From Stellar Winds to Martian Caves - Your Daily Space Update

WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:02.609
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, the podcast


00:00:02.619 --> 00:00:04.390
[music] that brings you the universe,


00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:07.030
one story at a time. I'm Avery.


00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:09.110
>> And I'm Anna. It's great to have you


00:00:09.120 --> 00:00:11.270
with us. Today, we've [music] got a


00:00:11.280 --> 00:00:13.669
packed episode. We'll be looking at how


00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:15.910
giant stars might be spreading life's


00:00:15.920 --> 00:00:17.750
building blocks in a way we never


00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:18.630
expected.


00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:19.990
>> We'll also dive into [music] the


00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:22.630
mysterious origins of hot Jupiters,


00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:24.710
check out some newly discovered caves on


00:00:24.720 --> 00:00:26.845
Mars that could be hiding signs of life,


00:00:26.855 --> 00:00:28.870
[music] and take a breathtaking tour of


00:00:28.880 --> 00:00:31.189
the cosmos. courtesy of the James Webb


00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:32.549
Space [music] Telescope.


00:00:32.559 --> 00:00:34.709
>> Plus, a roundup of rocket launches this


00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:36.790
week and a significant step forward for


00:00:36.800 --> 00:00:38.869
Iran's space program. So, let's [music]


00:00:38.879 --> 00:00:40.709
get started with our first story, which


00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:42.790
could rewrite our understanding of how


00:00:42.800 --> 00:00:44.950
stars seed the cosmos. [music]


00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:47.430
>> I'm intrigued. What's the latest?


00:00:47.440 --> 00:00:49.270
>> Well, for a long time, astronomers


00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:51.190
believed that the winds from red giant


00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:53.910
stars were driven by a simple mechanism.


00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:55.910
The pressure of starlight pushing on


00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:57.670
tiny grains of dust.


00:00:57.680 --> 00:00:59.750
>> Right? Like a solar sail but on a


00:00:59.760 --> 00:01:02.069
microscopic scale. This process was


00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:03.750
thought to be responsible for spreading


00:01:03.760 --> 00:01:05.750
heavy elements like the carbon in our


00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:07.910
bodies across the galaxy.


00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:10.469
>> Exactly. But a new study focusing on the


00:01:10.479 --> 00:01:13.270
red giant star R Datus is challenging


00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:15.830
that entire idea. After careful


00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:17.990
observation, researchers found that the


00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:20.310
dust grains forming around this star are


00:01:20.320 --> 00:01:22.230
simply too small.


00:01:22.240 --> 00:01:24.950
>> Too small. So, the push from the stars


00:01:24.960 --> 00:01:26.950
light isn't strong enough to drive the


00:01:26.960 --> 00:01:29.270
stellar wind out into space.


00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:31.590
>> Precisely. The physics just doesn't add


00:01:31.600 --> 00:01:34.149
up. This suggests other more powerful


00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:36.469
forces must be at play. The study points


00:01:36.479 --> 00:01:38.789
to possibilities like giant convective


00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:41.109
bubbles similar to water boiling in a


00:01:41.119 --> 00:01:43.990
pot or powerful stellar pulsations that


00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:46.630
physically throw material outwards.


00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:49.510
>> Wow. So, it's less of a gentle push and


00:01:49.520 --> 00:01:52.069
more of a cosmic eruption. That's a huge


00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:53.429
shift in thinking.


00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:55.590
>> It is. It means we have to reconsider


00:01:55.600 --> 00:01:57.910
one of the fundamental processes of how


00:01:57.920 --> 00:01:59.910
galaxies are enriched with the elements


00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:02.709
necessary for planets and ultimately for


00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:04.069
life itself.


00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:06.069
>> From the end of a star's life, let's


00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:08.389
jump to the formation of planets. We're


00:02:08.399 --> 00:02:10.150
talking about one of the strangest types


00:02:10.160 --> 00:02:12.390
of exoplanets out there, the hot


00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:13.670
Jupiters.


00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:16.390
>> Mhm. These are gas giants much like our


00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:18.630
own Jupiter, but they orbit incredibly


00:02:18.640 --> 00:02:21.110
close to their host stars, completing a


00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:23.750
full year in just a few Earth days. The


00:02:23.760 --> 00:02:26.070
big question has always been, how did


00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:27.190
they get there?


