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Show notes Astronomy Daily S05E215 — The Star That Was Born Twice (Tuesday 27 October 2026). Hosts Anna and Avery. Lead: the Orion Nebula's age paradox. Its planet-forming discs and its expanding gas shell both look far younger than its million-year-old stars. Wilhelm, Trani and Portegies Zwart (Leiden / Universidad de Concepción) propose that the nebula's most massive star, θ1 Orionis C1, formed a few hundred thousand years ago when two stars merged, driven by their companion's gravity, suddenly switching on harsher radiation. We cover the caveats and the clean test that could falsify it. Also: WD J1328−1450, a white dwarf with two nested rings of gas that point to two hidden planetary bodies; China's AIMS telescope reads a solar flare's magnetic field directly in the mid-infrared; and a Yale study arguing giant impacts can help rocky planets keep hydrogen atmospheres. Quick hits: NASA's new Competition Model 2.0, Swift's mission formally ended ahead of re-entry, Hera's second braking burn, and the DPS meeting in Spokane. Skywatch: finding the Orion Nebula from Sydney, Los Angeles, New York and London; Saturn in the evening; Mercury's last call in the south; Mars and Jupiter converging before dawn. Sources · Wilhelm, Trani & Portegies Zwart, 'A triple-induced merger in θ1 Ori C solves the proplyd lifetime problem and the curiously young shell of M42', A&A, DOI 10.1051/0004-6361/202662018; arXiv 2609.38550 — https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.38550 · Leiden University release, 23 Oct 2026 — https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2026/10/leiden-astronomers-explain-the-orion-nebulas-age-paradox · Gentile Fusillo, Lagos-Vilches, Koester et al., 'A double debris disc around a white dwarf sculpted by two planetary bodies', Nature Astronomy, 26 Oct 2026, DOI 10.1038/s41550-026-03004-3 — https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-026-03004-3 · Deng, Bai, Wei et al., 'Apparent magnetic field decay in a solar flare from Zeeman splitting of the Mg I 12.32-µm line', Nature Astronomy, 23 Oct 2026, DOI 10.1038/s41550-026-03013-2; arXiv 2610.33502 — https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.33502 · Modirrousta-Galian & Korenaga, 'Retention of primordial atmospheres through giant impacts', Nature Astronomy, 26 Oct 2026, DOI 10.1038/s41550-026-03006-1 — https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-026-03006-1 · NASA Science, 'Faster to Science: A Letter to the Science Community' — https://science.nasa.gov/directorates/smd/faster-to-science-a-letter-to-the-science-community/ · NASA Science, 'NASA's Swift Mission Ends Ahead of Re-Entry', 23 Oct 2026 — https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift/2026/10/23/nasas-swift-mission-ends-ahead-of-re-entry/ · ESA Hera mission updates — https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did! Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail (https://www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail) Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35950895?utm_source=youtube

Wednesday SpaceTime 20261028 Series 29 Episode 129 Giant Valles Marineris canyon still tectonically active A new study claims the solar system’s largest canyon Valles Marineris is still active and reshaping the red planet Mars today. Our incredibly shrinking Moon A new study of young tectonic landforms on the lunar surface suggests the Moon’s shrunk by at least 90 metres over the past 400 to 800 million years. When was van Gogh's famous The Starry Night painted? A new study suggests that the position of the stars, planets, and the Moon in Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night painting may have been painted before dawn on the 22nd of July 1889. The Science Report A new study warns of the health dangers of vaping for your heart. Discovery of a fossil of a Chinese Jurassic-era creature with features similar to a platypus. A fast, low-cost method for manufacturing wire-grid polarisers using laser-cut metal foil. People anxious about relationships are more likely to have problematic social media use. Alex on Tech: The PHP cyber threat. 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn (http://www.bitesz.com/nordvpn) . The discounts and bonuses are incredible! And it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ If you’d like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content by becoming a SpaceTime crew member, you can do just that through The Big Bang editions on Patreon, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Details on the Support page on our website https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/ (https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/) For more SpaceTime and show links: https://linktr.ee/biteszHQ (https://linktr.ee/biteszHQ) If you love this podcast, please get someone else to listen too. Thank you… Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35949540?utm_source=youtube

