SpaceTime with Stuart Gary Series 19 Ep.9 - Fast Radio Burst mystery deepens & more...

Summary: In Episode 9: Fast Radio Burst mystery deepens Astronomers for the first time have detected repeating Fast Radio Bursts -- short bursts of radio waves from an enigmatic source located well beyond our Milky Way galaxy. Prior to this discovery, all previously detected Fast Radio Bursts have appeared to be one-off events. What if E.T. called us and nobody heard? As scientists step up their search for other life in the universe, two astrophysicists are proposing a way to make sure we don't miss the signal if extraterrestrial observers try to contact us first. The scientists say the best chance for us finding a signal from beyond is to presume that extraterrestrial observers are using the same methods to search for us that we are using to search for life beyond Earth. Asteroid close encounter Astronomers around the world will be counting down to the extremely close flyby of asteroid 2013 TX68 which could pass just 17,700 kilometres above the ground tomorrow March 5th. However, scientists admit they won’t know exactly how close the 35-metre-wide space rock will get until after the flyby occurs. ExoMars prepares for launch All systems are go for this month’s launch of the ExoMars 2016 spacecraft bound for the red planet. The joint Roscosmos and European Space Agency mission is slated to launch on a Russian Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the central Asian republic of Kazakhstan on March 14. Where did the Martian moon Phobos come from? NASA scientists are closer to solving the mystery of how the Martian moon Phobos formed. NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft (MAVEN) has made a series of close approaches to the 28-kilometre-wide moon collecting data from within 500 kilometres of its surface. Expedition 46 crew return to Earth after record breaking space flight The Russian Soyuz TMA-18M capsule has returned safely to Earth carrying the expedition 46 crew from the International Space Station. Among those aboard the spacecraft as it touched down on the cold Kazakhstan steps was US astronaut Scott Kelly who set a new American record for long duration human space flight of 340 days in orbit. Subscribe at iTunes, Stitcher, audioBoom, Pocketcasts, Podcast Addict and all good podcatcher apps. For more on this show, visit our Show Notes page at http://www.bitesz.com/spacetime-show-notes and our website at www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com #space #astronomy #science #mars #Expedition46