Countdown to the Moon: Artemis II Crew in Quarantine

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Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily.


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I'm Anna.


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>> And I'm Avery. It is Saturday, February


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21st, 2026, and you are locked in for


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season 5, episode 45. We have got a


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packed show for you today.


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>> We really do. We are just 2 weeks away


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from what could be one of the most


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significant launches in the history of


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human space flight. And the crew is now


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officially in quarantine. Humanity is


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going back to the moon, people. beyond


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the moon. Actually, for the first time


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since 1972, we'll have the full Artemis


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2 update in just a moment. Plus,


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scientists may be challenging the very


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foundations of dark matter theory.


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There's a solar storm brewing that could


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light up the skies as early as tomorrow


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night.


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>> Mars is holding water a lot closer to


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home than we thought. Great news if


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you're planning to move there. And


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astronomers have confirmed that super


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massive black holes are not content with


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just destroying their own galaxies.


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Apparently, they've been going after the


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neighbors, too.


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>> Serial killers of the cosmos. We'll


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explain, and we'll wrap up with a SpaceX


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story that came very close, their words,


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not ours, to being a very bad day.


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>> Let's get into it.


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>> All right, let's start with the big one.


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As of yesterday evening, Friday,


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February 20th, 2026, the four astronauts


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of NASA's Aremis 2 mission have


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officially entered quarantine in


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Houston, Texas.


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>> And if you know anything about space


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mission protocols, entering quarantine


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is one of the clearest signals you can


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get that a launch is genuinely imminent.


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BASA is targeting no earlier than


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Friday, March 6th, and that clock is now


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ticking.


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>> So, let's set the scene for anyone who


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needs a quick refresher. Artemis 2 is


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the second mission of NASA's Aremis


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program and it will be the first crude


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mission to travel beyond low Earth orbit


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since Apollo 17 back in December 1972.


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We're talking more than 50 years.


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>> 53 years to be precise. And the crew


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that will make this historic journey


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consists of four astronauts. Commander


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Reed Wisman, pilot Victor Glover, and


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mission specialist Christina from


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NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy


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Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.


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>> They entered quarantine at approximately


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5:00 p.m. local time on Friday evening


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in Houston. The quarantine period is


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typically about 14 days, during which


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the crew limits their exposure to other


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people to make sure they stay in good


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health before launch. They'll fly down


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to Kennedy Space Center in Florida about


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5 days before launch day.


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>> And the reason NASA is feeling confident


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enough to put them into quarantine now


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is the success of the second wet dress


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rehearsal which took place on Thursday,


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February 19th. Now Avery, for the


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uninitiated, what exactly is a wet dress


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rehearsal?


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>> Great question. A wet dress rehearsal is


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essentially a full dress rehearsal of


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launch day, except you don't actually


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light the engines at the end. The teams


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load the rocket with its full complement


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of cryogenic propellants. In the case of


00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:14.470
the space launch system, that's more


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than 700,000 gall of super cold liquid


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hydrogen and liquid oxygen and then run


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through the entire launch countdown


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sequence right down to the final


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seconds. And the reason they needed a


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second rehearsal was that the first


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attempt on February 3rd had to be called


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off when a hydrogen leak was detected.


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Engineers replaced seals and a filter in


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the ground support equipment. And on


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Thursday night, they ran the whole thing


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again, and this time hydrogen


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concentrations stayed within safe limits


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throughout.


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>> They actually ran through the terminal


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countdown, the final 10 minutes twice.


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The test concluded at 10:16 Eastern


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time, stopping at tminus 29 seconds as


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planned. Now, there was a minor


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communications glitch in the launch


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control center that caused a brief delay


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early in the test and a booster avionics


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voltage anomaly that paused the terminal


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countdown for a short time, but both


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were resolved and NASA declared the


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rehearsal a success.


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>> So, what happens next? Data from the


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rehearsal is being reviewed. There's


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final work to complete at the launchpad,


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including retesting the flight


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termination system, and then a flight


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readiness review has to take place


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before a formal launch date can be set.


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But all signs are pointing to March 6th.


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>> Launch windows for lunar missions are


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quite tight, by the way. They're


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determined by the alignment of the Earth


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and Moon, so you can't just pick any


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day. The available windows are March 6th


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through 9th with an additional


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opportunity on March 11th. If Artemis 2


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launches successfully, it will send four


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human beings on a 10day journey around


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the moon using a free return trajectory,


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meaning that even if the Orion


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spacecraft's propulsion system doesn't


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perform as planned, the crew will still


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safely return to Earth. They splash down


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in the Pacific Ocean.


