Spacetime With Stuart Gary

Stream on demand from www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly). *Dark Matter keeps its secrets Astronomers are back in the dark about what dark matter might be, after new observations have shown that it’s not interacting with forces other than gravity after all. The findings add more mystery to the enigma of dark matter – an invisible substance which makes up over 80 percent of all the matter in the universe. *New lightning study about to begin A new suite of European Space Agency instruments aboard the International Space Station are about to begin studying mysterious upper atmospheric lightning events from orbit Every second, around 45 lightning strikes jolt Earth’s atmosphere, where powerful reactions in thunderstorm clouds alter the chemical composition of the air inside and around them. *The truth behind NASA’s twins study In what may be a perfect example of what happens when news editors get journalists who usually chase fire engines or politicians to cover a science story -- media outlets have been busy issuin

Stream on demand from www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly). *A glimpse into the heart of an exploding star  Astronomers peering deep into the violent heart of a supernova debris field have discovered a slowly expanding torus shaped cloud of oxygen and neon surrounding a young neutron star. The findings provide new insights into the processes involved in the explosive deaths of massive stars through core collapse supernovae. *New study examines the mystery of cosmic voids A new study has discovered the gas inside giant cosmic voids is hotter than it should be. The findings suggest that the gas in the voids may be heated by jets emanating from supermassive black holes. *The search for Martian life begins The European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas orbiter is about to begin its primary science mission -- searching for signs of Martian life on the Red Planet. *Contact lost with new Indian satellite The Indian Space Research Organization is still trying to re-establish contact with its GSAT-6A telecommunications sat

Stream on demand from www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly). *Tens of thousands of black holes in Milky Way's centre Astronomers have detected a dozen stellar mass black holes orbiting close to the supermassive black hole -- Sagittarius A* -- at the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy. The findings support a decades-old hypothesis that there should be tens of thousands of stellar mass black holes at the galactic centre. *First age map of the heart of the Milky Way The first large-scale age-map of the Milky Way shows that a period of star formation lasting around 4 billion years created the complex structure at the heart of our galaxy. Previous studies have shown that the bulge hosts two components -- a population of metal-poor stars that have a spherical distribution -- and a population of metal-rich stars that form an elongated bar with a “waist,” like an X or a bi-lobed peanut. *Discovery of the most distant star ever seen. Astronomers have spotted the most distant star they’ve ever seen. The star dubbed Icarus is a

Stream on demand from www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly). *Mysterious signals from the galactic centre  Astronomers have discovered that a mysterious gamma-ray signal being emitted from the centre of the Milky Way galaxy is most likely being generated by rapidly spinning neutron stars. The findings solve a long standing mystery about the origins of these strange signals. *Is the Milky Way galaxy getting bigger New research suggests the Milky Way Galaxy is getting bigger. The findings indicate that the galaxy is expanding by a rate of about half a kilometre per second. *Could life exist in the clouds of Venus Scientists are speculating as to whether life could exist in the dense atmospheric clouds of Venus. The hypothesis follows the discovery of microbial life in Earth’s atmosphere. *Virgin Galactic completes first powered test flight Richard Branson says Virgin Galactic will soon be back on schedule following the successful completion of the first powered test flight of the VSS Unity spacecraft. The flight cam

*The origins of Earth’s water  A new study claims most of Earth’s water was already present on the planet before the giant impact event which created the Moon 4.5 billion years ago. *How a magnetic Cage on the Sun stopped solar eruption Scientists have discovered another clue in their understanding of what triggers space weather events. *April Skywatch We check out the April night skies focusing on the Southern Cross, Alpha Centauri, and this month’s Lyrids meteor shower. For enhanced Show Notes including photos to accompany this episode, visit: http://www.bitesz.com/spacetimeshownotes Subscribe, rate and review SpaceTime at all good podcasting apps…including Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes), Google Podcasts, Stitcher, PocketCasts, Podbean, Radio Public, Tunein Radio, google play, Spreaker, Spotify, Deezer etc Would you prefer to have access to the special commercial free version of SpaceTime? Help support the show, subscribe at Patreon....and share in the rewards. Details at www.patreon.com/spacetimewithstua

