Tesla Asteroids, Lunar Gravity Breakthroughs, and Black Hole Feeding Frenzies: S04E22

0:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to Astronomy Daily. Today, we're diving into an incredible

0:04 Speaker 1: lineup of space news that showcases both the fascinating and

0:07 Speaker 1: sometimes humorous side of space exploration. From a case of

0:11 Speaker 1: mistaken identity involving Elon Musk's orbiting Tesla Roadster to groundbreaking

0:16 Speaker 1: lunar gravity experiments, we've got an action packed episode ahead.

0:20 Speaker 1: We'll explore new concerns about astronaut health in space, take

0:23 Speaker 1: a look at the latest observations of the famous M

0:26 Speaker 1: eighty seven black hole, and preview some spectacular celestial alignments

0:31 Speaker 1: coming up in our night sky. We'll also discuss NASA's

0:34 Speaker 1: innovative approaches to dealing with that pesky moondust problem that's

0:37 Speaker 1: been challenging lunar missions since the Apollo era. So get

0:41 Speaker 1: ready for your daily dose of space and astronomy news

0:43 Speaker 1: as we explore these exciting developments that are shaping our

0:47 Speaker 1: understanding of the cosmos in a delightful twist of astronomical proportions.

0:52 Speaker 1: Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster, launched into space six years ago,

0:57 Speaker 1: recently caused quite a stir in the scientific community. Earlier

1:01 Speaker 1: this month, astronomers at the prestigious Harvard Smithsonian Center for

1:05 Speaker 1: Astrophysics Minor Planet Center mistook the wandering vehicle for a

1:10 Speaker 1: newly discovered asteroid, even giving it an official designation twenty

1:14 Speaker 1: eighteen CN forty one. The cosmic mix up didn't last long, though.

1:20 Speaker 1: Just a day after registering the supposed new asteroid, the

1:23 Speaker 1: center had to quickly backtrack when it became clear that

1:26 Speaker 1: their mysterious object was actually Musk's space traveling Tesla, which

1:30 Speaker 1: had been cruising through space since its launch aboard SpaceX's

1:33 Speaker 1: Falcon Heavy rocket in February twenty eighteen. What makes this

1:37 Speaker 1: particularly interesting is that the roadster was spotted less than

1:41 Speaker 1: one hundred fifty thousand miles from Earth, that's closer than

1:44 Speaker 1: the Moon's orbit. Originally intended to travel in an elliptical

1:48 Speaker 1: orbit around the Sun, extending just past Mars, the car

1:52 Speaker 1: apparently exceeded expectations and ventured further into the asteroid belt.

1:57 Speaker 1: This case of mistaken identity highlights a serious challenge in

2:00 Speaker 1: space observation, As noted by Center for Astrophysics astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell,

2:06 Speaker 1: tracking objects in space isn't always straightforward. In fact, he

2:10 Speaker 1: pointed out that in a worst case scenario. You could

2:13 Speaker 1: spend a billion dollars launching a space probe to study

2:15 Speaker 1: what you think is an asteroid, only to discover upon

2:18 Speaker 1: arrival that it's something entirely different. The incident serves as

2:23 Speaker 1: a reminder of both the complexity of tracking objects in

2:26 Speaker 1: space and the increasing number of human made objects joining

2:29 Speaker 1: the natural celestial bodies in our Solar system. Who would

2:33 Speaker 1: have thought that one day we'd need to double check

2:35 Speaker 1: whether that new asteroid is actually just a luxury electric

2:38 Speaker 1: car taking a very, very long road trip. Next up today,

2:44 Speaker 1: Blue Origin is gearing up for an exciting milestone in

2:47 Speaker 1: space research with their upcoming New Shepherd flight scheduled for

2:51 Speaker 1: January twenty eighth. What makes this mission particularly special is

2:55 Speaker 1: its innovative approach to simulating lunar gravity, something that could

2:59 Speaker 1: revolutionize how we prepare for future Moon missions. Unlike previous

3:03 Speaker 1: New Shepherd flights that achieved microgravity, this mission will deliberately

3:07 Speaker 1: spin the crew capsule after it separates from its booster

3:11 Speaker 1: using reaction control thrusters. The capsule will rotate at approximately

3:15 Speaker 1: eleven revolutions per minute, creating conditions that perfectly match the

3:19 Speaker 1: Moon's gravity for the payloads inside. This unique capability will

3:23 Speaker 1: provide researchers with an unprecedented two minutes of lunar gravity conditions.

