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Astronomers have spotted a star with unimaginable power, defying everything we know! Plus, discover why this asteroid has scientists racing to uncover its secrets!
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00:00Now see here, astronomers have recently discovered a neutron star, also known as a dead star,
00:06spinning at an extraordinary speed of 716 times per second.
00:11It makes it one of the fastest spinning stars we've ever found in the universe.
00:15And it's not just about its speed.
00:17The surface of this neutron star is erupting, with super-powerful explosions almost non-stop.
00:23But before we dig deeper into the mystery of this neutron star,
00:27let's figure out what these stars really are.
00:30They form from the remnants of massive stars that are at least 8 times the mass of the Sun.
00:35When such stars exhaust their nuclear fuel,
00:38they can no longer counteract the force of gravity pulling their matter inward.
00:42This leads to the collapse of their cores,
00:45triggering a massive supernova explosion that blows away the outer layers of the star.
00:50What's left behind is an ultra-dense core.
00:53That's a neutron star.
00:54These stellar remnants are incredibly small, typically just 12 miles wide.
00:59At the same time, they pack in more mass than the Sun.
01:03The density of neutron stars is also overwhelming.
01:07Imagine taking the mass of two suns and squeezing it into a sphere about the size of a city.
01:13A single teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh around 10 million tons.
01:18That's the same as the combined weight of 85,000 blue whales.
01:22Such an extraordinary density is what gives neutron stars their immensely powerful gravitational fields.
01:28When matter falls onto a neutron star,
01:31it accelerates to speeds of millions of miles per hour before slamming into the surface.
01:36The energy release from such impacts is truly astonishing.
01:40Now, despite its name, inside a neutron star, there are not only neutrons.
01:45A few protons survive down there, too.
01:48Now, normally, protons repel each other since they have the same positive charge.
01:52But in a neutron star, that crushing gravity forces them so close together
01:57that the strong nuclear force takes over.
01:59It pulls them toward the neutrons like they're all part of the same team.
02:04Inside the star, things get stranger the deeper you go.
02:08Near the surface, neutrons clump into blobs, kind of like a neutron nyagi.
02:13A bit further down, these blobs link together into long chains,
02:17forming what scientists call the spaghetti layer.
02:20I'm getting hungry.
02:21At even greater pressures, the spaghetti chains fuse side by side, creating flat sheets.
02:26Think neutron lasagna.
02:28Keep going any deeper, and the lasagna eventually breaks down into a uniform mass.
02:33But even then, the structure isn't smooth.
02:36There are gaps, long tube-shaped voids, that look a lot like penny pasta.
02:40So, inside a neutron star, you've got layers of gnocchi, spaghetti, lasagna, and penny pasta.
02:47And each of them represents the mind-bending results of physics under insane pressure.
02:52Okay, I'm definitely having Italian for lunch today.
02:55Now, the recently discovered neutron star is part of a binary system,
03:00located in a dense star cluster.
03:01This cluster is situated near the center of the Milky Way galaxy,
03:06approximately 26,000 light-years from Earth, in the direction of the Sagittarius constellation.
03:11The record-breaking spin of the star is extraordinary.
03:14If we take a period of not a second, but a minute, it'll be over 42,000 revolutions per minute.
03:21At the same time, the newbie ties with another neutron star, which spins at the exact same speed.
03:27Such extreme rotation rates are rare, and make these stars cosmic outliers in terms of behavior and properties.
03:34Oh, wait!
03:35We can't but mention our neutron star's binary partner.
03:39It's a white dwarf, a dense remnant of a star similar in size to our Sun.
03:43This white dwarf is pretty fast, too.
03:46It orbits the neutron star once every 11 minutes.
03:49This makes the couple a binary system, with the shortest orbital period ever observed.
03:55Imagine a stellar object zipping around its partner faster than the time it takes to prepare a cup of coffee.
04:01Yep, that's the kind of speed we're talking about here.
04:04This tight, rapid orbit shows how powerful gravitational forces are inside the system.
04:10So, you might be wondering what makes neutron stars spin so rapidly.
04:15It's something called the conservation of angular momentum.
