Podcasts about Observatory

CONTENTS JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-26-2026.832Greenwich Observatory (Robert Chambers, p.200, 1832) - Copy.pngJohn Batchelor and Michael Bernstam analyze the revenue-sharing deal between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, which does not resolve the critical global refinery shortage. Decades of zero Western refinery expansion, alongside Ukrainian drone strikes disabling Russian capacity, has left a global deficit of 5.6 to 6 million barrels per day of refined products. This is especially severe for diesel, which requires heavy crude unlike the light sweet crude produced by the US shale revolution. With U.S. refineries running at maximum capacity, the threat of mechanical failures risks a full-blown supply crisis. (1)Richard Reinsch discusses the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and their principles, which advocate for economic collectivism, nationalizing private industries, and dismantling the U.S. constitutional republic in favor of a unicameral legislature. Reinsch contrasts this with a historical 1922 Kremlin conversation where Soviet leader Joseph Stalin accused American communist Jay Lovestone of "heresy" for arguing "American exceptionalism"—the idea that American working-class prosperity made them resistant to Marxism. Today, Reinsch views the DSA as an overeducated, white, urban phenomenon failing to win working-class or minority voters. (2)Rogier Windhorst and David Livingston: Professor Windhorst warns that the Hubble Space Telescope's orbit will begin to decay uncontrollably by September 2033 due to solar maximum atmospheric expansion. To prevent a hazardous, uncontrolled re-entry, Windhorst advocates for a robotic servicing mission to boost Hubble's orbit. As the only remaining telescope with precise blue-ultraviolet capabilities, Hubble's data remains critical and heavily in demand. Windhorst urges NASA to fund a $100 million rescue mission and eventually construct the Habitable Worlds Observatory to search for Earth-like exoplanets starting in 2040. (3)David Hebert discusses the fiscal debates surrounding Social Security's impending 2032 shortfall. Hebert refutes the idea that raising tax rates increases treasury revenue, noting that tax revenue historically remains constant at 17–18% of GDP because high rates prompt tax avoidance. Instead of "starving the beast" of resources, Hebert advocates for "starving the beast of responsibility" by decentralizing programs through federalism to cut administrative costs. He urges structural reforms to Social Security, highlighting that the ratio of workers supporting each retiree has plummeted from 40-to-1 down to 2-to-1. (4)Captain James Fanell (US Navy, retired), co-host Gordon Chang: Fanell warns that China is nearing completion of a military installation on Triton Island in the Paracels, expanding its "ring of control" in the South China Sea. He cautions that China may soon fortify Scarborough Shoal, threatening to block the northern South China Sea and degrade U.S. naval operations. In response to this rising coercion, the Philippines is boosting its 2027 defense budget by 6.3%, allocating $800 million for modernization with a heavy focus on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance drones. Fanell urges more assertive naval cooperation to deter further Chinese expansion. (5)Dean Cheng, co-host Gordon Chang: Cheng analyzes China's space program and its pursuit of reusable booster technology to match SpaceX's cost-saving launch cadences. Although China has successfully recaptured first-stage boosters, it has not yet demonstrated refurbishing or reusing them. Cheng notes that China seeks space dominance to deploy six mega-constellations and establish moon colonies. He suggests that a delay in China's lunar south pole probe—officially blamed on solar exposure—is likely due to the ongoing accident investigation of the Long March 7 rocket failure. Cheng predicts a Chinese astronaut will walk on the moon by December 31, 2030. (6)Charles Burton, co-host Gordon Chang: Burton discusses the escalating trade war between Canada and the Trumpadministration, which triggered $20 billion in Canadian retaliatory tariffs and a 7.5 billion CAD business support package. The dispute has sparked public anti-Trump sentiment and personal mudslinging between Donald Trump and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Stalled negotiations, compounded by unacceptable U.S. demands regarding French labeling laws, have shattered bilateral trust. Burton warns that Canada is prepared to pivot away from MAGA toward free trade with Europe and China, despite severe risks of Chinese economic coercion. (7)Jack Burnham outlines China's persistent military coercion campaign targeting Taiwan, noting that Beijing separates economic trade truces from its aggressive goal to subjugate the island. China's provocations, including Coast Guardpatrols east of Taiwan and flights over the median line, are designed to establish a "new normal." In December 2025, China responded to an $11 billion U.S. arms package by launching "Justice Mission 2025," an expansive military exercise simulating blockades and practicing "all-dimensional deterrence" to discourage U.S. intervention and test regional capabilities. (8)Doug Messier details SpaceX's plans to build "Starbase Louisiana," a massive $100 billion, 125,000-acre spaceport designed as the world's largest launch facility. Scheduled for construction in 2027 and launches by 2029, the facility will feature ten launch pads supporting thousands of annual, airline-style Starship flights. While bringing thousands of jobs, the coastal development raises environmental concerns regarding wetland habitats, which SpaceX has pledged to help restore. Messier also highlights Space Force's startup funding arm, SpaceWERX, which is fostering new aerospace innovators like Antares Nuclear and Muon Space. (9)Jeremy Zakis reports on the unprecedented rainfall sweeping across Australia, driven by a super El Niño cycle interacting with the Indian Ocean Dipole. South Australia and Adelaide experienced the heaviest downpours, breaking monthly rainfall records in a single day, while Sydney's infrastructure coped with several inches of rain. Victoria and Melbourne were largely spared due to the Great Dividing Range acting as a barrier. Zakis warns that weekly spring rains are highly unusual and threaten to fuel rapid forest undergrowth, which could dry out and create a dangerous bushfire hazard during future droughts. (10)

Space Nuts: Moon impact, Roman Observatory launch, and Neptune's odd moonsAndrew Dunkley is joined by Professor Jonti Horner, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland, for a wide-ranging astronomy update. They cover SpaceX's out-of-control rocket body hitting the Moon, the imminent launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Observatory, and a new result that may explain the strange origin of some of Neptune's moons.We discuss why lunar impacts matter far beyond the Moon itself, how Roman will study exoplanets and dark energy, and why clay minerals on Neptune's small moons are such a big clue about a violent early solar system.Key topicsSpaceX's rocket body impacted the Moon after being left in a long, uncontrolled orbitWhy lunar impacts are a real concern for future habitats, infrastructure, and Apollo heritage sitesThe sheer scale of human-made objects that have already hit or landed on the MoonElon Musk's vision for lunar factories, rail-gun launches, and large-scale off-Earth manufacturingWhy the same company could end up both creating the risk and needing to solve itThe Nancy Grace Roman Observatory launching around 9 months ahead of scheduleRoman's 2.4 metre mirror, 300 megapixel wide-field camera, and hydrazine-fueled journey to L2How Roman will study dark energy, gravitational lensing, exoplanets, and free-floating planetsNew James Webb observations of Neptune's moons showing clay-type minerals on Larissa and GalateaWhy those clays suggest a much older, more violent system shaped by Triton's capture and moon-to-moon collisionsTimestamps:00:00 - Studio prep, muting phones, and getting ready to record01:53 - Episode intro: SpaceX lunar impact, Roman Observatory, and Neptune moons03:00 - Jonti Horner joins the show04:26 - SpaceX rocket body crashes into the Moon07:03 - Predicted impact plume and expected crater size08:54 - Korean spacecraft Danuri captures post-impact images10:19 - Why Moon impacts matter for future lunar bases11:47 - Protecting Apollo landing sites and lunar archaeology12:15 - More than 3,000 human-made objects have hit the Moon14:32 - Law, responsibility, and the problem of cleanup beyond Earth16:07 - Musk's plans for Moon factories and Starlink-style expansion18:12 - Rail guns, Optimus robots, and scaling lunar industry19:34 - SpaceX's own industry could be threatened by its own debris21:24 - Balancing commercial benefits and environmental costs23:46 - The Nancy Grace Roman Observatory launch approaches26:03 - Roman's orbit, hydrazine fuel, and five-year mission plan27:57 - From WFIRST to Roman: how the telescope evolved29:23 - Roman's mirror, 300 megapixel camera, and survey power30:14 - Exoplanets, microlensing, and the coronagraph33:29 - Roman's launch status and the excitement ahead34:17 - Neptune's moons and the role of TritonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts-astronomy-insights-cosmic-discoveries--2631155/support.

In this episode of The Observatory, Jeff Low joins the show to discuss men's mental health and steps toward forging lifelong bonds and reconnecting with your purpose. Jeff founded Bonded Brotherhood, a safe space where men can connect, grow, and find strength in authentic community with the raw power of the outdoors. Hear Jeff's lowest moment and turning point into personal work and healing, his growth since meeting Scott and LaRae in February, and how working on himself has influenced his relationships. You will also learn the power of vulnerability and being in a community in your healing journey, and what Bonded Brotherhood is all about. Timestamps[03:37] Jeff Low's background information and what led him to what he is doing now[07:08] Jeff's biggest regrets in life [10:00] The pressure of growing a business[13:36] Jeff's turning point into personal healing[18:00] The thought of committing suicide in February 2025[23:57] Jeff's growth since meeting Scott and LaRae Wright[27:57] Working on yourself so that you can help others [29:03] How working on himself has influenced Jeff's relationship with his wife[33:00] The power of vulnerability and being in a community [34:32] The story of Bonded Brotherhood[41:45] What does Bonded Brotherhood do?[50:57] The future of Bonded Brotherhood[01:00:20] The importance of curiosity in your healing journey[01:04:00] Learning how to feelNotable quotes:“The gift that you two have of providing a loving, safe space 100% saved my life.” - Jeff Low [18:36]“You are not alone, you are not crazy for feeling and thinking the way you are feeling and thinking, and there is peace, and it comes by putting yourself first.” - Jeff Low [25:29]“You have to be healthy before showing up the best way for others.” - Jeff Low [26:24]“Bonded Brotherhood is all about building connection and support.” - Jeff Low [46:11]Relevant links:Bonded Brotherhood website: https://bondedbrotherhood.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bonded.brotherhood/Subscribe to the podcast: Apple PodcastProduced by NC Productions!