3:29 Speaker 1: To put that in perspective, current testing methods using parabolic

3:32 Speaker 1: aircraft flights can only manage about twenty seconds of simulated

3:36 Speaker 1: lunar gravity. The extended duration opens up exciting new possibilities

3:40 Speaker 1: for testing lunar technologies and conducting research. The mission will

3:44 Speaker 1: carry thirty different payloads, with seventeen of them coming directly

3:49 Speaker 1: from NASA through their Flight Opportunities program. These experiments span

3:53 Speaker 1: crucial areas for lunar exploration, including resource utilization, dust mitigation,

3:59 Speaker 1: advanced habitatation systems, and various spacecraft technologies. One payload will

4:04 Speaker 1: even be mounted on the exterior of the new Shepherd

4:06 Speaker 1: booster to test how materials react to the space environment.

4:10 Speaker 1: What's particularly promising about this development is its potential for

4:14 Speaker 1: future applications. Blue Origins CEO Dave Limp has indicated that

4:19 Speaker 1: this technology could be adapted to simulate gravity conditions for

4:23 Speaker 1: Mars and other celestial bodies in our Solar System. This

4:27 Speaker 1: versatility could make it an invaluable tool for preparing for

4:30 Speaker 1: human exploration throughout the Solar System. For NASA and other

4:34 Speaker 1: lunar technology providers, this new testing platform represents a game

4:38 Speaker 1: changing opportunity to accelerate their research and improve technology readiness

4:43 Speaker 1: at a fraction of the cost of traditional testing methods.

4:46 Speaker 1: It's a significant step forward in our journey back to

4:49 Speaker 1: the Moon and beyond. While on the subject of the Moon,

4:54 Speaker 1: NASA has just launched an ambitious new mission to tackle

4:57 Speaker 1: one of the most persistent challenges of lunar exploration, Moondust.

5:01 Speaker 1: The Blue Ghost Mission one recently lifted off from Kennedy

5:04 Speaker 1: Space Center carrying two groundbreaking technologies designed to help us

5:07 Speaker 1: better understand and manage lunar regolith. One of these innovative

5:11 Speaker 1: devices is the Electrodynamic Dust Shield or EDS, which uses

5:15 Speaker 1: electric fields to lift, transport, and remove dust particles from surfaces.

5:20 Speaker 1: This technology could be a game changer for future lunar missions,

5:24 Speaker 1: as Moondust has been a significant headache since the Apollo era,

5:27 Speaker 1: causing problems with everything from space suits to essential equipment.

5:31 Speaker 1: The mission's second key technology is equally fascinating, the stereo

5:35 Speaker 1: camera for Lunar Plume Surface Studies scalps S. This system

5:41 Speaker 1: will capture high resolution stereo images of how rocket plumes

5:45 Speaker 1: interact with the lunar surface during landing. As we plan

5:48 Speaker 1: to land increasingly larger payloads on the Moon, understanding how

5:52 Speaker 1: these powerful engines affect the surface becomes crucial. These experiments

5:56 Speaker 1: will be conducted in mare Crisium, a massive dark based

6:00 Speaker 1: on the Moon's near side, spanning about three hundred miles.

6:03 Speaker 1: This location will provide the perfect testing ground for these

6:06 Speaker 1: technologies in actual lunar conditions, something that's incredibly difficult to

6:11 Speaker 1: replicate accurately on Earth. The timing of this mission couldn't

6:15 Speaker 1: be more crucial. As we prepare for more complex lunar operations,

6:19 Speaker 1: managing moondust becomes increasingly important. During the Apollo missions, astronauts

6:24 Speaker 1: discovered firsthand how problematic this fine abrasive material could be,

6:29 Speaker 1: coding everything it touched and potentially damaging sensitive equipment. What's

6:33 Speaker 1: particularly exciting is how this research will benefit future Mars

6:37 Speaker 1: missions as well. While Martian dust has different properties than

6:40 Speaker 1: lunar regalith, the lessons we learn from these experiments will

6:44 Speaker 1: be invaluable for designing dust mitigation systems for both worlds.

