Draconid Meteor Shower, ISS Crew Changes, and Mars Brain Studies

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your go to source for the

0:02 Speaker 1: most recent space and astronomy news. I'm Anna and I'll

0:05 Speaker 1: be your host for today's cosmic Journey. We've got an

0:08 Speaker 1: action packed episode lined up for you, covering a wide

0:11 Speaker 1: range of fascinating topics from our Solar System and beyond.

0:14 Speaker 1: We'll start by exploring the upcoming Drakeened meteor shower, known

0:18 Speaker 1: for its potential to produce spectacular displays in the night sky.

0:22 Speaker 1: Then we'll zoom out to the International Space Station for

0:24 Speaker 1: an update on crew changes and mission developments. From there,

0:27 Speaker 1: we'll venture even further into space, discussing new research on

0:31 Speaker 1: the effects of long term space travel on the human brain,

0:35 Speaker 1: crucial information for future Mars missions. We'll also delve into

0:39 Speaker 1: some cutting edge astronomy, looking at how the James Web

0:42 Speaker 1: Space Telescope is helping to solve one of cosmology's biggest puzzles. Plus,

0:46 Speaker 1: we'll talk about Earth's temporary new mini moon and check

0:49 Speaker 1: in on the Curiosity Rovers ongoing mission on Mars. So

0:53 Speaker 1: buckle up and get ready for an exciting tour of

0:55 Speaker 1: the latest astronomical discoveries and space exploration news. Get ready

1:00 Speaker 1: for a celestial spectacle stargazers. The Drakenid meteor Shower is

1:04 Speaker 1: set to light up our night skies in the coming days.

1:07 Speaker 1: This annual event is famous for its potential to produce

1:09 Speaker 1: breathtaking meteor storms, and this year's show promises to be

1:13 Speaker 1: a treat for skywatchers. The Drakenids are expected to peak

1:16 Speaker 1: on October seventh, with the best viewing time right after nightfall.

1:20 Speaker 1: Unlike other meteor showers that require you to stay up late,

1:23 Speaker 1: the Drakenids are considerate enough to perform their cosmic dance

1:26 Speaker 1: in the early evening hours. These meteors get their name

1:29 Speaker 1: from the constellation Draco the Dragon, as they appear to

1:33 Speaker 1: radiate from that point in the sky. But don't worry

1:36 Speaker 1: about finding Draco. Meteors will be visible across the night sky.

1:40 Speaker 1: The Drakenids are caused by debris left behind by Comet

1:43 Speaker 1: twenty one p slashed Giacobini's inner. As Earth passes through

1:46 Speaker 1: this trail of cosmic dust, we're treated to a beautiful

1:49 Speaker 1: light show as the particles burn up in our atmosphere.

1:52 Speaker 1: While most years see a modest display of around ten

1:55 Speaker 1: metiears per hour, the Drakenids are known for occasional outbursts

1:59 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty three and nineteen forty six, observers witness

2:02 Speaker 1: thousands of meteors per hour a true meteor storm. To

2:06 Speaker 1: maximize your chances of seeing the Drakenids, find a dark

2:09 Speaker 1: location away from city lights. No special equipment is needed,

2:13 Speaker 1: just your eyes and a comfortable place to relax. Patience

2:16 Speaker 1: is key, as it can take up to thirty minutes

2:19 Speaker 1: for your eyes to fully adjust to the darkness. While

2:22 Speaker 1: this year's shower is expected to be relatively mild, astronomers

2:25 Speaker 1: are already looking ahead to twenty twenty five. That's when

2:28 Speaker 1: come at twenty one, piece slash Jacobeani's inner will make

2:31 Speaker 1: its closest approach to Earth, potentially setting the stage for

2:34 Speaker 1: another spectacular outburst. So mark your calendars, bundle up, and

2:38 Speaker 1: prepare for a cosmic light show courtesy of the Drachenids.

2:41 Speaker 1: It's a reminder of the wonders that await us when

2:43 Speaker 1: we take the time to look up and marvel at

2:45 Speaker 1: the night sky. Next up and update from the ISS.

2:50 Speaker 1: In a significant development at the International Space Station, astronauts

2:54 Speaker 1: Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams are gearing up for their

2:57 Speaker 1: return journey aboard the SpaceX Crew nine Dragon in spacecraft.

3:01 Speaker 1: This marks a notable transition, as the duo initially arrived

3:04 Speaker 1: at the station via the Boeing Starliner. The astronauts have

3:07 Speaker 1: been busy integrating with the newly arrived Crew nine spacecraft.

3:10 Speaker 1: They've completed crucial tasks such as trying on their SpaceX

3:14 Speaker 1: Intravehicular Activity space suits and conducting pressurized suit leak checks.