Show notes In 2016, NASA's Swift caught a gamma-ray burst that came in two parts: a 1.7-second spike, four minutes of silence, then a 51-second burst from the same spot. A new Nature Astronomy paper finds that nearly every classification test labels the first part a merger and the second a collapsing star. It was published three days after Swift ended science operations. Also today: a black hole disc in MAXI J0637−430 that puffs up and shades itself at just a fifth of the Eddington limit; JWST finds methane in interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS with a deuterium ratio of 3.18%, the highest ever measured in methane anywhere in the solar system; and NASA's Psyche goes to near-continuous thrust and makes the first in-space measurement of Hall-thruster swirl torque. Quick hits: Hera's second braking burn, Dragonfly's first simulated Titan flight, and 20 years of STEREO. Skywatch for Sydney, Los Angeles, New York and London: the Hunter's Moon, Mars and Jupiter closing before dawn, Saturn in the evening and Mercury's last call. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did! Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail (https://www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail) Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35929069?utm_source=youtube

Monday SpaceTime 20261026 Series 29 Episode 128 Scientists trap and tame a single particle of antimatter for months Physicists have successfully trapped an antimatter particle called a positron in an experiment that helps set the stage for one of the toughest tests yet for the Standard Model of particle physics – the foundation stone of science’s understanding of the universe. Lift off for Japan’s first sample return mission to the red planet Mars Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration MMX mission is on its way to the red planet’s moon Phobos following its successful launch from the Tanegashima Space Center south of Tokyo. The Time Lords have demanded a change in how we understand time Scientists are changing the way we measure time with a decision to abolish the leap second. The Science Report A world first Australian developed personalised M-RNA melanoma vaccine. The catastrophic environmental collapse in the wake of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. An enzyme produced by bacteria that can break down polyurethane products. A new study shows people who spend more time with their pet cats have more positive moods. Skeptics guide to exposing the Patterson Gimlin bigfoot film. Our Guests This Week Dr Sara Webb from Swinburne University Dr Thomas Watters from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Dr. Don Lincoln from Fermilab Our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn (http://www.bitesz.com/nordvpn) . The discounts and bonuses are incredible! And it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ If you’d like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content by becoming a SpaceTime crew member, you can do just that through The Big Bang editions on Patreon, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Details on the Support page on our website https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/ (https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/) Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35913235?utm_source=youtube

Show notes NASA lays out Artemis III day by day: fourteen days in Earth orbit, two rival landers, one Orion. Plus the week that was, Swift's final bow, and Venus changing sides. The Rehearsal NASA's 23 October Artemis update laid out Artemis III day by day: a 14-day low-Earth-orbit mission targeted for summer 2027 in which Orion docks with a Blue Origin Blue Moon Mark 2 test lander on day three (crew enter its cabin) and a SpaceX Starship test lander on day eight. For Artemis IV in 2028, Starship would dock with Orion in Earth orbit and push it to the Moon; Blue Moon would reach lunar orbit on Mark 1-derived transfer stages. Isaacman put Artemis III about 90 days behind on paper. Plus: the National Academies' four science-first landing sites, none at the south pole. The Week That Was MMX launched for Phobos and is in good health; the Moon is still shrinking (10,000 young thrust faults); the Milky Way's disc formed in two stages; balloons measured GLE 77 through the atmosphere; and The Starry Night as a real 1889 sky. Also: the ELT's mirror, a Valles Marineris marsquake and Roman's science commissioning. Farewell, Swift On 20 October Swift reached 275 km, entered safe mode and was commanded to end operations ahead of re-entry, expected within weeks. No date or location has been published. Skywatch Venus at inferior conjunction (24 Oct, 6.5° from the Sun — do not look); Mercury low in the west for the south; the near-full Moon beside Saturn tonight; full Hunter's Moon 26 Oct 04:11 UTC; Mars and Jupiter closing pre-dawn for the north; UK clocks go back Sunday 25 Oct. Always use ISO 12312-2 certified filters for any solar viewing. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did! Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail (https://www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail) Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35903207?utm_source=youtube

Show notes Astronomers argue The Starry Night shows a real pre-dawn sky over Saint-Rémy around 22 July 1889; Roman enters science commissioning; Rubin's test camera and the Seagull Nebula; quick hits on Hera, Starship, Swift and Artemis; Skywatch with Venus at inferior conjunction. · Lead: The Night Van Gogh Saw · Roman Enters Science Commissioning · Rubin'S Test Camera And The Seagull · Quick Hits · Skywatch Sources · Kim et al., Scientific Reports — DOI 10.1038/s41598-026-73025-5 — https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-73025-5 · EurekAlert — SLLAB release, 22 Oct 2026 — https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1148245 · Science News — 'Was van Gogh's The Starry Night a flight of fancy or a real sky?' (Olson comment) — https://www.sciencenews.org/article/van-gogh-starry-night-real-sky-stars · Space.com — Starry Night depicts the sky on July 22, 1889 — https://www.space.com/astronomy/van-goghs-the-starry-night-depicts-the-sky-on-july-22-1889-researchers-find · Code and data — GitHub sllabinc/StarryNight; Zenodo 10.5281/zenodo.21175816 — https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21175816 · NASA — Roman Space Telescope enters final commissioning phase — https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/2026/10/22/nasas-roman-space-telescope-enters-final-commissioning-phase/ · NOIRLab — Seagull Nebula through Rubin's Commissioning Camera (noirlab2625) — https://noirlab.edu/public/news/noirlab2625/ · Universe Today — Even the Rubin's test camera produces stunning images — https://www.universetoday.com/articles/even-the-rubins-test-camera-produces-stunning-images · ESA — Brake! Time for ESA's Hera asteroid mission to go slow — https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Brake!_Time_for_ESA_s_Hera_asteroid_mission_to_go_slow · ESA Hera on X — https://x.com/ESA_Hera · New Space Economy — SpaceX targets November for Flight 15 — https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2026/10/21/spacex-targets-november-2026-for-starship-flight-15-and-its-first-stage-tower-catch/ · NASA — Recently published (Faster to Science letter) — https://www.nasa.gov/news/recently-published/ · IJR/AP — Swift expected to re-enter in early November — https://ijr.com/discover/science-2026-09-25-nasa-telescope-rescue-spacecraft-reenters-mission-fails-3e6b8d19 · EarthSky — Sun news, 22 Oct 2026 — https://earthsky.org/sun/sun-news-activity-solar-flare-cme-aurora-updates/ · Skywatch ephemerides computed in-session with PyEphem for Sydney, Los Angeles, New York, London and Saint-Rémy (1889) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did! Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail (https://www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail) Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35898305?utm_source=youtube

Friday SpaceTime 20261023 Series 29 Episode 127 NASA’s Perseverance Rover sets a new record NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover has just set a new record for travelling the greatest distance ever achieved on another world. NASA’s SunRISE mission to launch next year NASA has confirmed that its SunRISE heliophysics Mission will launch no earlier than the middle of next year using six satellites to study the Sun’s corona. Adelaide stem cell experiment reaches space Human stem cells from Adelaide University's Center for Cancer Biology have successfully travelled to the edge of space and back as part of a landmark mission for Australian cancer research. The Science Report New research suggests cannabis might make you feel sleepy, but leads to worse sleep quality. A new study claims holding poses like squats or planks can lower blood