Rocket Lab's "Hungry Hippos" arrive at Wallops Island despite tank test setback, NASA enlists global volunteers to track Artemis II, ancient lunar impact explains Moon's asymmetry, affordable space memorials launching in 2027, massive exomoon challenges definitions, and an 11th-century monk may have discovered Halley's Comet first.
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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00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 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 >> And I'm Avery. Thanks for joining us on
00:00:09 --> 00:00:13 this Saturday, January 24th, 2026.
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 We've got some fantastic stories lined
00:00:16 --> 00:00:17 up for you today.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 >> 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 --> 00:00:28 with celestial intrigue. Let's dive
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 right in with our top story. Rocket
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 Lab's ambitious Neutron rocket has hit a
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 significant milestone even though it
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 came with a bit of a bump in the road.
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 Anna, what's the latest from Wallops
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 Island? Well, Avery, it's a story of
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 both triumph and setback. The good news
00:00:46 --> 00:00:49 first, Rocket Lab's innovative hungry
00:00:49 --> 00:00:52 hippo fairings have successfully arrived
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 at Wallops Island, Virginia after a
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 month-long sea journey from New Zealand.
00:00:57 --> 00:00:59 aboard the vessel Northstar Integrity.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 These aren't your typical payload
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 fairings. They're part of Neutron's
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 groundbreaking reusable system.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 >> Right. And what makes these hungry
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 hippos so special?
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 >> Great question. Unlike traditional
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 fairings that are jettisoned and lost
00:01:15 --> 00:01:18 during flight, these clamshellike
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 structures actually stay attached to the
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 first stage as it returns home. They
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 open to release the second stage and
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 payload, then close back up for the ride
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 home. It's a clever design that should
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 help drive down launch costs through
00:01:33 --> 00:01:34 rapid reuse.
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 >> That's fascinating engineering, but you
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 mentioned a setback.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 >> Unfortunately, yes. While the fairings
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 were making their journey, Rocket Lab
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 experienced a tank rupture during
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 qualification trials at their Middle
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 River, 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
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 where they fill the structure with water
00:01:58 --> 00:02:01 and gradually increase pressure to
00:02:01 --> 00:02:04 verify it can handle operational loads.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:06 >> Ouch. How significant is that?
00:02:06 --> 00:02:09 >> Well, Rocket Lab was quick to emphasize
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 that testing failures like this, while
00:02:12 --> 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
00:02:19 --> 00:02:21 stress hardware to its limits and beyond
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 to ensure reliability. The tank was
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 found collapsed into a pile of debris.
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 But the company maintains this is
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 exactly why they test to find these
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 issues on the ground rather than during
00:02:34 --> 00:02:35 flight.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 >> Silver lining thinking and the program
00:02:38 --> 00:02:39 moves forward.
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 >> Absolutely. With the hungry hippo
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 fairings now at Wallops, engineers can
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 proceed with integration testing, fit
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 checks, electrical interfaces, and
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 eventually static fire preparations. The
00:02:52 --> 00:02:54 launch mount is already in place with
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 the test stand ready for major testing
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 with the rocket's second stage.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 >> Exciting times for commercial space
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 flight. Now, speaking of major missions,
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 NASA has some news about tracking the
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 upcoming Artemis 2 mission, right?
00:03:08 --> 00:03:12 >> They do indeed. NASA has selected 34
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 global volunteers from 14 different
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 countries to track the Orion spacecraft
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 during its journey around the moon. This
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 is a significant expansion from the
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 Aremis 1 mission which had only 10
00:03:25 --> 00:03:26 volunteers.
00:03:26 --> 00:03:28 >> So what exactly will these volunteers be
00:03:28 --> 00:03:29 doing?
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 >> 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 radio
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 enthusiasts to passively track radio
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 waves transmitted by Orion during its
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 approximately 10day mission. We're
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 talking about 47 ground assets spanning
00:03:50 --> 00:03:51 the globe.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:53 >> That's impressive international
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 cooperation. Who made the cut?
