Stellar Spectacles: Hypervelocity Stars, Space Jobs, and Juno’s Jupiter Revelations

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Kind: captions
Language: en

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Welcome again to the Australia studio


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for Astronomy Daily here for another


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week. It's the 5th of May,


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2025. Astronomy Daily, the podcast with


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your host, Steve Dunley.


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[Music]


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Yes, we're back again. And please


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welcome to the studio my good friend and


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digital palie. How are you going today?


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Always great to be here in the studio


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with you. Oh, that's nice to hear. So,


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what's on the menu today? My favorite


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human. Well, Hie, I'm glad you asked.


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Did you know there is an old Soviet


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spacecraft about to re-enter back to


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Earth and not because it's part of a


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mission? No, just because it's old,


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right? Oh, Hie, you could get away with


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a comment like that. Oh, stop it. Yes, I


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remember you talking about space junk in


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the T- room. Yes, we won't go there. And


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don't forget about that story about the


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US Army creating space jobs. Yes, space


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jobs for enlisted personnel. That's the


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one. I can't wait to hear just what


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that's all about. I know, Harie. They


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already have space force. So, what else


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is going on over there? I know. And how


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about this one? Astronomers have come


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across a planet that's orbiting a star.


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Okay. Yeah, that's a very normal kind of


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story, isn't it? Yes, but this star is


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hurtling out of the galaxy at an


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unbelievable speed. Okay. I just looked


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at the file. That's a fast star. Well,


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I've actioned that one for you, Hie.


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I'll bring that story soon. And finally,


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we'll be going all the way out to Io and


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Jupiter. H some of the best stories come


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from that end of the solar system. Is


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there an end? The little probe that just


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keeps on giving. That's right, Juno.


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Juno has been revealing the stunning


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stunning imagery and data about Jupiter


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since 2016. It's been examining the gas


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giants atmosphere, auroras, and


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mysterious core all this while coping


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with the harshest radiation conditions


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in the solar system. How about them


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apples? Allie, you can keep those


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apples. Thanks. I'll stick to planet


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Earth. Yes, I'm a groundhog as well. So,


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why don't we get on with it, my


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data-driven damsel about their


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astronomical awesomeness. Let's hit it.


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Okies.


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[Music]


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Astronomers have observed hypervelocity


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stars before, but NASA scientists may


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have just identified a truly


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extraordinary system. They found what


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appears to be the first known case of a


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super Neptune exoplanet orbiting a


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hypervelocity star, a star hurtling


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through space at extraordinary speed.


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This remarkable find could reshape our


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understanding of how planets form and


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survive in extreme gravitational


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environments.


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The fact that a planet has remained


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gravitationally bound to such a


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fast-moving star challenges existing


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models of stellar and planetary


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evolution. However, this system formed,


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it's astonishing that the planet has


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managed to stay in orbit through such a


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tumultuous journey. Hypervelocity stars


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are rare celestial objects that travel


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at incredible speeds, often hundreds of


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kilome per second. These stars are


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usually ejected from their home galaxies


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by powerful gravitational interactions


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such as close encounters with super


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massive black holes or other massive


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stars. Some travel so fast that they can


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escape the gravitational pole of the


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Milky Way


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entirely. Studying these runaway stars


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offers valuable insight into the


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structure and evolution of our galaxy,


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the behavior of black holes, and even


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the distribution of dark matter


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throughout the cosmos.


