Cosmic Holiday Traditions, Quasar's Oceanic Secret, and Artemis's Dusty Dilemma: S03E240

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to another exciting episode of Astronomy Daily as we

0:04 Speaker 1: find ourselves in the holiday season. Today, we're taking a

0:07 Speaker 1: fascinating look at how astronauts celebrate special occasions far from Earth,

0:12 Speaker 1: from the historic Apollo eight crew who first spent Christmas

0:15 Speaker 1: circling the Moon to today's International Space Station residents finding

0:19 Speaker 1: creative ways to maintain cherished traditions in zero gravity. We'll

0:23 Speaker 1: explore how space travelers keep the holiday spirit alive while

0:26 Speaker 1: orbiting our planet. But that's not all we have in

0:29 Speaker 1: store for you today. We'll also dive into some remarkable

0:32 Speaker 1: space discoveries, including an astronomical find that would make any

0:36 Speaker 1: ocean seem like a drop in the bucket, a massive

0:39 Speaker 1: water reservoir discovered near a distant quasar that contains more

0:42 Speaker 1: water than you could imagine. Plus, we'll look at the

0:45 Speaker 1: challenges NASA faces with lunar dust as they prepare for

0:49 Speaker 1: future Artemis missions to the Moon. We've also got updates

0:53 Speaker 1: on December's busy launch schedule, the latest fascinating discoveries from

0:56 Speaker 1: the James Webb Space Telescope, and even a space themed

0:59 Speaker 1: h Holiday treat about tracking Santa from orbit. So stick

1:03 Speaker 1: around as we journey through these amazing stories from across

1:06 Speaker 1: the cosmos. Here we go. The tradition of celebrating holidays

1:10 Speaker 1: in space dates back to nineteen sixty eight, when the

1:13 Speaker 1: Apollo eight crew became the first humans to mark Christmas

1:16 Speaker 1: beyond Earth's orbit. As Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William

1:21 Speaker 1: Anders circled the Moon that Christmas Eve, they shared a

1:24 Speaker 1: profound moment with Earth, reading the opening verses of Genesis

1:27 Speaker 1: while broadcasting breathtaking images of the lunar surface. Their historic

1:32 Speaker 1: broadcast reached an estimated one billion people across sixty four countries,

1:37 Speaker 1: creating one of the most memorable Christmas celebrations in human history.

1:41 Speaker 1: Five years later, the Skylab four crew showed remarkable creativity

1:45 Speaker 1: in bringing holiday cheer to space. Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson,

1:50 Speaker 1: and William Pogue celebrated not just Christmas, but also Thanksgiving

1:54 Speaker 1: and New Year's aboard the station. They crafted a makeshift

1:57 Speaker 1: Christmas tree using leftover food container, decorated it with colored decals,

2:02 Speaker 1: and topped it with a cardboard comet, proving that the

2:05 Speaker 1: holiday spirit can flourish even with limited resources. A particularly

2:10 Speaker 1: meaningful celebration occurred in nineteen ninety three, when NASA astronaut

2:14 Speaker 1: Jeffrey Hoffman brought Hanukkah to space after completing a space

2:19 Speaker 1: walk during the Hubble Space Telescope Servicing mission. Hoffman marked

2:23 Speaker 1: the Festival of Lights with a traveling manora and dridle,

2:26 Speaker 1: bringing ancient traditions into the space age. The arrival of

2:30 Speaker 1: the International Space Station in two thousand ushered in a

2:33 Speaker 1: new era of holiday celebrations in orbit. The first ISS

2:37 Speaker 1: crew established what would become an enduring tradition reading goodwill

2:41 Speaker 1: messages to Earth during the holiday season. William Sheppard, the commander,

2:45 Speaker 1: even honored a naval custom by composing a poem for

2:48 Speaker 1: the first New Year's entry in the station's log. These

2:51 Speaker 1: traditions continue today, with modern crews finding innovative ways to celebrate.

2:57 Speaker 1: Just recently, Expedition seventy astronaut Jasmine Belly's family created a

3:01 Speaker 1: felt manora for her Honka celebration on the station. Since

3:05 Speaker 1: open flames aren't allowed in space, she marked each night

3:09 Speaker 1: by adding felt lights to the minora. Even something as

3:13 Speaker 1: simple as spinning a dreadle takes on new meaning in microgravity,

3:17 Speaker 1: where it will keep spinning until it bumps into something

3:20 Speaker 1: unable to land on any of its fore sides. For

3:23 Speaker 1: more than two decades now, the International Space Station has

3:26 Speaker 1: maintained an unbroken chain of holiday celebrations, with at least

3:30 Speaker 1: one American astronaut spending Christmas in space every year since

3:34 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety nine. These celebrations, while far from traditional, remind