pressure. A new strategy to design a vaccine for the cancers decimating Tasmanian devil populations. Archaeologists are working on what may be the world’s oldest shipwreck. Skeptics guide to repressed memories. Our Guests This Week Professor Steve Madden from the Australian National University Blue Origin Exploration Systems Technical Program Manager Yuka Matsuyama Blue Origin Exploration Systems Vice President Kris Zacny NASA Perseverance Deputy Project Scientist Katy Stack Morgan NASA Perseverance Project Scientist Ken Farley NASA Perseverance Deputy Project Manager Matt Wallace NASA Perseverance Chief Engineer Adan Steltzner NASA Perseverance Mobility Team Member Farah Alibay Our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn (http://www.bitesz.com/nordvpn) . The discounts and bonuses are incredible! And it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ If you’d like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content by becoming a SpaceTime crew member, you can do just that through The Big Bang editions on Patreon, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Details on the Support page on our website https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/ (https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/) Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35882247?utm_source=youtube

Show notes Last November the Sun produced its strongest radiation storm in almost twenty years, and this time scientists were ready: neutron monitors from Cornwall to Shetland, sensors on transatlantic airliners, and weather balloons launched within the hour. A new Space Weather paper shows just how patchy the storm was, with one Shetland balloon passing aviation warning thresholds while others saw nothing. Also: a marsquake proves Valles Marineris is still tectonically active, a near-synchronised binary powers the Kepler field's most violent superflares, suspected Chinese rocket debris lands in a Borneo plantation, a correction on NASA's Artemis briefing, Hera's second braking burn, and a both-hemispheres skywatch with Venus at inferior conjunction, Mercury for the south, and the Moon with Saturn. Sources · Baird et al., Space Weather (DOI) — https://doi.org/10.1029/2026SW005279 · University of Surrey release, 20 Oct 2026 — https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/rare-solar-radiation-storm-gives-scientists-clearest-picture-yet-flight-risks · NICT — ICAO space weather centres (ACFJ) — https://swc.nict.go.jp/en/knowledge/icao.html · Song et al., Nature Communications — https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-78193-6 · Columbia/phys.org — Valles Marineris — https://phys.org/news/2026-10-giant-canyon-mars-tectonically-today.html · Kővári et al., arXiv 2610.11799 — https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.11799 · Konkoly Observatory release via phys.org — https://phys.org/news/2026-10-astronomers-uncover-powerful-stellar-flares.html · AFP via phys.org — Indonesia debris — https://phys.org/news/2026-10-indonesia-probes-chinese-rocket-fragment.html · CGTN — Zhuque-2E launch 14 Oct — https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-10-14/China-s-Zhuque-2E-rocket-launches-10-satellites-into-space-1ReYXyOhz5C/share_amp.html · ESA — Hera braking manoeuvres — https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Brake!_Time_for_ESA_s_Hera_asteroid_mission_to_go_slow · NASA — Artemis update advisory — https://nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-discuss-artemis-acceleration-status-of-upcoming-moon-missions Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did! Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail (https://www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail) Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35882009?utm_source=youtube

Sponsor Link: This episode of Space Nuts is brought to you by NordVPN . Protect your online privacy today by visiting www.nordvpn.com/spacenuts (https://www.nordvpn.com/spacenuts) for an exclusive offer! Space Nuts: NASA's Starliner, Retrograde Exoplanets, and the Square Kilometre Array In this thought-provoking episode of Space Nuts , hosts Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson delve into some of the latest developments in space exploration. They kick off with NASA's recent decision to stick with Boeing's Starliner for additional crewed missions, despite its rocky history. The conversation then shifts to the intriguing discovery of the exoplanet GJ 3090B, which is orbiting its star in the opposite direction, raising questions about planet formation and dynamics. Finally, they explore the innovative designs behind the Square Kilometre Array, examining how nature-inspired layouts may enhance its functionality while addressing technical challenges. Join Andrew and Fred Watson as they unravel these cosmic stories with their signature blend of wit and insight. Key topics - NASA's ongoing collaboration with Boeing for the Starliner missions and its implications for future space travel. - The unusual retrograde orbit of exoplanet GJ 3090B and what it reveals about planetary systems. - The design and challenges of the Square Kilometre Array and its nature-inspired antenna layout. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction and overview of today's topics 01:20 - Discussion on NASA's partnership with Boeing and the Starliner missions 15:30 - Exploration of the retrograde orbit of exoplanet GJ 3090B 25:00 - Insights into the Square Kilometre Array and its innovative designs 35:15 - Final thoughts and listener engagement Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts-astronomy-insights-cosmic-discoveries--2631155/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts-astronomy-insights-cosmic-discoveries--2631155/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35866115?utm_source=youtube

Show notes The Milky Way's disc settled in two stages; metal-rich gas around Sgr A*; two mirror-image simulated universes; shadows in the Orion Bar; quick hits on Hera, Uzbekistan and Artemis; Orionid-night skywatch. Sources · IAC — Milky Way's disc formed in two very distinct stages — https://www.iac.es/en/outreach/news/research-iac-reveals-milky-ways-disc-formed-two-very-distinct-stages · Mirabal et al. — ApJL 1010 L38 — https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aeb0a3 · McGill — Gas around Milky Way's central black hole is rich in metals — https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/gas-around-milky-ways-central-black-hole-rich-metals-study-finds-375101 · Ford et al. — AJ (DOI) — http://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ae994d · Ford et al. — arXiv 2605.13995 — https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.13995 · Argonne — Aurora powers two of the largest cosmological simulations — https://www.anl.gov/article/argonnes-aurora-supercomputer-powers-two-of-the-largest-cosmological-simulations-to-date · UDE — New 3D model reveals hidden chemistry of stellar nurseries — https://www.uni-due.de/2026-10-16-publication-aa-brandt-gaches-3d-model-en · Gaches et al. — A&A 714 A295 — https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202660769 · ESA — Finding Hera's way: Flight Dynamics team in action — https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Finding_Hera_s_way_Flight_Dynamics_team_in_action · Kun.uz — Uzbekistan joins Artemis Accords — https://kun.uz/en/news/2026/10/19/uzbekistan-joins-artemis-accords-on-peaceful-space-exploration · NASA — To discuss Artemis acceleration, status of upcoming Moon missions — https://nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-discuss-artemis-acceleration-status-of-upcoming-moon-missions · The Planetary Society — Night sky, October 2026 — https://www.planetary.org/night-sky/night-sky-what-to-see-this-month Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did! Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail (https://www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail) Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35863922?utm_source=youtube

Wednesday SpaceTime 20261021 Series 29 Episode 126 The first star in the universe that glows ghostly green Astronomers have discovered the first star in the universe that glows ghostly green. The star is a white dwarf located some 284 light-years away. A major upgrade for gravitational wave detection The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory LIGO, is undergoing a major upgrade with the application of a new Australian optical coating for their beam splitters. A new era of nuclear-powered space exploration NASA’s Artemis program to return people to the Moon and eventually onto Mars has moved a step closer to a nuclear powered future. The Science Report Claims playing your favourite music can lessen the amount of pain you experience. Boeing to build the US Navy’s new F/A-XX multirole strike fighter jets. A new species of meat-eating dinosaur identified from fossils in a UK museum. Archaeologists unearth a 2,000-year-old section of aqueduct in Jerusalem. Alex on Tech has AI achieved consciousness – is the singularity here. 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn (http://www.bitesz.com/nordvpn) . The discounts and bonuses are incredible! And it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ If you’d like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content by becoming a SpaceTime crew member, you can do just that through The Big Bang editions on Patreon, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Details on the Support page on our website https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/ (https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/) Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35845925?utm_source=youtube

