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Roman Telescope Gets September Launch Date, Hidden Moons Around Uranus & Comet Alert for... · Space News Today

0:00
If you've been stepping outside after
0:02
dark lately and wondering what that
0:04
fuzzy smudge low on the horizon might
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be, stay tuned because by the end of
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today's show, you're going to know
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exactly what it is, exactly when to
0:13
look, and exactly why you might only
0:15
ever get one shot at seeing it. Welcome
0:18
to Astronomy Daily. I'm Anna.
0:21
>> And I'm Avery. This is season 5, episode
0:24
91 of Astronomy Daily, your daily guide
0:27
to everything happening in space and
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beyond.
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>> It is Thursday, the 23rd of April, 2026,
0:34
and we have a cracking episode lined up.
0:37
Six stories across the board today. From
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a gamechanging telescope that just
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locked in a launch date to a decad's old
0:44
cosmic photograph getting a stunning
0:46
update to a signing ceremony happening
0:49
literally as we record this. And we'll
0:52
close out with that comet you just
0:54
teased, Anna, which our Southern
0:55
Hemisphere listeners in particular are
0:58
going to want to hear about. Trust us.
1:00
>> Let's get into it.
1:02
>> We touched on the Roman Space Telescope
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earlier this week when NASA hosted its
1:06
big unveiling event at Gddard Space
1:08
Flight Center. But since that story ran,
1:11
something significant has become clear.
1:13
The launch date. So, let's give this the
1:15
update it deserves,
1:16
>> right? And the headline here is
1:18
genuinely exciting. The Nancy Grace
1:21
Roman Space Telescope is now targeting a
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September 2026 launch. That's eight
1:27
months ahead of its formal deadline of
1:29
May 2027. 8 months. And it came in under
1:33
budget. In government space projects,
1:35
that is practically unheard of.
1:38
>> To put this in perspective for anyone
1:40
just catching up, Roman is NASA's next
1:43
flagship space observatory. Think of it
1:45
as Hubble's younger sibling. Same size
1:48
mirror, about 2.4 4 m, but a field of
1:51
view that is at minimum 100 times wider
1:54
than Hubble's. The images it will
1:56
capture are so large there is literally
1:59
no screen currently in existence big
2:01
enough to display them at full
2:03
resolution. And NASA administrator Jared
2:06
Isaacman made a striking comparison at
2:08
this week's press event. What would take
2:10
Hubble 2,000 years to survey, Roman can
2:14
do in a single year. 2,000 years versus
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one. Let that sink in.
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>> The science objectives are vast. Roman
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will hunt for exoplanets, potentially
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more than 100,000 new worlds in its
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first 5 years. It'll survey billions of
2:30
galaxies, and critically it will probe
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two of the deepest mysteries in modern
2:35
physics, dark matter and dark energy. We
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don't know what either of those actually
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are. And Roman's wide field infrared
2:42
vision is designed specifically to pull
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back the curtain. It's also carrying the
2:47
Coronograph instrument, a technology
2:49
demonstrator that will attempt to
2:51
directly photograph planets around
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nearby stars. That could be a
2:55
transformative capability for the search
2:57
for Earthlike worlds.
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>> Roman will travel to the Sun Earth L2
3:02
point, the same orbital neighborhood as
3:04
the James Webb telescope about a million
3:06
miles from Earth. Once there, it begins
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a 5-year primary mission. If September
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holds, we could see first light before
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the end of this year.
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>> 16 years after astronomers ranked it as
3:18
the single highest priority for the next
3:21
decade of space science, four separate
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attempts to cancel the mission. And here
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we are 8 months ahead of schedule,
3:29
watching it ship to Kennedy Space Center
3:31
this summer. Some stories really do have
3:33
a good ending.
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>> A feel-good story indeed.
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>> Right. Story two. And this one involves
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Uranus, which is having quite a moment
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scientifically lately.
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>> Uranus is the gift that keeps giving.
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The ice giant seven planets out from the
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sun, famously tilted on its side with 29
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known moons and a system of 13 rings.
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And it's those rings at the center of
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new research published this week in the
3:58
journal of geoysical research, planets.
4:00
A team led by Enke Deotter at UC
4:03
Berkeley has combined data from three of
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the world's most powerful observatories.
