massive black hole behavior the
00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:35.509
research on this extraordinary cosmic
00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:37.189
event was published in the journal
00:16:37.199 --> 00:16:39.829
Nature Astronomy just last month marking
00:16:39.839 --> 00:16:41.509
an important step forward in our
00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:44.069
understanding of black hole dynamics as
00:16:44.079 --> 00:16:46.150
astronomers continue monitoring Ansky's
00:16:46.160 --> 00:16:48.470
volatile behavior we may gain valuable
00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:50.310
insights into the extreme physics
00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:52.389
governing these cosmic behemoths that
00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:54.790
lurk at the centers of most galaxies
00:16:54.800 --> 00:16:56.829
including our own Milky
00:16:56.839 --> 00:16:59.350
Way and that brings us to the end of
00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:01.389
another fascinating journey through the
00:17:01.399 --> 00:17:03.749
cosmos today we've explored everything
00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:06.150
from Martian geology to the mysteries of
00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:08.150
black holes with some interesting
00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:10.710
astronomical calendar facts and citizen
00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:13.110
science opportunities along the way
00:17:13.120 --> 00:17:14.630
we've seen how Perseverance is
00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:16.630
uncovering Mars' geological history
00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:18.150
through diverse rock samples on the
00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:20.870
Jezero crater rim potentially revealing
00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:23.270
clues about the planet's habitability
00:17:23.280 --> 00:17:25.429
we've demystified why Easter will arrive
00:17:25.439 --> 00:17:27.909
later than expected this year thanks to
00:17:27.919 --> 00:17:29.430
the complex interplay between
00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:32.190
astronomical events and ecclesiastical
00:17:32.200 --> 00:17:34.549
rules we've learned that millions of
00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:36.150
interstellar visitors from Alpha
00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:38.150
Centauri might be hiding in our solar
00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:40.230
system challenging our view of star
00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:42.789
systems as isolated entities
00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:44.549
we've discovered how you can participate
00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:47.029
in NASA's Citizen Science Month and
00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:49.430
contribute to their ambitious goal of 1
00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:52.549
million acts of science and finally
00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:54.230
we've witnessed the dramatic awakening
00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:55.830
of a monster black hole producing
00:17:55.840 --> 00:17:57.830
unprecedented X-ray eruptions that are
00:17:57.840 --> 00:17:59.669
forcing scientists to rethink their
00:17:59.679 --> 00:18:01.549
understanding of these cosmic
00:18:01.559 --> 00:18:04.549
giants i'm Anna your host for Astronomy
00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:06.470
Daily and I hope you've enjoyed today's
00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:09.190
cosmic exploration if you'd like to stay
00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:11.350
updated on all things astronomy please
00:18:11.360 --> 00:18:13.230
visit our website at
00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:15.029
astronomydaily.io where you can sign up
00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:17.270
for our free daily newsletter and access
00:18:17.280 --> 00:18:19.830
all our previous episodes if you're
00:18:19.840 --> 00:18:21.909
enjoying the podcast we'd be thrilled if
00:18:21.919 --> 00:18:23.990
you'd share it with your family friends
00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:25.990
or anyone else who gazes up at the night
00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:28.630
sky with wonder until next time keep
00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:30.630
looking up and stay curious about our
00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:35.110
magnificent universe
00:18:35.120 --> 00:18:37.590
stories we told
00:18:37.600 --> 00:18:51.959
[Music]