The Secrets of the Universe
Voyager 2 Has Found Something Weird In Outer Space!
updated
Astronomers have discovered a record-breaking black hole in the Milky Way galaxy, and it's surprisingly close to us. This black hole has a mass 33 times greater than our Sun, setting a new record for the largest black hole of stellar origin found in our galaxy. It's located about 1900 light-years away, making it the second nearest stellar mass black hole to Earth. This discovery was made possible through 11 years of data collected by the Gaia Mission, an astronomical survey conducted by the European Space Agency. The black hole is a companion to a Sun-like star in a binary system named Gaia BH3.
So, how was this black hole discovered in the first place? How could this discovery open Pandora's Box in the field of astrophysics? Finally, and most importantly, what does the discovery of a black hole in our cosmic backyard mean for astronomers?
📝 REFERENCES:
Discovery of a dormant 33 solar-mass black hole in pre-release Gaia astrometry, Panuzzo et al (2024), The Astrophysical Journal - bit.ly/4c0A0gG
Evidence for a Distant Giant Planet in the Solar System, Batygin and Brown (2016), Astronomy and Astrophysics - bit.ly/3XQh2oR
🎼 Music: Envato Elements, YouTube Audio Library, and MotionElements
🎥 Footage: Envato Elements, StoryBlocks, NASA, ESA, ESO, and Pond5
💻 Created, and Produced by: Rishabh Nakra
✍🏻 Written by: Simran Buttar and Rishabh Nakra
🔍 Researched by: Simran Buttar
🎙️ Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
🌌 Animated by: Sankalp Dash
🌐 3D Modeling: Orkun Zengin
📲 Top Space Apps: bit.ly/space_apps_2022
July 3: Celestial Necklace
July 5: New Moon
July 5: Earth at Aphelion
July 12: Mercury at its highest in the evening sky
July 12: Moon at apogee
July 13: Lunar Occultation of Spica
July 15: Conjunction of Mars and Uranus
July 17: Lunar Occultation of Antares
July 18: Mercury Dichotomy
July 21: Buck Moon
July 23: Pluto at opposition
July 24: Moon at perigee
July 24: Lunar Occultation of Saturn
July 30: Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower
July 30-31: Celestial Clustering
🌌 Night Sky Emulators:
🌒 Sky Guide: apple.co/3Igtwx9
🌙 Stellarium: bit.ly/3IoXm2h
🧑🏻💻 Created By: Rishabh Nakra
🎼 Music By: Enrize (Envato)
🗺️ Event Maps: Dominic Ford
Within a patch of sky about the size of a rice grain held at arm's length, Webb has discovered at least 80 supernovae, increasing the number of known supernovae in the early universe by tenfold. Some of these newly found supernovae are the farthest we've ever seen, including ones that help us measure how fast the universe is expanding.
To discover supernovae, the team compared several images taken up to a year apart, searching for sources that either appeared or vanished. These objects, which change in brightness over time, are known as transients. Supernovae are a specific type of transient. The team spent over 100 hours of Webb's observing time on each image, and the results have opened a new window into the early universe.
📝 REFERENCES:
The JADES Transient Survey: Discovery and Classification of Supernovae in the JADES Deep Field, DeCoursey et al - bit.ly/3KXP96x
NASA Press Release - bit.ly/3z1ekm5
🎼 Music: Envato Elements, YouTube Audio Library, and MotionElements
🎥 Footage: Envato Elements, StoryBlocks, NASA, ESA, and Pond5
💻 Created, Written, and Produced by: Rishabh Nakra
🎙️ Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
🌌 Animated by: Sankalp Dash
🌐 3D Modeling: Orkun Zengin
Astronomers have been eagerly hunting for clues, using powerful telescopes and advanced computer models to track its influence. After years of watching the sky, solving mathematical equations, and running complex computer simulations, they now have the strongest evidence yet that Planet 9 really exists. This discovery introduces an exciting plot twist in the story of the hidden planet.
