Cotton-candy super-puff exoplanets & Rocket Lab launches SAR imaging

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Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Effortless AI design for presentations, websites, and more with Gamma - https://try.gamma.app/tad [https://try.gamma.app/tad] - Invest Like the Pros with StockMVP - https://www.stock-mvp.com/?via=ron [https://www.stock-mvp.com/?via=ron] - KrispCall: Agentic Cloud Telephony - https://try.krispcall.com/tad [https://try.krispcall.com/tad] Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily [https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily] TODAY'S TOPICS: COTTON-CANDY SUPER-PUFF EXOPLANETS - ASTRONOMERS REPORT TWO RARE “SUPER-PUFF” EXOPLANETS, TOI-791 B AND C, THAT ARE JUPITER-SIZED YET ASTONISHINGLY LOW-DENSITY. THE FIND ADDS FRESH PRESSURE ON PLANET-FORMATION AND ATMOSPHERIC-INFLATION MODELS, AND SETS UP PRIME TARGETS FOR FUTURE WEBB FOLLOW-UP. ROCKET LAB LAUNCHES SAR IMAGING - ROCKET LAB’S ELECTRON IS SET TO LAUNCH THE “TEN OWL OF TEN” MISSION, ADDING A SYNSPECTIVE STRIX SYNTHETIC-APERTURE RADAR SATELLITE TO ORBIT. SAR IMAGING BOOSTS DISASTER RESPONSE AND INFRASTRUCTURE MONITORING BECAUSE IT CAN SEE THROUGH CLOUDS AND AT NIGHT. EXPLODING ROCKET BODIES WORSEN DEBRIS - A NEW BRIEF HIGHLIGHTS MULTIPLE IN-ORBIT BREAKUPS OF CHINESE ROCKET BODIES, PRODUCING LONG-LIVED DEBRIS THAT CAN PERSIST FOR DECADES AT HIGHER ALTITUDES. THE STORY UNDERSCORES HOW LEFTOVER UPPER STAGES CAN BECOME FRAGMENTATION HAZARDS FOR EVERYONE OPERATING IN LEO. BOTSWANA SIGNS THE ARTEMIS ACCORDS - BOTSWANA IS POISED TO BECOME THE 68TH SIGNATORY OF THE ARTEMIS ACCORDS, JOINING A GROWING COALITION SHAPING NORMS FOR PEACEFUL AND TRANSPARENT CIVIL SPACE EXPLORATION. THE MOVE SIGNALS EXPANDING AFRICAN PARTICIPATION IN SPACE GOVERNANCE AND DIPLOMACY. STRAWBERRY MOON AND PLANET TRIO - LATE JUNE SKYWATCHING FEATURES THE BRIGHT “STRAWBERRY MOON” PLUS AN EASY-TO-SPOT GROUPING OF MERCURY, VENUS, AND JUPITER LOW AFTER SUNSET. IT’S A TIMELY REMINDER THAT MANY OF TODAY’S SPACE HEADLINES CONNECT DIRECTLY TO WHAT YOU CAN SEE TONIGHT. Episode Transcript Cotton-candy super-puff exoplanets We’ll start with the strangest headline of the day: two “super-puff” exoplanets, TOI-791 b and TOI-791 c. They’re described as roughly Jupiter-sized, but with such tiny mass for their size that their overall densities come out lower than cotton candy. The system was first flagged by NASA’s TESS planet-hunting survey, then pinned down with follow-up observations that helped estimate size and mass. What makes this especially intriguing is that super-puffs are already rare—and finding two in the same system gives researchers a valuable comparison set. The big question now is how these planets stay so inflated: is it unusual atmospheric heating, an odd formation history, or something else keeping their envelopes puffed up despite not being classic “hot Jupiter” scorchers. Rocket Lab launches SAR imaging Next, launch news with a practical payoff back on Earth. Rocket Lab is preparing its Electron rocket for the “Ten Owl of Ten” mission from New Zealand, carrying a Synspective Strix synthetic-aperture radar satellite. SAR satellites don’t need daylight and they don’t care about cloud cover, because they actively transmit radar pulses and measure the return signal. That makes them extremely useful for rapid mapping after floods, earthquakes, and storms, and for quieter long-term monitoring like detecting ground subsidence or infrastructure shifts. Adding another satellite to Synspective’s constellation mainly means better coverage and faster revisits—more chances per day to image the same place when responders and planners need updates quickly. Exploding rocket bodies worsen debris Now to the orbital environment, where today’s message is blunt: debris lasts a long time, and breakups make it worse fast. A new brief focuses on multiple Chinese rocket bodies that have exploded in orbit, creating debris that can remain in low Earth orbit for decades depending on altitude. These aren’t portrayed as intentional events; they’re the kind of fragmentation that can happen when derelict upper stages are left with residual energy sources—like leftover propellants, pressurants, or batteries—that eventually fail. The key takeaway is that a single breakup turns one large object into a swarm, complicating tracking and collision avoidance for all satellite operators, not just the country that launched the stage. Botswana signs the