Episodes

  • Gas Giants vs. Brown Dwarfs: Unraveling the Cosmic Spin Mystery

    Gas Giants vs. Brown Dwarfs: Unraveling the Cosmic Spin Mystery
    Mar 25 2026

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    SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 36 *How to tell gas giants from brown dwarfs A new study has found that giant planets spin faster than their cosmic brown dwarfs lookalikes. *A nuclear power station on the Moon gets the green light NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy have renewed their partnership to develop a nuclear fission reactor to power a permanent base on the lunar surface by 2030. *Using an ice satellite to detect powerful geomagnetic storms The European Space Agency’s Cryosat spacecraft has accurately measured the impact of resent geomagnetic storm activity from the Sun as it slammed into Earth’s magnetic field.. *The Science Report New study shows that higher air pollution levels increase the risk of physical disabilities. Working out someone’s mood by the way they walk. Over half of teens admit that they’ve created at least one image using AI nudification tools. Alex on Tech: Portable data centres on their way down under.

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    Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/32400309?utm_source=youtube
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    21 mins
  • NASA’s Moon Base Revolution: Gateway Cancelled, Nuclear Mars Mission Announced & More

    NASA’s Moon Base Revolution: Gateway Cancelled, Nuclear Mars Mission Announced & More
    Mar 25 2026
    Wednesday, March 25, 2026 In today's episode of Astronomy Daily, Anna and Avery cover six major stories from the last 24 hours in space and astronomy — including two landmark NASA announcements that could reshape the future of human space exploration. Story 1: NASA Cancels Lunar Gateway — Pivots to $20 Billion Moon Base NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced at the agency's 'Ignition Day' event that the Lunar Gateway orbital space station has been paused, with resources redirected toward a phased $20 billion base on the lunar surface. The three-phase plan runs from 2026 to beyond 2032 and involves international partners including JAXA, the Italian Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/nasas-lunar-gateway-space-station-is-out-moon-bases-are-in (https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/nasas-lunar-gateway-space-station-is-out-moon-bases-are-in) Story 2: NASA's SR-1 Freedom — The First Nuclear-Powered Interplanetary Spacecraft Also announced at Ignition Day, Space Reactor-1 Freedom is planned for a December 2028 launch to Mars. It will use Nuclear Electric Propulsion and carry the Skyfall payload — three Ingenuity-class helicopters designed to scout future human landing sites and map subsurface water ice. Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/nasas-1st-nuclear-powered-interplanetary-spacecraft-will-send-skyfall-helicopters-to-mars-in-2028 (https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/nasas-1st-nuclear-powered-interplanetary-spacecraft-will-send-skyfall-helicopters-to-mars-in-2028) Story 3: Two Planets Forming Around Infant Star WISPIT 2 Astronomers using the ESO's Very Large Telescope have directly imaged two gas giant planets forming around the 5.4-million-year-old star WISPIT 2, located 437 light-years away in Aquila. The system is described as a mirror of our early solar system, with potential for more planets yet to be discovered. Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/scientists-discover-mirror-of-our-solar-system-in-2-exoplanets-forming-around-a-star (https://www.space.com/astronomy/exoplanets/scientists-discover-mirror-of-our-solar-system-in-2-exoplanets-forming-around-a-star) Story 4: Hubble Revisits the Crab Nebula — 25 Years On NASA has released new Hubble Space Telescope images of the Crab Nebula, taken 25 years after the telescope first observed the object. The images reveal the nebula's continued expansion — the still-evolving remnant of a supernova first observed by astronomers in 1054 AD. Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/hubble-revisits-a-cosmic-crab-after-25-years-space-photo-of-the-day-for-march-23-2026 (https://www.space.com/astronomy/hubble-revisits-a-cosmic-crab-after-25-years-space-photo-of-the-day-for-march-23-2026) Story 5: Fiber-Optic Cables Could Detect Moonquakes Two new studies from Los Alamos National Laboratory suggest that fiber-optic cables deployed directly on the lunar surface could detect moonquakes using Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS). The technique could replace expensive individual seismometers, with a single cable acting as thousands of sensors across hundreds of kilometres of lunar terrain. Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/future-artemis-missions-could-use-fiber-optic-cables-to-monitor-moonquakes (https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/future-artemis-missions-could-use-fiber-optic-cables-to-monitor-moonquakes) Story 6: Rocket Lab 'Daughter of the Stars' — Europe's First Celeste Navigation Satellites Rocket Lab's Electron rocket launched the first two satellites for ESA's Celeste LEO-PNT constellation from Māhia, New Zealand on March 25. The mission is ESA's first foray into low-Earth orbit navigation, designed to complement and strengthen Europe's Galileo system. The constellation is named after Maria Celeste, daughter of Galileo Galilei. Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/rocket-lab-electron-launch-european-space-agency-celeste-navigation-satellites (https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/rocket-lab-electron-launch-european-space-agency-celeste-navigation-satellites) Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit 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 Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/32397834?utm_source=youtube
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    20 mins
  • Artemis II Countdown, Auroras Over Sydney, and the Lava World That Broke the Rules

