Launch Delays, Evolving Dark Matter, and Traces of a Catastrophic Solar Event

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Language: en

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Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your cosmic


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companion for all things space. I'm


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Anna, and I'm thrilled to bring you


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today's celestial roundup of the most


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fascinating developments from across the


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universe. Today, we're exploring a


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diverse constellation of space news that


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spans from our own backyard to the very


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heart of our galaxy. We'll start with


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the latest on SpaceX's Starship program,


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where the FAA has made some crucial


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decisions about Flight 9 following


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March's explosive setback. Then we'll


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jet off to Australia where a historic


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rocket second launch attempt was


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scrubbed at the last minute due to an


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unexpected glitch with a most peculiar


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payload aboard. Our journey takes us


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deeper into space as we discover


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something truly remarkable. Planets


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forming in the extreme environment at


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the center of our Milky Way, challenging


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what scientists thought possible about


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planetary


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formation. We'll also delve into


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theoretical physics with a fascinating


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new proposal about dark matter. Could


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this mysterious substance actually be


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evolving over time? The answer might


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solve one of cosmologyy's most


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persistent puzzles. And finally, we'll


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travel back in time to discover evidence


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of what may be the most violent solar


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storm ever to hit Earth. A cosmic event


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so powerful it left traces we can still


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detect 14,300 years later. So, buckle up


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for a journey across space and time as


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we explore today's biggest astronomical


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breakthroughs.


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Let's start with some SpaceX news. The


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Federal Aviation Administration has


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given SpaceX a conditional green light


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for its ninth Starship flight, approving


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license modifications, but stopping


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short of authorizing an immediate


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launch. This decision comes in the wake


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of Flight 8's explosion in March, which


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created significant disruptions in our


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skies. Before Elon Musk's massive rocket


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can take to the launchpad again, SpaceX


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must wait for the FAA to either close


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its investigation into the flight 8


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mishap or make a specific return to


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flight determination. As you might


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recall, the previous test ended


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dramatically when the spacecraft began


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spinning uncontrollably with its engines


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cut off before exploding in space. That


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incident wasn't just a setback for


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SpaceX. It disrupted approximately 240


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flights with space debris concerns


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forcing more than 24 aircraft into


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diversions. It's a stark reminder that


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even events happening in space can have


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very real consequences for air travel


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here on Earth. The FAA is currently


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reviewing SpaceX's mishap report, which


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was only submitted on May 14th. When


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Flight 9 does eventually launch, we'll


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see expanded safety measures, including


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larger aircraft and maritime hazard


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areas both in the United States and


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other countries. This expansion stems


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directly from the March explosion and


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reflects another notable first Space X


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plans to reuse a previously launched


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Superheavy booster rocket, marking an


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important milestone in the company's


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reusability goals. The impact on air


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travel will be substantial when the


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launch eventually proceeds. The flight


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path will affect air routes extending


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1,600 nautical miles eastward from Texas


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through the Straits of Florida. Both the


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Bahamas and Turks and Kaikos are


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expected to close their airspace up to


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6,000 ft, while the FAA will close


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airspace above that level. All told, the


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agency estimates about 175 flights will


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be


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affected. In a separate but related


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decision, the FAA has also approved


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increasing the number of launches at


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SpaceX's Bokeh Chica, Texas facility


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from five to as many as 25, a


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significant expansion of operations that


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had actually been announced back in


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March. While these setbacks may seem


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disappointing, it's worth remembering


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the ambitious nature of what SpaceX is


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attempting. The Starship system stands


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at a towering 403 feet and represents


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the centerpiece of Musk's vision to


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eventually send humans to Mars,


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potentially as soon as the turn of the


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decade. The March explosion marked the


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second consecutive failure in SpaceX's


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test launch program, following another


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explosion in the seventh test flight.


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Both incidents occurred during early


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mission phases that SpaceX had


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previously navigated successfully,


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highlighting the ongoing challenges in


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developing such revolutionary


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technology.


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Next, an update from Australia. In what


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would have been a historic moment for


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Australia's space industry, Gilmore


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Space Technologies has been forced to


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postpone its eagerly anticipated rocket


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launch after discovering a glitch in the


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nose cone mechanism. This would have


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marked the first time an Australian-made


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rocket reached orbit from Australian


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soil. The company reported Friday that


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an electrical fault erroneously


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triggered the opening mechanism of the


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carbon fiber nose cone during pre-flight


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testing. In short, the nose cone fell


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off. This critical component is designed


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to shield the payload. In this case,


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quite charmingly, a jar of Vegemite as


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the rocket ascends through Earth's


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atmosphere. Fortunately, the mishap


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occurred before fueling began at the


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company's spaceport near Bowen, a


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coastal township situated about 1,000 km


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north of Brisbane in Queensland. Both


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the rocket and ground crew were unharmed


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in the incident. CEO Adam Gilmore


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maintained an optimistic outlook despite


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the setback, stating, "While we're


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disappointed by the delay, we're already


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working through a resolution and expect


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to be back on the pad soon." He


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emphasized that safety remains their


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highest priority. A sentiment echoed by


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communications chief Michelle Gilmore


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who noted that the team is accustomed to


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such challenges. We do rockets. They are


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used to


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setbacks. The 23 m three-stage Aerys


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rocket represents a significant


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achievement in Australian aerospace


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engineering. Weighing 30 tons when fully


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fueled, it employs a hybrid propulsion


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system combining solid inert fuel with a


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liquid oxidizer. The team expects the


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delay to last at least a few weeks as


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they transport a replacement nose cone


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to the launch site. This postponement


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follows another delay just the previous


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day caused by a bug in the external


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power system used for system checks.


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These consecutive setbacks highlight the


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inherent challenges in rocket


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development even for a company with a


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decade of experience in the field. The


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choice of Vegemite as payload speaks to


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the Australian character of the mission


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with Michelle Gilmore describing the


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iconic spread as hearty, resilient like


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Aussies. The payload reportedly remained


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intact despite the nose cone


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malfunction. With 230 employees and


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backing from venture capital group


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Blackbird and pension fund Ha, Gilmore


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Space Technologies has ambitious plans.


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While this test flight has been delayed,


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the company remains focused on beginning


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commercial launches by late 2026 or


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early 2027, potentially establishing


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Australia as a significant player in the


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increasingly competitive commercial


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space launch


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industry. Let's move on out to some


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space news. In a groundbreaking


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discovery that challenges our


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understanding of planetary formation,


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astronomers have found evidence of


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protolanetary discs forming in the most


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extreme environment of our galaxy. its


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very center. An international team from


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Ping University, the Shanghai


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Astronomical Observatory, and the


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University of Cologne conducted the most


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detailed survey yet of the Milky Way


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central molecular zone or CMZ, revealing


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that planets may be forming in places we


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never


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expected. Protolanetary discs are


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essentially cosmic nurseries, swirling


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rings of gas and dust surrounding young


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stars where planets are born. Within


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these structures, tiny dust particles


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collide and stick together, gradually


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building into pebbles, boulders, and


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eventually planetary embryos through a


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process called core accretion. As these


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embryionic planets grow, they leave


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behind distinctive patterns that


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astronomers can detect with advanced


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telescopes. What makes this discovery so


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remarkable is the location. The galactic


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center presents incredibly harsh


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conditions with intense radiation,


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strong magnetic fields, and turbulent


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gas clouds. Environments previously


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thought hostile to planet formation.


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Yet, the research team identified over


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500 dense cores where stars are forming


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under these remarkably different


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conditions. Detecting these systems was


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no small feat. The central molecular


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zone is approximately 17 billion


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astronomical units away and heavily


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obscured by dust. To overcome these


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challenges, the team employed the


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Adakama Large Millimeter Array or ALMA


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in Chile. This powerful radio telescope


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combines signals from widely spaced


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antennas to achieve extraordinary


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resolution, allowing researchers to


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observe structures as small as 1,000


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astronomical units despite the immense


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distance. The team used a clever


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approach called dualband imaging,


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capturing two wavelengths at the same


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resolution to gather critical data on


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temperature, dust composition, and


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structure.


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What particularly surprised researchers


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was that over 70% of the dense cores


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appeared redder than expected,


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suggesting the presence of protolanetary


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discs. As Fun Shu from the University of


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Cologne's Institute of Astrophysics


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described it, we were astonished to see


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these little red dots across the whole


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molecular clouds. They are telling us


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the hidden nature of dense star forming


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cores. The findings suggest there may be


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over 300 potential disc forming systems


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in just three CMZ clouds, opening a new


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window into how planetary systems might


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form under radically different


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conditions than those near our sun. This


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diversity in planet forming environments


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could have profound implications for our


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understanding of exoplanet populations


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throughout the galaxy. If planets can


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form in the turbulent highpress


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environment at the galactic center, it


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suggests the building blocks of


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planetary systems are far more resilient


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and adaptable than previously thought.


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As astronomers continue to study these


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distant protolanetary discs, we may soon


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discover whether these early formations


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can indeed evolve into full planetary


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systems and how such processes might


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differ across the vast expanse of the


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Milky Way.


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Next up, everybody's favorite subject,


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dark matter. For a while now,


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cosmologists have been wrestling with a


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perplexing mystery known as the Hubble


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tension problem. While observations


00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:24.790
consistently support the expanding


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universe model, there's a troubling


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discrepancy. Measurements from the early


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cosmos show a lower acceleration rate


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than what we observe locally. This


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inconsistency has led scientists to


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propose numerous potential solutions


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from questioning general relativity to


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rethinking dark matter entirely. Now, a


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fascinating new theory has emerged that


00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:48.790
puts a fresh spin on dark matter. What


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if it evolves over time? This concept is


00:10:51.760 --> 00:10:53.350
particularly novel because while


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evolving dark energy has been proposed


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before, the idea of dark matter changing


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over time hasn't received much attention


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from researchers. There are good reasons


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for this oversight. First, we have


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excellent observational evidence for


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dark matter. It appears to be some kind


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of material that doesn't interact


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strongly with light, perfectly


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explaining galaxy rotation curves and


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gravitational lensing. The only major


00:11:15.839 --> 00:11:18.150
gap is our inability to directly detect


00:11:18.160 --> 00:11:21.190
dark matter particles. Second, most


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critics of dark matter theory focus on


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eliminating it entirely through


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alternative models like modified gravity


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rather than refining the concept. What


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makes this new approach interesting is


00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:33.910
how it flips our thinking. Researchers


00:11:33.920 --> 00:11:35.910
have found that models with evolving


00:11:35.920 --> 00:11:38.710
dark matter and constant dark energy can


00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:40.710
produce results similar to those with


00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:43.030
constant dark matter and evolving dark


00:11:43.040 --> 00:11:45.910
energy. To match observations, they


00:11:45.920 --> 00:11:47.750
propose that dark matter must have a


00:11:47.760 --> 00:11:49.829
changeable equation of state that


00:11:49.839 --> 00:11:52.230
oscillates over time. This isn't


00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:54.630
actually as strange as it might sound.


00:11:54.640 --> 00:11:57.750
Consider nutrinos. They have mass, don't


00:11:57.760 --> 00:11:59.829
interact strongly with light, and are


00:11:59.839 --> 00:12:02.310
effectively a form of hot dark matter,


00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:03.750
though they can't account for all the


00:12:03.760 --> 00:12:05.230
dark matter in the


00:12:05.240 --> 00:12:07.990
universe. Importantly, nutrinos undergo


00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:10.550
mass oscillation. Perhaps cold dark


00:12:10.560 --> 00:12:12.430
matter particles experience something


00:12:12.440 --> 00:12:15.430
similar. The researcher model suggests


00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:18.150
that roughly 15% of cold dark matter


00:12:18.160 --> 00:12:21.350
might be oscilly with the remaining 85%


00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:23.590
being standard dark matter. This


00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:25.190
combination would address the Hubble


00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:27.269
tension while remaining consistent with


00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:28.910
our other dark matter


00:12:28.920 --> 00:12:30.949
observations. It's worth emphasizing


00:12:30.959 --> 00:12:32.949
that this remains a conceptual model


00:12:32.959 --> 00:12:34.790
without specific constraints for dark


00:12:34.800 --> 00:12:37.110
matter particles. The researchers


00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:40.150
themselves describe it as a toy model, a


00:12:40.160 --> 00:12:41.750
simplified framework that captures


00:12:41.760 --> 00:12:43.389
essential features while omitting


00:12:43.399 --> 00:12:45.829
details. Nevertheless, it opens an


00:12:45.839 --> 00:12:47.990
intriguing new avenue for dark matter


00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:49.670
research that broadens our thinking


00:12:49.680 --> 00:12:52.150
beyond conventional models. As we


00:12:52.160 --> 00:12:53.990
continue to gather data and refine our


00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:56.470
understanding of the cosmos, evolving


00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:58.310
dark matter might prove to be a valuable


00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:00.230
piece in solving one of astrophysics's


00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:02.710
most persistent puzzles. At the very


00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:04.310
least, it demonstrates how creative


00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:06.150
thinking can help us tackle even the


00:13:06.160 --> 00:13:08.910
most fundamental questions about our


00:13:08.920 --> 00:13:11.030
universe. Finally, today, a little


00:13:11.040 --> 00:13:14.269
history lesson. Imagine discovering that


00:13:14.279 --> 00:13:17.269
14,300 years ago, our planet was struck


00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:20.069
by a cosmic event so powerful it left


00:13:20.079 --> 00:13:22.150
physical evidence that scientists can


00:13:22.160 --> 00:13:24.790
still detect today. That's exactly what


00:13:24.800 --> 00:13:26.790
researchers have uncovered. The most


00:13:26.800 --> 00:13:29.430
violent solar storm in recorded history,


00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:31.509
dwarfing anything we've experienced in


00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:34.230
modern times. By examining partially


00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:36.310
fossilized tree trunks and ancient ice


00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:38.790
cores, scientists found unmistakable


00:13:38.800 --> 00:13:40.550
signatures of an extraordinary event


00:13:40.560 --> 00:13:44.550
that occurred around 12,350 B.CE. Using


00:13:44.560 --> 00:13:46.470
a specially developed climate chemistry


00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:50.230
model called Soal 14 CX. Researchers


00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:51.829
have now confirmed this was a massive


00:13:51.839 --> 00:13:53.430
solar storm, the biggest we've ever


00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:55.670
found evidence for. To put this in


00:13:55.680 --> 00:13:57.750
perspective, the ancient storm was more


00:13:57.760 --> 00:13:59.990
than 500 times more intense than the


00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:01.910
largest event of the modern satellite


00:14:01.920 --> 00:14:03.829
era, which occurred in 2005. That's


00:14:03.839 --> 00:14:05.590
simply staggering when you consider the


00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:06.509
potential


00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:08.629
impacts. For those wondering how


00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:10.230
scientists can possibly know about


00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:12.550
something that happened so long ago, the


00:14:12.560 --> 00:14:15.590
answer lies in radioactive carbon 14.


00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:17.750
When the sun unleashes a powerful


00:14:17.760 --> 00:14:20.150
coronal mass ejection, essentially


00:14:20.160 --> 00:14:22.310
billions of tons of plasma with embedded


00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:24.629
magnetic fields, the particles interact


00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:26.550
with our atmosphere to temporarily


00:14:26.560 --> 00:14:29.269
increase carbon 14 production. This


00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:31.509
carbon 14 gets incorporated into living


00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:33.590
organisms like trees, creating a


00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:35.430
distinctive spike in tree rings from


00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:38.310
that period. Since carbon 14 decays at a


00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:40.310
known rate, scientists can precisely


00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:41.910
date these events and even determine


00:14:41.920 --> 00:14:45.069
their relative strength. What makes the


00:14:45.079 --> 00:14:47.509
12,350 before common era event


00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:49.590
particularly significant is that it's


00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:52.470
the only known extreme solar particle


00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:55.110
event outside the holysine epic, the


00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:57.590
relatively stable warm climate period of


00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:00.629
the past 12,000 years. This required the


00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:02.389
researchers to develop new modeling


00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:04.230
approaches that could analyze


00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:06.910
radiocarbon data under different climate


00:15:06.920 --> 00:15:09.110
conditions. The implications for our


00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:11.750
modern world are sobering. We've already


00:15:11.760 --> 00:15:13.829
seen how smaller solar storms can


00:15:13.839 --> 00:15:16.470
disrupt technology, like the Carrington


00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:19.350
event of 1859, which set telegraph


00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:22.389
systems ablaze worldwide, or the 1989


00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:24.550
storm that caused multiple power grid


00:15:24.560 --> 00:15:26.550
failures. Now, imagine something


00:15:26.560 --> 00:15:28.629
hundreds of times more powerful hitting


00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:31.030
our satellite dependent, electronically


00:15:31.040 --> 00:15:33.189
interconnected civilization. This


00:15:33.199 --> 00:15:35.590
discovery establishes a new worst case


00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:38.230
scenario for space weather preparedness.


00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:39.910
Understanding the potential scale of


00:15:39.920 --> 00:15:41.910
these events is crucial for evaluating


00:15:41.920 --> 00:15:44.629
risks to modern infrastructure. From


00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:46.710
power grids and communication systems to


00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:48.470
the satellites that enable everything


00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:51.230
from GPS navigation to weather


00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:53.430
forecasting. While such extreme events


00:15:53.440 --> 00:15:56.069
appear to be rare on human time scales,


00:15:56.079 --> 00:15:58.069
this research reminds us that the sun is


00:15:58.079 --> 00:15:59.990
capable of far more violent outbursts


00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:01.870
than anything we've witnessed in recent


00:16:01.880 --> 00:16:04.310
centuries. As we become increasingly


00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:06.550
dependent on vulnerable technologies,


00:16:06.560 --> 00:16:07.990
the importance of space weather


00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:09.670
monitoring and developing resilient


00:16:09.680 --> 00:16:12.710
systems becomes even more critical. This


00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:14.870
ancient solar tantrum preserved in the


00:16:14.880 --> 00:16:16.710
rings of trees that stood witness to its


00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:19.030
fury serves as both a scientific


00:16:19.040 --> 00:16:20.790
treasure and a warning from the distant


00:16:20.800 --> 00:16:22.949
past.


00:16:22.959 --> 00:16:25.030
And on that somber note, that wraps up


00:16:25.040 --> 00:16:26.910
another fascinating journey through our


00:16:26.920 --> 00:16:29.350
cosmos. From the earthbound challenges


00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:31.749
facing SpaceX's Starship and Australia's


00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:33.590
budding rocket program to the


00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:35.509
mind-bending discoveries of planets


00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:37.749
forming in our galaxy's heart and the


00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:40.069
possibility of evolving dark matter.


00:16:40.079 --> 00:16:41.910
We've covered quite the astronomical


00:16:41.920 --> 00:16:44.790
landscape today. And that ancient solar


00:16:44.800 --> 00:16:46.710
storm revelation really puts things in


00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:49.590
perspective, doesn't it? A cosmic event


00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:51.670
500 times more powerful than anything


00:16:51.680 --> 00:16:53.910
we've experienced in modern times


00:16:53.920 --> 00:16:55.990
reminds us just how dynamic and


00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:57.670
sometimes temperamental our stellar


00:16:57.680 --> 00:17:00.710
companion can be. I'm Anna and I've been


00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:02.310
your guide through today's cosmic


00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:04.630
headlines on Astronomy Daily. If you


00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:06.470
enjoyed this episode and want to keep up


00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:08.230
with all the latest developments in


00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:10.710
space science and exploration, I invite


00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:13.309
you to visit our website at


00:17:13.319 --> 00:17:15.270
astronomydaily.io where you can sign up


00:17:15.280 --> 00:17:17.750
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00:17:17.760 --> 00:17:20.390
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00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:23.270
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00:17:23.280 --> 00:17:25.669
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Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever


00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:31.830
you get your podcast to ensure you never


00:17:31.840 --> 00:17:34.150
miss an episode. Each day brings new


00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:35.750
discoveries and insights into our


00:17:35.760 --> 00:17:37.909
fascinating universe, and I'd love to


00:17:37.919 --> 00:17:40.070
share them with you. Until tomorrow,


00:17:40.080 --> 00:17:42.470
keep looking up. The cosmos never ceases


00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:46.230
to amaze.


00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:48.690
Stories we told.


00:17:48.700 --> 00:18:03.089
[Music]