In this episode of The Observatory, Samuel Beautysta joins the show to discuss the ancient art of Zapotec weaving and the living stories carried in each thread. Samuel, a traveling weaver from Oaxaca, Mexico, shares how his curiosity about identity and lineage led him deep into the Benizaa tradition, uncovering the meanings behind patterns, the natural colors drawn from the earth, and the symbols that honor life, death, and ancestry. He reflects on his family's response to his search for knowledge, his experiences traveling and teaching, and how weaving becomes a language that connects cultures and generations. Timestamps[02:31] How Scott and LaRae first met Samuel Bautista[05:36] Samuel's background information on the weaving culture and tradition[13:33] How things unfolded for Samuel after the curiosity of wanting to know who he is[19:02] Samuel's experience in the United Kingdom[20:10] The similarities of Samuel's culture to that of other cultures during his research[25:46] How Samuel's parents reacted to his journey of seeking knowledge about their tradition [29:11] How Samuel discovered the natural colours of weaving[38:43] Samuel's episode on The Reluctant Traveler Show about the Day of the Dead[49:27] Connecting to one another and the Mother Earth[55:34] How Samuel created a community of collaboration and co-creationNotable quotes:“History is always written with an agenda and a hidden power, like governments and institutions. It's up to us to answer questions for ourselves, who we are, our lineage, and our story.” - Samuel Beautysta [11:59]“When we start to discover that we are more similar than we are different, it changes our whole perspective on what our parents taught us.” - LaRae Wright [25:46]“To survive the hottest days of summer, you have to feed your roots, your ancestors, and remember your teachings.” - [43:25]“For us, instead of fearing death, we embraced it and added it to our symbols and rituals.” - Samuel Beautysta [50:38]“All the knowledge is lying dormant within you, just like a seed that is buried in the ground and ready to sprout. ” - Samuel Beautysta [01:07:42]Relevant links:Samuel Beautysta Website: https://dixza.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam_dixza/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dixzarugsSubscribe to the podcast: Apple PodcastsProduced by NC Productions

It's Wednesday, August 19th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark, Timothy Reed, and Adam McManus 40 European hate crimes against Christians Christians in Europe faced dozens of hate crimes in July. The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe recorded 40 cases last month. Vandalism was the most common incident. In one case, authorities arrested an Islamic-State sympathizer who was planning an arson attack on a church in Hamm, Germany. The highest number of recorded incidents occurred in Germany, followed by France, Italy, and the United Kingdom.   Ebola virus has killed 2,300 people in Congo This year's Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now the deadliest in the country's history. Over 2,300 people have died as of Sunday. And cases have reached about 5,000.  Christian aid groups like Samaritan's Purse are on the ground in Congo. Franklin Graham, president of the Christian relief group, said, “Samaritan's Purse has been on the frontlines of fighting Ebola for more than a decade, and we aren't going to stop now. We are going to do everything we can to help save lives. We want people to know that God loves them, and they are not alone.”  You can donate to Samaritan's Purse relief effort in Congo through a link in our transcript today at TheWorldview.com.  Trump gives $2 billion to Christian non-profits for disaster relief Here in the United States, the Trump administration announced nearly $2 billion in health and humanitarian assistance to faith-based organizations this month.  This includes over $500 million in disaster response funding for Samaritan's Purse and a consortium jointly led by World Vision and Compassion International.  The U.S. Department of State noted, “This historic announcement is the largest allocation of global health foreign assistance to faith-based organizations in over 20 years.” Conservative kicked out of school board meeting over filthy books Texas conservative Bonnie Wallace is suing the Houston Independent School District for removing her from a school board meeting. Wallace, who is a member of Protecting Texas Children, had sought to shine light on the immoral and inappropriate materials children are subjected to in schools. When she stepped up to the podium at first, she said this which was captured on video. WALLACE: “Before you purchase new books, you need to get rid of the 500 filthy books that you have. If there's children in the audience, they need to leave.” BOARD MEMBER: “Ma'am, Point of Order. This is a public hearing.” WALLACE: “I understand that.” BOARD MEMBER: “You will not be allowed to read things that are not appropriate.” WALLACE: “Oh, not appropriate? Then, why are they in your schools?” After she cited the first vulgar reference from a children's book in the school library, the board member said this. BOARD MEMBER: ”Absolutely not! Ma'am, you are now out of order. This is your first warning. One more word, and you will be removed.” After Bonnie Wallace read a second vulgar passage from the book in the children's library, the school board member asked for a police officer to remove her from the meeting. BOARD MEMBER: “Officer, please remove this woman from the podium.” WALLACE: “If you don't like it, remove it so the children don't have access to it!” BOARD MEMBER: “Thank you very much.” Grant Stinchfield, a conservative talk show host on Real America's Voice, was understandably outraged. STINCHFIELD: “That woman you see there, being walked out, simply read one of the books in the school library. Now, if it's not appropriate for a school board meeting, how is it appropriate for our children?” In her lawsuit, Wallace alleged, “This was textbook viewpoint discrimination: Such conduct is ‘an egregious form' of content regulation that the First Amendment almost never tolerates.” Isaiah 5:20-21 says, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness. … Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” Planned Parenthood closes Albuquerque, New Mexico abortion mill Planned Parenthood shut down its Northeast Heights abortion facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico last month.  It's the latest closure as the abortion giant consolidates locations in the state.  Bud Shaver, executive director of Abortion Free New Mexico, told LifeNews, “Despite New Mexico leaders pouring taxpayer money into abortion and using government policy to prop up the industry, abortion facilities are still consolidating and closing.” Vaccination rate for kindergartners dropped slightly Vaccination rates for kindergartners dropped slightly during the 2025-2026 school year.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the rate dropped by one percent overall.  Exemptions from one or more vaccines rose to 4.2 percent, up from 3.6 percent the previous year. Christian men, mainline Protestants, and Catholics dissatisfied with church And finally, the American Bible Society released the latest chapter of its State of the Bible: USA 2026 report.  The survey found some population groups struggled with church attendance compared to others. These include Christian men, young adult Christians, mainline Protestants, and Roman Catholics. Gen Z men reported the lowest satisfaction with the churches they attend. Overall, weekly and monthly church attendance remain unchanged from two years ago. The survey did note an uptick in people attending church about twice a year. That amounts to about eight million more Americans attending a church service in 2025 compared to two years earlier. Psalm 84:2 and 10 says, “My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. … For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, August 19th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 97 The world watches as a SpaceX rocket crashes into the Moon A disused SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage has crashed into the Moon providing astronomers with useful data on the effects of impacts hitting the lunar surface. The radiation eating mutant fungus from Chernobyl Scientists say there's a black fungus in the highly radioactive ruins of the Chernobyl power station that's now evolved to feed on radiation. NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory Scientists have designed two revolutionary new computer chips to process data from a new space telescope called the Habitable Worlds Observatory that will search the skies for Earth like planets and for signs of life on those worlds. The Science Report A strong correlation found between dementia death rates and living in the suburbs. Improving pedestrians' thermal comfort through tree, shrub, and grass plantings along city streets. The exotic origin story of the Australian platypus. New Zealand's endangered yellow-eyed penguin found to be three genetically distinct subspecies. Skeptics guide to high tech water diviners.   This Week's Guests Professor Robert Ward from the Australian National University   Our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics  

In remembrance of Carol Lynn Pearson, we are honored to reshare this October 2023 conversation and celebrate the extraordinary legacy she leaves behind as a writer, poet, advocate, and courageous voice for love, faith, women, and the LGBTQ community.In this episode of The Observatory, Carol Lynn Pearson joins the show to talk about the doctrine of plural marriage in Mormonism. Hear about how the doctrine of polygamy developed, how polygamy causes irreversible damage, the importance of resonating with love, practical solutions to the problem, and Carol's upcoming books. Timestamps[03:53] Have Carol Lynn's views changed on the doctrine of polygamy.[10:14] Mormonism and polygamy.[18:00] How the doctrine changed over time. [21:11] How polygamy showed up in Carol Lynn's story.[26:54] The damage that this doctrine causes.[44:27] Resonating with love.[51:30] Carol Lynn's favorite passages. [70:41] Solutions to the problem.[74:15] Carol Lynn's diaries. Notable quotes:“It benefits no one.” – Carol Lynn Pearson [04:27]“However we deal with the past, it is the past.” – Carol Lynn Pearson [26:48]“Society must move historically into more and more of a place of light.” – Carol Lynn Pearson [72:15]Relevant Links:Website: carollynnpearson.comSubscribe to the podcast: Apple PodcastProduced by NC Productions

Last night over one hundred people gathered at Dunsink Observatory in West Dublin to witness the solar eclipse. Our reporter Cian Burns went along and sent us this report.

Last night over one hundred people gathered at Dunsink Observatory in West Dublin to witness the solar eclipse. Our reporter Cian Burns went along and sent us this report.

