Martian Hot Water Mysteries, Blue Origin's Milestones, and Galactic Collisions : S03E214

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

0:03 Speaker 1: and astronomy news. I'm your host, Anna, and today we've

0:07 Speaker 1: got an exciting lineup of stories from Mars to black holes,

0:10 Speaker 1: and some fascinating developments in human spaceflight. So let's get

0:14 Speaker 1: straight into it. In an exciting discovery that sheds new

0:18 Speaker 1: light on Mars's ancient past, scientists have found compelling evidence

0:22 Speaker 1: of hot water existing on the red planet over four

0:25 Speaker 1: point four or five billion years ago. This groundbreaking finding

0:28 Speaker 1: comes from analyzing a unique Martian meteorite known as Black Beauty,

0:32 Speaker 1: which was discovered in the western Sahara Desert in twenty eleven.

0:36 Speaker 1: The meteorite, officially called NWA seveny thirty four, contains the

0:41 Speaker 1: most water of any Martian meteorite ever found on Earth.

0:45 Speaker 1: By studying a tiny grain of zircon within the meteorite,

0:48 Speaker 1: researchers at Curtain University discovered clear chemical signatures indicating the

0:53 Speaker 1: presence of water rich fluids during a time of significant

0:57 Speaker 1: volcanic activity on early Mars. What makes this discovery particularly

1:02 Speaker 1: significant is that these ancient hydrothermal systems could have provided

1:06 Speaker 1: ideal conditions for life to potentially emerge. The temperatures of

1:11 Speaker 1: these systems might have ranged from one hundred to six

1:14 Speaker 1: hundred degrees celsius, similar to the deep ocean hydrothermal vents

1:18 Speaker 1: we find on Earth today. The Black Beauty meteorite is

1:22 Speaker 1: particularly special because it's essentially a sample of Mars's surface soil,

1:27 Speaker 1: containing hundreds of rock and mineral fragments from various regions

1:30 Speaker 1: of the planet. It's like having a geological buffet of

1:33 Speaker 1: Mars right here on Earth. Scientists believe this rock was

1:36 Speaker 1: ejected from Mars's surface about one point five billion years ago,

1:40 Speaker 1: before eventually making its way to Earth between five and

1:43 Speaker 1: ten million years ago. While we've known for some time

1:47 Speaker 1: that Mars once had liquid water, much of the evidence

1:50 Speaker 1: suggested the planet was too cold to maintain it for

1:52 Speaker 1: long periods. However, this new research indicates that hydrothermal systems

1:57 Speaker 1: driven by volcanic activity and possible meteorite impacts could have

2:01 Speaker 1: created warm, wet environments that persisted for tens of millions

2:07 Speaker 1: of years or longer during Mars's earliest history. It's been

2:12 Speaker 1: a landmark week for Blue Origin, with the company achieving

2:15 Speaker 1: two major milestones that mark significant steps forward in both

2:18 Speaker 1: their orbital and suborbital space programs. In a historic first,

2:23 Speaker 1: Blue Origin has successfully placed their fully integrated New Glen

2:26 Speaker 1: rocket on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

2:30 Speaker 1: This massive vehicle, standing ninety eight meters tall, now sits

2:34 Speaker 1: on a steel launch table weighing one point seven million pounds.

2:38 Speaker 1: While the company hasn't announced a specific launch date, they're

2:41 Speaker 1: preparing for a crucial static fire test that will be

2:43 Speaker 1: the first time they fuel up a complete, flight ready

2:46 Speaker 1: New Glen rocket. The initial mission will carry Blue Origins

2:50 Speaker 1: innovative Blue Ring technology, designed to provide comprehensive space services,

2:54 Speaker 1: including hosting, transportation, refueling, and data relay capabilities. This represents

3:01 Speaker 1: a significant step toward the company's vision of making space

3:04 Speaker 1: more accessible for various operations. In parallel with this achievement,

3:09 Speaker 1: Blue Origin celebrated another milestone with their suborbital program, successfully

3:14 Speaker 1: completing their twenty eighth New Shepherd flight. This mission, designated

3:19 Speaker 1: NS twenty eight, made history by carrying Emily Callandrelli, known

3:23 Speaker 1: as the Space Gal, who became the one hundredth woman

3:26 Speaker 1: to cross the boundary of space. Calandrelly, an aerospace engineer

3:30 Speaker 1: and science communicator, experienced approximately three minutes of weightlessness during

3:35 Speaker 1: the ten minute flight. Upon returning, she described the profound

3:38 Speaker 1: experience of seeing Earth from space, comparing the emotional impact

3:42 Speaker 1: to that of seeing her children for the first time.

