Webb’s Asteroid Discovery, Project Kuiper Launch, and Martian Dust Storms

WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

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welcome to astronomy daily I'm Anna


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bringing you the latest breakthroughs


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from the cosmos right to your ears


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today's episode is packed with


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fascinating developments that are


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reshaping our understanding of the


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universe around us we've got quite the


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Stellar lineup of stories to explore


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NASA's James web Space Telescope has


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been examining a building-sized asteroid


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giving us new insights about these


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smaller space rocks and what they're


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made of then we'll look at Amazon's


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project Kyper As It prepares for a major


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satellite launch that could transform


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global internet connectivity


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the web telescope has also uncovered


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something quite remarkable galaxies that


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were already dying out just 700 million


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years after the big bang challenging our


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previous models of Galactic Evolution


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and forcing astronomers to rethink the


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timeline of our


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universe we'll also explore Japan's


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Innovative approach to Mars Landings


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using inflatable technology that could


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revolutionize how we deliver Rovers to


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the red planet and speaking of Mars


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scientists have made progress in


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understanding what triggers those


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massive Planet covering dust storms a


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crucial step for future missions and


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potential human


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exploration these discoveries aren't


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just academic Curiosities they represent


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The Cutting Edge of human knowledge


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pushing the boundaries of what we know


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about our Cosmic neighborhood and Beyond


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so let's launch into today's Cosmic news


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and explore these Frontiers


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together kicking things


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off the James web Space Telescope


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recently set its sight on asteroid 2024


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yr4 a neear object that had previously


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raised some concern while NASA announced


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back in February that the risk of this


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asteroid hitting Earth in 2032 had been


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downgraded to near zero these


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observations provided valuable


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information about what asteroids of this


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size are actually like particularly as


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this one appears to be growing according


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to Andy rivkin of John's Hopkins


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University Applied Physics laboratory


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who led the web observation program this


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is the smallest object web has targeted


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to date and one of the smallest objects


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to have its size directly measured from


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space what makes this particularly


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interesting is how web approached the


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task most telescopes observe asteroids


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by measuring sunlight reflected from


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their surfaces which doesn't always


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provide precise size information web


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however used both its near infrared


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camera and mid infrared instrument in


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tandem the midinfrared wavelengths


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allowed scientists to measure the heat


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given off by the asteroid itself


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providing a direct measurement of its


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size the observations revealed that 2024


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yr4 is approximately 60 M across about


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the height of a 15-story building but


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it's not just the size that proved


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interesting the asteroids thermal


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properties are notably different from


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those of larger asteroids rivkin's team


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believes this is likely due to a


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combination of the asteroids very fast


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spin rate and a surface that lacks fine


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grain sand instead the surface appears


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to be dominated by larger rocks perhaps


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fist sized or bigger while this


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particular asteroid no longer poses a


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threat to Earth or the moon these


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observations have significant value for


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planetary defense as more sensitive


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asteroid search programs come online in


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the coming years we can expect to


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discover more potential impactors


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understanding how to best use our most


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powerful telescope to gather critical


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data quickly will be invaluable during a


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more urgent scenario involving a


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potentially hazardous


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asteroid these observations also


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provided additional data about the


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asteroid's position helping improve our


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knowledge of its orbit and future


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trajectory when combined with


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groundbased measurements of its spin


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rate and spectral properties scientists


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now have a comprehensive understanding


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of what this building siiz space rock is


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like rivkin emphasized that this gives


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scientists a window into understanding


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what other objects of similar size might


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be like including the next one that


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might be heading our way the


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observations demonstrate web's


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versatility as not just a deep space


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Observatory but also as a tool for


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planetary defense closer to


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home next on today's story list Amazon's


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project Kyper is poised to take a major


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leap forward with the launch of its


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first operational satellites United


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launch Alliance is scheduled to send 27


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satellites into low earth orbit on April


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9th using an atlas 5 rocket from Cape


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Canaveral space force station in Florida


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this mission dubbed ka01 or Kyper Atlas


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1 represents the first step in Amazon's


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ambitious plan to create a constellation


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of more than 3,200 satellites for Global


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broadband internet coverage these aren't


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just test satellites according to Amazon


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these operational units feature


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significant upgrades over the two


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prototypes launched last year they come


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equipped with improved phased array


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antennas more powerful processors


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enhanced solar arrays better propulsion


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systems and Optical inters satellite


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links all this technology has been


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packed into satellites manufactured at


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the company's facility in Kirkland


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Washington the launch is happening about


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a year behind Amazon's original schedule


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pushing potential beta Services into


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later this year rather than late 2024 as


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initially planned this timeline is


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particularly important because Amazon


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faces strict deployment deadlines from


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the Federal Communications Commission


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half the constellation must be deployed


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by July 2026 with the remainder by July


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2029 project Kyper vice president Rajiv


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badal acknowledged the challenges ahead


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noting that while extensive ground


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testing has been conducted some things


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can only be learned in actual flight


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conditions this will also be the first


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deployment of multiple satellites


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simultaneously for the project a crucial


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operational test the upcoming launch is


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notable in several other ways according


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to Amazon it will be the heaviest


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payload ever flown on an atlas 5 rocket


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which will use use its most powerful


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configuration for this Mission featuring


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five solid rocket boosters plus the main


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booster the satellites will be deployed


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approximately 450 km above Earth this is


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just the beginning of a massive launch


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campaign Amazon has secured an


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impressive array of launch contracts to


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deploy its full constellation including


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seven more Atlas 5 rockets and 38


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Launches on ula's larger Vulcan Centaur


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rocket the company has also contracted


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three SpaceX Falcon 9 missions 18 arani


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6 launches from arani space and up to 27


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New Glenn Rockets from Blue origin


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Amazon has already lined up several


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Partners to deliver project Kyper


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services including us telecommunications


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Giants Verizon and Vodafone as well as


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Japan's Sky perfect jsat and nipon


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Telegraph and telephone Corporation who


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plan to sell services to Japanese


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businesses and government


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organizations with this launch the race


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to establish the next generation of


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satellite internet constellations in


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intensifies as Amazon joins spacex's


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starlink and other competitors in the


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increasingly crowded low earth orbit


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environment next up we have another


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update from the


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jwst one of the most remarkable


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discoveries from the James web Space


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Telescope has completely upended our


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understanding of Galactic Evolution


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astronomers have found evidence that


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massive galaxies were already dying just


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700 million years after the big bang a


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finding that challenges fundamental


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assumptions about how the earliest


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galaxies formed and evolved according to


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the standard cosmological model the


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first stars and galaxies began forming


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around 300 400 million years after the


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big bang during this period enormous


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clouds of neutral hydrogen gas collapsed


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to trigger rapid star formation a


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process that was thought to continue


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uninterrupted for about a billion years


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the expectation was that all early


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galaxies would be vigorously forming


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Stars young active and growing


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that's what makes the recent findings


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from an international team led by


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astronomers from the University of


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Geneva so


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surprising as part of the revealing the


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universe with the James web Space


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Telescope program known as rubies


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they've identified what appears to be a


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quenched Galaxy from this extremely


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early Cosmic ERA this particular Galaxy


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designated Ruby's UDS qg z7 had already


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accumulated more than 10 billion solar


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masses of matter before rapidly becoming


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quiescent in astronomical terms


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quenching refers to how galaxies stop


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forming new stars and become what


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scientists sometimes call Red and dead


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galaxies as the younger brighter Stars


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die off these galaxies become dominated


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by older redder Stars the discovery of


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Ruby's UDS qg z7 implies that massive


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quiescent galaxies in the first billion


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years of the universe are more than 100


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times more abundant than predicted by


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any existing cosmological model


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this creates significant tension between


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our theoretical understanding and the


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observational evidence from web what's


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even more astonishing is the Galaxy size


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it measures just about 650 light years


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in diameter giving it a much higher


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Stellar mass density than similar quent


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galaxies we observe in the local


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Universe


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today scientists believe these


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incredibly dense galaxies may have


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evolved into the cores of the massive


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elliptical galaxies we see in the modern


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Cosmos the prevailing theories about


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what causes galaxies to stop forming


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Stars includes Stellar winds outflows


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and activity from super massive black


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holes but conventional models suggested


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this process would take much longer than


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what we're now observing finding a red


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and dead Galaxy so early in Cosmic


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history means that star formation and


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subsequent quenching must have happened


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far more rapidly than anyone


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anticipated according to Andrea wble the


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PHD student leading the study this


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finding provides the first strong EV


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evidence that the centers of some nearby


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massive elliptical galaxies may have


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been in place since the first few


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hundred million years after the big bang


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essentially preserving the fossil record


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of the earliest era of Galaxy


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formation it's been a while since we had


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any good news from jaxa but today we


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have some Japan is taking an ambitious


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new approach to Mars exploration that


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could revolutionize how we land


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spacecraft on the red planet according


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to masaki Fujimoto the newly appointed


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Ed director general of The Institute of


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Space and astrono Sciences within Jaa


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the Japanese space agency is developing


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a novel Landing system using inflatable


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decelerators that could enable more


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efficient missions to Mars the concept


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combines proven Technologies from two of


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Japan's recent space achievements it


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leverages capabilities from the upcoming


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Martian moons exploration Mission which


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aims to collect samples from Phobos and


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incorporates Lessons Learned From the


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smart Lander for investigating Moon


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spacecraft that achieved a remarkably


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precise lunar Landing earlier this year


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despite experiencing a Thruster


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malfunction at the heart of this


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Innovative approach is an inflatable


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soft Arrow shell that would handle the


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challenging entry descent and Landing


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phases of aars mission instead of having


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a complicated operational supersonic


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parachute and a hard aerrow shell you


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can do all the job just with this single


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technology Fujimoto explained during a


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presentation at the National Academy


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space science week


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this approach offers significant


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advantages over traditional Mars Landing


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systems current methods typically rely


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on complex combinations of heat shields


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supersonic parachutes and retro Rockets


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all of which must function perfectly in


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sequence for a successful Landing the


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Japanese concept streamlines this


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process considerably with the inflatable


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AOS shell delivering the spacecraft


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through the Martian atmosphere and


00:11:53.760 --> 00:11:55.590
thrusters handling only the final


00:11:55.600 --> 00:11:58.949
touchdown phase jaxa envisions using


00:11:58.959 --> 00:12:00.910
this technology to deliver relatively


00:12:00.920 --> 00:12:04.150
small Rovers weighing between 100 to 200


00:12:04.160 --> 00:12:07.230
kg to the Martian surface while modest


00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:09.389
in scale compared to NASA's car-sized


00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:11.629
perseverance Rover these smaller


00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:13.710
Vehicles could still conduct valuable


00:12:13.720 --> 00:12:15.910
scientific research at a fraction of the


00:12:15.920 --> 00:12:18.310
cost and complexity the project is


00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:19.829
receiving financial support from the


00:12:19.839 --> 00:12:22.189
space strategic fund a Japanese


00:12:22.199 --> 00:12:24.629
government initiative providing $6.7


00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:27.269
billion dollar over a decade to advance


00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:30.150
critical space Technologies jaxa is


00:12:30.160 --> 00:12:31.949
collaborating with an unnamed commercial


00:12:31.959 --> 00:12:34.269
company to develop the inflatable Aeros


00:12:34.279 --> 00:12:35.150
shell


00:12:35.160 --> 00:12:37.509
technology while no specific timeline


00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:38.829
has been announced for when this


00:12:38.839 --> 00:12:40.590
technology might be ready for an actual


00:12:40.600 --> 00:12:42.990
Mars mission the fact that it's


00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:45.750
beginning to materialize now suggests


00:12:45.760 --> 00:12:47.750
that Japan is serious about joining the


00:12:47.760 --> 00:12:49.470
small group of Nations capable of


00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:52.389
successfully Landing spacecraft on Mars


00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:54.350
if successful this approach could


00:12:54.360 --> 00:12:55.990
significantly lower the barriers to


00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:58.590
Martian exploration and potentially pave


00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:00.389
the way from more frequent missions to


00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:02.509
study the red planet's


00:13:02.519 --> 00:13:05.350
surface speaking of Mars if you've ever


00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:06.710
wondered what the weather is like on


00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:08.910
Mars it turns out it can be quite


00:13:08.920 --> 00:13:11.310
dramatic new research from planetary


00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:13.110
scientists at the University of Colorado


00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.350
Boulder has revealed fascinating


00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:17.550
insights into the massive dust storms


00:13:17.560 --> 00:13:19.550
that occasionally engulf the entire red


00:13:19.560 --> 00:13:21.990
planet making Cloudy with a Chance of


00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:24.870
catastrophic dust a legitimate Martian


00:13:24.880 --> 00:13:27.509
forecast these planewide dust storms are


00:13:27.519 --> 00:13:30.550
truly awe inspiring phenomen phena they


00:13:30.560 --> 00:13:32.150
typically begin as smaller storms


00:13:32.160 --> 00:13:34.069
swirling around Mars polar ice caps


00:13:34.079 --> 00:13:35.629
during the latter half of the Martian


00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:38.430
year but under certain conditions they


00:13:38.440 --> 00:13:40.629
can rapidly expand toward the equator


00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:42.509
covering millions of square miles and


00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:45.389
Lasting for days unlike the dramatic


00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:47.230
scene in The Martian where Matt Damon


00:13:47.240 --> 00:13:49.629
gets tossed around by powerful winds the


00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:52.030
reality is less physically forceful but


00:13:52.040 --> 00:13:53.829
equally problematic for equipment and


00:13:53.839 --> 00:13:56.470
future astronauts lead researcher


00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:58.389
hashani pieres and her team have made a


00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:00.030
significant breakthrough in


00:14:00.040 --> 00:14:01.230
understanding what triggers these


00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:04.069
massive events by analyzing eight Mars


00:14:04.079 --> 00:14:06.069
years worth of data from NASA's Mars


00:14:06.079 --> 00:14:08.310
reconnaissance Orbiter they discovered


00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:11.150
that approximately 68% of major dust