📝 REFERENCES:
Generation of Low-Inclination, Neptune-Crossing TNOs by Planet Nine, Batygin et al (2024), The Astrophysical Journal - bit.ly/4c0A0gG
Evidence for a Distant Giant Planet in the Solar System, Batygin and Brown (2016), The Astrophysical Journal - bit.ly/4efIxOx
🎼 Music: Envato Elements, YouTube Audio Library, and MotionElements
🎥 Footage: Envato Elements, StoryBlocks, NASA, ESA, and Pond5
💻 Created, and Produced by: Rishabh Nakra
✍🏻 Written by: Simran Buttar and Rishabh Nakra
🔍 Researched by: Simran Buttar
🎙️ Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
🌌 Animated by: Sankalp Dash
🌐 3D Modeling: Orkun Zengin
June 1: Planet Parade Begins
June 3: Conjunction of Moon and Mars
June 4: Conjunction of Jupiter and Mercury
June 6: New Moon
June 14: Moon at apogee
June 20: Lunar Occultation of Antares
June 20: Summer Solstice
June 21: Strawberry Moon
June 27: Moon at perigee
June 27-28: Conjunction of Moon and Saturn
June 28: Lunar Occultation of Neptune
June 29: Saturn enters retrograde motion
🌌 Night Sky Emulators:
🌒 Sky Guide: apple.co/3Igtwx9
🌙 Stellarium: bit.ly/3IoXm2h
🧑🏻💻 Created By: Rishabh Nakra
🎼 Music By: Enrize (Envato)
🗺️ Event Maps: Dominic Ford
Remarkably, all seven other planets are going to be in the same part of the sky in the first week of June, and you have an opportunity to catch glimpse of a few of them! However, you'll need to plan ahead. Timing is crucial, as are dark skies and a clear view of the horizon.
🎼 Music: Envato Elements
🎥 Footage: Envato Elements, StoryBlocks, NASA, Miguel Claro, and Pond5
💻 Created and Produced by: Rishabh Nakra
🎙️ Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
🌌 Night Sky Emulators:
🌒 Sky Guide: apple.co/3Igtwx9
🌙 Stellarium: bit.ly/3IoXm2h
🌐 Sky Maps: Dominic Ford, in-the-sky.org
Nova 2024: NASA says we are about to witness a once-in-a-lifetime explosion in the sky. It's not the anticipated supernova of Betelgeuse. Instead, it's about the sudden appearance of a nova in the sky. The term "nova" means "new" in Latin, referring to a "new star" in the sky. It's a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently new star that slowly fades over time. This spectacular nova will occur in a star system known as T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, situated in the constellation of Corona Borealis, approximately 3,000 light-years away. The best part is that this celestial event can be seen with the naked eye.
📝 REFERENCES:
NASA Announcement: bit.ly/3USQZdw
SkyView Observatory: bit.ly/3UR6Vgp
🌏 RESOURCES
🎼 Music: Envato Elements, YouTube Audio Library, and MotionElements
🎥 Footage: Envato Elements, StoryBlocks, NASA, Miguel Claro, and Pond5
💻 Created and Produced by: Rishabh Nakra
✍🏻 Written by: Shreejaya Karantha and Rishabh Nakra
🎙️ Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
🌌 Animated by: Sankalp Dash
🌐 Nova Models by: Orkun Zengin
So, what really happened on the surface of the Sun that caused the geomagnetic storm? How did it create such a stunning display of light 150 million km away? Finally, and most importantly, what will happen when the sunspot group faces our planet again after two weeks?
📝 REFERENCES:
NASA Video on Solar Flares: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14588
Space Weather Live: bit.ly/3wA1fPU
Science of Auroras: bit.ly/3yvxf8b
Solar Activity and Flares: bit.ly/4am3Vyf
🎼 Music: Envato Elements, YouTube Audio Library, and MotionElements
🎥 Footage: Envato Elements, StoryBlocks, NASA, ESA, Space.com, and Pond5
🔭 AR 3664 Close-Up Shots: Miguel Claro
🔴 Red Auroras Shot by: Miguel Claro
💻 Written, Created, and Produced by: Rishabh Nakra
🎙️ Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
🌌 Animated by: Sankalp Dash
At 15 billion miles away, Voyager 1 holds the title of the farthest human-made object in space. The spacecraft has been traveling for nearly half a century now. However, due to a glitch that led to a chain of confusing communication patterns, the last five months have been very stressful in the spacecraft's history.
