Episode Details

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Today's topics:

Wandering Black Hole Found Off-Center - Astronomers have identified a wandering supermassive black hole far from a galaxy’s center after it revealed itself by tearing apart a star. The discovery offers fresh evidence that giant black holes can roam galactic outskirts after mergers and other violent events.

Rocky Exoplanet Observed By Titans - The first coordinated Rocky Worlds observations with JWST and Hubble have targeted Earth-sized exoplanet GJ 3929 b. This milestone could help scientists determine whether small rocky planets around red dwarfs can hold atmospheres and what those atmospheres contain.

Radio Telescopes Track Space Junk - A new Long Baseline Multistatic Radar demonstration shows radio telescopes can detect radar echoes from high-altitude orbital debris. The technique could improve tracking of dangerous space junk in geostationary orbit and support safer long-term space operations.

Sun Unleashes Double Eruption - A synchronized double eruption on the Sun sent plasma surging into space early on July 28, 2026. The event is a striking example of active solar behavior and a reminder that solar eruptions can shape space weather near Earth.

Pluto Saturn Mercury Sky Highlights - Pluto reached opposition while Saturn hit a stationary point before beginning retrograde motion, and Mercury brightened in the morning sky. These timely sky events give observers several reasons to look up over the next few days.

ISS Roman And Eclipse Updates - NASA is preparing a series of August ISS spacewalks tied to upgrades and eventual deorbit planning, while ESA is gearing up for the August 12 total solar eclipse. NASA is also previewing the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope ahead of its expected late-August launch.

Episode Transcript

Wandering Black Hole Found Off-Center
Astronomers say they have found the first clear case of a wandering supermassive black hole in the outskirts of a galaxy. It was exposed by a tidal disruption event called TDE 2025abcr, where an unlucky star was torn apart and lit up the otherwise invisible black hole, which appears to sit about 30,000 light-years from the galactic center. That matters because it supports the idea that some giant black holes can be displaced by galaxy mergers and spend long periods roaming far from the nucleus.

Rocky Exoplanet Observed By Titans
In exoplanet news, the Rocky Worlds program has completed its first coordinated observations using both the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope. The target was GJ 3929 b, an Earth-sized rocky planet orbiting a red dwarf star. This is an important step toward figuring out whether small worlds like this can hold onto atmospheres, and if they do, what those atmosphere