Latest / Space News Today / Io’s Record Eruption, Nuclear Space Future, and Ancient Mars Beaches

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Io’s Record Eruption, Nuclear Space Future, and Ancient Mars Beaches · Space News Today

0:00
Picture this. A volcanic eruption so
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massive it could swallow entire [music]
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countries. Now imagine witnessing it
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from space on a moon 400 million miles
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away. Welcome to Astronomy [music]
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Daily where today we're bringing you the
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most explosive story from Jupiter's
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volcanic moon Io. Literally. I'm Anna.
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>> And I'm Avery. Anna, when NASA's Juno
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spacecraft captured [music] the largest
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volcanic eruption ever seen on Io, it
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reminded me why we explore [music] these
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distant worlds. The sheer scale of
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what's happening out there is
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mind-blowing. [music]
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Absolutely. And speaking of exploration,
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we've also got some groundbreaking news
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about nuclear propulsion [music] that
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could revolutionize deep space travel.
0:48
Plus, discoveries about ancient Martian
0:50
beaches, the communication networks
0:52
keeping Artemis astronauts [music]
0:54
connected around the moon, a lunar world
0:57
tour happening in February, and
1:00
fascinating research [music] about
1:01
life's ingredients forming in space.
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It's Friday, [music] January 30th, 2026,
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and you're listening to Astronomy Daily.
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>> Let's get into it, then. Avery, [music]
1:13
let's dive right into this spectacular
1:15
volcanic eruption on Io. NASA's Juno
1:18
spacecraft has been giving us
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unprecedented views of Jupiter's most
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volcanically active moon. And this
1:26
latest discovery is absolutely stunning.
1:29
>> It really is, Anna. During Juno's 71st
1:32
close flyby of Jupiter on January 28th,
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the spacecraft captured what scientists
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are calling the largest volcanic
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eruption ever observed on Io. We're
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talking about a plume that's absolutely
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colossal in scale. The plume was spotted
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at a volcano called Khi. And here's what
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makes this so remarkable. The plume
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extends an estimated 240 km or about 150
1:58
m above Io's surface.
2:01
>> That's incredible. To put that in
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perspective for our listeners, that's
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roughly the distance from New York to
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Philadelphia. But instead of a road
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trip, we're talking about a volcanic
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plume shooting straight up into space.
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>> Exactly. And what makes Io such a
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volcanic powerhouse is the immense tidal
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forces it experiences. Jupender's
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massive gravity combined with the
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gravitational poles from its sister
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moons Europa and Ganymede literally
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flexes ISO's interior generating
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enormous amounts of heat. It's like
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continuously kneading dough but on a
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planetary scale. The images Juno
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captured are fascinating too. Scientists
2:40
use the spacecraft's Juno cam instrument
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and what they saw was this enormous
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umbrellashaped plume extending from Cain
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Hackily. Scott Bolton, Juno's principal
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investigator from the Southwest Research
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Institute, described it as both enormous
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and incredibly faint, which is why these
2:59
observations are so valuable.
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>> Right. And this isn't just about
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impressive visuals. Understanding is
3:05
vcanism helps us learn about tidal
3:07
heating processes throughout the solar
3:09
system. Plus, Juno has been on quite the
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journey. The spacecraft has made 18
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close flybys of Io since entering
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Jupiter's orbit back in 2016, and it's
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scheduled to continue observations until
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at least 2025.
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>> Actually, Avery, we're now in 2026, so
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Juno has been extended beyond that
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original timeline, which is fantastic
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news for continued observations. This
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discovery really highlights how active
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and dynamic Io remains. It's not just
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the most volcanically active body in our
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solar system. It's constantly surprising
3:45
us with the scale of its eruptions.
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>> Absolutely. And there's something almost
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poetic about witnessing such raw
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primordial forces at work on another
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world. While we deal with our relatively
3:57
tame volcanic activity here on Earth, Io
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is experiencing eruptions that dwarf
4:02
anything in our planet's history. It's a
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powerful reminder that our solar system
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is far from a static, quiet place. There
4:11
are worlds out there where the geology
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is extreme beyond our everyday
4:15
comprehension. All right, let's shift
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gears from volcanic fury to the cutting
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edge of space propulsion technology.
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>> Anna, if we're going to send humans
4:25
deeper into the solar system to Mars and
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beyond, we need better propulsion
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systems than what we currently have.