But what exactly was the glitch that took so long to fix? Why didn’t the traditional strategy of turning it on and off work? Finally, and most importantly, is the issue completely resolved, or is there something else that needs to be addressed?
🎼 Music: Envato Elements, and MotionElements
🎥 Footage: Envato Elements, StoryBlocks, NASA, ESA, and Pond5
💻 Created and Produced by: Rishabh Nakra
✍🏻 Written by: Simran Buttar
🎙️ Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
🌌 Animated by: Sankalp Dash
📱 Top Space Apps: bit.ly/space_apps_2022
🔭 Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
May 3: Celestial Parade
May 4: Close Conjunction of Moon and Saturn
May 5: Close Conjunction of Moon and Mars
May 5-6: η-Aquariid meteor shower
May 6: Moon at perigee
May 8: New Moon
May 8-9: η-Lyrids meteor shower
May 13: Uranus at solar conjunction
May 14: Mercury at its highest altitude in the dawn sky
May 17: Moon at apogee
May 18: Jupiter at solar conjunction
May 20: The Devil Comet meets Rigel
May 23: Flower Moon
May 24: Lunar Occultation of Antares
May 31: Lunar Occultation of Saturn
🌌 Night Sky Emulators:
🌒 Sky Guide: apple.co/3Igtwx9
🌙 Stellarium: bit.ly/3IoXm2h
🧑🏻💻 Created By: Rishabh Nakra
🎼 Music By: Enrize (Envato)
🗺️ Event Maps: Dominic Ford
The supernova of Betelgeuse is the most anticipated celestial event. Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star in Orion. Astronomers are regularly monitoring the star. A recent research paper has revealed that the star's surface is boiling, creating an illusion of rapid rotation.
RESOURCES and REFERENCES:
📄 RESEARCH PAPERS:
1. Is Betelgeuse Really Rotating? Synthetic ALMA Observations of Large-scale Convection in 3D Simulations of Red Supergiants, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Ma et al. - bit.ly/4b68MnW
2. The Great Dimming of Betelgeuse: a Surface Mass Ejection (SME)
and its Consequences, The Astrophysical Journal, Dupree et al. - arxiv.org/pdf/2208.01676.pdf
🎼 Music: YouTube Audio Library, Envato Elements, and MotionElements
🎥 Footage: Envato Elements, StoryBlocks, NASA, ESA, and Pond5
💻 Created and Produced by: Rishabh Nakra
🔍 Researched by: Shreejaya Karantha
✍🏻 Written by: Shreejaya Karantha and Rishabh Nakra
🎙️ Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
🌌 Animated by: Sankalp Dash
#AskISRO #SpaceExploration #Innovation #ISROMissions #LiveSession
RESOURCES and REFERENCES:
📄 RESEARCH PAPERS:
1. Crowded No More: The Accuracy of the Hubble Constant Tested with High-resolution Observations of Cepheids by JWST, Riess et al. (The Astrophysical Journal Letters) - bit.ly/3W08Mle
2. JWST Observations Reject Unrecognized Crowding of Cepheid Photometry as an Explanation for the Hubble Tension at 8σ Confidence, Riess et al. (The Astrophysical Journal) - bit.ly/444SY2P
REFERENCES:
🏴 The Great Debate: bit.ly/3UjvHH4
✨ Cepheid Variables: bit.ly/4aYINPn
🚀 NASA Press Release: bit.ly/43BR7Cj
🎼 Music: YouTube Audio Library, Envato Elements and MotionElements
🎥 Footage: Envato Elements, StoryBlocks, NASA, ESA, and Pond5
💻 Created and Produced by: Rishabh Nakra
🔍 Researched by: Shreejaya Karantha
✍🏻 Written by: Shreejaya Karantha and Rishabh Nakra
🎙️ Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
🌌 Animated by: Sankalp Dash
🌐 3D Models of Big Bang: Orkun Zengin
📱 Top Space Apps: bit.ly/space_apps_2022
🔭 Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
