New Method Finds Four Brown Dwarfs
Using data from the fabulous Gaia mission, researchers have detected four new brown dwarfs as well as several other unusual companions to 25 stars in the Milky Way. Plus, Yellowstone, Earth’s magnetic field, hot Jupiters, and a review of the first episode of The Orville: New Horizons.
About Our Podcast
Get your daily dose of all that’s new in space and astronomy. The sky is not the limit, as we bring you a fast-paced roundup of launches, landings, and everyday discoveries. The Daily Space is a not-for-profit show supported through the generous donations of people like you. Learn more on our credits and sponsors page.
We record most shows live, on Twitch. Follow us today to get alerts when we go live.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Catch us on NowMedia TV
Saturday 11pm Central / midnight Eastern
Sunday 10pm Central / 11pm Eastern
Watch live on these stations: Houston 21.10, Atlanta 22.10
or tune-in on Apple TV, Roku, YouTube Live, or Amazon Prime
Second Repeating Fast Radio Burst Discovered
A second repeating fast radio burst was detected in 2019 by China’s FAST observatory and confirmed in 2020 by the Very Large Array. This latest discovery raises the possibility that there are two different types of FRBs. Plus, a SpaceX commercial launch, mission updates, neutron stars, and this week’s What’s Up.
Quasars Help Pinpoint the End of Reionization Epoch
Using the radiation signatures of quasars, scientists have determined when the era of reionization ended in our universe – about 1.1 billion years after the Big Bang. Plus, an update on NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft, new Hubble and Chandra images, and This Week in Rocket History is the TIROS-5 weather satellite.
Found: Dying Galaxies Containing Active Black Holes
Astronomers combined observations of far distant galaxies exhibiting no signs of star formation and found active supermassive black holes that may have contributed to the evolution of their parent galaxies. Plus, rocket launches, detecting earthquakes, and why Uranus and Neptune are different shades of blue.
A Trio of Mars Papers Provides Two Explanations to Different Questions
Today, we take a look at three recent papers attempting to explain various phenomena on Mars. One uncovers the cause of discrete aurorae. Another explains the martian haze. And a third actually ends up with more questions than answers. Plus, Boeing’s OFT-2 returns to Earth, ESA’s Solar Orbiter makes its closest approach, and Dr. Pamela reviews the new graphic novel “Galaxy: The Prettiest Star” by Jadzia Axelrod.
Tau Herculids Meteor Shower Could Be Meteor Outburst
Due to the gravitational pull of Jupiter on the fragments and dust of comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, Earth’s orbit may be moving through a dense portion of the comet’s trail on May 31. This alignment could result in an unusually spectacular meteor outburst, and we’ll interview astronomer Pierre Martin about this possible event. Plus, a SpaceX launch that wasn’t Starlink, a new solar sail, and JWST.
Chaos Reigned in Early Solar System
Researchers using radioactive decay analysis have recreated the early history of some asteroids in our solar system, revealing a more chaotic phase than previously thought. Plus, a near-Earth asteroid, a trove of black holes, and this week in rocket history, we look back at Mercury-Atlas 7.