Astronomy Daily: Space News Updates

Join hosts Anna and Avery for an exciting journey through today's most compelling space stories. We explore Mercury's surprising geological activity, NASA's TESS satellite recovery, a frigid Earth-like exoplanet discovery, an accelerated ISS crew launch, runaway black holes tearing through space, and the scientific opportunities of a potential lunar asteroid impact in 2032.
### Episode Highlights
**Mercury's Hidden Activity**
New research reveals that Mercury, long considered geologically dead, is still actively losing volatile materials from its interior. Using AI analysis of 100,000 MESSENGER images, scientists have mapped 400 bright slope streaks that indicate ongoing geological processes. The BepiColombo mission will provide unprecedented new data when it arrives at Mercury.
**TESS Satellite Recovery**
NASA's planet-hunting TESS satellite recently entered safe mode after a command error caused solar panel misalignment. The spacecraft successfully recovered, demonstrating the importance of built-in safeguards. NASA is reviewing procedures to prevent future incidents.
**Ice-Cold Earth Twin**
Astronomers have discovered HD 137010 b, an Earth-like exoplanet 146 light-years away that could be as cold as minus 90°F. Despite frigid temperatures, it orbits within its star's habitable zone, offering insights into the diversity of potentially habitable worlds.
**Crew-12 Launch Advanced**
SpaceX and NASA have moved up the Crew-12 launch to February 11, four days earlier than planned, to provide relief for the three-person skeleton crew managing the ISS after the first-ever medical evacuation from the station.
**Runaway Black Holes Confirmed**
The James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed the first runaway supermassive black hole, ejected from its galaxy and leaving a 200,000 light-year trail of newborn stars. Traveling at 1,600 km/s, this discovery validates 50-year-old theoretical predictions.
**Moon Impact Opportunity**
Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 4% chance of striking the Moon on December 22, 2032. While posing risks to satellites and Earth, such an impact would provide unprecedented scientific data on lunar geology, create spectacular meteor displays, and deliver free lunar samples to Earth.
### Featured Stories
1. **Mercury Still Geologically Active** - University of Bern researchers discover 400 bright streaks indicating ongoing volatile loss (Source: Space Daily)
2. **TESS Satellite Command Error** - NASA's exoplanet hunter recovers from safe mode after solar panel misalignment (Source: Daily Galaxy)
3. **Frigid Earth-Like Planet Discovery** - HD 137010 b joins the search for Earth's twin despite extreme cold (Source: Daily Galaxy)
4. **ISS Crew-12 Launch Moved Up** - February 11 launch provides relief after historic medical evacuation (Source: Space.com)
5. **First Confirmed Runaway Black Hole** - JWST observations validate theoretical predictions with stunning stellar trail (Source: Phys.org/Science Sources)
6. **Asteroid 2024 YR4 Lunar Impact** - 4% chance creates scientific opportunity and satellite risk in 2032 (Source: Universe Today)
### Hosts
Anna and Avery
### Links & Resources
- Website: astronomydaily.io
- Social Media: @AstroDailyPod (X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube)
- Subscribe for daily space news and updates

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## Today's Headlines:
🛰️ **NOAA Solar Observatory Reaches L1**  
NOAA's Space Weather Follow-On satellite successfully arrived at Lagrange point 1 on January 21st, establishing the first component of a future constellation designed to provide early warning of solar storms and coronal mass ejections. The satellite offers 15-60 minutes advance notice of space weather events that could impact Earth's infrastructure.
🚀 **Challenger Disaster: 40 Years Later**  
Marking four decades since the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy, we examine how unseasonably cold weather and O-ring failures led to the loss of seven crew members. The disaster fundamentally changed NASA's safety culture and decision-making processes, lessons that continue to influence spaceflight today.
🤖 **AI Uncovers Cosmic Treasures in Hubble Archive**  
Advanced artificial intelligence algorithms have identified hundreds of previously undetected gravitational lenses in Hubble Space Telescope data. These discoveries include rare Einstein rings and exotic lensing configurations that provide windows into the early universe and dark matter distribution.
☄️ **Venus's Potential Meteor Shower**  
Astronomers predict Venus may experience a significant meteor shower in July 2026 from debris of asteroid 2002 VT37. The event offers a rare opportunity to study how meteor showers interact with Venus's dense carbon dioxide atmosphere.
🌌 **Stellar Fireworks at the Galactic Center**  
New observations reveal intense stellar activity near Sagittarius A*, our galaxy's supermassive black hole, including star formation, supernovae, and tidal disruption events in one of the most extreme environments in the Milky Way.
📡 **Watch Artemis 2 Rocket Live**  
NASA has launched a 24-hour livestream of the Artemis 2 Space Launch System rocket on Launch Pad 39B as crews prepare for the first crewed lunar mission since 1972, currently targeting April 2026.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVnsO_rdew
#### Resources & Links:
- Story Sources: SpaceNews, Spectrum Local News, NASA Science, Space.com, Universe Today
- Website: astronomydaily.io
- Social Media: @AstroDailyPod (all platforms)

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Welcome to Astronomy Daily! Join hosts Anna and Avery as they explore today's most fascinating space and astronomy stories.
IN THIS EPISODE:
🌌 NASA's Dark Matter Map
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has created one of the most detailed dark matter maps ever produced, revealing the invisible scaffolding of the universe in unprecedented detail. Scientists mapped nearly 800,000 galaxies, showing how dark matter and regular matter have grown together throughout cosmic history - and how dark matter's influence may have been essential for creating the conditions necessary for life on Earth.
🚀 Weekly Launch Roundup
A busy week in orbital spaceflight with multiple missions planned from Florida, California, and New Zealand. SpaceX prepares to launch GPS III SV09 named after fallen Challenger astronaut Ellison Onizuka, while Rocket Lab readies its "Bridging the Swarm" mission carrying South Korea's NeonSat-1A satellite. Plus updates on multiple Starlink flights and possible Chinese launches.
🌙 Artemis II's Far Side Adventure
The Artemis II crew - Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Hansen - are training to become the first humans to see parts of the Moon never before observed by human eyes. Learn about their planned three-hour observation session focusing on Mare Orientale and other hidden lunar features, and how their geology training in Iceland is preparing them for this historic mission.
🪐 Jupiter's Hidden Depths
NASA's Juno spacecraft continues to revolutionize our understanding of Jupiter, revealing that the planet's iconic cloud bands extend 1,900 miles below the surface. Discover recent findings about Jupiter's diluted core, mysterious green lightning flashes, and the remarkably persistent polar cyclones that form octagonal and pentagonal patterns at the planet's poles.
☀️ Antarctica's Exclusive Eclipse
Only about 16 people might witness one of 2026's most spectacular celestial events - a "ring of fire" annular solar eclipse crossing Antarctica on February 17th. Find out about the two research stations in the path of totality, the extreme conditions observers will face, and where else partial views of the eclipse will be visible.
🛸 Starship V3 Update
SpaceX's upgraded Starship rocket test has been rescheduled for mid-March following a November explosion during testing. Learn about the new capabilities of Starship V3, including plans to launch next-generation Starlink satellites and dock with other Starships in orbit - plus how Blue Origin's New Glenn is emerging as competition in the heavy-lift market.
EPISODE LINKS:
• NASA Dark Matter Discovery: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-reveals-new-details-about-dark-matters-influence-on-universe/
• Launch Schedule Details: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/01/launch-roundup-012626/
• Artemis II Far Side Views: https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/artemis-first-humans-see-hidden-side-moon/
• Antarctica Eclipse Information: https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/2026-ring-of-fire-eclipse/
• Starship Development Update: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/spacex-eyes-mid-march-for-first-test-of-upgraded-starship-rocket/
CONNECT WITH US:
🌐 Website: astronomydaily.io
📱 Twitter/X: @AstroDailyPod
📷 Instagram: @AstroDailyPod
📘 Facebook: @AstroDailyPod

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# Astronomy Daily - S05E22
## Monday, January 26, 2026
Welcome to Astronomy Daily! Join hosts Anna and Avery as they explore the latest developments in space and astronomy, from ambitious plans to terraform Mars to stunning new views of dying stars.
### Episode Highlights
**Mars Terraforming Gets Serious**
Scientists unveil a comprehensive blueprint for transforming Mars into a habitable world. Discover the three-phase plan using Martian resources, engineered nanoparticles, and hardy microorganisms that could warm the Red Planet by 30°C and eventually create breathable air. But should we terraform Mars at all?
**Harvesting Water from Mars' Atmosphere**
While underground ice remains the primary water source for future Mars missions, researchers reveal how atmospheric moisture could provide a crucial backup. Learn about the innovative technologies that could make Mars settlements more self-sufficient.
**Chandra's Cosmic Catalog Milestone**
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has now cataloged over 1.3 million X-ray detections across the sky. We explore this treasure trove of data spanning 22 years of observations, including a stunning view of the Galactic Center with over 3,300 sources in just 60 light-years.
**Earthquake Sensors Track Space Debris**
Ingenious new research shows how seismic monitoring networks can track dangerous falling satellites in near real-time. Discover how scientists reconstructed the trajectory and breakup of China's Shenzhou-15 module using earthquake sensors.
**Water Worlds or Lava Planets?**
Shocking new findings suggest 98% of planets we thought were ocean-bearing "hycean worlds" might actually be molten rock. Learn about the Solidification Shoreline model that's rewriting our understanding of sub-Neptune exoplanets.
**Webb Captures a Dying Star's Beauty**
The James Webb Space Telescope reveals the Helix Nebula in unprecedented detail, showing us the eventual fate of our own Sun. Witness stellar recycling in action as a dying star distributes the building blocks of future worlds.
### Links & Resources
- Research on Mars terraforming strategies
- Advances in Space Research journal study on atmospheric water harvesting
- Chandra Source Catalog: cxc.cfa.harvard.edu/csc/
- Science journal publication on seismic debris tracking
- arXiv preprint on sub-Neptune exoplanet composition
- Webb Space Telescope Helix Nebula observations
For more space news and daily episodes, visit astronomydaily.io
Follow us on social media @AstroDailyPod
---
*Astronomy Daily: Your daily dose of space and astronomy news*

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Rocket Lab's "Hungry Hippos" arrive at Wallops Island despite tank test setback, NASA enlists global volunteers to track Artemis II, ancient lunar impact explains Moon's asymmetry, affordable space memorials launching in 2027, massive exomoon challenges definitions, and an 11th-century monk may have discovered Halley's Comet first.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
🚀 Rocket Lab's Neutron program reaches major milestone as innovative "Hungry Hippo" reusable fairings arrive at Wallops Island after month-long sea journey from New Zealand, though first-stage tank ruptures during qualification testing at Maryland facility
🌕 NASA selects 34 volunteers from 14 countries to track Artemis II mission around the Moon, expanding from 10 participants during Artemis I and representing government agencies, commercial companies, universities, and amateur radio enthusiasts
🌑 China's Chang'e 6 lunar samples reveal unusual potassium isotope ratios in South Pole-Aitken Basin rocks, providing evidence that the giant impact 4.2 billion years ago fundamentally altered the Moon's chemistry and explains why the far side has so few maria
⭐ Space Beyond startup plans to send 1,000 people's ashes to orbit for just $249 using CubeSat technology on SpaceX rideshare mission in October 2027, founded by former Blue Origin engineer Ryan Mitchell
🪐 Astronomers detect potential exomoon around HD 206893 B that may be 40% the mass of Jupiter, so massive it could force redefinition of what constitutes a moon versus binary companion system
☄️ New research reveals 11th-century English monk Eilmer of Malmesbury recognized Halley's Comet's periodicity centuries before Edmond Halley, calling into question the comet's namesake
LINKS & RESOURCES:
• Rocket Lab Neutron development: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/01/hungry-hippos-test-tanks-neutron/
• NASA Artemis II tracking participants: https://www.nasa.gov/technology/space-comms/nasa-selects-participants-to-track-artemis-ii-mission/
• Chang'e 6 lunar impact study: https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/a-colossal-asteroid-may-have-warped-the-moon-from-the-inside-out
• Space Beyond memorial service: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/23/this-startup-will-send-1000-peoples-ashes-to-space-affordably-in-2027/
• Massive exomoon discovery: https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/alien-moon-massive-redefine-what-a-moon-is/
• Halley's Comet historical research: https://phys.org/news/2026-01-halley-comet-wrongly-11th-century.html
FOLLOW ASTRONOMY DAILY:
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