Weird Starless Galaxy // Private Space Telescope // Betelbuddy's Wake
•January 9, 2026
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Why It Matters
These discoveries refine models of galaxy formation, stellar behavior, and habitability, while billionaire‑backed telescopes could speed data acquisition, influencing both scientific direction and funding landscapes.
Key Takeaways
- •Astronomers identify a starless “failed” galaxy composed only of gas.
- •Hubble captured Betelgeuse’s companion wake, confirming 2,100‑day orbit.
- •JWST uncovered nine mysterious “platypus” objects at 12‑billion‑year distances.
- •Ex‑Google CEO funds Lazuli space telescope and innovative ground arrays.
- •Study argues Europa cannot host hydrothermal vents, limiting habitability.
Summary
The episode of Space Bites surveys a slate of breakthroughs, from the detection of a galaxy devoid of stars orbiting M94 to the first direct observation of Betelgeuse’s hidden companion, dubbed “Betel Buddy,” using Hubble’s high‑resolution imaging.
The starless object, labeled RELIC‑1 or Cloud 9, consists solely of neutral hydrogen and dark‑matter halo, confirming that a dark‑matter concentration can fail to ignite star formation. Betelgeuse’s 2,100‑day dimming cycle is now attributed to a Sun‑sized star transiting its envelope, producing a measurable gravitational wake. JWST’s deep survey identified nine ultra‑compact “platypus” sources at redshifts 12–12.6 billion years, whose spectra differ from known quasars, hinting at a new class of early‑universe nuclei.
Eric Schmidt’s announcement of the 3.1‑meter Lazuli space telescope—set for a 275,000 km elliptical orbit—alongside three modular ground arrays, illustrates a growing billionaire‑driven model for large‑scale observatories. A recent Europa simulation argues that tidal flexing, convection, and serpentinization cannot generate hydrothermal vents, challenging the moon’s status as a prime habitability candidate. Additionally, the lensed supernova SN 205WNY, magnified fifty‑fold, offers an independent probe of the Hubble constant.
Together, these findings tighten constraints on galaxy evolution, stellar variability, and the search for life, while private funding promises faster deployment of next‑generation instruments. The cumulative effect may accelerate resolution of long‑standing cosmological tensions and reshape priorities for planetary habitability missions.
Original Description
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Channels mentioned:
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A galaxy without stars, the wake of Betelgeuse’s companion star, a privately-funded Hubble class telescope, and could there be exomoons at TRAPPIST-1? And on Space Bites+, seeing an event horizon in 3D.
00:00 Intro
00:17 A galaxy with no stars
02:08 Hubble detects the wake of Bettelbuddy
04:31 JWST finds new objects astonomers can't explain
06:25 Private initiative for a Hubble replacement
08:48 Problems for potential life on Europa
10:52 Rare lensed supernova
12:36 Vote results
13:12 A mathematical solution for lunar dust problem
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/the-sticky-problem-of-lunar-dust-gets-a-mathematical-solution
15:28 Potential for exomoons in TRAPPIST-1 system
17:02 Decades-long supernova timelapse
18:16 More space news
19:37 Pile of Spice
Host: Fraser Cain
Producer: Anton Pozdnyakov
Editing: Artem Pozdnyakov
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⚖️ LICENSE
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
You are free to use my work for any purpose you like, just mention me as the source and link back to this video.
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