S03E129: Dinosaur-Killer Asteroid's Origin, Tianwen-1's Mars Map, and Hypervelocity Star Discovery

0:00 Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Astronomy Daily.

0:03 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Anna, and I'm thrilled to have you

0:06 Speaker 1: join me today as we embark on another fascinating journey

0:09 Speaker 1: through the Cosmos. Whether you're a season space enthusiast or

0:12 Speaker 1: just curious about what's happening up there in the final Frontier,

0:16 Speaker 1: this podcast is the perfect place for you to catch

0:19 Speaker 1: up on the latest news and discoveries in the world

0:21 Speaker 1: of astronomy. Today, we've got an exciting lineup of stories

0:24 Speaker 1: to explore. We'll delve into groundbreaking research revealing that the

0:28 Speaker 1: asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs originated from beyond Jupiter.

0:33 Speaker 1: Will also reveal the incredible technological achievements of China's One mission,

0:38 Speaker 1: which has just unveiled a stunning high resolution global color

0:41 Speaker 1: map of Mars. Plus, we'll marvel at the discovery of

0:45 Speaker 1: a hypervelocity star identified by ordinary citizen scientists, and we'll

0:50 Speaker 1: discuss the innovative research being done to ensure astronauts can

0:53 Speaker 1: maintain their mental well being while living.

0:56 Speaker 2: And working in space.

0:58 Speaker 1: So sit back, relax, and get ready to journey through

1:01 Speaker 1: the universe with me. We've got a stellar show lined

1:04 Speaker 1: up for you and I can't wait to dive into

1:06 Speaker 1: these stories. Let's get started. Have you ever wondered about

1:11 Speaker 1: the colossal event that wiped out the dinosaurs? Recent findings

1:15 Speaker 1: have shed new light on that very asteroid, indicating it

1:18 Speaker 1: originated beyond Jupiter in the outer Solar System. Sixty six

1:22 Speaker 1: million years ago, a massive asteroid estimated to be around

1:25 Speaker 1: six to nine miles wide, collided with what is now

1:28 Speaker 1: the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This cataclysmic event not only

1:32 Speaker 1: ended the reign of the dinosaurs, but also wiped out

1:34 Speaker 1: about three quarters of the world species. Researchers have now

1:38 Speaker 1: pinpointed that this asteroid was a carbonaceous or C type asteroid,

1:42 Speaker 1: falling under a category laden with high concentrations of carbon.

1:46 Speaker 1: These findings rule out other theories suggesting the impactor was

1:49 Speaker 1: a comet or that the debris was the result.

1:51 Speaker 2: Of volcanic activity.

1:53 Speaker 1: The study unraveled this mystery by analyzing the isotopes of

1:56 Speaker 1: ruthenium in the debris layer left behind by the impact.

2:00 Speaker 1: Ruthenium isotopes are particularly telling because their isotopic signature in

2:04 Speaker 1: the clay layer was almost completely from the impactor itself,

2:07 Speaker 1: offering a clear distinction between inner and outer Solar System materials.

2:11 Speaker 1: The researchers concluded that the isotopic ratios matched those found

2:15 Speaker 1: in C type asteroids, thus confirming the extraterrestrial origin. This

2:20 Speaker 1: asteroid's journey likely began in the vast icy reaches beyond

2:24 Speaker 1: Jupiter before it migrated inward and ended up in the

2:27 Speaker 1: main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Then, possibly due

2:31 Speaker 1: to a collision, it was sent hurtling towards Earth, sealing

2:34 Speaker 1: the fate of the dinosaurs. The chixalub impact, leaving a

2:37 Speaker 1: crater one hundred and twelve miles wide and twelve miles deep,

2:41 Speaker 1: triggered a series of geological and environmental disasters, ultimately giving

2:45 Speaker 1: mammals a chance to dominate and eventually leading to the

2:49 Speaker 1: rise of humans. Understanding the origins of this asteroid not

2:53 Speaker 1: only fills a crucial gap in the story of Earth's history,

2:56 Speaker 1: but also enriches our comprehension of the Solar System's dynamics.

3:00 Speaker 1: Another crucial insight is that carbonaceous asteroids, although common in

3:04 Speaker 1: the Outer Solar System, rarely strike Earth, making this particular

3:08 Speaker 1: event extraordinarily unique. This new research gives us a fascinating

3:12 Speaker 1: peak into the ancient cosmic events that drastically shaped life

3:17 Speaker 1: on our planet, and as we decode these stellar secrets,

3:20 Speaker 1: it not only satisfies our curiosity, but may also alert

3:24 Speaker 1: us to the nature of other space objects that could

3:26 Speaker 1: someday cross our path. Again, let's turn our attention to Mars,

3:31 Speaker 1: the planet that keeps on giving. One of the most

3:34 Speaker 1: exciting developments in Mars exploration comes from China's Tianwen one mission,

3:39 Speaker 1: which has released a groundbreaking high resolution global color map

3:43 Speaker 1: of Mars. This is a significant leap forward for scientists

3:47 Speaker 1: and space enthusiasts alike, as it offers unprecedented detail and accuracy,

3:51 Speaker 1: allowing us to view the Martian surface in ways never

3:54 Speaker 1: possible before.

