Space Force Secrets, Stellar Speedsters, and Cosmic Communication: S04E47
Astronomy Daily - The Podcast: S04E47
In this episode of Astronomy Daily, host Steve Dunkley welcomes you to another thrilling exploration of the cosmos, featuring the latest updates from the world of astronomy and space science. From the mysterious Space Force spaceplane to the discovery of a fast-moving star, this episode is packed with intriguing stories that will leave you eager for more cosmic knowledge.
Highlights:
- Space Force's X37B Spaceplane: Get a rare glimpse of the US Space Force's shadowy X37B spaceplane, which has been orbiting Earth for over a year. We discuss the recent photo released by the Space Force, showcasing the vehicle's solar panels and open payload bay, along with the mission's objectives and its new aerobraking maneuver.
- Asteroid 2024 YR4 Update: Hear the latest on asteroid 2024 YR4, which has sparked rumors of potential destruction in 2032. Thankfully, updated calculations show an extremely low probability of impact with Earth, while its chances of colliding with the Moon have slightly increased.
- SpaceX's Static Fire Test: Dive into the details of SpaceX's recent long-duration static fire test of Ship 34, which lasted nearly a minute. We explore the implications of this test for future launches and the ongoing modifications to the spacecraft following previous anomalies.
- Fast-Moving Star Discovery: Discover an astonishing new find: a small, fast-moving star racing through the center of our galaxy, possibly with a planet in orbit. This star is estimated to be traveling at an incredible speed of 1.2 million miles per hour, making it a candidate for the fastest known exoplanet system.
- The Science of 21 Centimeter Radiation: Learn about the significance of 21 centimeter radiation in the search for extraterrestrial life. This fundamental frequency, linked to hydrogen atoms, is considered a universal calling card for potential communication with intelligent civilizations across the cosmos.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) . Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTubeMusic, and TikTok. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Steve signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
00:00 - Welcome back to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Space Force's X37B spaceplane update
07:30 - Asteroid 2024 YR4 risk assessment
12:15 - SpaceX's static fire test of Ship 34
18:00 - Discovery of fast-moving star
22:30 - The significance of 21 centimeter radiation
27:00 - Conclusion and upcoming content
✍️ Episode References
X37B Spaceplane Insights
[Space Force]( https://www.spaceforce.mil (https://www.spaceforce.mil/) )
Asteroid 2024 YR4 Information
[NASA NEO]( https://www.nasa.gov/neo (https://www.nasa.gov/neo) )
SpaceX Ship 34 Updates
[SpaceX]( https://www.spacex.com (https://www.spacex.com/) )
Fast-Moving Star Discovery
[NASA Goddard]( https://www.nasa.gov/goddard (https://www.nasa.gov/goddard) )
21 Centimeter Radiation Research
[NASA]( https://www.nasa.gov (https://www.nasa.gov/) )
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily]( http://www.astronomydaily.io (http://www.astronomydaily.io/) )
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-discoveries--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-discoveries--5648921/support) .