Trevor Barry — the Outback Astronomer — is a world-renowned planetary imager whose backyard observatory in Broken Hill, NSW, produces scientific-grade Jupiter and Saturn data used by NASA. In this episode of Astrophiz, host Brendan O'Brien travels to the outback to sit down with Trevor at his custom-built observatory. Discover how a former mining tradesman built a 16-inch high-resolution planetary telescope with a 32-point mirror cell and Peltier-cooled optics — and why Broken Hill's flat outback terrain produces some of the best planetary seeing on Earth. From tracking Saturn's electrical storms for NASA's Cassini mission to winning the ASA Berenice and Arthur Page Medal and ALPO's Walter H. Haas Award, Trevor breaks down the exact capture, derotation and processing workflow behind his NASA-grade data. IN THIS EPISODE: -Introduction: Arriving in Broken Hill - From the Mines to the Night Sky: the "aha" moment - Building the First Telescope: storm water pipe & a trip into the roses - Why Broken Hill Delivers World-Class Seeing - Inside the Observatory: the 32-point mirror cell & Peltier-cooled optics - First Contact with NASA: discovering an electrical storm on Saturn - From Pretty Pictures to Scientific Data: capture & processing protocols - The Thrill of Discovery: Jupiter's real-time impact scar - A Dream Fulfilled: two nights on the twin Keck telescopes, Mauna Kea - Mission Control at JPL: meeting Dr Carolyn Porco - Advice for Amateurs: where to send your data - Earning Trust in the Professional Community - Looking Ahead: the 2028 total solar eclipse & Saturn's Great Vortex - The Golden Mic: sharing the wonder with the next generation Full transcript & images: https://astrophiz.com Trevor's book "Outback Astronomer": available online & in all good bookstores Trevor's 60 Minutes feature: tinyurl.com/trevorbarry Astrophiz is an independent, ad-free science podcast running since 2016. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or share it with a friend who loves the cosmos. #Astrophiz #TrevorBarry #PlanetaryImaging #Astrophotography #Saturn #Jupiter #NASA #Cassini #BrokenHill #Astronomy #OutbackAstronomer #JPL

PJ gets the scoop from Caoimhe Lyons, MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory's Science Facilitator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BEST OF: It goes without saying that War is Peace, especially when the President of Peace continually threatens war or supports the same indirectly: from Gaza to Venezuela and now Nigeria. The President posted this threat to Nigeria over the Halloween weekend: “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,' to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities. I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!” Notice that he is not talking about protecting American citizens, but a random diverse group of Christians. In response, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded: “Yes sir… The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria — and anywhere — must end immediately. The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/01/politics/trump-pentagon-nigeria-actionAside from this grandiose posturing on social media the entire production is grotesquely hypocritical for several reasons. Just a few weeks ago, a gunman in north-west Nigeria stormed a Mosque and shot 17 worshipers. Muazu, Katsina state's commissioner for internal security, said the attack occurred during morning prayers and that the gunmen shot "sporadically". Muazu said the local government "reaffirms its unwavering support for community-based security initiatives.”https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkz8345jl0o.ampA 2017 story from Amnesty International recounted how “The Nigerian authorities must ensure justice, truth and reparation over the military's unlawful killing of more than 350 Shi'a Muslims in the northern city of Zaria in December 2015… Between 12 and 14 December 2015, Nigerian security forces killed hundreds of civilians, some of them supporters of the IMN – including men, women and children – and arrested more than 200 following a Shi'a Muslim protest.”https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2017/12/nigeria-families-of-hundreds-of-shia-muslims-killed-in-zaria-still-await-justice/In other words, Muslims are being killed too. Let's take an even deeper look at Nigeria.According to a 2024 report from “The Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa,” there have been 11,000 incidents of extreme violence from October 2019 through September of 2023. The violence left 55,910 people dead in 9,970 deadly attacks — as well as 21,621 people abducted in 2,705 attacks. The total number includes civilian deaths, terror group deaths, and Nigerian Armed Forces deaths. Of the total deaths, 30,880 were civilians. Of the civilians, at least 16,769 Christians were killed, 6,235 Muslims were killed and 154 adherents of traditional African religions were killed. The religions of 7,722 victims are unknown.The report says further: “The ratio of Christians to Muslims killed rises significantly when the religious composition of the states is taken into consideration. Looking at the overall numbers, the ratio of Christians to Muslims killed was 2.7:1; the ratio of Christians to Muslims abducted was 1.4:1. However, when taking into account the relative sizes of the Christian and Muslim populations within the different states, the ratio of Christians to Muslims killed increases to 6.5:1, and the ratio of Christians to Muslims abducted to 5.1:1.”“Fulani Ethnic Militia are targeting Christian populations, while Muslims also suffer severely at their hands,” the Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam, another analyst for The Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa, said in a statement.https://ewtn.co.uk/article-56000-killed-in-nigerias-ethnic-and-religious-violence-christians-disproportionately-affected/https://orfa.africa/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/26082024-ORFA-4-YEARS-REPORT.pdfSure, Christians are being targeted, but so are Muslims. But in both cases, religion is not the driving factor behind the attacks and killings in Nigeria. According to the French Institute for Research in Africa, Nigeria:“The notion that religious violence in Nigeria is always characterized by conflicts between religions (Muslims versus Christians) is too simplistic. This study shows that between June 2006 and May 2014 the frequency of violent death incidents involving Islamic groups against Islamic groups is 60, a figure higher than 57, which is the frequency of violent death incidents involving Islamic groups against Christian groups or churches within the same period. A second major point in this paper is that violence involving religious groups is not always caused by religious issues. This explains why the frequency of violent death incidents involving Islamic groups against Christian groups or churches due to non-religious issues is as high as 42 between June 2006 and May 2014. Thirdly, it remains inconclusive whether or not more Muslims than Christians (or vice versa) are killed because of violence in general in Nigeria. Finally, the Western media frames violence in Nigeria as being mainly inter-religious, while lethal incidents involving Islamic groups against Islamic groups are largely under-reported.”https://books.openedition.org/ifra/1935?lang=enSaying that only Christians are being targeted is ignorant and or disingenuous and dangerous. It's like Democrats saying that a black man being arrested for robbing a store is only being arrested because of the color of his skin. Maybe he's been arrested because he committed a crime. Saying that Christians are being targeted because of their religion neglects to mention the context that thousands of others are also being killed, and that the violence is primarily a byproduct of a broken system and war. A US State Department report from 2023, “Report on International Religious Freedom: Nigeria” noted “the killings were not related to religion but were the activities of ‘uninformed people'.” The same report also found and stated explicitly:“According to government security services, NGOs, media, academic, and other observers, the level of violence driven by rising criminality again continued to worsen during the year. Because issues of religion, ethnicity, land and resource competition, and criminality are often closely linked, it was difficult to categorize many incidents as being solely, or even primarily, based on religious identity.”https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-report-on-international-religious-freedom/nigeria/Now let's take a deeper look at Israel's actions.Just as many Christians are killed in Nigeria over farmland, Israeli settler have been slaughtering Palestinian farmers, with no mention of their religion made in the news, for over half a century. A recent AP article confirmed with video evidence that Israeli terrorists beat farmers during the recent olive harvest in the West Bank. https://apnews.com/article/israel-settlers-west-bank-attack-annexation-1e9cbd6af6ea502fbfca5d9ffe949b0bFather Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest of the Church of Christ the Redeemer in Taybeh, told ACI MENA: “The town, which the Gospel of John (11:54) refers to as ‘Ephraim' — the place Jesus withdrew to before his passion — is no longer safe for its people today… We do not live in peace but in daily fear and siege.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/amp/news/265035/priest-warns-christian-town-of-taybe-in-holy-land-no-longer-safe-amid-settler-attacksIn July 2025 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country "deeply regrets that a stray ammunition" hit Gaza's only Catholic Church. A few weeks before Israeli forces assaulted Christians in Jerusalem on holy Saturday at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8ge7vllw9o.amphttps://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-forces-assault-christians-jerusalem-holy-saturdayIn 2024, Israel bombed a Catholic Church in Lebanon, Saint George's, destroying the offices of the parish and the residence of the local priest. They even slaughtered the rescue team.https://zenit.org/2024/10/11/israel-bombs-catholic-church-in-lebanon-and-attacks-un-blue-helmets/#google_vignetteBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings--5328407/support.Thank you for supporting independent, unbiased inquiry into the mysteries of our world.

WELCOME BAAAACK to The Astrocast! Roo sits down this week for a quick catch up with you guys to discuss his next project, and the ongoing NONSENSE that is Reflect Orbital. This one gets a little spicy, fair warning!!! Read the FCC Petition from AAS here.  CALL OR WRITE YOUR LOCAL POLITICIANS! MAKE them do SOMETHING! Join our Patreon, and get access to the BEST community in AP!: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheAstrocast

Astronomy Daily S05E156 — Weekend Space & Astronomy News Wrap. Saturday, 1 August 2026. In this episode •    The first “self-driving” telescope — a SkAI deep-learning system (Northwestern / UChicago / Fermilab) schedules and re-plans observations in real time on the Dark Energy Camera at the Blanco 4-m, Cerro Tololo, Chile — matching human schedulers across two runs. •    Betelgeuse's companion imaged — ESO's VLT delivers the clearest view yet of likely “Betelgeuse B,” ending a century-long search (recap, E153). •    (44) Nysa — first known three-lobed (trilobate) asteroid, plus a ~1 km moon, from LBT + VLT high-contrast imaging (recap, E155). •    A black hole's 300,000-light-year reach — XRISM traces quasar-driven winds from H1821+643 reshaping an entire galaxy cluster (recap, E154). •    August skywatch — Comet 10P/Tempel 2 at perihelion (2 Aug); total solar eclipse crossing Greenland, Iceland, Spain & Portugal (12 Aug) paired with a moonless Perseid peak (12–13 Aug); a six-planet line-up through the month.   Sources •    SkAI / self-driving telescope: Northwestern University news release, 31 July 2026; phys.org, 31 July 2026 (Blanco 4-m / DECam / Cerro Tololo). •    Betelgeuse companion: ESO / VLT; Montargès et al., Astronomy & Astrophysics (covered in E153). •    (44) Nysa: Large Binocular Telescope (SHARK-VIS) + VLT high-contrast imaging; Lowell Observatory release (covered in E155). •    Black-hole feedback: XRISM observations of quasar H1821+643 (covered in E154). •    Skywatch: timeanddate.com and Space.com August 2026 sky guides; Royal Observatory Greenwich 2026 highlights (eclipse path and Perseid peak details).   astronomydaily.io · @AstroDailyPod · Part of the Bitesz.com Podcast NetworkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.astronomydaily.io/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmailBecome a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Salvatore Vitale and Calin Plunkett continue: to uncover the origins of the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, scientists propose building larger gravitational wave detectors scaled up by a factor of ten. These advanced observatories would allow researchers to peer further back into cosmic history, potentially detecting black holes from the very early universe. Expanding the global network to four or five detectors would help pinpoint host galaxies and detect the formation of heavy elements. (8)1836 ROYAL OBERVATORY, GREENWICH UK

