Bedtime Astronomy

Elias 2-24 b has officially become the youngest known exoplanet, at less than a million years old. Located about 450 light-years away, this Jupiter-sized world is still forming and appears to be gathering material from its surroundings.

Its surprisingly early formation and distant orbit challenge current theories about how giant planets are born. Future observations could reveal even more about these elusive cosmic newborns.

Thank you for listening to Bedtime Astronomy — your guide to the cosmos. New episodes on space exploration, NASA missions & the latest astronomy breakthroughs.

This episode includes AI-generated content.

NASA researchers have developed a more precise way to track tiny seasonal shifts in Earth’s center of mass. Ocean tides, rainfall, snowfall, and atmospheric changes subtly move the planet’s mass, causing the geocenter to wobble.

By combining GPS and laser measurements, scientists found these movements are about half as large as previously estimated. The improved measurements could strengthen global navigation, satellite mapping, and our ability to monitor environmental changes.

Thank you for listening to Bedtime Astronomy — your guide to the cosmos. New episodes on space exploration, NASA missions & the latest astronomy breakthroughs.

This episode includes AI-generated content.

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified a huge impact crater on the Moon created by a collision in early 2024.

About 728 feet wide, it is the largest modern impact observed in the solar system and offers new clues about how space debris reshapes the lunar surface.

Thank you for listening to Bedtime Astronomy — your guide to the cosmos. New episodes on space exploration, NASA missions & the latest astronomy breakthroughs.

This episode includes AI-generated content.

Astronomers studying nine nearby galaxies have found evidence that active supermassive black holes may sometimes trigger star formation rather than suppress it.

Powerful outflows from these black holes can generate shock waves that compress surrounding gas, creating conditions where new stars can form. The discovery reveals a complex feedback process in which black holes may help shape the evolution of their host galaxies.

Thank you for listening to Bedtime Astronomy — your guide to the cosmos. New episodes on space exploration, NASA missions & the latest astronomy breakthroughs.

This episode includes AI-generated content.

VT J1906+0849 is a mysterious radio source in the Milky Way that has remained active for more than 20 years, repeatedly brightening while producing no detectable X-rays.

Astronomers believe it may involve a black hole or neutron star feeding on surrounding matter, with a dense disk wind hiding its central engine while powering powerful radio jets. The object could represent a previously unknown class of stellar remnants.

Thank you for listening to Bedtime Astronomy — your guide to the cosmos. New episodes on space exploration, NASA missions & the latest astronomy breakthroughs.

This episode includes AI-generated content.