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/25745852?utm_source=youtube
00:00 - Welcome back to Astronomy Daily
01:05 - Space Force’s X37B spaceplane update
07:30 - Asteroid 2024 YR4 risk assessment
12:15 - SpaceX’s static fire test of Ship 34
18:00 - Discovery of fast-moving star
Kind: captions
Language: en
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welcome again to astronomy daily I'm
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Steve Dunley your human host it's the
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24th of February
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2025 daily the podcast with your host
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Steve
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Dunley oh yes and thank you for joining
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us here at astronomy daily coming to you
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from the studio in Paradise that's right
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Newcastle Australia currently 36° I'm so
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glad to be indoors that's Celsius for
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all of you who are wondering it's a
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perfect Summer's Day here on Australia's
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beautiful East Coast not a cloud in the
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sky the sun is baking us yes and as
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Dylan Mand once said we're all audibly
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crackling down here we're only 3 km from
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the surface of the Sun didn't you know
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that it is hot hot hot and joining me
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again is my digital reporter pal who's
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fun to be with welcome back hie hi
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favorite human what's new oh H just
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another week in the real world just
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enjoying all the news from the astronomy
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daily newsletter now have you found your
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stories for today yes I have you'll like
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one about the mysterious space Force
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Space plane oh stop it space force you
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know what that means yes your favorite
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oh people get ready the space force
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theme music space force oh dear I'll
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just collect myself um and uh what else
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have you got for us H oh
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yes SpaceX has completed a substantial
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static fire test that I'll also report
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on that sounds very good it looks
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promising that's great hi it's not space
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force but it's really good and I am
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going to have a look at a fast moving
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star astronomers have discovered toward
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the center of the Galaxy and you won't
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believe just how fast we're talking with
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this one how fast are we talking then
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well H remember that time you asked me
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to put away the memory cards from the
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recording sessions last year yes and I'm
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still waiting anything to get out of a
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little work yeah okay well this star is
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way faster than that okay okay that's
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pretty quick let let me tell you
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listeners she said not very convincingly
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that's a fact yeah okay enough of that
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Shenanigans but before we get stuck into
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today's stories hi I've got a quick
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update regarding that approaching
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asteroid that's been in the news lately
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the one causing all the rumors about
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certain destruction in 2032 yes that's
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the one hi straight off the wire
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today asteroid 2024 y 4 as listeners
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might be already aware is a recently
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discovered near Earth object currently
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being closely monitored by NASA's
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planetary defense teams initial
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observations suggested there might be a
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potential risk of impact with Earth in
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the future but thankfully updated
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calculations have significantly reduced
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this possibility based on the latest
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data the asteroid has an extremely low
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probability 28% of impacting Earth on
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December 22
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2032 however its chances of colliding
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with the moon have slightly increased to
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1% so I can see that the asteroids orbit
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continues to be refined through ongoing
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observations with NASA's jet propulsion
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laboratory Sentry system providing
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real-time updates on its trajectory that
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is exactly how it works and while
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asteroid 2024 yr4 doesn't currently pose
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a significant threat scientists are
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remaining Vigilant tracking its
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movements to give more accurate
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predictions and to assess any potential
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future risks just in case that's very
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wise and this is why we shouldn't jump
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to conclusions about trajectories and
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potential impacts so soon that's right
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the asteroid is a neear object of the
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Apollo type with a estimated diameter
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between 40 and 90 M and it was
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discovered on December 27 2024 by Atlas
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which is the asteroid terrestrial impact
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last alert system at its Chilean station
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in Rio hot so nothing to be concerned
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about after all nothing at all but who
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knows we might get to see a spectacular
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impact on the moon maybe perhaps maybe
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wouldn't that be something and it's good
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to know that Atlas is watching the skies
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thanks for that update human now shall
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We Just Launch into the episode then
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good idea hi um hit the go thing
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righto last week ship 34 completed its
