Earth’s Water Origins, Main Belt Comet Discovery, and BepiColombo’s Latest Flyby: S27E149

SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 149

* Did Earth's Oceans Come from Comets?

New research suggests that Earth's oceans may have originated from comets, reigniting the debate about the origins of Earth's water. Recent observations of Comet 67P reveal a similar molecular signature to Earth's oceans, challenging previous findings and suggesting Jupiter family comets could have contributed to Earth's water supply. This discovery, led by Kathleen Mandit from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre, highlights the importance of understanding the origins of water, a crucial element for life on Earth.

* Discovery of a Rare Main Belt Comet

A mysterious object in the main asteroid belt has been confirmed as a rare main belt comet. Identified as 456P PanSTARRS, this comet displays regular cometary features despite residing in the main asteroid belt. This discovery, led by Henry Heissch from the Planetary Science Institute, adds to the small but growing list of known main belt comets, offering new insights into the icy bodies of the solar system and their potential to trace ices across the cosmos.

* BepiColombo's Fifth Mercury Flyby

The BepiColombo spacecraft has successfully completed its fifth flyby of Mercury, bringing it closer to entering orbit around the solar system's innermost planet. This mission, a collaboration between ESA and JAXA, aims to uncover the mysteries of Mercury's surface and magnetic field. During the flyby, BepiColombo's instruments collected valuable data, including the first mid-infrared measurements of Mercury's surface, crucial for understanding the planet's composition.

00:00 New observations suggest that Earth oceans may have come from comets after all

09:22 Main belt comets are icy objects found in the main asteroid belt

12:43 The BepiColombo spacecraft has completed its fifth flyby of Mercury

15:10 Eating a healthy diet during pregnancy is linked to lower risk of autism

17:27 Samsung are testing new artificial intelligence upgrades for their Galaxy smartphones

19:36 Space Time is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com (https://www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com)

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Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/24561411?utm_source=youtube