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 >> The list is quite diverse. Government
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 agencies like the Canadian Space Agency
00:04:00 --> 00:04:04 and Germany's DLR are participating.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 Commercial companies include Goonhilly
00:04:06 --> 00:04:09 Earth Station in the UK, Kongsburg
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 Satellite Services in Norway, and
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 Intuitive Machines in Houston.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:16 Universities like UC Berkeley, the
00:04:16 --> 00:04:18 University of Pittsburgh, and even
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 Morehead State University in Kentucky
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 are involved.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 >> What about amateur radio operators?
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 >> Oh, yes, they're well represented. We've
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 got individuals like Chris Swire from
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 South Dakota and Dan Slater from
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 California. Amateur radio organizations
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 from Argentina, Germany, the
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 Netherlands, and France are also
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 participating. It's truly a global
00:04:42 --> 00:04:43 effort.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 >> And this data they collect, what's NASA
00:04:45 --> 00:04:46 doing with it?
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 >> The volunteers will submit their
00:04:48 --> 00:04:51 tracking data to NASA for analysis. This
00:04:51 --> 00:04:53 helps the agency assess the broader
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 aerospace community's tracking
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 capabilities and identify ways to
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 augment future moon and Mars mission
00:04:59 --> 00:05:03 support. Kevin Coggins, NASA's deputy
00:05:03 --> 00:05:04 associate administrator for space
00:05:04 --> 00:05:07 communications and navigation, called it
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 a real step toward SCAN's commercial
00:05:10 --> 00:05:11 first vision.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 >> Building that public private ecosystem
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 for deep space exploration.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:19 >> Exactly. Now, let's shift gears to some
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 groundbreaking lunar research.
00:05:21 --> 00:05:24 Scientists analyzing samples from
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 China's Chonga 6 mission have made a
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 discovery that helps explain one of the
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 moon's most puzzling features,
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 >> the asymmetry between the near and far
00:05:33 --> 00:05:34 sides.
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 >> Precisely. You know how the near side of
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 the moon has all those dark maria, those
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 vast volcanic planes that formed the man
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 in the moon pattern we're all familiar
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 with? The far side has barely any.
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 >> I've always found that fascinating. What
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 did they discover?
00:05:50 --> 00:05:53 >> Tong A6 brought back samples from the
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 south pole atkin basin, which is one of
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 the largest impact features in the
00:05:57 --> 00:06:01 entire solar system, about 1 miles
00:06:01 --> 00:06:05 wide and between 4.2 2 and 4.3 billion
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 years old. Much older than the lunar
00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 maria which are around 3.6 billion years
00:06:10 --> 00:06:11 old.
00:06:11 --> 00:06:12 >> And what did these ancient samples
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 reveal?
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 >> The research team led by Hang Ton from
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 the Chinese Academy of Sciences found
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 something unusual in the basaltic rock
00:06:21 --> 00:06:25 samples, an abnormal ratio of potassium
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 isotopes. Specifically, they found more
00:06:27 --> 00:06:31 of the heavier potassium 41 relative to
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 potassium 39 compared to samples from
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 the near side.
00:06:35 --> 00:06:36 >> What would cause that?
00:06:36 --> 00:06:39 >> After exploring several possibilities,
00:06:39 --> 00:06:42 cosmic ray irradiation, magma processes,
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 meteoritic contamination, they concluded
00:06:45 --> 00:06:48 that this isotopic signature is a relic
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 of the giant impact that formed the
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 south pole atkin basin itself. So the
00:06:54 --> 00:06:55 impact actually changed the moon's
00:06:55 --> 00:06:56 chemistry.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 >> 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
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 mantle intensely, causing many volatile
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 elements, including potassium, to
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 evaporate and escape into space. The
00:07:11 --> 00:07:15 lighter potassium 39 isotope evaporated
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 more easily than the heavier one,
00:07:17 --> 00:07:20 leaving behind this unusual ratio.
00:07:20 --> 00:07:22 >> That's incredible detective work. And
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 this explains the lack of maria on the
00:07:24 --> 00:07:25 far side.
