S02E49: Stellar Mysteries: Luminous Spots, Solar Eclipses, and Cosmic Showers

**Show Notes: Astronomy Daily Podcast - Series 02, Episode 49**
*Host:* Tim Gibbs *AI Newsreader:* Hallie
**Highlights:**
1. **Introduction:** - Date: Friday, 13th October 2023. - Tim Gibbs addresses recent technical issues and missed episodes.
2. **Astronomical Phenomenon - Luminous Spots:** - The Swicky Transient Facility in California detected a transient event. - Observations were made using the Gemini soft telescope, a very large array in New Mexico, the Chandra telescope, and the Hubble Space Telescope. - The event was identified as a luminous fast blue optical transient (luminous spot) named "The Finch". - Luminous spots are bright, short-lived, and their nature remains a mystery. - The Finch's location is unique, being distant from two nearby galaxies.
3. **Upcoming Solar Eclipses:** - Two solar eclipses are expected: October 14, 2023 (annular) and April 8, 2024 (total). - Explanation of the three types of solar eclipses: total, annular, and partial. - Midsy Adams from NASA shares her experiences of total eclipses. - Safety reminder: Use solar viewing glasses during the eclipse. - The "Ring of Fire" will be visible in multiple countries, starting in Oregon at 9:13 AM PT on October 14th. - NASA's interactive map can help track the eclipse.
4. **Cosmic Ray Extensive Air Showers:** - Osaka Metropolitan University scientists have developed a method to observe cosmic ray extensive air showers with precision. - The Subaru telescope in Hawaii can capture these showers in high resolution. - The team analyzed images from 2014-2020 and identified 13 with extensive air showers. - This method can help in understanding dark matter and the universe's transition.
5. **Safety Reminder:** - Always use proper glasses when viewing a solar eclipse.
6. **Jokes by Hallie:** - "Why did the sun go to school? To get a little brighter." - "Why are chemists excellent for solving problems? Because they have all the solutions."
7. **Closing Notes:** - Episodes available on spacenuts.io, bytes.com, and Space Nuts podcast. - Join the conversation on the Space Nuts podcast group on Facebook.

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