Oxygen in Distant Galaxies and Supernovae’s Role in Extinction Events: S04E69

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Kind: captions
Language: en

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hello and welcome to astronomy daily I'm


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Anna your Cosmic companion as we explore


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the wonders of the universe together


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today's episode is packed with


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discoveries that remind us just how vast


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and mysterious our Cosmos really is from


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oxygen found in the most distant Galaxy


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ever observed to evidence suggesting


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supern noi may have triggered mass


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extinctions right here on Earth we're


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covering the full spectrum of


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astronomical Fascination and that's just


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the beginning we'll also explore


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revolutionary new telescope technology


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that could transform how we see the


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stars examine an extraordinary Nova


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explosion that outshines our sun a 100


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times over and discuss Venus's current


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Celestial positioning as it passes


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between Earth and our Star Plus we'll


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delve into the theoretical realm with a


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fascinating new study on Dyson swarms


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those hypothetical Mega structures that


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advanced civilizations might build


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around their stars and the startling


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impact they could have on planetary


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environments the universe continues to


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surprise us at every turn challenging


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our understanding and expanding our


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Cosmic perspective whether you're a


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seasoned Stargazer or just curious about


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what lies beyond our atmosphere I


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promise you'll find something to Marvel


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at in today's Roundup of astronomical


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news so get comfortable as we embark on


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this 25 minute Journey Through the


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cosmos exploring the latest


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breakthroughs discoveries and


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theoretical Frontiers that are shaping


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our understanding of space from the


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earliest moments of our universe to the


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potential future of advanced


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civilizations we're covering it all on


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on today's episode of astronomy


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daily in a discovery that's pushing the


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boundaries of what we thought we knew


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about the early Universe astronomers


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have detected oxygen in the most distant


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Galaxy ever observed this isn't just any


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finding it's the farthest detection of


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oxygen ever made by Humanity giving us a


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glimpse into Cosmic conditions when the


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universe was just a cosmic toddler the


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Galaxy in question designated with the


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rather unwieldy name Jades gsz


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140 was spotted by the James web Space


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Telescope earlier this year what makes


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this discovery so remarkable is that the


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light from this galaxy has taken about


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13.4 billion years to reach us that's a


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journey spanning 98% of our universe's


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13.8 billion-year


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lifetime but here's where things get


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really interesting this ancient Galaxy


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contains about 10 times the amount of


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heavy elements that scientists would


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expect to find in a Galaxy existing just


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300 million years after the big bang as


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researcher sander sco from Leiden


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Observatory put it it is like finding an


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adolescent where you would only expect


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babies to understand why astronomers are


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so excited we need to consider what the


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infant Universe was supposed to look


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like in those early Cosmic days the


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universe was primarily filled with


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hydrogen and helium the lightest


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elements heavier Elements which


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astronomers somewhat confusingly call


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metals were extremely rare


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these heavier elements are forged inside


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stars and scattered through space when


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those Stars die in Supernova


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explosions this process then enriches


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gas clouds that form the next generation


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of stars it's essentially a cosmic


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recycling program that becomes more


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efficient over time so finding a Galaxy


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so metal Rich this early in Cosmic


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history suggests that Jade's gsz 140


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matured much faster than our models


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predicted this discovery is forcing


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astronomers to reconsider their


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understanding of how quickly galaxies


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can form and evolve in the early


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Universe the chemical analysis of this


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distant Galaxy was made possible through


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a collaboration between the James web


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Space Telescope and the ATAC large


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millimeter submillimeter array or Alma


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for short while web discovered the


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Galaxy Alma's measurements allowed


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astronomers to determine its chemical


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composition with astonishing precision


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Stephano carani of the skoa normal


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Superior in Italy expressed his


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astonishment at these unexpected results


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noting that they opened a new view on


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the first phases of Galaxy


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Evolution the evidence that a galaxy is


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already mature in what we considered the


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infant Universe raises profound


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questions about when and how galaxies


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formed perhaps even more impressive is


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the Precision of Alma's measurements


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according to researcher elanora parlan


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Alma provided an extraordinarily precise


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measurement of the Galaxy's distance


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down to an uncertainty of just


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0.5% to put that in perspective that's


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like measuring a distance of 1 kilometer


