The Cosmic Companion VIP Newsletter - October 12, 2020

Sneak preview: Maciek Wielgus of Harvard University and glittering around the supermassive black hole in M87

This week, we are joined by Dr. Maciek Wielgus, astronomer at Harvard University, speaking to us from Gdansk, Poland. We will discuss his work revealing glittering around the supermassive black hole at the center of the M 87 galaxy.

But first, we look at a new study identifying 24 exoplanets that appear to be even friendlier to life than Earth. We also see how superflares – powerful eruptions from stars – behave, and learn how they might affect life on other worlds. Then, we take a look at OSIRIS-REx, NASA's first attempt to collect material from an asteroid, as the revolutionary spacecraft readies to touch the surface of the asteroid Bennu.

Here’s tomorrow’s episode of the show, in a sneak preview for our VIP subscribers: