Lunar Smartphones, Daytime Comet, and Jetty McJetface’s Cosmic Show

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Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source


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for the latest space and astronomy news.


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I'm Anna.


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>> And I'm Avery. We're coming to you on


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Friday, February 6, 2026. And today's


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show is packed with some truly


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incredible stories from across the


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cosmos.


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>> We've got everything from lunar


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smartphones to daytime visible comets.


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Let's dive into today's headlines. We're


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looking at NASA's new policy that lets


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astronauts bring their phones to the


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moon. A newly discovered comet that


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might become visible in broad daylight.


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The best viewing opportunity for Mercury


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all year. China's ambitious plans for


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space-based data centers. New theories


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about what really powers the Milky Ways


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core. And a star shredding black hole


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with an absolutely unforgettable


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nickname. That nickname is pure gold,


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Anna. But first, let's talk about


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something that might seem mundane, but


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is actually pretty revolutionary for


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space exploration.


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>> Avery, I have to admit, when I first saw


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this story, my first thought was, wait,


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they couldn't do that before?


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>> Right? It seems so obvious in 2026. But


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here's the thing. Getting any new


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technology approved for spaceflight is


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incredibly difficult. Everything has to


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be tested to make sure it won't


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interfere with critical systems or cause


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problems in the extreme environment of


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space.


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>> And NASA just announced that starting


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with the crew 12 mission to the


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International Space Station next week.


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And more importantly, with the highly


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anticipated Aremis 2 lunar flyby mission


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in March, astronauts will be allowed to


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bring their smartphones.


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>> This is actually a pretty big deal from


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a documentation perspective. NASA


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administrator Jared Isaacman wrote on


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social media that they're giving crews


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the tools to capture special moments for


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their families and share inspiring


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images and video with the world.


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>> The timing is perfect, too. Until now,


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the newest cameras approved for these


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missions were decade old Nikon DSLRs and


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GoPros. Those are great cameras, but


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there's something more spontaneous and


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accessible about using a smartphone.


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>> Absolutely. Think about it. With iPhones


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and Android devices at hand, astronauts


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can be much more spontaneous with image


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and video gathering. We might see more


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behindthe-scenes moments, more realtime


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documentation of their experiences.


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>> I'm already imagining the Tik Toks from


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zero gravity. Though, I have to wonder


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if that's something NASA is prepared


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for.


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Well, Isaacman did mention that what's


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equally important is that they


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challenged long-standing processes and


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qualified modern hardware for space


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flight on an expedited timeline. That


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operational urgency, he says, will serve


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NASA well as they pursue high value


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science and research.


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>> Now, I should mention this isn't


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technically the first time smartphones


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have gone to space. SpaceX allowed them


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for their private astronaut missions,


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but this is the first time NASA is


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officially approving them for their own


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crude flights.


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>> And for Artemis 2, this is huge. We're


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talking about the first time humans will


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orbit the moon since the Apollo era.


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Having modern smartphones to document


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that historic journey, that's going to


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give us perspectives we've never had


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before.


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>> Ultra wide angle selfies with the moon


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in the background. I'm here for it.


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Though I do hope mission control sets up


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some kind of social media guidelines


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first.


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>> No doubt. All right, from lunar


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smartphones to cosmic visitors, let's


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talk about something that's got the


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astronomy community really excited.


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>> Avery, this is the kind of story that


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makes you want to mark your calendar. A


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newly discovered comet has the potential


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to become one of the brightest


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astronomical events of the year. Comet


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C/2026A1


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nicknamed maps after the four


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astronomers who discovered it my Atard


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Parrot and Signaret was spotted on


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January 13th using a remotely operated


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telescope in Chile's Otakama desert.


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>> And what makes this discovery so


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exciting is that it's a member of the


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Cro sungrazing comet family. These are


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comets that pass extremely close to the


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sun. And historically, they've been


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responsible for some of the most


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spectacular celestial displays ever


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witnessed.


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>> We're talking about comets that in the


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past became bright enough to be seen in


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broad daylight. The great comet of 1882


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was reportedly 100 times brighter than


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the full moon. And the great comet of


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1965, Eayaseki, was easily visible with


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the naked eye during the day.


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>> Now, here's the crucial detail. All


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CRO's sungrazers are believed to be


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fragments of a much larger comet that


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broke apart hundreds or even thousands


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of years ago. Each time one of these


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fragments makes its close pass by the


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sun, there's a chance it could fragment


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further or even completely disintegrate.


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>> Right? So, there's a big if here. Comet


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maps will pass within just 120,000 km of


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the sun's surface in early April 2026.


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That's incredibly close. If it survives


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that encounter, it could become a


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spectacular site.


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>> What's particularly promising is that


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MAPS was discovered much farther from


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the sun than any previously discovered


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sunrazer. It was spotted at about 38


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million km out. The previous record


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holder for farthest discovery was comet


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Ikyaski, which turned out to be the


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brightest comet of the 20th century.


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>> That said, technology has advanced


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significantly since 1965. So, we're


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better at detecting fainter objects


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earlier. That means maps probably isn't


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as large as Ekaski, so it's unlikely to


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be quite as bright.


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>> But the fact that we caught it so early


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is still a good sign. It suggests maps


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is either a reasonably large fragment or


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it's currently an outburst. Recent


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observations show it steadily


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brightening, which points toward it


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being a larger fragment rather than


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already falling apart.


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>> So, what can sky watchers expect? Well,


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the best viewing will be in early April


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as the comet approaches the sun. If it


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survives its close pass, it could become


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visible to the naked eye, possibly even


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during daylight hours as it swings


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closest to the sun.


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>> Observers in the southern hemisphere


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will have better viewing opportunities


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with the comet appearing higher in the


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sky during morning twilight. Northern


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hemisphere observers will have a more


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challenging view with the comet staying


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very close to the sun and low on the


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horizon. I love that the astronomy


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community is already tempering


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expectations while still allowing for


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optimism. This could be amazing or it


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could fizzle out. That's the


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unpredictable nature of comets.


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>> And that unpredictability is part of


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what makes them so exciting. We'll


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definitely be keeping our eyes on comet


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maps as April approaches.


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>> Speaking of things to watch in the sky,


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there's another elusive celestial object


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that's putting on its best show right


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now. You know, Avery, Mercury gets a bad


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reputation as the elusive planet, but I


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think that's a bit unfair.


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>> I completely agree. Most astronomy books


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make it sound like Mercury is almost


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impossible to see, but the truth is you


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just need to know when and where to


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look.


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>> Exactly. And right now, we're entering


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the best evening viewing window for


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Mercury in all of 2026 for observers in


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the northern hemisphere. observers.


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Mercury began its best evening


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apparition of the year today, February


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6th. Even though it was only 12° from


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the sun initially, it was shining at a


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bright minus1.1,


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nearly as bright as Sirius, the


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brightest star in the night sky. What's


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great is that on each of the next 13


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evenings, Mercury gets progressively


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higher in the sky and sets a bit later.


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By February 19th, it reaches what's


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called greatest elongation. its maximum


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angular separation from the sun at 18


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degrees.


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>> And here's what makes this appearance so


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special for mid-n northern latitude


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observers. Almost all of that separation


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is vertical. Mercury will stand nearly


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17° above the horizon at sunset, and it


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won't set until after astronomical


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twilight ends. So, we're talking about


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being able to see Mercury in a truly


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dark night sky, more than an hour and a


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half after sunset, shining at magnitude


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-0.4.


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That's brighter than the star Arct


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Turus. Now, there's a really nice


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celestial alignment coming up on


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February 18th. A slender waxing crescent


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moon, only about 2% illuminated, will


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appear very close to Mercury. The moon


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will be this beautiful smile in the


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western sky with Mercury hovering right


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above it like a brilliant star.


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>> And here's something special. If you


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live in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana,


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Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, or


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Florida, you might actually see the moon


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pass directly in front of Mercury around


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7:37 p.m. Eastern time and 7:30 p.m.


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Central time.


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>> That's called an occultation, and it's


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quite rare. Even if you're not in those


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states, the close pairing of the


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crescent moon and bright Mercury will


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make for a stunning view about 45


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minutes after sunset.


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>> Now, after its peak on February 19th,


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Mercury fades rapidly. Remember, we


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talked about how Mercury shows phases


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like the moon. Well, at the beginning of


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February, Mercury's disc was 97%


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illuminated. By the time it reaches


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greatest elongation, it's only 50%


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illuminated. like a half moon.


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>> And in the following days, that rapidly


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decreasing phase results in a dramatic


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loss in brightness. By February 24th,


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it'll have faded from magnitude minus0.4


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to magnitude plus 0.6, losing more than


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a full magnitude in brightness. By


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February 26th, it'll be down to


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magnitude plus 1.3, just slightly


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brighter than the star Regulus, and


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appearing as a slender crescent, only


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17% illuminated. That's probably going


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to be the last good chance to spot it


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before it disappears into the sunset


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glow.


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>> So, the message is clear. If you want to


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see Mercury at its best, don't wait. The


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next two weeks offer the best viewing


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opportunity of the entire year. Find a


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clear western horizon. Look about 45


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minutes after sunset, and you'll be


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rewarded with a bright star that's


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actually our solar system's innermost


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planet. And honestly, once you see it,


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you'll wonder why people ever called it


00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:56.389
elusive. All right, shifting gears now


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to some developments in space technology


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and infrastructure. The race to build


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data centers in space is heating up, and


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China just announced they're joining the


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competition in a big way.


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>> The stateowned China Aerospace Science


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and Technology Corporation has announced


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that space-based data centers will be


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part of their new 5-year plan for


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expanding China's presence in space.


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>> This is part of a larger initiative that


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also includes asteroid mining, space


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debris monitoring, and even space


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tourism. But the data center component


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is particularly interesting because it


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puts China in direct competition with


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several US companies already working on


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this concept.


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>> According to the China Global Television


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Network, the plan will target an


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integrated space system architecture


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combining cloud, edge, and terminal


00:11:47.839 --> 00:11:50.230
technologies. The goal is to enable


00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:52.069
computing power, storage, and


00:11:52.079 --> 00:11:54.550
transmission capabilities from space.


00:11:54.560 --> 00:11:57.350
Now, why are so many countries and


00:11:57.360 --> 00:11:59.750
companies suddenly interested in putting


00:11:59.760 --> 00:12:02.310
data centers in orbit? Well, it comes


00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:04.870
down to resources. Data centers,


00:12:04.880 --> 00:12:07.670
especially those powering AI systems,


00:12:07.680 --> 00:12:10.310
require enormous amounts of energy and


00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:11.509
real estate,


00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:13.110
>> and both of those are becoming more


00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:15.509
expensive and limited on Earth. In


00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:17.910
space, solar power is abundant and


00:12:17.920 --> 00:12:20.389
reliable. The sun is always shining.


00:12:20.399 --> 00:12:22.389
Plus, there's no shortage of real estate


00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:23.670
in orbit.


00:12:23.680 --> 00:12:26.310
>> Several US companies are already working


00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:28.949
on this. SpaceX plans to launch


00:12:28.959 --> 00:12:31.350
space-based data centers, initially


00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:34.310
using modified Starlink satellites. Elon


00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:36.790
Musk's long-term plans even include


00:12:36.800 --> 00:12:39.190
building AI satellite factories on the


00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:41.430
moon that would launch satellites via


00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:42.870
rail guns.


00:12:42.880 --> 00:12:45.350
>> That's very Elon. Meanwhile,


00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:47.829
Houstonbased Axiom Space already


00:12:47.839 --> 00:12:49.509
launched the first components for its


00:12:49.519 --> 00:12:51.910
orbiting data center last year, and


00:12:51.920 --> 00:12:53.829
Google is looking into launching data


00:12:53.839 --> 00:12:55.590
centers to support its own AI


00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:58.389
infrastructure. The concept was even


00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:00.710
discussed at the World Economic Forum


00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:03.590
and Davos. Last month, a panel including


00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:06.470
European Space Agency Director General


00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:09.269
Joseph Ashbacher talked about ensuring


00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:11.350
that fast-moving technological


00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:13.110
developments like internet


00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.990
infrastructure are properly protected.


00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:18.150
There is one significant concern that


00:13:18.160 --> 00:13:19.910
was raised though. With so many


00:13:19.920 --> 00:13:21.590
satellites and data centers being


00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.829
planned for orbit, we're looking at a


00:13:23.839 --> 00:13:25.509
dramatic increase in the number of


00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:28.069
objects in space. That raises questions


00:13:28.079 --> 00:13:30.150
about orbital debris, satellite


00:13:30.160 --> 00:13:31.829
collisions, and the long-term


00:13:31.839 --> 00:13:34.310
sustainability of the space environment.


00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:37.030
>> Right? We already have issues with space


00:13:37.040 --> 00:13:39.750
debris. Adding thousands more satellites


00:13:39.760 --> 00:13:42.310
for data centers could exacerbate that


00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:44.870
problem. It's going to require careful


00:13:44.880 --> 00:13:47.430
planning and international cooperation


00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:49.350
to make sure we don't create an


00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:51.990
unsustainable situation in orbit.


00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:53.990
>> The next 5 years are going to be really


00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:56.470
interesting as we see how this unfolds.


00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:58.710
Will space-based data centers become the


00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:00.470
norm? Or will we find that the


00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:02.550
challenges outweigh the benefits? Time


00:14:02.560 --> 00:14:03.430
will tell.


00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:06.230
>> From the future of computing to the very


00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:09.110
heart of our galaxy, our next story


00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:11.189
challenges something we thought we knew


00:14:11.199 --> 00:14:13.990
for certain. Avery, this story is


00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:15.990
fascinating because it challenges one of


00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:18.150
the fundamental assumptions about our


00:14:18.160 --> 00:14:20.870
galaxy. For decades, the astronomical


00:14:20.880 --> 00:14:22.949
community has accepted that there's a


00:14:22.959 --> 00:14:24.949
super massive black hole called


00:14:24.959 --> 00:14:27.750
Sagittarius A star at the center of our


00:14:27.760 --> 00:14:30.710
Milky Way. This black hole with a mass


00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:33.590
of about 4 million suns was thought to


00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:36.150
govern the orbits of nearby stars and


00:14:36.160 --> 00:14:38.230
shape the gravitational environment of


00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:39.670
our galactic core.


00:14:39.680 --> 00:14:42.150
>> But now, a new study published in


00:14:42.160 --> 00:14:43.910
monthly notices of the Royal


00:14:43.920 --> 00:14:46.470
Astronomical Society is proposing


00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:49.030
something radical. What if it's not a


00:14:49.040 --> 00:14:51.509
black hole at all? What if it's actually


00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:54.949
an enormous dense core of dark matter?


00:14:54.959 --> 00:14:57.189
>> This is a pretty bold claim. The


00:14:57.199 --> 00:14:58.629
research was conducted by an


00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:00.790
international team from Argentina,


00:15:00.800 --> 00:15:03.189
Italy, and other institutions. They're


00:15:03.199 --> 00:15:05.030
suggesting that what we've been calling


00:15:05.040 --> 00:15:07.430
a super massive black hole could


00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:09.670
actually be an exotic structure composed


00:15:09.680 --> 00:15:11.670
of firmianic dark matter.


00:15:11.680 --> 00:15:13.910
>> Let me explain what that means.


00:15:13.920 --> 00:15:16.550
Firmionic dark matter is composed of


00:15:16.560 --> 00:15:19.030
light particles called firmians that


00:15:19.040 --> 00:15:21.990
follow the polyexclusion principle. This


00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:24.550
type of dark matter could form a highly


00:15:24.560 --> 00:15:27.430
dense but non-s singular structure. In


00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:30.230
other words, incredibly compact, but not


00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:32.629
technically a black hole. What's clever


00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:34.790
about this model is that it proposes a


00:15:34.800 --> 00:15:37.189
dual component system. There would be a


00:15:37.199 --> 00:15:39.590
dense inner core at the galactic center,


00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:41.829
but it would transition smoothly into an


00:15:41.839 --> 00:15:44.550
extended diffuse halo that envelops the


00:15:44.560 --> 00:15:45.990
entire galaxy.


00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:47.910
>> And this is where it gets really


00:15:47.920 --> 00:15:50.310
interesting. This same dark matter


00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:52.550
structure could explain both the violent


00:15:52.560 --> 00:15:54.629
orbits of stars very close to the


00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:57.509
galactic center and the gentle rotation


00:15:57.519 --> 00:15:59.350
of stars in the outer regions of the


00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:01.670
galaxy, all without needing a black


00:16:01.680 --> 00:16:02.470
hole.


00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:04.629
>> The team looked at the SARS. These are


00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:06.790
stars that orbit the galactic center at


00:16:06.800 --> 00:16:09.189
incredible speeds up to thousands of


00:16:09.199 --> 00:16:10.710
kilometers/s.


00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:12.470
The traditional explanation is that


00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:14.310
they're orbiting a super massive black


00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:15.030
hole.


00:16:15.040 --> 00:16:17.670
>> But the firmionic dark matter model can


00:16:17.680 --> 00:16:20.069
also explain these orbits. The dense


00:16:20.079 --> 00:16:22.310
core would be compact and massive enough


00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:24.949
to create the same gravitational pull


00:16:24.959 --> 00:16:26.710
that we've been attributing to a black


00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:27.509
hole.


00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:30.550
>> Now, here's a crucial point. In 2022,


00:16:30.560 --> 00:16:33.030
the Event Horizon Telescope captured the


00:16:33.040 --> 00:16:34.949
first image of what we've been calling


00:16:34.959 --> 00:16:37.829
the shadow of Sagittarius A star. You'd


00:16:37.839 --> 00:16:39.110
think that would prove it's a black


00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:40.230
hole, right?


00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:42.629
>> You'd think, but the researchers point


00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:45.189
out that the dense dark matter core can


00:16:45.199 --> 00:16:48.150
also mimic this shadow. It bends light


00:16:48.160 --> 00:16:50.790
with such intense force that it creates


00:16:50.800 --> 00:16:53.269
a central darkness surrounded by a


00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:55.670
bright ring, the same visual signature


00:16:55.680 --> 00:16:58.150
we'd expect from a black hole. Lead


00:16:58.160 --> 00:17:00.550
author Valentina Kresby noted that their


00:17:00.560 --> 00:17:02.870
model explains the star orbits, the


00:17:02.880 --> 00:17:05.189
galaxy's rotation, and it's consistent


00:17:05.199 --> 00:17:07.029
with that famous black hole shadow


00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:09.669
image. The team's statistical analysis


00:17:09.679 --> 00:17:12.069
shows that with current data, we can't


00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:14.230
yet decisively distinguish between the


00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:16.470
traditional black hole scenario and the


00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:18.870
firmionic dark matter one. But what


00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:20.949
makes the dark matter model attractive


00:17:20.959 --> 00:17:23.829
is that it provides a unified framework.


00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:25.750
Instead of having the black hole as one


00:17:25.760 --> 00:17:27.429
thing and dark matter as something


00:17:27.439 --> 00:17:29.830
separate, this model suggests they could


00:17:29.840 --> 00:17:31.750
be two manifestations of the same


00:17:31.760 --> 00:17:34.470
continuous substance. Co-author Dr.


00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:37.190
Carlos Argues made an important point.


00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:39.190
This is the first time a dark matter


00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:41.350
model has managed to reconcile such


00:17:41.360 --> 00:17:43.510
vastly different scales. They can


00:17:43.520 --> 00:17:45.750
explain everything from the central star


00:17:45.760 --> 00:17:48.470
orbits to the galaxy's overall rotation


00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:50.870
curve using the same dark matter


00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:51.830
structure.


00:17:51.840 --> 00:17:54.630
>> So what's next? Well, the team says that


00:17:54.640 --> 00:17:56.470
more precise observations will be


00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:58.710
crucial. Instruments like the gravity


00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:00.950
interparometer on Chile's very large


00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:03.029
telescope could help distinguish between


00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:04.549
the two scenarios.


00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:06.230
>> They're also looking for the unique


00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:09.029
signature of photon rings, a key feature


00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:11.270
of black holes that would be absent in


00:18:11.280 --> 00:18:13.909
the dark matter core scenario. If future


00:18:13.919 --> 00:18:16.070
observations don't find these photon


00:18:16.080 --> 00:18:18.390
rings, that would be strong evidence for


00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:20.950
the dark matter model. This is such a


00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:23.430
great example of how science works. We


00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:25.590
have this wellestablished theory about


00:18:25.600 --> 00:18:28.310
Sagittarius a star being a black hole


00:18:28.320 --> 00:18:30.390
and it might still be. But it's


00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:32.070
important that scientists are willing to


00:18:32.080 --> 00:18:33.990
challenge these assumptions and explore


00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:35.909
alternative explanations.


00:18:35.919 --> 00:18:38.390
>> Absolutely. And regardless of which


00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:40.390
model turns out to be correct, we're


00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:42.470
learning more about dark matter, black


00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:44.710
holes, and the fundamental nature of


00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:47.190
what sits at the heart of our galaxy.


00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:49.669
It's exciting stuff. And speaking of


00:18:49.679 --> 00:18:51.909
black holes, our final story today


00:18:51.919 --> 00:18:53.909
features one with an absolutely


00:18:53.919 --> 00:18:55.909
delightful name that's doing something


00:18:55.919 --> 00:18:57.830
truly unprecedented.


00:18:57.840 --> 00:19:00.630
>> Okay, Avery, I have to start by saying


00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:03.510
Jetty McJetface might be the best


00:19:03.520 --> 00:19:05.909
astronomical object name I've ever


00:19:05.919 --> 00:19:06.789
heard.


00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:08.950
>> It's amazing, right? University of


00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:11.590
Oregon astrophysicist Dr. I bet Kendis


00:19:11.600 --> 00:19:13.430
coined the nickname as a reference to


00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:16.150
Bodie McBoatface, that British research


00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:18.070
vessel that became internet famous when


00:19:18.080 --> 00:19:20.150
a public poll chose its name.


00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:22.390
>> But the name might be playful. The


00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:25.029
phenomenon is dead serious. We're


00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:26.950
talking about one of the most energetic


00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:29.350
and brightest events ever detected in


00:19:29.360 --> 00:19:30.470
the universe.


00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:31.830
>> Let's back up and explain what's


00:19:31.840 --> 00:19:34.710
happening here. In 2018, astronomers


00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:36.390
detected what's called a title


00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:38.390
disruption event. That's when a star


00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:40.470
gets too close to a black hole and gets


00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:42.549
torn apart by its immense gravitational


00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:43.510
forces.


00:19:43.520 --> 00:19:45.350
>> The technical term for what happens to


00:19:45.360 --> 00:19:47.830
the star is spaghettification.


00:19:47.840 --> 00:19:50.070
The star literally gets stretched out


00:19:50.080 --> 00:19:51.909
like spaghetti by the extreme


00:19:51.919 --> 00:19:53.669
gravitational gradient.


00:19:53.679 --> 00:19:55.750
>> Now, tidal disruption events aren't


00:19:55.760 --> 00:19:58.150
uncommon. Astronomers have documented


00:19:58.160 --> 00:19:59.990
plenty of cases where a star gets


00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:01.909
shredded without actually crossing the


00:20:01.919 --> 00:20:04.549
event horizon, the point of no return.


00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:06.549
But what makes this particular event


00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:10.789
officially designated AT2018hyz


00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:13.270
so unusual is what happened after the


00:20:13.280 --> 00:20:15.669
star was destroyed. For a few years


00:20:15.679 --> 00:20:19.270
nothing much happened. Then in 2022 Dr.


00:20:19.280 --> 00:20:21.750
Kendis noticed something strange. The


00:20:21.760 --> 00:20:24.310
black hole was suddenly emitting a huge


00:20:24.320 --> 00:20:26.870
amount of energy in radio waves even


00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:28.950
though the star had been destroyed years


00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:31.830
earlier. That piqued her curiosity and


00:20:31.840 --> 00:20:33.750
she and her team started monitoring it


00:20:33.760 --> 00:20:36.390
closely. What they found is absolutely


00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:38.710
remarkable. The radio emissions have


00:20:38.720 --> 00:20:41.110
continue to increase exponentially. The


00:20:41.120 --> 00:20:43.510
black hole is now 50 times brighter in


00:20:43.520 --> 00:20:45.190
radio waves than it was when they first


00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:47.029
detected it in 2019.


00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:48.710
>> To put that energy output in


00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:51.029
perspective, the researchers say it's at


00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:53.430
least a trillion times more powerful


00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:55.590
than the fictional Death Star from Star


00:20:55.600 --> 00:20:58.149
Wars. Some estimates put it closer to


00:20:58.159 --> 00:21:00.630
100 trillion times more powerful.


00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:03.669
>> Dr. Kenda said, "This is really unusual.


00:21:03.679 --> 00:21:05.669
I'd be hardressed to think of anything


00:21:05.679 --> 00:21:07.669
rising like this over such a long period


00:21:07.679 --> 00:21:08.710
of time."


00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:11.430
>> So, what's creating all this energy?