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That's where nuclear technology comes
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in. And NASA just achieved a significant
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milestone.
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>> This is exciting stuff, Avery. NASA and
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the Department of Energy recently fired
4:42
up crusty. And yes, that's actually the
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acronym they went with, which stands for
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kilo power reactor using sterling
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technology. This test represents a major
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step toward making nuclear power a
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reality for deep space missions.
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>> I love that acronym. But beyond the fun
5:00
name, this is serious technology. Frosty
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is a small fish and reactor designed to
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provide reliable power in the harsh
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environments of deep space. We're
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talking about a system that could
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generate around 10 kows of electrical
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power continuously for over a decade. 10
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kow might not sound like much compared
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to a power plant, but in space it's
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transformational. That's enough to power
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life support systems, scientific
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instruments, and habitats on Mars or the
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moon. Traditional solar panels become
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less effective the farther you get from
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the sun, but nuclear reactors work
5:36
anywhere.
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>> Exactly. And the technology behind
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Crusty is elegantly simple in concept if
5:42
complex in execution. It uses a solid
5:45
uranium core about the size of a paper
5:47
towel roll. Nuclear fish in this core
5:50
generates heat which is then converted
5:51
to electricity using sterling engines.
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These are highly efficient engines that
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convert heat to mechanical energy and
5:59
then to electricity.
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>> What I find particularly impressive is
6:03
the safety engineering. These systems
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are designed to be inherently safe with
6:08
passive cooling systems that don't
6:10
require active intervention. During the
6:12
Nevada test, engineers put Crusty
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through its paces, simulating various
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failure scenarios to prove it could
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handle extreme conditions.
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>> Right? And this isn't just theoretical
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anymore. The successful test
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demonstrates that the technology works.
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Now NASA's looking at scaling this up
6:30
for actual mission use. Imagine a Mars
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base powered by one or more of these
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reactors providing consistent power
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regardless of dust storms, nighttime, or
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seasons.
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>> It also opens up possibilities for
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missions to the outer solar system.
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Places like Titan or Europa, where solar
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power is essentially useless, suddenly
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become more accessible with reliable
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nuclear power sources. We could have
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rovers or even submarines exploring
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these distant worlds. And let's not
7:01
forget about nuclear thermal propulsion,
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which is related but different. That's
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where nuclear reactors heat propellant
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to generate thrust, potentially cutting
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Mars transit times in half. Between
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power generation and propulsion, nuclear
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technology could be the key to humanity
7:17
becoming a truly space fairing
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civilization.
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>> It's one of those technologies that
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sounds like science fiction, but is
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rapidly becoming science fact. The
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crusty test proves we have the
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engineering capability. Now, it's about
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implementation and integration into
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actual mission architectures. Speaking
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of missions, let's head to Mars where
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scientists have discovered intriguing
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evidence of ancient water.
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>> Anna, one of the biggest questions about
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Mars is whether it ever had conditions
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suitable for life. Every time we find
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evidence of ancient water, we get closer
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to answering that question. And this
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latest discovery is particularly
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compelling.
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>> It really is, Avery. Researchers have
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identified what they believe to be
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ancient beach deposits in Mars Gale
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Crater, where the Curiosity rover has
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been exploring. These aren't just random
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rocks. They're sedimentary layers that
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tell a story of water lapping at ancient
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shorelines billions of years ago. The
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evidence comes from detailed analysis of
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rock formations that show
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characteristics consistent with beach
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environments. We're talking about
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specific grain sizes, layering patterns,
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and chemical signatures that match what
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we see in coastal deposits here on
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Earth. The team identified features like
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ripple marks and crossbedding that form
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when waves and currents move sediment.
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>> What makes this discovery particularly
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significant for habitability is that
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beach environments on Earth are
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incredibly productive ecosystems. The
8:46
interface between water and land where
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you have tides, nutrients washing in,
8:52
and varying conditions creates
8:54
opportunities for diverse life forms.
8:57
>> Exactly. If Mars had stable shorelines
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billions of years ago, those would have
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been prime locations for any potential
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Martian life to emerge and thrive.
