Telescopic Titans, Martian Mirage, and Celestial Chickens: S03E243

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your daily dose of the most

0:02 Speaker 1: fascinating developments in space, science and astronomical discoveries. I'm Anna,

0:07 Speaker 1: and today we're exploring some incredible stories from across the cosmos,

0:11 Speaker 1: from the ongoing search for water on Mars to a

0:14 Speaker 1: cosmic cloud that looks surprisingly like a running chicken. Stay

0:18 Speaker 1: with me as we journey through today's biggest astronomy headlines

0:21 Speaker 1: and try to make sense of our vast and wonderful universe.

0:26 Speaker 1: Let's kick things off today by diving into something huge.

0:29 Speaker 1: I'm talking telescopes so powerful they'll redefine how we see

0:32 Speaker 1: the universe. Let's explore the findings of a recent National

0:35 Speaker 1: Science Foundation or NSF report on the US extremely Large

0:39 Speaker 1: Telescope program. Now what's this all about. Well, two telescopes

0:43 Speaker 1: are in the spotlight, the Giant Magellan Telescope or GMT

0:46 Speaker 1: and the thirty Meter Telescope or TMT. These aren't just

0:50 Speaker 1: any telescopes. They're set to be game changers in the

0:52 Speaker 1: world of astronomy. So why are these telescopes such a

0:56 Speaker 1: big deal for starters? They'll allow scientists to tackle some

1:00 Speaker 1: of the biggest questions out there. How did galaxies form,

1:04 Speaker 1: what exactly is dark matter? And wait for it, are

1:08 Speaker 1: we really alone in the universe. The GMT and TMT

1:12 Speaker 1: are designed to work alongside other international projects like the

1:16 Speaker 1: European Southern Observatories ELT. Together they'll give us the clearest,

1:20 Speaker 1: most detailed views of the cosmos we've ever had. Now,

1:24 Speaker 1: let's talk about what the NSF report revealed. The good

1:27 Speaker 1: news is that both projects are scientifically superb. They're uniquely

1:30 Speaker 1: capable of delivering insights no other telescopes can. But there's

1:35 Speaker 1: always a butt. They need more funding to keep moving forward.

1:39 Speaker 1: We're talking about one point six billion dollars. Without it,

1:42 Speaker 1: the projects could face some major setbacks. And that's not

1:46 Speaker 1: the only challenge. There are also technical hurdles and the

1:49 Speaker 1: tricky task of coordinating multiple partners worldwide. The report says

1:54 Speaker 1: the projects need solid risk management plans to make sure

1:57 Speaker 1: things stay on track. Here's another cool part. These telescopes

2:01 Speaker 1: will do more than just look at the stars. They'll

2:04 Speaker 1: also help train the next generation of astronomers. Picture this

2:08 Speaker 1: a pipeline of early career scientists getting hands on experience

2:12 Speaker 1: with some of the most advanced tools in the world.

2:15 Speaker 1: Amazing right, and on top of that, there are plans

2:18 Speaker 1: for public outreach that means more educational programs to inspire

2:22 Speaker 1: all of us Earthlings to look up at the night

2:24 Speaker 1: sky and dream big. So what's the takeaway? The NSF

2:30 Speaker 1: report makes it clear these telescopes are absolutely critical for

2:34 Speaker 1: keeping the US at the forefront of astronomy, but their

2:37 Speaker 1: future hinges on securing that funding. Will Congress and the

2:41 Speaker 1: scientific community step up to the plate. Only time will tell,

2:45 Speaker 1: but one thing's for sure. If these telescopes come to life,

2:48 Speaker 1: they'll take our understanding of the universe to dazzling new heights.

2:53 Speaker 1: Next up, let's turn our focus to the Red planet,

2:56 Speaker 1: where the search for liquid water continues to challenge scientists.

3:00 Speaker 1: A fascinating new paper published in the Proceedings of the

3:03 Speaker 1: National Academy of Sciences has cast doubt on our hopes

3:06 Speaker 1: of finding liquid water on Mars, at least in the

3:09 Speaker 1: forms we've been looking for. More than a century ago,

3:13 Speaker 1: astronomer Percival Lull captivated the world with his theory that

3:17 Speaker 1: Mars had canals built by intelligent beings to transport water

3:22 Speaker 1: from the polar ice caps. While better telescopes eventually disproved

3:26 Speaker 1: this romantic notion, The quest to find liquid water on

3:30 Speaker 1: Mars has remained one of planetary science's most compelling pursuits.

3:35 Speaker 1: The challenge lies in Mars's harsh environment, with its frigid temperatures,

3:39 Speaker 1: thin atmosphere, and minimal water vapor. Any liquid water would

3:43 Speaker 1: quickly freeze, boil, or evaporate. Scientists have been particularly interested

3:49 Speaker 1: in features called recurring slope linei or RSLs, dark streaks

3:54 Speaker 1: that appear on Martian slopes during warmer seasons and fade

3:57 Speaker 1: in colder ones. While these seemed promising, new research suggests

4:02 Speaker 1: their likely just flows of sand and dust, with no

4:05 Speaker 1: water needed to create them. Some researchers have turned their

4:08 Speaker 1: attention to brines solutions with high salt concentrations as potential

4:13 Speaker 1: sources of liquid water. Mars has plenty of salts, and some,

4:17 Speaker 1: like perchlorates, can remain liquid at incredibly low temperatures. For instance,

4:21 Speaker 1: calcium perchlorate brine only freezes at minus seventy five degrees celsius.

