Blue Origin's Latest Milestone, Sharper Black Hole Images, and Titan's Dragonfly Mission

06/02/25 • 12 min

Astronomy Daily: Exciting Space Discoveries and News

Highlights:
- Blue Origin's Latest Milestone: Join us as we celebrate Blue Origin's successful 12th crewed suborbital mission aboard the New Shepard, where space tourists experienced the breathtaking views of Earth and the sensation of weightlessness. This achievement marks another step forward in commercial space tourism, showcasing the reusable capabilities of the New Shepard vehicle.
- Unprecedented Black Hole Imaging: Dive into the groundbreaking results from the Event Horizon Telescope, which has captured the sharpest images of black holes ever seen from Earth. With enhanced resolution at 345 GHz, scientists can now observe the behaviours of supermassive black holes in unprecedented detail, revealing insights into their magnetic environments and the dynamics surrounding them.
- Spectacular Aurora Displays: Discover the stunning auroras that lit up the skies across North America and beyond, triggered by a powerful coronal mass ejection. This event created breathtaking light shows, visible as far south as Sandy Kaye, and even delighted observers in New Zealand with vibrant displays of the Aurora Australis.
- NASA's Dragonfly Mission to Titan: Journey with us as we look ahead to NASA's upcoming Dragonfly mission, set to launch in July 2028. This revolutionary nuclear-powered rotorcraft will explore Titan, Saturn's largest moon, investigating its unique methane-rich environment and the chemical processes that may shed light on the origins of life.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:10 - Blue Origin's latest milestone
10:00 - Unprecedented black hole imaging
15:30 - Spectacular aurora displays
20:00 - NASA's Dragonfly mission to Titan
✍️ Episode References
Blue Origin Updates
[Blue Origin](https://www.blueorigin.com/)
Event Horizon Telescope Findings
[Event Horizon Telescope](https://eventhorizontelescope.org/)
Aurora Reports
[NOAA Space Weather](https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/)
Dragonfly Mission Details
[NASA Dragonfly](https://www.nasa.gov/dragonfly)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support.

Previous Episode

The Earliest Galaxy Unveiled, Asteroid Apophis Awaits, and Betelgeuse's Hidden Companion

Highlights:
- The Earliest Galaxy Discovered: Join us as we unveil the groundbreaking discovery by the James Webb Space Telescope, which has detected the earliest galaxy known to humanity, MAM Z14. Existing just 280 million years after the Big Bang, this remarkable find challenges our understanding of galaxy formation and reveals the presence of heavier elements, hinting at even more ancient galaxies yet to be discovered.
- Europe's Ambitious Apophis Mission: Explore the European Space Agency's daring Ramses mission, set to study the infamous asteroid Apophis during its close approach to Earth in 2029. With plans to land on the asteroid, this mission promises to enhance our understanding of planetary defence and the dynamics of near-Earth objects.
- SpaceX's Starship Saga Continues: Get the latest on SpaceX's ninth Starship test flight, which faced challenges leading to the loss of the upper stage. Despite setbacks, the mission marks significant progress in the reuse of super heavy boosters and the experimental nature of space exploration.
- The Mystery of Betelgeuse: Delve into the enigma surrounding Betelgeuse, one of the night sky's most recognisable stars. As astronomers investigate the possibility of a hidden companion influencing its peculiar brightness fluctuations, we explore how this discovery could reshape our understanding of massive star evolution.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:10 - The earliest galaxy discovered
10:00 - Europe's ambitious Apophis mission
15:30 - SpaceX's Starship saga continues
20:00 - The mystery of Betelgeuse
✍️ Episode References
James Webb Space Telescope
[NASA JWST](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/webb/main/index.html)
Apophis Mission Details
[European Space Agency](https://www.esa.int/)
SpaceX Updates
[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/)
Betelgeuse Research
[Hubble Space Telescope](https://hubblesite.org/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support

Next Episode

Galactic Collision Reconsidered

Highlights:
- Rethinking the Milky Way and Andromeda Collision: Explore the latest research challenging the long-held belief that our Milky Way is on a collision course with the Andromeda galaxy. New simulations suggest a nearly 50% chance that these two galaxies may not collide at all within the next 10 billion years, reshaping our understanding of cosmic interactions.
- Robots Revolutionising Solar Power: Discover how the UK Atomic Energy Agency is pioneering the use of robots to construct gigawatt-scale solar power satellites in space. This innovative project aims to harness the intense solar energy available in orbit, potentially providing a continuous stream of clean energy back to Earth.
- Unusual Full Moon in June: Learn about the upcoming Full Moon on June 11, 2025, which will appear unusually low in the northern sky. This rare event is part of an 18.6-year cycle that influences the Moon's position, creating fascinating celestial patterns that have been observed for millennia.
- Space Launch Highlights: Stay updated on the latest launches from SpaceX and Rocket Lab, including a historic Axiom mission featuring a diverse international crew. With multiple Starlink deployments and significant milestones for human spaceflight, the commercial space sector is rapidly evolving and expanding access to space.
For more cosmic updates, visit our website at astronomydaily.io. Join our community on social media by searching for #AstroDailyPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music, TikTok, and our new Instagram account! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thank you for tuning in. This is Anna signing off. Until next time, keep looking up and stay curious about the wonders of our universe.
Chapters:
00:00 - Welcome to Astronomy Daily
01:10 - Rethinking the Milky Way and Andromeda collision
10:00 - Robots revolutionising solar power
15:30 - Unusual Full Moon in June
20:00 - Space launch highlights
✍️ Episode References
Milky Way and Andromeda Research
[Nature Astronomy](https://www.nature.com/)
UK Atomic Energy Agency Solar Project
[UKAEA](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-atomic-energy-authority)
Lunar Standstill Cycle
[NASA Moon Phases](https://moon.nasa.gov/)
SpaceX Launch Updates
[SpaceX](https://www.spacex.com/)
Rocket Lab Launch Information
[Rocket Lab](https://www.rocketlabusa.com/)
Astronomy Daily
[Astronomy Daily](http://www.astronomydaily.io/)
For Commercial-Free versions become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-exciting-space-discoveries-and-news--5648921/support.