3:19 Speaker 1: The team also tested the suit's audio configurations and performed

3:23 Speaker 1: seat fit checks inside the Dragon spacecraft. These preparations are

3:26 Speaker 1: essential as Wilmore and Williams will now use the Crew

3:29 Speaker 1: nine Dragon as their primary and emergency return vehicle. They're

3:33 Speaker 1: set to remain on the space station as part of

3:35 Speaker 1: Expedition seventy two, continuing their science mission until February twenty

3:39 Speaker 1: twenty five. Joining Wilmore and Williams for the return journey

3:43 Speaker 1: will be NASA astronaut Nick Haig and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov,

3:49 Speaker 1: who arrived at the station on September twenty ninth. Meanwhile,

3:53 Speaker 1: the Crew eight spacecraft, which had been serving as the

3:56 Speaker 1: emergency return vehicle for Wilmore and Williams, is preparing for

3:59 Speaker 1: its own departure. The temporary seats inside Crew eight will

4:03 Speaker 1: be dismantled before it leaves the station. Crew eight, consisting

4:06 Speaker 1: of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominic, Michael Barrett, and Jeanette Epps,

4:10 Speaker 1: along with ros Cosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gribenkin, is scheduled to

4:14 Speaker 1: return to Earth in about a week, weather permitting. This

4:17 Speaker 1: crew rotation highlights the ongoing collaboration between NASA and commercial

4:21 Speaker 1: partners in maintaining a continuous human presence in low Earth orbit,

4:26 Speaker 1: furthering our understanding of space and paving the way for

4:29 Speaker 1: future exploration. As we look towards future Mars missions, scientists

4:34 Speaker 1: are uncovering some concerning effects that deep space travel might

4:37 Speaker 1: have on the human brain. Recent studies on mice have

4:40 Speaker 1: shed light on the long lasting impact of galactic cosmic

4:43 Speaker 1: radiation on cognitive abilities. When we venture beyond Earth's protective

4:47 Speaker 1: magnetic field, astronauts are exposed to high energy particles from

4:51 Speaker 1: sources like supernova explosions. This galactic cosmic radiation can penetrate

4:56 Speaker 1: spacecraft's shielding, posing a real threat to human health during

4:59 Speaker 1: itsx extended missions. In a groundbreaking experiment, researchers simulated the

5:03 Speaker 1: space radiation environment. Using a specialized ion beam. They exposed

5:08 Speaker 1: both male and female mice to radiation levels similar to

5:11 Speaker 1: what astronauts would experience on a deep space mission. The

5:14 Speaker 1: results were eye opening. The radiation impaired numerous central nervous

5:18 Speaker 1: system functions in the mice, including memory pattern separation, anxiety levels, vigilance,

5:25 Speaker 1: social behavior, and motor controls. Surprisingly, female mice seemed to

5:29 Speaker 1: be more affected than males. But it's not all doom

5:33 Speaker 1: and gloom. The study also revealed a potential protective measure.

5:37 Speaker 1: Mice that were given antioxidant and anti inflammatory drugs showed

5:40 Speaker 1: less severe cognitive effects from the radiation exposure. These findings

5:44 Speaker 1: are crucial for planning long duration space missions, especially to Mars.

5:48 Speaker 1: As we prepare to send humans farther into space than

5:51 Speaker 1: ever before, Understanding and mitigating these risks will be essential

5:55 Speaker 1: for the health and safety of our astronauts. Next, the

5:59 Speaker 1: space telescope that just keeps on giving. The James Webb

6:02 Speaker 1: Space Telescope has once again wowed astronomers with a stunning image,

6:06 Speaker 1: this time capturing a distant supernova in a galaxy that

6:10 Speaker 1: appears stretched like warm taffy. But this golden smear isn't

6:14 Speaker 1: just visually striking, It could help solve one of the

6:17 Speaker 1: biggest mysteries in cosmology. The supernova, nicknamed Supernova Hope, exploded

6:22 Speaker 1: when the universe was just three point five billion years old.

6:25 Speaker 1: What makes it special is that it's a type IA supernova,

6:29 Speaker 1: which astronomers use as standard candles to measure cosmic distances.

6:33 Speaker 1: This ties into a major problem in cosmology called the

6:36 Speaker 1: Hubble tension. Essentially, scientists can't agree on the exact rate

6:40 Speaker 1: at which the universe is expanding. Measurements from the early

6:43 Speaker 1: universe don't match up with those from the more recent universe.

6:46 Speaker 1: Supernova Hope could provide a bridge between these two methods.

