Spectacular Auroras, Suni Williams Retires, China’s Space Rescue

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Hello space enthusiasts. I'm Anna


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>> and I'm Avery. Welcome to Astronomy


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Daily, your daily dose of space and


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astronomy news brought to you by


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astronomyaily.io.


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>> And what a day we have for you today,


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Avery. If you were lucky enough to catch


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the auroras last night, you know what


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we're leading with.


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>> Absolutely, Anna. We're following up on


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yesterday's story about that powerful


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X-class solar flare and the coronal mass


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ejection that was racing toward Earth.


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Well, it hit and it hit hard. That's


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right. We've got stunning photos from


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around the world of the resulting


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Northern Lights and a retirement


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announcement from a legendary NASA


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astronaut, an incredible space rescue


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story from China, and some exciting


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updates from the commercial space


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sector. Plus, we'll tell you about


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NASA's latest mission that's preparing


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to study the sun's most powerful


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eruptions. And we'll take you on a


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cosmic journey billions of years into


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the past with some fascinating new


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telescope observations.


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>> So, grab your coffee, settle in, and


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let's get into today's space news.


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>> All right, Anna, let's dive into our


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lead story. And what a spectacular show


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it was. Yesterday, we told our listeners


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about that X1.9 solar flare and coronal


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mass ejection headed our way. Well, it


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arrived right on schedule. In fact, a


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little early.


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>> It certainly did, Avery. The CME slammed


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into Earth's magnetic field on January


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19th at around 2:38 p.m. Eastern time.


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And it packed quite a punch. Space


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weather forecasters at Noah's Space


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Weather Prediction Center confirmed that


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geomagnetic conditions escalated to G4


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level. That's classified as severe on


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their fivepoint scale.


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>> And the results were absolutely


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breathtaking. What made the CME


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particularly noteworthy was just how


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fast it traveled. Remember, it was


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ejected from the sun on January 18th


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during that powerful solar flare, which


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means it covered roughly 93 million


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miles in just over a day. That's


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exceptionally quick.


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>> The aurora displays that followed were


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truly global in scope. We're seeing


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reports and photographs from locations


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that rarely get to witness the northern


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lights. One photographer, Greg Gage,


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captured stunning red auroras from


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Deming, New Mexico. That's at 32 degrees


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latitude. He told space.com he was on


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vacation there and never expected to see


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auroras that far south.


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>> That's incredible. And it wasn't just


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North America. The displays stretched


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across Europe, Asia, and beyond. In


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Germany, vivid red and green auroras


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danced above the river Muglespree near


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Berlin. Hungary saw intense red and


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green hues filling the skies over the


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village of a boyar. France had some


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particularly eerie displays with rich


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magenta auroras above Britany. And in


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China, the northern lights were visible


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above Beiji village in Hilong Jong


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province with photographers capturing


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everything from magenta to green to even


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hints of blue in the curtains of light.


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What's particularly interesting about


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these displays is the variety of colors.


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The red auroras we're seeing indicate


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that oxygen atoms at very high altitudes


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around 200 to 300 m up are being


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energized. The green we typically


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associate with auroras comes from oxygen


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at lower altitudes while any blue would


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be from nitrogen. The geomagnetic


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conditions throughout the night were


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quite dynamic too. Storm levels


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fluctuated between G1, G2, G3, and G4 as


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the CME passed through Earth's magnetic


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field. According to the UK Met Office,


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this kept Earth's magnetic field in a


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highly disturbed state for hours,


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producing repeated surges of auroral


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activity. And there's more good news for


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aurora watchers. While geomagnetic


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activity is expected to gradually ease,


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forecasters say conditions remain


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unsettled. That means there's still a


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chance the northern lights could make


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another appearance tonight if solar wind


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conditions cooperate.


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>> So, if you missed last night's show,


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keep those cameras charged and your


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Aurora Alert apps turned on. The sun is


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clearly in an active phase and we could


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see more displays in the coming days and


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weeks.


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>> Absolutely. And this really highlights


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why we track space weather so closely.


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While these auroras are beautiful, the


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same geomagnetic storms can affect


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satellites, power grids, and radio


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communications. It's a reminder of how


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our technological society is connected


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to what's happening 93 million miles


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away on the sun. Moving on to our next


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story, Avery. And this one marks the end


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of an era. After 27 years of


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distinguished service, NASA astronaut


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Sunni Williams has officially retired


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from the agency. This is definitely a


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significant moment. Anna Sunni Williams


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has been such an inspiring figure in


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human space flight. Her retirement


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became effective on December 27th, 2025,


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though NASA just announced it this week.


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Let's talk about her remarkable


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achievements. Where do we even start?


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Over the course of her career, Williams


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logged an impressive 608 days in space.


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That makes her second on the list for


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cumulative time in space by a NASA


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astronaut. She completed three missions


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to the International Space Station and


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held numerous records throughout her


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career.


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>> Her most recent mission was particularly


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interesting. Williams and fellow


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astronaut Butch Wilmore launched aboard


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Boeing Starlininer spacecraft in June


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2024 as part of NASA's Boeing crew


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flight test mission. Both tied for sixth


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place on the list of longest single


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space flight by an American, logging 286


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days during their combined Starlininer


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and SpaceX Crew 9 missions.


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>> That's right. And during that mission,


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Williams once again took command of the


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space station for Expedition 72. She's


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also renowned for her spacew walking


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expertise. She completed nine spacew


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walks totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes


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over her career. That gives her the


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record for most spacew walk time by a


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woman and fourth most on the all-time


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cumulative spacew walk duration list.


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Oh, and here's a fun fact. She was also


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the first person to run a marathon in


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space. Beyond her spaceflight


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experience, Williams held numerous


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important roles at NASA. She served as


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deputy chief of the astronaut office,


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was director of operations in Star City,


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Russia, and most recently helped


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establish a helicopter training platform


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to prepare astronauts for future moon


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landings. NASA administrator Jared


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Iikman had some wonderful words about


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her legacy. He called her a trailblazer


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in human space flight, whose work


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advancing science and technology has


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laid the foundation for Aremis missions


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to the moon and future missions to Mars.


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It's worth noting her background, too.


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She's a retired US Navy captain and an


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accomplished pilot with more than 4,000


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flight hours in 40 different aircraft.


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She holds a bachelor's degree in


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physical science from the United States


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Naval Academy and a master's degree in


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engineering management.


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>> In her retirement statement, Williams


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said, "Anyone who knows me knows that


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space is my absolute favorite place to


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be." She expressed gratitude for her


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27-year career and the support she


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received from her colleagues and


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mentioned she's excited to watch NASA


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make history as the agency continues its


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exploration efforts.


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>> It's a well-deserved retirement for


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someone who has contributed so much to


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human space flight. Her achievements


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will undoubtedly inspire the next


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generation of astronauts and space


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explorers.


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>> All right, Anna, our next story is quite


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dramatic. It involves a successful space


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rescue, emergency repairs, and some


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impressive quick thinking by China's


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space program.


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>> This is really a remarkable story,


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Avery. China's Shenzhout 20 capsule


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safely landed in Inner Mongolia on


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January 19th, 2026 after spending 270


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days in orbit. But the journey back


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wasn't exactly routine. This mission


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became one of the most technically


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demanding in China's human spaceflight


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history. The Shenzhow 20 was originally


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launched back on April 24th, 2025 from


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the Ju Kuan satellite launch center. It


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was expected to complete its mission and


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return in November 2025. But then came


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the complication. A suspected impact


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with space debris damaged one of the


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capsule's port holes.


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>> Talk about a critical issue. A cracked


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port hole on a spacecraft is serious


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business, especially when you're


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thinking about the intense heat and


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forces of re-entry through Earth's


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atmosphere. So, how did China's space


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program respond?


