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Astronomy Daily: Space News Updates

Astronomy Daily: Space News Updates

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 Join hosts Anna & Avery for daily Space & Astronomy news, insights, and discoveries.

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Episodes
  • An Atmosphere That Shouldn't Exist + 12,000 Artemis II Photos

    An Atmosphere That Shouldn't Exist + 12,000 Artemis II Photos
    May 6 2026
    Sponsor Link:When you're ready to upgrade your online security, do what we did and get NordVPN. And right now we have a great deal for you that will save you lot's on money. There's never been a better time. To check out the deal Click Here!Wednesday 6 May 2026 | astronomydaily.io | @AstroDailyPod Episode Summary In today's episode, Anna and Avery explore six remarkable stories from across the cosmos: a tiny frozen world beyond Pluto surprises scientists with an atmosphere it should never have; NASA drops twelve thousand stunning photographs from the Artemis II mission and Artemis III preparations accelerate; Blue Origin's uncrewed moon lander Endurance passes its toughest test; new research confirms the sun actively speeds up the descent of space debris; radar-equipped drones emerge as a key tool for mapping buried Martian ice; and Comet PanSTARRS makes its debut in southern skies. Stories in This Episode 1. The Atmosphere That Shouldn't Exist Japanese astronomers have detected a thin atmosphere around trans-Neptunian object 2002 XV93 — a Kuiper Belt body just 500 km across. Published in Nature Astronomy, the discovery challenges long-held assumptions about which bodies can retain atmospheres. Possible causes include cryovolcanism or a recent cometary impact. Lead researcher: Dr Ko Arimatsu, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. 2. NASA Releases 12,000+ Artemis II Photos + Artemis III Update NASA has published more than 12,000 high-resolution images from the Artemis II mission, captured using Nikon cameras and iPhone 17 devices by the crew of Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen. The archive includes lunar far-side close-ups, Earthset images, star trails, and a solar eclipse from space. Meanwhile, the Artemis III SLS core stage has arrived at Kennedy Space Center for assembly, with a mid-2027 launch targeting a 460 km Earth-orbit docking test. 3. Blue Origin's Endurance Passes NASA Vacuum Test Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 uncrewed cargo lander (nickname: Endurance) has completed thermal vacuum testing inside Chamber A at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston. The lander is targeted for the Moon's south polar region later in 2026, carrying stereo cameras and a laser retroreflector array. MK1 informs the development of the crewed Blue Moon Mark 2. 4. Solar Activity Accelerates Space Debris Reentry A study published today in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences tracked 17 pieces of orbital debris through three solar cycles (1986–2024). Researchers at India's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre found that once sunspot numbers reach ~70% of their cycle peak, orbital decay rates increase sharply due to thermosphere expansion and increased drag. Lead researcher: Ayisha Ashruf. 5. Radar Drones Could Map Hidden Water Ice on Mars A new study in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets proposes using low-flying radar-equipped drones to precisely map debris-covered glaciers on Mars. Tests on Earth's Galena Creek Rock Glacier in Wyoming demonstrated the technique can resolve the ice-debris boundary with unprecedented precision — information critical for future human missions planning to use Martian water resources. 6. Comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS — Now Visible from Southern Hemisphere Having passed perihelion on 19 April 2026 (at ~75 million km from the Sun) and peak northern hemisphere visibility, Comet C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS is now emerging in southern skies. Currently in Eridanus and heading toward Orion, the comet will pass within ~2° of the Orion Nebula 10–12 May. Best viewing conditions: around new moon 16 May. The comet is on a hyperbolic trajectory and will not return. Connect With Us Website: astronomydaily.io Podcast: Available on all major podcast platforms X/Twitter: @AstroDailyPod Instagram: @AstroDailyPod TikTok: @AstroDailyPod Tumblr: @AstroDailyPodBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.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!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.
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    13 mins
  • JWST reads alien geology, Io is FAR more powerful than we thought, and a meteor shower peaks TONIGHT

    JWST reads alien geology, Io is FAR more powerful than we thought, and a meteor shower peaks TONIGHT
    May 5 2026
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    Episode Summary In this episode of Astronomy Daily, Anna and Avery cover six major space and astronomy stories: the James Webb Space Telescope's historic first direct study of a rocky exoplanet's surface; a dramatic upward revision of Io's volcanic heat output; the release of the FLAMINGO cosmological simulation dataset; a new technique for finding planets in binary star systems; the discovery of a novel state of matter inside ice giants; and how to watch tonight's Eta Aquarid meteor shower live online. Story Links & References Story 1 — JWST Exoplanet Surface Study Nature Astronomy: LHS 3844 b thermal emission spectrum — doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02860-3 Space.com coverage: space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/james-webb-space-telescope-directly-studies-an-exoplanets-surface-for-the-1st-time Story 2 — Io Volcanic Power Revised arXiv pre-print: arxiv.org/abs/2605.00100 | Phys.org: phys.org/news/2026-05-massively-underestimated-io-thermal-output.html Story 3 — FLAMINGO Dataset Release Durham University: durham.ac.uk/news-events/latest-news/2026/04/astronomers-release-gigantic-cosmological-simulation-dataset Leiden University: universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2026/04/astronomers-release-massive-set-of-virtual-universes-for-global-research Story 4 — TESS Binary Star Planets NASA Science: science.nasa.gov/missions/tess/for-nasas-tess-stellar-eclipses-shed-light-on-possible-new-worlds Story 5 — New State of Matter in Ice Giants Nature Communications: Carnegie Institution quasi-1D superionic phase study Universe Today: universetoday.com (April 30, 2026) Story 6 — Eta Aquarid Livestreams Livestream guide: space.com/stargazing/meteor-showers/watch-the-eta-aquarid-meteor-shower-online-with-these-free-livestreams ALMA Observatory livestream available via the above link. Peak: pre-dawn May 6 AEST.

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    This episode includes AI-generated content.
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    18 mins
  • Ireland Joins the Artemis Coalition, Nuclear Mars Mission Advances & Halley's Meteor Peak

    Ireland Joins the Artemis Coalition, Nuclear Mars Mission Advances & Halley's Meteor Peak
    May 4 2026
    Sponsor Link:When your ready to secure your online life, be sure to get NordVPN ...we certainly did. To get our money saving deal with a risk free 30 day money back gaurantee.... Click HereIn today's Astronomy Daily, Anna and Avery cover six major stories: Ireland becomes the 65th nation to sign the Artemis Accords; the Artemis III rocket core stage arrives at Kennedy Space Center; NASA's nuclear-electric SR-1 Freedom Mars mission ramps up toward a 2028 launch; the Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks overnight May 5-6; NASA releases spectacular dual panoramas from Curiosity and Perseverance rovers; and new research makes a compelling case that the Large Magellanic Cloud is on its first-ever pass by the Milky Way. Story Summaries & Key Facts 1. Ireland Signs the Artemis Accords • Ireland signed as the 65th Artemis Accords signatory on May 4, 2026 at NASA HQ, Washington DC • Hosted by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman alongside Irish Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason and Minister Peter Burke • Three new signatories in two weeks: Latvia (#62), Morocco (#64), Ireland (#65) • Accords established in 2020, covering peaceful exploration, transparency, data sharing, and heritage preservation 2. Artemis III SLS Core Stage Arrives at KSC • The top four-fifths of the 212-foot SLS core stage arrived at Kennedy on April 27, 2026 via the Pegasus barge • Traveled 900 miles from Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans • Now inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, being mated to the engine section • Artemis III (targeted late 2027) will test Orion docking with commercial landers in low Earth orbit — not a lunar landing • Artemis IV (2028) will land astronauts on the Moon's south pole 3. NASA SR-1 Freedom Nuclear Mars Mission • SR-1 Freedom will be the first nuclear-electric powered interplanetary spacecraft, launching December 2028 • Uses Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP): fission reactor generates 20kW of electricity to power ion thrusters • Hardware repurposed from the Gateway Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) • Will deploy the 'Skyfall' payload: three Ingenuity-class helicopters to scout for subsurface water ice • Could pave the way for megawatt-class reactors cutting human Mars transit time to two months 4. Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower Peak • Peak: overnight May 5-6, 2026, with pre-dawn hours on May 6 as prime window • Source: debris trail of Halley's Comet — Earth passes through it each May • Meteor speed: ~66 km/s — fast, with persistent glowing trails • Southern Hemisphere: up to 50 meteors/hour under ideal conditions — best shower for southern sky • Moon challenge: 84% waning gibbous — block the Moon behind a tree or building for best results • Active through May 28 — more opportunities if clouds intervene tonight 5. Curiosity & Perseverance Mars Panoramas • NASA released dual 360-degree panoramas from both active Mars rovers — 3,775 km apart on the planet • Curiosity: 1,031-image panorama of 'boxwork' formations in Gale Crater — fossil records of ancient groundwater • Perseverance: 980-image panorama near Jezero Crater rim showing some of the oldest rocks in the solar system • The two rovers are 'time-travelling in opposite directions' — Curiosity into younger terrain, Perseverance into older • Perseverance carries 23 rock core samples in sealed tubes, awaiting future Earth-return mission 6. Large Magellanic Cloud — First-Time Visitor • New pre-print paper claims definitive evidence the LMC is on its first-ever pass by the Milky Way • LMC mass: roughly 10-20% of the Milky Way — large enough to send gravitational ripples through our galaxy • Key evidence: LMC's gas corona is still largely intact — a previous close Milky Way pass would have stripped it away • Also explains why the SMC and companion satellites haven't been tidally disrupted • Rewrites the origin of the Magellanic Stream — now attributed to LMC-SMC interactions rather than Milky Way tidal forcesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.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!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.
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    16 mins
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