S05E155 · Friday 31 July 2026 · Astronomy Daily with Anna & Avery. Four stories and a both-hemispheres skywatch. Australian English. ① Asteroid (44) Nysa — the first three-lobed world, and its hidden moon ●        trilobate body — three lobes joined by two narrow necks; a candidate “first” of its kind. ●        A new ~1 km moon, S/2026 (44) 1, was found orbiting ≥170 km out — spotted using high-contrast imaging borrowed from exoplanet work, and confirmed moving across two observing runs. ●        The moon lets astronomers weigh Nysa (mass → density), which should help decide between a genuine contact-trinary and a single, deeply indented body. ●        Nysa is a bright, main-belt E-type (enstatite-rich) asteroid, ~75 km across, known since 1857. ●        Source: Lowell Observatory / University of Arizona press release, 29 Jul 2026; study “Unmasking (44) Nysa: Evidence for a Trilobate Structure” (Minker et al.). Coverage: Space.com, Gizmodo, 29–30 Jul 2026. ② Mapping Alien Continents — a NASA concept to image an exoplanet's surface ●        NASA's 2026 NIAC round funds 18 early-stage “visionary” concepts (~$175k each, 9 months). These are seed studies, not missions. ●        Paul Stankus (Brookhaven) proposes “Mapping Alien Continents”: resolve the surface of an Earth-like exoplanet — continents, oceans — in visible light. ●        Method: a novel “dynamic hierarchical nulling” interferometer to suppress starlight at 10¹⁰-to-1 contrast, then combine beams from two spacecraft ~100 km apart (optical VLBI-style imaging). ●        Source: NASA “2026 Innovative Technology Concepts” release and NIAC selections (posted 21 Jul; consolidated release ~29 Jul 2026); Universe Today feature, 30 Jul 2026. ③ Solar-storm watch — CMEs inbound, minor-storm and aurora potential ●        Two faint coronal mass ejections, plus coronal-hole solar wind, are set to give Earth glancing blows; forecasters flag possible G1 (minor) geomagnetic storms and auroras over the coming days. ●        G1 means little grid impact but aurora visible at somewhat lower latitudes than usual — see the skywatch for where to look, both hemispheres. ●        Source: NOAA SWPC (WSA-ENLIL model); EarthSky / The Sun Today, 30 Jul 2026. ④ ESCAPADE's family portrait of Earth and the Moon ●        NASA's twin Mars orbiters (“Blue” and “Gold,” built by Rocket Lab) imaged Earth and the Moon as thin crescents in visible and thermal-infrared light from a loiter orbit near Sun–Earth L2. ●        In infrared, Earth's night side glows with its own heat; the Moon's shadowed half is far colder — a calibration check before Mars. ●        ESCAPADE's science goal (arrival Sept 2027): measure how the solar wind strips Mars's unshielded atmosphere — the payoff of today's solar-wind thread. ●        Source: NASA (Goddard) image feature, ~25 Jul 2026 (images captured 3 Jul); NAU / phys.org; Universe Today, 29 Jul 2026. Skywatch — both hemispheres ●        Bright waning-gibbous Moon (post-Buck-Moon, 29 Jul) washes out faint targets. ●        Southern Delta Aquariids + Alpha Capricornids just past peak (SH-favoured; Moon-hampered). Perseids build to a near-moonless peak on the night of 12–13 Aug — prime for North America, low in the north for the SH. ●        12 Aug total solar eclipse: totality across Greenland / Iceland / Spain; partial for parts of northern North America and Europe. ISO 12312-2 eye protection required for any partial phase. ●        Pre-dawn planets low in the east (Sydney and North American framing). Aurora watch for high latitudes both hemispheres if the storms land. ●        Diary: a spent Falcon 9 upper stage (2025-010D) is predicted to hit the Moon near Einstein Crater on 5 Aug 2026, ~06:35 UTC (~2:34 a.m. ET). North America best-timed; telescope needed, Moon ~56% lit, target the limb dust plume. From Sydney the Moon is down at impact — rely on LRO after-images. Callback to E125/E147. Source: Fernando et al., arXiv 2607.14625.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.astronomydaily.io/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmailBecome a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

**YOUTUBE VERSION HERE!!!*** - you'll wanna see this!How big does another galaxy look with the naked eye? In Chile's Atacama Desert, Nico Carver saw the Large Magellanic Cloud hanging in the sky—so large that members of his group initially thought it was an ordinary cloud!Welcome BACK to The Astrocast! Roo sits down with Nico Carver of Nebula Photos to discuss his Atacama astrophotography workshop, the Southern Milky Way, 3D-printed astro gear, AI, smart scopes, remote observatories, mono versus one-shot color and much more. We also explore Nico's incredible images of Gamma Velorum, the Vela Supernova Remnant, the LMC, Corona Australis and the Southern Cross-to-Carina region.Thank you to Nico for being such a wonderful friend of the show!

In this episode of The Observatory, Gina Scarpino joins the show to discuss her journey as a psychic medium, the reality of communicating with the other side, and how emerging mediums can confidently develop their gifts. Gina is a Psychic Medium & Spiritual Life Coach who has dedicated her life to uplifting the spirits of others. She shares her first telepathic connection with her grandfather after his passing, how her calling unfolded, and why she feels compelled to support others on a similar path. Timestamps[02:00] Gina's Journey to being a Psychic Medium[04:20] The telepathic connection that Gina had with her dead grandfather[07:57] Gina's why in her Psychic Medium work[09:46] Gina's experience with other mediums in England[13:00] What ‘Psychic' and ‘Medium' means[20:54] Gina's biggest lesson of healing[22:17] How Gina engages with people spiritually[30:11] Gina's experience of teaching 30 students while grieving[34:41] How does medium training look?[38:13] The things that Gina loves doing that keep her energized[44:39] The ‘Charmed to Life Project' Podcast[54:05] Balancing the feminine and masculine[55:40] Gina's revelation about Scott and LaRae WrightNotable quotes:“The term 'medium' means you can communicate with people that have crossed over to the other side.” - Gina Scarpino [13:09]“Where there is a will, there is a way, and you're always guided to where you need to be.” - Gina Scarpino [36:40]“When you bring in the science element to all the spiritual subjects, it gives you something concrete when the spiritual aspect is more fluid.” - Gina Scarpino [46:52]Relevant links:Gina Scarpino Website: https://www.ginajulianscarpino.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GinaScarpinoPsychicMediumPodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-charmed-life-project/id1829457788Subscribe to the podcast: Apple PodcastProduced by NC Productions

John Maytham speaks to Dr Daniel Cunnama, Science Engagement Astronomer at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), about the science behind the technology, its potential benefits, and the concerns it has sparked among astronomers and environmental scientists. While supporters argue space mirrors could assist emergency services and unlock new commercial opportunities, critics warn they could dramatically increase light pollution, disrupt ecosystems and wildlife, interfere with astronomical research, and even affect human sleep cycles and circadian rhythms. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Immerse yourself in captivating science fiction short stories, delivered daily! Explore futuristic worlds, time travel, alien encounters, and mind-bending adventures. Perfect for sci-fi lovers looking for a quick and engaging listen each day.