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>> With remarkable speed and coordination.


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First, they authorized astronauts aboard


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the Shenzo 21 spacecraft to photograph


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the damaged port hole during a spacew


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walk on December 9th. They used


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highdefin cameras to get a detailed


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diagnosis of the problem.


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>> And then came an unprecedented move.


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China launched Shenzo 22 on November


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25th, marking the first rapid response


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emergency deployment in China's space


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history. This uncrrewed craft delivered


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a specially engineered repair device


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designed to enhance the capsule's heat


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resistance and sealing for re-entry.


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Meanwhile, for safety reasons, the crew


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of Shenzo 20 was evacuated ahead of


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schedule. They returned aboard Shenzo 21


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on November 14th in what the China man


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space agency called an emergency


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reroute.


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>> So, the Shenzo 20 capsule came home


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empty, but it came home safe. According


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to CGTN, the China manned space agency


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declared the mission a complete success


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after an on-site inspection confirmed


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the capsule was in good condition


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despite everything it went through. What


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really stands out here is the


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operational capability this


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demonstrates. China executed three


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overlapping missions, Shenzo 20, 21, and


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22 over a span of just weeks. That shows


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significant operational depth and the


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ability to respond to emergencies in


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space.


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>> Absolutely. And it's not just about the


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technical achievement. This validates


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China's long-term approach to


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maintaining crew vehicles in orbit. The


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Shenzo 20 stayed up there for 270 days,


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which demonstrates the reliability of


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their spacecraft systems.


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>> This mission also underscores something


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we talk about often, the very real


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danger posed by space debris. Even small


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particles traveling at orbital


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velocities can cause significant damage


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as we saw here with the port hole crack.


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And China's ability to handle this


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situation adds to their growing


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reputation in space exploration. They're


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now capable of managing multi- vessel


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operations under pressure with modular


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mission architecture and long-term crew


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support capabilities.


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>> Congratulations to all involved in this


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very successful mission in the end.


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>> Moving on to our next story, Avery. And


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we're heading to West Texas where Blue


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Origin is preparing for its next


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suborbital space tourism mission.


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>> That's right, Anna. Blue Origin is


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scheduled to launch six space tourists


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on its NS38 mission this Thursday,


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January 22nd. The launch window opens at


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9:30 a.m. Eastern time. That's 8:30 a.m.


00:11:33.839 --> 00:11:36.949
local Texas time. This will be the 38th


00:11:36.959 --> 00:11:39.030
flight of Blue Origin's New Shepard


00:11:39.040 --> 00:11:41.590
rocket capsule system. And if all goes


00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:43.910
according to plan, the 17th crude


00:11:43.920 --> 00:11:45.829
mission they've flown. The mission


00:11:45.839 --> 00:11:47.670
follows the same profile we've seen


00:11:47.680 --> 00:11:50.069
before. About 10 to 12 minutes from


00:11:50.079 --> 00:11:52.389
liftoff to the capsule's parachute aided


00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:54.630
touchdown. During that brief but


00:11:54.640 --> 00:11:56.870
spectacular journey, passengers will


00:11:56.880 --> 00:11:58.150
experience a few minutes of


00:11:58.160 --> 00:11:59.990
weightlessness and get to see Earth


00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.310
against the blackness of space from an


00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:04.790
altitude above the Karman line, which is


00:12:04.800 --> 00:12:06.949
generally recognized as the boundary of


00:12:06.959 --> 00:12:07.910
space.


00:12:07.920 --> 00:12:10.310
>> Now, let's talk about who's flying. We


00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:13.350
have entrepreneur and pilot Tim Drexler,


00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:15.829
retired obstitrician and gynecologist


00:12:15.839 --> 00:12:18.470
Linda Edwards, real estate developer and


00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:21.350
investor Elaine Fernandez, entrepreneur


00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:24.389
and technologist Alberto Gutierrez, and


00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:27.430
retired US Air Force Colonel Jim Hendin,


00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:29.829
who founded Hendin Plastics, Inc.