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You've got water, you've got minerals
9:08
being concentrated, you've got energy
9:10
from the sun, all the ingredients that
9:13
life needs. The research also helps us
9:16
understand Mars's climate history. For
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beaches to exist, you need a stable body
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of water over extended periods, not just
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brief flooding events. This suggests
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that ancient Mars had a more earthlike
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hydraological cycle than we might have
9:31
thought with lakes or seas that
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persisted long enough to create these
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coastal features.
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>> And the location in Gail Crater is
9:39
significant, too. Curiosity has been
9:41
slowly climbing Mount Sharp in the
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center of the crater. And as it climbs,
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it's essentially reading through Mars'
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geological history like pages in a book.
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These beach deposits fit into a broader
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narrative of a wetter, warmer ancient
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Mars.
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>> The implications for future missions are
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huge. If we can identify ancient beaches
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and shorelines, those become high
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priority targets for searching for bio
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signatures, chemical or physical
10:08
evidence that life once existed. We
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might want to send future rovers, or
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even sample return missions to these
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locations.
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>> It's also worth noting how far we've
10:18
come in our understanding of Mars. From
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a planet we once thought was completely
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dry and dead, we now know Mars had
10:25
rivers, lakes, possibly oceans, beaches,
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and deltas. Each discovery adds another
10:31
piece to the puzzle of what ancient Mars
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was really like. And who knows, maybe
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one day humans will walk on those
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ancient beaches 4 billion years after
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waves last touched them. But before we
10:44
send humans to Mars, we need to perfect
10:46
operations around the moon. Let's talk
10:49
about the communication networks being
10:51
prepared for Artemis 2.
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>> Anna, when the Artemis 2 crew ventures
10:55
around the moon next year, they'll be
10:57
farther from Earth than any humans have
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traveled since Apollo 17 in 1972.
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Keeping them connected requires an
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incredibly sophisticated network of
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ground stations and satellites.
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>> That's right, Avery. NASA has been
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building out what's essentially a cosmic
11:13
communication infrastructure and the
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latest updates show that the networks
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are ready to support the mission. We're
11:20
talking about the deep space network,
11:22
the near space network, and even
11:24
partnerships with commercial satellite
11:26
operators. Let's break down what makes
11:29
this so challenging. When the Orian
11:31
craft carrying the Artemis 2 crew swings
11:33
around the far side of the moon, there's
11:35
a period where they're completely out of
11:37
direct line of sight with Earth. No
11:39
radio signals can reach them directly
11:41
because the moon itself is in the way.
11:44
>> That's where the tracking and data relay
11:46
satellites come in. NASA has been
11:48
upgrading the deep space network. Those
11:51
massive dish antennas in California,
11:54
Spain, and Australia that communicate
11:56
with distant spacecraft. These dishes
11:59
can pick up incredibly faint signals
12:01
from the Oran capsule even when it's
12:03
280,000
12:05
m away. The redundancy built into the
12:08
system is impressive, too. Multiple
12:10
ground stations can track Orian
12:12
simultaneously, ensuring that if one
12:14
station loses signal due to weather or
12:16
other issues, others can maintain
12:19
contact. The crew will never be more
12:21
than a few minutes without a
12:22
communication link. What's particularly
12:25
interesting is how much bandwidth
12:27
they'll have. Unlike the Apollo
12:29
missions, which had relatively limited
12:31
voice communications, Artemis 2 will
12:33
have highdefinition video capabilities,
12:36
allowing mission control and the public
12:38
to see what the crew sees in real time.
12:41
Imagine watching HD footage of Earth
12:44
rising over the lunar horizon as it
12:47
happens.
12:48
>> That's going to be spectacular. And it's
12:50
not just about keeping the crew
12:52
connected for safety, though that's
12:54
obviously paramount. These
12:56
communications enable realtime science
12:58
operations, medical monitoring, and the
13:01
kind of public engagement that makes
13:03
these missions so inspiring. The testing
13:06
that's been done is extensive, too. NASA
13:09
has run countless simulations, putting
13:11
the network through every conceivable
13:13
scenario, from normal operations to
13:16
emergency situations. They've verified
13:19
that commands can be sent and received
13:21
quickly enough to respond to any issues
13:23
that might arise. And this network
13:26
infrastructure they're building for
13:27
Artemis will serve missions for decades
13:30
to come. When we establish a permanent
13:32
lunar base when we send astronauts to
13:35
Mars, these same communication
13:37
principles and much of the same hardware
13:39
will be the backbone keeping everyone
13:41
connected. It's a reminder that space
13:44
exploration isn't just about rockets and
13:47
spacecraft. It's about building the
13:49
infrastructure to support human presence
13:51
beyond Earth. Speaking of the moon,
13:54
there's a beautiful celestial show
13:56
coming up in February that everyone can
13:58
enjoy from Earth.