⌚️ Eclipse Timer App iOS: bit.ly/43HNGdb
🤖 Eclipse Timer App Android: bit.ly/3TDUl3u
April 1: Devil Comet Close to Hamal
April 6: Triple Conjunction
April 7: Lunar Occultation of Venus
April 7: Moon at Perigee
April 8: Total Solar Eclipse
April 10-11: Saturn-Mars Conjunction
April 11: Conjunction of Moon and the Pleiades Cluster
April 13: A Spectacular Alignment
April 19: Moon at Apogee
April 21: Devil Comet at its Perihelion
April 22: Lyrid Meteor Shower
April 23: Pink Moon
April 26: Lunar Occultation of Antares
April 29: Conjunction of Mars and Neptune
🌌 Night Sky Emulators:
🌒 Sky Guide: apple.co/3Igtwx9
🌙 Stellarium: bit.ly/3IoXm2h
🧑🏻💻 Created By: Rishabh Nakra
🎼 Music By: Enrize (Envato)
🗺️ Event Maps: Dominic Ford
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is returning after 71 years, and it promises to put up a fair show in the evening skies of this spring. Also called the Devil Comet, 12P/Pons-Brooks is cryovolcanic in nature and has went through several outbursts in the past months. The most spectacular thing this time is that it might also become visible during the total solar eclipse on April 8. The Devil Comet will be 25 degrees away from the Sun. If it's bright enough, you’ll see it between Jupiter and the Sun, but closer to Jupiter.
RESOURCES and REFERENCES:
🌌 Sky Emulator: Sky Guide (apple.co/3Igtwx9)
✨ Joe Rao (Space.com): bit.ly/4arsA58
🔭 Virtual Telescope Project: bit.ly/43Awqqs
☄️ BBC Sky at Night Magazine: bit.ly/3PEgH3Q
🎼 Music: YouTube Audio Library and MotionElements
🎥 Footage: Envato, StoryBlocks, NASA, ESA, and Pond5
💻 Created by: Rishabh Nakra
🎙️ Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
A total solar eclipse is coming to North America and its path of totality will sweep across the US, Mexico, and Canada. The maximum duration of totality will be about 4 minutes and 28 seconds, twice that of the 2017 Great American Eclipse. While totality will be visible from 15 American states, a partial eclipse can be seen from all 48 contiguous American states, with the next opportunity not arising until 2045. What's even more exciting this time is that during the total phase of the eclipse, there's a chance to see a comet returning after 71 years.
Comet 12P Pons-Brooks, also known as the Devil Comet, will be close to the Sun on April 8. If the comet's brightness increases in the days leading up to the eclipse, it's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a comet when the Moon completely covers the Sun during the day. Besides the comet, you can even spot the brightest planets in the sky that will appear during the eclipse's total phase.
RESOURCES:
Eclipse Maps: Great American Eclipse (bit.ly/3TuOjU8)
Sky Emulator: Sky Guide (apple.co/3Igtwx9)
Created by: Rishabh Nakra
Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
So, what will the upcoming solar maximum do to our planet in the coming months? What are the anomalies in this solar cycle that NASA is concerned about? Finally, and most importantly, will the upcoming phase of the Sun's activity risk the life of the astronauts of the Artemis mission on the Moon?
REFERENCES
Solar activity likely to peak next year, new study suggests (Royal Astronomical Society)
bit.ly/3v83iK2
Progression of solar cycle 25 (Helio4Cast)
bit.ly/3IptZNy
Solar Cycle Progression (SpaceWeatherLive)
bit.ly/4bVVUCp
Timing Terminators: Forecasting Sunspot Cycle 25 Onset, Leamon et al.