4:26 Speaker 1: Given that Mars's average equatorial temperature is minus fifty degrees,

4:30 Speaker 1: this seemed promising. However, the new study led by Vincent Chevrier,

4:34 Speaker 1: who has spent two decades studying Mars, concludes that even

4:38 Speaker 1: these brines face significant challenges. The relatively low amounts of

4:43 Speaker 1: promising salts, combined with water, vapor pressure, and ice location

4:47 Speaker 1: severely limit the possibility of stable brines on or near

4:50 Speaker 1: the surface, and even if such brines did form, they

4:54 Speaker 1: would be extremely inhospitable by Earth standards. Despite these sobering findings,

4:59 Speaker 1: the search can scientists are now focusing on developing better

5:03 Speaker 1: instruments to detect small amounts of brins and identifying more

5:07 Speaker 1: promising locations to look for them. As Chevrier notes, while

5:12 Speaker 1: Mars remains a cold, dry desert, the possibility that some

5:16 Speaker 1: form of life could have adapted to these extreme conditions

5:19 Speaker 1: keeps the search for water alive and relevant. Now. A

5:24 Speaker 1: quick China update in major developments from China's commercial space sector,

5:28 Speaker 1: launch startup land Space has secured an impressive nine hundred

5:32 Speaker 1: million Yuen that's about one hundred twenty three million dollars

5:36 Speaker 1: in funding from China's National Manufacturing, Transformation and Upgrading fund.

5:41 Speaker 1: This substantial investment is earmarked specifically for developing and testing

5:45 Speaker 1: their new line of reusable methane powered rockets. This funding

5:49 Speaker 1: comes at a crucial time for land Space, which recently

5:52 Speaker 1: achieved a significant milestone with the successful launch of their

5:56 Speaker 1: enhanced j K two rocket. They've also completed a prime

6:00 Speaker 1: promissing test of their more ambitious juquei III launcher, managing

6:03 Speaker 1: a ten kilometer vertical takeoff and landing at the Juquan Spaceport.

6:08 Speaker 1: The Djuki three is particularly interesting. We're looking at a massive,

6:12 Speaker 1: stainless steel rocket that stands nearly seventy seven meters tall.

6:16 Speaker 1: When it's ready, it should be able to lift an

6:18 Speaker 1: impressive twenty one thousand kilograms to low Earth orbit in

6:22 Speaker 1: its expendable configuration, or up to eighteen thouy three hundred

6:26 Speaker 1: kilograms when recovering the first stage downrange. Land Space is

6:30 Speaker 1: aiming for its first orbital launch in twenty twenty five,

6:33 Speaker 1: with plans to achieve first stage recovery and reuse by

6:36 Speaker 1: twenty twenty six. This development is part of a broader

6:40 Speaker 1: trend in China's space sector. Since twenty fourteen, when the

6:43 Speaker 1: government opened space activities to private investment, we've seen numerous

6:47 Speaker 1: startups emerge. Other companies like Space Pioneer and Orient Space

6:51 Speaker 1: have also secured substantial funding this year, highlighting China's growing

6:55 Speaker 1: commitment to commercial space development. What's particularly noteworthy is that

6:59 Speaker 1: Land Space has also announced plans to begin launching cargo

7:02 Speaker 1: missions to the Tiangong Space Station by twenty twenty six.

7:06 Speaker 1: This represents a significant step forward in China's efforts to

7:09 Speaker 1: commercialize its space operations and potentially compete with established players

7:14 Speaker 1: in the global launch market. A fascinating new image has

7:18 Speaker 1: just been released from the European Southern Observatory's very large

7:21 Speaker 1: telescope in Chile, giving us an incredible view of what's

7:24 Speaker 1: known as the running Chicken nebula. Now, I know what

7:28 Speaker 1: you're thinking, a cosmic chicken, But wait until you hear

7:31 Speaker 1: about this remarkable celestial formation located about six thousand, five

7:36 Speaker 1: hundred light years away in the constellation Centaurus. This emission

7:40 Speaker 1: nebula officially goes by the rather less colorful name of

7:43 Speaker 1: IC twenty eight seventy two or GUM forty. But once

7:47 Speaker 1: you see it, you can't help but notice its uncanny

7:49 Speaker 1: resemblance to a chicken with its head tilted upward, as

7:52 Speaker 1: if wondering about its place in the cosmos. What makes

7:56 Speaker 1: this image particularly striking is how the nebulus features a

7:59 Speaker 1: line to create this whimsical shape in the lower right,

8:04 Speaker 1: you can see what appears to be the chicken's head,

8:06 Speaker 1: complete with a bright region of star formation that looks

8:10 Speaker 1: just like a glowing beak. Dark clouds extend upward from

8:13 Speaker 1: this area, forming what looks like a pea comb on

8:16 Speaker 1: top of the chicken's head. The science behind this celestial

8:19 Speaker 1: spectacle is just as fascinating as its appearance as an

8:22 Speaker 1: emission nebula. It's essentially a vast cloud of ionized gas

8:26 Speaker 1: that produces its own light. The intense radiation from nearby

8:30 Speaker 1: stars energizes the gas, causing it to glow in various

8:33 Speaker 1: colors depending on its composition. We can spot numerous young,

8:37 Speaker 1: bright blue stars scattered throughout the image, including one that