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>> It will not orbit the moon or land.


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That's Artemis 3's job. But it will take


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people further from Earth than any


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humans have been in over half a century.


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And that is extraordinary.


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>> It really is. We will be following every


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step of this one very closely. March


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6th, people mark your calendars. Now,


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from the very near future to the very


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deep past, cosmologists have spent


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decades trying to understand dark


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matter, the mysterious invisible


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substance that appears to make up about


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27% of the universe and which we've


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never directly detected. And a new paper


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just published in Physical Review D is


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making a bold claim.


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>> Bold claim is something of an


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understatement. The authors say their


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findings represent, and I want to make


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sure I get this right, the first step


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towards the end of dark matter theory.


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>> That's a sentence that would cause an


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awkward silence at a cosmology


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conference.


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>> I imagine so. So, what are they actually


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saying? The paper reports the discovery


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of a significant number of new berionic


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dark matter signals. Now, berionic


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matter is essentially ordinary matter.


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The stuff made of protons, neutrons, and


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electrons. The kind of matter that makes


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up you, me, planets, stars, everything


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we can see and touch.


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>> Right? And the conventional model of


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dark matter says that the mysterious


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missing mass in the universe is made of


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something else entirely. Non-barionic


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matter, exotic particles that don't


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interact with light, which is why we


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can't see it directly. We infer its


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existence from its gravitational effects


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on galaxies.


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>> So if these researchers are finding that


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a lot of what we've been attributing to


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exotic dark matter can actually be


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explained by ordinary berionic matter


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that we just hadn't accounted for


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properly. That's a very significant


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challenge to the standard model.


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>> Now to be clear, the paper doesn't claim


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dark matter doesn't exist. It claims


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this is the beginning of the end of dark


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matter theory as it currently stands.


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Whether that means a revision or a


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revolution, we'll have to wait and see.


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This is the kind of paper that will


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generate a lot of discussion in the


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community over the coming months. We'll


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be keeping a close eye on the responses


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and follow-up research. Fascinating


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stuff.


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>> Now, a very timely heads up for all you


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sky watchers out there. And by timely, I


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mean you may want to check your local


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forecast for tomorrow night. That's


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right. Space weather forecasters are


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currently tracking a large coronal hole


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on the sun that has rotated into what's


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called a geoeffective position, meaning


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it is now pointing directly at Earth.


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So, a coronal hole is a region on the


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sun where the magnetic field lines open


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outward rather than looping back in.


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That configuration allows fastmoving


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solar wind to escape directly into


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space. And when that fast solar wind is


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aimed at us, it can interact with


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Earth's magnetic field and trigger


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geomagnetic storms.


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>> And geomagnetic storms are what drive


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auroras, the northern and southern


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lights. The effects from this particular


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coronal hole are currently expected to


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arrive around February 22nd. That's


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tomorrow. Forecasters are predicting the


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solar wind interaction could disturb


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Earth's magnetic field and boost aurora


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activity.


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>> Conditions today are relatively quiet.


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The corona hole driven effects from a


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previous solar windream are fading, but


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tomorrow night could be a different


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story. If you're in higher latitude


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regions, northern parts of the US,


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Canada, the UK, Scandinavia, southern


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New Zealand, and Australia, it's worth


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watching the skies after dark.


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>> We should also mention that in the past


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few days, Earth's sky has been tracking


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some very dramatic solar features. Twin


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prominences visible on opposite sides of


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the sun simultaneously, glowing in data


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from the GO 19 satellite. Solar activity


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is really putting on a show right now.


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We're deep in solar cycle 25 and the sun


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is reminding us who's boss.


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>> Keep an eye on spaceweather.com and


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earthsy for live updates as that solar


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wind approaches. And fingers crossed for


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clear skies.


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>> All right, let's head to the red planet.


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If there's one resource that will make


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or break any long-term human presence on


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Mars, it's water. You need it for


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drinking, for growing food, for


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producing rocket fuel. And new research


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is suggesting that accessible water ice


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on Mars may be closer to the equator


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than scientists previously believed.


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>> This matters enormously from an


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exploration standpoint. When we talk


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about water ice on Mars, we typically


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think of the poles. There are


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substantial ice caps at both Martian


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poles, and they're well doumented. But


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the poles are extremely difficult to


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reach. They're incredibly cold and they


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fall under strict planetary protection


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protocols because of the possibility of


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contaminating any potential microbial


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life.


