Astronomy Daily: Space News Updates

Episode S05E32 - Friday, February 6, 2026
Welcome to Astronomy Daily! Join hosts Anna and Avery as they bring you the latest space and astronomy news from across the cosmos.
Episode Highlights
Lunar Smartphones: NASA Approves Modern Tech for Space
NASA astronauts will finally be allowed to bring their smartphones on missions, starting with Crew-12 to the ISS next week and the Artemis II lunar flyby in March. After years of using decade-old cameras, astronauts can now spontaneously capture and share moments with iPhones and Android devices, promising unprecedented behind-the-scenes documentation of historic missions.
Comet MAPS: A Potential Daylight Spectacle
Newly discovered Comet C/2026 A1 (MAPS) could become visible to the naked eye—possibly even in broad daylight—when it passes within 120,000 km of the sun in early April. This Kreutz sungrazer was spotted farther from the sun than any previous sungrazer, suggesting it might survive its close solar encounter and put on a spectacular show.
Mercury's Best Evening Show of 2026
The elusive planet Mercury is currently offering its best evening viewing opportunity of the year! Shining brightly at magnitude -1.1, Mercury will reach greatest elongation on February 19th, appearing 17 degrees above the western horizon after sunset. Don't miss the stunning pairing with a crescent moon on February 18th!
China Joins Space Data Center Race
China's state-owned aerospace corporation announced ambitious plans for space-based data centers as part of their five-year expansion program. This puts China in competition with SpaceX, Axiom Space, and Google in the race to build orbital computing infrastructure powered by abundant solar energy.
Dark Matter vs Black Hole: What Powers the Milky Way?
Groundbreaking research suggests the Milky Way's core might be powered by a dense clump of fermionic dark matter rather than the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*. This controversial model explains both central star orbits and the galaxy's rotation curve while mimicking the black hole "shadow" captured by the Event Horizon Telescope.
Jetty McJetface: The Star-Shredding Phenomenon
A supermassive black hole nicknamed "Jetty McJetface" continues to astound scientists four years after shredding a star. The black hole's relativistic jet has grown 50 times brighter since 2019 and is predicted to peak in 2027, making it one of the most energetic events ever observed in the universe—over 100 trillion times more powerful than Star Wars' Death Star!
Resources & Links
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on X (social media)
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal
Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration
Astrophysical Journal
Star Walk 2 app for comet tracking
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Website: astronomydaily.io
Social Media: @AstroDailyPod on all platforms
Credits
Hosted by Anna & Avery
Produced by the Astronomy Daily team
Season 5, Episode 32
Keep looking up!

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Astronomy Daily - S05E31: Dark Sky Victory, Jupiter Redefined, Monster Sunspot
Victory for dark skies as industrial plant near major observatory cancelled • NASA's Juno mission reveals Jupiter is larger and flatter than we thought • 15-Earth-wide sunspot currently facing our planet • Unusual Martian storm reveals subsurface secrets • NASA acknowledges SLS rocket sustainability challenges • How red giant stars destroy their own gas giant planets
Host Anna and Avery discuss six major space stories for Thursday, February 5th, 2026.
Episode sponsored by astronomydaily.io - Your daily source for space and astronomy news
Featured Stories:
• Dark Sky Preservation: Industrial development threatening Canary Islands observatory cancelled
• Jupiter Redefined: Juno mission measurements reveal true size and shape of gas giant
• Solar Activity: Monster sunspot 15 Earths wide faces Earth - viewing safety tips included
• Martian Meteorology: Unusual storm system reveals subsurface features of red planet
• SLS Reality Check: NASA publicly addresses Space Launch System cost sustainability
• Stellar Destruction: Red giants systematically destroy orbiting gas giant planets
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Welcome to Astronomy Daily, bringing you the latest space and astronomy news. I'm Anna, joined by my co-host Avery, with today's cosmic headlines for Wednesday, February 4th, 2026.
Episode Highlights:
🚀 ARTEMIS 2 DELAYED - NASA's historic moon mission pushed to March after hydrogen leak during wet dress rehearsal. Four astronauts await their journey around the Moon as teams address familiar technical challenges.
🛰️ SPACEX UNVEILS STARGAZE - Revolutionary space traffic management system uses 30,000 star trackers to detect 30 million orbital transits daily. Free conjunction data offered to all satellite operators starting this spring.
⚠️ FALCON 9 GROUNDED - SpaceX temporarily halts launches after upper stage deorbit issue. Critical Crew-12 astronaut mission scheduled for February 11th hangs in the balance.
🌌 JWST'S RARE DISCOVERY - Five-way galaxy merger spotted in early universe challenges cosmic evolution models. System formed just 800 million years after Big Bang shows unexpected complexity.
🌠 LOCAL VOID MYSTERY SOLVED - 50-year puzzle resolved as scientists map flat sheet of matter beyond Local Group. Milky Way fleeing massive cosmic void at 600,000 mph.
⭐ RUNAWAY STARS MAPPED - Largest study reveals dual mechanisms ejecting massive stars from the galaxy. 214 O-type stellar speedsters analyzed, some exceeding 700 km/s.
For more space news, visit astronomydaily.io and follow us @AstroDailyPod on all major platforms.