13:59
>> Anna, I love these monthly lunar
14:01
highlights. February is shaping up to be
14:04
a great month for lunar watchers with
14:06
some beautiful planetary conjunctions
14:08
and interesting phases to observe.
14:11
>> Absolutely, Avery. Let's walk our
14:13
listeners through what they can expect.
14:15
The month kicks off with the moon in a
14:17
waxing crescent phase. And on February
14:19
1st and 2nd, we'll see a lovely
14:22
conjunction with Venus. If you look to
14:24
the western sky just after sunset,
14:26
you'll see the bright crescent moon
14:28
paired with the brilliant evening star.
14:31
Venus is always stunning, and when you
14:33
add the moon to the picture, it creates
14:35
one of those scenes that makes even
14:37
nonastronomers stop and look up. A few
14:40
days later on February 4th, the moon
14:43
will pass near Saturn, giving us another
14:45
beautiful evening pairing.
14:47
>> The full moon arrives on February 12th.
14:49
And this one has a particularly
14:51
evocative traditional name, the snow
14:53
moon. Various cultures have called it
14:56
the hunger moon or the storm moon,
14:58
reflecting the harsh conditions of late
15:00
winter in the northern hemisphere. Of
15:02
course, the moon doesn't know what
15:04
season it is down here, so the name is
15:06
purely a human cultural addition. After
15:09
full phase, the moon starts waning and
15:12
this is when morning observers get their
15:14
treats. On February 17th, early risers
15:17
can catch the waning gibbus moon near
15:19
the star Spika in the constellation
15:21
Virgo. Then on February 20th, the moon
15:25
makes a close approach to Jupiter, which
15:27
will still be prominent in the pre-dawn
15:29
sky. One of my favorite things to watch
15:32
is how the moon appears to march across
15:34
the sky from night to night, visiting
15:36
different stars and planets. It's like a
15:39
natural cosmic clock, and you don't need
15:42
any equipment beyond your eyes to enjoy
15:44
it. Though, binoculars definitely
15:46
enhance the view. Speaking of
15:48
binoculars, the waxing crescent phases
15:50
early in the month are perfect for
15:52
observing what astronomers call Earth
15:54
shine. That's when you can see the dark
15:57
portion of the moon, faintly illuminated
15:59
by sunlight reflecting off Earth. It's
16:01
this beautiful ghostly glow that reveals
16:04
the entire disc. And for anyone
16:07
interested in lunar photography, those
16:09
conjunctions with Venus and Jupiter
16:11
offer fantastic opportunities. You don't
16:14
need expensive equipment. Even a
16:16
smartphone can capture these scenes if
16:18
you have steady hands or a simple
16:19
tripod. The moon's February tour also
16:23
serves as a nice reminder of celestial
16:25
mechanics. Every conjunction, every
16:27
phase we see is the result of the
16:29
precise dance between the Earth, Moon,
16:32
and Sun. The fact that we can predict
16:34
exactly when these events will occur
16:36
centuries in advance is a testament to
16:39
our understanding of orbital dynamics.
16:42
Though, mark your calendars, folks.
16:44
February 1st and 2nd for Venus, February
16:47
4th for Saturn, February 12th for the
16:50
full snow moon, and February 20th for
16:52
Jupiter. The moon is putting on a world
16:55
tour, and admission is absolutely free.
16:58
Now, let's wrap up with some fascinating
17:00
research about the chemistry of life
17:02
itself.
17:03
>> Anna, one of the most profound questions
17:06
in science is how life began. And new
17:08
research is revealing that some of the
17:10
key ingredients for life might form
17:12
spontaneously in space without any need
17:15
for planets or special conditions.
17:18
>> This is absolutely fascinating research,
17:20
Avery. Scientists have discovered that
17:22
complex organic molecules, the building
17:25
blocks of proteins and other biological
17:28
molecules, can form in the harsh
17:30
environment of interstellar space. We're
17:32
not talking about life itself, but the
17:35
chemical precursors that life needs,
17:38
>> right? The study focused on amino acids,
17:40
which are the fundamental components of
17:42
proteins. On Earth, we know amino acids
17:45
can form through biological processes.