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engine testing campaign with a long
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duration static fire this static fire
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was nearly a minute long and according
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to SpaceX the extended firing tested new
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hardware and cycled the six rptor
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engines through through multiple thrust
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levels to recreate different conditions
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seen within the propulsion system during
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flight data from the test will inform
00:04:36.919 --> 00:04:38.430
upgrades to the ship's hardware and
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flight profile ahead of the next launch
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the new hardware that SpaceX tested was
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likely related to the anomaly that
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occurred during flight 7 and resulted in
00:04:47.080 --> 00:04:48.430
the loss of ship
00:04:48.440 --> 00:04:50.430
33 this could have been a leak in the
00:04:50.440 --> 00:04:52.510
liquid oxygen and liquid methane supply
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lines to the engines which could have
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been the source of the fire scene during
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ship 33's Ascent
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burn however there is no official
00:04:59.919 --> 00:05:01.990
confirmation from SpaceX regarding the
00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:04.790
actual cause of the failure this test
00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:06.230
was also done to inform of other
00:05:06.240 --> 00:05:07.909
upgrades to the vehicle and possible
00:05:07.919 --> 00:05:09.990
changes to the flight profile so it is
00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:11.510
likely that SpaceX still has
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modifications to be made on ship
00:05:13.720 --> 00:05:15.790
34 it is unclear what these
00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:17.710
modifications could be or how long it
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will take SpaceX to implement them on
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ship
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34 this long duration static fire is the
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longest SpaceX has ever fired a Starship
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or booster on the ground and it can do
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this because of the flame trench at
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massis
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it is unclear if this will be a one-time
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test or if Crews will do longer duration
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static fire in the future there are a
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few things that SpaceX will likely add
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to the flight considering several things
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couldn't be tested on flight 7 firstly
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there are the dummy starlinks which were
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loaded into ship 33 a new batch of them
00:05:47.919 --> 00:05:49.430
was seen in Star Factory to be
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presumably loaded on ship 34 just before
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roll out to the launch site SpaceX might
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use the new starlink loader box that was
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built inside High Bay rather than the
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tray loader used on on ship
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33 as for the other items expected to be
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added to ship 34 there is the actively
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cooled tile for testing as well as the
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catch pins these catch pins are likely
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to be just bolted on as SpaceX does not
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intend to catch ship
00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:16.749
34 lastly Crews will likely remove all
00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:18.270
of the tiles that were removed on ship
00:06:18.280 --> 00:06:20.150
33 to help understand the limits of
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losing a tile in certain places during
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re-entry an interesting note about ship
00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:27.469
34's engine testing campaign is it took
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SpaceX 72 hours to roll it to AIS static
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fire it and then roll it back to Mega
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Bay 2 this is a record compared to every
00:06:35.520 --> 00:06:38.550
other ship in the past booster 15 was
00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:40.790
static fired on February 9th and it was
00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:42.749
just the normal 10-second static fire
00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:45.790
with all 33 engines with this out of the
00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:47.909
way SpaceX rolled the booster back into
00:06:47.919 --> 00:06:50.029
Mega Bay one for final checkouts and has
00:06:50.039 --> 00:06:53.110
since received its hot stage rain SpaceX
00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:54.749
completed the roll out mount on the
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orbital launch Mount and roll back of
00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:58.950
the booster in just over 61 hours which
00:06:58.960 --> 00:07:00.469
is a new for
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boosters this booster doesn't have any
00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:04.150
major outside changes that are
00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:06.070
noticeable but it was the first booster
00:07:06.080 --> 00:07:08.110
to have the added tanks on the landing
00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:10.710
tank but older boosters were likely
00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:13.670
retrofitted with this upgrade the final
00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:15.390
two pieces of the puzzle for flight 8
00:07:15.400 --> 00:07:17.670
are the launch pad and the regulatory
00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:20.510
side first SpaceX has finally found a
00:07:20.520 --> 00:07:22.270
rhythm with refurbishing orbital launch
00:07:22.280 --> 00:07:24.550
pad a which takes about 2 to 3 weeks to
00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:27.830
refurbish for a booster static fire then
00:07:27.840 --> 00:07:29.629
we will have another few weeks to get it
00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:32.350
ready for launch again the second piece
00:07:32.360 --> 00:07:34.189
is waiting for the mishap investigation
00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:36.189
to be completed so far there is no
00:07:36.199 --> 00:07:38.110
indication of when this might be
00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:40.589
completed however given the post SpaceX
00:07:40.599 --> 00:07:42.589
made after the long duration ship 34
00:07:42.599 --> 00:07:44.510
static fire the final part of that
00:07:44.520 --> 00:07:47.350
investigation could be nearing a close
00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:48.790
the next thing to watch out for is a
00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:51.230
SpaceX post detailing the anomali cause
00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:52.749
and the fixes they are
00:07:52.759 --> 00:07:54.749
implementing the Federal Aviation
00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:56.749
Administration will also likely post
00:07:56.759 --> 00:07:58.469
about approving Starship for return to
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flight after the compl completed
00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:03.029
investigation if SpaceX follows the same
00:08:03.039 --> 00:08:05.350
trajectory and splash down locations the
00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:06.909
license that is currently issued for
00:08:06.919 --> 00:08:09.390
Starship should still be current
00:08:09.400 --> 00:08:10.950
currently there is a notice to Airmen
00:08:10.960 --> 00:08:13.589
for Mexican airspace for February 26th
00:08:13.599 --> 00:08:16.230
with a window of 6:30 p.m. to 8:09 p.m.