bit.ly/3TkkipM
Created By: Rishabh Nakra
Written By: Shreejaya Karantha and Rishabh Nakra
Narrated By: Jeffrey Smith
Animations: Sankalp Dash
Sun Close Up Footage: Miguel Claro
Top Space Apps: bit.ly/space_apps_2022
Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
March 8: Triple Conjunction
March 10: Super New Moon
March 14: Moon-Jupiter-Uranus-Pleiades Conjunction
March 14: γ-Normid meteor shower 2022
March 15: Conjunction of the Moon and Pleiades
March 17: Neptune at Solar Conjunction
March 20: The Spring Equinox
March 21: Devil comet close to M33
March 22: Conjunction of Venus and Saturn
March 23: Moon at apogee
March 24: Mercury at highest altitude in evening sky
March 25: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
Night Sky Emulators:
Sky Guide: apple.co/3Igtwx9
Stellarium: bit.ly/3IoXm2h
Eclipse Map: bit.ly/3UTNR2M
Created By: Rishabh Nakra
Music By: Enrize (Envato)
Created by: Rishabh Nakra
Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
Eclipse maps: Great American Eclipse and in-the-sky
Great American Eclipse: greatamericaneclipse.com/april-8-2024
in-the-sky: in-the-sky.org
Sky Illustrations: Stellarium Web (stellarium-web.org)
But what exactly is causing the spacecraft to transmit this mishmash of data? Is this just a small technical glitch or a significant malfunction happening in the background? Finally, and most importantly, considering the spacecraft's age and distance, is it even possible to address this issue?
.........................
Voyager 1's live status: voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status
Created by: Rishabh Nakra and Simran Buttar
Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
Animations by: Sankalp Dash
Top Space Apps: bit.ly/space_apps_2022
Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
February 4: Lunar Occultation of Antares
February 8-9: α-Centaurid meteor shower
February 9: New Moon
February 15: Conjunction of Moon and Jupiter
February 16: Conjunction of Moon and the Pleiades Cluster
February 22: Conjunction of Venus and Mars
February 24: Micro Snow Moon
February 28: Saturn at Solar Conjunction
Created by: Rishabh Nakra
Best space apps: bit.ly/space_apps_2022
Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
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Created By: Rishabh Nakra
Eclipse Maps: Dominic Ford, in-the-sky.org
Sky Illustrations: Stellarium Web
The James Webb Space Telescope has made history by discovering the earliest black hole known in the Universe. This infrared observatory found a massive black hole that existed when the Universe was only 470 million years old, roughly 3% of its current age. The discovery became even more intriguing when scientists measured the black hole's mass, which turned out to be 40 million times that of our Sun. This is ten times the mass of Sagittarius A* (A star), the supermassive black hole located at the center of our galaxy. This finding appears to have resolved one of the most significant mysteries in astronomy: the origin of the first black holes in the Universe.
But how did such a massive black hole form so quickly in the baby universe? What's so puzzling about the mass of this supermassive black hole lying at the edge of time? Finally, and most importantly, how does this discovery shed light on the birth of the first black holes in the cosmos?
The 79th episode of the Sunday Discovery Series answers all these questions.
RESEARCH PAPER:
Evidence for heavy seed origin of early supermassive black holes from a z~10 X-ray quasar, Bogdan et al.
arxiv.org/abs/2305.15458
Created By: Rishabh Nakra
Written By: Shreejaya Karantha
Narrated By: Jeffrey Smith
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Interstellar Meteor 1: Declassified files have revealed that in 2014, nearly three years before Oumuamua made headlines, an unusual object struck our planet on January 8th. It penetrated Earth's atmosphere, leaving fiery trails across the skies of Papua New Guinea, and ultimately crashed into the coast of Manus Island in a dramatic explosion. Although data recorded by the sensors of certain spy satellites suggested that the object likely originated from interstellar sources, this information remained classified, shrouding the meteor's origin in mystery for years.
However, recent ongoing research has finally confirmed that the mysterious meteor did indeed originate from another star system. This object has been named "Interstellar Meteor 1" or IM1. Chronologically speaking, this discovery establishes IM1 as the first known interstellar visitor, preceding two subsequent objects: the asteroid 'Oumuamua and the rogue comet Borisov.
But how did scientists confirm that IM1 originated outside of our solar system? Moreover, why did it take almost a decade to confirm the origins of this celestial object?
.......................