Astronomers have confirmed the first moon-like object beyond our solar system — and immediately discovered our vocabulary cannot handle it. A Jupiter-mass world orbits a brown dwarf, which orbits a red dwarf, seventy light-years away. Is it a moon? A planet? Something we have not named yet? Also on today's show: the Milky Way's most powerful particle accelerator is confirmed in the direction of Altair, out-punching the Large Hadron Collider by a factor of a hundred. Chandra catches a black hole starving a galaxy it does not even live in. China flies the world's largest solid rocket from the open ocean for the first time. Starship Flight 13 gets another window. And the Moon meets the heart of the Scorpion. Chapters Time Chapter 00:00 Cold open — what is a moon, exactly? 00:35 Welcome and headlines 01:15 The first exo-satellite — CD-35 2722 05:55 The galaxy's most powerful particle accelerator 10:00 The Red Potato galaxy and its hostile neighbour 13:35 Gravity-1 launches from the open sea 16:55 Starship Flight 13 — when and where to watch 19:10 Skywatch — the Moon and Antares 22:30 Sign-off Story sources 1. First confirmed exo-satellite •      Hoy, K., Zurlo, A., Peña R, P.A. et al. “Planetary-mass exosatellite detected around the substellar companion of a star.” Nature 655, 865–869 (2026). •      European Southern Observatory release eso2610a, 23 July 2026. •      Observations from ESO's Very Large Telescope, Cerro Paranal, Chile. 2. Proton PeVatron confirmed •      Mizuno, T., Sano, H., Murase, T., Oka, T., Suzuki, H., Nakahara, N. “Hadronic Scenario for Galactic PeVatron LHAASO J1912+1014u Supported by Fermi-LAT Gamma-Ray Data and FUGIN CO Data.” The Astrophysical Journal, 16 July 2026. •      Hiroshima University news release; instruments: Fermi-LAT, Nobeyama 45 m / FUGIN survey, Chandra X-ray Observatory. 3. The Red Potato galaxy •      NASA / Chandra X-ray Observatory news release, July 2026. Wang, W., Cantalupo, S., Travascio, A. et al., University of Milano-Bicocca. •      Galaxy designation MQN01 J004131.9-493704, redshift approximately 3.25. Original JWST identification announced January 2026; the Chandra jet result is the new element. 4. Gravity-1 open-sea launch •      Orienspace Gravity-1 Y4, third flight. Liftoff 0254 UTC, 22 July 2026, from a launch service ship approximately 170 km east of Shanghai. •      Reporting via SpaceNews, CGTN and Space.com. Nine payloads including six Huantian constellation satellites. 5. Starship Flight 13 •      SpaceX; live coverage via Spaceflight Now and Space.com. Booster 20 / Ship 40, second flight of Starship V3. •      Launch window opens 24 July 2026 at 6:45 p.m. EDT (2245 UTC). Payload: 20 Starlink V3 satellites. 6. Skywatch •      Astronomy.com Sky This Week; timeanddate.com Moon guide; EarthSky visible planets guide. •      Moon 0.6° south of Antares, 6:00 p.m. EDT 24 July. Full Buck Moon 29 July, 14:36 UTC, in Capricornus. Astronomy Daily is part of the Bitesz.com Podcast Network. Find us at astronomydaily.io and at @AstroDailyPod.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.astronomydaily.io/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmailBecome a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Episode: 3388 Let us see how much Omar Khayyam accomplished, beyond his having inspired poet Edward FitzGerald.  Today, Omar Khayyam.

The latest on two fatal shootings involving federal immigration officers in Texas and Maine. An unprecedented rescue mission to save a valuable space observatory before it burns up in Earth's atmosphere. A preview of the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey between Spain and Argentina.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Dark Sky Alliance will host its lighting of the Sawtooth Observatory in Stanley, Idaho, July 18 at 8:30 p.m. Attendees can see the telescope, eat some treats and enjoy some good company. To learn more, go to idahodarksky.org.

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CW: Description of rotting corpse. If this would be triggering for you, please skip 39:55 to 40:04 as your safety and enjoyment are important to us. The observatory is dimly lit, the ground floor wide open. Rou almost immediately notices something about the space seems off. Keeping the thought to himself for the time being, the group splits up to poke around the various side rooms. Shortly after the split, Trix breaks into the remains of an office. Searching through the desk, they find some coins to pocket as well as stationary that reveals the observatory is located on Arling Isle. In the current year, Arling Isle is a legally protected island north of Baukora. The trio is troubled and confused at the realization the storm has blown them clear across the world, and begin to suspect there's something ill afoot. Eventually they find the stairs leading up to the telescope, the paperwork and charts within reveal the ruins were once called Seaport. Taking a break to nibble on snacks and contemplate their situation, Elaith reveals the real reason they can't return home. When the party continues their search, they find more newspapers that reveal Seaport was expecting a visit from a renowned scholar from the Wyvern Isles. The scholar hoped to examine a strange object found in the town's nearby mines. As the sun sets, they notice a strange reddish light off in the distance by the ruins and that they're not alone in the observatory.  Follow Dax @gmdax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue and Wren @ThornyDryad EPISODE CREDITS: Produced by DaxOpening theme music, editing and mixing by WrenLogo Artwork design by JessieCharacter Artwork design by RiyuskiSegment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic SoundLINKS:Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

In this episode of The Observatory, Jake Orak joins the show to discuss his journey of self-discovery, spirituality, and what it truly means to live authentically. From his early years in drumming to life-changing experiences in Vietnam, Switzerland, Bali, and Nepal, Jake shares how travel, entrepreneurship, and personal breakdowns opened the door to deeper self-awareness and intentional living. He reflects on closing one chapter of his life through a powerful completion ceremony, the origins of his meditation and inner work, and how these threads eventually wove into his book, Threads of Change.Timestamps[02:02] Jake Orak's background in drumming[03:00] Jake's background information[06:00] Jake's experience in Vietnam and Switzerland[14:07] Jake's entrepreneurial journey[23:57] The completion ceremony that Jake did with his ex-wife[27:28] How Jake nurtured his self-awareness and intentionality[29:40] The nervous breakdown that Jake had in Bali[37:30] The genesis of meditation and personal work[47:57] How Jake's trip to Nepal influenced his life[01:08:45] Jake's connection with Utah[01:17:20] Jake's journey of writing the book: Threads of Change[01:21:28] How Jake met his partner, Adrian[01:24:57] The Inner Circle Stewards Drum Session[01:30:41] Developing your spirituality[01:35:24] The difference between living in the space of being and the space of doingNotable quotes:“When you start doing things consciously for yourself and developing your own flavor of spirituality, that's when things start to unfold, especially when you are able to share that openly within a group.” - Jake Orak [01:30:41]Relevant links: Jake Orak Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakeorak/?hl=enSubscribe to the podcast: Apple PodcastProduced by NC Productions

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association. This week Geoff talks about how the Rubin Observatory will study billions of stars and galaxies in the universe.

-A judge has ruled that the Pentagon must not treat Chinese online retailer Alibaba as a Chinese military company with respect to new lobbying restrictions. -As reported by Game File, Sony shared a private message to PlayStation developers and publishers that said they "will still be able to place re-orders for existing PlayStation disc games." -The NASA Swift Boost mission launched on Friday morning after a couple of delays, and the agency has started preparing it for its ultimate goal: To rescue the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which is falling faster than anticipated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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In a few days Turkey will play host to NATO's leaders for a high-stakes summit that some anticipate could be historic. The two main protagonists at the summit will be President Trump, who has consistently slammed NATO since his return to office, and Turkish President Erdogan, who is likely to use this summit to present himself as an indispensable ally and attempt to legitimize his harsh crackdown on political dissent. In the buildup to the summit we've seen President Trump approve a $700 million arms sale to Turkey of fighter jet engines, a move that's seen as a “gift” to Erdogan. Vice President JD Vance has also raised eyebrows calling for a legal review of whether the conditions exist for a future transfer of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara. Both moves have caused a stir in Congress, and a joint resolution of disapproval was introduced in the House looking to block the sale of jet engines. In the buildup to the summit we've also seen reports that Turkey is planning to allow the reopening, after more than 50 years, of Halki Theological seminary. The reports follow a meeting between Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Turkey's Erdogan, and it is expected that the issue will feature during President Trump's meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit. Looking beyond this upcoming summit, this past month also marked 10 years since voters in the UK voted for Brexit. Brexit and Grexit - which was something many thought could be a possibility at the height of the financial crisis in Greece - had dominated the headlines at the time. Today, as the UK prepares for its seventh prime minister in 10 years, the trajectories of both countries couldn't be starker.  Aaron Stein, Ino Afentouli, Elizabeth Prodromou, and Simon Nixon join Thanos Davelis as we take a closer look at the stakes ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, President Trump's move to sell fighter jet engines to Turkey, reports that Halki seminary could reopen, and the lessons from Greece ten years after Brexit.  A little more info on our guests: Aaron Stein is the President of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Ino Afentouli is a Senior Policy Advisor and Head of the Observatory of Geopolitics and Diplomacy at ELIAMEP. Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou is an expert on religious freedom issues and cultural heritage and a former vice chair and commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Simon Nixon is an independent journalist, Kathimerini columnist, and the publisher of the Wealth of Nations newsletter. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.