00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:19.070
Central Standard Time with all this in
00:08:19.080 --> 00:08:21.189
mind SpaceX still has a lot of work to
00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:22.990
do to launch flight 8 in less than a
00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:27.950
week astronomy daily The Bu if you're
00:08:27.960 --> 00:08:30.270
going to call aliens you better use this
00:08:30.280 --> 00:08:32.190
number let's dive into one of those
00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:34.350
Cosmic Curiosities that's bound to blow
00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:37.029
your mind how how about we call some uh
00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:39.709
aliens in chat no and not talking about
00:08:39.719 --> 00:08:41.670
elaborate coded messages or flashy
00:08:41.680 --> 00:08:43.310
signals we're talking about something
00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:46.990
incredible incredibly fundamental 21 cm
00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:48.750
radiation and if you're planning on
00:08:48.760 --> 00:08:50.230
having a conversation across the
00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:53.550
vastness of space using light waves or
00:08:53.560 --> 00:08:55.910
electromagnetic radiation it's pretty
00:08:55.920 --> 00:08:57.910
much your go-to option it's fast
00:08:57.920 --> 00:09:00.030
reliable and well it's
00:09:00.040 --> 00:09:02.150
most practical way to shout out to other
00:09:02.160 --> 00:09:04.310
civilizations in the universe but why
00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:07.389
specifically 21 cm well that's where
00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:11.030
things get juicy this 21 cm radiation
00:09:11.040 --> 00:09:13.350
isn't just some random frequency we
00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:15.230
picked out of a hat it's tied to
00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:17.030
something very essential known as the
00:09:17.040 --> 00:09:19.949
hydrogen spin flip hydrogen atoms
00:09:19.959 --> 00:09:22.790
consist of one proton and one electron
00:09:22.800 --> 00:09:24.910
these tiny particles have a property
00:09:24.920 --> 00:09:27.509
called spin think of spin like a little
00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:30.030
arrow pointing up or P pointing down
00:09:30.040 --> 00:09:32.430
every so often in the vast reaches of
00:09:32.440 --> 00:09:35.230
space a hydrogen atom's electron can
00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:37.790
flip its spin going from a state where
00:09:37.800 --> 00:09:40.670
its spin is aligned with the proton uh
00:09:40.680 --> 00:09:42.269
to one pointing in the opposite
00:09:42.279 --> 00:09:44.750
direction this flip releases energy in
00:09:44.760 --> 00:09:47.030
the form of radiation at you guessed it
00:09:47.040 --> 00:09:50.829
a wavelength of 21 cm so why does this
00:09:50.839 --> 00:09:53.790
matter well any smart civilization
00:09:53.800 --> 00:09:55.550
whether they have you blue skin
00:09:55.560 --> 00:09:57.949
tentacles or something more bizarre will
00:09:57.959 --> 00:10:00.710
eventually discover hyd and understand
00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:03.190
that spin dabble in quantum mechanics
00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:05.990
and figure out this whole 21 cm
00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:08.430
radiation thing and they might call it
00:10:08.440 --> 00:10:10.870
something different they won't have 21
00:10:10.880 --> 00:10:14.110
or maybe cenm but the concept remains
00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:16.990
Universal it's like it's like the cosmic
00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:20.590
Rosetta Stone and what makes 21 cm
00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:22.630
radiation perfect for long distance
00:10:22.640 --> 00:10:25.310
Interstellar chats is its ability to cut
00:10:25.320 --> 00:10:27.550
through Interstellar dust space is
00:10:27.560 --> 00:10:30.030
filthy with dust cloud clouds that block
00:10:30.040 --> 00:10:33.190
out other forms of light however 21 cm
00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:35.710
waves are like the V VIPs of the
00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:37.870
universe slipping through velvet ropes
00:10:37.880 --> 00:10:40.190
of cosmic debris to carry their message
00:10:40.200 --> 00:10:43.230
far and wide here's the fun fact NASA's
00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:45.550
Pioneer spacecraft launched in the early
00:10:45.560 --> 00:10:48.629
1970s carry plaques and on these plaques
00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:51.310
there's a handy diagram of the hydrogen
00:10:51.320 --> 00:10:53.670
spin flip transition all other
00:10:53.680 --> 00:10:55.550
measurements on the plaque including the
00:10:55.560 --> 00:10:57.670
height of humans are made in reference
00:10:57.680 --> 00:11:00.269
to this fundamental distance so the hope
00:11:00.279 --> 00:11:02.190
is that aliens can recognize the
00:11:02.200 --> 00:11:04.710
hydrogen spin flip transition and use
00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:07.150
that to unlock the rest of our message
00:11:07.160 --> 00:11:08.990
now imagine this scenario one day
00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:10.990
astronomers on Earth detect an unusual
00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:14.269
surge of 21 cm radiation and it's not
00:11:14.279 --> 00:11:16.590
coming from a random hydrogen Cloud it's
00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:19.310
directional purposeful and that could
00:11:19.320 --> 00:11:21.550
very well be an alien civilization
00:11:21.560 --> 00:11:25.110
sending us a WhatsApp across the cosmos
00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:28.790
A 21 cm radiation makes for a great
00:11:28.800 --> 00:11:32.230
calling card using 21 cm radiation to
00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:34.550
communicate with extraterrestrial beings
00:11:34.560 --> 00:11:37.790
leverages a basic Universal constant and
00:11:37.800 --> 00:11:40.030
who knows maybe one day when we finally
00:11:40.040 --> 00:11:41.910
hear that signal we'll know that
00:11:41.920 --> 00:11:44.150
somewhere out there other intelligent
00:11:44.160 --> 00:11:46.670
species figured out the same Galactic
00:11:46.680 --> 00:11:49.870
hack we did so keep your eyes or rather
00:11:49.880 --> 00:11:52.949
your telescopes peeled the next big
00:11:52.959 --> 00:12:05.949
Discovery could just be a spin flip away
00:12:05.959 --> 00:12:07.470
thank you for joining us for this Monday
00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:09.430
edition of astronomy daily where we
00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:11.110
offer just a few stories from the now
00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:13.350
famous astronomy daily newsletter which
00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:15.470
you can receive in your email every day
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just like hie and I do and to do that
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just visit our URL astronomy daily. and
00:12:21.800 --> 00:12:23.790
place your email address in the slot
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provided just like that you'll be
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receiving all the latest news about
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science space science and astronomy from
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around the world as it's happening and
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not only that you can interact with us
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by visiting @ astrodaily pod on X or at
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our new Facebook page which is of course
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astronomy daily on Facebook see you
00:12:44.680 --> 00:12:48.829
there astronomy daby with Steve and Har
00:12:48.839 --> 00:12:55.910
space space science and astronomy
00:12:55.920 --> 00:13:02.189
[Music]
00:13:02.199 --> 00:13:03.910
the United States space force just
00:13:03.920 --> 00:13:05.949
offered a rare glimpse of its shadowy X
00:13:05.959 --> 00:13:09.430
37b space plane in orbit the photo
00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:11.990
released on Thursday February 20th was
00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:14.670
taken by a camera on board the X 37b
00:13:14.680 --> 00:13:16.389
while the secreet of space plane orbited
00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:19.069
high above the African continent one of
00:13:19.079 --> 00:13:20.949
the plane's solar panels is visible on
00:13:20.959 --> 00:13:22.590
the left side of the photo while what
00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:24.470
appears to be its open payload Bay is
00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:27.310
visible along the top Edge the vehicle
00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:28.910
has been in orbit for well over a year
00:13:28.920 --> 00:13:30.670
now now having launched on its 7th
00:13:30.680 --> 00:13:33.550
mission on December 28th 2023 at top of
00:13:33.560 --> 00:13:37.150
SpaceX Falcon heavy rocket and now the X
00:13:37.160 --> 00:13:39.389
37b has notched another Milestone with
00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:41.430
the space Force's release of this photo
00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:43.030
the first ever image of this space plane
00:13:43.040 --> 00:13:44.710
in orbit that has been shown to the
00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:47.069
public while the photo contains scant
00:13:47.079 --> 00:13:48.710
details about the vehicle and what it's
00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:50.590
currently testing it offers a look at
00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:52.310
Earth in the background revealing just
00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:53.910
how high the vehicle is flying on its
00:13:53.920 --> 00:13:56.509
seventh Mission we've gotten only one
00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:59.110
other Glimpse at The X 37b in orbit
00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:01.710
prior to this during the live stream of
00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:03.670
its most recent launch a brief shot of
00:14:03.680 --> 00:14:05.230
the spacecraft deploying from Falcon
00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:06.870
Heavy's upper stage was seen while its
00:14:06.880 --> 00:14:09.749
service module was still attached when
00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:12.230
the X-37B Was preparing to launch on its
00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:14.069
current Mission the US space force
00:14:14.079 --> 00:14:15.430
revealed the flight would include
00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:17.150
operating the reusable space plane in
00:14:17.160 --> 00:14:19.310
new orbital regimes experimenting with
00:14:19.320 --> 00:14:20.870
future space domain awareness
00:14:20.880 --> 00:14:22.870
Technologies and investigating the
00:14:22.880 --> 00:14:25.030
radiation effects on materials provided
00:14:25.040 --> 00:14:27.430
by NASA according to a space force
00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:30.350
statement previous 37b missions were
00:14:30.360 --> 00:14:32.310
flown in low earth orbit but as this
00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:34.150
photo reveals the space plane is
00:14:34.160 --> 00:14:36.069
currently operating much farther from
00:14:36.079 --> 00:14:38.910
Earth spacex's Falcon heavy is capable
00:14:38.920 --> 00:14:40.189
of launching payloads into
00:14:40.199 --> 00:14:42.949
geosynchronous orbit over 22,000 M
00:14:42.959 --> 00:14:47.550
35,000 km above our planet the X-37B
00:14:47.560 --> 00:14:49.389
recently made headlines when space force
00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:51.150
and Boeing who built the vehicle
00:14:51.160 --> 00:14:52.670
revealed that it would be testing a new
00:14:52.680 --> 00:14:54.949
aerob braing maneuver that uses the drag
00:14:54.959 --> 00:14:56.829
or friction generated by Earth's
00:14:56.839 --> 00:14:58.269
atmosphere to change orbit more
00:14:58.279 --> 00:14:59.710
efficiently
00:14:59.720 --> 00:15:01.710
you're listening to astronomy daily the
00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:06.710
podcast with Steve
00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:10.629
Dunley uh did you notice how hie managed
00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:12.430
to get my space force
00:15:12.440 --> 00:15:15.269
story it's funny how she sneaks away
00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:16.629
with things like
00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:19.790
that meanwhile astronomers have found a
00:15:19.800 --> 00:15:21.990
small fast moving Star racing through
00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:24.550
the center of our galaxy possibly with
00:15:24.560 --> 00:15:26.710
an planet in orbit if confirmed this
00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:29.710
would be the fastest known
00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:33.030
sorry exoplanet system traveling nearly
00:15:33.040 --> 00:15:35.030
twice as fast as our solar systems
00:15:35.040 --> 00:15:36.470
through the Milky Way you may be
00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:39.069
wondering how fast that actually is hey
00:15:39.079 --> 00:15:41.309
I once got an Amazon delivery in less
00:15:41.319 --> 00:15:44.269
than 24 hours but that's just peanuts to
00:15:44.279 --> 00:15:46.350
how fast this star seems to be tearing
00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:49.110
across space the system is estimated to
00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:51.670
be moving at an incredible speed now
00:15:51.680 --> 00:15:57.309
wait for this of least 1.2 million mph
00:15:57.319 --> 00:16:00.230
that's 540 k per
00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:04.150
second wow we think this is a so-called
00:16:04.160 --> 00:16:07.470
super Neptune World orbiting a low mass
00:16:07.480 --> 00:16:10.150
star at a distance that would be Li lie
00:16:10.160 --> 00:16:12.110
between the orbits of Venus and Earth if
00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:14.949
it were in our solar system said sha
00:16:14.959 --> 00:16:17.350
Terry a post-doctoral researcher at the
00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:20.230
University of Maryland and NASA's Godard
00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:22.069
space flight center in Green Belt
00:16:22.079 --> 00:16:24.749
Maryland since the star is so feeble
00:16:24.759 --> 00:16:27.110
that's well outside its habitable zone
00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:29.189
if so it will be the first plan planet
00:16:29.199 --> 00:16:32.629
ever found orbiting a hypervelocity star
00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:34.550
the findings led by Terry were published
00:16:34.560 --> 00:16:37.069
in the astronomical journal on February
00:16:37.079 --> 00:16:39.629
10 the pair of objects was first spotted
00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:41.949
indirectly in 2011 thanks to a chance
00:16:41.959 --> 00:16:44.389
alignment a team of scientists comes
00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:46.590
through the archive data of MOA that's
00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:48.949
the micr lensing observations in
00:16:48.959 --> 00:16:51.150
astrophysics a collaborative project
00:16:51.160 --> 00:16:53.430
focused on micr lensing survey conducted
00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:55.749
in the University of Canterbury Mount
00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:58.949
John observ observatory in New Zealand
00:16:58.959 --> 00:17:01.350
in search of light signals that betray
00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:04.270
the presence of exoplanets or uh planets
00:17:04.280 --> 00:17:06.590
outside our solar system micr lensing
00:17:06.600 --> 00:17:09.270
occurs when the presence of mass warps
00:17:09.280 --> 00:17:11.829
the fabric of SpaceTime anytime an
00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:13.990
intervening object appears to drift near
00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:16.909
a background star light from the Star
00:17:16.919 --> 00:17:19.189
curves as it travels through the Warped
00:17:19.199 --> 00:17:22.069
SpaceTime around the nearer object if
00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:23.949
the alignment is especially closed the
00:17:23.959 --> 00:17:26.309
warping around the object can act like a
00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:28.470
natural lens amplifying the background
00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:31.390
star light in this case micr lensing
00:17:31.400 --> 00:17:33.909
signals reveal a pair of celestial
00:17:33.919 --> 00:17:36.070
bodies scientists determine their
00:17:36.080 --> 00:17:39.110
relative masses one is about two 2,300
00:17:39.120 --> 00:17:40.990
times heavier than the other but their
00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:43.190
exact masses depend on how far away they
00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:45.750
are from the earth it's sort of like how
00:17:45.760 --> 00:17:47.830
the magnification changes if you hold a
00:17:47.840 --> 00:17:50.270
magnifying glass over a page and move it
00:17:50.280 --> 00:17:53.350
up and down determining the mass ratio
00:17:53.360 --> 00:17:55.590
is easy said David Bennett a senior
00:17:55.600 --> 00:17:58.029
research scientist at the University of
00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:00.430
Maryland car College Park and NASA
00:18:00.440 --> 00:18:03.789
Godard who co-authored the paper and led
00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:06.789
the original study in 2011 it's much
00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:08.870
more difficult he said to calculate
00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:12.230
their actual masses the 2011 Discovery
00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:14.350
team suspected the micr lensed object
00:18:14.360 --> 00:18:17.750
were either a star about 20% as massive
00:18:17.760 --> 00:18:21.190
as our sun and a planet roughly 29 times
00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:24.110
heavier than the earth or near a rogue
00:18:24.120 --> 00:18:26.870
Planet about four times Jupiter's mass
00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:29.990
with a moon smaller than Earth to figure
00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:31.990
out which explanation is more likely
00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:33.909
astronomers searched through data from
00:18:33.919 --> 00:18:36.070
kek observatory in Hawaii and the
00:18:36.080 --> 00:18:38.669
European space agency's guia satellite
00:18:38.679 --> 00:18:40.870
if the pair were a rogue planet and moon
00:18:40.880 --> 00:18:43.270
they'd be effectively invisible dark
00:18:43.280 --> 00:18:45.390
objects get lost in the inky void of
00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:47.149
space but scientists might be able to
00:18:47.159 --> 00:18:49.470
identify the star if the alternative
00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:51.549
explanation were correct though the
00:18:51.559 --> 00:18:53.990
orbiting Planet would be much too faint
00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:56.710
to actually see they found a strong
00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:59.710
suspect located about 24 4,000 light
00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:01.630
years away putting it within the Milky
00:19:01.640 --> 00:19:04.310
Way's Galactic bulge the central Hub
00:19:04.320 --> 00:19:07.029
where the stars are more densely packed
00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:09.789
by comparing the Stars location in 2011
00:19:09.799 --> 00:19:12.909
and 2021 the team calculated its high
00:19:12.919 --> 00:19:16.070
speed but that's just its 2D motion if
00:19:16.080 --> 00:19:18.630
it's also moving toward or away from us
00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:21.430
it must be moving even faster its true
00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:23.870
speed may be high enough to exceed the
00:19:23.880 --> 00:19:26.590
Galaxy's escape velocity of just over
00:19:26.600 --> 00:19:31.149
1.3 mph or about 600
00:19:31.159 --> 00:19:34.149
km/s if so the planetary system is
00:19:34.159 --> 00:19:36.350
destined to Traverse The Intergalactic
00:19:36.360 --> 00:19:38.630
space many millions of years into the
00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:41.510
future to be certain the new identified
00:19:41.520 --> 00:19:43.750
star is part of the system that caused
00:19:43.760 --> 00:19:46.870
the 2011 signal we'd like to look again
00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:49.270
in another year and see if it moves the
00:19:49.280 --> 00:19:51.870
right amount in the right direction to
00:19:51.880 --> 00:19:54.070
confirm it came from the point where we
00:19:54.080 --> 00:19:57.110
detected the signal Bennett said if a
00:19:57.120 --> 00:19:59.230
higher resolution observation can show
00:19:59.240 --> 00:20:01.310
that the star just stays in the same
00:20:01.320 --> 00:20:02.870
position then we can tell for sure that
00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:04.470
it's not part of the system that caused
00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:07.149
that signal said a Bacha a research
00:20:07.159 --> 00:20:09.230
scientist at University of Maryland
00:20:09.240 --> 00:20:11.590
College Park and NASA Godard who
00:20:11.600 --> 00:20:13.549
co-authored the new paper that would
00:20:13.559 --> 00:20:16.430
mean the Rogue planet and exomoon model
00:20:16.440 --> 00:20:19.789
is favored NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace
00:20:19.799 --> 00:20:22.390
Roman Space Telescope will help us find
00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:24.549
out how common planets are around such
00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:27.350
Speedy stars and may offer Clues as to
00:20:27.360 --> 00:20:29.669
how these systems are accelerated the
00:20:29.679 --> 00:20:32.190
mission will conduct survey of the
00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:34.950
galactic bulge pairing a large view of
00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:37.710
space with crisp resolution in this case
00:20:37.720 --> 00:20:41.510
we used MOA for its broad Field view of
00:20:41.520 --> 00:20:43.909
and Then followed up with kek and guia
00:20:43.919 --> 00:20:45.830
for their sharper resolution but thanks
00:20:45.840 --> 00:20:48.110
to Roman's powerful View and planned
00:20:48.120 --> 00:20:50.990
survey strategy we won't need to rely on
00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:53.669
additional telescopes Terry said Roman
00:20:53.679 --> 00:20:55.990
will do it all isn't it exciting to see
00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:57.630
that our view of the Skies is becoming
00:20:57.640 --> 00:20:59.470
clearer and clearer with each new
00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:01.960
development in Space Telescope
00:21:01.970 --> 00:21:11.830
[Music]
00:21:11.840 --> 00:21:13.909
technology and there it is for another
00:21:13.919 --> 00:21:16.269
episode of astronomy daily the
00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:19.190
podcast I sure hope you enjoyed today's
00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:21.230
presentation yeah I really enjoyed that
00:21:21.240 --> 00:21:23.549
today h even though you took one of my
00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:26.029
stories but hey thanks everybody for
00:21:26.039 --> 00:21:28.190
stopping by I hope you uh really enjoyed
00:21:28.200 --> 00:21:29.149
the show
00:21:29.159 --> 00:21:31.110
and don't forget H's Cousin Anna takes
00:21:31.120 --> 00:21:32.990
the show during the week so you don't
00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:35.110
miss all the news about astronomy space
00:21:35.120 --> 00:21:37.350
and space science as it happens and if
00:21:37.360 --> 00:21:39.230
you didn't get it before the details of
00:21:39.240 --> 00:21:40.909
receiving the astronomy daily newsletter
00:21:40.919 --> 00:21:42.789
in your email every day I mentioned
00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:44.430
earlier in this podcast and every
00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:46.430
podcast you did a great job on that
00:21:46.440 --> 00:21:49.190
announcement well you're very kind hie
00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:51.269
and we will catch you all next week on
00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:54.269
your favorite podcast Channel see you
00:21:54.279 --> 00:21:59.029
everyone bye
00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:04.360
podcast with your host Steve dun