3:55 Speaker 2: So why is this map such a big deal?

3:57 Speaker 1: Prior to twen one, the best global images of Mars

4:00 Speaker 1: came from various missions, but they had spatial resolutions exceeding

4:04 Speaker 1: one kilometer, meaning finer details were often blurred. For example,

4:08 Speaker 1: the Viking Colorized Global Mosaic, one of the best prior

4:12 Speaker 1: data sets, could only manage resolutions of about two hundred

4:15 Speaker 1: and thirty two meters per pixel.

4:17 Speaker 2: This new map from ten.

4:18 Speaker 1: One one surpasses that by a wide margin, achieving a

4:22 Speaker 1: remarkable resolution of seventy six meters per pixel. The journey

4:25 Speaker 1: to create this stunning map began in July twenty twenty two.

4:29 Speaker 1: The mission utilized the moderate resolution imaging camera MORIIC on

4:33 Speaker 1: its orbiter, completing two hundred and eighty four orbits and

4:37 Speaker 1: capturing fourteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty seven images to

4:41 Speaker 1: cover the entire surface of Mars. These images, with resolutions

4:45 Speaker 1: between fifty seven and one hundred and ninety seven meters,

4:48 Speaker 1: provide a near perfect mosaic of the red planet. Additionally,

4:51 Speaker 1: the Mars Mineralogical Spectrometer MMS collected a trove of data

4:56 Speaker 1: in the visible and near infrared bands, contributing to the

5:00 Speaker 1: high quality color representation. Under the expert guidance of Professors

5:04 Speaker 1: Lee Chun Lai and Jang Rongshau, the chan Win one

5:07 Speaker 1: science team, along with collaborators, used advanced bundle adjustment technology

5:12 Speaker 1: to process the image data. By treating Mars as a

5:15 Speaker 1: unified adjustment network, they managed to reduce position deviation between

5:19 Speaker 1: images to less than one pixel. This meticulous approach ensured

5:23 Speaker 1: that the resulting map is not only high resolution, but

5:26 Speaker 1: also pixel level, seamless let's talk about an extraordinary recent

5:31 Speaker 1: discovery that has sent ripples through the astronomy community. A

5:34 Speaker 1: hypervelocity star named J one two hundred and forty nine

5:38 Speaker 1: plus thirty six.

5:40 Speaker 2: This isn't just any star.

5:42 Speaker 1: It's speeding through our galaxy at an incredible rate of

5:45 Speaker 1: about one point three million miles per hour.

5:48 Speaker 2: Even more on inspiring.

5:49 Speaker 1: It was first spotted by some of the eighty thousand

5:51 Speaker 1: citizen science volunteers participating in the Backyard World's Planet nine project.

5:56 Speaker 1: It's amazing to see how collaborative efforts between professional astronomers

6:00 Speaker 1: and dedicated amateurs can lead to such groundbreaking findings. Hypervelocity

6:04 Speaker 1: stars are rare, and J one thousand, two hundred forty

6:08 Speaker 1: nine plus thirty six holds the distinction of being the

6:11 Speaker 1: first very low mass hypervelocity star discovered. Located just four

6:16 Speaker 1: hundred light years from Earth, it stands as the nearest

6:18 Speaker 1: known hypervelocity star to our planet. To put it in perspective,

6:22 Speaker 1: our Sun orbits around the Milky Way at about two

6:24 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty kilometers per second. J two hundred forty

6:28 Speaker 1: nine plus thirty six, however, is moving at almost three

6:31 Speaker 1: times that speed, clocking in at about six hundred kilometers

6:35 Speaker 1: per second.

6:35 Speaker 2: What makes J one two.

6:37 Speaker 1: Hundred forty nine plus thirty six exceptionally intriguing is its

6:41 Speaker 1: potential trajectory that suggests it might eventually escape the gravitational

6:44 Speaker 1: pull of the Milky Way entirely. This star isn't just

6:47 Speaker 1: speeding through space. It's possibly headed for an exit from

6:50 Speaker 1: our galaxy. Such a scenario leads us to question what

6:53 Speaker 1: forces could have propelled it to such velocities.

6:56 Speaker 2: There are a.

6:56 Speaker 1: Couple of fascinating theories. One possibility is that JA A

7:00 Speaker 1: two hundred forty nine plus thirty six was originally in

7:04 Speaker 1: close orbit with a white dwarf. If the white dwarf

7:07 Speaker 1: underwent a supernova explosion, it could have given J one thousand,

7:11 Speaker 1: two hundred forty nine plus thirty six the necessary kick

7:14 Speaker 1: to achieve its hypervelocity status. Another theory suggests that it

7:18 Speaker 1: might have been flung out from a globular cluster with

7:21 Speaker 1: black hole binaries through complex gravitational interactions. This discovery is

7:25 Speaker 1: significant not only because it expands our understanding of hypervelocity stars,

7:30 Speaker 1: but also because it highlights the effectiveness of citizen science projects.