6:50 Speaker 1: By observing how its light is bent by the gravitational

6:52 Speaker 1: lensing effect of a galaxy cluster, astronomers can calculate a

6:56 Speaker 1: new value for the Hubble constant. Interestingly, then, incial results

7:00 Speaker 1: from Supernova Hope seem to align more closely with measurements

7:03 Speaker 1: from the local universe. While this is just one data point,

7:07 Speaker 1: it gives astronomers hope that the James Web Telescope could

7:10 Speaker 1: help resolve this cosmic conundrum. As we continue to peer

7:13 Speaker 1: deeper into the universe. Each discovery brings us closer to

7:16 Speaker 1: understanding the fundamental nature of our cosmos. The Hubble tension

7:21 Speaker 1: may soon become a thing of the past thanks to

7:24 Speaker 1: the incredible capabilities of our newest space observatory. Now, let's

7:29 Speaker 1: answer a question being asked around the globe at the moment.

7:32 Speaker 1: Earth has recently gained a temporary celestial companion, a small

7:35 Speaker 1: asteroid that's been dubbed our new mini moon. This cosmic hitchhiker,

7:39 Speaker 1: officially named twenty twenty four PT five, was captured by

7:43 Speaker 1: Earth's gravity on September twenty ninth, and is expected to

7:46 Speaker 1: stick around for about two months before resuming its solo

7:49 Speaker 1: journey around the Sun. Now, before you get too excited

7:52 Speaker 1: about spotting a second moon in the night sky, I

7:55 Speaker 1: should mention that this mini moon is incredibly small. At

7:58 Speaker 1: just thirty three feet wide, where about the length of

8:00 Speaker 1: a school bus. It's roughly three hundred thousand times smaller

8:04 Speaker 1: than our familiar Moon. That means it's far too tiny

8:07 Speaker 1: to be seen with the naked eye or even with

8:09 Speaker 1: most amateur telescopes. This space rock is actually classed as

8:12 Speaker 1: a near Earth asteroid, likely originating from the Arjuna asteroid belt.

8:16 Speaker 1: It's predicted to orbit our planet for fifty seven days

8:18 Speaker 1: before breaking free on November twenty fifth. But don't worry

8:22 Speaker 1: if you miss it this time. Astronomers say it'll make

8:24 Speaker 1: another close pass by Earth in January twenty twenty five

8:28 Speaker 1: and again in twenty fifty five. So while we won't

8:31 Speaker 1: be able to see our temporary mini moon, it's a

8:33 Speaker 1: fascinating reminder of the dynamic nature of our cosmic neighborhood

8:37 Speaker 1: and Earth's gravitational influence. Finally, today, how about an update

8:41 Speaker 1: from Mars. NASA's Curiosity rover has been trekking across the

8:45 Speaker 1: Martian landscape for over a decade now, and its wheels

8:48 Speaker 1: are really starting to show their age. Recent images from

8:51 Speaker 1: the rovers Mars hand Lands Imager reveal significant wear and tear,

8:55 Speaker 1: with dense punctures and even major gashes in the aluminum wheels.

8:59 Speaker 1: But don't worry, spaces, Curiosity is still rolling along just fine.

9:03 Speaker 1: The rover's team has been monitoring this damage since twenty

9:05 Speaker 1: thirteen and has taken steps to prolonged wheel life, like

9:08 Speaker 1: steering Curiosity towards smoother terrain when possible. They've even uploaded

9:13 Speaker 1: new software to adjust wheel speeds and reduce pressure from rocks.

9:16 Speaker 1: While wheel damage continues to occur. It's not all bad news.

9:20 Speaker 1: NASA has used this information to improve the design of

9:22 Speaker 1: newer Mars rovers. The Perseverance Rover, for instance, now sports

9:26 Speaker 1: more durable wheels thanks to lessons learned from Curiosity's journey.

9:31 Speaker 1: As Curiosity continues its mission to search for signs of

9:34 Speaker 1: ancient microbial life on Mars, its battle worn wheels serve

9:38 Speaker 1: as a testament to the harsh realities of planetary exploration,

9:42 Speaker 1: but they also showcase the ingenuity of NASA engineers in

9:45 Speaker 1: keeping this intrepid explorer rolling across the Red planet. And

9:50 Speaker 1: that wraps up today's episode of Astronomy Daily. I hope

9:53 Speaker 1: you've enjoyed our cosmic journey through the latest space and

9:56 Speaker 1: astronomy news. From the upcoming Drakeened meteor shower to the

10:00 Speaker 1: potential resolution of the Hubble tension, We've covered quite a

10:03 Speaker 1: bit of ground, or should I say space. Remember, if

10:07 Speaker 1: you want to stay up to date with all things astronomy,

10:10 Speaker 1: be sure to visit our website at Astronomy Daily dot io.

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10:31 Speaker 1: sharing even more celestial content. This is Anna thanking you

10:35 Speaker 1: for tuning into Astronomy Daily. Until next time, keep your

10:38 Speaker 1: eyes on the skies and your mind in the stars.

10:40 Speaker 1: Keep looking up today, Star Star. The story is the

11:01 Speaker 1: tol