EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
🚀 Rocket Lab's Neutron program reaches major milestone as innovative "Hungry Hippo" reusable fairings arrive at Wallops Island after month-long sea journey from New Zealand, though first-stage tank ruptures during qualification testing at Maryland facility
🌕 NASA selects 34 volunteers from 14 countries to track Artemis II mission around the Moon, expanding from 10 participants during Artemis I and representing government agencies, commercial companies, universities, and amateur radio enthusiasts
🌑 China's Chang'e 6 lunar samples reveal unusual potassium isotope ratios in South Pole-Aitken Basin rocks, providing evidence that the giant impact 4.2 billion years ago fundamentally altered the Moon's chemistry and explains why the far side has so few maria
⭐ Space Beyond startup plans to send 1,000 people's ashes to orbit for just $249 using CubeSat technology on SpaceX rideshare mission in October 2027, founded by former Blue Origin engineer Ryan Mitchell
🪐 Astronomers detect potential exomoon around HD 206893 B that may be 40% the mass of Jupiter, so massive it could force redefinition of what constitutes a moon versus binary companion system
☄️ New research reveals 11th-century English monk Eilmer of Malmesbury recognized Halley's Comet's periodicity centuries before Edmond Halley, calling into question the comet's namesake
LINKS & RESOURCES:
• Rocket Lab Neutron development: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/01/hungry-hippos-test-tanks-neutron/
• NASA Artemis II tracking participants: https://www.nasa.gov/technology/space-comms/nasa-selects-participants-to-track-artemis-ii-mission/
• Chang'e 6 lunar impact study: https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/a-colossal-asteroid-may-have-warped-the-moon-from-the-inside-out
• Space Beyond memorial service: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/23/this-startup-will-send-1000-peoples-ashes-to-space-affordably-in-2027/
• Massive exomoon discovery: https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/01/alien-moon-massive-redefine-what-a-moon-is/
• Halley's Comet historical research: https://phys.org/news/2026-01-halley-comet-wrongly-11th-century.html
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Anna: Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source
00:00:03 --> 00:00:06 for the latest space and astronomy news.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:07 I'm Anna.
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 Anna: And I'm Avery. Thanks for joining us on, um,
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 this Saturday, January 24,
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 2026. We've got some
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 fantastic stories lined up for you today.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 Anna: We certainly do. From rocket development
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 milestones to prehistoric lunar
00:00:22 --> 00:00:25 discoveries, today's episode is packed
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 with celestial intrigue.
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 Anna: Let's dive right in with our top story.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:33 Rocket Lab's ambitious neutron rocket has
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 hit a significant milestone, even though it
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 came with a bit of a bump in the road. Anna,
00:00:39 --> 00:00:41 what's ah, the latest from Wallops Island.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:44 Anna: Well, Avery, it's a story of both triumph
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 and setback. The good news first.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 Rocket Lab's innovative Hungry Hippo
00:00:50 --> 00:00:52 fairings have successfully arrived at Wallops
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 Island, Virginia after a month long sea
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 journey from New Zealand aboard, uh, the
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 vessel Northstar Integrity. These aren't
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 your typical payload fairings. They're part
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 of Neutron's groundbreaking reusable
00:01:06 --> 00:01:06 system.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 Anna: Right. And, um, what makes these Hungry
00:01:09 --> 00:01:10 hippos so special?
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 Anna: Great question. Unlike traditional fairings
00:01:14 --> 00:01:16 that are jettisoned and lost during flight,
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 these clamshell like structures actually
00:01:19 --> 00:01:22 stay attached to the first stage as
00:01:22 --> 00:01:25 it returns home. They open to release the
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 second stage and payload, then close back up
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 for the ride home. It's a clever design that
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 should help drive down launch costs through
00:01:33 --> 00:01:34 rapid reuse.