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>> So, the ideal scenario for human


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explorers and for rovers doing science


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has always been to find water ice at


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lower latitudes closer to the equator


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where temperatures are more manageable


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and landing is easier. And this new


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research from a paper published in ACTA


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Astronautica suggests that may be more


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achievable than we thought.


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>> The researchers proposed new methods for


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dealing with one of the key challenges


00:10:46.160 --> 00:10:49.030
of equatorial water ice extraction, the


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jagged, clingy nature of Martian


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regalith or lunar dust. Martian dust


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gets into everything. and they describe


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flexible electronamic dust shields that


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could help manage the dust problem and


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make water extraction at equatorial


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sites more viable.


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>> So, the picture is increasingly


00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.550
optimistic for Mars exploration. If


00:11:10.560 --> 00:11:12.949
future missions can confirm accessible


00:11:12.959 --> 00:11:15.590
ice deposits at mid latitudes and


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develop the technology to extract and


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process that water efficiently, a


00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:22.870
long-term human presence on Mars becomes


00:11:22.880 --> 00:11:25.750
significantly more realistic. one step


00:11:25.760 --> 00:11:27.670
at a time, but each of these steps


00:11:27.680 --> 00:11:30.470
matters. Really encouraging research.


00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:33.190
>> Now, I mentioned in the intro that super


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massive black holes have been going


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after the neighbors. Let me explain what


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I mean by that because the new research


00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:42.389
here is genuinely striking.


00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:44.790
>> We've known for some time that active


00:11:44.800 --> 00:11:47.110
super massive black holes, the kind


00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:49.190
found that the centers of galaxies that


00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:51.670
are actively feeding on material, can


00:11:51.680 --> 00:11:53.829
have a profound effect on their host


00:11:53.839 --> 00:11:56.630
galaxy. Specifically, they can heat and


00:11:56.640 --> 00:11:58.710
disperse gas, shutting down the


00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:01.350
conditions needed for new stars to form.


00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:03.190
Effectively, they can kill their own


00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:06.389
galaxy. But astronomers have now found


00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:08.310
evidence that the most luminous of


00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:11.670
these, called quazars, don't stop there.


00:12:11.680 --> 00:12:13.910
New research using data from the James


00:12:13.920 --> 00:12:16.470
Web telescope shows that the powerful


00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:19.269
radiation and outflows of quazars can


00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:21.670
suppress star formation in neighboring


00:12:21.680 --> 00:12:24.310
galaxies as well. galaxies that aren't


00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:27.030
even directly hosting the black hole.


00:12:27.040 --> 00:12:29.030
>> They're basically firing across the


00:12:29.040 --> 00:12:31.350
cosmic neighborhood. The energy output


00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:33.590
of an active quazar is so immense that


00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:35.829
its effects can extend beyond its own


00:12:35.839 --> 00:12:37.910
galaxy and reach into surrounding


00:12:37.920 --> 00:12:40.069
systems, cutting off the gas supply


00:12:40.079 --> 00:12:42.310
those nearby galaxies need to form new


00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:45.590
stars. Researchers are now calling them


00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.910
super massive serial killers. And


00:12:47.920 --> 00:12:49.829
honestly, given what the data shows,


00:12:49.839 --> 00:12:52.629
that label feels pretty accurate. What's


00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:54.389
particularly significant is the


00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:56.310
implication for our understanding of


00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:58.949
galaxy evolution. If black holes can


00:12:58.959 --> 00:13:01.509
shape not just their host galaxies, but


00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:04.150
entire cosmic neighborhoods, that's a


00:13:04.160 --> 00:13:06.069
much bigger role than we previously


00:13:06.079 --> 00:13:08.710
appreciated. The James Web Space


00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:10.629
Telescope continues to rewrite the


00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:12.949
textbooks. This research adds another


00:13:12.959 --> 00:13:14.790
compelling chapter to the story of how


00:13:14.800 --> 00:13:16.949
these extraordinary objects have helped


00:13:16.959 --> 00:13:18.870
sculpt the large-scale structure of the


00:13:18.880 --> 00:13:21.829
universe we see today. terrifying and


00:13:21.839 --> 00:13:24.389
magnificent in equal measure, which is


00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:26.389
kind of the theme of black hole research


00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:27.350
generally.