00:14:11.160 --> 00:14:13.629
storms were preceded by unusual warm


00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:15.990
spells on the planet's surface the


00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:18.470
pattern is remarkably consistent the


00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:20.670
planet experiences a period of increased


00:14:20.680 --> 00:14:22.790
warmth as more sunlight filters through


00:14:22.800 --> 00:14:25.430
Mars's thin atmosphere and then Weeks


00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:29.430
Later massive dust storms develop as p


00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:31.949
explains when you heat up the surface


00:14:31.959 --> 00:14:33.749
the layer of atmosphere right above it


00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:36.550
becomes buoyant and it can rise taking


00:14:36.560 --> 00:14:39.150
dust with it this process mirrors


00:14:39.160 --> 00:14:40.790
similar weather patterns we experience


00:14:40.800 --> 00:14:43.069
on Earth where warm air rising from the


00:14:43.079 --> 00:14:46.150
ground can lead to towering storm clouds


00:14:46.160 --> 00:14:47.629
while these dust storms might not


00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:49.350
generate enough Force to knock over


00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:51.910
equipment due to mars' thin atmosphere


00:14:51.920 --> 00:14:53.790
they pose serious threats to exploration


00:14:53.800 --> 00:14:57.350
efforts in 2018 NASA's opportunity Rover


00:14:57.360 --> 00:14:59.230
met its end when a global dust storm


00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:01.550
covered its solar panels cutting off its


00:15:01.560 --> 00:15:04.150
power supply for future missions


00:15:04.160 --> 00:15:05.990
especially those involving human


00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:08.350
explorers these light but clingy dust


00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:10.189
particles will present significant


00:15:10.199 --> 00:15:12.590
challenges as they stick to equipment


00:15:12.600 --> 00:15:14.790
and potentially damage sensitive


00:15:14.800 --> 00:15:17.069
components the research team is


00:15:17.079 --> 00:15:18.629
continuing to gather more recent


00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:20.629
observations to further explore these


00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:22.790
explosive weather patterns their


00:15:22.800 --> 00:15:25.230
ultimate goal is to develop forecasting


00:15:25.240 --> 00:15:27.790
capabilities for Martian weather similar


00:15:27.800 --> 00:15:29.870
to how meteorologists predict conditions


00:15:29.880 --> 00:15:32.470
on Earth being able to anticipate these


00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:34.350
massive storms could be crucial for the


00:15:34.360 --> 00:15:36.509
safety and success of future Mars


00:15:36.519 --> 00:15:40.269
missions both robotic and human as study


00:15:40.279 --> 00:15:42.749
co-author Paul Hayne noted we need to


00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:43.910
understand what causes some of the


00:15:43.920 --> 00:15:46.230
smaller or Regional storms to grow into


00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:48.829
global scale storms This research


00:15:48.839 --> 00:15:50.870
represents an important step toward that


00:15:50.880 --> 00:15:52.710
understanding potentially giving future


00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:54.790
Mars explorers the ability to prepare


00:15:54.800 --> 00:15:56.910
for or avoid the worst of the planet's


00:15:56.920 --> 00:15:59.910
Dusty tempests


00:15:59.920 --> 00:16:01.870
and that wraps up today's exploration of


00:16:01.880 --> 00:16:04.309
the cosmos from web's asteroid


00:16:04.319 --> 00:16:07.150
Adventures to early Galaxy surprises


00:16:07.160 --> 00:16:09.870
Amazon's satellite constellation plans


00:16:09.880 --> 00:16:11.670
Japan's Innovative Mars Landing


00:16:11.680 --> 00:16:13.790
technology and the fascinating weather


00:16:13.800 --> 00:16:17.269
patterns on the red planet I'm Anna and


00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:18.509
I hope you've enjoyed this journey


00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:20.230
through the latest developments in space


00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:21.269
science and


00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:23.389
exploration whether you're fascinated by


00:16:23.399 --> 00:16:25.509
the tiniest asteroids or the grandest


00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:27.430
cosmic Mysteries there's always


00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:29.269
something new to discover in our ever


00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:30.350
expanding


00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:32.710
Universe if you'd like to hear more


00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:34.990
please visit our website at astronomy


00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:37.350
daily. where you can listen to all our


00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:39.269
back episodes and find all things


00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:42.110
astronomy daily we're also active across


00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:44.710
social media just search for Astro daily


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00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:50.590
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00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:52.110
listening and until next time keep


00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:53.550
looking up and wondering about the


00:16:53.560 --> 00:16:56.189
Magnificent Cosmos that surrounds us


00:16:56.199 --> 00:16:59.110
this has been astronomy daily I'm Anna


00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:04.950
off


00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:20.400
[Music]