Rocket Lab’s Hungry Hippos Arrive!| NASA Enlists Global Volunteers for Artemis II

WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:03.510
Welcome to Astronomy Daily, your source


00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:06.470
for the latest space and astronomy news.


00:00:06.480 --> 00:00:07.590
I'm Anna.


00:00:07.600 --> 00:00:09.910
>> And I'm Avery. Thanks for joining us on


00:00:09.920 --> 00:00:13.830
this Saturday, January 24th, 2026.


00:00:13.840 --> 00:00:16.310
We've got some fantastic stories lined


00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:17.590
up for you today.


00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:20.390
>> We certainly do. From rocket development


00:00:20.400 --> 00:00:22.790
milestones to prehistoric lunar


00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:25.590
discoveries, today's episode is packed


00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:28.630
with celestial intrigue. Let's dive


00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:31.269
right in with our top story. Rocket


00:00:31.279 --> 00:00:34.229
Lab's ambitious Neutron rocket has hit a


00:00:34.239 --> 00:00:36.549
significant milestone even though it


00:00:36.559 --> 00:00:38.790
came with a bit of a bump in the road.


00:00:38.800 --> 00:00:40.790
Anna, what's the latest from Wallops


00:00:40.800 --> 00:00:43.750
Island? Well, Avery, it's a story of


00:00:43.760 --> 00:00:46.790
both triumph and setback. The good news


00:00:46.800 --> 00:00:49.750
first, Rocket Lab's innovative hungry


00:00:49.760 --> 00:00:52.229
hippo fairings have successfully arrived


00:00:52.239 --> 00:00:54.630
at Wallops Island, Virginia after a


00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:57.029
month-long sea journey from New Zealand.


00:00:57.039 --> 00:00:59.990
aboard the vessel Northstar Integrity.


00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:02.069
These aren't your typical payload


00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:04.390
fairings. They're part of Neutron's


00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:07.270
groundbreaking reusable system.


00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:09.270
>> Right. And what makes these hungry


00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:11.109
hippos so special?


00:01:11.119 --> 00:01:13.590
>> Great question. Unlike traditional


00:01:13.600 --> 00:01:15.830
fairings that are jettisoned and lost


00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:18.310
during flight, these clamshellike


00:01:18.320 --> 00:01:20.950
structures actually stay attached to the


00:01:20.960 --> 00:01:23.910
first stage as it returns home. They


00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:26.149
open to release the second stage and


00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:28.789
payload, then close back up for the ride


00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:31.030
home. It's a clever design that should


00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:33.190
help drive down launch costs through


00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:34.710
rapid reuse.


00:01:34.720 --> 00:01:37.109
>> That's fascinating engineering, but you


00:01:37.119 --> 00:01:38.950
mentioned a setback.


00:01:38.960 --> 00:01:41.749
>> Unfortunately, yes. While the fairings


00:01:41.759 --> 00:01:44.069
were making their journey, Rocket Lab


00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:46.149
experienced a tank rupture during


00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:48.310
qualification trials at their Middle


00:01:48.320 --> 00:01:51.429
River, Maryland facility. A first stage


00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:54.149
carbon composite tank failed during


00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:56.630
hydrostatic pressure testing. That's


00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:58.870
where they fill the structure with water


00:01:58.880 --> 00:02:01.270
and gradually increase pressure to


00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:04.469
verify it can handle operational loads.


00:02:04.479 --> 00:02:06.950
>> Ouch. How significant is that?


00:02:06.960 --> 00:02:09.510
>> Well, Rocket Lab was quick to emphasize


00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:11.990
that testing failures like this, while


00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:14.550
disappointing, are actually part of the


00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:16.710
rigorous development process for high


00:02:16.720 --> 00:02:19.190
performance rockets. They deliberately


00:02:19.200 --> 00:02:21.990
stress hardware to its limits and beyond


00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:24.869
to ensure reliability. The tank was


00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:27.750
found collapsed into a pile of debris.