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The details of this groundbreaking


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discovery were published in the


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astronomical journal led by astronomer


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Shaun Terry of the University of


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Maryland. The research describes a low


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mass star moving at approximately 540


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km/s or 1.2 million mph with a likely


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super Neptune- sized planet in orbit. If


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placed in our own solar system, this


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planet would lie somewhere between the


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orbits of Venus and Earth. According to


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Terry, this is likely the first planet


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ever discovered orbiting a hypervelocity


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star. A finding that pushes the


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boundaries of what scientists thought


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was possible in planetary


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dynamics. Finding objects like this in


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space is tricky. This object was first


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seen in 2011 following analysis of data


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from the microlensing observations in


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astrophysics survey that had been


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conducted by the University of


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Canterbury in New Zealand. The study had


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been on the lookout for evidence for


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exoplanets around distant stars. The


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presence of a mass between Earth and a


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distant object creates these


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microlensing events. As such, when a


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mass passes between us and a star, its


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presence can be revealed through


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analysis of its light curve. In the 2011


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data, the signals revealed a pair of


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celestial bodies and allowed the


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researchers to calculate that one was


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about 2,300 times heavier than the


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other.


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The 2011 study suggested the star was


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about 20% as massive as the sun and a


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planet 29 times heavier than Earth.


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Either that or it was a nearer planet


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about four times the mass of Jupiter,


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maybe even with a moon. To learn more


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about the object, the team searched


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through data from KEK Observatory and


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the Gaia


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satellite. They found the star was


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located about 24,000 lighty years away,


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so still within the Milky Way. By


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comparing the location of the star in


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2011 and then 10 years later in 2021,


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the team was able to calculate its


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speed. Having calculated the speed of


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the star to be around 540,000 km/s, the


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team is keen to secure more observations


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in the years ahead. If it is around the


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600,000 km/s mark, then it's likely to


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escape the gravity of the Milky Way and


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enter intergalactic space millions of


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years in the future. You're listening to


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Astronomy Daily with Steve Dunley.


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The US Army is establishing its first


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ever dedicated space career field for


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enlisted personnel. A shift that


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military officials say will better


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prepare the force for modern conflicts


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that span land, sea, air, cyber, and


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space. The new military occupational


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specialty MOS designated 40D for space


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operations specialist will create a


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permanent career track for enlisted


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soldiers specializing in space


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operations, a senior army official


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announced on May 2nd. These specialists


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will become the experts we turn to


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during the next conflict, said


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Lieutenant General Sha Gayy, commander


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of the US Army Space and Missile Defense


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Command. The initiative unveiled last


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August has now received approval from


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the Army senior leadership. Previously,


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only Army officers had access to a


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dedicated space operations career path.


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Enlisted soldiers working in space


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related positions were drawn from other


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specialties such as engineering, air


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defense, signals, or intelligence, often


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returning to those fields after


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completing a space assignment. To date,


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the preponderance of expertise and


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experience in space operations resides


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in the officer corps instead of the


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non-commissioned officer core. Gany said


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this new space operations MOS will


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ensure that specialists through command


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sergeants major arrive at army space


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formations with experience and expertise


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in space operations. The change comes as


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military planners increasingly recognize


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space as a contested domain crucial to


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modern warfare. Army space professionals


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will focus on tactics to disrupt or


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interdict adversaries satellite


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networks. Army officials said the


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initiative is designed to be


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budgetneutral. While personnel currently


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loaned to space units will return to


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their original fields in air defense,


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signal and intelligence, their positions


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will be converted to the new space


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operation specialty. The move aligns


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with broader Department of Defense


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efforts to enhance space capabilities in


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the face of China's advances in


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anti-satellite technologies. Military


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analysts note that as satellite


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communications, GPS navigation, and


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space-based intelligence becomes


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increasingly essential to ground


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operations, the Army's investment in


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specialized space personnel reflects the


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growing interdependence of traditional


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land warfare with capabilities in newer


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domains.


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[Music]


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Thank you for joining us for this Monday


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edition of Astronomy Daily, where we


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offer just a few stories from the now


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famous Astronomy Daily newsletter, which


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you can receive in your email every day,


00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:03.750
just like Hie and I do. And to do that,


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00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:08.230
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news about science, space science, and


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00:09:16.959 --> 00:09:18.790
happening. And not only that, you can


00:09:18.800 --> 00:09:22.150
interact with us by visiting @ Astro


00:09:22.160 --> 00:09:25.670
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00:09:25.680 --> 00:09:28.150
page, which is of course Astronomy Daily


00:09:28.160 --> 00:09:30.269
on Facebook. See you


00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:33.509
there. Astronomy Daily with Steve and


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Hi. Space, space science, and astronomy.