*China’s Tiangong-1 space station crashes back to Earth China’s out of control space station has crashed back to Earth in a fiery re-entry slamming down in the South Pacific Ocean near Tahiti. *Discovery of a galaxy without dark matter Astronomers have discovered a galaxy missing most if not all of its dark matter. The findings challenge currently-accepted theories of and galaxy formation and provide new insights into the nature of dark matter. *Cosmic X-rays may provide new clues to the nature of dark matter Physicists studying unusual cosmic X-ray radiation emissions say it could be a sign that Dark Matter is composed of sterile neutrinos. The findings could help solve the dark matter mystery that’s been plaguing science for almost a century. *The Science Report Russia test fires its most powerful thermonuclear Intercontinental Ballistic Missile the new RS-28 Sarmat. New details about 102 million year old ancient Queensland Crocodile. Aussie homes more online than ever with at least six devices connecting t

*Alien asteroid likely came from a binary star system New research suggests that Oumuamua, the rocky object identified as the first confirmed interstellar asteroid, very likely came from a binary star system. *New details of the alien star system that passed through our solar system A new study has confirmed that an alien binary star system which passed through our solar system 70 thousand years ago would have affected the orbits of distant comets sending them towards the inner solar system and the Earth. *Data from three satellites help scientists model the Sun’s Coronal Mass Ejections Scientists have combined data from three satellites observing the Sun to develop new models of violent stellar explosions known as Coronal Mass ejections or CMEs. *First manned space flight for 2018 Three new Expedition 55 crew members have docked with the International space station two days after launching aboard their Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the central Asian republic of Kazakhstan You tube vi

*Ancient relic galaxy uncovered  Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have uncovered an ancient “relic galaxy” in our own cosmic backyard. *Galaxies spinning like clockwork every billion years (PS: If you were a Patreon subscriber  you'd be getting bonus interview content with the this story) A new study has discovered that all galaxies rotate around their galactic centre once every billion years, no matter how big they are -- regardless of their mass or density. *Equinox cracks Scientists have detected what are called Equinox cracks in Earth’s magnetic field. *The United States Space Force US President Donald Trump is looking at establishing a United States Space Force – a new branch of the military focusing on space warfare. *Most advanced weather satellite launched America’s newest weather satellite the GOES-S spacecraft has been successfully launched into orbit. You tube video url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9uJ8UpSYgI *SpaceX carries out 50th launch of Falcon 9 rocket SpaceX has carried

Stream on demand from www.bitesz.com/spacetime (mobile friendly). *Steven Hawking’s passing Physicist Steven Hawking dies peacefully at his home aged 76. *Changes in Ceres' Surface Scientists have detected fresh ice on a crater wall on the dwarf planet Ceres. The discovery provides new insights into how materials in Ceres crust are evolving on short timescales. *The star man and the roadster As SpaceX boss Elon Musk’s little red roadster continues its journey towards the orbit of Mars – a new website following the adventures of the sports car and its Stig-like mannequin occupant Star Man -- has done some calculations. *The Science Report Higher yogurt intake is associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk. Having a so-called senior moment shouldn’t cause you to forget where your car keys are. Tracing the genetic history of goats and sheep. Most Dark Web sites are about money. The Skeptics guide to denialists. For enhanced Show Notes including photos to accompany this episode, visit: http://www.bitesz.com

*New Australian developed rocket passes major test Gilmour Space Technologies has carried out a successful test of its new G-70 rocket engine. The orbital-class single-port hybrid rocket engine. rocket engine successfully achieved 70 kilonewtons or 15,700 pounds-force of thrust during its test at a facility at Westmar in Queensland. *Chinese space station falling back to Earth out of control A report by the European Space Agency says China’s Tiangong 1 space station is now expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere on an uncontrolled decent sometime between March 30 to April 6\. ESA says the space station’s re-entry could take place anywhere between 43 degrees north and 43 south latitude. That places most of the world’s major population centres in its path including Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin, New York, Chicago, LA, Hong Kong, Athens, and Rome. *Studying Steve Scientists are getting to know Steve. But it’s not what you think --Steve is a strange shimmering ribbon of purple light in the auroral night sky. *Japan la