3:40 Speaker 1: us that human traditions and festivities can adapt and thrive

3:43 Speaker 1: even in the most extraordinary circumstances. December has been an

3:48 Speaker 1: exceptionally busy month for space launches, with twenty four launch

3:52 Speaker 1: attempts already completed and at least seven more planned before

3:55 Speaker 1: the year ends. SpaceX continues its ambitious pace with multiple

3:59 Speaker 1: men on their manifest including several Starlink satellite deployments and

4:04 Speaker 1: customer payloads. While they're pushing to reach their target of

4:07 Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty six launches for the year, recent

4:10 Speaker 1: scheduling changes have made achieving this goal increasingly challenging. Looking

4:15 Speaker 1: at the upcoming launches, Russia is preparing for a significant

4:19 Speaker 1: mission from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Their Soyuz two Dot one

4:23 Speaker 1: B rocket, adorned with special decals marking it as the

4:26 Speaker 1: two thousandth R seven rocket launch, will carry the resoers

4:30 Speaker 1: P Number five Earth Observation satellite. This mission continues the

4:35 Speaker 1: legacy of the R seven rocket family, which has been

4:37 Speaker 1: serving space exploration since nineteen fifty seven. Meanwhile, India's space

4:42 Speaker 1: program is preparing for an innovative mission called SPADEX, the

4:46 Speaker 1: Space Docking Experiment. This mission will launch two two hundred

4:51 Speaker 1: twenty kilogram satellites designed to demonstrate autonomous docking technologies in orbit.

4:56 Speaker 1: What makes this launch particularly notable is that it marks

4:59 Speaker 1: the first time India's private aerospace sector has completely assembled

5:04 Speaker 1: and tested satellites for ISRO, representing a significant shift in

5:08 Speaker 1: their space industry. China is also maintaining its presence in

5:11 Speaker 1: space activities with a planned launch from the Juquan Satellite

5:15 Speaker 1: Launch Center. Their Connetica one rocket is scheduled to carry

5:18 Speaker 1: an undisclosed payload, though details about this mission remain limited.

5:23 Speaker 1: SpaceX will round out the year with several more starlink missions,

5:27 Speaker 1: including launches from both Vandenberg Space four Space and Kennedy

5:30 Speaker 1: Space Center. They're also preparing to launch the astrainus from

5:35 Speaker 1: one to Many mission, which will deploy four micro geo

5:38 Speaker 1: satellites designed to provide broadband services to various regions, including

5:43 Speaker 1: the Philippines, and services for aircraft and cruise ships. This

5:47 Speaker 1: flurry of launch activity demonstrates the growing accessibility and commercialization

5:52 Speaker 1: of space, with multiple nations and private companies working simultaneously

5:56 Speaker 1: to expand humanity's presence beyond Earth mixtup. In what might

6:01 Speaker 1: be the most remarkable water discovery ever made, astronomers have

6:05 Speaker 1: identified an enormous water reservoir in a distant corner of

6:09 Speaker 1: the Cosmos, circling a quasar more than twelve billion light

6:12 Speaker 1: years away. This isn't just any water supply. We're talking

6:16 Speaker 1: about enough water to fill Earth's oceans one hundred and

6:19 Speaker 1: forty trillion times over. This massive reservoir surrounds a super

6:23 Speaker 1: massive black hole that dwarfs our Sun by about twenty

6:26 Speaker 1: billion times. The black hole powers a quasar known as

6:29 Speaker 1: a PM zero eight two seven nine plus five thousand,

6:32 Speaker 1: two hundred and fifty five, which releases energy equivalent to

6:35 Speaker 1: one thousand trillion suns, making it one of the brightest

6:39 Speaker 1: objects we've ever observed in the universe. What makes this

6:42 Speaker 1: discovery particularly fascinating is its location in both space and time.

6:47 Speaker 1: At twelve billion light years away, we're seeing this water

6:50 Speaker 1: as it existed when the universe was still in its youth.

6:53 Speaker 1: The water vapor spans hundreds of light years around the quasar,

6:57 Speaker 1: existing in conditions quite different from what we're familiar with

7:00 Speaker 1: on Earth. While the gas is considerably thinner than Earth's atmosphere,

7:04 Speaker 1: it's surprisingly warm at minus sixty three degrees fahrenheit and

7:08 Speaker 1: much denser than what we typically see in normal galaxies.