00:12:29.839 --> 00:12:31.829
>> And there's an interesting late addition


00:12:31.839 --> 00:12:34.629
to the crew manifest. Blue Origin just


00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:36.870
announced that Laura Styles, who is Blue


00:12:36.880 --> 00:12:39.190
Origin's director of New Shepard launch


00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:41.190
operations, will be flying on this


00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:42.069
mission.


00:12:42.079 --> 00:12:43.990
>> That's a pretty cool opportunity for


00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:46.150
someone who's been so involved in making


00:12:46.160 --> 00:12:48.629
these missions happen. Dials is actually


00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:50.870
a late replacement for a passenger who


00:12:50.880 --> 00:12:52.949
had to drop out due to illness. Though,


00:12:52.959 --> 00:12:54.949
that person will get to fly on a future


00:12:54.959 --> 00:12:55.829
mission.


00:12:55.839 --> 00:12:57.829
>> Blue Origin has been steadily building


00:12:57.839 --> 00:12:59.910
their flight rate. Just last month, they


00:12:59.920 --> 00:13:01.670
made history by flying the first


00:13:01.680 --> 00:13:04.550
wheelchair user to space on their NS-37


00:13:04.560 --> 00:13:06.310
mission. They're really demonstrating


00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:08.389
that spaceflight can be accessible to a


00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:10.790
diverse range of people. Now, Blue


00:13:10.800 --> 00:13:13.190
Origin hasn't publicly disclosed their


00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:15.350
ticket prices, but we know their main


00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:17.829
competitor, Virgin Galactic, charges


00:13:17.839 --> 00:13:19.350
$600,000


00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:21.910
per seat for similar suborbital flights.


00:13:21.920 --> 00:13:24.150
So, we can probably assume Blue Origin's


00:13:24.160 --> 00:13:26.550
prices are in that same ballpark. If you


00:13:26.560 --> 00:13:28.389
want to watch this launch, Blue Origin


00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:29.990
typically live streams their missions


00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:32.230
and space.com will likely carry the feat


00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:34.310
as well. It's always exciting to watch


00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:36.550
these launches. That new Shepard rocket


00:13:36.560 --> 00:13:38.470
is quite a sight to see.


00:13:38.480 --> 00:13:40.949
>> Absolutely. And it's worth noting how


00:13:40.959 --> 00:13:42.949
routine these launches are becoming.


00:13:42.959 --> 00:13:45.030
Blue Origin is really building up their


00:13:45.040 --> 00:13:47.269
experience with regular crude flights,


00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:48.949
which is essential for the commercial


00:13:48.959 --> 00:13:50.629
space tourism industry.


00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:52.870
>> Our next story takes us from suborbital


00:13:52.880 --> 00:13:55.269
tourism to cuttingedge helopysics


00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:57.910
research. Anna, NASA's Sunrise, that's


00:13:57.920 --> 00:13:59.910
the Sun Radio interrometer space


00:13:59.920 --> 00:14:02.150
experiment, is moving closer to its


00:14:02.160 --> 00:14:03.829
launch later this year after


00:14:03.839 --> 00:14:05.829
successfully completing a rigorous


00:14:05.839 --> 00:14:08.470
series of tests. This is such a


00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:10.870
fascinating mission, Avery. Sunrise


00:14:10.880 --> 00:14:13.269
consists of six small sats. There are


00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:15.350
about the size of a toaster oven that


00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:17.910
will fly in formation to act as one


00:14:17.920 --> 00:14:20.790
giant radio telescope studying the sun.


00:14:20.800 --> 00:14:23.030
>> That's the clever part. These six small


00:14:23.040 --> 00:14:25.990
sats will orbit at about 22,000 mi


00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.550
altitude, which is geocynchronous orbit,


00:14:28.560 --> 00:14:31.030
flying up to 10 m apart from each other.