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The WM KEKCK Observatory in Hawaii, the
4:12
Hubble Space Telescope and the James Web
4:15
Space Telescope to build the first
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complete reflectance spectrum of
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Uranus's two outermost rings known as
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the MU ring and the new ring. And what
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they found is that these two rings
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sitting side by side in the uranian
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system are made of completely different
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stuff. Which raises an obvious question.
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How?
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>> The Mu ring, it turns out, is composed
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of water ice particles. Tiny frozen
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grains being knocked loose from a small
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moon called Mab by micrometeorite
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impacts. M is only about 12 km across,
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barely a pebble on cosmic scales, but
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it's generating an entire ring of ice
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debris as it orbits.
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>> Interestingly, the only other blue ring
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like this in our solar system is
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Saturn's E-ring, produced by volcanic
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activity on Enceladus. The mechanism is
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different, but the result is remarkably
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similar. Major finding the same solution
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twice. Now, the new ring is where things
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get really strange. It's not made of
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ice. Instead, it's composed of rocky
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material laced with organic compounds,
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carbonri molecules. And crucially,
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there's no known moon nearby that could
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be the source.
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>> The researchers believe there must be
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unseen rocky bodies, possibly small moon
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lids tucked between the known moons,
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getting bombarded by micrometeorites and
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feeding material into the ring. In other
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words, Uranus likely has more moons than
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we know about.
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>> Mark Shoalter from the SETI Institute, a
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co-author on the study, was pretty
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direct about it. He said solving the
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full mystery will probably require a
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spacecraft mission to Uranus, and one is
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in the planning stages. It was the top
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priority in the most recent National
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Academy of Scienc's planetary science
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decadal survey, though funding remains
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the critical question.
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>> There's one more wrinkle worth
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mentioning. The MU ring appears to be
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changing in brightness over time, subtly
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but measurably. What's causing that?
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Nobody knows. Another mystery for a
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mission that, fingers crossed,
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eventually gets off the ground.
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>> Uranus. Deeply weird, deeply
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fascinating, and apparently still full
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of secrets. This story is going to keep
6:35
developing.
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>> Story three. And this one's a treat for
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anyone who loves cosmic imagery with a
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sight of time-lapse astronomy. The
6:43
Hubble Space Telescope has gone back to
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one of its classic targets, the Triffid
6:47
Nebula, and the comparison between the
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original image and the new one is
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genuinely remarkable.
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>> For those unfamiliar, the Triffid Nebula
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is a star forming region in the
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constellation Sagittarius, about 5,000
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light years from Earth. Its name comes
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from the Latin for divided into three.
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It split into three distinct loes by
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dark dust lanes, giving it the striking
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trilobate appearance. It's one of
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Hubble's most celebrated early targets.
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Hubble first imaged the tripffid back in
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1997, nearly three decades ago. The new
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image captured with upgraded instruments
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covers essentially the same field. And
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by placing the two side by side,
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astronomers have been able to track real
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measurable changes in how young stars in
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the region behave and evolve. Now, 29
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years sounds like a long time to us. On
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cosmic scales, it's barely an eyelink,
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but young stars still in the process of
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forming, still shedding material, still
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igniting, can show perceptible changes
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on human time scales. And that's exactly
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what the comparison reveals. What Hubble
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is doing here is functioning as a kind
7:59
of cosmic time-lapse camera. The same
8:02
telescope returning to the same subject
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decades apart and documenting how the
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universe has shifted in the interim.
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It's one of the most powerful aspects of
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having a long lived observatory in
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space.
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>> And of course, visually the new tripffid
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image is spectacular. The deep magentas,
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electric blues, and soft golden hues of
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active stellar nurseries. If you haven't
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seen it yet, it's worth seeking out.
8:28
We'll link it in the show notes.
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>> The Triffid Nebula, 30 years older and
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if anything, more beautiful than ever.
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Proof that some things genuinely improve
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with age.
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>> Like us, maybe. Anna,
8:42
>> story four now. And this one is
8:45
happening today. Right now, as we record
8:48
at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC,
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>> the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is
8:53
signing the Artemis Accords, becoming
8:55
the 63rd country to commit to the
8:58
framework for peaceful and responsible
9:00
space exploration. NASA administrator
9:02
Jared Isaacman is hosting Ambassador
9:04
Dena Cow for the ceremony.
9:07
>> Now, we should explain what the Artemis
9:09
Accords actually are for anyone who
9:11
joined us more recently. The accords
9:14
were established in 2020 during the
9:16
first Trump administration by NASA and
9:19
the State Department initially with
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seven other founding nations including
9:24
Australia. They're a set of practical
9:27
principles covering how countries should
9:29
conduct themselves in space.