Artemis Accords On the policy side, there’s a notable diplomatic update: Botswana is set to become the 68th country to sign the Artemis Accords. The Accords are a non-binding framework that lays out principles for civil space activity—things like peaceful purposes, transparency, interoperability, and sharing scientific data, along with expectations around registering space objects and encouraging responsible behavior. Botswana’s signing matters less as a near-term mission commitment and more as a signal: more nations, including in southern Africa, want a seat at the table as lunar exploration ramps up and as norms for space activity evolve. It’s a governance counterpoint to the debris story—if more countries and companies are going to operate in space, the “rules of the road” have to keep pace. Strawberry Moon and planet trio Finally, something you can do tonight: look up. Late June brings the full “Strawberry Moon,” a traditional name linked to seasonal harvest timing rather than the Moon literally turning pink—though low on the horizon it can look warm-colored thanks to our atmosphere. And if you have a clear western horizon after sunset, keep an eye out for a small planetary grouping: Venus is the bright anchor, Jupiter is also prominent, and Mercury can show up lower and closer to the horizon in twilight. No special gear required—just a few minutes, an unobstructed view, and the patience to let your eyes adjust to dusk. Subscribe to edition specific feeds: - Space news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/4cLLrdt] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/4jN8Dui] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_space] Spanish [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_es/feed.xml] French [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_fr/feed.xml] - Top news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3PTvdUF] Spanish [https://apple.co/3ECCMgk] French [https://apple.co/4hmcxbB] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3ZYXAW2] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/414h4JD] French [https://spoti.fi/3Di0jDe] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_fr] - Tech news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3RYWbg4] Spanish [https://apple.co/4i0WqRM] French [https://apple.co/4bEAXMm] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3S089pG] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3EE2Fwv] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3DlObRE] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_fr] - Hacker news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/48QWyzj] Spanish [https://apple.co/4ke9jtE] French [https://apple.co/41E1qFd] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/45zD1kf] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/4hF8h81] French [https://spoti.fi/3QY26Ak] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_fr] - AI news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3M6Tg1o] Spanish [https://apple.co/4315L7Y] French [https://apple.co/3DkZbPb] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3tzOfrz] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/416m40q] French [https://spoti.fi/41HuJGW] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_ai] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_es_ai] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_fr_ai] Visit our website at https://theautomateddaily.com/ [ https://theautomateddaily.com/] Send feedback to feedback@theautomateddaily.com Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAutomatedDaily] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-automated-daily/] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/automated_daily]

ELT Construction Reaches Major Milestone & Hubble Webb Reveal Black Hole - Space News (Jul 14, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Invest Like the Pros with StockMVP - https://www.stock-mvp.com/?via=ron [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/stock_mvp?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - Prezi: Create AI presentations fast - https://try.prezi.com/automated_daily [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/prezi?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - SurveyMonkey, Using AI to surface insights faster and reduce manual analysis time - https://get.surveymonkey.com/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/survey-monkey?