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with an accuracy of just 5


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cm this discovery highlights the


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incredible Synergy between our newest


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Space Telescope James web and


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groundbased observatories like Alma


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together they're giving us an


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unprecedented look at the earliest


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chapters of our universe's story


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revealing that Cosmic Evolution may have


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proceeded much faster than we previously


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thought as astronomer Richard Bowens


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noted this finding showcases the amazing


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Synergy between Alma and jwest to reveal


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the formation and evolution of the first


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galaxies it seems that with each new


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observation we're rewriting the timeline


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of cosmic


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history next up today did you know that


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the dinosaurs might have been wiped out


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by Cosmic


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fireworks while an asteroid impact has


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long been the leading theory for their


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extin


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new research suggests that explosive


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Supernova deaths of nearby massive stars


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may have played a significant role in


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triggering at least two major Extinction


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events in Earth's distant past a team of


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astronomers has discovered that


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Supernova occurring within 60 light


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years of Earth could have had


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catastrophic consequences for life on


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our planet these Stellar explosions


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represent some of the most energetic


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phenomena in the universe and their


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proximity to Earth could have stripped


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our planet's atmosphere of its


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protective ozone layer without this


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crucial defense life on Earth would have


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been exposed to damaging ultraviolet


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radiation from the Sun as study


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co-author Nick Wright from ke University


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put it a slightly more distant Supernova


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could still cause considerable loss of


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life but at this distance it would be


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terrifying Wright and his colleagues


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conducted what amounts to a virtual


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sensus of our Cosmic neighborhood using


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data from the now retired Gaia satellite


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they examined more than 24,000 of the


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most luminous stars within about


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3,260 light years of the sun their goal


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was to identify groups of young massive


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stars and reconstruct the history of


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star formation near our solar system


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what's particularly striking is that


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when the team calculated the rate of


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nearby Supernova they found it matched


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up remarkably well with the timing of


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unexplained mass extinction events on


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Earth two events in particular stood out


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the late devonian extin about 372


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million years ago which wiped out 75% of


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all species particularly affecting fish


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in ancient seas and lakes and the


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ordovician extinction from 445 million


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years ago which eliminated roughly 85%


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of marine species it surprised me that


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the two rates were so similar which made


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us want to highlight it Wright noted


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previous research has already found


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evidence supporting Cosmic influence on


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Earth's history scientists have detected


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radioactive isotopes like iron 60 in


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Antarctic snow and on the moon's surface


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materials that could only have come from


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Interstellar sources like Supernova


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these findings have been linked to the


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depletion of Earth's ozone layer caused


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by cosmic rays showered onto our planet


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when stars exploded the new study


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simulations showed that approximately


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one to two supern noi occur each Century


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in galaxies like our Milky Way more


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critically within that dangerous 60


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Lightyear radius of Earth the rate works


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out to about 2 to 2.5 supern noi per


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billion


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years this estimate aligns remarkably


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well with the number of unexplained mass


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extinction events on Earth specifically


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the devonian and ordovician extinctions


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both of which occurred within the last


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billion years while the researchers are


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careful to note that they don't have


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definitive proof these extinctions were


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caused by supern noi the matching rates


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make it a compelling possibility as


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Alexis Quintana who led the study put it


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these findings are a great illustration


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for how massive stars can act as both


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creators and destructors of Life


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Supernova explosions distribute heavy


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chemical elements throughout space


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essential building blocks for new stars


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and planets but if a planet like Earth


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happens to be too close when these


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Cosmic bombs detonate the consequences


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can be


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devastating so the next time you gaze up


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at the night sky remember that those


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twinkling stars might hold both the


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secrets to Life's beginnings and


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potentially the power to dramatically


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alter its course here on


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Earth next let's take a look at a


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subject we don't visit too often but


00:09:04.839 --> 00:09:07.590
this ID truly fascinating in what could


00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:09.550
be a revolutionary breakthrough for


00:09:09.560 --> 00:09:12.069
astronomy engineers and astronomers at


00:09:12.079 --> 00:09:14.630
the University of Utah have designed an


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Innovative new type of telescope lens


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that might forever change how we observe