Astronomy Daily — S05E132 — Weekend Space and Astronomy News Wrap — Saturday, July 4, 2026 It's the Fourth of July weekend edition of Astronomy Daily! This week's wrap covers the successful launch of the Swift rescue mission after a week of delays, the historic start of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's decade-long sky survey, an aurora-triggering geomagnetic storm timed for the holiday weekend, a promising nearby habitable-zone super-Earth, a brand new James Webb 'cosmic fireworks' image released for America's 250th birthday, and a rare ultra-close conjunction between Mars and Uranus visible before dawn today. In this episode: •          Swift Boost mission: LINK spacecraft launches successfully on the final flight of Pegasus XL •          Vera C. Rubin Observatory begins its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time from Chile •          G2–G3 geomagnetic storm watch brings aurora chances for the July 4 weekend •          Recap: GJ 3378 b, a potentially habitable super-Earth just 25 light-years away •          JWST releases new 'cosmic fireworks' image of the FS Tau star system for America 250 •          Mars and Uranus in an extremely close conjunction, visible before dawn today Links & sources: •          science.nasa.gov/blogs/swift — Swift Boost mission updates •          rubinobservatory.org — Vera C. Rubin Observatory LSST •          swpc.noaa.gov — NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center aurora forecasts •          science.nasa.gov/missions/webb — James Webb Space Telescope FS Tau image release •          space.com/stargazing — Mars-Uranus conjunction viewing guideBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-latest-space-news--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. 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 HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Astronomy Daily S05E131 — Friday, July 3, 2026   1. Swift Rescue Mission — Grounded Mid-Flight •    Katalyst Space Technologies' LINK spacecraft was set to launch aboard a Pegasus XL rocket, air-launched from Northrop Grumman's Stargazer aircraft over Kwajalein Atoll. •    Thursday's attempt (July 2) got airborne after two prior weather scrubs, but was aborted mid-flight when engineers spotted an unexplained warning. •    No new launch date has been set. Swift faces uncontrolled reentry by October 2026 without a successful reboost. 2. Solar Storm Watch — G2 Geomagnetic Storm Active Today •    X1.1 flare (June 30) plus 10 M-class flares in 24 hours from sunspot region AR4479. •    NOAA SWPC G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm watch in effect for July 3, easing July 4. •    Aurora borealis potential as far south as Idaho/New York (US); aurora australis potential for Tasmania and southern NZ/VIC under clear, dark skies. 3. TESS's First Microlensing Exoplanet — Gaia23bra b •    Super-Jupiter (~1.63 Jupiter masses) orbiting an orange dwarf ~40,000 light-years away, discovered via gravitational microlensing — a first for TESS. •    Originally flagged by ESA's Gaia mission in 2023; confirmed using archival TESS data. •    Published July 1, 2026 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, led by Mallory Harris (University of New Mexico). 4. GJ 3378b — Revised Habitable-Zone Super-Earth, 25 Light-Years Away •    UC Irvine team revised the planet's mass down to 2.3 Earth masses (rocky super-Earth, not mini-Neptune) and orbital period to 21.45 days. •    Receives ~90% of the stellar radiation Earth receives from the Sun — squarely in the habitable zone. •    Atmosphere unknown; planet does not transit, so JWST transit spectroscopy isn't possible. Published in The Astrophysical Journal, led by Paul Robertson (UC Irvine). 5. ESO Study: 1.7 Million Planned Satellites 'Devastating' for Astronomy •    Study led by ESO astronomer Olivier Hainaut, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. •    Modelled impact of proposed constellations (SpaceX ~1M for space data centres, Reflect Orbital 50,000 mirror satellites) on ESO's VLT and the Vera Rubin Observatory. •    Recommends a hard cap of 100,000 satellites, all fainter than naked-eye visibility. Decision pending from the US FCC. 6. JWST Solves the WD 1856b Mystery •    Gas giant (4–11 Jupiter masses) orbits a white dwarf every 34 hours, blocking 56% of its star's light during transit. •    New JWST atmospheric data shows the planet is ~240K hotter than expected — evidence it migrated inward 3–5.5 billion years after the star's death, rather than surviving the red giant phase in place. •    Published July 1, 2026 in Nature, led by Ryan MacDonald with Northwestern's Christopher O'Connor.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-latest-space-news--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. 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 HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Born in San Pellegrino Terme and arriving in Cape Town with his South African partner in 2011, Diego Milesi talks about building Ferdinando's from a tiny pop-up operation in the Cape Quarter into a loud, chaotic, deeply loved community institution in Observatory.This conversation goes far beyond toppings and dough. We get into the roots of Neapolitan pizza, the obsession with fermentation and hydration, the difference between traditional and contemporary Napoli styles, and why Diego still believes pizza is fundamentally poor people's food: something made to bring people together rather than impress them.We also talk about the culture around Ferdinando's itself. The music, the cocktails, the packed tables, the sense of belonging and the restaurant's long-running association with Pasta Kitchen, a community project legacy of Diego's late partner Kimon, which feeds and connects with vulnerable people living on the streets around Observatory.Along the way there are debates about banana on pizza, artisanal mozzarella, South African ingredients, Italian food purism and why Diego believes the atmosphere around a pizza can matter as much as the pizza itself.Pizza Sessions is sponsored by Banhoek Chilli Oil and will also be launching as a video series on the A Table in the Corner YouTube channel.www.rwm2012.comOn Instagram @a_table_inthecornerCover image sketched by Courtney Cara LawsonAll profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise creditedTitle music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay

A landmark day in space news: the Vera Rubin Observatory officially begins its ten-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time, NASA reveals it may send a spare nuclear-powered Mars rover to the Moon's south pole, Blue Origin shows off its rebuilt launch pad a month after the New Glenn explosion, Rocket Lab strikes an $8 billion deal to acquire Iridium, a brief Swift/LINK scrub update, and scientists hold the first-ever summit on sending humans to Titan. 1. Rubin Observatory Begins Its Ten-Year Cosmic Movie The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory officially began the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) on June 30, 2026, following a months-long commissioning process after handover from construction to operations last October. Rubin's 8.4-metre Simonyi Survey Telescope, fitted with the largest digital camera ever built (3,200 megapixels), will scan the entire southern sky every few nights for the next decade, producing a new image roughly every 40 seconds. Each area of sky will be revisited around 800 times over the survey's ten years, generating up to 7 million nightly alerts and around 10 terabytes of data per night. The final dataset is expected to contain billions of objects. Source: NOIRLab / SLAC / Rubin Observatory press release, June 30, 2026   2. Swift/LINK: Scrubbed, Retargeted for Tonight The launch of Katalyst Space's LINK servicing spacecraft — riding the final Pegasus XL rocket to rendezvous with NASA's Swift Observatory — was scrubbed Tuesday, June 30, due to unfavourable weather over Kwajalein Atoll. The next attempt is targeted for July 1 at 9:43 p.m. local Kwajalein time (5:43 a.m. EDT). Source: NASA Science blog, June 30, 2026   3. NASA's Moon Base Update: PROMISE Rover & New Lander Contracts NASA awarded roughly $590 million across Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines for four new CLPS lander missions targeted for late 2028, delivering science and technology demonstration payloads to the Moon. NASA is also considering repurposing an engineering development unit of its Mars Perseverance/Curiosity rovers as a new lunar rover named PROMISE (Polar Rover for Observation, Mapping, and In-Situ Exploration), powered by a radioisotope generator for operation in permanently shadowed polar craters. Source: NASA news release and briefing, June 30, 2026   4. Blue Origin Reveals Its Rebuilt Launch Pad One month after a New Glenn rocket exploded during a static-fire test at Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 36A on May 28, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp announced the company will rebuild the pad in a new 'horizontal/vertical hybrid' configuration rather than recreating the original. Reconstruction has begun, with Blue Origin targeting a return to flight before the end of 2026. Early analysis points to the aft section of the first stage as the source of the anomaly, though the investigation continues. Source: Blue Origin company statement / SpaceNews / CNBC, June 30, 2026   5. Rocket Lab's $8 Billion Bid for Iridium Rocket Lab announced a definitive agreement to acquire satellite communications operator Iridium Communications in a cash-and-stock deal valued at approximately $8 billion — $54 per share, a 24.1% premium. The deal combines Rocket Lab's launch and satellite manufacturing business with Iridium's 66-satellite L-band constellation and 2.5 million-plus subscriber base, aiming to create a vertically integrated space company. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2027. Source: Rocket Lab / Iridium joint announcement, June 29, 2026   6. Mapping Humanity's Next Giant Leap — to Titan The first-ever Humans to Titan Summit was held June 11–12 in Boulder, Colorado, gathering planetary scientists and engineers to explore the concept of a future crewed mission to Saturn's largest moon. Organised by Amanda Hendrix of the Planetary Science Institute and hosted by the Southwest Research Institute, the summit addressed spacesuits, habitats, transportation and Titan's extreme cold, ahead of NASA's robotic Dragonfly mission, targeted to launch no earlier than 2028. Source: Space.com / Leonard David, June 30, 2026Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-latest-space-news--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. 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 HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Save Ocean Sensors: The Fight Over the Ocean Observatories Initiative A $386 million network of nearly 900 ocean sensors stretching across five sites from Oregon to Alaska to Greenland was being quietly dismantled, with no warning to Congress and no explanation to the public. In this episode, we trace the fight to save the Ocean Observatories Initiative: what this network actually does, why it matters far more than most people realize, and how a Democrat from Oregon and a Republican from Alaska teamed up to pass a bill stopping it in the span of a day and a half. We talk with Craig McLean, who spent more than 40 years at NOAA, including two stints as NOAA's Chief Scientist, about what's really at stake when ocean monitoring infrastructure disappears, and why this fight is part of a much bigger pattern. We also revisit a warning from a past guest, marine ecologist Dr. Andrew Thaler, that's looking less hypothetical by the day, and lay out exactly what you can do to help make sure this win sticks. In This Episode What the Ocean Observatories Initiative actually measures, and why it matters for your weather forecast, your insurance rates, and what farmers plant each season The Coastal Endurance Array off Oregon and Washington, and why pulling it out right as an El Nino forms is especially bad timing, per OSU oceanographer Jack Barth How Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) found out sensors were already being removed, and how they got the Saving the OOI Act passed unanimously in under two days Craig McLean's read on why this kept happening, from the role of the Office of Management and Budget to the broader pattern of cuts to federal science A look back at a warning from marine ecologist Dr. Andrew Thaler about Project 2025's plans for NOAA, and how that warning is playing out in real time What happens next: the NSF's review process, and how you can track it and find out where your own senators stand Featured Voices Craig McLean spent over 40 years at NOAA, where he founded the Ocean Exploration Program and served as NOAA's Chief Scientist, including being reinstated after being removed from the role for defending scientific integrity. He is now a senior fellow at the Ocean Foundation. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) led the bipartisan push for the Saving the OOI Act, featured here via Senate floor remarks. Dr. Andrew Thaler, marine ecologist and conservation technologist, returns in spirit from a past episode where he broke down Project 2025's plans to dismantle NOAA. Jack Barth, oceanography professor at Oregon State University, provided background on the Coastal Endurance Array via KATU News. The Bill The Saving the OOI Act passed the Senate unanimously, pausing NSF's decommissioning of the Ocean Observatories Initiative pending a full review with stakeholder input. It was led by Senators Merkley and Murkowski and cosponsored by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). Resources & Links Saving the OOI Act, full text and cosponsor list: Congress.gov NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative updates: oceanobservatories.org Senator Merkley's press release on the Saving the OOI Act: merkley.senate.gov "Scientists warn Oregon could lose critical ocean data under federal cuts," KATU News Take Action If your senator is one of the twelve who championed or cosponsored the Saving the OOI Act, send them a thank you. If they didn't, let them know this issue matters to you. Watch for the NSF's Dear Colleague Letter and expert panel process, your chance to weigh in on what happens to OOI long-term.