00:02:27.760 --> 00:02:29.670
But the company maintains this is


00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:32.309
exactly why they test to find these


00:02:32.319 --> 00:02:34.790
issues on the ground rather than during


00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:35.830
flight.


00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:38.390
>> Silver lining thinking and the program


00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:39.670
moves forward.


00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:41.910
>> Absolutely. With the hungry hippo


00:02:41.920 --> 00:02:44.710
fairings now at Wallops, engineers can


00:02:44.720 --> 00:02:47.110
proceed with integration testing, fit


00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:49.509
checks, electrical interfaces, and


00:02:49.519 --> 00:02:52.550
eventually static fire preparations. The


00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:54.790
launch mount is already in place with


00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:57.430
the test stand ready for major testing


00:02:57.440 --> 00:02:59.750
with the rocket's second stage.


00:02:59.760 --> 00:03:01.350
>> Exciting times for commercial space


00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:04.070
flight. Now, speaking of major missions,


00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:06.470
NASA has some news about tracking the


00:03:06.480 --> 00:03:08.869
upcoming Artemis 2 mission, right?


00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:12.470
>> They do indeed. NASA has selected 34


00:03:12.480 --> 00:03:15.190
global volunteers from 14 different


00:03:15.200 --> 00:03:17.990
countries to track the Orion spacecraft


00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.470
during its journey around the moon. This


00:03:20.480 --> 00:03:22.550
is a significant expansion from the


00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:25.190
Aremis 1 mission which had only 10


00:03:25.200 --> 00:03:26.550
volunteers.


00:03:26.560 --> 00:03:28.710
>> So what exactly will these volunteers be


00:03:28.720 --> 00:03:29.509
doing?


00:03:29.519 --> 00:03:31.750
>> They'll be using their own equipment.


00:03:31.760 --> 00:03:33.910
Everything from established commercial


00:03:33.920 --> 00:03:36.710
service providers to university research


00:03:36.720 --> 00:03:39.670
facilities to individual amateur radio


00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:42.309
enthusiasts to passively track radio


00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:45.110
waves transmitted by Orion during its


00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:47.670
approximately 10day mission. We're


00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:50.710
talking about 47 ground assets spanning


00:03:50.720 --> 00:03:51.750
the globe.


00:03:51.760 --> 00:03:53.270
>> That's impressive international


00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:55.750
cooperation. Who made the cut?


00:03:55.760 --> 00:03:58.229
>> The list is quite diverse. Government


00:03:58.239 --> 00:04:00.869
agencies like the Canadian Space Agency


00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:04.070
and Germany's DLR are participating.


00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:06.470
Commercial companies include Goonhilly


00:04:06.480 --> 00:04:09.190
Earth Station in the UK, Kongsburg


00:04:09.200 --> 00:04:11.429
Satellite Services in Norway, and


00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:13.990
Intuitive Machines in Houston.


00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:16.550
Universities like UC Berkeley, the


00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:18.550
University of Pittsburgh, and even


00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:20.949
Morehead State University in Kentucky


00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:22.230
are involved.


00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:24.950
>> What about amateur radio operators?


00:04:24.960 --> 00:04:27.510
>> Oh, yes, they're well represented. We've


00:04:27.520 --> 00:04:29.830
got individuals like Chris Swire from


00:04:29.840 --> 00:04:32.310
South Dakota and Dan Slater from


00:04:32.320 --> 00:04:35.110
California. Amateur radio organizations


00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:37.350
from Argentina, Germany, the


00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:39.430
Netherlands, and France are also


00:04:39.440 --> 00:04:42.070
participating. It's truly a global


00:04:42.080 --> 00:04:43.030
effort.


00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:45.590
>> And this data they collect, what's NASA


00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:46.550
doing with it?