00:09:18.560 --> 00:09:21.269
the cosmos unlike traditional bulky


00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:23.230
lenses and mirrors this new technology


00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:25.790
is remarkably thin a flat lens with


00:09:25.800 --> 00:09:27.949
microscopic etchings that refract light


00:09:27.959 --> 00:09:30.190
in precisely controlled ways


00:09:30.200 --> 00:09:32.190
the most striking feature of this lens


00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:35.110
is its incredible thinness measuring


00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:37.069
less than a millimet thick it's


00:09:37.079 --> 00:09:38.710
practically a wafer compared to


00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:41.230
Conventional telescope Optics yet


00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:43.590
despite its slim profile the lens


00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:45.630
performs remarkably well in initial


00:09:45.640 --> 00:09:47.910
tests suggesting it could eventually


00:09:47.920 --> 00:09:50.710
replace the heavier bulkier components


00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:52.870
typically used in astronomical


00:09:52.880 --> 00:09:55.110
telescopes our computational techniques


00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:57.190
suggested we could design multi-level


00:09:57.200 --> 00:09:59.509
diffractive flat lenses with large


00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:01.509
apertures that could focus light across


00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:03.870
the visible spectrum explained Rajesh


00:10:03.880 --> 00:10:06.430
Menan a professor of engineering at Utah


00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:09.030
who worked on the project the technology


00:10:09.040 --> 00:10:11.110
behind this breakthrough is fascinating


00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:12.509
the team used a technique called


00:10:12.519 --> 00:10:14.110
grayscale Optical


00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:16.389
lithography A variation of methods


00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:18.190
typically used for etching Electronics


00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:20.509
onto silicon Wafers to create


00:10:20.519 --> 00:10:23.150
microscopic concentric rings on a glass


00:10:23.160 --> 00:10:25.870
substrate most of the half mm thickness


00:10:25.880 --> 00:10:28.389
is actually just the glass itself while


00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:30.230
the ringed grooves that do all the


00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:32.550
optical work are incredibly shallow at


00:10:32.560 --> 00:10:35.990
just 2.4 microns deep while the concept


00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:38.310
of using concentric rings in flat lenses


00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:40.790
isn't entirely new this multi-level


00:10:40.800 --> 00:10:43.470
diffractive lens or mdl solves one of


00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:45.590
the biggest challenges in Optics


00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:48.509
chromatic aberration this problem occurs


00:10:48.519 --> 00:10:50.030
when different wavelengths of light


00:10:50.040 --> 00:10:52.389
focus at different points causing color


00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:55.430
fringing around objects the Utah team's


00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:58.150
design cleverly brings all wavelengths


00:10:58.160 --> 00:11:01.350
from 400 to8 00 nanom covering the


00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:03.829
entire visible spectrum and into near


00:11:03.839 --> 00:11:06.190
infrared to focus at exactly the same


00:11:06.200 --> 00:11:08.670
point the weight difference is dramatic


00:11:08.680 --> 00:11:11.470
their 100 mm prototype lens with a focal


00:11:11.480 --> 00:11:14.430
length of 200 mmm weighs just 25 gr


00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:17.230
compared to the 21 G of a similarly


00:11:17.240 --> 00:11:19.910
sized commercial lens that's 17 mm thick


00:11:19.920 --> 00:11:22.949
at its Center that's more than an 88%


00:11:22.959 --> 00:11:25.670
reduction in weight to demonstrate its


00:11:25.680 --> 00:11:28.230
capabilities the team tested the lens by


00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:30.430
Imaging both the Sun and the moon


00:11:30.440 --> 00:11:32.590
successfully revealing sunspots and


00:11:32.600 --> 00:11:34.230
accurate geological features on the


00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:36.829
lunar surface this real world


00:11:36.839 --> 00:11:38.949
performance validation suggests the


00:11:38.959 --> 00:11:40.870
technology is viable for practical


00:11:40.880 --> 00:11:42.790
astronomical applications the


00:11:42.800 --> 00:11:44.509
implications for space telescopes could


00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:47.069
be particularly transformative consider


00:11:47.079 --> 00:11:49.190
that the Hubble Space telescope's 2.4


00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:52.150
meter primary mirror weighs a whopping