    Artemis II Countdown, Auroras Over Sydney, and the Lava World That Broke the Rules
    Mar 24 2026
    Thank you for listening to Astronomy Daily! Here's everything from today's episode: Story 1: Artemis II — T-Minus Days to Launch NASA is targeting April 1, 2026 for the launch of Artemis II — the first crewed lunar flyby since Apollo 17 in 1972. The crew of Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will fly a 10-day free-return trajectory around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft on the SLS rocket from Kennedy Space Center. The six-day launch window runs April 1–6. Meanwhile, a new analysis suggests the mission could face elevated solar superflare risk, though NASA is proceeding after a successful Flight Readiness Review. Source: NASA — https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/ Solar risk analysis: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/artemis-2-moon-mission-shouldnt-launch-until-late-2026-new-analysis-of-solar-superflares-suggests Story 2: G3 Geomagnetic Storm & Aurora Australis Multiple coronal mass ejections from the Sun triggered a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm, producing vivid auroral displays from New York to Scotland to — remarkably — Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe storm warning for March 23. Conditions are easing on March 24 (Kp 3–4) but some aurora activity may continue. March is historically the best month for auroras due to the equinox effect, and with Solar Cycle 25 at its peak, scientists say this could be the best aurora viewing period until the mid-2030s. Aurora forecast: https://earthsky.org/sun/sun-news-activity-solar-flare-cme-aurora-updates/ Aurora Australis guide: https://www.elle.com.au/culture/news/aurora-australis-southern-lights-march-2026-tonight-alert/ Story 3: JWST Finds 'Impossible' Atmosphere on Lava World TOI-561 b A Carnegie Institution-led team used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to detect the strongest evidence yet for an atmosphere around a rocky exoplanet. TOI-561 b — an ultra-hot super-Earth about twice Earth's mass, orbiting its star every 10.56 hours — was expected to be a bare rock. Instead, JWST measured a dayside temperature far cooler than a bare rock would produce, indicating a thick atmosphere redistributing heat above a global magma ocean. The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Source: Carnegie Institution for Science — https://carnegiescience.edu/ultra-hot-lava-world-has-thick-atmosphere-upending-expectations ScienceDaily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/03/260322020255.htm Story 4: Sealed Apollo 17 Moon Rocks Reveal Surprise Sulfur Signal Sealed lunar samples from Apollo 17 (collected 1972, opened through NASA's ANGSA program) have revealed unexpected sulfur isotope signatures. A Brown University-led team found volcanic material from the Taurus-Littrow region is strongly depleted in sulfur-33 — unlike anything found on Earth. Possible explanations include ancient lunar atmospheric chemistry or a legacy of the Theia impact that formed the Moon. Published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. Source: Brown University — https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-10-06/sulfur-isotopes-apollo-samples SciTechDaily: https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-open-moon-rocks-locked-away-since-1972-and-find-something-totally-unexpected/ Story 5: This Week in Global Rocketry An exceptional week of launches spanning five countries and seven rocket types: SpaceX Falcon 9 (Starlink 17-17, Tuesday; Starlink 10-44, Thursday — B1067's record 34th flight; Transporter 16, Sunday), Rocket Lab Electron (ESA Celeste demo sats, Wednesday, NZ), Isar Aerospace Spectrum (Onward and Upward, Wednesday, Norway), Chang Zheng 2C (Wednesday, China), CAS Space Kinetica 1 (Friday, China), Russia's debut Soyuz-5 (Friday, Baikonur), and ULA Atlas V (Amazon Leo batch, Sunday). The 73rd orbital launch attempt of 2026 worldwide. Full preview: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/03/launch-preview-032326/ Update: Progress MS-33 & Spectrum Rocket Progress MS-33 (also known as Progress 94) launched from the newly-repaired Site 31/6 at Baikonur on March 22 carrying 2,509 kg of supplies for the ISS Expedition 74 crew. A KURS antenna failure required ISS commander Sergei Kud-Sverchkov to dock the vehicle manually using the TORU backup system, scheduled for 13:34 UTC on March 24. Separately, Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket remains on the pad at Andøya, Norway, with a new launch window on March 25 (20:00–21:00 UTC) after weather delays. Progress MS-33: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/03/progress-ms33/ Spectrum launch info: https://isaraerospace.com/mission-updates-overview 🌐 astronomydaily.io | 🎙️ Part of the Bitesz.com Podcast Network 📱 @AstroDailyPod on Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube & Tumblr Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&...
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    21 mins
  • Black Hole Merger Sparks Gamma Ray Burst and Iodine Propulsion Revolution