00:02:27.200 --> 00:02:29.190
>> One popular theory was called high


00:02:29.200 --> 00:02:31.670
eccentricity migration. It's a pretty


00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:33.830
chaotic process where a planet gets


00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:35.670
knocked around by other objects in the


00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:38.070
system, eventually flinging it into a


00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:40.550
tight close orbit. It sounds very


00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:42.949
violent, but new research looking at


00:02:42.959 --> 00:02:45.750
over 500 of these hot Jupiters suggests


00:02:45.760 --> 00:02:48.150
a much gentler path for many of them.


00:02:48.160 --> 00:02:50.150
The study found that about 30 of these


00:02:50.160 --> 00:02:52.070
worlds likely formed through a process


00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:53.910
called disc migration.


00:02:53.920 --> 00:02:56.070
>> Disc migration. So what does that


00:02:56.080 --> 00:02:57.990
entail? Is it calmer?


00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:00.150
>> Much calmer. In this scenario, the


00:03:00.160 --> 00:03:02.070
planet forms much farther out in the


00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:04.790
protolanetary disc, that big swirl of


00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:07.110
gas and dust a star is born from, and


00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:09.910
then it slowly spirals inward, migrating


00:03:09.920 --> 00:03:11.670
through the disc material until it


00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:14.229
settles into a close orbit. That makes


00:03:14.239 --> 00:03:16.390
sense. So, it's not always a game of


00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:18.630
planetary pinball. This really adds


00:03:18.640 --> 00:03:20.070
another important layer to our


00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:21.990
understanding of how planetary systems


00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:24.869
can evolve. Now, let's bring our focus a


00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:26.470
little closer to home with a quick


00:03:26.480 --> 00:03:28.550
roundup of recent and upcoming rocket


00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:30.949
launches. It's been a busy period as we


00:03:30.959 --> 00:03:34.550
close out 2025 and head into 2026.


00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:37.350
>> Absolutely. China has been particularly


00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:40.070
active with two recent launches. A Chong


00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:42.710
Xang 4B rocket took flight, as did a


00:03:42.720 --> 00:03:44.550
Chong Xang 7A.


00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:46.550
>> Meanwhile, SpaceX has been wrapping up


00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:48.470
its year. A Falcon 9 mission


00:03:48.480 --> 00:03:51.430
successfully deployed the CSG3 satellite


00:03:51.440 --> 00:03:53.589
for the Italian Space Agency, which


00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:55.509
officially marked the company's final


00:03:55.519 --> 00:03:58.390
mission for 2025. Right. And they're not


00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:00.390
wasting any time in the new year. The


00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:03.110
very first launch scheduled for 2026 is


00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:05.750
another Falcon 9. This time carrying a


00:04:05.760 --> 00:04:07.750
fresh batch of Starling satellites into


00:04:07.760 --> 00:04:10.550
orbit. The pace just never seems to slow


00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:11.350
down.


00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:13.589
>> It certainly doesn't. Sticking with our


00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:15.589
solar system, we have some incredible


00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:17.590
news from Mars that I'm very excited


00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:18.390
about.


00:04:18.400 --> 00:04:20.069
>> Oh, what's that?


00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:22.230
>> Chinese researchers have identified what


00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:24.550
they believe are eight potential carst


00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:27.749
caves in a region called Hebris Val.


00:04:27.759 --> 00:04:30.790
>> Carst caves. Okay. So, these aren't the


00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:33.110
usual volcanic lava tubes we've talked


00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:34.790
about before on the show.


00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:36.790
>> Exactly. And that's what makes this so


00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:39.350
significant. Carst caves are formed when


00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:41.670
water dissolves soluble rock like


00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:43.990
limestone. This is the first time this


00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:45.590
specific type of cave has been


00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:47.670
identified on Mars and it's a huge


00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:49.990
indicator of past water activity.


00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:52.870
>> Water, that's the magic word. So, this


00:04:52.880 --> 00:04:54.550
is a massive deal for the search for


00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:55.590
life, isn't it?


00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:58.070
>> It's a potential gamecher. The surface


00:04:58.080 --> 00:05:00.710
of Mars is blasted with harsh radiation


00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:02.790
which would destroy any delicate signs


00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:05.670
of life. But deep inside these caves,


00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:07.430
ancient bio signatures could have been


00:05:07.440 --> 00:05:09.350
preserved for billions of years,


00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:11.029
perfectly shielded from that hostile


00:05:11.039 --> 00:05:12.070
environment.


00:05:12.080 --> 00:05:14.230
>> They're like natural time capsules.


00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:15.990
These caves must have just shot to the


00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:17.830
top of the list for places we need to


00:05:17.840 --> 00:05:20.710
explore on Mars. Absolutely fascinating


00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:21.430
stuff.