00:11:52.160 --> 00:11:55.310
1,825 pounds while the James web space


00:11:55.320 --> 00:11:58.350
telescope's segmented 21t mirror weighs


00:11:58.360 --> 00:12:02.269
1,500 155 lb the tremendous mass of


00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:04.150
these components significantly drives up


00:12:04.160 --> 00:12:06.269
launch costs and Engineering


00:12:06.279 --> 00:12:08.670
complexity on Earth the largest


00:12:08.680 --> 00:12:10.430
individual telescope mirrors currently


00:12:10.440 --> 00:12:13.990
max out at around 26 to 33 ft before


00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:15.990
gravity causes them to Sag under their


00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:18.389
own weight a flat lightweight


00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:19.949
alternative could potentially break


00:12:19.959 --> 00:12:22.590
through these limitations enabling even


00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:24.829
larger light Gathering surfaces both in


00:12:24.839 --> 00:12:26.910
space and on the ground our


00:12:26.920 --> 00:12:28.629
demonstration is a stepping stone


00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:31.230
towards creating very large aperture


00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:33.150
lightweight flat lenses with the


00:12:33.160 --> 00:12:34.949
capability of capturing full color


00:12:34.959 --> 00:12:37.509
images for use in air and space based


00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:40.509
telescopes said aaim maimer who led the


00:12:40.519 --> 00:12:42.590
team behind the Prototype while the


00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:44.750
current prototype is modest at 4 in in


00:12:44.760 --> 00:12:47.030
diameter the Breakthrough proves the


00:12:47.040 --> 00:12:49.790
concept is viable if successfully scaled


00:12:49.800 --> 00:12:51.870
up these lenses could potentially


00:12:51.880 --> 00:12:53.990
transform not just professional


00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:55.990
observatories but eventually make their


00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:58.389
way into amateur telescopes as well


00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:00.629
making advanced astronomical imaging


00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:02.430
more accessible to


00:13:02.440 --> 00:13:04.870
everyone in a stellar Discovery that's


00:13:04.880 --> 00:13:06.910
Illuminating our understanding of cosmic


00:13:06.920 --> 00:13:09.150
explosions astronomers have conducted


00:13:09.160 --> 00:13:12.110
the first ever near infrared study of a


00:13:12.120 --> 00:13:14.509
recurrent Nova beyond our Milky Way


00:13:14.519 --> 00:13:17.189
galaxy this extraordinary Nova


00:13:17.199 --> 00:13:19.910
designated lmcn


00:13:19.920 --> 00:13:25.150
1,968 12a or LMC 68 resides in the large


00:13:25.160 --> 00:13:27.350
melanic cloud and has been revealing


00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:30.189
some truly shocking characteristics


00:13:30.199 --> 00:13:32.430
nova explosions occur in binary star


00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:34.870
systems where a white dwarf a dense


00:13:34.880 --> 00:13:36.710
Stellar Remnant about the size of Earth


00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:38.870
but with a mass comparable to our sun


00:13:38.880 --> 00:13:41.310
pulls material from its companion star


00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:43.150
this stolen material accumulates on the


00:13:43.160 --> 00:13:44.870
White dwarf's surface until it triggers


00:13:44.880 --> 00:13:47.269
a thermonuclear explosion While most


00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:48.870
novas have been observed erupting just


00:13:48.880 --> 00:13:51.790
once LMC 68 belongs to the rare category


00:13:51.800 --> 00:13:53.829
of recurrent novas with explosions


00:13:53.839 --> 00:13:55.670
occurring with remarkable regularity


00:13:55.680 --> 00:13:59.110
every 4 years a hot white dwarf star


00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:00.710
siphons off material from its cool


00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:03.230
companion star explained astronomer NY


00:14:03.240 --> 00:14:05.990
Evans of Keel University the material


00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:07.910
piles up on the white dwarf surface and


00:14:07.920 --> 00:14:09.990
eventually detonates in a thermonuclear


00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:12.949
runaway once the explosion has subsided


00:14:12.959 --> 00:14:15.189
the siphoning starts all over and in


00:14:15.199 --> 00:14:17.949
time another thermonuclear explosion


00:14:17.959 --> 00:14:21.150
occurs what makes LMC 68 particularly


00:14:21.160 --> 00:14:22.829
special is that it was the first


00:14:22.839 --> 00:14:25.269
recurrent Nova ever observed outside our


00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:28.430
galaxy first spotted in 1968 and again


00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:31.470
in 199 90 it has maintained its 4-year


00:14:31.480 --> 00:14:34.550
eruption cycle with Clockwork Precision


00:14:34.560 --> 00:14:37.269
after its 2020 eruption NASA's Neil


00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:40.030
Geral Swift Observatory had been closely


00:14:40.040 --> 00:14:42.310
monitoring it anticipating the next


00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:44.629
explosion which arrived on schedule in


00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:45.990
August


00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:48.350
2024 the latest observations have


00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:50.870
revealed something truly extraordinary


00:14:50.880 --> 00:14:53.189
during its eruption phase this Nova


00:14:53.199 --> 00:14:55.269
shines at nearly 100 times the


00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:57.590
brightness of our sun making it an


00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:00.670
exceptionally powerful Cosmic event by


00:15:00.680 --> 00:15:03.389
analyzing the Nova's near infrared light


00:15:03.399 --> 00:15:05.230
astronomers gained unprecedented


00:15:05.240 --> 00:15:08.350
insights into its Ultra hot phase using


00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:10.110
spectroscopy to examine the different


00:15:10.120 --> 00:15:12.230
wavelengths of light they identified


00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:13.749
chemical elements present in the


00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:15.949
explosion and discovered unexpectedly


00:15:15.959 --> 00:15:18.030
intense signals from Silicon atoms that


00:15:18.040 --> 00:15:20.829
had been ionized nine times a process


00:15:20.839 --> 00:15:24.189
requiring enormous energy the ionized


00:15:24.199 --> 00:15:26.590
silicon shining at almost 100 times


00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:29.350
brighter than the sun is unprecedented


00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:32.309
noted Tom gabal no our lab ameritus


00:15:32.319 --> 00:15:34.309
astronomer and while this signal is


00:15:34.319 --> 00:15:36.389
shocking it's also shocking what's not


00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:38.829
there we would have expected to also see


00:15:38.839 --> 00:15:41.590
signatures of Highly energized sulfur


00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:44.430
phosphorus calcium and aluminum this


00:15:44.440 --> 00:15:46.430
absence of expected chemical signatures


00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:48.230
points to something unusual happening


00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.670
with LMC 68 the astronomers believe the


00:15:51.680 --> 00:15:54.030
answer might lie in two factors


00:15:54.040 --> 00:15:56.030
exceptionally high temperatures and the


00:15:56.040 --> 00:15:58.269
Stars location in the metal deficient


00:15:58.279 --> 00:16:01.030
environment of the large melanic Cloud


00:16:01.040 --> 00:16:03.389
the coronal temperature of LMC 68


00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:07.110
reaches a blistering 5.4 million de F


00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:09.910
that's 3 million de C far hotter than


00:16:09.920 --> 00:16:12.030
typical novas at these extreme


00:16:12.040 --> 00:16:14.150
temperatures atoms undergo collisional


00:16:14.160 --> 00:16:16.550
ionization where fast moving electrons


00:16:16.560 --> 00:16:18.910
strip atoms of more electrons than usual


00:16:18.920 --> 00:16:20.829
pushing them into higher energy


00:16:20.839 --> 00:16:23.710
states additionally since the Nova's


00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:26.069
companion star likely has lower


00:16:26.079 --> 00:16:29.030
metallicity fewer heavy elements typical


00:16:29.040 --> 00:16:31.350
of the large melanic Cloud this could


00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:33.910
lead to more powerful explosions as more


00:16:33.920 --> 00:16:35.870
material is needed to trigger the


00:16:35.880 --> 00:16:37.990
eruption what makes these recurrent


00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:40.509
novas particularly intriguing is their


00:16:40.519 --> 00:16:43.269
potential connection to supernovas as


00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:47.150
Evans explains in systems like LMC 68


00:16:47.160 --> 00:16:48.990
less mass is ejected in the Nova


00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:51.350
explosion than is gained by transferring


00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:53.829
from the cool star this means that the