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 Anna: That's fascinating engineering. But you
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 mentioned a setback.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 Anna: Unfortunately, yes. While the Fairings
00:01:41 --> 00:01:43 were making their journey, Rocket Lab
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 experienced a, uh, tank rupture during
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 qualification trials at their Middle River,
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 Maryland facility. A first stage
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 carbon composite tank failed during
00:01:54 --> 00:01:56 hydrostatic pressure testing. That's where
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 they fill the structure with water and
00:01:59 --> 00:02:01 gradually increase pressure to verify it
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 can handle operational loads.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 Anna: Ouch. How, uh, significant is that?
00:02:06 --> 00:02:09 Anna: Well, Rocket Lab was quick to emphasize that
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 testing failures like this, while
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 disappointing, are actually part of the
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 rigorous development process for high
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 performance rockets. They deliberately stress
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 hardware to its limits and beyond to ensure
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 reliability. The tank was found
00:02:25 --> 00:02:28 collapsed into a pile of debris. But the
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 company maintains this is exactly why they
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 test. To find these issues on the ground
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 rather than during flight.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 Anna: Silver lining thinking. And, um, the program
00:02:38 --> 00:02:38 moves forward.
00:02:39 --> 00:02:42 Anna: Absolutely. With the Hungry Hippo fairings
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 now at Wallops, engineers can proceed with
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 integration, testing, fit checks, electrical
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 interfaces, and eventually static fire
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 preparations. The launch mount is already
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 in place with the test stand ready for
00:02:56 --> 00:02:59 major testing with the rocket's second stage.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 Anna: Exciting times for commercial spaceflight.
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 Now, speaking of major missions, NASA has
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 some news about tracking the upcoming Artemis
00:03:07 --> 00:03:08 2 mission, right?
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 Anna: They do indeed. NASA has selected
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 34 global volunteers from 14
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 different countries. To track the Orion
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 spacecraft during its journey around the
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 moon. This is a significant expansion from
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 the Artemis 1 mission, which had only 10
00:03:25 --> 00:03:25 volunteers.
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 Anna: So what exactly will these volunteers be
00:03:28 --> 00:03:28 doing?
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 Anna: They'll be using their own equipment.
00:03:31 --> 00:03:33 Everything from established commercial
00:03:33 --> 00:03:36 service providers to university research
00:03:36 --> 00:03:39 facilities to individual amateur
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 radio enthusiasts to passively track radio
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 radio waves transmitted by Orion during its
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 approximately 10 day mission. We're talking
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 about 47 ground assets spanning the
00:03:50 --> 00:03:51 globe.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 Anna: That's impressive international cooperation.
00:03:54 --> 00:03:55 Who made the cut?
00:03:55 --> 00:03:57 Anna: The list is quite diverse. Government
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 agencies like the Canadian Space Agency
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 and Germany's DLR are participating.
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 Commercial companies include GUN Hilly Earth
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 Station in the uk, Kongsberg Satellite
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 Services in Norway, and Intuitive Machines
00:04:12 --> 00:04:15 in Houston. Universities like UC
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 Berkeley, the University of Pittsburgh, and
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 even Morehead State University in Kentucky
00:04:20 --> 00:04:21 are involved.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 Anna: What about amateur radio operators?
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 Anna: Oh, yes, they're well represented. We've got
00:04:27 --> 00:04:30 individuals like Chris Swire from South
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 Dakota and Dan Slater from California.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 Amateur radio organizations from Argentina,
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 Germany, the Netherlands and France are also
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 particip. It's truly a, uh, global
00:04:41 --> 00:04:42 effort.
00:04:42 --> 00:04:45 Anna: And this data they collect, what's NASA doing
00:04:45 --> 00:04:46 with it?
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 Anna: The volunteers will submit their tracking
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 data to NASA for analysis. This helps the
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 agency assess the broader aerospace
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 community's tracking capabilities and
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 identify ways to augment future moon and
00:04:58 --> 00:05:01 Mars mission support. Kevin Coggins,
00:05:01 --> 00:05:04 NASA's Deputy Associate Administrator for
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 space communications and navigation, called
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 it a real step toward scan's
00:05:09 --> 00:05:11 commercial first vision.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 Anna: Building that public private ecosystem for
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 deep space exploration.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:16 Anna: Exactly.