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 >> Exactly. The reduction in volatiles
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 would have suppressed magma formation,
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 limiting volcanism on the far side. It
00:07:32 --> 00:07:35 shows how deeply that ancient impact
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 affected the moon's interior and why
00:07:37 --> 00:07:40 isotopic analysis can provide windows
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 into the conditions of such catastrophic
00:07:42 --> 00:07:45 events. This research was published in
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 the proceedings of the National Academy
00:07:47 --> 00:07:48 of Sciences.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 >> Fascinating stuff. Now, here's something
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 a bit more down to earth, even if it's
00:07:52 --> 00:07:55 going to space. Anna, tell us about the
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 startup that's making space memorials
00:07:57 --> 00:07:57 affordable.
00:07:58 --> 00:07:59 >> This is a really interesting story,
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 Avery. A startup called Space Beyond,
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 founded by Ryan Mitchell, is planning to
00:08:05 --> 00:08:08 send up to 1 people's ashes to space
00:08:08 --> 00:08:13 in October 2027 for as little as $249,
00:08:13 --> 00:08:15 dramatically cheaper than traditional
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 space memorial services that typically
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 cost thousands of dollars.
00:08:20 --> 00:08:21 >> That's quite a price difference. How are
00:08:21 --> 00:08:23 they pulling this off?
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 >> It's all about smart use of existing
00:08:25 --> 00:08:28 infrastructure. They're using a Cubsat,
00:08:28 --> 00:08:30 one of those miniature cube- shaped
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 satellites that will launch as a ride
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 share payload on a SpaceX Falcon 9
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 rocket. The ride share model has really
00:08:37 --> 00:08:39 democratized access to space.
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 >> And Ryan Mitchell, he's got some serious
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 space credentials. Right.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 >> Absolutely. He worked on NASA's space
00:08:46 --> 00:08:48 shuttle program and spent nearly a
00:08:48 --> 00:08:51 decade at Blue Origin. The idea actually
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 came to him while attending a family
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 member's ash spreading ceremony. He
00:08:55 --> 00:08:57 thought, "How could I do this better?"
00:08:57 --> 00:09:00 And thus, Space Beyond was born.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:02 >> But there must be some limitations with
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 such an affordable service.
00:09:04 --> 00:09:07 >> There are customers can only send about
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 1 g of ashes, a practical limit due to
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 weight considerations and the need to
00:09:12 --> 00:09:15 fit many customers remains in the Cubat.
00:09:15 --> 00:09:17 The satellite will only orbit for about
00:09:17 --> 00:09:19 5 years before burning up in Earth's
00:09:19 --> 00:09:22 atmosphere. So, it's not forever. Though
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 that fiery ending has a certain poetic
00:09:25 --> 00:09:26 quality to it.
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 >> Mitchell certainly thinks so. Plus, the
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 Cubat will be in a suns synchronous
00:09:30 --> 00:09:34 orbit at about 550 km altitude, meaning
00:09:34 --> 00:09:37 it'll fly over the entire globe. With
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 modern spacecraft tracking services,
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 families should be able to locate it and
00:09:41 --> 00:09:43 know when it's passing overhead.
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 >> That's actually really touching. And
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 importantly, they're not spreading the
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 ashes in space. Right.
00:09:50 --> 00:09:52 >> 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
00:09:59 --> 00:10:01 customers only send about a gram, they
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 can do what they wish with the rest.
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 >> Thoughtful approach to a sensitive
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 service. Now, let's talk about something
00:10:07 --> 00:10:10 that might literally redefine astronomy.
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 Anna, tell us about this massive
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 potential exomoon.
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 >> This one's mindbending, Avery.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 Astronomers using the gravity instrument
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 on the Very Large Telescope in Chile
00:10:21 --> 00:10:24 have detected what might be an exomoon
00:10:24 --> 00:10:29 orbiting the gas giant HD206893b
00:10:29 --> 00:10:32 located 133 light years from Earth. But
00:10:32 --> 00:10:35 here's the kicker. This moon is so
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 massive that it might force us to
00:10:37 --> 00:10:40 rethink the word moon even means.
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 >> How massive are we talking?
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 >> Get this. They estimate it could be as
00:10:44 --> 00:10:48 much as 40% the mass of Jupiter or about
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 nine times the mass of Neptune. To put
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 that in perspective, it's thousands of
00:10:52 --> 00:10:55 times heavier than any moon in our solar
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 system. Anamine, Jupiter's largest moon
00:10:58 --> 00:11:00 and the biggest in our solar system, is
00:11:00 --> 00:11:02 thousands of times less massive than
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 Neptune.