00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:29.750
>> And finally, let's end on a story that's


00:13:29.760 --> 00:13:32.470
part triumph, part nailbiter. On


00:13:32.480 --> 00:13:35.350
Thursday, February 19th, SpaceX launched


00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:37.430
29 Starling satellites from Cape


00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:39.750
Canaveral and successfully landed the


00:13:39.760 --> 00:13:41.910
Falcon 9 first stage booster, not at


00:13:41.920 --> 00:13:43.750
their usual landing zones in Florida or


00:13:43.760 --> 00:13:45.350
their drone ships in the Atlantic or


00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:48.710
Pacific, but in the Bahamas. Now, this


00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:51.590
is only the second time ever that SpaceX


00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:53.829
has landed a Falcon 9 booster in the


00:13:53.839 --> 00:13:56.069
Bahamas. The first time was not very


00:13:56.079 --> 00:13:58.310
long ago, so this is still very much a


00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:00.470
novelty. And what made this one


00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:02.870
particularly dramatic was the quote that


00:14:02.880 --> 00:14:05.670
came out of SpaceX after the landing.


00:14:05.680 --> 00:14:08.069
>> Yes, someone at SpaceX said, and I


00:14:08.079 --> 00:14:10.629
quote, "We almost did have a really


00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:11.990
terrible day."


00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:13.910
>> Which is not the kind of post-launch


00:14:13.920 --> 00:14:15.750
statement that fills you with warmth and


00:14:15.760 --> 00:14:18.389
reassurance. SpaceX haven't elaborated


00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:20.870
extensively on what almost went wrong,


00:14:20.880 --> 00:14:22.629
but the fact that the booster landed


00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:24.629
safely is obviously the key outcome


00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:25.269
here.


00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:27.430
>> The Bahamas landing site gives SpaceX


00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:29.350
more flexibility for certain orbital


00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:31.829
trajectories, particularly for Starlink


00:14:31.839 --> 00:14:33.430
missions launching from Cape Canaveral,


00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:35.350
where the geometry of the orbit makes a


00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:37.430
Bahamas landing more efficient than


00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:39.110
trying to bring the booster all the way


00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:41.590
back to Florida. SpaceX have now


00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:43.910
launched and landed hundreds of Falcon 9


00:14:43.920 --> 00:14:46.470
boosters. The reusability program has


00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:48.629
fundamentally transformed the economics


00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:51.030
of spaceflight. But moments like this


00:14:51.040 --> 00:14:53.269
are a reminder that rocket recovery,


00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:55.269
even after hundreds of successful


00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:58.629
attempts, still demands total precision


00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:00.310
every single time.


00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:02.470
>> Every landing is a controlled miracle


00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:04.629
when you think about it. Very glad this


00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:06.550
one worked out. Congratulations to the


00:15:06.560 --> 00:15:07.750
SpaceX team.


00:15:07.760 --> 00:15:09.990
>> And that is your Astronomy Daily for


00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:13.829
Saturday, February 21st, 2026. What a


00:15:13.839 --> 00:15:16.389
lineup. Artemis 2 on the launchpad with


00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:18.710
the crew in quarantine. Dark matter


00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:21.030
theory under pressure. Solar storms


00:15:21.040 --> 00:15:23.269
heading our way. Water on Mars getting


00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:25.509
more accessible. Black holes on a


00:15:25.519 --> 00:15:28.230
neighborhood killing spree. And a SpaceX


00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:30.310
rocket making only its second ever


00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:32.710
Bahamas landing. Not a bad day's news


00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:34.069
from the cosmos.


00:15:34.079 --> 00:15:36.069
>> If you enjoyed today's episode, please


00:15:36.079 --> 00:15:37.430
subscribe wherever you get your


00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:39.910
podcasts. Leave us a review. It really


00:15:39.920 --> 00:15:41.990
does help the show grow. and share us


00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.150
with a fellow space enthusiast. You can


00:15:44.160 --> 00:15:46.230
find all our show notes, links, and more


00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:48.710
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00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:50.629
and follow us on social media at


00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:51.910
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00:15:51.920 --> 00:15:53.829
>> We'll be back Monday with more of the


00:15:53.839 --> 00:15:56.629
universe's finest headlines. Until then,


00:15:56.639 --> 00:15:57.910
keep looking up


00:15:57.920 --> 00:16:11.509
>> and stay curious, everyone. Take care.


00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:19.509
Stories told


00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:22.240
stories