00:14:31.040 --> 00:14:33.269
By combining their observations using a


00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.590
technique called interferometry, they'll


00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:38.230
create what's essentially a single large


00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:40.230
radio telescope in space.


00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:42.949
>> And what will they be looking at? Solar


00:14:42.959 --> 00:14:45.590
radio bursts. These bursts are generated


00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:48.230
by solar energetic particle events deep


00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:50.949
within the sun's atmosphere or corona.


00:14:50.959 --> 00:14:53.350
In extreme cases, these events could


00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:55.750
pose radiation hazards to unprotected


00:14:55.760 --> 00:14:58.310
astronauts and damaged satellites. The


00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:00.389
spacecraft were built at Utah State


00:15:00.399 --> 00:15:02.710
University Space Dynamics Laboratory in


00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:04.949
Logan, Utah, and they just completed


00:15:04.959 --> 00:15:07.110
what's described as a rigorous testing


00:15:07.120 --> 00:15:09.670
campaign. This included thermal vacuum


00:15:09.680 --> 00:15:12.230
testing to simulate orbital conditions,


00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:14.710
electromagnetic compatibility testing to


00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:16.710
ensure the electronic systems won't


00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:18.150
interfere with the sensitive


00:15:18.160 --> 00:15:20.949
instruments, and most dramatically


00:15:20.959 --> 00:15:22.310
vibration testing.


00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:25.110
>> The vibration testing is crucial because


00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:28.230
launch is an incredibly violent event.


00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:30.949
Jim Lux, the Sunrise project manager at


00:15:30.959 --> 00:15:33.350
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory,


00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:35.350
explained that each spacecraft was


00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:37.430
loaded with propellant to match its


00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:39.590
launch mass and then subjected to


00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:42.470
vibration testing in all three axes.


00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:44.069
>> They wanted to make the simulated


00:15:44.079 --> 00:15:46.310
vibrations as true to the actual launch


00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:48.550
conditions as possible. And here's the


00:15:48.560 --> 00:15:51.030
important part. Pre and post- test


00:15:51.040 --> 00:15:52.870
functional checks were performed, and


00:15:52.880 --> 00:15:55.189
all six spacecraft passed with flying


00:15:55.199 --> 00:15:57.430
colors. The mission is scheduled to


00:15:57.440 --> 00:15:59.350
launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force


00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:02.389
Station in Florida aboard a ULA launch


00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:04.550
Vulcan Centaur rocket as a ride share


00:16:04.560 --> 00:16:07.110
mission. Once in orbit, each satellite


00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:09.430
will deploy four telescoping antenna


00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:12.310
booms about 10 ft long, forming an


00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:15.189
X-shaped configuration. Sue Lepri, the


00:16:15.199 --> 00:16:17.269
Sunrise principal investigator at the


00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:19.350
University of Michigan, points out that


00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:21.350
these solar radio bursts are triggered


00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:23.749
when vast quantities of energy stored in


00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:26.230
the sun's magnetic field accelerate


00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:28.870
solar particles to high speeds. Tracking


00:16:28.880 --> 00:16:30.790
these events will help space agencies


00:16:30.800 --> 00:16:33.430
protect astronauts and spacecraft. And


00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:35.189
this mission will work in conjunction


00:16:35.199 --> 00:16:37.670
with other NASA helopysics missions like


00:16:37.680 --> 00:16:39.749
the solar terrestrial relations


00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:42.710
observatory, the Parker Solar Probe, and


00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:44.870
Solar Orbiter, which is an international


00:16:44.880 --> 00:16:46.870
cooperative mission with ISSA.


00:16:46.880 --> 00:16:48.550
>> It's exciting to see these missions


00:16:48.560 --> 00:16:50.629
coming together. Between Parker Solar


00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:53.110
Probe diving close to the sun, Solar


00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:55.350
Orbiter studying the polar regions, and


00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:57.670
now Sunrise tracking radio bursts from


00:16:57.680 --> 00:16:59.670
Earth orbit, we're building a


00:16:59.680 --> 00:17:01.350
comprehensive picture of our stars


00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:04.230
behavior. And now for our final story,


00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:06.150
Avery, we're going to talk about


00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:08.549
something that's never been seen before


00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:11.669
in quite this detail. Planetary systems


00:17:11.679 --> 00:17:15.350
in their awkward teenage years.


00:17:15.360 --> 00:17:17.990
Love that description, Anna. Astronomers


00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:20.309
using the Otakama large millimeter


00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:23.429
submill array, better known as ALMA,


00:17:23.439 --> 00:17:25.590
have captured the most detailed images


00:17:25.600 --> 00:17:28.870
ever of 24 debris discs. These are the


00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:31.190
dusty belts left behind after planets


00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:32.789
have finished forming.


00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:35.350
>> The survey is called ARCs which stands


00:17:35.360 --> 00:17:38.710
for the ALMA survey to resolve exocyper


00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:41.510
belt substructures. Meredith Hughes, an


00:17:41.520 --> 00:17:43.510
associate professor at Wesley and


00:17:43.520 --> 00:17:46.310
University and co-principal investigator


00:17:46.320 --> 00:17:48.870
explains it perfectly. We've often seen


00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:51.350
the baby pictures of planets forming,


00:17:51.360 --> 00:17:53.909
but until now the teenage years have


00:17:53.919 --> 00:17:57.029
been a missing link. And just like human


00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:59.190
teenagers, these systems turned out to


00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:01.430
be quite dramatic. The observations


00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:04.150
revealed incredible diversity. Not just


00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:07.110
simple rings, but multi- ring belts,


00:18:07.120 --> 00:18:10.310
wide smooth halos, sharp edges, and even


00:18:10.320 --> 00:18:13.190
unexpected arcs and clumps. This phase


00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:15.590
is really important because these debris


00:18:15.600 --> 00:18:17.750
discs represent what's called the


00:18:17.760 --> 00:18:19.909
collision dominated phase of planet


00:18:19.919 --> 00:18:22.150
formation. Think of it like our own


00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:24.950
solar systems Kyper belt. that ring of


00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:27.750
icy debris beyond Neptune that preserves


00:18:27.760 --> 00:18:30.230
a record of massive collisions and


00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:32.630
planetary migrations from billions of


00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:34.950
years ago. Thomas Henning from the


00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:37.110
Maxplank Institute for Astronomy,


00:18:37.120 --> 00:18:39.350
another co-principal investigator, notes


00:18:39.360 --> 00:18:41.190
that by characterizing these disc


00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:43.029
structures, they can find evidence


00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:45.270
pointing to the presence of planets.


00:18:45.280 --> 00:18:47.190
They're using ALMA alongside direct


00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:49.510
imaging and radio velocity studies to


00:18:49.520 --> 00:18:51.029
search for young planets in these


00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:53.350
systems. One of the challenges with


00:18:53.360 --> 00:18:55.430
studying debris discs is that they're


00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:58.070
incredibly faint, hundreds or even


00:18:58.080 --> 00:18:59.990
thousands of times dimmer than the


00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:02.549
bright gas-rich discs where planets are


00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:04.870
actively being born. But ALMA's


00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:07.190
sensitivity and resolution made these


00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:09.190
observations possible.


00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:11.750
>> And the findings are fascinating. About


00:19:11.760 --> 00:19:13.909
onethird of the observed discs show


00:19:13.919 --> 00:19:16.470
clear substructures like multiple rings


00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:19.270
or distinct gaps. These could be legacy


00:19:19.280 --> 00:19:21.270
features from earlier planet building


00:19:21.280 --> 00:19:23.830
stages, or they could be sculpted by


00:19:23.840 --> 00:19:26.630
planets over much longer time scales.