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 Now let's shift gears to some groundbreaking
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 lunar research. Scientists
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 analyzing samples from China's Chang' E6
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 mission have made a discovery that helps
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 explain one of the moon's most puzzling
00:05:30 --> 00:05:31 features.
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 Anna: The asymmetry between the near and far sides.
00:05:34 --> 00:05:37 Anna: Precisely. You know how the near side of the
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 moon has all those dark maria, those
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 vast volcanic plains that formed the man in
00:05:42 --> 00:05:45 the Mo pattern we're all familiar with? The
00:05:45 --> 00:05:46 far side has barely any.
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 Anna: I've always found that fascinating. What did
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 they discover?
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 Anna: Tonga6 brought back samples from the south
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 pole Aitken Basin, which is one of the
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 largest impact features in the entire solar
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 system. About 1600 miles wide
00:06:01 --> 00:06:03 and between 4.2 and
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 4.3 billion years old. Much
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 older than the lunar maria, which are around
00:06:08 --> 00:06:10 3.6 billion years old.
00:06:11 --> 00:06:13 Anna: And what did these ancient samples reveal?
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 Anna: The research team led by Heng Si Tian
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 from the Chinese Academy of Sciences found
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 something unusual in the basaltic rock
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 samples. An abnormal ratio of
00:06:24 --> 00:06:27 potassium isotopes. Specifically, they
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 found more of the heavier potassium 41
00:06:30 --> 00:06:33 relative to potassium 39 compared to
00:06:33 --> 00:06:34 samples from the near side.
00:06:34 --> 00:06:35 Anna: What Would cause that.
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 Anna: After exploring several possibilities.
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 Cosmic ray irradiation, magma
00:06:41 --> 00:06:44 processes, meteoritic contamination. They
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 concluded that this isotopic signature is a
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 relic of the giant impact that formed the
00:06:50 --> 00:06:52 south pole Aitken basin itself.
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 Anna: So the impact actually changed the moon's
00:06:55 --> 00:06:56 chemistry?
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 Anna: Not just changed it, it fundamentally
00:06:59 --> 00:07:02 altered it. The impact was so violent
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 that it heated the moon's crust and mantle
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 intensely, Causing many volatile elements,
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 including potassium, to evaporate and escape
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 into the lighter. Potassium 39.
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 Isocope evaporated more easily than the
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 heavier one, Leaving behind this unusual
00:07:19 --> 00:07:19 ratio.
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 Anna: That's incredible detective work. And this
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 explains the lack of Maria on the far side.
00:07:25 --> 00:07:28 Anna: Exactly. The reduction in volatiles would
00:07:28 --> 00:07:30 have suppressed magma formation, Limiting
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 volcanism on the far side. It shows how
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 deeply that ancient impact affected the
00:07:35 --> 00:07:38 moon's interior and why isotopic
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 analysis can provide windows into the
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 conditions of such catastrophic events.
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 This research was published in the
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 Proceedings of the National Academy of
00:07:47 --> 00:07:47 Sciences.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 Anna: Fascinating stuff.
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 Now, here's something a bit more down to
00:07:51 --> 00:07:54 earth, Even if it's going to space. Anna, um,
00:07:54 --> 00:07:55 tell us about this startup that's making
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 space memorials affordable.
00:07:57 --> 00:08:00 Anna: This is a really interesting story, Avery.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 A startup called Space beyond, founded by
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 Ryan Mitchell, is planning to send up to
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 1 people's ashes to space in
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 October 2027 for as little as
00:08:11 --> 00:08:14 $249. Dramatically
00:08:14 --> 00:08:16 cheaper than traditional space memorial
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 services that typically cost thousands of
00:08:19 --> 00:08:19 dollars.
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 Anna: That's quite a price difference. How are they
00:08:22 --> 00:08:22 pulling this off?
