S27E62: Earth's New Neighbor: Unveiling Speculus-3b in the Cosmic Backyard

SpaceTime with Stuart Gary

Set sail through the cosmic seas with SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 62, as we chart a course to a newly discovered Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting an ultra-cool red dwarf star just a stone's throw away in the galactic neighborhood. The discovery of Speculos-3b, a mere 55 light-years from Earth, stirs intrigue with its eternal days and nights due to likely tidal locking, offering a unique glimpse into the conditions of potentially habitable worlds around the most common stellar inhabitants of our galaxy.
We then drift to the Milky Way's outskirts, where a stellar slow lane has been uncovered, challenging assumptions about the mass and dark matter content at the heart of our galactic home. This revelation, derived from Gaia and APOGEE data, suggests a lighter core and less dark matter than previously believed, sending ripples through our understanding of the cosmos.
Our voyage continues as we seek to uncover dark matter's elusive influence on stellar streams with the help of the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory. This bastion of observation promises to shed light on the ghostly gravitational effects of dark matter on these celestial ribbons, offering a new perspective on the most dominant yet unseen force in the universe.
Join us on SpaceTime with Stuart Gary for a journey into these cosmic curiosities and more, as we navigate the mysteries of space and the wonders it holds.
(00:00) This is spacetime series 27, episode 62, for broadcast 22 May 2024
(00:46) Astronomers have discovered a new Earth sized planet orbiting an ultracool red dwarf
(04:24) The Milky Way's gravitational core may contain less dark matter than previously thought
(10:26) The Vera C. Rubin Observatory may well hold the answers to what dark matter is
(15:46) Heat waves during the four hottest months of the year lead to 150,000 deaths
(19:29) Chat GPT launched GPT four omni last week
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