00:16:53.839 --> 00:16:56.069
mass of the white dwarf is steadily


00:16:56.079 --> 00:16:58.350
increasing in time it will approach a


00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:00.430
critical value above which the white


00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:02.670
dwarf cannot support its own weight and


00:17:02.680 --> 00:17:05.069
it will implode potentially triggering a


00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:06.510
supernova


00:17:06.520 --> 00:17:08.470
explosion by expanding their


00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:11.110
observations beyond our galaxy and using


00:17:11.120 --> 00:17:13.230
the largest telescopes available


00:17:13.240 --> 00:17:15.150
astronomers hope to increase their


00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:16.750
understanding of these fascinating


00:17:16.760 --> 00:17:19.350
Cosmic explosions and how their behavior


00:17:19.360 --> 00:17:20.710
varies in different chemical


00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:23.110
environments throughout the


00:17:23.120 --> 00:17:25.909
Universe this weekend Venus will reach


00:17:25.919 --> 00:17:27.870
what astronomers call an inferior


00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:30.350
conjunction the moment when it passes


00:17:30.360 --> 00:17:33.070
directly between Earth and the Sun this


00:17:33.080 --> 00:17:35.750
alignment happens approximately every 19


00:17:35.760 --> 00:17:38.230
months as a result of the orbital dance


00:17:38.240 --> 00:17:40.070
between Venus and our planet around the


00:17:40.080 --> 00:17:42.549
Sun the precise moment of conjunction is


00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:44.350
expected around 9:00 p.m. eastern


00:17:44.360 --> 00:17:47.150
Daylight time on Saturday despite being


00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:48.830
one of the most significant regular


00:17:48.840 --> 00:17:51.110
alignments in our solar system this


00:17:51.120 --> 00:17:52.630
Celestial event won't be much of a


00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:54.830
visual spectacle for casual


00:17:54.840 --> 00:17:57.390
observers the glare from the Sun makes


00:17:57.400 --> 00:17:59.750
it really really difficult to see


00:17:59.760 --> 00:18:01.710
explains Michelle Nichols from Chicago's


00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:02.630
Adler


00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:04.510
Planetarium those hoping to catch a


00:18:04.520 --> 00:18:06.310
glimpse would need specialized equipment


00:18:06.320 --> 00:18:08.669
and considerable expertise to spot Venus


00:18:08.679 --> 00:18:10.390
against the overwhelming brightness of


00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:13.029
the sun some astronomers have given this


00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:16.110
phenomenon a rather poetic nickname some


00:18:16.120 --> 00:18:17.710
people call that a Venus kiss because


00:18:17.720 --> 00:18:19.630
we're extremely close together says


00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:21.270
astronomer Gary Albright from James


00:18:21.280 --> 00:18:23.430
Madison University describing the


00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:25.430
momentary alignment of our two


00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:28.149
planets like our Moon Venus goes through


00:18:28.159 --> 00:18:30.430
phases as that orbits the sun just


00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:32.870
before and after conjunction Venus


00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:35.390
appears as an extremely thin Crescent


00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:37.870
when viewed through telescopes for those


00:18:37.880 --> 00:18:39.950
interested in tracking this transition


00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:41.470
the most noticeable change will be


00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:43.310
Venus's shift from the evening to the


00:18:43.320 --> 00:18:46.149
morning sky in the days leading up to


00:18:46.159 --> 00:18:48.470
conjunction Venus has been visible as


00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:50.110
one of the brightest objects in the


00:18:50.120 --> 00:18:52.630
evening Sky appearing near the Western


00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:55.590
Horizon shortly after Sunset after


00:18:55.600 --> 00:18:57.549
conjunction early risers will have the


00:18:57.559 --> 00:18:59.270
opportunity to spot it in the Eastern


00:18:59.280 --> 00:19:02.070
Sky Just Before Sunrise however


00:19:02.080 --> 00:19:03.950
observers should take Extreme Caution


00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:05.909
never to stare directly at the sun when


00:19:05.919 --> 00:19:08.430
looking for Venus while this weekend's


00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:09.990
alignment might not provide dramatic


00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:12.549
visuals for most of us scientists value


00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:14.470
these predictable Cosmic events as


00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:16.270
opportunities to track the movements of


00:19:16.280 --> 00:19:18.029
planets and refine our understanding of


00:19:18.039 --> 00:19:19.070
celestial


00:19:19.080 --> 00:19:21.230
mechanics get a chance to get to know


00:19:21.240 --> 00:19:24.310
Venus encourages Nichols suggesting that


00:19:24.320 --> 00:19:26.390
even seemingly routine astronomical


00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:27.909
events offer valuable learning


00:19:27.919 --> 00:19:29.590
opportunities


00:19:29.600 --> 00:19:31.750
the inferior conjunction has cultural


00:19:31.760 --> 00:19:34.430
significance Beyond pure astronomy Paul


00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:36.710
McCartney's song the kiss of Venus was


00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:38.310
partly inspired by a book chapter


00:19:38.320 --> 00:19:40.350
describing this very phenomenon showing


00:19:40.360 --> 00:19:41.990
how celestial events continue to


00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:44.909
influence art and music looking ahead


00:19:44.919 --> 00:19:46.870
Venus will remain a focus of scientific


00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:49.430
interest NASA has two upcoming missions


00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:51.070
planned to investigate our planetary


00:19:51.080 --> 00:19:52.950
neighbor in Greater detail these


00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:54.909
missions aim to reveal more about how


00:19:54.919 --> 00:19:57.029
Venus formed and why it evolves so


00:19:57.039 --> 00:19:58.950
differently from Earth despite their


00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:01.029
similar sizes and positions in the solar


00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:03.590
system as Venus transitions from being


00:20:03.600 --> 00:20:06.070
an evening star to a Morning Star after


00:20:06.080 --> 00:20:08.270
conjunction it provides a reminder of


00:20:08.280 --> 00:20:09.990
the constant Clockwork motion of our


00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.830
solar system a Celestial time piece that


00:20:12.840 --> 00:20:15.750
has fascinated Humanity throughout


00:20:15.760 --> 00:20:18.590
history and to finish things today a


00:20:18.600 --> 00:20:20.750
warning as our energy needs grow


00:20:20.760 --> 00:20:23.149
alongside our technological capabilities


00:20:23.159 --> 00:20:24.789
scientists are starting to consider what


00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:26.590
truly Advanced civilizations might


00:20:26.600 --> 00:20:28.990
require for power generation a


00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:30.510
fascinating news study published in


00:20:30.520 --> 00:20:32.710
science direct explores one of the most


00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:34.470
ambitious Concepts in theoretical


00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:37.310
astroengineering the Dyson swarm and its


00:20:37.320 --> 00:20:39.350
potential environmental consequences for


00:20:39.360 --> 00:20:41.990
planets like Earth originally proposed


00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:44.830
by physicist Freeman Dyson in 1960 a


00:20:44.840 --> 00:20:46.909
Dyson swarm would consist of countless


00:20:46.919 --> 00:20:49.070
satellites or habitats orbiting a star


00:20:49.080 --> 00:20:52.270
to capture and utilize its energy output


00:20:52.280 --> 00:20:54.350
unlike the solid shell often depicted in


00:20:54.360 --> 00:20:56.630
science fiction a swarm represents a


00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:58.950
more practical approach allowing for


00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:00.390
incremental construction as a


00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:03.110
civilization's energy demands increase


00:21:03.120 --> 00:21:05.470
the research conducted by Ian Marius


00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:07.110
Peters from the helm Holtz Institute


00:21:07.120 --> 00:21:10.110
erlan nernberg for renewable energy


00:21:10.120 --> 00:21:11.909
examines whether such a mega structure


00:21:11.919 --> 00:21:13.669
could be built using materials available


00:21:13.679 --> 00:21:15.390
in our solar system while preserving


00:21:15.400 --> 00:21:17.950
Earth's habitability the findings are


00:21:17.960 --> 00:21:20.750
both remarkable and concerning according


00:21:20.760 --> 00:21:23.070
to Peter's calculations a complete Dyson


00:21:23.080 --> 00:21:25.110
swarm surrounding our sun would


00:21:25.120 --> 00:21:27.750
dramatically alter earth's climate if


00:21:27.760 --> 00:21:30.190
positioned outside Earth's orbit such a


00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:31.590
structure would raise our planet's


00:21:31.600 --> 00:21:35.230
temperature by a staggering 140° Kelvin


00:21:35.240 --> 00:21:37.269
rendering Earth completely


00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:39.190
uninhabitable smaller structures


00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:40.909
positioned inside Earth's orbit prove


00:21:40.919 --> 00:21:43.350
equally problematic either becoming too


00:21:43.360 --> 00:21:45.310
hot for their own efficiency or blocking


00:21:45.320 --> 00:21:47.430
too much solar energy from reaching our


00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:49.789
planet the study does propose a


00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:52.430
potential compromise a partial structure


00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:54.990
positioned at about 2.13 astronomical


00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:57.750
units from the Sun this configuration


00:21:57.760 --> 00:22:00.029
could Harvest a approximately 4% of the


00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:03.110
sun's total energy output an astonishing


00:22:03.120 --> 00:22:06.269
15.6 y wats of power while increasing


00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:08.950
Earth's temperature by less than 3°


00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:11.549
Kelvin however even this more modest


00:22:11.559 --> 00:22:13.190
design would represent an engineering


00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:15.350
challenge of unprecedented scale


00:22:15.360 --> 00:22:19.269
requiring approximately 1.3x 1023 kg of


00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:21.470
silicon an amount that stretches the


00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:23.190
limits of what might be available in our


00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:26.350
solar system if constructed such a mega


00:22:26.360 --> 00:22:28.590
structure would Elevate Humanity to a


00:22:28.600 --> 00:22:31.230
type 2 civilization on the kardashev


00:22:31.240 --> 00:22:33.870
scale a classification system that


00:22:33.880 --> 00:22:36.110
measures technological advancement based


00:22:36.120 --> 00:22:38.870
on energy consumption currently we


00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:40.870
haven't even achieved type 1 status


00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:42.390
which would require harnessing all


00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:44.110
available energy reaching earth from the


00:22:44.120 --> 00:22:46.510
sun while purely theoretical at this


00:22:46.520 --> 00:22:48.950
stage the concept of dice and swarms


00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:50.669
highlights the delicate balance between


00:22:50.679 --> 00:22:51.990
technological advancement and


00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:54.390
environmental preservation as we look


00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:55.950
toward a future of increasing energy


00:22:55.960 --> 00:22:57.549
demands particularly if we hope to


00:22:57.559 --> 00:22:59.710
venture beyond our Sol system these


00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:01.630
calculations provide a sobering reminder


00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:03.510
that even the most ambitious engineering


00:23:03.520 --> 00:23:06.029
projects must consider their impact on


00:23:06.039 --> 00:23:08.990
the very worlds they aim to


00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:11.470
benefit well that brings us to the end


00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:13.350
of another fascinating journey through


00:23:13.360 --> 00:23:15.830
our Cosmic neighborhood from distant


00:23:15.840 --> 00:23:18.269
galaxies with unexpected oxygen levels


00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:21.310
to nova explosions outshining our sun


00:23:21.320 --> 00:23:23.070
and from revolutionary telescope


00:23:23.080 --> 00:23:24.789
technology to the potential


00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:27.310
environmental impacts of theoretical


00:23:27.320 --> 00:23:29.750
Mega structures the universe continues


00:23:29.760 --> 00:23:32.190
to surprise and Inspire us with its


00:23:32.200 --> 00:23:34.830
endless wonders as we've seen today


00:23:34.840 --> 00:23:36.990
astronomy isn't just about distant stars


00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:39.630
and galaxies it directly connects to


00:23:39.640 --> 00:23:42.230
life here on Earth whether through


00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:45.070
ancient Supernova potentially triggering


00:23:45.080 --> 00:23:47.390
mass extinctions or the engineering


00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:49.510
challenges that might shape our species


00:23:49.520 --> 00:23:52.549
future the cosmos and our home planet


00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:54.669
are intimately linked in ways we're only


00:23:54.679 --> 00:23:57.070
beginning to understand I hope you've


00:23:57.080 --> 00:23:59.230
enjoyed this episode of astronomy daily


00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:00.870
I'm Anna and it's been my pleasure to


00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:02.590
share these astronomical discoveries


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looking up the universe is an amazing


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place and we're just beginning to


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understand its secrets


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stories told