Show notes The Moon Is Still Shrinking Watters, Banks, Nypaver and Robinson (Planetary Science Journal, 14 Oct 2026) map more than 10,000 young thrust faults — ~8,900 lobate scarps and 2,000+ small mare ridges — with LRO's camera. Together they record about 42–46 m of radial contraction over the last ~400–800 million years, at most ~11 cm per million years. That's less than thermal models predict, pointing to a thick, porous, insulating megaregolith (or a strong elastic lithosphere) that delayed faulting. The ~4 MPa stress matches Apollo shallow-moonquake stress drops, so faults may still be growing today — relevant to siting lunar bases. A Soil Map for Mars University of Sydney PhD student Daniel Irving and Prof. Alex McBratney (Catena 275) classify almost 800 million Martian locations into 10 realms, 100 assemblages and 2,000 forms of 'areths', mapping 92% of the planet. Top candidate for plant growth, Nohibareth (score 0.93; ~72% clay, pH 6.8), covers 0.14% of the surface around Tharsis, Arabia Terra and Elysium. Candidates for study, not greenhouse sites; perchlorate and nitrogen not yet included. Euclid Finds Its First Comet ESA's Euclid discovered C/2026 S1 (Euclid) in Deep Field North images from 16–24 September, flagged by Mikko Pöntinen's moving-object software and confirmed by the Minor Planet Center on 8 October. ~1.3 billion km away on a steep, thousands-of-years orbit. Uranus and Neptune: Cousins, Not Twins Briand, Hue, Mousis, Cavalié et al. (A&A 714, A364) use upper-tropospheric carbon monoxide, including ALMA data, to infer deep oxygen: Uranus ~47–177× protosolar, Neptune ~182–342×. Contrasting C/O ratios suggest Neptune's building blocks formed closer to the Sun. Accepted version online since late August. Quick hits MMX launched 04:41:03 JST 20 Oct on H3 F10; separation ~71 min 13 s; JAXA confirms the spacecraft is operating normally. Roman's Wide Field Instrument focused to 63 nm RMS against ~90 nm required. Artemis II heat shield: 9 char-loss spots vs 103 on Artemis I. Hera's BRM-2 burn Thursday 22 October. Skywatch Orionids peak 21–22 Oct — watch between moonset and dawn (moonset Thu morning: 03:38 Sydney, 03:22 LA, 03:12 NY, 02:49 London). Mercury 16.5° up at civil dusk from Sydney. Venus at inferior conjunction ~24 Oct. Moon ~6° from Saturn 24 Oct. Full Moon 26 Oct 04:11 UTC. UK clocks go back 25 Oct, US on 1 Nov. Always use ISO 12312-2 certified filters for any solar viewing. Sources · Watters et al. — Thrust Faulting and the Late-stage Contraction of the Moon (PSJ, 14 Oct 2026) — https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ae9eae · Smithsonian NASM — New Study Reveals How Much the Moon Is Shrinking — https://airandspace.si.edu/newsroom/press-releases/new-study-reveals-how-much-moon-shrinking · University of Sydney — Sydney student creates first map of Martian soils — https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2026/10/16/sydney-student-creates-first-map-of-martian-soils.html · McBratney, Irving et al. — Areths and PPACS (Catena 275) — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2026.110649 · ESA — Euclid discovers new comet — https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/Euclid_discovers_new_comet · SwRI — New ideas about origins of Uranus, Neptune — https://www.swri.org/newsroom/press-releases/swri-staff-contribute-new-ideas-about-origins-of-uranus-neptune · Briand et al. — Contrasting C/O ratios in Uranus and Neptune (A&A 714, A364) — https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202660770 · JAXA — Launch result of MMX aboard H3 F10 — https://global.jaxa.jp/press/2026/10/20261020-1_e.html · NASA — Roman team checks out main instrument, sharpens focus — https://science.nasa.gov/missions/roman-space-telescope/ · NASA — Rigorous analysis confirms Artemis II heat shield performance — https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/artemis-2/rigorous-analysis-confirms-nasas-artemis-ii-heat-shield-performance/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did! Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail (https://www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail) Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link:...