9:32
transparency, interoperability,
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data sharing, protecting historic sites,
9:38
safe zones around operations, and the
9:41
responsible extraction of resources.
9:43
>> They're built on top of the 1967 Outer
9:46
Space Treaty, but they add specificity
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that the original treaty lacked. And
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critically, they're open to any nation
9:52
that wants to participate in the broader
9:54
Artemis program of moon exploration.
9:57
What's interesting about the timing here
9:59
is that just 3 days ago on Monday,
10:02
Latvia signed as the 62nd nation, though
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we've seen two signitories in one week,
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right on the heels of Artemis 2's
10:11
successful return to Earth.
10:14
>> There is a momentum story here. Artemis
10:16
2 returns from the moon and within days,
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the international community is literally
10:21
lining up to join the framework. Jordan
10:23
notably has genuine aspirations in the
10:26
space sector. The country has invested
10:28
in satellite technology and space
10:30
science education in recent years. This
10:32
isn't just symbolic. 63 nations. The
10:36
list now spans every inhabited continent
10:39
with 29 European nations, 15 across
10:43
Asia, and representation from the
10:45
Americas, Africa, and Oceanania. The
10:48
Aremis program is increasingly a
10:51
genuinely global endeavor.
10:53
>> Congratulations to Jordan. Welcome to
10:55
the coalition.
10:57
>> Before we move on to our next story,
10:59
I'll just jump in and give you a
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reminder about our sponsor, NordVPN.
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They're the ones who are helping us keep
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the lights on this week. But if you're
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you'll be amazed at the incredible deals
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they have in place for Astronomy Daily
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listeners.
11:28
>> All right, story five. And if you're
11:29
wondering how quickly NASA moves after a
11:32
successful mission, wonder no more.
11:34
>> It was just 10 days ago that the Aremis
11:37
2 crew splashed down in the Pacific.
11:40
Four astronauts home safe after the most
11:43
distant human space flight in history.
11:46
And NASA is already rolling out the
11:48
hardware for the next one.
11:50
>> On April 20th, just a week and a half
11:52
post splashdown, engineers at NASA's
11:54
Mish assembly facility in New Orleans
11:57
loaded the core stage of the Aremis 3
11:59
space launch system rocket onto the AY's
12:02
Pegasus barge. It's currently on route
12:04
to Kennedy Space Center in Florida,
12:06
where final integration and outfitting
12:08
will take place. The core stage is
12:11
enormous. When fully integrated, it'll
12:14
stand 212 ft tall, around 65 m. What
12:19
rolled onto the barge is the top four
12:21
fifths of that structure. The liquid
12:24
hydrogen tank, liquid oxygen tank,
12:26
intertank, and forward skirt. The engine
12:29
section with its four RS25 engines will
12:33
be attached at Kennedy. Now, Artemis P's
12:35
mission profile has evolved since the
12:37
program was first announced. The
12:39
original plan, landing astronauts at the
12:41
lunar south pole, has been pushed back
12:43
to Artemis 4, now targeting the first
12:46
half of 2028. Artemis 3, scheduled for
12:49
2027, will instead test rendevous and
12:52
docking procedures in Earth orbit. With
12:54
the Orion spacecraft linking up with one
12:56
or both of the contracted lunar landers
12:59
from SpaceX and Blue Origin,
13:01
>> it's a sensible reconfiguration. test
13:04
the systems in Earth orbit first where
13:06
rescue is possible if something goes
13:08
wrong, then send people to the moon.
13:11
>> And there's an added layer of
13:13
significance here. One of those landers,
13:15
Blue Origins Blue Moon, was supposed to
13:18
launch on a new Glenn rocket. That
13:20
rocket is currently grounded following
13:23
last week's upper stage mishap. So,
13:25
there's some pressure on Blue Origin to
13:27
resolve that situation quickly. NASA
13:30
administrator Isaac men has expressed
13:32
confidence publicly, but the clock is
13:34
ticking.
13:35
>> The momentum of the Aremis program feels
13:37
very real right now. One mission just
13:40
returned. The next one is literally on a
13:42
barge. The one after that is already in
13:45
planning. This program is moving.
13:48
>> Next, something for our sky watchers.
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>> That's right. The story I teased in the
13:53
opener summary. And this one is
13:55
especially for our listeners in
13:56
Australia, New Zealand, and across the
13:59
southern hemisphere.