6:48 Speaker 1: It's another excellent example of how lunar exploration serves as

6:52 Speaker 1: a crucial testing ground for our eventual journey to the

6:54 Speaker 1: Red Planet. A new study published in the IEE Open

6:59 Speaker 1: Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology has revealed some

7:02 Speaker 1: concerning findings about how space affects astronauts' vision. The research

7:07 Speaker 1: shows that after just six to twelve months aboard the

7:09 Speaker 1: International Space Station, astronauts experienced significant changes to their eyes

7:14 Speaker 1: and vision due to the microgravity environment. The findings are

7:18 Speaker 1: particularly striking. At least seventy percent of ISS astronauts have

7:22 Speaker 1: been affected by what's known as spaceflight associated neuroocular syndrome

7:27 Speaker 1: or SANDS. Researchers analyzed data from thirteen astronauts who spent

7:32 Speaker 1: between one hundred and fifty seven and one hundred and

7:35 Speaker 1: eighty six days in space, and the changes they documented

7:38 Speaker 1: were substantial. They found a thirty three percent decrease in

7:42 Speaker 1: ocular rigidity and eleven percent drop in intraocular pressure, and

7:46 Speaker 1: a twenty five percent reduction in ocular pulse amplitude. These

7:50 Speaker 1: changes aren't just numbers on a page. They manifest in

7:53 Speaker 1: real symptoms like reduced eye size, altered focal fields, and

7:57 Speaker 1: in some cases, even optic nerve swelling and retine. The culprit.

8:02 Speaker 1: It appears to be the way weightlessness affects blood distribution

8:05 Speaker 1: in the body. In space, blood flow increases to the

8:08 Speaker 1: head and slows down in the eye's venous circulation, leading

8:11 Speaker 1: to expansion of the choroid, the layer that provides blood

8:15 Speaker 1: supply to the retina. The good news is that for

8:17 Speaker 1: missions lasting six to twelve months, these changes typically aren't permanent.

8:23 Speaker 1: Most astronauts eyes return to normal once they're back on Earth,

8:27 Speaker 1: and wearing corrective eyeglasses is usually sufficient to address any

8:30 Speaker 1: symptoms developed during their time in space. However, this raises

8:35 Speaker 1: serious questions about longer missions, particularly potential trips to Mars.

8:40 Speaker 1: Right now, we simply don't know what prolonged exposure to

8:43 Speaker 1: microgravity might do to astronaut vision over extended periods, and

8:47 Speaker 1: we don't yet have any preventive measures in place. As

8:51 Speaker 1: we continue to push the boundaries of space exploration, understanding

8:54 Speaker 1: and addressing these health challenges becomes increasingly crucial for the

8:57 Speaker 1: future of long duration spaceflight. Okay, I promised you a

9:02 Speaker 1: black hole story today, and I found one. The first

9:05 Speaker 1: ever black hole to be imaged by humanity, known as

9:08 Speaker 1: M eighty seven Star, has revealed some fascinating new details

9:12 Speaker 1: about its eating habits, and they're not exactly what you'd

9:15 Speaker 1: call neat and tidy. Recent observations from the Event Horizon

9:18 Speaker 1: telescope have given us an unprecedented look at the turbulent

9:22 Speaker 1: nature of this cosmic giant's feeding patterns. Located fifty five

9:26 Speaker 1: million light years away at the heart of the Messier

9:29 Speaker 1: eighty seven galaxy, this super massive black hole, weighing in

9:33 Speaker 1: at a staggering six point five billion times the mass

9:35 Speaker 1: of our Sun, continues to surprise astronomers. By comparing observations

9:40 Speaker 1: from twenty seventeen and twenty eighteen, scientists have noticed some

9:44 Speaker 1: intriguing changes in the bright ring of superheated gas swirling

9:47 Speaker 1: around the black hole's edge. The most striking discovery was

9:51 Speaker 1: a thirty degree counterclockwise shift in the brightest section of