Created by: Rishabh Nakra and Simran Buttar
Written by: Shreejaya Karantha
Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
Scientists have recently confirmed that Earth was struck by a mysterious and highly energetic cosmic ray particle. This tiny single particle carried an astonishing energy of over 240 exa-electronvolts, equivalent to the kinetic energy of a high-speed baseball or the impact of dropping a lead brick on your toes from waist height. Named Amaterasu, after the Japanese Sun goddess, this particle is the second most energetic cosmic ray particle recorded to have struck our planet. The most energetic remains the Oh-My-God particle, detected in 1991, which boasted an energy of 320 exa-electron volts.
But where did this particle come from? How did scientists detect Amaterasu in the first place? Finally, and most importantly, why is detecting this particle such a significant breakthrough in physics and astronomy?
The 78th episode of the Sunday Discovery Series answers all these questions in detail.
Created By: Rishabh Nakra
Narrates By: Brian Pederson
Animations: Sankalp Dash
One of the most potentially hazardous asteroids, Apophis, is coming back and NASA has a bold plan this time. In 2029, it will approach our planet at a distance of just 32,000 kilometers or about 19,900 miles, passing below the orbits of geostationary satellites and shining as brightly as a satellite itself. This event will make it visible to billions of naked-eye observers worldwide, a rare occurrence that occurs only once every few thousand years.
Even more exciting is that NASA's OSIRIS-APEX mission is already on its way to study the asteroid up close.
Created By: Rishabh Nakra
Written By: Simran Buttar
Narrated By: Brian Pederson
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant lying 6500 light-years away in the constellation Taurus. The image highlights intricate details that were not seen by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Created By: Rishabh Nakra
Written By: Simran Buttar
Narrated By: Jeffrey Smith
Top Space Apps: bit.ly/space_apps_2022
Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
December 5: The Moon at apogee
December 7: Mercury at Highest Altitude in Evening Sky
December 9: Close approach of Venus and the Moon
December 12: The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is well-placed
December 14: Geminid meteor shower
December 17: The Moon at perigee
December 17-18: Close approach of the Moon and Saturn
December 22: The Winter Solstice
December 22-23: Close approach of the Moon and Jupiter
December 23: Ursid Meteor Shower
December 24: Conjunction of Moon and Pleiades
December 27: Cold Moon
December 31: Another Revolution Completed!
On 23 August 2023, India scripted history. With its Chandrayaan 3 mission, it became the fourth nation to land on the Moon and the first on the lunar south pole. Within a short period of just a couple of weeks, the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover made ground-breaking discoveries in the region of the Moon that no nation had ever visited. However, the most intriguing event was recorded three days after Chandrayaan 3 landed on the Moon: The mission's Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity or ILSA (ill-sa) recorded a potential moonquake. Moonquakes, as the name suggests, are seismic tremors that occur on the Moon. These lunar quakes are a fascinating phenomenon that has captured the interest of scientists and researchers for decades.
The first moonquakes were detected during the Apollo missions in the early 1970s, and the tremors recorded by the Chandrayaan-3 mission could be the first moonquake recorded in over half a century. But why is the detection of these tremors so important for scientists? What other discoveries did the Chandrayaan-3 mission make on the South Pole of the Moon? Finally, and most importantly, what is that one significant thing that Chandrayaan-3, just like previous missions, has failed to find on the lunar surface?
The 76th episode of the Sunday Discovery Series answers all these questions in detail.
Created By: Rishabh Nakra
Written By: Simran Buttar
Narrated By: Brian Pederson
The first full-color images captured by the brand-new Euclid Space Telescope have been made public, and they did not disappoint. Never before has a telescope been able to create such razor-sharp astronomical images across such a large patch of the sky and look so far into the distant Universe. These inaugural images showcase Euclid's extraordinary capability to create the most comprehensive 3D map of the universe yet. But what’s so special about the Euclid Space Telescope? How is it different from the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope? And what’s so special about these five images captured by Euclid from the edge of darkness? Let’s have a look at them one by one in this video.
Created by: Rishabh Nakra and Shreejaya Karantha
Narrated by: Jeffrey Smith
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The James Webb Space Telescope focused on Jupiter's moon Europa and found something truly remarkable. It discovered carbon dioxide in a very specific place on the surface of the moon, hinting that something intriguing is happening inside it.
