Episode Details

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Today's topics:

Hidden exoplanet Beta Pictoris d - NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a giant hidden exoplanet, Beta Pictoris d, inside one of the most studied planetary systems in the Milky Way, using atmospheric fingerprints of molecules like carbon monoxide, water vapor, and methane rather than traditional imaging.[12][18][9] Keywords: Beta Pictoris d, hidden planet, James Webb, exoplanet spectroscopy, carbon monoxide, methane.

Artemis III dual Moon lander test - NASA announced an ambitious Artemis III orbital rehearsal for 2027, where Orion astronauts will rendezvous and dock separately with prototype lunar landers from SpaceX and Blue Origin to practice complex maneuvers before crewed Moon landings later in the decade.[7][4] Keywords: Artemis III, Orion, Blue Origin, SpaceX, lunar lander test, Moon missions.

China’s Gravity-1 sea launch - Chinese commercial firm Orienspace launched its Gravity-1 solid rocket from a ship off Shanghai, placing nine satellites into orbit, including six Dongpo spacecraft for the Huantian constellation designed for optical and radar Earth observation.[15][1][8] Keywords: Gravity-1, Orienspace, sea launch, Huantian constellation, Dongpo satellites, Earth observation.

Boeing Starliner OFT-2 approval - NASA has cleared Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner for a second uncrewed Orbital Flight Test, aiming to demonstrate fixes from the first mission and pave the way for a future crewed flight to the International Space Station.[19][14] Keywords: Starliner, OFT-2, Boeing, NASA, commercial crew, International Space Station.

Intermediate-mass black hole jet - Astronomers using the NSF Very Large Array detected a burst of radio light from a tidal disruption event involving an intermediate-mass black hole, revealing what appears to be the off-axis afterglow of a hidden jet.[11] Keywords: intermediate-mass black hole, tidal disruption event, radio jet, NSF VLA, off-axis afterglow.

Tonight’s Saturn, Mars, Venus - In today’s sky, Saturn and Mars shine in the predawn hours while a bright waxing gibbous Moon and dazzling Venus dominate the evening, offering accessible observing targets for amateur skywatchers.[6][20] Keywords: Saturn, Mars, Venus, waxing gibbous Moon, July 23, 2026, skywatching.

Episode Transcript

Hidden exoplanet Beta Pictoris d
Our first story takes us to Beta Pictoris, a young nearby star that has been a favorite target for planet hunters for years.[9] Astronomers already knew about two planets there, along with a bright, messy disk of dust and gas, making it one of the most closely studied planetary systems in the Milky Way.[9][12] Now, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a third, giant planet called Beta Pictoris d that had been hiding in plain sight inside that dusty disk.[12][18] Instead of rely