Podcast Summary
Childhood fascination leads to groundbreaking discoveries: Individual curiosity and dreams can lead to significant scientific discoveries, even if they seem controversial initially.
The curiosity and dreams of individuals can lead to groundbreaking discoveries in science, even if the ideas seem controversial at first. Adriana Ocampo's fascination with the stars as a child ultimately led her to become a NASA scientist, where she made a significant discovery regarding an asteroid impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. This discovery, which was once considered a radical theory, is now widely accepted in the scientific community. Additionally, the exploration of asteroids and comets, once considered uninteresting cosmic rubble, is now a priority in science as they hold crucial information about the origins of our solar system and the existence of water and life on Earth.
Understanding the solar system's past through asteroids: Asteroids provide vital clues about the solar system's formation and history, contradicting earlier beliefs that they are insignificant leftovers.
The smallest objects in the solar system, such as asteroids, play a significant role in understanding the formation and history of our solar system. Contrary to earlier beliefs, these small bodies are not just insignificant leftovers but are crucial for answering big questions about the solar system's past. Going back to the very beginning, the solar system started as a disk of gas and dust around the newly formed sun, with no planets present. Asteroids and other small bodies are essential for scientists to piece together this history and even help protect us from potential hazards like asteroid impacts. The ongoing NASA mission and recent research in this field demonstrate the importance of these small celestial bodies.
The formation of our solar system was chaotic and violent: The solar system formed through collisions and dramatic orbit changes, leading to the creation of planets, moons, and the discovery of many more celestial bodies in the late 1990s due to perceived threats from near-Earth asteroids.
The formation of our solar system was a chaotic and violent process. Planets and other celestial bodies didn't form smoothly, but rather through collisions and dramatic orbit changes. For instance, the giant planets were once much closer to the sun, but something caused them to move farther out. Some of these collisions resulted in the creation of our moon, as a large object struck Earth and a piece flew away. Despite the danger posed by these celestial bodies, humanity's fascination with them grew in the late 1990s due to a perceived threat from near-Earth asteroids. This fear was fueled by a false alarm in 1998 and popularized by movies like "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact." As a result, NASA established an office to study near-Earth objects, leading to the discovery of many more asteroids, comets, and other small objects in our solar system. Today, astronomers have cataloged over a million objects in our solar system, making it much more complex than the simple diagrams we learned in grade school.
NASA's OSIRIS REx touched asteroid Bennu and collected samples, revealing water. Lucy mission visits Trojan asteroids.: NASA's OSIRIS REx discovered water on asteroid Bennu, while Lucy mission explores Trojan asteroids, expanding solar system knowledge and driving scientific advancements.
Space exploration continues to uncover new discoveries about our solar system. NASA's OSIRIS REx mission marked a significant milestone last year when it touched down on asteroid Bennu and collected samples, revealing small amounts of water. Meanwhile, the Lucy mission, launched this fall, aims to visit the Trojan asteroids, which hold valuable information about planetary formation. Space missions like these require persistence and dedication, with Kathy Olkin proposing a mission to the Trojans as early as 2009 before finally receiving approval in 2014. These missions expand our understanding of the solar system and contribute to scientific advancements.
Studying Jupiter's Trojan asteroids with the Lucy spacecraft: The Lucy mission, named after a human ancestor fossil, will fly by 8 asteroids in Jupiter's neighborhood to study their composition and formation, potentially revealing insights into how heavy elements arrived in the inner solar system and Jupiter's role as a 'big blender'.
The Lucy spacecraft, named after the early human ancestor fossil discovered in the 1970s, aims to revolutionize our understanding of solar system evolution by studying Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. These asteroids, which orbit in Jupiter's neighborhood, could provide valuable clues about the composition and formation of the giant planets, including how heavy elements like calcium and iron ended up in the inner solar system. The Lucy mission, which is being developed by a team including NASA, Lockheed Martin, Southwest Research Institute, Arizona State University, and Johns Hopkins University, will fly by 7 Trojan asteroids and one asteroid in the main asteroid belt. Studying these asteroids could help scientists unravel the mysteries of how Jupiter acted as a "big blender," bringing essential molecules to the inner solar system during its formation. The Lucy spacecraft, which has a cultured diamond in its optical system, even shares a connection to the Beatles through their song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."
A firsthand look at NASA's Lucy mission to explore asteroids: Michael experienced the surreal sight of entering a sterile clean room in a spacesuit to observe Lucy, a mission to investigate asteroids' composition and origin, using advanced instruments to measure temperature and communicate with Earth, potentially revealing valuable information about the origins of Earth itself.
During Michael's visit to NASA, he got a firsthand look at the spacecraft Lucy, which was about to embark on a mission to explore asteroids in the Trojan cluster. The experience was surreal, with Michael wearing a full spacesuit and entering a sterile clean room where even his own notebook was not allowed. The spacecraft itself was a marvel, with a rectangular body, solar panels, and advanced instruments to measure temperature and communicate with Earth. Michael was struck by the importance of understanding the color of these asteroids, as subtle differences could reveal valuable information about their composition and origin. Lucy's mission was to investigate the presence of water ice and carbon dioxide ice on these asteroids, potentially shedding light on their origin and even the origins of Earth itself. Despite the excitement, it would take some time to get the results. Overall, Michael's visit highlighted the importance of exploration and discovery in expanding our knowledge of the universe.
Exploring Space: Understanding Origins and Preparing for Threats: Space exploration is vital for understanding our origins and preparing for potential threats, like asteroid impacts. Missions like Lucy and DART show our progress in uncovering solar system secrets and defending against threats, leading to future advancements and colonization.
Space exploration is crucial for understanding our origins and preparing for potential threats, such as asteroid impacts. Lucy, a spacecraft on a mission to study Jupiter's Trojans, represents our ongoing efforts to uncover the secrets of the solar system. However, these discoveries could also bring awareness to potential dangers, like asteroid impacts, which could end life on Earth. NASA's DART mission, a test to alter the trajectory of a tiny asteroid, demonstrates our ability to defend against such threats. Space exploration, including missions to uncharted areas and research on small bodies, is essential for our species' preservation and could lead to future advancements, such as colonizing the solar system and mining asteroids. It's a long and complex journey, but taking baby steps now could pave the way for a future where we learn to live on other planetary surfaces and thrive in the vastness of space.
Exploring asteroids and interstellar objects: OSIRIS REx collected an asteroid sample, astronomers study interstellar objects, and some scientists believe we're experiencing an age of increased meteor impacts
The exploration of asteroids, comets, and other small space objects is ongoing and revealing new discoveries. For instance, the OSIRIS REx mission successfully collected a sample from an asteroid 200 million miles away from Earth using a device resemaning a Roomba on a pogo stick. Additionally, astronomers are studying interstellar objects, the first space rocks known to originate from a different star system, and some scientists believe we are experiencing an age with more meteor impacts than normal. For more in-depth information, check out Michael Greshko's Nach IO cover story in the show notes. The podcast "Overheard at National Geographic" also covers these topics and more, including the study of interstellar objects and the potential reasons for the increase in meteor impacts. The podcast is produced by a team of talented individuals and is available for listening and review on your preferred podcast platform.