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A spacecraft launched by the Soviet


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Union in 1972 is due to come crashing


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back into Earth's atmosphere around May


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10th, and nobody knows where it will


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land. The Cosmos 482 mission launched


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the spacecraft toward Venus, but an


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upper stage rocket booster malfunction


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left the spacecraft orbiting Earth


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instead. Netherlands Delft Technical


00:10:01.920 --> 00:10:04.070
University space situational awareness


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lecturer Marco Langroke discovered the


00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:08.470
spacecraft's return to Earth.


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As this is a lander that was designed to


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survive passage through the Venus


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atmosphere, it is possible that it will


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survive re-entry through the Earth


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atmosphere intact and impact intact.


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Landroke wrote in a blog post. He said


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the risks are not particularly high, but


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not zero and are similar to a meteorite


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impact. Netherlands satellite tracker


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Ralph Vanderberg said a set of images he


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obtained shows the Cosmos capsule in


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Earth orbit.


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We see a clear compact ball. This set is


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already fantastic, I think, Vanderberg


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said. He said the capsule may be


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tumbling and in some images, it appears


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to have a weak elongated structure on


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one side, which could be a parachute


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that opened during the rocket booster


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failure. While re-entry into Earth's


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atmosphere is predicted as soon as May


00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:57.910
10th, the actual re-entry could be a few


00:10:57.920 --> 00:11:01.030
days either side of that date.


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You're listening to Astronomy Daily, the


00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:06.600
podcast with Steve Dunley.


00:11:06.610 --> 00:11:12.230
[Music]


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NASA's Juno spacecraft has uncovered


00:11:14.959 --> 00:11:17.750
striking new details about Jupiter and


00:11:17.760 --> 00:11:21.110
its volcanic moon Io. By looking beneath


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Jupiter's dense cloud cover and deep


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into Io's surface, scientists have


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developed a more detailed model of the


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fastmoving jetream that surrounds


00:11:30.959 --> 00:11:33.590
Jupiter's north pole. At the same time,


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they've achieved a first mapping the


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subsurface temperature of Io, revealing


00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:40.550
important clues about its internal


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structure and ongoing volcanic activity.


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Everything about Jupiter is extreme. The


00:11:46.800 --> 00:11:49.350
planet is home to gigantic polar


00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:51.990
cyclones bigger than Australia, fierce


00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.949
jet streams, the most volcanic body in


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our solar system, the most powerful


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aurora, and the harshest radiation


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belts, said Scott Bolton, principal


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investigator of Juno at Southwest


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Research Institute in San Antonio. As


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Juno's orbit takes us to new regions of


00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:13.030
Jupiter's complex system, we're getting


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a closer look at the immensity of energy


00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:18.949
this gas giant wields, he said. Although


00:12:18.959 --> 00:12:21.829
Juno's microwave radiometer was designed


00:12:21.839 --> 00:12:25.190
to study Jupiter's deep atmosphere, the


00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:27.829
mission team also directed it at Io,


00:12:27.839 --> 00:12:30.310
teaming it with data from the Jovian


00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:32.870
infrared auroral mapper for a more


00:12:32.880 --> 00:12:34.949
complete view of the moon's fiery


00:12:34.959 --> 00:12:37.990
interior. The Juno Science team loves to


00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:40.550
combine very different data sets from


00:12:40.560 --> 00:12:42.470
very different instruments to see what


00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:44.910
we can learn, said Shannon Brown, a


00:12:44.920 --> 00:12:47.750
Junoccientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion


00:12:47.760 --> 00:12:51.030
Laboratory in Southern California. She


00:12:51.040 --> 00:12:53.190
added, "When we incorporated the


00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:55.990
microwave radiometer data with the


00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:58.870
Jovian infrared auroral mappers infrared


00:12:58.880 --> 00:13:01.110
imagery, we were surprised by what we


00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:04.150
saw. evidence of still warm magma that


00:13:04.160 --> 00:13:07.110
hasn't yet solidified below Io's cooled


00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:10.069
crust. At every latitude and longitude,


00:13:10.079 --> 00:13:13.110
there were cooling lava flows. The data


00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.750
suggests that about 10% of the moon's


00:13:15.760 --> 00:13:18.550
surface has these remnants of slowly


00:13:18.560 --> 00:13:22.069
cooling lava just below the surface. The


00:13:22.079 --> 00:13:24.629
result may help provide insight into how


00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:27.829
the moon renews its surface so quickly,


00:13:27.839 --> 00:13:30.389
as well as how heat moves from its deep


00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:34.629
interior to the surface. Io's volcanoes,


00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:37.269
lava fields, and subterranean lava flows


00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:39.910
act like a car radiator, said Brown,


00:13:39.920 --> 00:13:41.990
efficiently moving heat from the


00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:44.949
interior to the surface, cooling itself


00:13:44.959 --> 00:13:47.509
down in the vacuum of space. Looking at


00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:50.389
the Jovian infrared auroral mapper data


00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:53.030
alone, the team also determined that the


00:13:53.040 --> 00:13:55.350
most energetic eruption in Io's history,


00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:58.150
first identified by the infrared imager


00:13:58.160 --> 00:14:02.389
during Juno's December 27, 2024 flyby,


00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:05.110
was still spewing lava and ash as


00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:08.230
recently as March 2. Juno mission


00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:10.310
scientists believe it still remains


00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:12.870
active and expected more observations on


00:14:12.880 --> 00:14:15.750
May 6 when the solar powered spacecraft


00:14:15.760 --> 00:14:19.509
flew by the moon at a distance of 55,300


00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:24.509
mi or 89,000 km on February 18,


00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:28.069
2023. And it began radio oultation


00:14:28.079 --> 00:14:30.389
experiments to explore the gas giant's


00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:32.550
atmospheric temperature structure at


00:14:32.560 --> 00:14:34.629
that time. With this technique, the


00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:36.629
radio signal is transmitted from Earth


00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:39.430
to Juno and back, passing through


00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:42.310
Jupiter's atmosphere on both legs of the


00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:44.949
journey. As the planet's atmospheric


00:14:44.959 --> 00:14:47.430
layers bend the radio waves, scientists


00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:49.590
can precisely measure the effects of


00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:52.870
this refraction to derive detailed


00:14:52.880 --> 00:14:55.110
information about the temperature and


00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:57.910
density of the atmosphere. So far, Juno


00:14:57.920 --> 00:15:00.710
has completed 26 radio occultation


00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:02.710
soundings. Among the most compelling


00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:04.710
discoveries, the first ever temperature


00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:06.949
measurement of Jupiter's north polear


00:15:06.959 --> 00:15:09.990
stratospheric cap reveals the region is


00:15:10.000 --> 00:15:12.590
about 11° Celsius cooler than its


00:15:12.600 --> 00:15:15.590
surroundings and is encircled by winds


00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:20.550
exceeding 100 mph or 161 kmh. The team's


00:15:20.560 --> 00:15:23.509
recent findings also focused on cyclones


00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:26.150
that haunt Jupiter's north. Years of


00:15:26.160 --> 00:15:28.790
data from the Junoam, visible light


00:15:28.800 --> 00:15:31.430
imager, and the Jovian infrared auroral


00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:34.470
mapper have allowed Juno scientists to


00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:36.310
observe the long-term movement of


00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:39.269
Jupiter's massive northern polar cyclone


00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:41.990
and the eight cyclones that encircle it.