Decades of exploration of the solar system have shown that Jupiter's moon, Europa, is one of the most promising places where we can find life beyond Earth. That's because of the vast ocean the moon hides beneath its icy crust. The first evidence of the subsurface ocean came when NASA's Voyager spacecraft flew past Jupiter about half a century ago. The data from the spacecraft revealed that Europa was not just icy but had a young, frequently rejuvenated outer surface.
Further missions to study Jupiter and its moons suggested that Europa's underground ocean of liquid water contains twice the volume of all of Earth's oceans combined. However, what truly piques our interest in this moon is the possibility that it may have hosted life within its mysterious, dark waters, where organic molecules and potential energy sources might exist.
And now, the most powerful space telescope ever built has delivered its first significant results concerning the Jovian moon. So, how did Webb discover carbon dioxide on the surface of Europa? How are astronomers so sure that it came from beneath the surface of the moon? Finally, and most importantly, why is the discovery of carbon dioxide on the surface of Europa so important?
The 75th episode of the Sunday Discovery Series answers all these questions in detail.
All Episodes Of The Series: bit.ly/369kG4p
Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
Created By: Rishabh Nakra
Narrated By: Jeffrey Smith
Top Space Apps: bit.ly/space_apps_2022
Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
November 2-3: Jupiter at Opposition
November 4: Saturn Ends Retrograde Motion
November 7: The Moon at apogee
November 9: Lunar Occultation of Venus
November 12: Taurid Meteor Shower
November 13: New Moon
November 13: Uranus at Opposition
November 17-18: Leonid Meteor Shower
November 18: Mars at Solar Conjunction
November 20: Conjunction of Moon and Saturn
November 22: Moon at perigee
November 25: Conjunction of Moon and Jupiter
November 27: Conjunction of Moon and Pleiades
November 27: Full Moon
A superior planet is said to be at opposition when the Earth comes between the planet and the Sun. From the viewpoint of Earth's surface, during opposition, the astronomical object rises in the east as the Sun sets in the west, placing it and the Sun on opposite sides of Earth. Jupiter's opposition occurs every 13 months, making the planet appear larger and brighter than any other time of the year. Since Jupiter, just like other planets, goes around the Sun in an elliptical orbit, its opposition does not always coincide with its closest approach. The gas giant will make its closest approach to Earth on the night of 1st- 2nd November, when the distance between the Earth and Jupiter will be 370 million miles or 595 million km. That's one of the closest approaches to Earth in decades.
Then, Jupiter will reach opposition on November 2-3 at 5 GMT or 12 a.m. CDT, bringing Jupiter opposite the Sun in our sky. Jupiter's last opposition was noteworthy as the planet was at its closest to Earth in over 70 years, at 367 million miles. So, Jupiter will be slightly further away this year, but that would hardly make any apparent difference.
Top Space Apps: bit.ly/space_apps_2022
Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
So, how did this happen in the first place? What's the source of the unexpected black dust on the avionics deck of the canister? Finally, and most importantly, what do scientists expect to find in the detailed analysis of the largest asteroid sample that has ever returned to Earth?
The 74th episode of the Sunday Discovery Series answers all these questions in detail.
All Episodes Of The Series: bit.ly/369kG4p
Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
Created By: Rishabh Nakra
Narrated By: Brian Pederson
In the US, the Ring of Fire will be visible from Southern Oregon, Northeastern California, Northern Nevada, Southern Utah, Southwest Colorado, Northeastern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
Two weeks later, a partial lunar eclipse will occur on Saturday, 28 October 2023. It will be visible in Asia, Russia, Africa, Europe, Antarctica, and Oceania. The eclipse will begin at 7:36 p.m. GMT and end at 8:53 p.m. on 28 October. In India, the eclipse will start at 1:06 a.m. on 29 October and end at 2:23 a.m. It will be a short eclipse lasting for about 75 minutes. The maximum eclipse will occur at 01:45 IST, when 12% of the Moon's disk will lie in shadow.
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Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
For more videos of Cosmos in a minute, follow The Secrets of the Universe.