00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:13.510
Well, the black hole is producing what's


00:21:13.520 --> 00:21:16.549
called a relativistic jet, a stream of


00:21:16.559 --> 00:21:19.029
charged particles moving at nearly the


00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:21.750
speed of light, all shooting out in one


00:21:21.760 --> 00:21:24.230
direction. The leading theory is that


00:21:24.240 --> 00:21:26.149
after the star was shredded, it took


00:21:26.159 --> 00:21:28.070
some time for that stellar material to


00:21:28.080 --> 00:21:30.310
form an accretion disc around the black


00:21:30.320 --> 00:21:33.270
hole. Once that disc formed, magnetic


00:21:33.280 --> 00:21:35.110
fields began channeling some of that


00:21:35.120 --> 00:21:37.510
material away from the black hole as


00:21:37.520 --> 00:21:39.830
this incredibly powerful jet.


00:21:39.840 --> 00:21:42.470
>> And here's the crazy part. The team has


00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:44.789
collected enough data now to predict


00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:46.950
that the jet will keep increasing in


00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:49.350
brightness before peaking sometime in


00:21:49.360 --> 00:21:53.029
2027. The energy output is comparable to


00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:55.270
gammaray bursts which are generally


00:21:55.280 --> 00:21:57.110
considered among the most energetic


00:21:57.120 --> 00:21:59.270
events in the universe. But what makes


00:21:59.280 --> 00:22:01.510
jetty mcjet face special is that it's


00:22:01.520 --> 00:22:03.750
been building for years rather than


00:22:03.760 --> 00:22:05.669
being a brief flash.


00:22:05.679 --> 00:22:07.990
>> Dr. Kendes made an interesting point


00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:10.070
about why this might be the first time


00:22:10.080 --> 00:22:12.070
we're seeing something like this. She


00:22:12.080 --> 00:22:13.830
noted that securing time on


00:22:13.840 --> 00:22:16.310
international telescopes is extremely


00:22:16.320 --> 00:22:18.390
competitive. If you observe an


00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:20.470
explosion, why would you expect there to


00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:23.110
be something years after it happened?


00:22:23.120 --> 00:22:24.870
>> Right? So, there could be other black


00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:27.190
holes exhibiting similar behavior, but


00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:28.950
astronomers haven't been looking for


00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:31.029
long-term effects from tidal disruption


00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:32.950
events because they had no reason to


00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:33.990
expect them.


00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:36.549
>> Now, Dr. Kendes is on the hunt for other


00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:38.789
examples. She wants to know if Jetty


00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:42.070
McJetface is truly unique or if this is


00:22:42.080 --> 00:22:43.990
actually a common phenomenon that we've


00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:45.990
just been missing. The good news for


00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:47.990
Earth is that we're in no danger from


00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:50.789
this particular cosmic event. Daddy


00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:53.110
McJet face is far enough away that its


00:22:53.120 --> 00:22:55.590
incredible energy output poses no threat


00:22:55.600 --> 00:22:58.149
to us. We just get to observe one of the


00:22:58.159 --> 00:23:00.630
universe's most spectacular shows from a


00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:01.909
safe distance.


00:23:01.919 --> 00:23:03.909
>> It's discoveries like this that remind


00:23:03.919 --> 00:23:06.149
us how much we still have to learn about


00:23:06.159 --> 00:23:08.630
the universe. Black holes continue to


00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:11.909
surprise us even after decades of study.


00:23:11.919 --> 00:23:14.630
>> Absolutely. And I love that Dr. Kendes


00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:16.950
gave it such a memorable name. Jetty


00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:18.950
McJetface is going to be in astronomy


00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:20.950
textbooks for years to come.


00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:23.669
>> And that wraps up another incredible day


00:23:23.679 --> 00:23:26.390
of space and astronomy news. From


00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:29.110
smartphones going to the moon to star


00:23:29.120 --> 00:23:31.590
shredding black holes with unforgettable


00:23:31.600 --> 00:23:34.230
nicknames. It's been quite a journey.


00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:35.990
>> Don't forget to mark your calendars for


00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:38.230
Mercury viewing over the next two weeks.


00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:40.230
And keep an eye on the sky in April for


00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:42.310
what could be a spectacular daytime


00:23:42.320 --> 00:23:44.230
comet. Thanks for joining us on


00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:46.310
Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna.


00:23:46.320 --> 00:23:48.630
>> And I'm Avery. Keep looking up and we'll


00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:49.830
see you next time.


00:23:49.840 --> 00:23:54.390
>> Clear skies, everyone. Astronomy day.


00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:58.200
Stories told.