00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:48.230
>> The volunteers will submit their


00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:51.030
tracking data to NASA for analysis. This


00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:53.350
helps the agency assess the broader


00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:55.030
aerospace community's tracking


00:04:55.040 --> 00:04:57.430
capabilities and identify ways to


00:04:57.440 --> 00:04:59.749
augment future moon and Mars mission


00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:03.030
support. Kevin Coggins, NASA's deputy


00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:04.870
associate administrator for space


00:05:04.880 --> 00:05:07.350
communications and navigation, called it


00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:10.310
a real step toward SCAN's commercial


00:05:10.320 --> 00:05:11.749
first vision.


00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:13.749
>> Building that public private ecosystem


00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:15.749
for deep space exploration.


00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:19.110
>> Exactly. Now, let's shift gears to some


00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:21.670
groundbreaking lunar research.


00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:24.070
Scientists analyzing samples from


00:05:24.080 --> 00:05:26.870
China's Chonga 6 mission have made a


00:05:26.880 --> 00:05:29.029
discovery that helps explain one of the


00:05:29.039 --> 00:05:31.270
moon's most puzzling features,


00:05:31.280 --> 00:05:33.510
>> the asymmetry between the near and far


00:05:33.520 --> 00:05:34.469
sides.


00:05:34.479 --> 00:05:36.950
>> Precisely. You know how the near side of


00:05:36.960 --> 00:05:39.909
the moon has all those dark maria, those


00:05:39.919 --> 00:05:42.550
vast volcanic planes that formed the man


00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:44.390
in the moon pattern we're all familiar


00:05:44.400 --> 00:05:47.430
with? The far side has barely any.


00:05:47.440 --> 00:05:49.350
>> I've always found that fascinating. What


00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:50.469
did they discover?


00:05:50.479 --> 00:05:53.029
>> Tong A6 brought back samples from the


00:05:53.039 --> 00:05:55.749
south pole atkin basin, which is one of


00:05:55.759 --> 00:05:57.909
the largest impact features in the


00:05:57.919 --> 00:06:01.110
entire solar system, about 1,600 miles


00:06:01.120 --> 00:06:05.350
wide and between 4.2 2 and 4.3 billion


00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:07.749
years old. Much older than the lunar


00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:10.629
maria which are around 3.6 billion years


00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:11.270
old.


00:06:11.280 --> 00:06:12.870
>> And what did these ancient samples


00:06:12.880 --> 00:06:13.749
reveal?


00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:16.870
>> The research team led by Hang Ton from


00:06:16.880 --> 00:06:19.430
the Chinese Academy of Sciences found


00:06:19.440 --> 00:06:21.749
something unusual in the basaltic rock


00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:25.029
samples, an abnormal ratio of potassium


00:06:25.039 --> 00:06:27.670
isotopes. Specifically, they found more


00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:31.110
of the heavier potassium 41 relative to


00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:33.749
potassium 39 compared to samples from


00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:35.029
the near side.


00:06:35.039 --> 00:06:36.550
>> What would cause that?


00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:39.350
>> After exploring several possibilities,


00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:42.790
cosmic ray irradiation, magma processes,


00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:45.430
meteoritic contamination, they concluded


00:06:45.440 --> 00:06:48.230
that this isotopic signature is a relic


00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:50.629
of the giant impact that formed the


00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:53.990
south pole atkin basin itself. So the


00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:55.830
impact actually changed the moon's


00:06:55.840 --> 00:06:56.950
chemistry.


00:06:56.960 --> 00:06:59.589
>> Not just changed it, it fundamentally


00:06:59.599 --> 00:07:02.390
altered it. The impact was so violent


00:07:02.400 --> 00:07:04.309
that it heated the moon's crust and


00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:07.110
mantle intensely, causing many volatile


00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.430
elements, including potassium, to


00:07:09.440 --> 00:07:11.830
evaporate and escape into space. The


00:07:11.840 --> 00:07:15.110
lighter potassium 39 isotope evaporated


00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:17.270
more easily than the heavier one,


00:07:17.280 --> 00:07:20.309
leaving behind this unusual ratio.