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Welcome to Astronomy Daily! Join hosts Anna and Avery for Tuesday, February 3rd's space news roundup. Today we're covering a critical setback in NASA's Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal, Elon Musk's controversial vision for orbital AI data centers following SpaceX's acquisition of xAI, NASA's announcement of Axiom Mission 5 to the ISS, extraordinary solar flare activity from a volatile new sunspot, the start of NASA's IMAP mission to map our heliosphere, and exciting opportunities through ESA's Graduate Trainee Programme.
Episode Highlights: - https://jobs.esa.int/
• Artemis 2 wet dress rehearsal terminated at T-5:15 due to hydrogen leak
• SpaceX acquires xAI with plans for million-satellite orbital data center constellation
• NASA books fifth Axiom private astronaut mission for January 2027 launch
• Sun unleashes 18 M-class and 3 X-class flares including X8.3 eruption
• NASA's IMAP begins mapping boundaries of our solar system
• ESA opens applications for 2026 Graduate Trainee Programme https://jobs.esa.int/
Featured Stories:
ARTEMIS 2 SETBACK
NASA's critical wet dress rehearsal for the Artemis 2 mission was terminated at the T-5 minute 15 second mark due to a liquid hydrogen leak at the tail service mast umbilical interface. The launch control team worked to safe the Space Launch System rocket and drain its tanks. This rehearsal represents one of the final major tests before the historic mission that will send the first crew around the Moon in over 50 years.
SPACEX ORBITAL DATA CENTERS
Elon Musk announced SpaceX's acquisition of xAI and unveiled plans for up to one million satellites serving as orbital data centers. The proposal addresses ground-based data center challenges including electricity demands and water cooling needs by harnessing continuous solar power in space. Industry experts express skepticism about technical feasibility and suggest the timing may relate to SpaceX's potential IPO.
AXIOM MISSION 5
NASA ordered a fifth private astronaut mission from Axiom Space targeting launch no earlier than January 2027. The 14-day mission continues NASA's commercial space strategy, with Axiom proposing four crew members for approval. The mission includes service exchanges with NASA acquiring cold-return capability for scientific samples while Axiom purchases consumables and cargo services.
SOLAR FLARE BARRAGE
Sunspot region 4366 produced at least 18 M-class and three X-class solar flares in 24 hours, including the year's strongest X8.3 eruption. The February 1st flare triggered R3 radio blackouts across eastern Australia and New Zealand. Scientists monitor for coronal mass ejections with possible glancing Earth impact around February 5th that could produce high-latitude auroras.
IMAP MISSION START
NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe officially began its two-year primary science mission on February 1st. The spacecraft's 10 instruments will map heliosphere boundaries and study particle energization and solar wind interactions. IMAP data feeds the I-ALiRT system providing near-real-time space weather observations to protect spacecraft and astronauts.
ESA OPPORTUNITIES
The European Space Agency opened applications for its 2026 Graduate Trainee Programme for recent graduates in engineering, science, IT, and business. The one-year positions with possible second-year extension offer monthly tax-exempt salaries, travel reimbursement, installation allowances, and comprehensive benefits. Candidates can submit up to three applications through jobs.esa.int.
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Welcome to Astronomy Daily! Join hosts Anna and Avery for today's cosmic journey through space news, featuring SpaceX's audacious plan for one million solar-powered satellites, an ancient star catalog recovered from layers of medieval text, and China's groundbreaking solar mission to the L5 point.
**Episode Highlights:**
🛰️ **SpaceX's Million-Satellite Vision** - SpaceX files with the FCC to launch up to one million solar-powered satellite data centers for AI, framing it as a step toward becoming a Kardashev Type II civilization
⭐ **Ancient Star Map Revealed** - Scientists use X-ray technology to uncover Hipparchus's 2,000-year-old star catalog hidden under six layers of ink in a medieval manuscript
☀️ **China's Solar Observatory** - The Xihe-2 probe will become the first mission to monitor solar activity from the Sun-Earth L5 point, offering five-day advance warnings of space weather events
🔭 **Stellar Detective Story** - Astronomers discover WOH G64 isn't dying after all—a hidden companion star was fooling scientists about the red supergiant's fate
🚀 **Time Honors Artemis 2** - Time magazine releases special commemorative cover celebrating the Artemis 2 crew ahead of humanity's return to lunar orbit
🌍 **Remembering Gladys West** - Honoring the GPS pioneer and "Hidden Figure" whose mathematical work shaped navigation technology used by billions worldwide
**Episode Length:** 18-20 minutes
**Hosts:** Anna & Avery
**Production:** Astronomy Daily Podcast, Season 5
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## Story Sources
- TechCrunch
- Daily Galaxy
- Space.com
- Journal for the History of Astronomy
- CGTN News
- Keele University
- U.S. Department of Defense

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