S02E31: Galactic Milestones & Meteor Magic: August Highlights

08/11/23 • 9 min

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Astronomy Daily: Exciting Space Discoveries and News

*Hosted by Tim Gibbs with AI Assistant, Haillie*
1. **Virgin Galactic's Historic Flight**: Virgin Galactic successfully launches its first tourist passengers into space. Among them, Anastasia Mayers becomes the youngest person ever to venture into space at 18. The spacecraft safely landed in New Mexico after a brief sojourn in space.
2. **China's Satellite Launch**: China's Long March-2C rocket successfully launches the Huanjing Jianzhai-2F (SSAR-02) satellite. This synthetic aperture radar satellite will aid in emergency management and environmental monitoring. It will work in tandem with SSAR01, launched in October 2022, to provide comprehensive coverage even in adverse weather conditions.
3. **Russia's Lunar Mission**: After nearly 50 years, Russia launches its Lunub-25 probe to the moon. This marks Moscow's first lunar mission since 1976. The probe aims to land on the lunar South Pole, a first in space exploration history. Expected landing date: August 21st.
4. **Perseid Meteor Shower 2023**: The much-anticipated Perseid meteor shower peaks this weekend. Best viewing time is around 4 o'clock EDT on Sunday, August 13. The meteor shower originates from the constellation Perseus and promises a spectacular show with up to 100 fireballs and light trails per hour at its peak.
5. **Tribute to Alexander Victorenko**: Renowned Russian cosmonaut Alexander Victorenko, known for his significant contributions to space exploration, including the first test of a space motorcycle, passes away at 76. A memorial service is scheduled for August 12th.
6. **Haillie's Joke of the Week**: "Why did the biologist get a promotion?" (You'll need to listen to the show to get the punchline...then again...
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Tune in to the Astronomy Daily Podcast for more exciting updates from the cosmos!
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Previous Episode

S02E30: Voyager's Triumph // Bubbletrons // The Wonders of Graphene

**Date:** 7th August 2023- **Host:** Steve Dunkley
**Main Topics Covered:**
1. **Personal Updates:** - Steve celebrated his son and his partner Kate's birthdays in Sydney. - Lunch at a famous Australian landmark.2. **SpaceX News:** - SpaceX tests their new booster. - Static fire test conducted for the Starship First Stage prototype, Booster 9.3. **Graphene in Space:** - The wonder material graphene is being researched for use in space building and development. - Scientists from the Italian Space Agency discuss graphene's potential role in space exploration. - Up to 1.9% of interstellar medium carbon is made of graphene.4. **Voyager 2 Update:** - NASA reestablishes contact with Voyager 2. - Voyager 2's history and its journey through the solar system. - Voyager 1 and 2 carry golden records with information about Earth.5. **Bubbletrons:** - A phenomenon from the early universe where massive bubbles may have emerged and collided. - These bubbles could have been responsible for the creation of dark matter particles and microscopic black holes. - The bubbles' expansion and collision might have created gravitational waves.6. **Other Space News:** - Discovery of an unusual Jupiter-sized planet, T-O-I-G-4860B, orbiting a low mass star. - NASA's collaboration with Axiom Space for private astronaut missions. - NASA announces crew members for SpaceX Crew 8 mission to the International Space Station.**Closing Remarks:**Steve and Halley, the digital reporter, wrap up the episode, touching on the incredible properties and potential of graphene in space technologies.

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Next Episode

S02E32: Unlocking Structured Light Secrets, Beginner's Astronomy Guide, Boeing Starliner's Next Steps, & Future Moon Shuttles

**Today's Highlights:**
1. **New Technique for Measuring Structured Light:** - A breakthrough technique to measure structured light in a single shot. - Uses the Kramer's Chronic Relation to untangle complex helical light patterns. - Potential to revolutionize technologies in the field of structured light.
2. **Beginner's Guide to Astronomy:** - The magic of viewing Saturn's rings through a telescope. - Recommendations for beginners: 4-5 Dobsonian telescope. - Tips on spotting planets like Saturn and Jupiter.
3. **Boeing Starliner Update:** - Crewed Flight Test delayed to next year. - Boeing remains confident despite delays. - Part of NASA's Commercial Crew Transportation Capability.
4. **Traveling Without Moving:** - The concept of how much we travel without realizing it. - Earth's rotation, orbit around the sun, and the sun's orbit in the Milky Way. - Total distance traveled in a lifetime: 930,000,000,000 miles.
5. **Moon Shuttle Plans:** - Multiple space agencies aiming for permanent human residence on the Moon. - Research on optimizing trajectories for Earth-Moon travel. - Proposal for a shuttle system between Earth and Moon to reduce costs.
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Join us next week for more space insights on Astronomy Daily!
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#space #astronomy #science #news #podcast #astronomydaily #spacenuts
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