The Future of Space with Mary Adam
Mary Adam is the Astronomy Educator for the Astronomical Society of South Australia (ASSA) and is an astronomer with UniSA and the Adelaide Planetarium.
There’ve been numerous exciting developments in space advancement recently! What do you think could be one of the next big advances that we see?
We’ve definitely had a few exciting years, to say the least. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was FINALLY launched (I was beginning to think it never would), the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (D.A.R.T) mission made impact right on schedule, and on November 16, 2022, the most powerful rocket to date was launched — Artemis 1, the first test flight of NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) mega-rocket and the Orion spacecraft.
Without a doubt, the next big advancement is the construction of the first Lunar Outpost, which will be known as Artemis Base Camp. NASA aims to set up a crewed outpost near the moon's south pole, calling it "our first foothold on the lunar frontier”.
Exciting times ahead!
What astronomical events should we be keeping an eye out for this year in Adelaide?
On April 20th we will see a partial solar eclipse from Adelaide. It will start at 12:23pm and end at 2:35pm. Remember to never look directly at the sun. You must wear special eclipse glasses if you plan on viewing it.
On May 6th we will have a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse beginning at 12:44am, ending at 5:01am. The Moon won’t pass through the darkest part of the earth’s shadow (called the Umbra), which means we’ll see it darken slightly, but it won’t appear red like it does in a total eclipse.
May 6th & 7th brings the Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Eta Aquarids is an above average shower, capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. Most of the activity is seen in the Southern Hemisphere. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet Halley. The shower runs annually from April 19th to May 28th. It peaks this year on the night of May 6th and the morning of May 7th. The nearly full moon will be a problem this year, blocking out all but the brightest meteors. If you’re patient, you should still be able to catch a few good ones. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius but can appear anywhere in the sky.
October 21st & 22nd brings the Orionids Meteor Shower. The Orionids produces 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is also produced by dust grains left behind by comet Halley. The shower runs annually from October 2nd to November 7th. It peaks this year on the night of October 21st and the morning of October 22nd. The first quarter moon may block some of the dim meteors in the evening, but it will set shortly after midnight. This will leave dark skies for what could be a good morning show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Orion but can also appear anywhere in the sky. These are the two meteor showers that usually put on a good show for us here in the Southern Hemisphere.
What constellations or planets can easily be seen here in Adelaide, and what tips do you have for finding them?
Jupiter is the easiest object to spot now in our night sky. It appears in the North-West brighter than any star, and it doesn’t twinkle. The Pleiades (The Seven Sisters) are sitting low on our Northern horizon in the constellation of Taurus the Bull. Following closely is one of the most recognisable of all — Orion the Hunter. We see Orion upside down which is why we see his belt and sword as a saucepan shape. You can also look for the brightest star in the night sky, called Sirius, in the constellation of Canis Major (Big Dog) which is trailing behind Orion.
Crux, the Southern Cross, is very low on the Southern horizon. You’ll need a clear view, free from buildings or trees to see it.
What are your thoughts on space travel and space colonisation? Is it a viable solution, or are the impacts likely to be too severe?
I personally don’t think it’s viable at this stage.
The main issue to humans is the long-term change in gravity and exposure to solar radiation. Our bodies are not made for low-gravity environments. Our muscles, bones, hearts, and other systems function differently in space than they do here on Earth.
In space, the pull of gravity is very low. These systems can often remove too much fluid from our legs and put it into our chests and heads. Our bodies can adapt to this redistribution of fluid, but it generally takes several weeks or months.
Longer term effects of low gravity include bone and muscle loss. Astronauts can lose up to 1% of their bone mass per month and as much as 20% of their muscle mass in about a week.
Very long missions can also introduce health risks from cosmic radiation. This hazard has not been well-studied because it only affects humans after a very long time outside of the Earth’s magnetic field. The main danger from this type of radiation is the breaking of DNA in human cells. We may be able to reduce this risk in the future by adding more shielding to spacecraft.
Why was the classification of Pluto changed to be considered a Dwarf Planet?
In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) relegated Pluto to the status of dwarf planet. Between 1992 and 2005, objects were discovered in the Kuiper Belt — the region beyond the orbit of Neptune — that had masses comparable to Pluto. The finds spurred the IAU to set up a committee tasked with defining just what constituted a planet. Members voted to adopt a new criterion for naming a planet.
A planet is a celestial body that:
a) Is in orbit around the sun
b) Has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and
c) Has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit
Pluto met the first two of these criteria, but the last one proved pivotal. "Clearing the neighbourhood," means that the planet has either "vacuumed up" or ejected other large objects in its vicinity of space. In other words, it has achieved gravitational dominance.
Because Pluto shares its orbital neighbourhood with other icy Kuiper Belt Objects, and, because Pluto crosses the path of Neptune for 20 years and becomes closer to the Sun, the resolution effectively stripped the distant world of the planetary designation it had held for some 76 years.
EDITORIAL NOTE: This article has been reuploaded and was originally published in 2023.