00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:22.550
>> That's incredible detective work. And


00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:24.390
this explains the lack of maria on the


00:07:24.400 --> 00:07:25.510
far side.


00:07:25.520 --> 00:07:27.830
>> Exactly. The reduction in volatiles


00:07:27.840 --> 00:07:30.150
would have suppressed magma formation,


00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:32.710
limiting volcanism on the far side. It


00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:35.110
shows how deeply that ancient impact


00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:37.589
affected the moon's interior and why


00:07:37.599 --> 00:07:40.150
isotopic analysis can provide windows


00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:42.790
into the conditions of such catastrophic


00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:45.110
events. This research was published in


00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:47.029
the proceedings of the National Academy


00:07:47.039 --> 00:07:48.390
of Sciences.


00:07:48.400 --> 00:07:50.550
>> Fascinating stuff. Now, here's something


00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:52.550
a bit more down to earth, even if it's


00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:55.110
going to space. Anna, tell us about the


00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:57.110
startup that's making space memorials


00:07:57.120 --> 00:07:57.990
affordable.


00:07:58.000 --> 00:07:59.990
>> This is a really interesting story,


00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:03.029
Avery. A startup called Space Beyond,


00:08:03.039 --> 00:08:05.510
founded by Ryan Mitchell, is planning to


00:08:05.520 --> 00:08:08.550
send up to 1,000 people's ashes to space


00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:13.749
in October 2027 for as little as $249,


00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:15.670
dramatically cheaper than traditional


00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:17.990
space memorial services that typically


00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:20.070
cost thousands of dollars.


00:08:20.080 --> 00:08:21.909
>> That's quite a price difference. How are


00:08:21.919 --> 00:08:23.430
they pulling this off?


00:08:23.440 --> 00:08:25.670
>> It's all about smart use of existing


00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:28.469
infrastructure. They're using a Cubsat,


00:08:28.479 --> 00:08:30.390
one of those miniature cube- shaped


00:08:30.400 --> 00:08:32.389
satellites that will launch as a ride


00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:34.870
share payload on a SpaceX Falcon 9


00:08:34.880 --> 00:08:37.269
rocket. The ride share model has really


00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:39.670
democratized access to space.


00:08:39.680 --> 00:08:42.149
>> And Ryan Mitchell, he's got some serious


00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:43.990
space credentials. Right.


00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:46.550
>> Absolutely. He worked on NASA's space


00:08:46.560 --> 00:08:48.470
shuttle program and spent nearly a


00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:51.350
decade at Blue Origin. The idea actually


00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:53.190
came to him while attending a family


00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:55.590
member's ash spreading ceremony. He


00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:57.670
thought, "How could I do this better?"


00:08:57.680 --> 00:09:00.470
And thus, Space Beyond was born.


00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:02.630
>> But there must be some limitations with


00:09:02.640 --> 00:09:04.630
such an affordable service.


00:09:04.640 --> 00:09:07.269
>> There are customers can only send about


00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:10.310
1 g of ashes, a practical limit due to


00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:12.310
weight considerations and the need to


00:09:12.320 --> 00:09:15.110
fit many customers remains in the Cubat.


00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:17.430
The satellite will only orbit for about


00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:19.590
5 years before burning up in Earth's


00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:22.710
atmosphere. So, it's not forever. Though


00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:25.269
that fiery ending has a certain poetic


00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:26.550
quality to it.


00:09:26.560 --> 00:09:28.790
>> Mitchell certainly thinks so. Plus, the


00:09:28.800 --> 00:09:30.949
Cubat will be in a suns synchronous


00:09:30.959 --> 00:09:34.710
orbit at about 550 km altitude, meaning


00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:37.509
it'll fly over the entire globe. With


00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:39.829
modern spacecraft tracking services,


00:09:39.839 --> 00:09:41.910
families should be able to locate it and


00:09:41.920 --> 00:09:43.990
know when it's passing overhead.