*New studies suggest the Moon has loads of water  A new analysis of data from two lunar missions finds evidence that the Moon's water is widely distributed across the surface and not confined to a particular region or type of terrain. The findings indicate that lunar water appears to be present, though it's not necessarily easily accessible. *Gravity’s effect on time Professor Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity has passed yet another test with scientists building the world’s first portable strontium laser lattice optical atomic clock and using it to measure time dilation in a gravitational field. Among its many predictions is that the passage of time changes in relation to a gravitational field – time moves slower the closer you are to a massive object. *Long-Lived Mars Rover Opportunity Keeps Finding Surprises NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity keeps providing surprises about the Red Planet, most recently with observations of possible "rock stripes." *The Science Report Vitamin D may help

Stream on demand from www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly). *Astronomers detect ancient signals from the first stars in universe Astronomers have for the first time ever detected an ancient signal from the first stars in the universe. The discovery places the first stars at just 180 million years after the big bang – far earlier than previously thought. *A new kind of star hypothesised Scientists are speculating about a new type of hypothetical stellar remnant born out of the death of a star. If they exist these so called “semi-classical relativistic stars” should look like stellar mass black holes – but without the black hole’s event horizon providing a point of no return for energy matter and time. *Juno’s newest close encounter with the king of planets Scientists have released the latest data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft’s most recent encounters with the gas giant Jupiter. Data collected during these latest orbits show that massive cyclones surround Jupiter's north and south poles unlike anything encountered an

*The strange dense structure discovered below the South Atlantic Anomaly A strange dense structure has been discovered directly below the South Atlantic Anomaly and just above the Earth’s core mantle boundary. The object may provide important clues about the Earth’s magnetic field and when it’s next likely to reverse polarity. *New gravity mission to monitor climate change NASA’s next Earth Gravity mission is slated to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on April 14\. The twin GRACE-FO spacecraft will continue the work of the original GRACE mission, monitoring how climate change caused by man’s use of fossil fuels was affecting the planet. *New exotic state of matter created Scientists have provided proof for a new state of matter comprising an electron orbiting an atomic nucleus at such a great distance – the space between the two can contain other bound atoms. The discovery raises new questions about the definition of an atom. *The Science Report The deadl

*Neutron stars confirmed as sources of ultraluminous X-rays Astronomers have confirmed neutron stars as one of the sources of ultraluminous X rays – powerful beams shining with the light of millions of Suns. The findings have gone some way to solving a long standing galactic mystery. *Evolution of the Milky Way galaxy A new study claims some stars around our galaxy previously thought to be remnants of galaxies that had been cannibalised by the Milky Way -- are instead likely to have once been part of the Milky Way itself before being pulled away by another galaxy. The findings show how the gravitational tidal forces interacting between galaxies as they pass close to each other work both ways resulting in the creation of tidal streams of stars. *No life on Proxima B Scientists hoping to find life on the nearest neighbouring star system to our solar system are disappointed following observations of spectacular stellar flare activity on its host star Proxima Centauri. *Expedition 54 returns to Earth Three expedi

*One of the most massive black holes ever seen Astronomers have discovered what might be some of the biggest supermassive black holes ever seen. The new findings follow observations of 72 galaxies in some of the known universe’s brightest and most massive galaxy clusters. *ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter completes aerobraking around the red planet Since arriving at Mars in October 2016, the joint European Space Agency and Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has been aerobraking its way into a tight circular orbit around the Red Planet by using the top of the Martian atmosphere to create drag and slow down. The mission’s main goal is to take a detailed inventory of the atmosphere, sniffing out gases like methane. *March Skywatch We turn our eyes to the skies and check out the celestial sphere for March on Skywatch highlighting Taurus, Aldebaran, Betelgeuse, Orion, Sirius, Gemini, and Regulus.  *The Science Report A new study links problem drinking to early onset dementia. The first reliable blood and urine tests for

