An ASTROPHYSICIST'S TOP 5 space news stories of 2024

00:00 - Introduction
00:40 - NUMBER 5
02:57 - NUMBER 4
05:25 - NUMBER 3
07:40 - NUMBER 2
09:34 - Honourable mentions
10:49 - NUMBER 1
14:32 - Nautilus | AD
16:05 - Bloopers

Video filmed on a Sony ⍺7 IV

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👩🏽‍💻 I'm Dr. Becky Smethurst, an astrophysicist at the University of Oxford (Christ Church). I love making videos about science with an unnatural level of enthusiasm. I like to focus on how we know things, not just what we know. And especially, the things we still don't know. If you've ever wondered about something in space and couldn't find an answer online - you can ask me! My day job is to do research into how supermassive black holes can affect the galaxies that they live in. In particular, I look at whether the energy output from the disk of material orbiting around a growing supermassive black hole can stop a galaxy from forming stars.

[vincentzimmerman]

Dr. Becky has an enthusiasm for science that is a joy to see. She breaks down complicated science in a way that's easy to understand. Her book is also a joy to read.

[markhodge]

My last "formal" Physics class was in 1979. I've never lost my curiosity and your channel, Doctor Becky, satiates my astrophysics branch like no other. Mahalo.

[EShirako]

And the BEST thing in Space News in 2024...is your enthusiasm, but also your adorable cat, which we all keep going "Eeeee, kitty!" for every time Pip drops in and messes with something to 'help you out' with your production efforts. :D

Also, at 7:56 the "Asterisk: Billions" correction chime was actually pretty much perfect (at least for me, whatever that might be worth!) because despite my having been half-watching/fully-listening to you while doing something else IRL and not looking at the screen, that little 'Ding!' made me look up in time to see the correction. I was like, "Oh, cool, good to know", and...then I realized that I wanted to mention that that worked nicely. As someone with what others call 'super-senses', it was excellently 'notable yet not AAAUGH!', which was nicely-done in my opinion.

Also-also, a little over a Sun's worth of mass a DAY?! Wow! Is that because maybe the accretion disk has a 'fold' in it to make it have a 'bypass' that shunts things in quickly around the normal disk? A 'ripple' maybe acting sort-of-like a 'magnetic plow' or something. Wild-ass-guess on my part, but hey.

The "Hubble Tension" thing is quite interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing what the eventual resolution to this is! I'm surprised that two teams with the same base data from JWST came to two different answers. Is there a protocol to give the data and both sets of results to a third team (even one still learning in college!) and asking them to look at it all 'for the lulz' and just see what they can come up with if given those data-points but not given the methods or theories of the two teams?

"Here's the JWST data-files in raw format. Here's Team One's conclusions and Hubble Measurements when dealing with (whatever). Here's Team Two's colclusions and Hubble Measurements when measuring (otherWhatever). See if you can figure out what the difference is between the two teams despite their common data sources." Or maybe that's more of a "Thesis-level" of thing? I dunno. Maybe both!

Also for lulz, I recall ONLY the 'pale-blue Neptune'. I wonder how I never saw that strange electric-blue-color version before, or if I did, I haven't noticed it before.

[afernandesrp]

I have space FOMO. It saddens me that the most interesting questions won’t be answered in our life time.

[brothermine]

The paper published a week ago that analyzed the Type Ia supernova database, and concluded the Timescape model fits the data better than the Dark Energy model does, deserves a mention.

[SteedRuckus]

Okay I know I can't be the only one thinking that Dr. Becky's enthusiasm is SO friggin contagious, I absolutely love everything about her and this channel, thank you for bringing us non-academics the hard hitting scientific breakthroughs you all have worked so hard to uncover! ❤

[oortcloud]

*5-4-3-2-1 Thunderbirds are Go!* "Yes, M'lady!" Dr Becky is my number one, but the Parker probe driving Fab One is a pretty close second. 🤓 Thank you Brains.

[jakabbailey]

Fantastic recap of a fantastic year for astrophysics! Keep up the incredible work Dr Becky, watching your videos has been a recurrent highlight of my week this year ❤️🛰️🔭👽🪐

[sylviahoffman]

I love your excitement on this video. What an exciting year for astrophysics! Thanks for sharing Pip's and her playfulness with the tripod - too cute. 🐈

[PhilMason]

Happy new year Dr Becky & Pip!! Thanks for the best space channel ever!!

[martynspooner]

I absolutely love this channel even though there is so much that is far beyond my limited understanding . Thanks so much to Dr Becky for breaking it all down as much as possible so people like myself can also get a little taste of what is happening out there. Looking forward to the news and discoveries in the coming year, thanks again always so appreciated.

[paulkinzer]

You've become my astronomy news curator. Each new video keeps me up to date on the latest cool astrophysics news. You explain clearly, and with obvious fascination and joy at what we're learning with the almost miraculous instruments now in use.

And I never do this, but I'm going to comment on your appearance. You are so seasonal! The earrings and the sweater are a treat for us at this time of year. Happy New Year!

[geoffguitars]

A black hole with an accretion disk 7 light years across! ? Did I hear that right. That is crazy 😳

[sgtommyc]

My biggest discovery of 2024 was learning why the accretion disc looks like it has a 90 degrees bend at the middle, because the gravity of a SMBH bends the light 😮Looking forward to your description on the phenomena 😊

[ceoOO]

i think it's cool how you can read through a major astrophysics report... and find out that the author of the paper works in the same place as you...

although, next door... 5:07

good ol' Andy helping her out with that plunging region... my man 👍🏽

[Iwaslemon]

This was an interesting watch. Just started a part time degree in Physics and this is now getting me more excited for the astrophysics content!

[sevenofzach]

Your passion for space is always enthralling, exactly the energy i was looking for to start my Friday

[NilaniPlays]

I would've picked #2 and #1 the same as you, Dr. Becky. Very exciting science. I was also glad for the reminder about the Neptune story.

[Anthony-gqdk]

Not only do you have the information and the intelligence to impart it, but you do so with such positive, dramatic, entertaining delivery and you make it so engaging and fun for anyone with even a passing interest in this fascinating subject. A teaching inspector would make you down with an A1 .

[YULspotter]

Thanks Dr Becky for all the videos you posted in 2024. I look forward to more space news in 2025. I also think you’re gonna need to add the word “Cat” to the title “bloopers” segment in 2025 as your cat seems to now be the cause of most of them 😊