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 Anna: It's all about smart use of existing
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 infrastructure. They're using a cubesat, one
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 of those miniature cube shaped satellites
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 that will launch as a rideshare payload on a
00:08:33 --> 00:08:36 SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The rideshare
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 model has really democratized access to
00:08:38 --> 00:08:39 space.
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 Anna: And Ryan Mitchell, he's got some serious
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 space credentials, right?
00:08:43 --> 00:08:46 Anna: Absolutely. He worked on NASA's space
00:08:46 --> 00:08:49 shuttle program and spent nearly a decade at
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 blue origin. The idea actually came to him
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 while attending a, uh, family member's ash
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 spreading ceremony. He thought, how could I
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 do this better? And thus Space beyond was
00:08:59 --> 00:08:59 born.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 Anna: But there must be some limitations with such
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 an affordable service.
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 Anna: There are. Customers can only send about one
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 gram of ashes. A practical limit due to
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 weight considerations and the need to fit
00:09:12 --> 00:09:15 many customers remains in the cubesat. The
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 satellite will only orbit for about five
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 years before burning up in Earth's
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 atmosphere. So it's not forever.
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 Anna: Though that fiery ending has a certain poetic
00:09:25 --> 00:09:26 quality to it.
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 Anna: Mitchell certainly thinks so. Plus, the
00:09:28 --> 00:09:31 CubeSat will be in a Sun synchronous orbit at
00:09:31 --> 00:09:34 about 550km altitude,
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 meaning it'll fly over the entire globe. With
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 modern spacecraft tracking services, families
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 should be able to locate it and know when
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 it's passing overhead.
00:09:43 --> 00:09:46 Anna: That's actually really touching. And, um,
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 importantly, they're not spreading the ashes
00:09:48 --> 00:09:49 in space, right?
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 Anna: Correct. Mitchell called that an almost
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 nightmare scenario because the particles
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 could create a debris cloud that could
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 endanger other spacecraft. Since customers
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 only send about a gram, they can do what they
00:10:01 --> 00:10:02 wish with.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 Anna: The rest of the thoughtful approach to a
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 sensitive service.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 Now, let's talk about something that might
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 literally redefine astronomy. Anna,
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 tell us about this massive potential exomoon.
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 Anna: This one's mind bending, Avery.
00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 Astronomers using the gravity instrument on
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 the Very Large Telescope in Chile have
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 detected what might be an exomoon orbiting
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 the gas giant HD
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 206893B,
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 located 133 light years from Earth.
00:10:32 --> 00:10:35 But here's the kicker. This moon is so
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 massive that it might force us to rethink the
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 word moon even means.
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 Anna: How massive are we talking?
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 Anna: Get this. They estimate it could be as much
00:10:44 --> 00:10:47 as 40% the mass of Jupiter, or
00:10:47 --> 00:10:50 about nine times the mass of Neptune. To put
00:10:50 --> 00:10:53 that in perspective, it's thousands of times
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 heavier than any moon in our solar system.
00:10:56 --> 00:10:58 Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon and the
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 biggest in our solar system, is thousands of
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 times less massive than Neptune.
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 Anna: Wow. So how did they even detect something
00:11:06 --> 00:11:06 like this?
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 Anna: Through a technique called astrometry, which
00:11:09 --> 00:11:12 precisely tracks the position of celestial
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 bodies over time. The team led by
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 Quentin Crawl from the University of
00:11:16 --> 00:11:19 Cambridge observed a measurable wobble in
00:11:19 --> 00:11:20 HD20000
00:11:21 --> 00:11:24 6893B's motion, uh, a back and
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 forth movement with a period of about nine
00:11:26 --> 00:11:26 months.
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 Anna: And, um, that wobble is the Moon's
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 gravitational tug.