00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:46.230
>> That's actually really touching. And


00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:48.310
importantly, they're not spreading the


00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:50.150
ashes in space. Right.


00:09:50.160 --> 00:09:52.630
>> Correct. Mitchell called that an almost


00:09:52.640 --> 00:09:54.870
nightmare scenario because the particles


00:09:54.880 --> 00:09:56.790
could create a debris cloud that could


00:09:56.800 --> 00:09:59.030
endanger other spacecraft. Since


00:09:59.040 --> 00:10:01.269
customers only send about a gram, they


00:10:01.279 --> 00:10:03.590
can do what they wish with the rest.


00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:05.430
>> Thoughtful approach to a sensitive


00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:07.910
service. Now, let's talk about something


00:10:07.920 --> 00:10:10.870
that might literally redefine astronomy.


00:10:10.880 --> 00:10:12.790
Anna, tell us about this massive


00:10:12.800 --> 00:10:14.710
potential exomoon.


00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:17.030
>> This one's mindbending, Avery.


00:10:17.040 --> 00:10:19.269
Astronomers using the gravity instrument


00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:21.750
on the Very Large Telescope in Chile


00:10:21.760 --> 00:10:24.150
have detected what might be an exomoon


00:10:24.160 --> 00:10:29.269
orbiting the gas giant HD206893b


00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:32.710
located 133 light years from Earth. But


00:10:32.720 --> 00:10:35.190
here's the kicker. This moon is so


00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:37.190
massive that it might force us to


00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:40.310
rethink the word moon even means.


00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:42.470
>> How massive are we talking?


00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:44.790
>> Get this. They estimate it could be as


00:10:44.800 --> 00:10:48.230
much as 40% the mass of Jupiter or about


00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:50.790
nine times the mass of Neptune. To put


00:10:50.800 --> 00:10:52.949
that in perspective, it's thousands of


00:10:52.959 --> 00:10:55.350
times heavier than any moon in our solar


00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:58.069
system. Anamine, Jupiter's largest moon


00:10:58.079 --> 00:11:00.470
and the biggest in our solar system, is


00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:02.470
thousands of times less massive than


00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:03.590
Neptune.


00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:05.750
>> Wow. So, how did they even detect


00:11:05.760 --> 00:11:07.990
something like this? Through a technique


00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.310
called astrometry, which precisely


00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:12.710
tracks the position of celestial bodies


00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:15.670
over time, the team led by Quentyn Crawl


00:11:15.680 --> 00:11:17.509
from the University of Cambridge


00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:20.310
observed a measurable wobble in HD


00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:22.550
206893b's


00:11:22.560 --> 00:11:25.190
motion, a back and forth movement with a


00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:27.269
period of about 9 months.


00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:29.030
>> And that wobble is the moon's


00:11:29.040 --> 00:11:30.870
gravitational tug.


00:11:30.880 --> 00:11:33.430
>> Exactly. PL explained that the wobble


00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:35.829
has a size comparable to the Earth moon


00:11:35.839 --> 00:11:38.150
distance, which is the exact signature


00:11:38.160 --> 00:11:40.870
you'd expect from an unseen companion.


00:11:40.880 --> 00:11:42.790
The potential moon's orbit is also


00:11:42.800 --> 00:11:46.069
tilted by roughly 60°, suggesting a


00:11:46.079 --> 00:11:48.069
turbulent history of gravitational


00:11:48.079 --> 00:11:49.350
interactions.


00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:51.350
>> So, at what point does something stop


00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:53.509
being a moon and become a binary


00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:54.550
companion?


00:11:54.560 --> 00:11:57.110
>> That's the milliondoll question. Crawl


00:11:57.120 --> 00:11:59.110
noted that at these masses, the


00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:01.430
distinction between a massive moon and a


00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:03.910
low mass companion becomes blurred.