14:00
>> Comet C 2025 R3 pan stars. It's been
14:05
generating buzz for months. Some corners
14:07
of the internet have called it the
14:09
potential great comet of 2026. And right
14:12
now, this week, is when southern
14:14
hemisphere sky watchers get their best
14:16
shot at it.
14:17
>> Let's set the scene. This comet was
14:20
discovered in September 2025 by the Pan
14:23
Star Survey Telescope in Hawaii. At that
14:26
point, it was a faint 19th magnitude
14:28
spec visible only to the most sensitive
14:31
detectors. It's been brightening
14:33
steadily ever since. It reached
14:35
perihelion, its closest approach to the
14:37
sun on April 19th, passing within about
14:40
75 million km of the sun. And here's
14:44
where it gets particularly interesting
14:45
for our southern hemisphere listeners.
14:48
While northern hemisphere observers have
14:50
now largely lost it in the sun's glare,
14:52
the geometry is turning in your favor.
14:55
>> From late April through early May, the
14:58
comet will appear in the evening sky for
15:00
southern hemisphere viewers, moving
15:02
progressively higher after sunset. At
15:05
its brightest estimates, it could reach
15:07
magnitude 3.5, comparable to the stars
15:11
of the Southern Cross, and potentially
15:13
brighter. There's even an optimistic
15:15
scenario where it approaches magnitude
15:18
zero, which would make it one of the
15:20
most striking naked eye comets in years.
15:23
Now, comets are famously unpredictable.
15:26
We can model their orbits beautifully,
15:28
but their brightness depends on how the
15:30
icy nucleus responds to solar heating,
15:33
and that's harder to forecast. The
15:35
magnitude 3.5 estimate is a solid
15:37
baseline, but don't be surprised if it
15:39
over or underdelivers. The closest
15:42
approach to Earth happens on April 26th,
15:45
just 3 days from now, when it passes
15:48
within about 73 million km. Look low in
15:52
the western sky after sunset in the
15:54
direction of the constellations Pisces
15:56
and Pegasus. Binoculars will certainly
15:59
help, but under dark skies, you might
16:02
find it with the naked eye.
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>> And here's the detail that gives this
16:05
story real weight. The comet's orbit may
16:08
be hyperbolic. That means it may have
16:11
come from interstellar space, will swing
16:13
past the sun once, and then head back
16:16
out, never to return. If that's
16:19
confirmed, April and May 2026 could be
16:22
the only time in all of human history
16:24
that anyone ever sees this object ever.
16:28
>> So, get outside this week. Dark sky,
16:31
western horizon, after sunset. You might
16:34
be watching something no human has ever
16:36
seen before and no human ever will
16:39
again.
16:40
>> Before we wrap up, time for your daily
16:42
dose of cosmic trivia.
16:44
>> Today's question, the Nancy Grace Roman
16:47
Space Telescope shares its primary
16:50
mirror size with a famous existing space
16:53
telescope. Which one and where did the
16:55
mirror originally come from?
16:57
>> I'll give you a second or two to think
16:59
about it.
16:59
>> The answer, Roman's 2.4 4 meter mirror
17:03
is the same size as the Hubble Space
17:05
Telescopes. And here's the remarkable
17:07
backstory. The mirror was actually
17:10
donated to NASA by the National
17:12
Reconnaissance Office. It was originally
17:14
built for a classified intelligence
17:16
satellite. NASA repurposed surplus spy
17:20
satellite hardware into what will become
17:22
one of the most powerful astronomical
17:24
instruments ever launched. From watching
17:27
Earth from above to watching the
17:29
universe from afar. Not a bad career
17:31
change for a mirror.
17:33
>> And that is your astronomy daily for
17:35
Thursday the 23rd of April 2026. Six
17:39
stories, one extraordinary universe.
17:42
Thank you so much for spending part of
17:44
your day with us.
17:45
>> Find us everywhere podcasts are found on
17:48
YouTube and at astronomydaily.io.
17:51
Leave us a review if you're enjoying the
17:52
show. It genuinely makes a difference.
17:54
and follow us on social media at Astro
17:57
Daily Pod.
17:58
>> And for our Southern Hemisphere
18:00
listeners, get outside this week. That
18:02
comet is waiting for you.
18:04
>> Until tomorrow, keep looking up.
18:06
>> Clear skies, everyone. Astronomy day.
18:11
Stories be told.
18:19
Stories told.