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily [https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily] TODAY'S TOPICS: ELT CONSTRUCTION REACHES MAJOR MILESTONE - THE EXTREMELY LARGE TELESCOPE HAS REACHED A MAJOR CONSTRUCTION MILESTONE IN CHILE, BRINGING ASTRONOMERS CLOSER TO A NEW ERA OF EXOPLANET AND GALAXY OBSERVATIONS. THIS SPACE NEWS UPDATE EXPLAINS WHY THE ELT MATTERS FOR THE FUTURE OF GROUND-BASED ASTRONOMY. HUBBLE WEBB REVEAL BLACK HOLE - ASTRONOMERS USED ARCHIVAL HUBBLE DATA AND FOLLOW-UP OBSERVATIONS FROM THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE TO IDENTIFY A STELLAR-MASS BLACK HOLE. THE DISCOVERY HIGHLIGHTS HOW OLD DATASETS AND NEW INSTRUMENTS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO UNCOVER HIDDEN OBJECTS IN SPACE. FALCON 9 MARKS 600 REUSES - A FALCON 9 STARLINK LAUNCH IS SET TO MARK THE 600TH BOOSTER REUSE ACROSS SPACEX'S FLEET, UNDERLINING HOW ROUTINE REUSABLE ROCKETRY HAS BECOME. THE MISSION IS ANOTHER SIGN THAT LOWER-COST, HIGH-CADENCE LAUNCH OPERATIONS ARE RESHAPING ACCESS TO ORBIT. STARSHIP FLIGHT 13 TARGETS JULY - SPACEX IS NOW TARGETING NO EARLIER THAN JULY 16 FOR STARSHIP FLIGHT 13, THE NEXT MAJOR TEST OF ITS FULLY REUSABLE HEAVY-LIFT SYSTEM. THE UPDATE SHOWS HOW RAPIDLY ITERATIVE LAUNCH TESTING IS DRIVING THE FUTURE OF DEEP-SPACE TRANSPORTATION. ISS LAUNCHES AND STATION SCIENCE - RUSSIA IS LAUNCHING A NASA ASTRONAUT AND TWO COSMONAUTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, WHILE CHINA HAS RETURNED SCIENCE SAMPLES FROM ITS OWN STATION. TOGETHER, THESE STORIES SHOW HOW HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT IS BECOMING BOTH MORE INTERNATIONAL AND MORE MULTIPOLAR. ROMAN TELESCOPE NEARS AUGUST LAUNCH - NASA'S NANCY GRACE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE IS IN FLORIDA PREPARING FOR AN AUGUST 2026 LIFTOFF. AS THE AGENCY'S NEXT FLAGSHIP OBSERVATORY, ROMAN IS EXPECTED TO TRANSFORM STUDIES OF DARK ENERGY, EXOPLANETS, AND THE INFRARED UNIVERSE. TORIFUNE, EXOPLANETS, AND DARK SKIES - NASA'S ASTRONOMY PICTURE OF THE DAY SPOTLIGHTS THE DOUBLE-LOBED ASTEROID TORIFUNE, WHILE NEW CHATTER AROUND A NEARBY EXOPLANET SUGGESTS IT MAY BE MORE EARTH-LIKE THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. ADD IN JULY'S DARK-SKY NEW MOON WINDOW, AND THERE IS PLENTY FOR SKYWATCHERS AND PLANET HUNTERS TO FOLLOW. Episode Transcript ELT Construction Reaches Major Milestone First up, one of the biggest long-term astronomy projects on Earth has crossed an important threshold. The Extremely Large Telescope, under construction in Chile, has reached a major milestone, a reminder that the next generation of observatories is steadily coming together. When the ELT eventually begins science operations, it is expected to sharpen our view of exoplanets, distant galaxies, and some of the deepest questions in modern cosmology. Hubble Webb Reveal Black Hole In orbital astronomy, NASA says astronomers have identified a stellar-mass black hole by combining archival Hubble observations with follow-up work from the James Webb Space Telescope. That is a powerful example of how discoveries do not only come from brand-new data. Sometimes the breakthrough happens when scientists revisit older observations with better tools, better models, and a fresh question. Falcon 9 Marks 600 Reuses On the launch front, SpaceX is preparing a Falcon 9 mission carrying 29 Starlink satellites, and this flight is expected to mark the 600th booster reuse across the Falcon fleet. That number is more than a statistic. It shows that reusability is no longer a dramatic experiment but a normal part of launch operations, with major implications for cost, cadence, and the overall pace of activity in low Earth orbit. Starship Flight 13 Targets July Meanwhile, SpaceX's bigger ambition is also moving forward. The company is now targeting no earlier than July 16 for Starship Flight 13, the next integrated test of its heavy-lift system. Even before liftoff, schedule updates like this matter because each test adds to the picture of how quickly fully reusable deep-space transport is maturing, and how realistic those longer-term lunar and Mars plans may become. ISS Launches And Station Science Human spaceflight is active on multiple fronts today. Russia is launching a NASA astronaut and two Roscosmos cosmonauts to the International Space Station, another sign that ISS cooperation continues even in a complicated geopolitical era. At the same time, China has returned scientific experiment samples from its own space station, showing that low Earth orbit research is expanding into a more globally distributed system of laboratories. Roman Telescope Nears August Launch Looking ahead, NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now in Florida as it prepares for a planned August launch. Roman is designed to survey huge areas of the sky in infrared light, complementing the deeper but narrower view of Webb. That means it could become one of the most important tools of the next decade for studying dark energy, mapping galaxies, and finding new exoplanets. Torifune, Exoplanets, And Dark Skies And finally, a lighter but still fascinating astronomy note. NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day features Torifune, a double-lobed asteroid whose shape hints at a violent and messy history of collisions and reassembly in the solar system. Add to that a nearby exoplanet, about 25 light-years away, that may be more Earth-like than scientists once thought, plus the dark skies of a July new moon, and it is a good moment to remember that space news ranges from giant observatories to tiny worlds and the possibility of familiar ones beyond our own. Subscribe to edition specific feeds: - Space news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/4cLLrdt] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/4jN8Dui] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_space] Spanish [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_es/feed.xml] French [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_fr/feed.xml] - Top news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3PTvdUF] Spanish [https://apple.co/3ECCMgk] French [https://apple.co/4hmcxbB] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3ZYXAW2] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/414h4JD] French [https://spoti.fi/3Di0jDe] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_fr] - Tech news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3RYWbg4] Spanish [https://apple.co/4i0WqRM] French [https://apple.co/4bEAXMm] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3S089pG] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3EE2Fwv] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3DlObRE] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_fr] - Hacker news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/48QWyzj] Spanish [https://apple.co/4ke9jtE] French [https://apple.co/41E1qFd] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/45zD1kf] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/4hF8h81] French [https://spoti.fi/3QY26Ak] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_fr] - AI news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3M6Tg1o] Spanish [https://apple.co/4315L7Y] French [https://apple.co/3DkZbPb] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3tzOfrz] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/416m40q] French [https://spoti.fi/41HuJGW] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_ai] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_es_ai] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_fr_ai] Visit our website at https://theautomateddaily.com/ [ https://theautomateddaily.com/] Send feedback to feedback@theautomateddaily.com Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAutomatedDaily] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-automated-daily/] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/automated_daily]

Yesterday3 min

White House taps Avi Loeb & Starlink launch and sea catch - Space News (Jul 11, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Prezi: Create AI presentations fast - https://try.prezi.com/automated_daily [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/prezi?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - Discover the Future of AI Audio with ElevenLabs - https://try.elevenlabs.io/tad [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/eleven_labs?