Record-breaking radio flash from early universe - Space News (Oct 9, 2026)

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Solar Orbiter traces magnetic kink home - ESA’s Solar Orbiter traced a magnetic bend in the solar wind back to the Sun’s surface. The finding helps researchers investigate how solar activity develops. Solar activity raises northern lights prospects - Incoming solar eruptions could strengthen auroras over northern North America on October 9. Forecasters say the timing and southern reach of any display remain uncertain. Crew-12 returns from space station - Four Crew-12 members splashed down in the Pacific after nearly eight months aboard the International Space Station. Their return completes a crew rotation that included science and station maintenance. Old satellite adds to orbital debris - A defunct Soviet weather satellite has shed more fragments in orbit. The newly reported breakup underscores the continuing risk that old spacecraft pose to other missions. Episode Transcript Record-breaking radio flash from early universe Astronomers have identified the most distant fast radio burst yet, more than doubling the previous distance record. South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope caught the brief flash, and the James Webb Space Telescope located its home: a small galaxy vigorously making new stars. That matters because young, highly magnetic stellar remnants called magnetars are one leading explanation for these mysterious bursts. The galaxy does not prove a magnetar made this one, but it strengthens the case that at least some radio bursts come from them. It also shows that these intense flashes were happening surprisingly early in cosmic history. A momentary signal, after a journey of more than ten billion years, has become a useful clue about both its source and its distant surroundings. [48] SPHEREx reveals varied brown dwarf atmospheres Closer to home, NASA’s SPHEREx telescope is revealing how different brown dwarfs can be from one another. These dim objects form much like stars but lack the mass to shine as stars do. A newly reported study of nearby brown dwarfs found atmospheres containing familiar molecules, including water and methane. More strikingly, objects at similar temperatures did not always look alike. Some appear to be going through a difficult-to-predict change as thick clouds thin and methane becomes more prominent. Researchers now have a much larger collection of observations to test their ideas about brown dwarf weather. That is useful beyond brown dwarfs themselves: their atmospheres offer another way to study the cloudy, complex conditions found on giant worlds. [151] Solar Orbiter traces magnetic kink home Turning to our own star, the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter has traced a sharp bend in the solar wind’s magnetic field back toward its birthplace on the Sun. These bends, known as switchbacks, have long been observed farther out in space. This time, the spacecraft sampled one and found a mix of particles pointing to hot magnetic loops near the solar surface. It is an unusually direct link between an odd feature in the solar wind and the place where it formed. The finding does not settle every question about switchbacks, but it gives scientists a firmer starting point for understanding the restless magnetic activity that also drives space weather. [166] Solar activity raises northern lights prospects That space weather is relevant to skywatchers today. Forecasters expect solar material heading toward Earth to bring a chance of moderate geomagnetic storm conditions on October ninth. That could improve northern-lights prospects across parts of northern North America, with unsettled activity potentially continuing into the weekend. It is a possibility, not a promise: the arrival time can shift, and the brightness and reach of the aurora depend on how the incoming material interacts with Earth’s magnetic field. If you are hoping for a look, a dark sky and a clear northern horizon will help—but keep an eye on updated local forecasts rather than counting on a particular hour. [177][173] Crew-12 returns from space station Back in human spaceflight, the four members of Crew-12 are safely home. Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot and Andrey Fedyaev splashed down in the Pacific off California on Thursday after nearly eight months aboard the International Space Station. Their stay included experiments on how bodies and materials behave in orbit, along with spacewalks to maintain the station. The return also marks a routine but important handover: Crew-13 arrived before Crew-12 departed, allowing work aboard the station to continue. After months spent living and working above Earth, the departing crew now faces the less glamorous part of the mission—readjusting to gravity. [34] Old satellite adds to orbital debris Finally, a reminder that spacecraft do not stop affecting space when their missions end. The Soviet-era Meteor 2-7 weather satellite has broken apart in orbit, and a tracking company estimates that it detected tens of fragments nearby. This satellite had already suffered a breakup years ago. The cause of the newly reported event has not been established, so it would be premature to call it a collision. What is clear is why operators pay attention: each new piece of debris can complicate the job of keeping active spacecraft safe. As more satellites use near-Earth space, tracking old objects and the fragments they leave behind remains essential. 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