17:47
But this research shows they can also
17:49
arise through purely chemical reactions
17:52
in space in molecular clouds where stars
17:55
and planets eventually form.
17:57
>> What makes this possible is the
17:59
chemistry happening on the surfaces of
18:01
dust grains in these molecular clouds.
18:03
These grains are coated with ices,
18:05
frozen water, methane, ammonia, and
18:08
other simple molecules. When cosmic rays
18:11
or ultraviolet light hits these ices, it
18:14
triggers chemical reactions that can
18:16
build up more complex molecules.
18:18
>> The researchers use laboratory
18:20
simulations that recreate the conditions
18:22
in space, extreme cold, vacuum, and
18:25
radiation. They found that even without
18:28
any biological input, amino acids and
18:30
other organic molecules form readily.
18:33
It's like space is running a giant
18:35
chemistry experiment, and the products
18:37
are the ingredients for life. This has
18:39
huge implications for astrobiology. If
18:42
life's building blocks form naturally in
18:45
space, then they're probably common
18:47
throughout the galaxy. When new star
18:49
systems form from these molecular
18:51
clouds, they inherit these organic
18:53
molecules. Young planets get seated with
18:55
the chemistry they need for life to
18:57
potentially emerge.
18:59
>> We've actually found evidence supporting
19:01
this on Earth. Some meteorites,
19:03
particularly carbonatous condrites,
19:05
contain amino acids and other organic
19:08
compounds that formed in space before
19:10
the solar system even existed. When
19:13
these meteorites fall to Earth, they
19:15
deliver this prebiotic chemistry.
19:17
>> It raises an interesting question about
19:19
the origin of life on Earth. Did life
19:21
arise entirely from scratch using
19:24
molecules made here, or did it get a
19:26
head start from organic compounds
19:28
delivered by comets and asteroids? The
19:31
answer might be both. A combination of
19:34
homegrown chemistry and cosmic delivery.
19:37
>> And when we search for life on other
19:39
worlds, Mars, Europa, Enceladus,
19:42
exoplanets, knowing that the basic
19:44
ingredients are probably already there
19:46
makes the question shift from could
19:49
light's chemistry exist there to did
19:51
conditions allow that chemistry to
19:53
become biology.
19:54
>> The research also highlights how
19:56
interconnected everything in the
19:58
universe is. The same processes that
20:01
create stars and planets also create the
20:04
molecules necessary for life. We're
20:06
literally made of stardust, but we're
20:09
also made of chemistry that happens
20:11
between the stars.
20:12
>> It's humbling and inspiring at the same
20:14
time. The universe isn't just capable of
20:17
creating stars and galaxies. It's also a
20:20
place where the precursors to life form
20:22
naturally, waiting for the right
20:24
conditions to spark something
20:26
extraordinary. Which brings us full
20:28
circle to why we explore. Every mission,
20:31
every observation, every discovery adds
20:34
to our understanding not just of the
20:36
universe, but our place in it and the
20:38
processes that made us possible.
20:40
>> What a journey we've taken today, Anna.
20:42
From explosive vulcanism on Io to the
20:45
chemistry of life forming in the depths
20:47
of space. It's been a packed episode.
20:49
>> It really has, Avery. We've covered
20:51
groundbreaking propulsion technology,
20:54
ancient Martian beaches, cuttingedge
20:56
communications for Aremis, and a
20:58
beautiful lunar tour to look forward to.
21:01
If today's episode shows us anything,
21:03
it's that the universe never stops
21:05
surprising us. Before we sign off, a
21:07
quick reminder that you can find all the
21:09
links to the stories we discussed today
21:11
in our show notes. And if you enjoyed
21:13
this episode, please share it with
21:15
someone who loves space as much as you
21:17
do. You can find us on all major podcast
21:20
platforms and we're also on YouTube if
21:22
you prefer to watch. We're @
21:25
astroailyaily pod on social media and
21:28
you can visit our website at
21:29
astronomyaily.io
21:31
for articles, transcripts, and more.
21:34
Astronomy [music] day.
21:37
Stories be told.
21:45
Stories to tell.
21:53
[singing]