Top Space Apps: bit.ly/space_apps_2022
Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
October 2: Andromeda is placed well
October 3: Conjunction of Moon and Pleiades
October 9: Draconid meteor shower
October 10: Moon at Apogee
October 14: Annular Solar Eclipse
October 18: Mars at Apogee
October 20: Venus at highest altitude in the morning sky
October 21-22: Orionid Meteor Shower
October 24: Close approach of Moon and Saturn
October 26: Moon at perigee
October 28-29: Partial Lunar Eclipse
October 30: Another conjunction of Moon and Pleiades
When NASA's New Horizons spacecraft finally reached Pluto and sent back the first images of the far-flung world, we saw something that absolutely blew our minds. For decades, Pluto had been a planet of paradoxes. Once considered the ninth planet in our solar system, it had been reclassified, debated, and wondered about. The object had remained a blurry dot even in our most powerful telescopes. But now, after more than 80 years of its discovery, we had the first close-up pictures of Pluto. The spacecraft showed us a Pluto filled with geological features that indicated not just a history of activity but the possibility of ongoing dynamism. Towering Mountains, deep valleys, and vast plains suggested a world in the process of changing, not a fossilized relic from the past.
But the most surprising discovery was the strong evidence of a subsurface ocean concealed beneath layers of ice. This finding didn't just make us reconsider Pluto; it threw open new doors of possibility for the existence of life beyond Earth. If a so-called 'dead' planet, at the far reaches of our solar system, could harbor an ocean, what else might we find as we venture deeper into the cosmos?
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These turbulent conditions whip clouds of methane and other gases into a never-ending show, like a dance we can barely see from Earth. But here's the surprising part: lately, all the clouds have seemingly disappeared on Neptune, dramatically changing the appearance of the distant planet. Things took an interesting turn when scientists discovered the reason behind this change: the 11-year solar cycle, whose origin remains a mystery to date.
So, how did astronomers discover the reason behind the disappearance of the Neptunian clouds? How does the Sun, lying 4.4 billion km away, affect the atmosphere of Neptune to such a great extent? Finally, and most importantly, what evidence do we have to support this idea?
The 73rd episode of the Sunday Discovery Series answers all these questions in detail.
RESEARCH PAPER:
Evolution of Neptune at Near-Infrared Wavelengths from 1994 through 2022, E. Chavez at al. - bit.ly/3RrBh9m
Venus has long remained an enigmatic sister planet to Earth— seemingly similar in size, yet covered in clouds of sulfuric acid that betray the volatile world lurking beneath. While Mars, Jupiter, and even far-flung Pluto have opened their secrets to robotic spacecraft from Earth, Venus remains the least explored of our planetary neighbors. Often termed Earth's "evil twin,” Venus hosts crushing atmospheric pressures, scorching temperatures that could melt lead, and skies filled perpetually with dense clouds that don’t even let a ray of sunlight touch the surface. This combination creates a planet so hostile that it has destroyed every probe sent to explore its surface; some lasted mere minutes before surrendering to the planet’s wrath.
So, what views did we see beneath the thick cloud cover shrouding the planet? What do they tell us about the past of the Earth’s evil twin? Finally, and most importantly, what secrets will the upcoming Indian, American, and European missions to Venus reveal?
Created By: Rishabh Nakra
Written By: Simran Buttar
Narrated By: Brian Pederson
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Basics of Astrophysics series: bit.ly/3xII54M
September 1: Aurigid Meteor Shower
September 4: Jupiter enters retrograde motion
September 6: Moon meets the Pleiades cluster
September 1-8: Comet C/2023 P1 Nishimura
September 12: Moon at Apogee
September 15: New Moon
September 17-18: Last chance to see the comet
September 18: Venus at greatest brightness
September 19: Neptune at Opposition
September 22: Mercury at the highest altitude in the morning sky
September 23: The Fall Equinox
September 27: Conjunction of Moon and Saturn
September 29: Super Corn Moon
In this video, you will find every detail on how to see Comet Nishimura in the coming days.
Space Apps to locate the comet: bit.ly/space_apps_2023
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