00:11:30 --> 00:11:33 Anna: Exactly. Prall explained that the wobble has
00:11:33 --> 00:11:36 a size comparable to the Earth Moon distance,
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 which is the exact signature you'd expect
00:11:38 --> 00:11:41 from an unseen companion. The potential
00:11:41 --> 00:11:44 Moon's orbit is also tilted by roughly 60
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 degrees, suggesting a turbulent history of
00:11:47 --> 00:11:48 gravitational interactions.
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 Anna: So at, uh, what point does something stop
00:11:51 --> 00:11:54 being a moon and become a binary companion?
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 Anna: That's the million dollar question. Krall
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 noted that at these masses, the distinction
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 between a massive moon and a low mass
00:12:01 --> 00:12:04 companion becomes blurred. There's currently
00:12:04 --> 00:12:07 no official definition of an exomoon,
00:12:07 --> 00:12:10 so astronomers generally refer to any object
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 orbiting a planet as a Moon.
00:12:12 --> 00:12:15 Anna: This could force a redefinition, potentially.
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 Anna: Crawl suggested that as observational
00:12:17 --> 00:12:20 techniques improve, our definitions and
00:12:20 --> 00:12:23 understanding of what constitutes a moon will
00:12:23 --> 00:12:26 almost certainly evolve. He also pointed out
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 that we're likely only seeing the tip of the
00:12:28 --> 00:12:31 iceberg just as the first exoplanets
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 discovered were massive ones close to their
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 stars because they were easiest to detect.
00:12:35 --> 00:12:38 The first exomoons we identify will be the
00:12:38 --> 00:12:40 most massive and extreme examples.
00:12:41 --> 00:12:44 Anna: Finding exomoons is challenging, I
00:12:44 --> 00:12:44 imagine.
00:12:45 --> 00:12:47 Anna: Extremely. The signals they produce are
00:12:47 --> 00:12:50 minute, often lost in the noise of their
00:12:50 --> 00:12:53 parent planet's data. The transit method
00:12:53 --> 00:12:56 that's revolutionized exoplanet discovery
00:12:56 --> 00:12:58 is less effective for moons because they
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 produce light dips too faint to distinguish.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:04 But astrometry offers a new path
00:13:04 --> 00:13:07 forward, especially for detecting companions
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 in far orbits where large stable
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 moons are more likely to exist.
00:13:12 --> 00:13:15 Anna: This research was published in Astronomy and
00:13:15 --> 00:13:16 Astrophysics.
00:13:16 --> 00:13:19 Anna: It's been accepted for publication there, and
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 it's currently available as a pre peer
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 reviewed paper on arXiv. If confirmed,
00:13:24 --> 00:13:26 this would not only expand our catalog of
00:13:26 --> 00:13:29 celestial bodies, but force astronomers to
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 rethink one of the oldest definitions in
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 planetary science.
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 Anna: Incredible.
00:13:34 --> 00:13:37 And finally, Anna, uh, we have a story that
00:13:37 --> 00:13:40 might rewrite history, or at least rename
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 a famous comet.
00:13:41 --> 00:13:44 Anna: That's right. New research suggests that
00:13:44 --> 00:13:46 Halley's Comet might be wrongly maimed.
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 Turns out an 11th century English monk
00:13:49 --> 00:13:52 named Elmer of Malmesbury understood
00:13:52 --> 00:13:55 the comet's periodic nature centuries before
00:13:55 --> 00:13:57 the British astronomer Edmund Halley.
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 Anna: Wait, so Halley wasn't the first to figure
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 this out?
00:14:01 --> 00:14:04 Anna: According to research by Professor Simon
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 Portage Zwart and colleagues published in the
00:14:06 --> 00:14:09 book Doristat. And everything after,
00:14:09 --> 00:14:12 Gilmer witnessed Halley's comet twice in
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 989 CE and again in
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 1066 CE and realized it was
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 the same comet returning.
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 Anna: How do we know this?
00:14:21 --> 00:14:24 Anna: The events are described by the 12th century
00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 chronicler William of Malmesbury. But this
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 connection had gone unnoticed by scholars
00:14:29 --> 00:14:32 until now. The 1066 appearance
00:14:32 --> 00:14:35 is actually depicted on the famous Bayeux
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 Tapestry, which illustrates the events of
00:14:37 --> 00:14:40 that year, including the Norman Conquest of
00:14:40 --> 00:14:40 England.