8:41 Speaker 1: perfectly marks what appears to be the chicken's eye. This

8:45 Speaker 1: cosmic bird has quite a history in astronomical catalogs. It

8:48 Speaker 1: was first documented back in eighteen eighty eight by Danish

8:51 Speaker 1: astronomer John Lewis Emil Dryer, and later included in Colin

8:55 Speaker 1: Stanley Gum's nineteen fifty five catalog of emission nebulae in

8:58 Speaker 1: the Southern Sky. It's a remarkable reminder that even in

9:02 Speaker 1: the vastness of space, we can find shapes that feel

9:06 Speaker 1: somehow familiar and even playful. For those of you who

9:10 Speaker 1: received a telescope this holiday season, Sky and Telescope have

9:14 Speaker 1: published a list of useful tips for getting the most

9:16 Speaker 1: out of your shiny new toy, So let me share

9:19 Speaker 1: some of their essential tips to help you start your

9:21 Speaker 1: stargazing journey on the right foot. First, and foremost, resist

9:26 Speaker 1: the urge to rush outside immediately. Take time to familiarize

9:30 Speaker 1: yourself with your telescope indoors where you can comfortably learn

9:33 Speaker 1: how everything works, from adjusting the mount to changing eye pieces.

9:38 Speaker 1: Once you're comfortable with the basics, try your telescope during

9:42 Speaker 1: daylight hours. Practice focusing on distant objects like tree tops

9:47 Speaker 1: or buildings. This is also the perfect time to align

9:50 Speaker 1: your finder scope, which will be crucial for locating objects

9:53 Speaker 1: in the night sky. Remember, your lowest magnification eyepiece will

9:57 Speaker 1: give you the brightest, sharpest views, and the widest field

10:01 Speaker 1: of view, making it easier to find your targets. Now,

10:05 Speaker 1: what should you look at first? The Moon is an

10:08 Speaker 1: absolutely spectacular target for new observers. Even in a modest telescope,

10:13 Speaker 1: you'll see incredible detail in its craters, mountains, and valleys.

10:17 Speaker 1: The best views come when you observe areas near the

10:20 Speaker 1: terminator that's the line between the Moon's day and night sides,

10:24 Speaker 1: where shadows really bring out the surface features. The planets

10:27 Speaker 1: are also excellent targets right now. Jupiter is particularly impressive,

10:32 Speaker 1: showing its cloud bands and four brightest moons even in

10:35 Speaker 1: small telescopes. Saturn, despite its rings being nearly edge on

10:39 Speaker 1: this year, still offers an unforgettable sight. Venus is currently

10:44 Speaker 1: visible as a bright evening star, showing phases similar to

10:47 Speaker 1: the Moon when viewed through a telescope. One crucial piece

10:50 Speaker 1: of advice be patient. Many newcomers expect Hubble like views,

10:55 Speaker 1: but remember that most astronomical objects appear subtle and gray

10:59 Speaker 1: to the human eye. The longer you spend observing an object,

11:02 Speaker 1: the more detail you'll begin to notice. Also, don't feel

11:05 Speaker 1: disappointed if things look a bit blurry at first. Atmospheric

11:09 Speaker 1: conditions play a huge role in telescope viewing, and some

11:12 Speaker 1: nights will be better than others. Keep in mind that

11:15 Speaker 1: astronomy is a journey of discovery, not a sprint. Take

11:19 Speaker 1: your time learning the basics and you'll be rewarded with

11:22 Speaker 1: views of some of the most amazing objects in our universe.

11:26 Speaker 1: For these and more tips, I'll include a link in

11:29 Speaker 1: the show notes to the original article, and that brings

11:33 Speaker 1: us to the end of today's journey through the cosmos.

11:36 Speaker 1: I'm anna and thank you for joining me here on

11:38 Speaker 1: Astronomy Daily. If you'd like to learn more about any

11:42 Speaker 1: of our stories or get the latest updates in astronomy,

11:45 Speaker 1: head over to our website at Astronomy Daily dot io.

11:48 Speaker 1: You can also be part of our growing community of

11:51 Speaker 1: space enthusiasts on social media. Find us as astro Daily

11:55 Speaker 1: Pod on Facebook, x Tumbler, YouTube, and TikTok. There's always

12:01 Speaker 1: something fascinating happening in the universe, and we'll be here

12:04 Speaker 1: to share those stories with you. Until next time, keep

12:07 Speaker 1: looking up and wondering about the mysteries above us. This

12:10 Speaker 1: has been Astronomy Daily. I'm anna signing off a sunny day.

12:17 Speaker 1: Star is Star is All Star.