9:54 Speaker 1: the ring, pointing to significant turbulence in the plasma surrounding

9:59 Speaker 1: M eighty seven star. This movement tells us something remarkable

10:02 Speaker 1: about how the black hole feeds. The matter appears to

10:06 Speaker 1: be flowing inward in the opposite direction to the black

10:08 Speaker 1: hole's rotation, creating a complex and dynamic feeding process. What's

10:13 Speaker 1: particularly exciting about these findings is how they're helping us

10:17 Speaker 1: understand the environment around black holes. The bright ring we

10:20 Speaker 1: see isn't just a static feature. It's a dynamic, ever

10:24 Speaker 1: changing structure of plasma moving at nearly the speed of light.

10:28 Speaker 1: This match is incredibly well with what Einstein's theory of

10:31 Speaker 1: general relativity predicted, giving us yet another confirmation of this

10:35 Speaker 1: fundamental theory of physics. Using three times more data than

10:39 Speaker 1: was available in twenty seventeen, scientists have been able to

10:42 Speaker 1: build a much more detailed picture of how M eighty

10:45 Speaker 1: seven star interacts with its surrounding environment. These observations are

10:49 Speaker 1: helping us understand not just how black holes feed, but

10:52 Speaker 1: also how they influence the space around them. As researchers

10:56 Speaker 1: continue to analyze data from twenty twenty one and twenty

11:00 Speaker 1: twenty two, we're likely to learn even more about the

11:03 Speaker 1: complex dynamics of these fascinating cosmic objects. Next up, get

11:09 Speaker 1: your telescopes ready. Stargazers are in for a treat this

11:12 Speaker 1: February with a spectacular celestial display featuring some of the

11:15 Speaker 1: brightest objects in our night sky. Venus, our dazzling sister planet,

11:20 Speaker 1: will be putting on quite a show in the southwestern

11:23 Speaker 1: sky just after sunset, reaching its peak brilliance around February fourteenth,

11:27 Speaker 1: when it will shine at an impressive magnitude of negative

11:30 Speaker 1: four point sixty four. The month kicks off with a

11:33 Speaker 1: particularly picturesque arrangement in the early evening sky. A young

11:38 Speaker 1: crescent moon will gracefully pass between Venus and Saturn on

11:41 Speaker 1: February first, creating a beautiful cosmic triangle. The following evening,

11:46 Speaker 1: the moon will climb higher to position itself just above Venus,

11:50 Speaker 1: offering another stunning photo opportunity for astronomy enthusiasts. Venus will

11:55 Speaker 1: reach its highest point in our evening sky on February seventh,

11:59 Speaker 1: making it an ice deal time for observation through a telescope.

12:02 Speaker 1: You might even catch glimpses of the planet's phase changes

12:05 Speaker 1: as its visible illuminated portion shrinks from about thirty seven

12:09 Speaker 1: percent to just under fifteen percent throughout the month, while

12:13 Speaker 1: its apparent size grows larger as it moves closer to Earth. Saturn,

12:18 Speaker 1: though not as bright as Venus, adds its own charm

12:21 Speaker 1: to this celestial dance. The ringed planet will be visible

12:24 Speaker 1: low in the southwestern sky, shining at magnitude one point one.

12:29 Speaker 1: Telescope users might want to take advantage of this opportunity

12:32 Speaker 1: to observe Saturn's famous rings, which are currently tilted at

12:36 Speaker 1: just two point eight degrees. This is particularly significant as

12:40 Speaker 1: the rings are approaching their edge on position, which will

12:43 Speaker 1: occur in late March, though unfortunately, this final transition won't

12:48 Speaker 1: be visible from Earth due to Saturn's position relative to

12:50 Speaker 1: the Sun. Happy stargazing. Well, that wraps up another fascinating

12:56 Speaker 1: episode of Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna and I've enjoyed sharrearing

13:00 Speaker 1: these amazing space stories with you today. Before we go,

13:03 Speaker 1: I want to make sure you know where to find

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13:36 Speaker 1: the universe is constantly revealing new secrets, so keep looking

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13:46 Speaker 1: Astronomy Daily, and to our Australian listeners, Happy Australia Day.

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