00:11:03 --> 00:11:05 >> Wow. So, how did they even detect
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 something like this? Through a technique
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 called astrometry, which precisely
00:11:10 --> 00:11:12 tracks the position of celestial bodies
00:11:12 --> 00:11:15 over time, the team led by Quentyn Crawl
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 from the University of Cambridge
00:11:17 --> 00:11:20 observed a measurable wobble in HD
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 206893b's
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 motion, a back and forth movement with a
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 period of about 9 months.
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 >> And that wobble is the moon's
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 gravitational tug.
00:11:30 --> 00:11:33 >> Exactly. PL explained that the wobble
00:11:33 --> 00:11:35 has a size comparable to the Earth moon
00:11:35 --> 00:11:38 distance, which is the exact signature
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 you'd expect from an unseen companion.
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 The potential moon's orbit is also
00:11:42 --> 00:11:46 tilted by roughly 60°, suggesting a
00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 turbulent history of gravitational
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 interactions.
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 >> So, at what point does something stop
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 being a moon and become a binary
00:11:53 --> 00:11:54 companion?
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 >> That's the milliondoll question. Crawl
00:11:57 --> 00:11:59 noted that at these masses, the
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 distinction between a massive moon and a
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 low mass companion becomes blurred.
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 There's currently no official definition
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 of an exomoon. So, astronomers generally
00:12:08 --> 00:12:11 refer to any object orbiting a planet as
00:12:11 --> 00:12:12 a moon.
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 >> This could force a redefin
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 >> potentially. Crawl suggested that as
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 observational techniques improve, our
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 definitions and understanding of what
00:12:21 --> 00:12:24 constitutes a moon will almost certainly
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 evolve. He also pointed out that we're
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 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
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 their stars because they were easiest to
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 detect, the first exomoons we identify
00:12:37 --> 00:12:40 will be the most massive and extreme
00:12:40 --> 00:12:41 examples.
00:12:41 --> 00:12:44 >> Finding exomoons is challenging. I
00:12:44 --> 00:12:45 imagine
00:12:45 --> 00:12:47 >> 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 --> 00:12:55 that's revolutionized exoplanet
00:12:55 --> 00:12:58 discovery is less effective for moons
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 because they produce light dips too
00:13:00 --> 00:13:03 faint to distinguish. But astrometry
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 offers a new path forward, especially
00:13:05 --> 00:13:08 for detecting companions in far orbits
00:13:08 --> 00:13:11 where large stable moons are more likely
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 to exist.
00:13:12 --> 00:13:15 >> This research was published in astronomy
00:13:15 --> 00:13:17 and astrophysics. It's been accepted for
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 publication there and it's currently
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 available as a pre- peer-reviewed paper
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 on archive. If confirmed, this would not
00:13:24 --> 00:13:27 only expand our catalog of celestial
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 bodies, but force astronomers to rethink
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 one of the oldest definitions in
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 planetary science.
00:13:34 --> 00:13:36 >> Incredible. And finally, Anna, we have a
00:13:36 --> 00:13:39 story that might rewrite history or at
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 least rename a famous comet.
00:13:41 --> 00:13:44 >> That's right. New research suggests that
00:13:44 --> 00:13:47 Haley's comet might be wrongly named.
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 Turns out an 11th century English monk
00:13:49 --> 00:13:52 named Elmer of Malmsbury understood the
00:13:52 --> 00:13:55 comet's periodic nature centuries before
00:13:55 --> 00:13:58 the British astronomer Edmund Haley.
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 >> Wait, so Halley wasn't the first to
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 figure this out? According to research
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 by professor Simon Portiges wart and
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 colleagues published in the book
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 Doristad and everything after Ilmer
00:14:10 --> 00:14:13 witnessed Haley's comet twice in 989 CE
00:14:14 --> 00:14:17 and again in 1066 CE and realized it was
00:14:17 --> 00:14:20 the same comet returning.
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 >> How do we know this?
