This week (Episode 387) we're chatting dark energy, megastructures, and a fateful moon landing. Andrew and Fred dive deep into some surprising discoveries that have astronomers scratching their heads. A major dark energy survey has raised more questions than answers about the nature of the cosmological constant. Then we learn about a recently discovered "big ring" - a cosmic megastructure over 10 times bigger than anything seen before! What could have created this structure? Theories abound but the experts just don't know. We also get an unfortunate update on the doomed Peregrine lunar lander. Despite valiant efforts to salvage the mission, it seems the leaking spacecraft will meet a fiery end reentering Earth's atmosphere. Such a shame, but sometimes that's just the way the cosmic cookie crumbles in this business. Hungry for more space news and insights? Well settle in and listen up as the spaced-out questions come flooding in from our stellar listeners. We cover everything from the origin of Earth's water to the possibility of terraforming Venus. Yeah there's a ton of brain food here to chew on! So click that play button and let's launch into another fun and fact-filled Space Nuts adventure! See you in the cosmos 🚀
In this episode, you will be able to:
• Discover the surprising origins of water in our solar system and its impact on the search for extraterrestrial life.
• Uncover the fascinating processes behind the formation of our solar system and the birth of Earth.
• Explore the potential for terraforming Venus and the implications for future human colonization.
• Learn about the abundance of water in our solar system and its significance for space exploration and sustaining life beyond Earth.
• Understand the concept of the slingshot effect in space missions and its crucial role in propelling spacecraft to distant destinations.
The key moments in this episode are:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Dark Energy Survey
00:08:15 - Peregrine Lander Mission
00:13:48 - Dark Energy Survey Results
00:16:18 - Quintessence and Thunderplump
00:17:38 - Exploring the Cosmic Megastructure
00:19:56 - Universe Homogeneity and Big Ring Discovery
00:23:16 - Speculation on Megastructure Origins
00:24:53 - Unraveling the Mystery of Cosmic Structures
00:29:32 - Addressing Audience Feedback
00:34:17 - Formation of the Solar System and Origin of Water
00:37:27 - Slingshot Effect and Spacecraft Momentum
00:40:43 - Terraforming Venus and Atmospheric Cleanup
00:45:04 - Are Humans Stars? Stardust Origins
The resources mentioned in this episode are:
• Visit spacenutspodcast.com or spacenuts.io to send in your text or audio questions.
• Listen to Space Nuts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or your favorite podcast player.
• Stream on demand at bitesz.com.
• Check out the documentary The Stars by the BBC.
• Send feedback or questions through the Space Nuts website.
Connect with me here:
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/biteszHQ
• https://www.twitter.com/spacenutspod
• www.spacenuts.io
• https://www.youtube.com/@spacenutspodcast
• https://www.facebook.com/spacenutspodcast
