In this episode, we embark on an exciting journey through the cosmos, uncovering the latest developments that are shaping our understanding of the universe. We begin with a significant update from low Earth orbit, where Starlink plans to lower its satellite constellation altitude to enhance space safety. This proactive measure aims to mitigate risks associated with space debris, showcasing responsibility in managing our crowded orbital environment. Next, we turn our attention to the Gaia Space Telescope, which has provided unprecedented insights into the formation of planets, detecting compelling evidence of planetary birth in 31 young stellar systems. This groundbreaking observation marks a shift from theoretical models to direct evidence of how solar systems like ours may have formed. We also discuss a remarkable achievement in the study of rogue planets, as astronomers successfully weighed one for the first time using microlensing techniques. This innovative approach not only measures the mass of the rogue planet but also reveals its distance from us, opening new avenues for understanding these elusive celestial bodies. Moving on to interstellar visitors, we explore the fascinating behavior of Comet 3I ATLAS, which has been releasing substantial amounts of water as it moves through space. This discovery indicates that the building blocks of planetary systems might be more common across the galaxy than previously thought. Looking ahead, we highlight the exciting prospects for 2026, with NASA's Artemis 2 mission set to return astronauts to the Moon, alongside advancements from the commercial sector, including new space stations and lunar landers. The upcoming Nancy Chris Roman Space Telescope and China's Soontian telescope promise to revolutionize our view of the universe. Finally, we celebrate a major upgrade to the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, which will enhance its sensitivity and allow for clearer observations of the cold universe, paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries in cosmic history. Join us as we navigate these captivating stories and more in this episode of Astronomy Daily!00:00 – **Astronomy Daily brings you the latest happenings from across the cosmos 00:33 – **Starlink plans to adjust its satellite constellation in 2026 for space safety reasons 02:49 – **Astronomers have successfully weighed a rogue planet for the first time 03:52 – **Comet 3I ATLs is behaving similar to comets from our solar system 05:03 – **2026 is shaping up to be an absolutely massive year for space exploration 06:08 – **The Atacama Large Millimeter Submillimeter Array in Chile recently upgraded 07:25 – **Astronomy Daily thanks you for listening to today's show### Sources & Further Reading1. NASA2. European Space Agency3. Space.com### Follow & ContactX/Twitter: @AstroDailyPod Instagram: @astrodailypod Email: [email protected] Website: astronomydaily.io Clear skies and see you next time! 🌟Become a supporter of this podcast: Support Us.Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!
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Welcome to astronomy daily the podcast that brings you the latest happenings from across the cosmos. I'm your host Anna and I'm Avery
It's great to be with you. We have a packed show today covering everything from newborn planets and rogue worlds to a major upgrade for one of Earth's most powerful
Telescopes
That's right Avery. We'll also be looking at what makes an interstellar visitor so familiar
And peering into the very exciting future of spaceflight. So let's get started
First up an update from low Earth orbit. Starlink has announced plans to adjust its satellite constellation in 2026
Primarily for space safety reasons
Right this is a significant move
They're planning to lower the entire constellation from its current altitude of about
550 kilometers down to 480 kilometers and this isn't just a random adjustment
It follows a recent incident where a starlink satellite broke up creating a small but notable amount of space debris
This move is a direct response to mitigate future risks
Exactly a lower orbit has a key advantage
Atmospheric drag is stronger so if a satellite fails it will de-orbit and burn up in the atmosphere much faster
In a few years instead of decades this drastically reduces the long-term risk of collisions
It's a proactive step towards managing the increasingly crowded environments in low Earth orbit
A responsible move for a company with such a massive presence up there
From our crowded orbital backyard to the nurseries of distant stars
Gaya space telescope has given us an unprecedented look at planets in the process of being born
This is incredible news
Gaya has found compelling evidence of planet formation in 31 different young stellar systems
We're talking about seeing the very first stages of planetary life
It really is and the method is just as brilliant as the discovery itself
Gaya isn't seeing the planets directly
Instead it's detecting the tiny gravitational wobble that these forming planets exert on their host stars
That gravitational wobble, it's the same principle behind many exoplanet discoveries
But applying it to these incredibly young chaotic systems is a huge breakthrough
It allows astronomers to study these systems in their infancy on a large scale for the first time
We're moving from theoretical models to direct observation of how solar systems like our own might have formed
It's a whole new window into planetary science
Speaking of new windows, how about this?