7:12 Speaker 1: According to Matt Bradford from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this

7:16 Speaker 1: finding demonstrates that water has been a fundamental component of

7:20 Speaker 1: our universe since its earliest days. The presence of water vapor,

7:24 Speaker 1: along with other molecules like carbon monoxide, suggests that this

7:27 Speaker 1: region contains abundant raw materials, feeding the growth of the

7:31 Speaker 1: central black hole. This discovery does more than just add

7:35 Speaker 1: to our understanding of water distribution in the cosmos. It

7:38 Speaker 1: provides crucial insights into how galaxies formed and evolved in

7:42 Speaker 1: the early universe. The presence of water molecules plays a

7:46 Speaker 1: vital role in how gas clouds cool and collapse to

7:49 Speaker 1: form stars, making it an essential element in the cosmic

7:52 Speaker 1: story of galaxy formation. These observations were made possible through

7:57 Speaker 1: collaborative efforts using multiple observatories, including the California Institute of

8:02 Speaker 1: Technologies Submillimeter Observatory and the Combined Array for Research in

8:06 Speaker 1: Millimeter Wave Astronomy. The findings not only expand our knowledge

8:10 Speaker 1: of the early universe, but also demonstrate that the building

8:12 Speaker 1: blocks necessary for life as we know it have existed

8:15 Speaker 1: for billions of years now, a problem we all understand

8:20 Speaker 1: and have had to deal with, though probably not on

8:22 Speaker 1: this level. As NASA prepares for long term lunar missions

8:26 Speaker 1: through the Artemis program, they're facing a deceptively simple, yet

8:30 Speaker 1: persistent challenge. Moondust. This isn't your ordinary household dust. We're

8:35 Speaker 1: talking about. Lunar regolith, as it's formerly known, is incredibly fine,

8:39 Speaker 1: electrostatically charged, and surprisingly destructive. What makes lunar dust particularly

8:45 Speaker 1: problematic is its jagged nature. Unlike Earth, sand, and dust,

8:50 Speaker 1: which has been smoothed by wind and water over millennia,

8:53 Speaker 1: moondust particles are sharp and abrasive. Imagine microscopic shards of glass.

8:59 Speaker 1: These particles haven't experienced any weathering in the Moon's airless environment,

9:03 Speaker 1: leaving their edges razor sharp. The dust sticks to everything

9:07 Speaker 1: it touches due to its electrostatic charge, causing numerous operational challenges.

9:13 Speaker 1: It can scratch helmet visors, clog equipment, wear down seals,

9:17 Speaker 1: and coat solar panels, potentially reducing their efficiency during crucial

9:21 Speaker 1: lunar night survival periods. Even more concerning is its potential

9:25 Speaker 1: impact on astronaut health, as these particles can irritate eyes, skin,

9:30 Speaker 1: and lungs if they make their way inside habitats or spacesuits.

9:34 Speaker 1: To address these challenges, NASA is currently developing and testing

9:38 Speaker 1: seven different dust mitigation technologies. These experiments will be evaluated

9:43 Speaker 1: during an upcoming flight test on a Blue Origin New

9:46 Speaker 1: Shepherd rocket. One particularly innovative solution is the cloth Bot,

9:50 Speaker 1: a compact robot designed to study how dust behaves in

9:53 Speaker 1: pressurized environments, mimicking what happens when astronauts return from moonwalks.

9:59 Speaker 1: Another fascinating project is the Electrostatic Dust Lofting Experiment, which

10:03 Speaker 1: examines how lunar dust becomes airborne when electrically charged. This

10:08 Speaker 1: is crucial because in the Moon's low gravity environment, kicked

10:12 Speaker 1: up dust can remain suspended for extended periods, creating visibility

10:16 Speaker 1: and operational hazards. These technological solutions aren't just about keeping

10:21 Speaker 1: things clean. They're fundamental to the success of establishing a

10:25 Speaker 1: permanent human presence on the Moon. As Kristin john from

10:28 Speaker 1: NASA's Johnson Space Center points out, the challenge is particularly

10:32 Speaker 1: tricky because dust particles can be smaller than the human

10:35 Speaker 1: eye can see, making contaminated surfaces appear clean when they're

10:40 Speaker 1: actually not. The James Webb Space Telescope has made another

10:44 Speaker 1: groundbreaking discovery, this time focusing its powerful instruments on a

10:48 Speaker 1: fascinating object known as Chiron, located in the outer reaches

10:52 Speaker 1: of our Solar System between Jupiter and Neptune. This one

10:56 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty five mile wide body is what scientists

10:58 Speaker 1: call a centaur, a cosmic hybrid showing characteristics of both

11:02 Speaker 1: asteroids and comets. What makes Chiron particularly intriguing is its

11:07 Speaker 1: unique mixture of ices and gases, unlike anything we've seen

11:11 Speaker 1: on similar objects. Web's observations have revealed a surface containing

11:15 Speaker 1: carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide ice, while its thin atmospheric

11:19 Speaker 1: coma contains carbon dioxide and methane gas. This unusual combination

11:24 Speaker 1: sets it apart from all other centaurs observed so far.

