## Today's Headlines:

🛰️ **NOAA Solar Observatory Reaches L1**

NOAA's Space Weather Follow-On satellite successfully arrived at Lagrange point 1 on January 21st, establishing the first component of a future constellation designed to provide early warning of solar storms and coronal mass ejections. The satellite offers 15-60 minutes advance notice of space weather events that could impact Earth's infrastructure.

🚀 **Challenger Disaster: 40 Years Later**

Marking four decades since the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy, we examine how unseasonably cold weather and O-ring failures led to the loss of seven crew members. The disaster fundamentally changed NASA's safety culture and decision-making processes, lessons that continue to influence spaceflight today.

🤖 **AI Uncovers Cosmic Treasures in Hubble Archive**

Advanced artificial intelligence algorithms have identified hundreds of previously undetected gravitational lenses in Hubble Space Telescope data. These discoveries include rare Einstein rings and exotic lensing configurations that provide windows into the early universe and dark matter distribution.

☄️ **Venus's Potential Meteor Shower**

Astronomers predict Venus may experience a significant meteor shower in July 2026 from debris of asteroid 2002 VT37. The event offers a rare opportunity to study how meteor showers interact with Venus's dense carbon dioxide atmosphere.

🌌 **Stellar Fireworks at the Galactic Center**

New observations reveal intense stellar activity near Sagittarius A*, our galaxy's supermassive black hole, including star formation, supernovae, and tidal disruption events in one of the most extreme environments in the Milky Way.

📡 **Watch Artemis 2 Rocket Live**

NASA has launched a 24-hour livestream of the Artemis 2 Space Launch System rocket on Launch Pad 39B as crews prepare for the first crewed lunar mission since 1972, currently targeting April 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVnsO_rdew (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrVnsO_rdew)

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SpaceTime with Stuart Gary Gary - Series 29 Episode 12

In this episode of SpaceTime , we uncover groundbreaking discoveries about Earth's mantle, the watery past of Mars, and the rapid growth of galaxies through cool gas filaments.

Distinct Histories of Earth’s Mantle Provinces

Recent research reveals that the two massive continent-sized regions deep within the Earth's mantle have unique chemical compositions and histories. This study challenges long-held assumptions and uses seismic wave data to illustrate how these large low velocity provinces differ in density and material, impacting the planet's heat extraction from the core and potentially affecting the stability of Earth's magnetic field.

Confirmation of Mars as a Blue Planet

New evidence from ancient Martian river deltas suggests that Mars was once covered by a vast ocean. High-resolution images reveal delta-like structures, indicating that water once flowed into an ocean approximately 3 billion years ago. This discovery supports the notion of a once habitable environment on Mars, offering insights into its geological history and the potential for life.

Galaxies Growing Through Cool Gas Filaments

A fascinating new study has demonstrated how galaxies can rapidly grow by drawing in filaments of cool gas. Observations from the Keck Telescope's Cosmic Webb Imager provide direct evidence of these gas streams spiraling into galaxies, fueling star formation at unprecedented rates. This research offers significant insights into the processes of galaxy formation and the role of the cosmic web in shaping the universe.

www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (https://www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com/)

✍️ Episode References

Scientific Reports

MPJ Space Exploration

Nature Astronomy

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(00:00:00) Distinct histories of Earth's mantle provinces

(00:12:15) Mars confirmed as a blue planet with ancient ocean

(00:25:30) Galaxies grow rapidly through cool gas filaments

(00:35:00) Discovery of the oldest known rock art in the world.

Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/31361220?utm_source=youtube