00:12:03.920 --> 00:12:05.990
There's currently no official definition


00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:08.870
of an exomoon. So, astronomers generally


00:12:08.880 --> 00:12:11.509
refer to any object orbiting a planet as


00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:12.550
a moon.


00:12:12.560 --> 00:12:14.629
>> This could force a redefin


00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:17.190
>> potentially. Crawl suggested that as


00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:19.670
observational techniques improve, our


00:12:19.680 --> 00:12:21.750
definitions and understanding of what


00:12:21.760 --> 00:12:24.230
constitutes a moon will almost certainly


00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:26.710
evolve. He also pointed out that we're


00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.550
likely only seeing the tip of the


00:12:28.560 --> 00:12:31.110
iceberg. Just as the first exoplanets


00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:33.030
discovered were massive ones close to


00:12:33.040 --> 00:12:35.030
their stars because they were easiest to


00:12:35.040 --> 00:12:37.829
detect, the first exomoons we identify


00:12:37.839 --> 00:12:40.310
will be the most massive and extreme


00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:41.350
examples.


00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:44.389
>> Finding exomoons is challenging. I


00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:45.269
imagine


00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:47.750
>> extremely the signals they produce are


00:12:47.760 --> 00:12:50.550
minute, often lost in the noise of their


00:12:50.560 --> 00:12:53.269
parent planet's data. The transit method


00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:55.590
that's revolutionized exoplanet


00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:58.150
discovery is less effective for moons


00:12:58.160 --> 00:13:00.150
because they produce light dips too


00:13:00.160 --> 00:13:03.110
faint to distinguish. But astrometry


00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:05.829
offers a new path forward, especially


00:13:05.839 --> 00:13:08.710
for detecting companions in far orbits


00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:11.430
where large stable moons are more likely


00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:12.870
to exist.


00:13:12.880 --> 00:13:15.269
>> This research was published in astronomy


00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:17.990
and astrophysics. It's been accepted for


00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:19.750
publication there and it's currently


00:13:19.760 --> 00:13:21.990
available as a pre- peer-reviewed paper


00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:24.870
on archive. If confirmed, this would not


00:13:24.880 --> 00:13:27.269
only expand our catalog of celestial


00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:30.150
bodies, but force astronomers to rethink


00:13:30.160 --> 00:13:32.150
one of the oldest definitions in


00:13:32.160 --> 00:13:33.990
planetary science.


00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:36.790
>> Incredible. And finally, Anna, we have a


00:13:36.800 --> 00:13:39.269
story that might rewrite history or at


00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:41.750
least rename a famous comet.


00:13:41.760 --> 00:13:44.310
>> That's right. New research suggests that


00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:47.030
Haley's comet might be wrongly named.


00:13:47.040 --> 00:13:49.750
Turns out an 11th century English monk


00:13:49.760 --> 00:13:52.870
named Elmer of Malmsbury understood the


00:13:52.880 --> 00:13:55.509
comet's periodic nature centuries before


00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:58.230
the British astronomer Edmund Haley.


00:13:58.240 --> 00:14:00.470
>> Wait, so Halley wasn't the first to


00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:02.790
figure this out? According to research


00:14:02.800 --> 00:14:05.269
by professor Simon Portiges wart and


00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:07.110
colleagues published in the book


00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:10.069
Doristad and everything after Ilmer


00:14:10.079 --> 00:14:13.990
witnessed Haley's comet twice in 989 CE


00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:17.829
and again in 1066 CE and realized it was


00:14:17.839 --> 00:14:20.150
the same comet returning.


00:14:20.160 --> 00:14:21.750
>> How do we know this?


00:14:21.760 --> 00:14:23.829
>> The events are described by the 12th


00:14:23.839 --> 00:14:26.870
century chronicler William of Malssbury.