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] - Invest Like the Pros with StockMVP - https://www.stock-mvp.com/?via=ron [https://theautomateddaily.com/api/v1/go/stock_mvp?edition=SPACE&lang=en&src=notes] Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily [https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily] TODAY'S TOPICS: WHITE HOUSE TAPS AVI LOEB - THE WHITE HOUSE HAS APPOINTED HARVARD ASTROPHYSICIST AVI LOEB TO LEAD A NEW UFO OR UAP STUDY GROUP, SIGNALING A MORE FORMAL SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO UNIDENTIFIED AERIAL PHENOMENA. THE MOVE BLENDS SPACE POLICY, PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY, AND EVIDENCE-BASED INVESTIGATION. STARLINK LAUNCH AND SEA CATCH - A SPACEX STARLINK LAUNCH CREATED A DRAMATIC JELLYFISH PLUME OVER THE NIGHT SKY, WHILE CHINA REPORTED A MAJOR REUSABLE ROCKET RECOVERY MILESTONE WITH A SEA-BASED CATCH. TOGETHER, THE STORIES SHOW HOW LAUNCH SPECTACLE AND REUSABILITY ARE RESHAPING GLOBAL SPACEFLIGHT. SPACE MIRRORS THREATEN DARK SKIES - REGULATORY APPROVAL FOR REFLECT ORBITAL'S PROTOTYPE SPACE MIRROR HAS REIGNITED CONCERNS ABOUT ARTIFICIAL BRIGHTENING OF THE NIGHT SKY. ASTRONOMERS WARN THAT LARGE ORBITAL LIGHTING SYSTEMS COULD SERIOUSLY AFFECT DARK-SKY OBSERVING AND SCIENTIFIC DATA QUALITY. EUCLID SPOTS EARLIEST KNOWN QUASARS - ESA'S EUCLID MISSION HAS IDENTIFIED SOME OF THE EARLIEST QUASARS EVER SEEN, INCLUDING A RECORD-SETTING OBJECT AT REDSHIFT 7.77. THESE DISCOVERIES COULD HELP EXPLAIN HOW SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES FORMED SO QUICKLY AFTER THE BIG BANG. WEBB REVEALS DETAILED CENTAURUS A - NASA'S JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE HAS RELEASED A STUNNING NEW COMPOSITE OF CENTAURUS A USING NIRCAM AND MIRI DATA. THE IMAGE GIVES ASTRONOMERS AN UNPRECEDENTED INFRARED VIEW OF DUST LANES, STAR FORMATION, AND THE GALAXY'S ACTIVE CORE. TIANWEN-2 IMAGES QUASI-MOON KAMOʻOALEWA - CHINA'S TIANWEN-2 MISSION HAS RETURNED THE FIRST CLOSE-UP IMAGE OF EARTH'S QUASI-MOON KAMOʻOALEWA. THE MILESTONE ADVANCES SMALL-BODY SCIENCE AND COULD REVEAL WHETHER THE OBJECT HAS LINKS TO LUNAR OR NEAR-EARTH ASTEROID MATERIAL. NEARBY SUPER-EARTH ENTERS SPOTLIGHT - ASTRONOMERS HAVE ANNOUNCED GJ 3378B, A NEARBY SUPER-EARTH ORBITING IN THE HABITABLE ZONE ABOUT 25 LIGHT-YEARS AWAY. ITS LOCATION AND SIZE MAKE IT AN ATTRACTIVE FUTURE TARGET IN THE SEARCH FOR POTENTIALLY LIFE-SUPPORTING EXOPLANETS. JULY SKYWATCHING BRINGS PLANETARY ALIGNMENTS - NASA'S JULY 2026 SKYWATCHING GUIDANCE HIGHLIGHTS A PREDAWN LINEUP OF THE MOON, MARS, SATURN, AND URANUS, ALONG WITH GOOD VIEWING FOR COMET 10P/TEMPEL 2. IT'S A REMINDER THAT SOME OF THE BEST SPACE STORIES ARE VISIBLE WITH YOUR OWN EYES. Episode Transcript White House taps Avi Loeb First up, a major policy story: the White House has appointed Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb to lead a new UFO, or more formally UAP, study group. Loeb is known both for mainstream astrophysics and for his willingness to explore unconventional ideas about extraterrestrial technology, so the appointment is likely to draw attention. The bigger significance is that the government appears to be framing unexplained sightings as a scientific data problem, not just a security mystery. Starlink launch and sea catch In launch news, SpaceX's Starlink 405 mission lifted off at 03:01 UTC on July 11 and produced one of those striking so-called jellyfish plumes in the night sky. That glowing shape happens when rocket exhaust is lit by sunlight high above Earth while the ground below is still dark. It's visually spectacular, but it also reflects how routine orbital launches have become in the era of megaconstellations. Space mirrors threaten dark skies Meanwhile, China reported a notable reusability milestone with a successful sea-based catch of a reusable rocket stage. Even without every technical detail, the message is clear: reusable launch systems are no longer the signature of just one company or one country. Reusability is becoming a global standard, and that has implications for launch cost, competition, and the pace of access to orbit. Euclid spots earliest known quasars Not all orbital news is good news for astronomy. Reflect Orbital has received FCC authorization for radio operations tied to an 18-meter prototype space mirror, part of a larger concept that could eventually redirect sunlight to Earth at night. Astronomers are warning that if such systems scale up, they could dramatically brighten the night sky and interfere with observations of faint objects, adding a new layer to the debate over how crowded and artificial Earth's skies should become. Webb reveals detailed Centaurus A Turning to deep space, ESA's Euclid mission has identified 31 ancient quasars from when the universe was only around 670 to 800 million years old. One of them, at redshift 7.77, is being described as the most distant quasar yet reported. These objects matter because quasars are powered by supermassive black holes, and finding them so early in cosmic history deepens the puzzle of how black holes grew so massive so fast after the Big Bang. Tianwen-2 images quasi-moon Kamoʻoalewa The James Webb Space Telescope is also making headlines with a new composite view of Centaurus A, one of the closest and most dramatic active galaxies in the sky. By combining near-infrared and mid-infrared observations, Webb can peer through dust and resolve stars, gas, and warm structures near the core in remarkable detail. It's both a beautiful image and a powerful lab for studying galaxy mergers, star formation, and black hole feedback. Nearby super-Earth enters spotlight In planetary science, China's Tianwen-2 mission has captured the first close-up image of Kamoʻoalewa, a quasi-moon of Earth. That means it travels around the Sun, but in a co-orbital configuration that keeps it near our planet over long periods. Scientists are especially interested in whether this object could be a fragment related to the Moon or whether it turns out to be a more typical near-Earth asteroid with a different origin story. July skywatching brings planetary alignments Exoplanet researchers also have a compelling new target: GJ 3378b, a nearby super-Earth about 25 light-years away. It sits in the habitable zone of its star and receives roughly 90 percent of the stellar radiation that Earth gets from the Sun. That does not mean it is definitely Earth-like or inhabited, but it does put the planet high on the list for future atmospheric studies and the ongoing search for potentially life-supporting worlds. Story 9 And finally, if you want a space event you can catch without a telescope the size of a building, NASA's July skywatching guide points to a predawn alignment featuring the Moon, Mars, Saturn, and Uranus around July 11 and 12. The guide also notes darker skies near the July 14 new moon, which should help with viewing Comet 10P/Tempel 2 and the Milky Way. It's a good reminder that even as observatories push to the edge of the universe, the sky still offers plenty to see from right here on Earth. Subscribe to edition specific feeds: - Space news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/4cLLrdt] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/4jN8Dui] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_space] Spanish [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_es/feed.xml] French [https://theautomateddaily.com/space_fr/feed.xml] - Top news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3PTvdUF] Spanish [https://apple.co/3ECCMgk] French [https://apple.co/4hmcxbB] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3ZYXAW2] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/414h4JD] French [https://spoti.fi/3Di0jDe] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_news_fr] - Tech news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3RYWbg4] Spanish [https://apple.co/4i0WqRM] French [https://apple.co/4bEAXMm] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3S089pG] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3EE2Fwv] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/3DlObRE] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_tech_fr] - Hacker news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/48QWyzj] Spanish [https://apple.co/4ke9jtE] French [https://apple.co/41E1qFd] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/45zD1kf] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/4hF8h81] French [https://spoti.fi/3QY26Ak] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_es] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hacker_news_fr] - AI news * Apple Podcast English [https://apple.co/3M6Tg1o] Spanish [https://apple.co/4315L7Y] French [https://apple.co/3DkZbPb] * Spotify English [https://spoti.fi/3tzOfrz] Spanish [https://spoti.fi/416m40q] French [https://spoti.fi/41HuJGW] * RSS English [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_ai] Spanish [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_es_ai] French [https://bit.ly/the_automated_daily_hackernews_fr_ai] Visit our website at https://theautomateddaily.com/ [ https://theautomateddaily.com/] Send feedback to feedback@theautomateddaily.com Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheAutomatedDaily] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-automated-daily/] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/automated_daily]

11. juli 20264 min

Cotton-candy super-puff exoplanets & Rocket Lab launches SAR imaging - Space News (Jun 26, 2026)

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