3:45 Speaker 1: The flight also carried five other passengers, including Sharon and

3:49 Speaker 1: Mark Hagel, who made their second journey to space aboard

3:52 Speaker 1: New Shepherd. The mission showcased Blue Origin's continuing commitment to

3:56 Speaker 1: both advancing space technology and making space more accessible to

4:00 Speaker 1: a broader range of people. Let's change Pace Now. In

4:04 Speaker 1: a fascinating new study, researchers have uncovered important insights into

4:09 Speaker 1: how spending time in space affects astronauts cognitive abilities. The research,

4:14 Speaker 1: which represents the largest data set of cognitive performance measurements

4:19 Speaker 1: from professional astronauts ever published, focused on twenty five astronauts

4:23 Speaker 1: during their approximately six month stays aboard the International Space Station.

4:28 Speaker 1: While in space, astronauts face unique challenges that our bodies

4:32 Speaker 1: never encounter on Earth from microgravity and increased radiation, exposure

4:37 Speaker 1: to demanding work schedules, and disrupted sleep patterns. Despite these

4:42 Speaker 1: extraordinary conditions, the study found that astronauts maintained impressive cognitive resilience.

4:48 Speaker 1: The researchers discovered that while astronauts took longer to complete

4:51 Speaker 1: certain tasks involving processing speed, working memory, and attention, their

4:56 Speaker 1: accuracy remained unchanged. Interestingly, the these effects weren't uniform across

5:01 Speaker 1: all cognitive functions. Changes and attention were only observed early

5:06 Speaker 1: in the missions, while slower processing speeds persisted until after

5:10 Speaker 1: the astronaut's returned to Earth. Perhaps most reassuringly, the study

5:15 Speaker 1: found no evidence of lasting cognitive impairment or neurodegenerative decline

5:19 Speaker 1: after six months in space. The temporary changes observed were

5:23 Speaker 1: similar to what we might experience on Earth during periods

5:26 Speaker 1: of stress or sleep deprivation. This research has important implications

5:31 Speaker 1: for future space exploration, particularly as we look toward longer

5:35 Speaker 1: missions to the Moon and Mars. Understanding how the human

5:38 Speaker 1: brain adapts to the space environment will be crucial for

5:41 Speaker 1: supporting astronaut performance and well being during these extended journeys

5:45 Speaker 1: into the final frontier. The findings also provide a valuable

5:49 Speaker 1: baseline for comparing future studies, especially as we begin to

5:53 Speaker 1: venture deeper into space, where increased radiation exposure and extended

5:57 Speaker 1: communication delays could pose a daytional challenges to cognitive function.

6:03 Speaker 1: Some astronomy news now. In an extraordinary astronomical observation, scientists

6:08 Speaker 1: have witnessed one of the most dramatic galaxy collisions ever recorded,

6:12 Speaker 1: occurring at a cosmic crossroads known as Stefan's quintet. Using

6:16 Speaker 1: the powerful William Herschel telescope in La Palma, Spain, researchers

6:20 Speaker 1: observed galaxy NGCY three hundred and eighteen B tearing through

6:24 Speaker 1: this galactic grouping at the astounding speed of over two

6:27 Speaker 1: million miles per hour. That's roughly eight hundred times faster

6:31 Speaker 1: than an SR seventy one Blackbird jet fighter. This violent

6:34 Speaker 1: cosmic encounter has created a massive shockwave that has essentially

6:38 Speaker 1: reawakened this previously peaceful cluster of galaxies. The collision site

6:43 Speaker 1: represents a complex field of debris from previous galactic mergers,

6:48 Speaker 1: making it a fascinating laboratory for studying how galaxies like

6:51 Speaker 1: our own Milky Way are built up through cosmic collisions

6:54 Speaker 1: over billions of years. What makes this observation particularly intriguing

7:00 Speaker 1: is the dual nature of the shockwave created by the

7:02 Speaker 1: collision as it moves through pockets of cold gas at

7:05 Speaker 1: hypersonic speeds. It's powerful enough to strip electrons from atoms,

7:09 Speaker 1: leaving behind a glowing trail of charged plasma. However, when

7:13 Speaker 1: the same shockwave encounters hot gas surrounding the collision site,

7:17 Speaker 1: it weakens and instead compresses the gas, producing radio waves

7:20 Speaker 1: that astronomers can detect. To capture the full scope of

7:23 Speaker 1: this cosmic drama, the research team combined observations from multiple instruments,

7:29 Speaker 1: including the James Web Space Telescope and the Low Frequency Array.

7:33 Speaker 1: This comprehensive approach has provided unprecedented detail of the collision

7:37 Speaker 1: and its aftermath, offering valuable insights into galaxy evolution and

7:41 Speaker 1: the fundamental processes that shape our universe. This discovery represents

7:46 Speaker 1: more than just a spectacular cosmic light show. It's providing

7:49 Speaker 1: astronomers with a unique opportunity to study galaxy evolution in action,

7:54 Speaker 1: showing us how these massive celestial structures interact and transform

7:59 Speaker 1: through violent and care counters that unfold over millions of years.