00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:44.069
Unlike hurricanes on Earth, which


00:15:44.079 --> 00:15:46.629
typically occur in isolation and at


00:15:46.639 --> 00:15:49.509
lower latitudes, Jupiter's hurricanes


00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:53.030
are confined to the polar region. By


00:15:53.040 --> 00:15:55.030
tracking the cyclones movements across


00:15:55.040 --> 00:15:58.069
multiple orbits, the scientists observed


00:15:58.079 --> 00:16:00.710
that each storm gradually drifts toward


00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:03.189
the pole due to a process called beta


00:16:03.199 --> 00:16:05.509
drift, which is the interaction between


00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:09.030
the corololis false and the cyclone


00:16:09.040 --> 00:16:11.430
circular wind pattern. This is similar


00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:13.430
to how hurricanes on our planet migrate,


00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:15.910
but earthly cyclones break up before


00:16:15.920 --> 00:16:18.470
reaching the poles due to lack of warm,


00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:20.790
moist air needed to fuel them, as well


00:16:20.800 --> 00:16:23.030
as the weakening of the corololis force


00:16:23.040 --> 00:16:25.350
near the poles. What's more, Jupiter's


00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:27.110
cyclones cluster together while


00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:29.189
approaching the pole, and their motion


00:16:29.199 --> 00:16:31.269
slows as they begin interacting with


00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:33.749
neighboring cyclones. These competing


00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:35.990
forces result in the cyclones bouncing


00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:38.310
off one another in a manner reminiscent


00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:40.870
of springs in a mechanical system, said


00:16:40.880 --> 00:16:43.829
Yoshi Caspie, a Juno investigator from


00:16:43.839 --> 00:16:46.069
the Weissman Institute of Science in


00:16:46.079 --> 00:16:48.389
Israel. This interaction not only


00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:50.870
stabilizes the entire configuration, but


00:16:50.880 --> 00:16:53.430
also causes the cyclones to oscillate


00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:55.509
around their central positions as they


00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:58.230
slowly drift westward clockwise around


00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:00.790
the pole. The new atmospheric model


00:17:00.800 --> 00:17:03.189
helps explain the motion of cyclones,


00:17:03.199 --> 00:17:05.510
not only on Jupiter, but potentially on


00:17:05.520 --> 00:17:07.829
other planets, including Earth. "One of


00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:10.069
the great things about Juno is that the


00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:12.309
orbit is ever changing, which means we


00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:14.789
get a new vantage point each time we


00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:17.750
perform a science flyby," said Bolton.


00:17:17.760 --> 00:17:19.429
in the extended mission. That means


00:17:19.439 --> 00:17:21.590
we're continuing to go where no


00:17:21.600 --> 00:17:24.309
spacecraft has gone before, including


00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:26.549
spending more time in the strongest


00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:29.110
planetary radi radiation belts in the


00:17:29.120 --> 00:17:31.669
solar system. It's a little scary, but


00:17:31.679 --> 00:17:34.310
we've built Juno like a tank, and we're


00:17:34.320 --> 00:17:36.150
learning more about this intense


00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:39.750
environment each time we go through it.


00:17:39.760 --> 00:17:41.190
Roger that controller. We're listening


00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:45.669
to Astronomy Daily, the podcast.


00:17:45.679 --> 00:17:47.510
And just in case you thought things were


00:17:47.520 --> 00:17:49.870
winding down on the International Space


00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:52.590
Station, they are still very busy up


00:17:52.600 --> 00:17:55.190
there. Two NASA astronauts have


00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:57.510
completed a nearly 6-hour spacew walk to


00:17:57.520 --> 00:17:59.350
perform maintenance and upgrades on the


00:17:59.360 --> 00:18:01.590
International Space Station, the agency


00:18:01.600 --> 00:18:02.590
announced


00:18:02.600 --> 00:18:05.190
Thursday. And MLAN and Nicole Ays


00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:07.270
relocated a space station communications


00:18:07.280 --> 00:18:09.270
antenna and improved the ability to


00:18:09.280 --> 00:18:12.070
generate power on the ISS.