00:05:21.440 --> 00:05:23.749
>> It really is. And from searching for


00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:26.070
hidden life to just admiring the sheer


00:05:26.080 --> 00:05:28.070
beauty of the universe, let's talk about


00:05:28.080 --> 00:05:30.310
the James Web Space Telescope.


00:05:30.320 --> 00:05:32.230
>> Right. It's hard to believe, but it


00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:33.749
recently celebrated the fourth


00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:35.670
anniversary of its launch.


00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:38.390
>> Four years of revolutionary science. To


00:05:38.400 --> 00:05:40.310
mark the occasion, the European Space


00:05:40.320 --> 00:05:42.710
Agency released a spectacular video that


00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:44.550
they're calling a fly through of the


00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:45.430
cosmos.


00:05:45.440 --> 00:05:47.590
>> I saw this and it is stunning. They've


00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:49.510
taken some of web's most iconic


00:05:49.520 --> 00:05:51.990
highresolution images and created these


00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.469
incredible zoomins. You feel like you're


00:05:54.479 --> 00:05:56.469
actually soaring through nebulas and


00:05:56.479 --> 00:05:59.029
past distant galaxy clusters. It gives


00:05:59.039 --> 00:06:01.270
you a real sense of depth and scale that


00:06:01.280 --> 00:06:02.870
you don't always get from a static


00:06:02.880 --> 00:06:05.029
image. They take you on this immersive


00:06:05.039 --> 00:06:07.270
journey through star forming regions and


00:06:07.280 --> 00:06:09.430
ancient galaxies. We'll be sure to put a


00:06:09.440 --> 00:06:10.950
link in the show notes because it's


00:06:10.960 --> 00:06:12.550
something you really have to see to


00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:13.510
believe.


00:06:13.520 --> 00:06:15.990
>> Definitely. It's a fantastic reminder of


00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:17.670
just how much this incredible


00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:19.990
observatory has shown us in only four


00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:22.710
years. For a final story today, we turn


00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:24.870
our attention back to Earth orbit.


00:06:24.880 --> 00:06:26.790
>> That's right. Iran has made a


00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:28.629
significant advancement in its national


00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:30.950
space program. The country successfully


00:06:30.960 --> 00:06:33.029
launched three of its domestically built


00:06:33.039 --> 00:06:35.590
earth observation satellites.


00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:38.950
>> The satellites are named PA Zafar 2 and


00:06:38.960 --> 00:06:41.430
Kowsar. And what's also notable here is


00:06:41.440 --> 00:06:42.950
how they got to orbit.


00:06:42.960 --> 00:06:44.870
>> The launch was conducted on a Russian


00:06:44.880 --> 00:06:46.629
Soyuse rocket taking off from the


00:06:46.639 --> 00:06:49.029
Vistoni Cosmodrome in Russia.


00:06:49.039 --> 00:06:51.029
>> This really highlights the growing space


00:06:51.039 --> 00:06:53.189
collaboration between the two nations.


00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:55.590
It provides Iran with reliable access to


00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:57.990
orbit while Russia gains a partner in


00:06:58.000 --> 00:06:59.670
various space activities.


00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:01.589
>> It's a major milestone for Iran's


00:07:01.599 --> 00:07:03.510
ambitions in space, allowing them to


00:07:03.520 --> 00:07:05.510
gather their own data for environmental


00:07:05.520 --> 00:07:07.589
monitoring, agriculture, and other


00:07:07.599 --> 00:07:09.670
national applications. It's a very


00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:11.189
strategic development.


00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:12.790
>> And that's all the time we have for


00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:15.110
today on Astronomy Daily. From the winds


00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:17.909
of red giants to hidden caves on Mars,


00:07:17.919 --> 00:07:19.990
the universe truly never fails to


00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:21.029
surprise us.


00:07:21.039 --> 00:07:22.790
>> We hope you've enjoyed the journey. You


00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:24.390
can find links to some of the things we


00:07:24.400 --> 00:07:26.390
discussed, including that incredible


00:07:26.400 --> 00:07:28.390
James Webb anniversary video on our


00:07:28.400 --> 00:07:31.029
website at astronomydaily.io.


00:07:31.039 --> 00:07:32.870
We'd love it if you'd subscribe wherever


00:07:32.880 --> 00:07:34.550
you get your podcasts. Thanks so much


00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:35.589
for tuning in.


00:07:35.599 --> 00:07:37.909
>> Until next time, keep looking up.


00:07:37.919 --> 00:07:41.029
Astronomy [music] day.


00:07:41.039 --> 00:07:49.029
Stories been told.


00:07:49.039 --> 00:07:52.759
Stories [music] told.