NASA IBM open lunar AI & AI redraws blazar jet physics - Space News (Sep 12, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - KrispCall: Agentic Cloud Telephony - https://try.krispcall.com/tad - SurveyMonkey, Using AI to surface insights faster and reduce manual analysis time - https://get.surveymonkey.com/tad - Lindy is your ultimate AI assistant that proactively manages your inbox - https://try.lindy.ai/tad Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily Today's topics: NASA IBM open lunar AI - NASA and IBM have released an open-source lunar foundation model trained on decades of Moon data. The new AI tool could accelerate Artemis-era science by helping researchers map ice, terrain, and hazards for future human exploration. AI redraws blazar jet physics - Astronomers used an AI video reconstruction method to turn scattered radio observations of blazar 3C 345 into a continuous polarized movie. The result challenges the long-standing idea that bright jet features are shock waves, pointing instead to magnetic energization. Magnetars may dominate neutron stars - A new Nature Astronomy study suggests magnetars may account for roughly half of all neutron stars. If confirmed, the finding would reshape models of supernova remnants, fast radio bursts, and other high-energy cosmic transients. Wandering mid-mass black hole feeds - Researchers report direct evidence of a wandering intermediate-mass black hole feeding as it moves through a dwarf galaxy. The observation offers a rare look at how mid-sized black holes may grow outside galactic centers. Cloud-9 starless galaxy case strengthens - Ultra-deep imaging has tightened the case that Cloud-9 is a genuine dark galaxy with gas and dark matter but almost no stars. The object could become a crucial test case for galaxy formation theories and the missing-halo problem. Venus moon likely tore apart - New tidal modeling indicates Venus probably could not hold onto a long-lived moon. Any early satellite may have spiraled inward, crossed the Roche limit, and been ripped apart into debris. Ryugu chemistry concentrates life ingredients - Fresh analysis of Hayabusa2 samples from asteroid Ryugu shows nitrogen-bearing compounds concentrated around late-stage brines. The chemistry offers a plausible pathway for forming prebiotic ingredients inside primitive solar system bodies. Giant sunspots may trigger superflares - A new solar study argues that the Sun's largest sunspots may be capable of producing rare but dangerous superflares. Even if unlikely, such events matter for satellite operations, power grids, and long-term space weather planning. Crew-13 delayed by oxidizer leak - NASA and SpaceX have pushed Crew-13 to no earlier than late September after detecting an oxidizer leak in Crew Dragon's propulsion system. The delay highlights how safety checks shape International Space Station crew rotations. Night sky events spark engagement - Public astronomy remains lively with views of Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, zodiacal light, a new supernova, and NASA's Apollo 11-themed Astronomy Picture of the Day. These skywatching stories connect cutting-edge science with what people can actually see. Episode Transcript NASA IBM open lunar AI NASA and IBM have unveiled an open-source lunar foundation model trained on decades of observations of the Moon. The idea is simple but powerful: unify huge, messy archives of lunar data into one AI-ready system that can help scientists identify ice, map craters, study volcanic regions, and assess landing risks. With Artemis and long-term lunar operations on the horizon, tools like this could become core infrastructure for planning a sustained human presence on the Moon. AI redraws blazar jet physics Artificial intelligence is also changing what astronomers think they know about black hol...