00:14:41 --> 00:14:44 Anna: So Ilmer must have been quite elderly to see
00:14:44 --> 00:14:44 it twice.
00:14:44 --> 00:14:47 Anna: Exactly. Given that the Comet appears
00:14:47 --> 00:14:50 roughly 76 years, he would have been
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 advanced in age when he witnessed it for the
00:14:53 --> 00:14:56 second time. And here's a fascinating detail.
00:14:56 --> 00:14:59 As was customary at the time, when he saw it
00:14:59 --> 00:15:02 in 1066, the king was warned
00:15:02 --> 00:15:05 of impending disaster. The
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 comet appeared during the brief reign of King
00:15:07 --> 00:15:10 Harold Godwinson, who died at the Battle of
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 Hastings that October.
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 Anna: Medieval people really did see comets as
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 omens, didn't they?
00:15:16 --> 00:15:18 Anna: They did indeed. The research shows that
00:15:18 --> 00:15:21 comet appearances around this time were
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 consistently associated with the deaths of
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 kings, war or famine in the British Isles.
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 The researchers even found what might be
00:15:28 --> 00:15:31 historical fake news. Uh, a comet
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 supposedly seen before the death of
00:15:33 --> 00:15:35 Archbishop Seidrich of Canterbury in
00:15:35 --> 00:15:38 995, which wasn't actually recorded
00:15:38 --> 00:15:41 in the chronicles. Possibly an exaggeration
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 to frighten people.
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 Anna: So what are the researchers calling for?
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 Anna: They're arguing that Halley's Comet should be
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 given a, uh, different name since it had been
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 observed twice and its periodicity
00:15:51 --> 00:15:54 understood centuries before Halley's work.
00:15:54 --> 00:15:56 Portuguese Wort mentioned that while the
00:15:56 --> 00:15:59 research was fun to do, it was challenging
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 working in such an interdisciplinary project
00:16:02 --> 00:16:04 alongside a historian. Nevertheless, they
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 plan to carry out further research into
00:16:06 --> 00:16:09 periodic comet it's amazing how.
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 Anna: Interdisciplinary research can uncover these
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 historical oversights.
00:16:13 --> 00:16:16 Anna: It really is. And it shows that scientific
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 discovery isn't always about new
00:16:18 --> 00:16:21 observations. Sometimes it's about looking at
00:16:21 --> 00:16:23 old records with fresh eyes.
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 Anna: Well, that's all the time we have for today's
00:16:26 --> 00:16:28 episode. What a journey we've been on. From
00:16:28 --> 00:16:31 rocket fairings to ancient lunar impacts,
00:16:31 --> 00:16:33 affordable space memorials to massive
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 exomoons and.
00:16:34 --> 00:16:37 Anna: Historical comet discoveries, it never
00:16:37 --> 00:16:40 ceases to amaze me how much is happening in
00:16:40 --> 00:16:43 space and astronomy every single day. From
00:16:43 --> 00:16:45 cutting edge engineering to billion year old
00:16:45 --> 00:16:48 mysteries, there's always something new to
00:16:48 --> 00:16:48 learn.
00:16:48 --> 00:16:50 Anna: Thanks so much for tuning in to Astronomy
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 Daily. Be sure to visit our website at
00:16:52 --> 00:16:55 astronomydaily IO for detailed shown
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 notes, transcripts and links to all the
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 stories we discussed today.
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 Anna: And don't forget to follow us on social
00:17:01 --> 00:17:04 media. We're astrodaily, pod on
00:17:04 --> 00:17:06 X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok,
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00:17:08 --> 00:17:11 Anna: Until next time, keep looking up and keep
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 exploring the wonders of our universe.
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 Anna: Clear skies everyone.
00:17:22 --> 00:17:22 Love.