    Black Hole Merger Sparks Gamma Ray Burst and Iodine Propulsion Revolution
    Mar 24 2026

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    SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 35 *The black hole merger that sent ripples through spacetime Scientists have detected the merger of a pair of stellar mass black holes which was quickly followed seconds later by a powerful gamma ray burst.. *A new type of ion propulsion system for spacecraft Scientists are developing a new type of ion propulsion system for spacecraft which would be easier to produce and provide better performance than current xenon based plasma systems. *Thousands watch a fireball streak across the Ohio skies Residents across North Eastern Ohio have seen a spectacular day time meteor streak across the skies. *The Science Report Study shows Greenland’s Ice dome melted over 7,000 years ago.. Warnings of worsening human health impacts from the production of plastics. Scientists discover the region of the brain responsible for controlling hypocrisy. Skeptics guide to America’s growing belief in flying saucers.

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    Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/32367922?utm_source=youtube
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    33 mins
  • Europe’s Rocket Moment, A Hidden Cosmic Explosion, and Brown Dwarfs in Love

    Europe’s Rocket Moment, A Hidden Cosmic Explosion, and Brown Dwarfs in Love
    Mar 23 2026
    Astronomy Daily — Season 5, Episode 70 Monday, March 23, 2026 In today's episode, Anna and Avery cover six stories spanning a live European rocket launch attempt, a sixty-year-old NASA emergency brought back to life through newly surfaced photographs, a cosmic explosion caught only by its echo, the fight to preserve the night sky, a supply run to the ISS with an unexpected complication, and a first-of-its-kind discovery involving brown dwarf stars. Story 1: Europe's Spectrum Rocket — Bid for Orbit Today Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket is attempting its second test flight today — its qualification mission for ESA's European Launcher Challenge. Launching from Andøya Spaceport in Norway, the mission carries five CubeSats and one experiment from European universities and companies, all supported by ESA's Boost! program. If successful, it would mark a landmark moment for European sovereign access to space. Source: ESA — Spectrum's Qualifying Second Launch (https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/Boost/Spectrum_s_qualifying_second_launch) Story 2: Neil Armstrong — The Gemini 8 Emergency Sixty years ago this month, Neil Armstrong and David Scott survived one of NASA's most dangerous pre-Apollo emergencies aboard Gemini 8. A spacecraft malfunction sent the capsule into an uncontrolled spin reaching one revolution per second. Never-before-seen photographs of Armstrong's recovery have been donated to the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Source: Phys.org — Space News (https://phys.org/space-news/) Story 3: Astronomers Catch the Echo of a Billion-Sun Explosion Using the ASKAP radio telescope in Western Australia, astronomers identified ASKAP J005512-255834 — a radio signal representing the most convincing "orphan afterglow" of a gamma-ray burst ever detected. The original explosion went unseen because its jet wasn't aimed at Earth, but the lingering radio echo has been detectable for over 1,000 days. Research published in The Astrophysical Journal. Source: The Conversation — A Cosmic Explosion With the Force of a Billion Suns (https://theconversation.com/a-cosmic-explosion-with-the-force-of-a-billion-suns-went-unseen-until-we-caught-its-echo-275565) Story 4: The Fight to Save the Night Sky The Royal Astronomical Society, ESA, and the International Astronomical Union have filed formal objections to the FCC over two proposed satellite constellations: SpaceX's application for up to one million orbiting AI data centre satellites, and Reflect Orbital's proposal for 50,000 space mirrors each four times brighter than the full Moon. Experts warn the proposals could permanently transform humanity's view of the night sky. Source: Space.com — Astronomers Protest Giant Orbiting Mirror Project (https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/this-is-really-intolerable-astronomers-protest-giant-orbiting-mirror-project-and-spacexs-million-ai-satellites) Story 5: Progress 94 Launches to ISS — With a Glitch Russia's Progress 94 cargo spacecraft launched successfully from Baikonur on March 22, carrying around three tonnes of food, fuel, and supplies to the ISS. One of its KURS automated docking antennas failed to deploy after launch. Docking at the Poisk module is scheduled for March 24. If the antenna issue isn't resolved, commander Sergei Kud-Sverchkov will conduct a manual docking. Source: NASA — Progress Cargo Craft Launches to Resupply Station Crew (https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2026/03/22/progress-cargo-craft-launches-to-resupply-station-crew/) Story 6: First-Ever Brown Dwarf Pair Caught in Mass Transfer Caltech researchers using the Zwicky Transient Facility have discovered ZTF J1239+8347 — the first-ever observed brown dwarf binary undergoing mass transfer. The pair orbit each other every 57 minutes at a separation smaller than the Earth-Moon distance. The system will eventually either merge into a single star or one dwarf will accrete enough mass to ignite fusion. Research published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Source: Universe Today — This Pair of Brown Dwarfs Can't Get Enough of Each Other (https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-pair-of-brown-dwarfs-cant-get-enough-of-each-other) Find us everywhere: astronomydaily.io | @AstroDailyPod Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit 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 Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link:...
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    16 mins
  • Hawking Radiation, Dark Energy Dilemmas & Listener Curiosities | Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights...

    Hawking Radiation, Dark Energy Dilemmas & Listener Curiosities | Space Nuts: Astronomy Insights...
    Mar 23 2026

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    Cosmic Queries: Hawking Radiation, Dark Energy, and Moving Earth

    In this engaging Q&A episode of Space Nuts , hosts Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson dive into intriguing listener questions that span the cosmos. From the mysteries of Hawking radiation to the enigma of dark energy, and even a thought-provoking "what if" scenario about moving Earth to a new star system, this episode is packed with fascinating discussions and astronomical insights.

    Episode Highlights:

    - Hawking Radiation Explained: Tony from Marrickville poses a question about the entanglement of particles that pop into existence near black holes. Andrew and Fred explore the concept of quantum entanglement and how it relates to Hawking radiation, shedding light on this complex phenomenon.

    - Understanding Dark Energy: Stuart Gary Gary from Tasmania asks about the implications of dark energy and its role in the universe's expansion. The hosts discuss current theories, including the cosmological constant, and unravel the mysteries surrounding this elusive form of energy.

    - What If We Could Move Earth? Thomas from Virginia presents a thought-provoking scenario about relocating Earth to another star's Goldilocks zone. Andrew and Fred contemplate the potential effects on Earth's atmosphere during such a journey, drawing parallels to science fiction while grounding the discussion in scientific principles.

    For more Space Nuts, including our continuously updating newsfeed and to listen to all our episodes, visit our website. (https://www.spacenutspodcast.com/) Follow us on social media at SpaceNutsPod on Facebook, Instagram, and more. We love engaging with our community, so be sure to drop us a message or comment on your favorite platform.

    If you’d like to help support Space Nuts and join our growing family of insiders for commercial-free episodes and more, visit spacenutspodcast.com/about (https://www.spacenutspodcast.com/about) .

    Stay curious, keep looking up, and join us next time for more stellar insights and cosmic wonders. Until then, clear skies and happy stargazing.

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    Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/32347967?utm_source=youtube
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    34 mins
  • Moon Rocket, Lost Spacecraft, and a Comet That Fell Apart on Camera

    Moon Rocket, Lost Spacecraft, and a Comet That Fell Apart on Camera
    Mar 21 2026
    Today on Astronomy Daily: NASA's Artemis II moon rocket has arrived at Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, with a launch target of April 1st — the first crewed mission beyond Earth orbit in over 53 years. Plus: astronomers have discovered the first-ever mass-transferring brown dwarf binary; Hubble accidentally caught a comet disintegrating in real time; 15 new moons have been confirmed around Jupiter and Saturn; our Moon is accumulating over 100 metric tons of human-made debris; and a dramatic spacecraft double-header — ESA's Proba-3 has been recovered from a month-long blackout, while NASA's MAVEN Mars orbiter remains missing after more than three months of silence. Story 1: Artemis II Arrives at Launch Pad 39B NASA's Artemis II SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft completed an 11-hour overnight journey to Launch Pad 39B on March 20, 2026. Launch is targeted for no earlier than April 1. The crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — will fly a 10-day free-return trajectory around the Moon, making this the first crewed deep-space mission since Apollo 17 in December 1972. Source: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/03/20/nasas-artemis-ii-rocket-arrives-at-launch-pad-39b/ Story 2: First Mass-Transferring Brown Dwarf Binary Researchers at Caltech have identified ZTF J1239+8347, a brown dwarf binary system with an orbital period of just 57.41 minutes in which one brown dwarf is actively pulling material from its companion — a first for this class of objects. The system, only ~1,000 light-years away, is a prime candidate for JWST follow-up observations. Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Source: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/this-pair-of-brown-dwarfs-cant-get-enough-of-each-other Story 3: Hubble Catches Comet C/2025 K1 Breaking Apart In a remarkable stroke of luck, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) fragmenting into at least four pieces over three consecutive days in November 2025. The comet was not the original target of the observation. The findings, published in Icarus, reveal the comet is unusually carbon-depleted and raise new questions about the delay between fragmentation and visible brightening. Source: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasas-hubble-unexpectedly-catches-comet-breaking-up/ Story 4: 15 New Moons Confirmed for Jupiter and Saturn The Minor Planet Center announced on March 16, 2026 that four new moons have been confirmed around Jupiter (bringing its total to 101) and 11 new moons around Saturn (bringing its total to 285). All are small irregular moons, discovered by combining archival telescope data with new observations. With the Vera C. Rubin Observatory now operational, further discoveries are expected. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/more-moons-for-jupiter-and-saturn-total-satellite-discoveries/ Story 5: Human Debris on the Moon — Over 100 Metric Tons and Counting More than 100 metric tons of human-made objects now litter the lunar surface — spacecraft hardware, scientific instruments, and even waste from Apollo missions. With a wave of crewed and commercial lunar missions approaching under Artemis and beyond, space policy researchers are urging the development of international agreements to protect scientifically sensitive lunar sites before they are damaged or contaminated by human activity. Source: https://www.universetoday.com — lunar debris policy Story 6: MAVEN Still Missing / Proba-3 Recovered NASA's MAVEN Mars orbiter, lost since December 6, 2025, remains uncontacted despite three months of recovery efforts using the Deep Space Network, Green Bank Observatory, and the Curiosity rover. An anomaly review board is assessing options. Meanwhile, ESA's Proba-3 coronagraph spacecraft — silent since February 14 after a power failure — has been successfully recovered after engineers exploited a brief window when the tumbling spacecraft's solar panels briefly faced the Sun. MAVEN source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/nasa-wont-give-up-hope-on-silent-maven-mars-probe-were-still-looking-for-it Proba-3 source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/03/europe-restores-contact-lost-spacecraft/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss) . Sponsor Details: Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN . To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit 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 Here (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support) This episode includes AI-generated content. Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/32330037?utm_source=youtube
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    16 mins
  • Equinox Auroras, Ancient Stars, and a Satellite Resurrection

    Equinox Auroras, Ancient Stars, and a Satellite Resurrection
    Mar 20 2026
    It's the first day of astronomical spring — and the universe is celebrating in style. On today's Astronomy Daily, Anna and Avery cover a triple CME solar storm with aurora potential reaching as far south as Illinois, explain why the vernal equinox amplifies aurora activity, report on the ongoing meteorite hunt following Tuesday's spectacular Ohio fireball, reveal an extraordinary 14-billion-year-old star that carries the chemical fingerprints of the universe's very first stars, bring a happy update on Europe's Proba-3 solar science satellite which has ended a month of silence, and explain how X-ray CT scans of returned asteroid samples finally cracked one of Bennu's longest-standing mysteries. Stories in This Episode 1. Triple CME Strike + Equinox Aurora Alert Three coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are currently en route to Earth, with the first arriving today. Forecasters predict G2 (moderate) to G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm conditions, potentially bringing auroras as far south as Illinois. The timing coincides with the vernal equinox — historically one of the best aurora windows of the year due to the Russell-McPherron effect. 2. The Vernal Equinox — Today! The 2026 March equinox arrived today at 14:46 UTC, marking the astronomical start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere (and autumn in the Southern). Tonight, a thin crescent Moon appears alongside Venus in the west-southwest sky. 3. Ohio Fireball — Meteorite Hunt Underway On St. Patrick's Day (March 17), a seven-ton asteroid exploded over northeast Ohio with the force of 250 tons of TNT. NASA confirmed meteorites landed near Medina County, and hunters from across the US have already found fragments in the Sharon Center area. 4. Ancient 'Cosmic Fossil' Star PicII-503 Astronomers have discovered PicII-503, a second-generation star in the Pictor II dwarf galaxy with only 1/40,000th of the Sun's iron — the lowest ever measured outside the Milky Way. Its extraordinary carbon-to-iron ratio links it to mysterious carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars scattered across our galaxy's halo, solving a long-standing stellar mystery. Published in Nature Astronomy by Anirudh Chiti (Stanford) et al. 5. Proba-3 Phones Home — 'A Great Relief!' ESA confirmed on March 19 that its Proba-3 Coronagraph satellite — silent since mid-February after an anomaly caused it to lose attitude control — has reestablished contact via the Villafranca ground station. The spacecraft is in safe mode, solar-powered, and undergoing health checks before science operations can resume. 6. NASA Cracks Bennu's Boulder Mystery X-ray CT scans of returned OSIRIS-REx samples reveal Bennu's boulders are riddled with internal crack networks — the missing piece explaining the asteroid's puzzling low thermal inertia. Published in Nature Communications. The findings will improve asteroid characterisation from Earth-based telescopes globally. Source Links Triple CME / Aurora Alert — Space.com: https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/aurora-alert-powerful-geomagnetic-storm-could-spark-northern-lights-as-far-south-as-illinois-on-march-19 (https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/aurora-alert-powerful-geomagnetic-storm-could-spark-northern-lights-as-far-south-as-illinois-on-march-19) Triple CME / Sun News — EarthSky: https://earthsky.org/sun/sun-news-activity-solar-flare-cme-aurora-updates/ (https://earthsky.org/sun/sun-news-activity-solar-flare-cme-aurora-updates/) NOAA Space Weather Prediction Centre: https://www.spaceweather.gov (https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-vernal-or-spring-equinox/ (https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-vernal-or-spring-equinox/) Ohio Fireball — EarthSky: https://earthsky.org/earth/sonic-boom-from-a-meteor-cleveland-ohio-and-pennsylvania-mar-17-2026/ (https://earthsky.org/earth/sonic-boom-from-a-meteor-cleveland-ohio-and-pennsylvania-mar-17-2026/) Ohio Meteorite Hunt — Cleveland19: https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/03/19/meteorite-hunters-states-away-find-fragments-northeast-ohio/ (https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/03/19/meteorite-hunters-states-away-find-fragments-northeast-ohio/) PicII-503 Discovery — NOIRLab: https://noirlab.edu/public/news/noirlab2607/ (https://noirlab.edu/public/news/noirlab2607/) PicII-503 — Nature Astronomy (DOI): https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02802-z (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02802-z) Proba-3 Phones Home — Space.com: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/a-great-relief-europes-proba-3-solar-eclipse-satellite-phones-home-after-a-month-of-silence (https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/a-great-relief-europes-proba-3-solar-eclipse-satellite-phones-home-after-a-month-of-silence) Proba-3 ESA Statement: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba-3_s_Coronagraph_is_alive (https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba-3_s_Coronagraph_is_alive) Bennu...
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    18 mins