Robots in Space - Astrobees and Beyond - Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion 5 October, 2021
Robots and artificial intelligence - Astrobees are just the start as we talk with NASA's Jose Benavides and Trey Smith about AI in the Artemis program and beyond.
Robots in space! An inside look at Astrobees, AI, and the future of robotics in space with NASA’s Trey Smith and Jose Benavides!
This week on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion, we take an in-depth look at robotics and artificial intelligence in space with NASA's Trey Smith and Jose Benavides.
But first, we look at a triple star system that may be home to an odd exoplanet, we ride along with the BepiColombo craft exploring Mercury, and we talk about what's coming to the night sky in October!
Trey Smith and Jose Benavides appear on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion 5 October 2021. Video credit: The Cosmic Companion
Watch the video here, or listen to this episode as a podcast at: https://bit.ly/TCC-211005-pod
Roughly 1,300 light years from the Earth, the triple star system GW Orionis is enshrouded in a trio of dusty rings, several times larger than our Solar System. Astronomers using the ALMA network of radio telescopes found his stellar system may also be home to a Jupiter-sized planet far from the center of this triplet of stars. If confirmed, this system would be – by far – the largest planetary system yet discovered.
BepiColombo made its first close encounter with Mercury on 1 October, recording black and white images of that rocky planet. The spacecraft will make nine close passes of Earth, Venus, and Mercury before arriving at Mercury for the final time, entering orbit about that diminutive world in 2025. Once at Mercury, this vehicle will split into a pair of orbiters, managed by the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
October offers a wide range of views for amateur astronomers around the northern hemisphere. Look for Jupiter and Saturn shining brightly in the southeastern sky, soon after sunset, when they will be easy to find. The Draconids Meteor Shower arrives on 6 October. Viewers might see 10 shooting stars per hour under the moonless sky.
The Harvest Moon arrives on 20 October, which will likely wash out most views of the Orionids Meteor Shower, which peaks the following evening. On the 25th, skilled observers have their best chance to see the swift-footed Mercury floating in the western sky, just before dawn. Well-placed views of Venus come four days later on the 29th, when the eternally-enshrouded planet will illuminate the skies of the southwest just after sunset.
Upcoming Guests
Sneak preview: Homer Hickam appears on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion 12 October, 2021. Video credit: The Cosmic Companion
12 October (s5/e14): NASA legend Homer Hickam, inspiration for the movie October Sky, talks about his new book, Don’t Blow Yourself Up!
19 October (s5/e15): Dr. Jenifer Millard, co-presenter, Awesome Astronomy podcast. Science journalist, Fifth Star Labs Sky Guide
plus – just added~ Esen Ercan Alp of Argonne National Laboratory – Studying samples from the asteroid Ryugu!
26 October (s5/e16): Halloween Special! ~just added~ The science of Halloween with Erika Engelhaupt, author of Gory Details.
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Clear skies,
James