Astronomers have successfully weighed a rogue planet for the first time
And for our listeners, a rogue planet is one that drifts through space untethered to any star
They're incredibly difficult to find, let alone study
Exactly, this one is about the size of Saturn
And it was likely ejected from its home solar system billions of years ago
Using a technique called micro-lensing, scientists were able to measure not just its mass but its distance from us as well
And the secret ingredient here was parallax
They observed the micro-lensing event where the rogue planet's gravity bent the light of a background star from two places at once
Earth and the Gaia space telescope, which is about a million miles away
That different perspective gave them the data they needed to calculate the planet's properties
It's a fantastic proof of concept for a new way to study these isolated wandering worlds
It makes you wonder how many are out there
From wandering worlds to interstellar visitors
Our third confirmed guest from another star system, comet 3i-slash-ATLS, has been revealing some more fascinating secrets
It certainly has
As the comet was moving away from the Sun, the Soho spacecraft observed it producing an absolutely massive amount of water
Right, the solar wind was breaking down that water vapor into hydrogen and oxygen
Soho's SWAN instrument, which is designed to look for hydrogen, detected this huge hydrogen glow surrounding the comet
And what's so significant about that?
Well, it means this interstellar comet is behaving in a way that's very similar to comets from our own solar system
They also release large amounts of water as they are heated by the Sun
So it's a piece of another solar system but it's made of the same stuff as ours
That's a profoundly important clue about the composition of planetary systems beyond our own
It suggests the building blocks for worlds like Earth could be quite common across the galaxy
That it does, and it shows that 3i-ATLS has untold stories to tell us as it heads on out of our solar system
Let's shift our gaze from the distant past to the very near future
2026 is shaping up to be an absolutely massive year for space exploration
So I am so excited for this. The headline mission, of course, is NASA's Artemis II
Or finally sending astronauts back to the moon, or at least on a trip around it
It will be the first time humans have been in deep space since the Apollo program
A huge milestone, but it's not just NASA, the commercial sector is also making big moves
We're expecting that they view of new commercial space stations and the next generation of private lunar landers
And we'll be getting new eyes on the universe too
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch
Its wide field view will be revolutionary for studying dark energy and finding exoplanets
That's right, and not to be outdone China's launching its own powerful space telescope Suntien
Which will have a field of view 300 times larger than Hubble's
It's going to be a year of incredible advancements across the board
Finally, let's come back down to Earth for our last story
The Otakama large millimeters slash sub millimeter array in Chile, better known as ALMA, has just completed a major upgrade
ALMA is already one of the most powerful radial telescopes on the planet
What did this upgrade involve?
Engineers installed 145 brand new low noise amplifiers across the array of antennas
In simple terms, this will massively increase the telescope's sensitivity
It's like giving a giant ear a state of the art hearing aid
Wow, so it will be able to pick up even fainter signals from space
What kind of science will that enable?
It's going to give us a much clearer view of the cold universe
ALMA excels at observing things like the dusty disks where planets are forming
The cold gas of the inner stellar medium and even complex organic molecules in distant galaxies
With this upgrade, those views will be sharper and deeper than ever before
I love all this new science we have to look forward to
It's a powerful testament to how this new telescope is not just confirming old theories
But actively rewriting the first chapters of cosmic history right before our eyes
It's a true revolution in our understanding of the early universe
And that's a wrap for our news today
From managing our orbital highways to discovering newborn planets and gearing up for humanity's return to deep space
It's been an incredible tour of the cosmos
It certainly has
Thanks so much for tuning in to Astronomy Daily
We hope you'll join us next time for another look at the universe around us
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