8:03 Speaker 1: And in a fascinating discovery that's puzzling astronomers, a pair

8:07 Speaker 1: of massive black holes has been spotted creating unusual bursts

8:11 Speaker 1: of light about a billion light years away in the

8:14 Speaker 1: constellation's sickness. What makes this discovery. Particularly intriguing is that

8:19 Speaker 1: these light bursts appear to follow a regular pattern, something

8:22 Speaker 1: we've never seen before in this type of system. These

8:25 Speaker 1: cosmic giants are locked in an incredibly close orbital dance,

8:29 Speaker 1: separated by just sixteen billion miles, a distance that light

8:33 Speaker 1: can cross in only a day. They're completing their orbit

8:36 Speaker 1: around each other every one hundred and thirty days, and

8:38 Speaker 1: in the process, they're putting on quite a show. Over

8:42 Speaker 1: the past three years, these black holes have been feasting

8:44 Speaker 1: on what appears to be a massive gas cloud, consuming

8:47 Speaker 1: the equivalent of about two times the mass of our Sun.

8:51 Speaker 1: The story of this discovery begins back in March twenty

8:54 Speaker 1: twenty one, when an automated alert system at the Zwiki

8:58 Speaker 1: Transient Facility in California first spotted these unusual emissions. Initially,

9:03 Speaker 1: astronomers thought they were looking at a supernova, but the

9:06 Speaker 1: repeated outbursts in twenty twenty two suggested something else was

9:10 Speaker 1: at play. What they observed was an M shaped pattern

9:14 Speaker 1: in the data that kept showing up every two to

9:16 Speaker 1: three months, something that couldn't be explained by either a

9:19 Speaker 1: supernova or typical black hole behavior. The current theory is

9:24 Speaker 1: that these black holes are tearing apart a massive gas

9:27 Speaker 1: cloud that crossed their path. Each time one of the

9:30 Speaker 1: black holes passes through this cloud, it creates these distinctive

9:33 Speaker 1: light bursts. What's even more remarkable is that these cosmic

9:37 Speaker 1: giants are on a collision course. Astronomers predict they'll merge

9:41 Speaker 1: in about seventy thousand years, an event that will send

9:44 Speaker 1: ripples through the fabric of space time itself. This discovery

9:48 Speaker 1: opens up new questions about how black holes interact with

9:51 Speaker 1: their environment and with each other. It's yet another reminder

9:55 Speaker 1: that even after centuries of astronomical observations, the universe still

10:00 Speaker 1: has plenty of surprises in store for us. Finally, today,

10:05 Speaker 1: China has achieved a significant milestone in their space program

10:08 Speaker 1: with the successful test of their first inflatable space module

10:12 Speaker 1: during the recent Shijian nineteen mission. Chinese engineers quietly conducted

10:17 Speaker 1: this groundbreaking experiment, demonstrating their growing capabilities in advanced space technology.

10:23 Speaker 1: The innovative module, developed by the China Academy of Space Technology,

10:27 Speaker 1: features a unique design that allows it to be launched

10:30 Speaker 1: in a compressed folded state and then inflated once in orbit.

10:34 Speaker 1: This approach offers several advantages, particularly in terms of weight

10:38 Speaker 1: savings and launch efficiency, crucial factors in space exploration. What

10:43 Speaker 1: makes this technology particularly promising is its potential applications for

10:47 Speaker 1: future space stations and deep space missions. The module is

10:52 Speaker 1: constructed from flexible composite materials and underwent rigorous testing before launch,

10:57 Speaker 1: including trials for air tightness, debris impact resistance, and performance

11:02 Speaker 1: under extreme pressure and temperature conditions. This development puts China

11:07 Speaker 1: in the company of other spacefaring nations and private companies

11:10 Speaker 1: working on similar technology. While organizations like NASA have already

11:15 Speaker 1: tested expandable modules on the International Space Station, China's success

11:19 Speaker 1: with their own version represents a significant step forward in

11:23 Speaker 1: their space capabilities. The test was part of the broader

11:26 Speaker 1: Shijian nineteen mission, which returned safely to Earth in October

11:30 Speaker 1: after completing its objectives. While the exact size and specifications

11:35 Speaker 1: of the module haven't been disclosed, this achievement suggests China

11:39 Speaker 1: is actively working toward expanding their space presence, potentially incorporating

11:43 Speaker 1: this technology into future additions to their Tiangong space station,

11:49 Speaker 1: and that brings us to the end of today's episode

11:51 Speaker 1: of Astronomy Daily. The Universe never ceases to amaze us

11:54 Speaker 1: with its wonders, from ancient Martian waters to colliding galaxies

11:58 Speaker 1: and expanding horizons human spaceflight. If you want to stay

12:02 Speaker 1: up to date with all the latest developments in space

12:04 Speaker 1: and astronomy, head over to Astronomy Daily dot io. There

12:09 Speaker 1: you'll find our constantly updating newsfeed, all our previous episodes,

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12:31 Speaker 1: scenes glimpses into the world of astronomy. I'm anna thank

12:36 Speaker 1: you for spending time exploring the cosmos with me today.

12:40 Speaker 1: Until next time, keep looking up and wondering about the

12:43 Speaker 1: mysteries that await us among the stars. Start the band,

13:05 Speaker 1: the story's control