*Milky Way is as big as Andromeda A new study claims our nearest big neighbour the Andromeda galaxy M-31 and our own galaxy the Milky Way are about the same mass. The findings contradicts earlier studies which concluded that Andromeda was two to three times larger than the Milky Way. *New Hubble constant hinting at strange new physics beyond the standard model Astronomers have used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to make the most precise measurements yet of the expansion rate of the universe since it was first calculated nearly a century ago. Intriguingly, the new results are forcing astronomers to consider that they may be seeing evidence of something unexpected at work in the universe. *The most distant supernova ever seen Astronomers have confirmed the discovery of the most distant supernova ever detected. The findings claim the huge cosmic explosion took place 10.5 billion years ago – meaning it’s taken some three-quarters of the age of the universe for light from the blast to reach Earth. *The Science Repo

*Getting up close and personal to an active supermassive black hole Astronomers have discovered a rotating dusty gas torus around a monster black hole in the heart of the galaxy M-77 located some 47 million light years away. *IceCube measures high energy neutrinos The IceCube collaboration in Antarctica has measured neutrino oscillations at energies higher than any previous observation. *Interstellar asteroid sent spinning Astronomers say a 230 metre wide interstellar asteroid which sped through the inner solar system last year is tumbling chaotically – most likely due to a violent collision. *Progress docks with space station after mystery launch shutdown A Russian Progress cargo ship has successfully docked with the International Space Station after computers triggered a sudden mystery launch abort shutdown just seconds before an earlier launch attempt. *The Science Report Expect increasingly unpredictable annual rainfall due to climate change. The US Air Force unveils plans for its new B-21 heavy stealth b

*Supermassive black holes out growing their galaxies Two new studies have discovered that the biggest black holes in the universe are growing faster than the rate of stars being formed in their galaxies. *Axions looking less likely to be dark matter candidates Physicists hunting for dark matter say Axions are now looking less likely to be dark matter candidates *Dark storms on Neptune New images of a giant dark storm cell on the distant world of Neptune show that the massive tempest is starting to disappear. *Is the Falcon Heavy pointing the way to the future of space flight As SpaceX continues to bask in the glory of its successful Falcon Heavy launch vehicle test flight -- new details have emerged over the one part of the mission which didn’t go to plan. *China’s domestic satnav system takes shape  Beijing has launched another pair of BeiDou navigation system satellites in its on-going bid to develop its own independent satellite navigation system. *The Science Report A new study warns that the rate of sea

*Does New Horizon’s next target have a moon?  There’s growing speculation that the next target for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft might be very unusual. *First hints of the quasiparticle Physicists say they’ve found their first tantalizing hints for the existence of quasiparticles called odderons. The findings are based on subatomic particle collisions undertaken at the Large Hadron Collider – the world’s largest atom smasher. *Stellar Streams in the Milky Way Astronomers have discovered 11 new stellar streams in our galaxy the Milky Way. The findings were discovered in the first three years of data obtained by the Dark Energy Survey. *Long lost image satellite found NASA has confirmed a satellite spotted last month -- is the agency’s long lost Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration or IMAGE spacecraft. *Earthquake early warning satellite launched China has launched a satellite testing a potential earthquake early warning system which could save thousands of lives a year. *Falcon 9 launches Luxe

*New galaxy survey measuring the expanding universe Astronomers are undertaking the most detailed survey ever attempting to measure the current expansion rate of the universe. The study – known as the Taipan galaxy survey – will help scientists better determine the age and ultimate fate of the cosmos based on current and past expansion rates and those predicted for the future. *Falcon Heavy blasts into history on a car trek beyond Mars SpaceX has opened a new chapter in commercial deep space travel with the successful launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket on its maiden flight. Video URL at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbSwFU6tY1c *One of the Milky Way’s first stars discovered Astronomers have found one of the most primitive stars in the Milky Way galaxy. *Earth survives two near misses Planet Earth has just survived two near misses by near Earth asteroids. The two space rocks were discovered just a week before their close encounters with our planet. *The Science Report Why living or working near noisy roads m