April 20, 2026
Made of the Same Stuff as Stars — April 20, 2026
A triple conjunction unfolds before dawn this week. Plus space weather, launches, and more.
Portions of the podcast are made with the assistance of AI which helps us gather informaton from the NASA and other soruces.
WEBVTT
1
00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:10.679
Calarogus Shark Media, Hello and welcome to Sleep from space.
2
00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:17.600
A triple conjunction unfolds before dawn this week. Saturn, Mercury,
3
00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:21.519
and Mars appear remarkably close together in the eastern sky.
4
00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:25.679
Set an alarm for thirty minutes before sunrise, and look
5
00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:30.920
low on the horizon. NASA will roll the largest section
6
00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:34.679
of the agency's Space Launch System rocket, which will launch
7
00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:38.159
the second Crude Artemis mission out of the agency's Michue
8
00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:42.159
Assembly facility in New Orleans on Monday, April twentieth. What's
9
00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:45.399
called the top four fifths of the Space Launch System
10
00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:49.880
core stage, the section containing the liquid hydrogen tank liquid
11
00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:55.479
launch coming up tomorrow. A Falcon nine from Cape Canaveral
12
00:00:55.560 --> 00:00:59.679
Space four Station, Florida. SpaceX is sending up a GPS
13
00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:06.560
navigation satellite Asteroid flyby Alert twenty twenty six. HJ one,
14
00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:09.519
about the size of a small building, passes about one
15
00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:14.159
point seven lunar distances away today. These close approaches happen weekly.
16
00:01:14.439 --> 00:01:16.400
Astronomers track thousands.
17
00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:21.000
Of them coastal areas see minimal tidal range this week.
18
00:01:21.480 --> 00:01:24.280
These neap tides occur when the Sun and Moon work
19
00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:29.239
against each other. The Sun has been active lately, with
20
00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:34.079
several sunspot groups dotting its surface. Solar flares are possible
21
00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:37.519
over the next day or two. For now Aurora, chances
22
00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:43.200
are moderate. For those in far northern latitudes, tonight's first
23
00:01:43.239 --> 00:01:47.200
quarter moon offers a great balance some moonlight early than
24
00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:53.200
dark skies after midnight for stargazing. This episode was assembled
25
00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:57.680
using AI pulling from NASA and Spaceflight News sources. Thanks
26
00:01:57.680 --> 00:01:59.319
for listening, sleep Well,
1
00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:10.679
2
00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:17.600
3
00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:21.519
4
00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:25.679
5
00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:30.920
6
00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:34.679
7
00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:38.159
8
00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:42.159
9
00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:45.399
10
00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:49.880
11
00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:55.479
12
00:00:55.560 --> 00:00:59.679
13
00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:06.560
14
00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:09.519
15
00:01:09.560 --> 00:01:14.159
16
00:01:14.439 --> 00:01:16.400
17
00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:21.000
18
00:01:21.480 --> 00:01:24.280
19
00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:29.239
20
00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:34.079
21
00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:37.519
22
00:01:37.560 --> 00:01:43.200
23
00:01:43.239 --> 00:01:47.200
24
00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:53.200
25
00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:57.680
26
00:01:57.680 --> 00:01:59.319