MMX: A Round Trip to Phobos JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration mission launched on schedule on H3 Flight No. 10 at 04:41:03 JST on 20 October 2026 (19:41 UTC 19 Oct; 06:41 AEDT Tue; 15:41 EDT / 12:41 PDT / 20:41 BST Mon). Mars orbit August 2027, Phobos quasi-satellite orbit from September 2027, Idefix rover (CNES/DLR) release early 2029, landing and sampling 2030, and at least 10 g of Phobos returned in 2031 to South Australia. Eleven science instruments including NASA's MEGANE. The aim: settle whether Phobos and Deimos are captured asteroids or debris from a giant impact on Mars. Half a Giant Mirror ESO reports that nearly 500 of the ELT's primary-mirror segments are now at Paranal — more than half of the 931 being made (798 plus 133 spares for continual recoating). Safran Reosc is finishing a segment a day and the last one is in production. The ELT is more than 75% complete, with first observations with scientific instruments planned for late 2030. The Window That Closes Carr, Cen and colleagues (Nature Astronomy, 15 Oct 2026) used Hubble/COS spectra of six matched local starbursts to show ionising light escapes most in the first few million years, before supernova-driven winds load the outflow with neutral gas and shut it down. Escape fractions fall from ~21% (mean age ~2.7 Myr) to under 0.4% (~5.4 Myr). Preprint first posted October 2025. The Treble Clef Rises Again Botteon et al. (A&A; NASA/Chandra release 14 Oct) show VLSS J0318.9+5755, behind the Milky Way's plane, is a radio phoenix in a merging cluster at z ≈ 0.117: an old black-hole outburst re-lit by a cluster collision a few hundred million years ago. Spectral index above 4 between 400 and 650 MHz; electrons ~190–200 Myr old. Preprint from July. Quick hits Hera's 93-minute BRM-1 confirmed within parameters; BRM-2 on Thursday 22 October. Sentinel-3C's first images and altimetry. Swift: no NASA re-entry date yet. Skywatch Full Moon 26 Oct 04:11 UTC. Orionids peak 21–22 Oct: go after moonset (03:38 Sydney, 03:22 LA, 03:12 NY, 02:49 London on the 22nd). Mercury 17° up at civil dusk from Sydney (21 Oct). Venus inferior conjunction ~24 Oct. Moon ~6° from Saturn ~24 Oct. Mars–Jupiter 10.8° → 8.0° pre-dawn. Always use ISO 12312-2 certified filters for any solar viewing. Sources · JAXA — MMX launch on H3 F10 — https://mmx-news.isas.jaxa.jp/?p=2753 · ESA — Mars moon lander set to launch on 19 October — https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_moon_lander_set_to_launch_on_19_October · Australian Space Agency — MMX sample return — https://www.space.gov.au/node/950 · ESO ann26009 — More than half of the ELT's giant mirror is now in Chile — https://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann26009/ · Carr et al. — arXiv 2510.21197 (Nature Astronomy, 15 Oct 2026) — https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.21197 · NASA — Chandra breaks down Treble Clef's galaxy cluster collision — https://science.nasa.gov/missions/chandra/nasas-chandra-breaks-down-treble-clefs-galaxy-cluster-collision/ · Botteon et al. — arXiv 2607.06659 — https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.06659 · ESA — Sentinel-3C returns its first views of Earth — https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-3/Sentinel-3C_returns_its_first_views_of_Earth · ESA Hera on X — BRM-1 confirmed — https://x.com/ESA_Hera · NASA — Lessons learned from the Swift boost mission — https://science.nasa.gov/missions/swift/nasa-highlights-lessons-learned-from-swift-boost-mission/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit You'll be glad you did! Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail (https://www.astronomydaily.io/protonmail) Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35829259?utm_source=youtube

Monday SpaceTime 20261019 Series 29 Episode 125 Sample return mission to the Martian moon Phobos Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration mission is slated to launch today on the first ever sample return mission to the red planet’s largest moon Phobos. The solar system’s life expectancy is far shorter than previously thought A new study warns that the solar system will end much sooner than previously thought thanks to massive gravitational perturbations and resonances causing the planet’s orbits to destabilize as the Sun expands. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission launches to International Space Station NASA’s SpaceX crew 13 have arrived aboard the International Space Station just seven hours and 50 minutes after blasting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Science Report Claims men with deeper voices might seem to be stronger – but not more attractive to women. Fewer 15 year olds are now identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual compared to two years ago. Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific expected to increase to record levels. The earliest known evidence of ancient humans attacking one another with spears. Skeptics guide to the pseudoscience of homeopathy. Our Guests This Week Professor Steve Madden from the Australian National University Blue Origin Exploration Systems Technical Program Manager Yuka Matsuyama Blue Origin Exploration Systems Vice President Kris Zacny NASA Perseverance Deputy Project Scientist Katy Stack Morgan NASA Perseverance Project Scientist Ken Farley NASA Perseverance Deputy Project Manager Matt Wallace NASA Perseverance Chief Engineer Adan Steltzner NASA Perseverance Mobility Team Member Farah Alibay Our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn (http://www.bitesz.com/nordvpn) . The discounts and bonuses are incredible! And it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ If you’d like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content by becoming a SpaceTime crew member, you can do just that through The Big Bang editions on Patreon, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Details on the Support page on our website https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/ (https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/) Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35809950?utm_source=youtube

Sponsor Link: This episode of Space Nuts is brought to you by NordVPN . Protect your online privacy today by visiting www.nordvpn.com/spacenuts (https://www.nordvpn.com/spacenuts) for an exclusive offer! Space Nuts: The Oort Cloud, Dwarf Planets, and Innovative Lander Designs In this enlightening Q&A episode of Space Nuts , hosts Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson tackle a series of thought-provoking questions from listeners. Kicking off with Gerwin from Wales, they delve into the mysteries of the Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt, discussing the potential mass of these distant regions and their influence on our solar system. Bob from Utah presents a unique perspective on dwarf planets, sparking a lively debate on definitions and classifications. Shumo from Oxford challenges the design of lunar landers, proposing a more insect-like approach to enhance stability on uneven terrain. Finally, Steve from the UK poses a fascinating hypothetical about gathering historical scientific greats to solve modern mysteries like dark matter and dark energy. Join Andrew and Fred Watson as they explore these cosmic curiosities with their signature blend of humour and insight. Key topics - The mass and significance of the Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt in the solar system. - Redefining dwarf planets: A discussion on classifications and implications. - Innovative lunar lander designs inspired by nature's solutions to stability. - The potential of historical scientists collaborating on contemporary scientific challenges. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction and overview of listener questions 01:20 - Gerwin’s question about the Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt 15:30 - Bob’s thoughts on the definition of dwarf planets 25:00 - Shumo’s proposal for insect-inspired lunar landers 35:15 - Steve’s hypothetical scenario of historical scientists solving modern mysteries 45:00 - Closing thoughts and listener engagement Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts-astronomy-insights-cosmic-discoveries--2631155/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts-astronomy-insights-cosmic-discoveries--2631155/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . 00:00 - Introduction to Space Nuts Q&A Edition and Topics for Today's Episode 00:17 - Discussion of Listener Questions Including Oort Cloud, Kuiper Belt, and Dwarf Planet Theory 01:46 - Addressing a Question from Wales About the Oort Cloud and Kuiper Belt's Potential Planetary Mass 03:52 - Analyzing the Mass of Trans-Neptunian Objects and Oort Cloud Bodies in Relation to Planetary Formation 07:20 - Speculating on Planet Nine and the Hypothetical Mass of the Oort Cloud's Influence 08:53 - Debating Dwarf Planet Theory and the Definition of a Planet with Historical Context 13:29 - Exploring Biometric Approaches for Lunar Landers Versus Traditional Designs and Recent Mission Failures 23:54 - Humorous Discussion on Simple Solutions for Landing Stability and Future Lunar Missions 25:11 - Hypothetical Collaboration of Past and Present Scientists to Solve Cosmic Mysteries Like Dark Matter 32:01 - Concluding Thoughts on Unsolvable Mysteries and the Limits of Science. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/35809192?utm_source=youtube