Astronomy Daily S05E128 | Tuesday, June 30, 2026 Hosts: Anna & Avery | astronomydaily.io | @AstroDailyPod In today's episode:

On Tuesday, June 30, an Arizona-based company will attempt a mission that could change the future of spaceflight. Katalyst Space Technologies, headquartered in Flagstaff, plans to launch a first-of-its-kind orbital servicing mission designed to rendezvous with NASA's aging Swift space telescope and potentially extend its operational life. In this episode, we'll explore why satellites slowly lose altitude, how space debris affects the orbital environment, and why many experts believe satellite servicing may become one of the most important industries of the coming Space Age. Could the future of spaceflight involve repairing and refueling spacecraft instead of replacing them? Join us as we take a closer look at Arizona's role in a historic mission that may give an aging scientific observatory a second chance. #BackyardAstronomer #SpaceExploration #SwiftTelescope #KatalystSpace #ArizonaSpace #Astronomy #SpaceScience #OrbitalServicing #SpaceDebris #FlagstaffAZ     Follow us at facebook.com/BackyardAstronomerAZ Check out the NAZ Astro mission of STEM education at facebook.com/NAZAstro Support STEM education patreon.com/NAZAstro Our awesome sponsors: facebook.com/manzanitains www.Manzanita-Insurance.com www.ManzanitaAccounting.com www.ManzanitaInsuranceAndAccounting.com www.BackyardAstroAZ.com

Weekend Space & Astronomy News Wrap | Saturday, June 27, 2026   It's our Saturday wrap — and what a week it's been for space and astronomy! Join Anna and Avery for two brand-new stories plus the four biggest headlines from the past five days.   THIS WEEK'S STORIES  

SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 76 A possible supernova remnant discovered in the galactic centre Astronomers may have discovered a supernova remnant near the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. A new quantum view of Big Bang A new study could change what science knows about the Big Bang and the earliest moments of cosmic history. Work begins on new Western Australian ground station for lunar missions Construction has begun on Kongsberg's new 20-metre parabolic dish antenna ground station at Mullewa in outback Western Australia. The Science Report Brain computer interface patient continues to communicate after two years. Powerful heatwave in Antarctica continues to push temperatures up. Study warns people eating ultra processed foods have higher risk of heart disease and death. Japan sends a transformer robot to the Moon. Skeptics guide to skeptical psychology.     Our Guests This Week: Dr Hadrien Devillepoix from Curtin University NASA Swift scientists Brad Cenko and Regina Caputo Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee Katalyst LINK lead Kieran Wilson   And our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics  

Author Alex Messenger talks about an author event aboard the Blue Heron and other details about this summer on the learning vessel

S05E121 | Monday, 22 June 2026 Hosts: Anna & Avery  |  astronomydaily.io  |  @AstroDailyPod Story 1 — Dark Matter Is Hugging Our Galaxy's Black Hole •       Virginia Tech researchers used 'echo mapping' — light reverberations around active black holes — to detect dark matter signatures •       Supermassive black holes including Sgr A* (Milky Way) appear surrounded by dense dark matter clusters •       Lead researcher Mayank Sharma: 'The observational evidence for dark matter is simply undeniable' •       Published in Physical Review D, June 11, 2026 •       Provides a new tool for probing dark matter in the most extreme gravitational environments Story 2 — Swift Rescue Mission: Launch Date Confirmed •       NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory launched 2004; has been losing altitude due to atmospheric drag — no thrusters to compensate •       Katalyst Space Technologies built LINK — a robotic servicer with 3 robotic arms and xenon Hall-effect thrusters •       Northrop Grumman's Stargazer aircraft departed Wallops Flight Facility June 18 carrying Pegasus XL + LINK •       Launch from Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands: confirmed for June 27, 2026 •       LINK must chase down Swift, inspect it, and latch on — a first-of-its-kind robotic capture mission •       Critical altitude threshold: if Swift drops below 185 miles (300 km), rescue becomes impossible •       Success would give Swift another ~22 years of science at its original 600 km altitude Story 3 — Chandra Spots a Supernova Near the Galactic Centre •       NASA Chandra, ESA XMM-Newton, and MeerKAT (South Africa) detected a 'blue blob' of X-ray emission in Sagittarius C •       Sagittarius C is a star-forming region ~26,000 light-years from Earth, a few dozen light-years from Sgr A* •       Estimated age: ~1,700 years — light from the explosion would have reached Earth around 300 AD •       Expansion speed: approximately 2 million miles per hour •       Published in The Astrophysical Journal (Zhu et al., June 11); NASA APOD June 18 •       If confirmed, one of the closest supernova remnants ever found to the Milky Way's central black hole Story 4 — MAVEN: The Eulogy •       MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) launched November 2013; arrived Mars September 2014 •       Original mission: 1 year. Actual mission: 11+ years — ended June 3, 2026 •       Last contact: December 6, 2025 — entered fast spin, batteries drained, unrecoverable •       Key discoveries: atmospheric escape rates, solar storm acceleration of Mars atmosphere loss, atmospheric sputtering (first observed at any planet), new types of Martian aurora •       Also served as communications relay for Curiosity and Perseverance rovers •       PI Shannon Curry's epitaph: 'Best Mars mission ever.' — 800+ scientific publications •       MAVEN will remain in Mars orbit 50–100 years before eventually entering the Martian atmosphere Story 5 — Operation Period: First-Ever Space Menstruation Study •       Non-profit Operation Period, led by Manju Bangalore and Priya Abiram, announced OP-01 mission on June 19 •       First dedicated scientific study of menstruation in microgravity — despite 100+ women having flown to space •       Current practice: astronauts typically suppress menstruation during spaceflight with hormones — due to lack of data, not proven necessity •       OP-01: suborbital Virgin Galactic flight in 2027; researchers will conduct the study on themselves •       Research wing: Operation Period's 'Redshift Lab' •       Data vital for longer missions — Moon, Mars — where menstrual health management matters more Story 6 — Isar Aerospace's Spectrum Rocket: Europe Keeps Trying •       Isar Aerospace (Ottobrunn, Germany): Europe's most advanced commercial small launch startup — 800M+ euros raised •       Spectrum rocket: 28m tall, up to 1,000 kg to LEO, 700 kg to SSO; 10 engines •       First flight (March 2025): failed after 30 seconds — vent valve opened unexpectedly, rocket lost attitude control •       Second flight 'Onward and Upward': carrying 5 university cubesats + 1 experiment; backed by ESA Boost! programme •       2026 scrubs: January (pressurisation valve), March (fuel temp/fishing vessel), April (pressure vessel), June 15 (fluid system anomaly) •       Current status: no new launch date; Andøya window reportedly closed; Isar analysing data •       Context: part of ESA's European Launcher Challenge — must achieve orbital flight by 2027 to qualify for up to €205MBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. 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 HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Metronome festival celebrates 10th year at new venue , Can 250 years of weather data be trusted? Inside Prague's Clementinum Observatory, “Like discovering the Holy Grail”: Auschwitz Museum unveils Alfred Kantor's extraordinary Holocaust sketchbook