11:28 Speaker 1: Despite temperatures never rising above minus two hundred and twenty

11:31 Speaker 1: degrees fahrenheit. The limited solar heating Chiron receives is enough

11:35 Speaker 1: to cause these ices to sublimate directly from solid to gas.

11:40 Speaker 1: This process triggers chemical reactions, producing organic compounds like acetylene, ethane,

11:45 Speaker 1: and propane, all of which web detected as ices on

11:48 Speaker 1: Chiron's surface. This celestial odd ball exhibits other peculiar behaviors too.

11:54 Speaker 1: It periodically displays comet like activity, possesses rings of material,

11:59 Speaker 1: and may even have a field of debris orbiting around it.

12:02 Speaker 1: Scientists are particularly excited about studying Chiron because it's considered pristine,

12:08 Speaker 1: remaining largely unchanged since the Solar system's formation four point

12:12 Speaker 1: five billion years ago. As Chiron continues its fifty year

12:16 Speaker 1: orbit around the Sun, it will gradually move closer and

12:20 Speaker 1: become more active, offering scientists an unprecedented opportunity to study

12:24 Speaker 1: how these ancient bodies react to solar heating, whether it

12:28 Speaker 1: eventually becomes a short period comet or gets flung back

12:31 Speaker 1: into the outer Solar system. Chiron's unique properties are helping

12:35 Speaker 1: us better understand the early days of our cosmic neighborhood,

12:39 Speaker 1: and speaking of tracking objects through space, here's a delightful

12:42 Speaker 1: holiday tradition that started with a wrong number. For nearly

12:46 Speaker 1: seventy years, nora AD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command,

12:51 Speaker 1: has been helping children follow Santa's journey around the globe

12:54 Speaker 1: each Christmas Eve. But this heartwarming tradition began entirely by accident.

13:00 Speaker 1: Back in nineteen fifty five, a Colorado Springs sar store

13:03 Speaker 1: printed a newspaper ad inviting children to call Santa. However,

13:07 Speaker 1: the phone number was misprinted, and instead of reaching jolly

13:10 Speaker 1: old Saint Nick, the calls were connected to the Continental

13:12 Speaker 1: Air Defense Command Operations Center. Colonel Harry Shop, who received

13:17 Speaker 1: that first misdialed call, could have simply explained the error. Instead,

13:22 Speaker 1: he saw an opportunity to spread some Christmas cheer and

13:24 Speaker 1: instructed his staff to provide updates on Santa's location to

13:28 Speaker 1: any children who called. Today, NORRAD has turned Santa tracking

13:33 Speaker 1: into a high tech operation. They employ their North Warning

13:36 Speaker 1: System RADAR, early warning satellites and forty seven installations along

13:41 Speaker 1: North America's northern border to monitor Santa's progress. Children and

13:45 Speaker 1: families can follow along through Norrad's website, mobile app, or

13:49 Speaker 1: social media platforms, watching in real time. As Santa makes

13:52 Speaker 1: his way around the world. The tracking begins at four

13:56 Speaker 1: a m. Eastern Time on Christmas Eve, and volunteer's staff

14:00 Speaker 1: special hotline throughout the day. Last year, they fielded countless

14:03 Speaker 1: calls from excited children eager to know when Santa might

14:06 Speaker 1: reach their homes. It's remarkable how a simple wrong number

14:09 Speaker 1: has evolved into a beloved holiday tradition that combines the

14:13 Speaker 1: wonder of Christmas with the sophistication of modern aerospace technology.

14:18 Speaker 1: This blend of holiday magic and space age capability shows

14:21 Speaker 1: how even the most serious organizations can help keep the

14:25 Speaker 1: spirit of Christmas alive for children around the world. And

14:30 Speaker 1: that brings us to the end of another fascinating episode

14:32 Speaker 1: of Astronomy Daily. From holiday celebrations in space to massive

14:37 Speaker 1: cosmic water reservoirs, lunar dust challenges, and Webb's latest discoveries,

14:42 Speaker 1: We've journeyed across the universe together today I've been your host, Anna,

14:46 Speaker 1: and I want to remind you that space exploration never stops,

14:49 Speaker 1: and neither does our coverage of it. To stay up

14:52 Speaker 1: to date with all the latest developments in space and astronomy,

14:55 Speaker 1: head over to Astronomy Daily dot io. There you can

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15:24 Speaker 1: about the mysteries that await us in the cosmos, and

15:27 Speaker 1: may I wish you a very happy Christmas no matter

15:29 Speaker 1: where you are. This has been Astronomy Daily and I'm

15:32 Speaker 1: anna signing off. Stars