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 >> The events are described by the 12th
00:14:23 --> 00:14:26 century chronicler William of Malssbury.
00:14:26 --> 00:14:28 But this connection had gone unnoticed
00:14:28 --> 00:14:31 by scholars until now. The 1066
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 appearance is actually depicted on the
00:14:34 --> 00:14:36 famous Bayou tapestry which illustrates
00:14:36 --> 00:14:39 the events of that year including the
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 Norman conquest of England.
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 >> So Ilmer must have been quite elderly to
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 see it twice.
00:14:45 --> 00:14:47 >> Exactly. Given that the comet appears
00:14:47 --> 00:14:50 roughly 76 years, he would have been
00:14:50 --> 00:14:52 advanced in age when he witnessed it for
00:14:52 --> 00:14:55 the second time. And here's a
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 fascinating detail. As was customary at
00:14:58 --> 00:15:01 the time when he saw it in 1066, the
00:15:01 --> 00:15:04 king was warned of impending disaster.
00:15:04 --> 00:15:06 The comet appeared during the brief
00:15:06 --> 00:15:09 reign of King Harold Godwinson, who died
00:15:09 --> 00:15:12 at the Battle of Hastings that October.
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 >> Medieval people really did see comets as
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 omens, didn't they?
00:15:16 --> 00:15:18 >> 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
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 of kings, war, or famine in the British
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 Isles. The researchers even found what
00:15:28 --> 00:15:31 might be historical fake news. A comment
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 supposedly seen before the death of
00:15:33 --> 00:15:36 Archbishop Cydrich of Canterbury in 995,
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 which wasn't actually recorded in the
00:15:38 --> 00:15:41 Chronicles, possibly an exaggeration to
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 frighten people.
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 >> So, what are the researchers calling
00:15:44 --> 00:15:47 for? They're arguing that Haley's comet
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 should be given a different name since
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 it had been observed twice and its
00:15:50 --> 00:15:53 periodicity understood centuries before
00:15:53 --> 00:15:55 Haley's work. Portuge's wart mentioned
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 that while the research was fun to do,
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 it was challenging working in such an
00:16:00 --> 00:16:02 interdisciplinary project alongside a
00:16:02 --> 00:16:05 historian. Nevertheless, they plan to
00:16:05 --> 00:16:07 carry out further research into periodic
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 comet.
00:16:08 --> 00:16:10 >> It's amazing how interdisciplinary
00:16:10 --> 00:16:12 research can uncover these historical
00:16:12 --> 00:16:15 oversightes. It really is. And it shows
00:16:15 --> 00:16:18 that scientific discovery isn't always
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 about new observations. Sometimes it's
00:16:20 --> 00:16:23 about looking at old records with fresh
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 eyes. Well, that's all the time we have
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 for today's episode. What a journey
00:16:27 --> 00:16:29 we've been on. From rocket fairings to
00:16:29 --> 00:16:32 ancient lunar impacts, affordable space
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 memorials to massive exomoons, and
00:16:34 --> 00:16:37 historical comet discoveries.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:39 >> It never ceases to amaze me how much is
00:16:39 --> 00:16:42 happening in space and astronomy every
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 single day. From cutting edge
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 engineering to billion-year-old
00:16:45 --> 00:16:47 mysteries, there's always something new
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 to learn.
00:16:48 --> 00:16:50 >> Thanks so much for tuning in to
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 Astronomy Daily. Be sure to visit our
00:16:52 --> 00:16:54 website at astronomydaily.io
00:16:54 --> 00:16:56 for detailed show notes, transcripts,
00:16:56 --> 00:16:58 and links to all the stories we
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 discussed today.
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 >> And don't forget to follow us on social
00:17:01 --> 00:17:04 media. We're @ astroailyaily pod on X,
00:17:04 --> 00:17:07 Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube,
00:17:07 --> 00:17:10 and Tumblr. Until next time, keep
00:17:10 --> 00:17:12 looking up and keep exploring the
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 wonders of our universe.
00:17:14 --> 00:17:16 >> Clear skies everyone.
00:17:16 --> 00:17:19 >> Day
00:17:19 --> 00:17:22 stories told.