7:35 Speaker 1: By partnering with initiatives like backyard worlds Planet nine. Anyone

7:39 Speaker 1: with an interest in astronomy can contribute to real scientific discoveries.

7:43 Speaker 1: So what's next for J one thousand, two hundred forty

7:46 Speaker 1: nine plus thirty six. Astronomers are keen on studying its

7:50 Speaker 1: elemental composition to uncover more about its origins, whether it's

7:54 Speaker 1: the remnants of a supernova or a dynamical ejection from

7:57 Speaker 1: a globular cluster. This speedy starr offers a stellar opportunity

8:01 Speaker 1: to unlock more secrets of our galaxy. Life on the

8:06 Speaker 1: International Space Station is a far cry from what we

8:09 Speaker 1: experience on Earth. Imagine seeing multiple sunrises and sunsets every

8:12 Speaker 1: day from your confined space, dealing with packed schedules, and

8:16 Speaker 1: adjusting to the lack of gravity. These unique conditions of

8:19 Speaker 1: spaceflight can seriously impact the performance and well being of astronauts. Fortunately,

8:24 Speaker 1: a range of studies on the ISS are focused on

8:26 Speaker 1: understanding these effects and testing new technologies to counteract them.

8:29 Speaker 1: One fascinating project is ESA's Circadian Light study. This investigation

8:34 Speaker 1: is testing an innovative lighting system designed to help astronauts

8:37 Speaker 1: maintain a more natural daily rhythm, also known as circadian rhythm.

8:41 Speaker 1: An LED panel automatically adjusts the light spectrum throughout the

8:44 Speaker 1: day to mimic natural daylight conditions on Earth. This study

8:48 Speaker 1: aims to see how this lighting system influences sleep, stress levels,

8:52 Speaker 1: and overall well being. The insights could also benefit shift

8:55 Speaker 1: workers and those in extreme or remote environments.

8:57 Speaker 2: Back on Earth.

8:58 Speaker 1: Earlier Can ducted the Circadian Rhythm's investigation, which looked at

9:03 Speaker 1: how daily rhythms are affected during long space missions. In space,

9:06 Speaker 1: the cycles of light and dark don't match. The twenty

9:09 Speaker 1: four hour routine were used to Traditionally, measuring core body

9:12 Speaker 1: temperature has been the gold standard for determining circadian rhythms,

9:16 Speaker 1: but it can be quite invasive and inconvenient. For this investigation,

9:20 Speaker 1: researchers developed non invasive skin sensor technology that continuously records

9:25 Speaker 1: body core temperature over extended periods. As we look towards

9:28 Speaker 1: missions to the Moon or Mars, communication delays will be inevitable.

9:33 Speaker 1: The Calm Delay Assessment study explored how these delays might

9:37 Speaker 1: impact astronauts dealing with medical and other emergencies. The findings

9:41 Speaker 1: showed that communication delays increased stress and frustration, reduced task efficiency,

9:47 Speaker 1: and impair teamwork. However, the study also highlighted potential countermeasures

9:51 Speaker 1: such as enhanced training and improved teamwork strategies to mitigate

9:55 Speaker 1: these challenges. Moving on to mental health, the Neuromapping Study

9:59 Speaker 1: has been investigat how spaceflight alters brain structure and function.

10:03 Speaker 2: Not only did this.

10:04 Speaker 1: Research find significant changes in brain connectivity, but it also

10:07 Speaker 1: identified substantial increases in brain volume linked to longer missions.

10:12 Speaker 1: The finding suggests that intervals between missions should be more

10:15 Speaker 1: than three years to allow for full recovery. For a

10:18 Speaker 1: more personal perspective, the journal's investigation had crew members write

10:21 Speaker 1: daily entries. These entries provided valuable insights into how various

10:25 Speaker 1: factors like work, sleep, and group interactions affect mental well

10:29 Speaker 1: being in space. The studies findings are helping improve living

10:33 Speaker 1: and working conditions for future astronauts. Lastly, ESA's VR Mental

10:38 Speaker 1: Care project is exploring the use of virtual reality technology

10:42 Speaker 1: to help astronauts relax and maintain better mental health during

10:45 Speaker 1: their missions. Using a VR headset, astronauts can escape to

10:49 Speaker 1: virtually simulated environments, potentially easing stress, anxiety, and even post

10:53 Speaker 1: traumatic stress disorder. Thank you so much for joining me

10:58 Speaker 1: on this episode of Astronomy Daily.

11:00 Speaker 2: I hope you found our journey through the.

11:01 Speaker 1: Latest discoveries in space and astronomy as fascinating as I did.

11:05 Speaker 1: I'm Anna and it's always a pleasure to share this

11:07 Speaker 1: cosmic adventure with you. If you want to stay updated

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11:40 Speaker 1: Anna and this has been Astronomy Daily. Keep looking up

11:42 Speaker 1: and I'll see you next time. Sunday start story is

12:03 Speaker 1: control