A landmark episode packed with discoveries at the cutting edge of space and astronomy. Webb and Hubble redefine a category of stellar object, JWST delivers unprecedented chemistry data from an extreme exoplanet, a 21-year-old NASA observatory faces a daring robotic rescue, a multi-telescope image reveals an ancient galactic supernova, China's Tianwen-2 zeroes in on a possible fragment of our own Moon, and astronomers detect the chemical fingerprint of a planet swallowed by its star.   Story 1: Webb & Hubble Rewrite History: Terzan 5 Is a 'Bulge Fossil Fragment' Using the James Webb Space Telescope and archival data from Hubble spanning 12 years, researchers have definitively reclassified Terzan 5 — a stellar system 22,000 light-years away in Sagittarius — from a globular cluster to an entirely new class of object: a 'bulge fossil fragment.' Four distinct generations of stars have been identified within Terzan 5, formed 12.5 billion, 4.7 billion, 3.8 billion, and 2.5 billion years ago. Unlike a typical globular cluster with a single ancient stellar population, Terzan 5 repeatedly formed new stars by retaining the gas and heavy elements expelled by its own supernovae. Astronomers believe Terzan 5 is a surviving relic of the primordial clumps that merged to form the Milky Way's central bulge billions of years ago — a living fossil of galaxy formation. Results were presented at the 248th American Astronomical Society meeting and published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Source: NASA / ESA / STScI press release, 16–17 June 2026   Story 2: JWST Catches the 'Roasted Exoplanet' HD 80606 b in the Act Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope's MIRI instrument have observed the extreme exoplanet HD 80606 b experiencing a temperature increase of 1,100°F (600°C) during its close approach to its host star. HD 80606 b is a gas giant four times the mass of Jupiter on a highly elliptical 111-day orbit. The JWST study — led by Tiffany Kataria of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory — also detected specific atmospheric chemical signatures including methane and carbon dioxide, enabling detailed study of how the planet's chemistry shifts under extreme heating. This is the most detailed look yet at an atmospheric response to a rapid, intense heating event. Results were presented at the 248th AAS meeting in Pasadena, California. Source: NASA / JPL press release, 16–17 June 2026   Story 3: Swift's Rescue Mission Cleared for Launch: LINK on the Pad NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which has studied gamma-ray bursts and other high-energy cosmic events since 2004, is facing re-entry as its orbit decays under increased solar activity. NASA contracted Katalyst Space Technologies in September 2025 to build and launch a robotic servicing spacecraft — called LINK — to boost Swift to a higher orbit. LINK is now encapsulated inside a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket, which has been attached to the Stargazer L-1011 carrier aircraft and is en route to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands for launch later in June 2026. This will be the final flight of the Pegasus XL — the world's first privately developed orbital launch vehicle, which first flew in 1990. Its air-launch capability is uniquely suited to reaching Swift's unusual low-inclination orbit. Source: NASA press release and media teleconference, 17 June 2026   Story 4: Possible Supernova Remnant at the Galactic Centre A striking multi-telescope composite image released as NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day on 18 June 2026 reveals a possible supernova remnant near the galactic centre — a blue X-ray-emitting structure whose light is estimated to have reached Earth approximately 1,700 years ago, in the third century CE. The image combines X-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA's XMM-Newton (the blue structure), radio data from the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa (the large red cloud), and optical background star data from the PanSTARRS telescopes in Hawaii. Source: NASA APOD, 18 June 2026. Image credit: NASA/CXC/UCLA/Z. Zhu et al.; ESA/XMM-Newton; MeerKAT; PanSTARRS   Story 5: China's Tianwen-2 Closes In on Earth's 'Quasi-Moon' China's Tianwen-2 spacecraft — launched in May 2025 — performed its primary orbit insertion burn at asteroid 469219 Kamoʻoalewa on June 7, 2026, and has since been performing fine adjustment burns tracked by amateur radio astronomers in Germany and the Netherlands. China's space agency has released no official updates. Kamoʻoalewa is a 40–100 metre quasi-satellite of Earth, orbiting the Sun in a path that keeps it perpetually near our planet. Its reflectance spectrum resembles weathered lunar rock, fuelling a theory that it is a fragment blasted from the Moon by an ancient impact — though a competing theory holds that it is an ordinary inner asteroid belt migrant. Sample collection is scheduled to begin July 4, 2026. Tianwen-2 will depart Kamoʻoalewa in April 2027, with the sample return capsule landing in Inner Mongolia in late November 2027. A new paper in Nature Communications (June 2026) challenges the lunar-origin theory, suggesting Kamoʻoalewa may instead originate from the Flora asteroid family. Source: SpaceNews, Scientific American, Nature Communications, June 2026   Story 6: A Star That Ate a Planet: TOI-5882's Chemical Fingerprint Astronomers led by Brooke Kotten of the University of Michigan have identified a chemical imbalance between the two stars of binary system TOI-5882, located approximately 1,300 light-years away. One star is enriched in elements characteristic of rocky planetary material — including iron, silicon, and magnesium — while its companion is not. Because binary stars form from the same gas cloud and should have identical initial compositions, this difference is interpreted as evidence that one star subsequently ingested at least one planet. The amount of enrichment suggests the equivalent of several Earth masses of rocky material was consumed. Source: Phys.org / University of Michigan, June 15, 2026       Connect With Us Website: astronomydaily.io Social: @AstroDailyPod (X / Instagram / TikTok / Tumblr) Network: Bitesz.com Podcast NetworkBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. 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 HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

It's Wednesday, June 17th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark European Christians faced 37 hate crimes in 11 countries Attacks against Christians in Europe surged last month. A report from the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe documented the incidents.  Christians faced 37 verified hate crimes in May across 11 European countries. These incidents included arson, vandalism, physical violence, theft, and disruption of worship services. Arson attacks against Christian properties were the highest on record this year. Germany saw the most anti-Christian hate crimes followed by Italy, France, Poland, and Ireland.  More Spanish Catholics leaving  the church A report from the Spanish government found the number of Catholics in the country is falling. Over 55 percent of the Spanish population identifies as Roman Catholic, down from 90 percent in the 1980s. Meanwhile, secularism is gaining in the historically Catholic country. Forty percent of the population identifies with no religion. Catholicism did see gains among young people. Forty-seven percent of people under 25 say they are Catholic, up from 31 percent in 2023. Oil prices dropped since Trump announced peace deal with Iran Oil prices fell to the lowest levels since March on Monday. This came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal with Iran to end the war between the two countries.  Prices for Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, fell nearly four percent on Monday. West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices, the benchmark for North America, fell by over five percent.  Listen to comments from President Trump. TRUMP: “I think a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East right now. And very importantly, the oil is plummeting down, and the stock market is shooting up like a rocket today, like record kind of numbers. “The oil has taken its biggest plunge. And we're into the low numbers, not quite back yet, but we're getting close to the numbers we were before it all started. And the main thing is that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. They fully agree to that.” 60 U.S. abortion mills closed since January 2025 Nearly 60 American abortion mills shut down since last January. The Trump administration withheld federal grant payments from 144 Planned Parenthood locations in 20 states last year. A report from the pro-abortion Kaiser Family Foundation found that 57 Planned Parenthood locations shut down over the last 18 months.  Churchgoing kids twice as likely to attend church as adults The Institute for Family Studies released a report entitled, “Passing The Torch: How Faith Moves Across Generations.” The study found that children from churchgoing families were twice as likely to attend church as adults compared to children from non-churchgoing families.  Healthy marriages also contributed to children practicing faith in adulthood.   Psalm 71:17-18 says, “O God, from my youth You have taught me, and I still proclaim Your wondrous deeds. So, even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come.” 58 percent approve of out-of-wedlock baby today vs. 70 percent in 2022 A new survey from Gallup found that Americans are becoming more conservative on certain social issues.  Eighty-three percent of U.S. adults believe birth control is morally acceptable. But that's down from a high of 92 percent in 2022. Fifty-eight percent believe having a baby outside of marriage is acceptable, down from 70 percent in 2022. And 49 percent support abortion, down from a high of 54 percent in 2024. German and Curaçao World Cup soccer players prayed together And finally, a recent World Cup game ended with players praying together on the pitch.  Over the weekend, the German national football team faced off against the team from Curaçao. The island nation in the Caribbean is the smallest nation to qualify for the World Cup.  Germany won handily with a score of seven to one. But that didn't stop players from both teams huddling together to pray after the game.  German midfielder Felix Nmecha said, “In the game we are opponents, but after the match we are all Christians and brothers. We simply said a little prayer together because we are all very grateful.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, June 17th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Jack's Friends are back at it on a Tuesday with a trip back to June, 2002 in the LNK Today Time Capsule. Jason Ball from the Lincoln Chamber stops by to discuss their Pathways to Progress Survey Report. Matt Anderson from the Branched Oak Observatory talks about their Military Appreciation Day being moved to July 25th and their Silent 4th of July event.

High up in the mountains of Chile, there's a special place called the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. This observatory is home to one of the most advanced telescopes in the world. Telescopes are like giant eyes that help scientists see faraway stars and planets. The Rubin Observatory can take pictures of the night sky that are bigger and clearer than ever before. Scientists use these pictures to learn more about our universe and discover new things, like asteroids and supernovas. It's an amazing place where the secrets of space come to life!

The Rays have the best record in baseball but are close to the bottom of the league in home runs? Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci examine the differences in the AL East and the resurgence of the 'bunt'. Joe explains when he had players swing away on a 3-0 count. How many pitches does a pitcher really need? Tom notes Shohei Ohtani's growth as a pitcher. Plus, a warning that Joe takes very seriously! The Book of Joe Podcast is a production of iHeart Radio. #fsrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1945, the end of the second world war was approaching, atom bombs were on the way, and science fiction felt more like speculative prophecies than adventure stories. In the pages of pulp magazine, claims that ancient civilizations lived beneath the surface of the earth, armed with forgotten technologies, and mutated into something monstrous and cruel. To some, it was pulp fantasy. To others, a terrifying revelation. Blurring the line between imagination and belief, the Shaver Mystery presented a surreal reality that was anything but ordinary. SOURCES Toronto, Richard (2013) War Over Lemuria: Richard Shaver, Ray Palmer & The Strangest Chapter of 1940's Science Fiction. McFarland & Co. NC, USA. Palmer, Ray (1945) The Observatory. Amazing Stories, Vol 18, No.3, May 1944. USA Shaver, Richard (1945) I Remember Lemuria. Amazing Stories, Vol 19, No.1, March 1945. USA Palmer, Ray (1945) Mantong, The Language of Lemuria. Amazing Stories, Vol 19, No.1, March 1945. USA Shaver, Richard (1945) Open Letter to the World. Amazing Stories, Vol 19, No.2, June 1945. USA Shaver, Richard (1945) Thought Records of Lemuria. Amazing Stories, Vol 19, No.2, June 1945. USA Shaver, Richard (1945) Cave City of Hel. Amazing Stories, Vol 19, No.3, September 1945. USA Palmer, Ray (1945) Report From the Forgotten Past? Amazing Stories, Vol 19, No.3, September 1945. USA ------ For almost anything, head over to the podcasts hub at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠darkhistories.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the show by visiting our Patreon for bonus episodes and Early Access: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories books are available to buy here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://author.to/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dark Histories merch is available here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3GChjk9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with us on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://facebook.com/darkhistoriespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or find us on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://twitter.com/darkhistories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dark_histories/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or you can contact us directly via email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@darkhistories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or join our Discord community: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/cmGcBFf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Dark Histories Butterfly was drawn by Courtney, who you can find on Instagram @bewildereye Music was recorded by me © Ben Cutmore 2017 Other Outro music was Paul Whiteman & his orchestra with Mildred Bailey - All of me (1931). It's out of copyright now, but if you're interested, that was that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices