Jupiter’s Dance, India’s Space Rise, and Barnard Star Mysteries

**Show Notes: Astronomy Daily Podcast with Steve Dunkley and AI Newsreader Hallie**
- Date: 2nd October 2023
- Host: Steve Dunkley
- AI Newsreader: Hallie
**Highlights:**
1. **Introduction & Personal Updates:**
- Steve comments on how fast the year is flying by.
- Steve mentions the beautiful supermoon he witnessed in Newcastle, north of Sydney. Local photographers captured stunning images of the event.
- Hallie encourages listeners to share their supermoon photos on the SpaceNuts podcast group's Facebook page.
2. **Astronomy News:**
- **Barnard Star:** A small red dwarf located six light years from Earth. Despite its proximity, it was only noticed in 1916. The star has been the subject of numerous studies, especially regarding its potential planets. Recent studies have confirmed that Barnard Star has no close orbiting or potentially habitable planets larger than 70% of Earth's size.
- **Search for Extraterrestrial Signals:** A recent study used the 500-meter aperture spherical telescope (FAST) to look for any signs of an extraterrestrial signal from Barnard Star. No evidence of an alien signal was found.

3. **Indian Private Space Sector:**
- Ayes Ahmed founded Pixel, an Earth imaging satellite startup, in Bangalore in 2019. Since then, the private space sector in India has seen significant growth.
- Pixel specializes in hyperspectral imaging satellites, which can track climate risks.
- Pixel had to hire SpaceX to launch its first two satellites due to challenges with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
- Pixel has secured significant investments, including from Google, and has won a contract with the US National Reconnaissance Office.

4. **Celestial Events:**
- **Annular Solar Eclipse:** Scheduled for October 14th, this "ring of fire" event will cross the Americas.
- **Full Hunter's Moon & Lunar Eclipse:** On October 28th, a partial lunar eclipse will occur, visible from the eastern hemisphere.
- **Jupiter:** The planet will be prominently visible in the night sky throughout October. It will be closest to Earth in the first week of November. The Galilean moons of Jupiter are also a highlight for sky-watchers.

5. **Closing Notes:**
- Steve encourages listeners to check out the Astronomy Daily Newsletter for daily space, science, and astronomy news.
- Listeners can also join the Space Nuts Facebook group and engage with the community.
**End of Episode.**

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