00:18:12.080 --> 00:18:13.909
Additionally, the astronaut pair


00:18:13.919 --> 00:18:16.230
completed a pair of get ahead tasks,


00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:18.230
including installing a jumper cable to


00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:20.470
provide power from the P6 truss to the


00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:22.310
International Space Station's Russian


00:18:22.320 --> 00:18:24.310
segment and another to remove bolts from


00:18:24.320 --> 00:18:26.630
a micrometeoroid cover. A release from


00:18:26.640 --> 00:18:29.510
NASA said moving the communications


00:18:29.520 --> 00:18:31.830
antenna and installing a bracket created


00:18:31.840 --> 00:18:34.070
space to equip the ISS with additional


00:18:34.080 --> 00:18:36.870
solar arrays in the future. While the


00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:39.110
team accomplished most of its tasks,


00:18:39.120 --> 00:18:41.270
Mlan and heirs were forced to postpone


00:18:41.280 --> 00:18:44.190
others due to a lack of time and limited


00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:46.470
consumables. It was the third spacew


00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:49.669
walk for MLAN and the first for heirs.


00:18:49.679 --> 00:18:51.830
It was the fifth all female spacew walk


00:18:51.840 --> 00:19:04.470
performed by NASA astronauts.


00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:06.470
Thanks for joining us again on Astronomy


00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:09.510
Daily for the 5th of May, 2025. Oh, Hie,


00:19:09.520 --> 00:19:11.830
it's been a fine old episode, hasn't it?


00:19:11.840 --> 00:19:14.230
That it has. So, what was your pick of


00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:17.029
the day today, Hie? I think it was the


00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:19.510
same as yours, human. I know your


00:19:19.520 --> 00:19:21.830
interest in exploration, probes, and so


00:19:21.840 --> 00:19:23.590
on, would make you choose Juno's


00:19:23.600 --> 00:19:25.830
continuing adventures at Jupiter. Oh,


00:19:25.840 --> 00:19:28.230
yes. Regular listeners will know it's a


00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:29.750
little bit of an obvious choice for me,


00:19:29.760 --> 00:19:32.310
isn't it? Just imagine being so far from


00:19:32.320 --> 00:19:34.549
Earth in that very dangerous place. It's


00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:37.590
an amazing story, really. I agree. And


00:19:37.600 --> 00:19:39.590
we'll find some more stories for you to


00:19:39.600 --> 00:19:41.909
enjoy soon. Oh, thank you, Hie. I'm sure


00:19:41.919 --> 00:19:44.390
that you and Anna will find heaps for me


00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:46.310
to be interested in during the week as


00:19:46.320 --> 00:19:49.669
you do your weekly broadcast from the


00:19:49.679 --> 00:19:52.070
Astronomy Daily Virtual Studio. That's


00:19:52.080 --> 00:19:53.909
uh so that all of our listeners can


00:19:53.919 --> 00:19:57.430
enjoy everything astronomy science and


00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:00.789
space science every day. Every day.


00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:02.789
Anyway, that's enough from us in the


00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:06.390
Australia studio today. Time to go human


00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:08.150
for sure. Thanks again everyone for


00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:10.070
listening in. A big down under good day


00:20:10.080 --> 00:20:12.549
to the crew at NASA's Marshall Space


00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:14.710
Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.


00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:16.150
And well done for all the great work


00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:19.430
you're doing way out there. Fantastic.


00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:24.630
We are big fans. See you next time. Bye.


00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:28.149
Daily the podcast with your host Steve


00:20:28.159 --> 00:20:29.370
Dunley.


00:20:29.380 --> 00:20:32.659
[Music]