SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 141 * Supermassive Black Hole Consumes Matter at Record Speed Astronomers have discovered a supermassive black hole in the early universe consuming matter at a rate more than 40 times its theoretical limit. This black hole, catalogued as LID568, was observed by the Webb Space Telescope and is providing new insights into the rapid growth mechanisms of black holes shortly after the Big Bang. The findings challenge existing theories on how these cosmic giants formed so q...
Nov 22, 2024•21 min•Season 27Ep. 141
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 140 *Revisiting the Milky Way's Black Hole Image A new study questions the accuracy of the first-ever image of Sagittarius A, the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. Researchers suggest the image may not accurately represent its appearance, proposing a more elongated accretion disc instead of the ring-like structure previously released by the Event Horizon Telescope. *Methane in Titan's Crust Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft indicates that Satur...
Nov 20, 2024•27 min•Season 27Ep. 140
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 139 *Gilmore Space Cleared for Orbital Launch The Australian Space Agency has granted Gilmore Space the final approval needed to conduct its maiden orbital test flight of the Ares rocket from the Bowen Spaceport in North Queensland. This launch will mark the first orbital test flight of an Australian-made rocket from Australian soil, showcasing a new hybrid propulsion system developed by the company. *Discovery of Red Monster Galaxies in the Early Universe Astronomers...
Nov 18, 2024•31 min•Season 27Ep. 139
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 138 * Discovery of the Outer Solar System's Magnetic Field Scientists have discovered evidence of an ancient magnetic field at the far reaches of our solar system. Research published in AGU Advances, based on 4.6 billion-year-old grain samples from the asteroid Richie, suggests the presence of a weak magnetic field during the formation of the outer solar system. This field, although weak, could have been instrumental in the formation of the outer planets, including Ju...
Nov 15, 2024•21 min•Season 27Ep. 138
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 137 *The Earth: A Giant Slushie? New research reveals that Earth once experienced a "slushy" period following its snowball Earth phase. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study by Virginia Tech scientists suggests that as the planet thawed, it transitioned into a slushy state, marked by high carbon dioxide levels and rapid melting. The findings offer fresh insights into Earth's climate evolution and the resilience of life under extre...
Nov 13, 2024•24 min•Season 27Ep. 137
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 136 *Discovering the Origins of Magnetars A groundbreaking study reveals that magnetars, highly magnetic neutron stars, are born from stellar mergers rather than single star supernova events. These findings, published in Nature, delve into the origins of fast radio bursts (FRBs), which are high-energy flashes releasing more energy in nanoseconds than half a billion suns. The research indicates that FRBs are more common in massive star-forming galaxies, suggesting a li...
Nov 12, 2024•24 min•Season 27Ep. 136
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 135 *Could Uranus Moon Miranda Have a Subsurface Ocean? A new study suggests that Uranus' moon Miranda may harbour a liquid water ocean beneath its peculiar jigsaw-like surface. The findings, published in the Planetary Science Journal, challenge existing assumptions about Miranda's history and composition, potentially placing it among the select few worlds in our solar system with environments that could support life. The study highlights the intriguing possibility of...
Nov 08, 2024•21 min•Season 27Ep. 135
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 134 * Perseverance's Uphill Struggle in Jezero Crater NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover faces challenges as it attempts to climb the steep and slippery ridgeline of Jezero Crater. Despite its previous experience with steep inclines, this mission marks the first time the rover has tackled such a challenging combination of slope and surface. Engineers are exploring new strategies, including driving backwards and zigzagging, to improve traction. The goal is to reach the cra...
Nov 06, 2024•22 min•Season 27Ep. 134
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 133 * Earth's Mantle: Two Distinct Domains Revealed Groundbreaking research has unveiled that the Earth's mantle is composed of two distinct and separate types of materials, forming independent African and Pacific domains. This discovery, published in Nature Geoscience, challenges previous assumptions of a chemically uniform mantle. The study highlights how these domains have been shaped by the formation and breakup of supercontinents over the past 700 million years, ...
Nov 04, 2024•28 min•Season 27Ep. 133
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 132 *Could Betelgeuse Actually Be Two Stars? A new study raises the intriguing possibility that the red supergiant Betelgeuse may not be on the brink of supernova, as previously thought. Instead, it might be a binary star system. This revelation, reported in the Astrophysical Journal, suggests that an unseen companion star could be causing Betelgeuse's pulsing brightness, challenging the long-held belief of its impending explosion. *Richard Branson to Co-Pilot Space P...
Nov 01, 2024•34 min•Season 27Ep. 132
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 131 * Ultra High Energy Gamma Rays Detected in the Milky Way's Core Scientists have detected ultra high energy gamma rays emanating from the centre of the Milky Way. This discovery, reported in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, offers a new perspective on the violent phenomena occurring in the galactic core. Using the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory in Mexico, researchers measured these gamma rays at over 100 tera electron volts, providing insights into the...
Oct 30, 2024•23 min•Season 27Ep. 131
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 130 *Epoch of Reionization: New Insights from Webb A groundbreaking study suggests the epoch of reionization, a pivotal era in the universe's early evolution, may have occurred 350 million years earlier than previously believed. Utilising data from the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have uncovered a greater abundance of extreme ultraviolet emitting galaxies, challenging established models. This revelation might imply that the cosmic microwave background radia...
Oct 29, 2024•24 min•Season 27Ep. 130
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 129 *First Evidence of a Volcanic Splatocone on Mars Scientists have identified what appears to be the first evidence of a volcanic splatter cone on Mars, similar to those found on Earth. This discovery, led by Ian Flynn from the University of Idaho, sheds light on the volcanic processes of the red planet. The presence of splatter cones, which form under specific conditions, provides new insights into Martian volcanology and the dynamics of volcanic eruptions. *Volcan...
Oct 25, 2024•28 min•Season 27Ep. 129
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 128 *Dating the Moon's Oldest Impact Crater Scientists have pinpointed the edge of the massive South Pole-Aitken Basin, the largest and oldest known impact crater on the Moon, dating it to over 4.32 billion years old. By analysing a lunar meteorite, researchers have concluded that this impact site is around 120 million years earlier than the previously believed intense period of impact bombardment. These findings provide a clearer picture of the Moon's early impact hi...
Oct 23, 2024•24 min•Season 27Ep. 128
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 127 *SpaceX's Starship's Fifth Test Flight Success SpaceX's Starship has completed its fifth test flight with a spectacular feat of engineering, successfully catching the super heavy booster with mechanical chopsticks on the launch pad tower. The booster, equipped with 33 Raptor engines, returned to Earth after a successful launch from SpaceX's Starbase in Texas, showcasing the potential for rapid reuse and interplanetary missions. The test flight marks a significant ...
Oct 21, 2024•35 min•Season 27Ep. 127
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 126 * NASA's Parker Solar Probe Completes 21st Philip of the Sun NASA's Parker Solar Probe has achieved its 21st close encounter with the Sun, matching its previous distance and speed records. The spacecraft swooped to within 7.26 million kilometers of the solar surface at a record speed of 635,300 km/h. This flyby sets up the probe for its final closest approaches, with its orbit shaped by a Venus gravity assist. The mission, launched in 2018, aims to study the Sun's...
Oct 17, 2024•23 min•Season 27Ep. 126
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 125 *Discovery of the Most Distant Spiral Galaxy Astronomers have identified the most distant spiral galaxy ever seen, named REBELS 25. This galaxy, observed as it was 13.1 billion years ago, challenges current models of galaxy formation with its orderly spiral structure, despite being from an era when the universe was just 700 million years old. The discovery, made using the ALMA radio telescope in Chile, offers new insights into the early universe and the evolution ...
Oct 16, 2024•33 min•Season 27Ep. 125
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 124 *Galaxies: Bigger Than We Ever Imagined Recent findings suggest that galaxies are far larger than previously thought, with gaseous halos extending much further into intergalactic space. This study, published in Nature Astronomy, focuses on the circumgalactic medium of a starburst galaxy 270 million light-years away. These halos, accounting for about 70% of a galaxy's mass excluding dark matter, may already be interacting with neighboring galaxies like Andromeda an...
Oct 14, 2024•30 min•Season 27Ep. 124
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 123 *Discovery of a New Region within the Earth's Core Scientists have uncovered a doughnut-shaped region within Earth's molten liquid outer core, located at low latitudes parallel to the equator. This torus-like zone was detected due to seismic waves travelling slower through this area compared to the rest of the liquid outer core. The discovery, published in Science Advances, suggests that this region could be several hundred kilometres thick and contains a high con...
Oct 11, 2024•29 min•Season 27Ep. 123
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 122 *The Sun's Most Powerful Solar Flare in Over a Decade The Sun has unleashed its most powerful solar flare in more than a decade, with a spectacular X9.1 class event. This massive solar flare, part of a pair that erupted just two days apart, was detected by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. The event sparked strong G3 class geomagnetic storms, causing auroral activity to reach mid-latitudes and triggering deep shortwave radio blackouts. Solar flares, like this one...
Oct 09, 2024•29 min•Season 27Ep. 122
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 121 * A New Planet Discovered Orbiting Barnard's Star Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet orbiting Barnard's Star, the closest single star to the Sun. This newly found planet, Barnard b, has about half the mass of Earth and completes an orbit around its host star every three Earth days. Located 5.96 light-years away, Barnard's Star is a small red dwarf in the constellation Ophiuchus. The discovery was made using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large T...
Oct 07, 2024•22 min•Season 27Ep. 121
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 120 * Planet Earth Just Got a Second Moon Planet Earth has temporarily acquired a second moon, a tiny near-Earth asteroid named 2024 PTS. Captured by Earth's gravitational field on September 29, this 10-metre wide Space rock will remain in orbit until November 25, making it one of only five known mini moons. Discovered by the Atlas asteroid terrestrial impact last alert system, 2024 PTS belongs to the Arjuna asteroid group and is too small to be seen with the naked ey...
Oct 04, 2024•41 min•Season 27Ep. 120
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 119 * Australian Crater Offers Fresh Insights into Earth's History Scientists have uncovered a potential 600-kilometre-wide crater in Australia's outback, which could revolutionise our understanding of Earth's geological past. This discovery, presented at the 37th International Geological Congress in South Korea, suggests the existence of Mapix, a massive Cambrian-Precambrian impact structure. The crater's unique characteristics could provide new insights into the geo...
Oct 02, 2024•21 min•Season 27Ep. 119
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 118 *Dark Matter May Be Experiencing Forces Beyond Gravity A groundbreaking new study suggests that dark matter, the elusive substance making up 85% of the universe's matter, may interact through forces other than gravity. Using observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, researchers have found that dark matter particles might experience additional forces, providing crucial new insights into their nature. The findings challenge the long-held collisionless cold dark ...
Sep 30, 2024•25 min•Season 27Ep. 118
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 117 *The Biggest Black Hole Jets Ever Seen Astronomers have detected the largest pair of black hole jets ever observed, stretching an astounding 23 million light years. Named Porphyron, this jet megastructure dates back to when the universe was just 6.3 billion years old. The discovery, published in the journal Nature, suggests that these colossal jets had a significant impact on galaxy formation during the universe's early epochs. *NASA's Europa Clipper Mission Ready...
Sep 27, 2024•31 min•Season 27Ep. 117
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 116 * Discovery of More Black Holes Than Expected in the Early Universe A new study using the Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered a significantly higher number of supermassive black holes in the early universe than previously anticipated. Published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, the findings could revolutionise our understanding of how these ancient black holes formed shortly after the Big Bang. Astronomers, including Alice Young from Stockholm University, sug...
Sep 25, 2024•26 min•Season 27Ep. 116
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 115 * How Black Holes Eat Stars Astronomers have developed a groundbreaking computer simulation detailing how supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies can rip apart and consume entire stars. The study, published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, provides new insights into the mysterious optical and ultraviolet emissions observed during these catastrophic events. Lead author Daniel Price from Monash University explains that the simulation captures the fu...
Sep 23, 2024•37 min•Season 27Ep. 115
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 114 *Did the Dwarf Planet Ceres Originate in the Asteroid Belt? A new study challenges earlier observations about the origins of Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt. The findings suggest that Ceres may have formed where it currently orbits rather than in the outer solar system. *Galactic Mystery About Dark Matter and Stars Finally Resolved Astronomers have overturned a longstanding idea that stars and dark matter interact in inexplicable ways. New models...
Sep 20, 2024•30 min•Season 27Ep. 114
In today’s episode, we explore the latest discoveries in lunar volcanism, the unique phenomena awaiting astronauts at the moon's south pole, and the arrival of a new crew at the International Space Station. Join us for an in-depth look at these exciting developments in Space exploration! *Recent volcanism on discovered on the Moon Scientists have discovered evidence of volcanism on the lunar surface as recently as 125 million years ago. *The Strange phenomena people will see at Moon's south pole...
Sep 18, 2024•23 min•Season 27Ep. 113
SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 112 First Ever Spacewalk by Private AstronautsA historic milestone as the first commercial non-government astronauts successfully complete a spacewalk using a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The mission, launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, aimed to monitor radiation exposure levels during its journey into the Van Allen radiation belts. Boeing Starliner Returns Safely to EarthBoeing's trouble-plagued Starliner spacecraft has safely returned to Earth, landing unmanned at the Whit...
Sep 16, 2024•34 min•Season 27Ep. 112