04:18Let me explain.
04:19When a massive star collapses into a neutron star, it shrinks dramatically.
04:24Such a rapid compression gives an instant boost to its spin.
04:28It's like an ice skater spinning faster when they pull their arms inward.
04:32And the smaller the star gets, the faster it spins, which results in extreme rotation rates.
04:37In binary systems like this one, neutron stars can achieve even faster spin rates.
04:44Their trick is to steal matter from their companion stars.
04:47This process is called theft.
04:49No, accretion.
04:50The stolen matter carries that very angular momentum, which adds to the neutron star's rotation speed.
04:57The accreted material can also build up on the neutron star's surface, eventually.
05:02It triggers powerful thermonuclear explosions.
05:04They release immense amounts of energy, temporarily making the neutron star shine up to 100,000 times brighter than our
05:12Sun.
05:12It allows astronomers to study the intricate details of these extreme environments.
05:18NASA's X-ray instrument, on board the International Space Station,
05:22officially called the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer, and thankfully nicknamed NICER,
05:28observed 15 thermonuclear explosions on the surface of our neutron star between 2017 and 2021.
05:36One of those bursts displayed a unique pattern called thermonuclear burst oscillations.
05:41Those are highly asymmetric patches of brightness on the burning surface layers of accreting neutron stars.
05:47This pattern matched the spin rate of the neutron star and thus confirmed its extreme rotational speed.
05:54But wait, the best part is coming.
05:56While neutron stars are already extreme, there's another class of them that takes things to a whole new level –
06:04magnetars.
06:05Now, magnetars are neutron stars with unimaginably strong magnetic fields,
06:10up to a thousand trillion times stronger than Earth's magnetic field.
06:14These fields set them apart from other neutron stars.
06:16They can distort atoms in nearby objects, making life impossible anywhere near them.
06:22As for the energy density of a magnetar's magnetic field, it's so high that it's 10,000 times greater than
06:29the mass density of lead.
06:31Magnetars also produce bursts of X-rays and gamma rays that are so powerful they can temporarily outshine entire galaxies.
06:39These bursts are often triggered by starquakes, violent shifts in the magnetar's crust caused by their own magnetic fields.
06:46For example, a gamma ray burst from a magnetar in 2004 was so strong that it disrupted Earth's ionosphere.
06:54It hit Earth, and it was so intense that several satellites picked it up.
06:59The SWIFT satellite, built specifically to detect gamma ray bursts from across the universe, didn't just detect the blast.
07:05It got hit with so much energy that its sensors got completely overloaded.
07:10And SWIFT wasn't even facing the burst.
07:12The energy was so strong, it passed through the spacecraft and still overwhelmed its cameras.
07:18If a magnetar was located as close to Earth as the Moon,
07:22its magnetic field would erase all credit card data on the planet by wiping the magnetic stripes clean.
07:28Whoa, that's the level of power we're dealing with here.
07:32Magnetars are extremely active, but for a relatively short time.
07:36Their intense magnetic fields decay after about 10,000 years.
07:41After that, they stop emitting strong X-rays and gamma rays.
07:45Astronomers think that there are at least 30 million inactive magnetars in the Milky Way galaxy alone.
07:51These silent cosmic relics are scattered all over the galaxy.
07:55Neutron stars and magnetars serve as laboratories for extreme physics.
08:00They allow astronomers to have insights into the behavior of certain matter under conditions you can never replicate on Earth.
08:07The incredible density of these objects helps scientists figure out what happens
08:12when protons and electrons get compressed together to form neutrons.
08:16This creates states of matter that don't exist anywhere else in the universe.
08:20These violent explosions on neutron stars and magnetars
08:24also play a critical role in the formation of heavy elements like gold and platinum.
08:29These elements get scattered all over the universe during these energetic events,
08:34eventually becoming parts of planets and stars and you and me.
08:38Oh, by the way, NASA's NICER instrument has played the key role in uncovering the mysteries of neutron stars.
08:45Its ability to detect X-rays with high precision
08:48allowed astronomers to study the rapid spin of the neutron star we've been talking about
08:52and the thermonuclear bursts that occur on its surface.
08:56So, what could be nicer than that?
09:00Imagine an asteroid so full of valuable metals that it could make every person on Earth a billionaire.
09:07Well, that's not science fiction.
09:09It's 1-6 Psyche,
09:11a massive metallic space rock orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
09:15It isn't just extraordinary because of its value, estimated at 10 quintillion dollars.
09:22That's a figure that dwarfs the global economy many times over.
09:26It also has clues about the formation of planets,
09:30especially the rocky worlds like Earth.
09:34In October 2023, NASA launched the Psyche spacecraft.
09:38This mission is to explore the cosmic treasure trove.
09:42It's supposed to arrive at the asteroid in August 2029,
09:45and astronomers hope that it will give us some insights,
09:48not just about the asteroid's glittering wealth,
09:51but also about how planets form and evolve in our solar system.
09:56But what exactly makes Psyche unique?
10:00First discovered in 1852 by an Italian astronomer,
10:04it was the 16th asteroid people identified, hence its name.
10:08It stands out among the millions of space rocks in the asteroid belt
10:12for one main reason, its metallic composition.
10:16While most asteroids are rocky or icy,
10:19Psyche seems to be made primarily of iron, nickel,
10:23and possibly even gold and other rare metals.
10:26At about 173 miles wide, it isn't the largest asteroid.
10:31It's easily dwarfed by others like Ceres.
10:34But its size is still impressive.
10:36After all, its surface area is 64,000 square miles,
10:40like that of the state of Florida.
10:42Astronomers think that between 30 and 60 percent of the asteroid's surface
10:46might consist of precious metals.
10:49They also think that this space rock might be the exposed core of a planetesimal.
10:56A planetesimal is basically a protoplanet,
10:59a large space body in orbit around a star developing into a planet.
11:04And this planetesimal could have grown into a full-fledged planet
11:08if it hadn't been destroyed in some catastrophic collision billions of years ago.
11:13If this theory is correct,
11:16Psyche can give us a unique glimpse into what lies deep within terrestrial planets like Earth,
11:21where planetary cores are hidden thousands of miles beneath thick crusts and mantles.
11:27Now, remember that spacecraft that went to explore the asteroid?
11:31After embarking on its ambitious mission,
11:33the Psyche probe will travel a mind-boggling 2.2 billion miles to reach its goal.
11:39This journey will take nearly six years.
11:43On its way to the asteroid,
11:44the spacecraft will pass by Mars in May 2026
11:48and use the red planet's gravity to slingshot itself deeper into space.
11:53This maneuver is called a gravity assist,
11:55and it will boost the velocity of the probe
11:58and refine its trajectory toward the asteroid.
12:01By the time it reaches its goal in August 2029,
12:04the spacecraft will be set to orbit the asteroid for at least 26 months.
12:09During this time, it will analyze its surface,
12:12figure out its composition,
12:14and attempt to unravel its history.
12:18The probe is equipped with some pretty cool tools.
12:21One of them is called a multi-spectral imager.
12:24This instrument will snap high-resolution images of the asteroid's surface.
12:29It's supposed to help astronomers to study its texture and composition.
12:33Then, the probe has a gamma ray and neutron spectrometer.
12:38This instrument will measure the asteroid's chemical elements,
12:42including its metal content.
12:44A magnetometer will detect a magnetic field, if any,
12:48which could confirm Psyche's origin as a planetary core.
12:53And finally, an X-band radio system will help determine the asteroid's gravity field,
12:59which can offer insights into the asteroid's internal structure.
13:04NASA isn't sending the spacecraft to assess the value of the space rock as a mining target.
13:09Well, at least not yet.
13:11The main goal of the mission is science.
13:14Researchers hope to answer fundamental questions about how planets form and evolve.
13:19And this asteroid could help us understand what happens when molten material solidifies into a core.
13:26Another question we need to answer to is,
13:29Why did it fail to become a planet?
13:32And understanding the history of the asteroid might shed light on why some celestial bodies grow into planets,
13:38while others don't.
13:41While NASA's mission is purely exploratory,
13:44it has also sparked interest from the point of view of asteroid mining.
13:52Psyche could theoretically supply enough raw materials to revolutionize industries on Earth.
13:58Mining it is likely to be decades away, if it ever happens altogether.
14:03But the idea still sounds amazing.
14:05At the same time, if the asteroid's metals were somehow brought to Earth,
14:10their abundance could cause the value of precious metals like gold to plummet,
14:14and it would wreak havoc on global markets.
14:18Speaking of valuable resources,
14:20let's find out how Earth got its own gold, platinum, and other rare metals.
14:25These elements, a.k.a. highly siderophile elements, have a cosmic origin story.
14:31And it's every bit as dramatic as Psyche's.
14:35These precious metals were born in violent cosmic events billions of years ago.
14:41Many appeared in kilonovae, explosive collisions between neutron stars.
14:45These metals were then scattered across space and eventually became part of the gas and dust cloud that formed our
14:52solar system.
14:54When Earth formed, those metals sank towards its iron-rich core.
14:58But not all of them ended up deep inside the planet.
15:01Destructive collisions with rogue protoplanets like the Mars-sized Theia,
15:06which most likely helped to form the Moon,
15:08trapped some elements in Earth's mantle.
15:11Recent computer models have explained how this happened.
15:14After each major collision, Earth's surface temporarily became a magma ocean,
15:20a molten layer of rock.
15:22As metals sank through the magma,
15:25they reached a partially solid layer that slowed their descent,
15:28keeping them in the mantle instead of the core.
15:31These metals then moved closer to the surface under the influence of thermal convection.
15:35That's what made them accessible for mining billions of years later.
15:41While Psyche's metals are all over the news,
15:44space has more to offer than just gold and iron.
15:48Scientists have discovered, or rather theorized,
15:51the existence of different gemstones scattered across the cosmos,
15:55like diamonds.
15:56The thing is, diamonds are made of pure carbon,
16:00and this element is abundant in the universe.
16:03On Earth, diamonds form deep in the mantle under high pressure and temperature.
16:07In space, conditions for diamond formation can occur in surprising places.
16:12For example, nanodiamonds, which are really tiny diamonds,
16:16have been found in meteorites.
16:19Sometimes they contain gases that give us clues about the early solar system.
16:24Scientists believe that it might rain diamonds on our ice giants,
16:28Neptune and Uranus.
16:29There, high pressures compress carbon into crystalline form.
16:33Researchers have also predicted that exoplanets in other solar systems
16:37could have gemstones like rubies and sapphires,
16:41depending on their size and proximity to their stars.
16:44Even Earth's moon had its own share of cosmic minerals.
16:48Scientists have found some traces of cubic zirconia in lunar rocks.
16:53So space might hold even more treasures than we've imagined.
16:57But let's get back to the Psyche mission.
17:00It might not only reveal the whole potential of space resources,
17:05but also underline the issues we could face while dealing with them.
17:09For example, mining an asteroid would require the usage of autonomous robots,
17:15machines capable of operating in harsh space environments.
17:18Plus, we would need efficient transport systems to bring materials back to Earth
17:23or process them in orbit.
17:26We would need to make sure that mining activities
17:28wouldn't damage ecosystems or space environments.
17:32There are also legal and ethical issues, like the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.
17:38It prohibits any nation from claiming sovereignty over celestial bodies.
17:43But with private companies entering the space race,
17:46debates over ownership and resource sharing are heating up.
17:50And finally, bringing such amounts of metals to Earth
17:54could destabilize global markets.
17:56So, experts suggest that space resources might be better used in space
18:02for building habitats, satellites and spacecraft.
18:07But no matter whether we ever mine 16 Psyche or not,
18:12its exploration will teach us more about the early solar system
18:15and the processes that shaped our planet.
18:18As of December 1, 2024,
18:21the probe is heading for the asteroid,
18:23following the orbit around the sun.
18:26Its journey promises not only to deepen our knowledge of the universe,
18:30but also to redefine what's possible for humanity
18:33as we reach for the stars.
18:36For more information, visit www.fema.org.
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