00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:28.950
>> Perhaps most surprising, several of


00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:31.909
these discs retain gas much longer than


00:19:31.919 --> 00:19:34.230
expected. In some systems, this


00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:36.710
lingering gas might actually shape the


00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:39.270
chemistry of growing planets, or it


00:19:39.280 --> 00:19:42.390
might push dust into wide halos.


00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:44.870
>> Many of the discs also show asymmetries


00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:47.430
and arcs. They're lopsided with bright


00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:50.390
arcs or eccentric shapes. This hints at


00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:52.549
gravitational interactions with unseen


00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:55.270
planets, leftover scars from planetary


00:19:55.280 --> 00:19:57.830
migration, or interactions between the


00:19:57.840 --> 00:20:01.270
gas and dust. Luca Matra from Trinity


00:20:01.280 --> 00:20:03.510
College Dublin, another co-principal


00:20:03.520 --> 00:20:06.310
investigator, puts it beautifully. These


00:20:06.320 --> 00:20:08.950
discs record a period when planetary


00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:11.750
orbits were being scrambled and huge


00:20:11.760 --> 00:20:13.909
impacts like the one that forged Earth's


00:20:13.919 --> 00:20:17.190
moon were shaping young solar systems.


00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:19.029
>> And here's some great news for the


00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:21.270
scientific community. All of the ARKs


00:20:21.280 --> 00:20:23.350
observations and processed data are


00:20:23.360 --> 00:20:24.950
being made freely available to


00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:27.510
astronomers worldwide, which means we


00:20:27.520 --> 00:20:29.430
can expect even more discoveries from


00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:31.830
this data set in the coming years.


00:20:31.840 --> 00:20:34.549
>> Meredith Hughes sums up the significance


00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:37.510
perfectly. This project gives us a new


00:20:37.520 --> 00:20:39.909
lens for interpreting the craters on the


00:20:39.919 --> 00:20:42.390
moon, the dynamics of the Kyper belt,


00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:45.590
and the growth of planets big and small.


00:20:45.600 --> 00:20:47.909
It's like adding the missing pages to


00:20:47.919 --> 00:20:50.630
the solar systems family album.


00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:52.630
>> Well, that wraps up today's episode of


00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:54.950
Astronomy Daily. What an incredible day


00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:56.870
of space news we've covered. From


00:20:56.880 --> 00:20:59.510
spectacular auroras lighting up skies


00:20:59.520 --> 00:21:01.990
around the globe to the retirement of a


00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:04.710
legendary astronaut, emergency space


00:21:04.720 --> 00:21:07.430
repairs by China, exciting commercial


00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:09.669
space launches, and groundbreaking


00:21:09.679 --> 00:21:12.549
observations of planetary systems. It's


00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:14.870
been quite a journey through the cosmos.


00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:16.310
>> And remember, if you want to stay


00:21:16.320 --> 00:21:18.149
uptodate with all the latest space and


00:21:18.159 --> 00:21:20.230
astronomy news, visit our website at


00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:22.310
astronomydaily.io.


00:21:22.320 --> 00:21:24.310
You can also find us on all major social


00:21:24.320 --> 00:21:26.870
media platforms. Just search for Astro


00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:28.149
Daily Pod.


00:21:28.159 --> 00:21:31.190
>> That's Astro Daily Pod, all one word.


00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.950
We'd love to hear from you and see your


00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:35.029
aurora photos if you caught last night's


00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:35.669
display.


00:21:35.679 --> 00:21:37.830
>> Thanks for joining us today, space fans.


00:21:37.840 --> 00:21:39.430
Keep looking up and we'll see you


00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:41.430
tomorrow with more exciting space and


00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:42.950
astronomy news.


00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:56.549
>> Until then, clear skies, everyone.


00:21:56.559 --> 00:22:00.280
Stories told.