From Comet Closures to Space Station Shifts: Your Daily Astronomy Update
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Did we mention it's cheesy? Available until the 4th of Jan, 2026 from 11am. Price and participation may vary subject to availability. Hello and welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source for the latest news from across the cosmos. I'm Avery. And I'm Anna. It's great to have you with us. Today we say goodbye to our interstellar visitor and look to the future of life in orbit. That's right. We'll be talking about a comet from another solar system that just made its closest approach to Earth. And we'll check in on the Parker Solar Probe as it once again braves the sun's fiery atmosphere. Plus, a fun story about how you could have helped design a mascot for the next mission to the moon. And later in the show, we'll dive into a cosmic mystery involving incredibly powerful blue explosions, a building-sized asteroid with a small chance of hitting the moon, and Russia's surprising new plans for its future in space after the International Space Station.
So let's get started. First up, a visitor from very, very far away. On Friday, December 19th, interstellar comet 3I slash Atlas made its closest approach to our planet. It came within 168 million miles of Earth. Now that it's past us, it will begin its long journey back out of our solar system, continuing its voyage through the Milky Way. And this isn't just any comet. It's only the third object we've ever detected passing through our solar system that originated from interstellar space. Exactly. It was first spotted by NASA's Atlas system on July 1, 2025. By analyzing its trajectory, scientists determined it didn't come from around here. In fact, its path suggests it comes from a region of our galaxy that might be up to 7 billion years old.
Seven billion years. That means this little icy wanderer is significantly older than our own 4.6 billion year old solar system. It's like a relic from a completely different time and place. Mm-hmm, a true cosmic fossil. And it gave scientists a bit of a surprise. As it made its closest approach to the sun, the comet brightened much more than expected. And the reason for that extra glow is still a mystery. It's a fascinating puzzle for scientists to analyze as they gather the data from its flyby.
What is the opening summary and who are the hosts of this episode?
So farewell, three-eye atlas. You put on quite a show for us. Speaking of getting close to the sun, NASA's Parker Solar Probe has been doing just that again. That's right. On December 13th, the probe completed its 26th close approach, or perihelion. And it wasn't just another flyby. It matched its own incredible records. And what records they are. It flew just 3.8 million miles from the solar surface. To put that in perspective, Earth is about 93 million miles away. And its speed? A blistering 430,000 miles per hour. It's almost impossible to comprehend that velocity. During this close approach, the spacecraft was completely out of contact with Earth, operating fully autonomously as its instruments gathered data from right inside the sun's atmosphere, the grona.
And the timing is perfect. This is all happening while the Sun is in a very active phase of its 11-year cycle. That's the key. These observations are critical for helping us understand our star and the space weather events it produces, like solar flares and coronal mass ejections. That data is vital for protecting our astronauts and technology, both in orbit and here on Earth. Alright, from the intense heat of the sun to something a little more whimsical. NASA recently gave the public a very unique opportunity, the chance to design a mascot for the Artemis II mission.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–2:59
2
What is the opening summary and who are the hosts of this episode?
2:59–6:37
3
How close did interstellar comet 3I/Atlas come to Earth and why is it significant?
6:37–8:51
4
What surprising observations did scientists make about 3I/Atlas's brightness and origin?
8:51–10:52