Space News Today

Monday SpaceTime 20261012 Series 29 Episode 122

How ancient black holes and a hidden fifth dimension could explain dark matter A new study claims an ancient hypothetical type of black hole and a hidden fifth dimension of spacetime may help explain the mysterious substance known as dark matter as well as a strange type of ultra-high-energy neutrino detected three years ago. Australia’s new lunar rover revealed The Australian Space Agency ASA has formally unveiled the latest version of its new Roo-ver lunar rover which will travel to the Moon in 2030 aboard an Intuitive Machines lander as part of NASA’s Artemis program. Evidence of activity from the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole Astronomers have discovered a powerful wind blowing from Sagittarius A* the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole. The Science Report The 2026 Nobel Prizes have been awarded in Sweeden. A Russian Bioweapon based on the Plague escapes the lab in Siberia. Scientists in Israel develop an artificial intelligence program that can quite literally read minds. Skeptics guide to diphtheria dangers.

Our Guests This Week Professor Richard de Grijs from Macquarie University NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine Director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division Lori Glaze Dragonfly Principal Investigator Elizabeth Turtle Associate Administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy NASA Associate Administrator Nicky Fox Mars Perseverance Project Scientist Katie Stack-Morgan Mars Perseverance PIXL Instrument Principal Investigator Joel Hurowitz from Stony Brook University Our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn (http://www.bitesz.com/nordvpn) . The discounts and bonuses are incredible! And it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌ If you’d like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content by becoming a SpaceTime crew member, you can do just that through The Big Bang editions on Patreon, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Details on the Support page on our website https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/ (https://www.bitesz.com/show/spacetime/support/)

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Space Nuts: Unraveling the Mysteries of NGC 4698 and Chariklo's Rings

In this exciting episode of Space Nuts , hosts Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson explore some truly peculiar cosmic phenomena. They kick off with a deep dive into the strange behaviour of the galaxy NGC 4698, known for its unusual rotational patterns and mysterious bulge, leading to discussions about possible galactic mergers. Next, the duo ventures into the intriguing world of Chariklo, a centaur object with changing rings, as they discuss the latest observations from the James Webb Space Telescope and the implications of its unique ring structure. Join Andrew and Fred Watson as they navigate these captivating astronomical tales with their signature blend of humour and insight.

Key topics

- The peculiar characteristics of NGC 4698: What makes this galaxy behave strangely?

- Insights into the dynamics of galaxy mergers and their effects on structure.

- Chariklo's rings: How have they changed since their discovery, and what does this mean for our understanding of ring systems?

- The potential existence of a hidden moon influencing the structure of Chariklo's rings.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and overview of today's topics

01:20 - Discussion on the peculiar galaxy NGC 4698 and its unusual features

15:30 - Exploring Chariklo and the changes in its ring system

25:00 - Insights from the James Webb Space Telescope and the hidden moon hypothesis

35:15 - Final thoughts and listener engagement

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Space Nuts: Time Travel, Orbiting Telescopes, and Gold Origins

In this Q&A episode of Space Nuts , hosts Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson tackle a range of thought-provoking listener questions. They begin with a fascinating inquiry from Andy, a train driver in the UK, about the implications of time travel at relativistic speeds. What does it mean to age differently when travelling close to the speed of light? The duo then dives into the mechanics of orbiting telescopes, addressing Nick's questions about how these instruments manage their observations while minimising interruptions from Earth. Finally, Ash from Brisbane poses an intriguing question about the origins of gold, prompting a discussion on neutron star collisions and the cosmic processes that create heavy elements.

Key topics

- Time travel and the effects of relativistic speeds on aging: Can we really travel through time?

- The scheduling and operational strategies of orbiting telescopes like Hubble: How do they maximise observation time?

- The origins of gold in the universe: What role do neutron star collisions play in the creation of heavy elements?

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and overview of listener questions

01:20 - Andy’s question on time travel and relativistic speeds

15:30 - Nick’s inquiry about orbiting telescopes and their observation strategies

25:00 - Ash’s question regarding the origins of gold and neutron star collisions

35:15 - Final thoughts and listener engagement

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Show notes We're back after a short break! Today: the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Francis Halzen for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory — a cubic kilometre of Antarctic ice turned into a telescope. Then a Sydney-led team publishes the most distant fast radio burst yet, from a dwarf galaxy just 3 billion years after the big bang; Hubble's archive yields a possible second-generation planet around a white dwarf; and we catch up on Starship's first orbit, Crew-13, Juice's Earth flyby and the end of the LINK/Swift story. Skywatch: zodiacal light at both ends of the day, Mercury above Venus in southern twilight, and Mars in the Beehive for the north. Segment 1 — LEAD: The Telescope Made of Ice · Nobel Prize in Physics 2026 — nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2026 (6 Oct 2026) · Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences press release, 6 Oct 2026 · AIP congratulations release, Newswise, 6 Oct 2026 · University of Wisconsin–Madison / IceCube background (via Interesting Engineering, 6 Oct 2026) Segment 2 — The Most Distant Fast Radio Burst · NASA: 'Webb Measures Distance to Farthest Fast Radio Burst, Suggesting Origin', 8 Oct 2026 · Caleb et al., Science, 8 Oct 2026, DOI 10.1126/science.adz2675 · Preprint: arXiv 2508.01648, 3 Aug 2025 (14-month gap disclosed) Segment 3 — A Planet Built From a Dead Star · NASA: 'Suspected Second-generation Planet Solves NASA Hubble Cold Case', 5 Oct 2026 · Williams et al., Nature Astronomy, 5 Oct 2026, DOI 10.1038/s41550-026-02983-7 · ESA/Hubble heic2613; poster, UK White Dwarf meeting, Durham, July 2025 (disclosed) Segment 4 — While We Were Away · SpaceX Starship Flight 14 overview (via leonarddavid.com, 29 Sept 2026) · NASA: 'NASA's SpaceX Crew-13 Launches', 1 Oct 2026 · ESA: 'Successful Earth flyby improves Juice's course to Jupiter', 28–30 Sept 2026 · AP (Marcia Dunn): 'Private spacecraft falls back to Earth...', 25 Sept 2026 · JAXA: MMX launch schedule aboard H3 F10, 20 Aug 2026 Segment 5 — Skywatch: Both Hemispheres · PyEphem 4.2.1 computations, Sydney / Los Angeles / New York / London · BBC Sky at Night: Vesta and Pallas at opposition, Oct 2026 · NASA: What's Up, October 2026

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This episode includes AI-generated content.

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Space Nuts: Space Force Weapons, Purple Mars, and New Lunar Crater

In this episode of Space Nuts , hosts Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson delve into some fascinating and thought-provoking topics. They kick off with the recent revelation about the existence of weapons in orbit around Earth, a significant admission from the United States that raises questions about the future of space security. The conversation shifts to Mars, where stunning new images suggest that we might need to reconsider its nickname as the "Red Planet" due to striking purple hues observed in its southern regions. Finally, the duo discusses a newly discovered crater on the Moon, the largest of its kind in recent history, and what this means for our understanding of lunar impacts and surface changes.

Key topics

- The United States acknowledges the presence of weapons in space, sparking discussions about the implications for global security and the arms race in orbit.

- An exploration of Mars' changing colour palette, with new images revealing purple landscapes that challenge our traditional views of the planet.

- The discovery of a significant new crater on the Moon, highlighting the ongoing geological activity and impact history of our celestial neighbour.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and overview of topics

01:20 - Discussion on weapons in orbit and implications for space security

15:30 - Mars as the "Purple Planet" and the significance of new imagery

25:00 - New lunar crater discovery and its implications for lunar geology

35:15 - Closing thoughts and listener engagement

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