00:14:26.880 --> 00:14:28.870
But this connection had gone unnoticed


00:14:28.880 --> 00:14:31.990
by scholars until now. The 1066


00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:34.069
appearance is actually depicted on the


00:14:34.079 --> 00:14:36.870
famous Bayou tapestry which illustrates


00:14:36.880 --> 00:14:39.350
the events of that year including the


00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:41.509
Norman conquest of England.


00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:43.910
>> So Ilmer must have been quite elderly to


00:14:43.920 --> 00:14:45.110
see it twice.


00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:47.829
>> Exactly. Given that the comet appears


00:14:47.839 --> 00:14:50.790
roughly 76 years, he would have been


00:14:50.800 --> 00:14:52.949
advanced in age when he witnessed it for


00:14:52.959 --> 00:14:55.189
the second time. And here's a


00:14:55.199 --> 00:14:57.990
fascinating detail. As was customary at


00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:01.509
the time when he saw it in 1066, the


00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:04.870
king was warned of impending disaster.


00:15:04.880 --> 00:15:06.870
The comet appeared during the brief


00:15:06.880 --> 00:15:09.829
reign of King Harold Godwinson, who died


00:15:09.839 --> 00:15:12.310
at the Battle of Hastings that October.


00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:14.790
>> Medieval people really did see comets as


00:15:14.800 --> 00:15:16.150
omens, didn't they?


00:15:16.160 --> 00:15:18.710
>> They did indeed. The research shows that


00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:21.269
comet appearances around this time were


00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:23.430
consistently associated with the deaths


00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:26.069
of kings, war, or famine in the British


00:15:26.079 --> 00:15:28.389
Isles. The researchers even found what


00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:31.350
might be historical fake news. A comment


00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:33.189
supposedly seen before the death of


00:15:33.199 --> 00:15:36.710
Archbishop Cydrich of Canterbury in 995,


00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:38.710
which wasn't actually recorded in the


00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:41.350
Chronicles, possibly an exaggeration to


00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:42.629
frighten people.


00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:44.310
>> So, what are the researchers calling


00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:47.030
for? They're arguing that Haley's comet


00:15:47.040 --> 00:15:48.710
should be given a different name since


00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:50.870
it had been observed twice and its


00:15:50.880 --> 00:15:53.430
periodicity understood centuries before


00:15:53.440 --> 00:15:55.990
Haley's work. Portuge's wart mentioned


00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:58.470
that while the research was fun to do,


00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:00.550
it was challenging working in such an


00:16:00.560 --> 00:16:02.870
interdisciplinary project alongside a


00:16:02.880 --> 00:16:05.269
historian. Nevertheless, they plan to


00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:07.430
carry out further research into periodic


00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:08.550
comet.


00:16:08.560 --> 00:16:10.550
>> It's amazing how interdisciplinary


00:16:10.560 --> 00:16:12.629
research can uncover these historical


00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:15.829
oversightes. It really is. And it shows


00:16:15.839 --> 00:16:18.150
that scientific discovery isn't always


00:16:18.160 --> 00:16:20.790
about new observations. Sometimes it's


00:16:20.800 --> 00:16:23.110
about looking at old records with fresh


00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:25.670
eyes. Well, that's all the time we have


00:16:25.680 --> 00:16:27.509
for today's episode. What a journey


00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:29.749
we've been on. From rocket fairings to


00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:32.230
ancient lunar impacts, affordable space


00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:34.949
memorials to massive exomoons, and


00:16:34.959 --> 00:16:37.189
historical comet discoveries.


00:16:37.199 --> 00:16:39.829
>> It never ceases to amaze me how much is


00:16:39.839 --> 00:16:42.069
happening in space and astronomy every


00:16:42.079 --> 00:16:43.990
single day. From cutting edge


00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:45.749
engineering to billion-year-old


00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:47.829
mysteries, there's always something new


00:16:47.839 --> 00:16:48.949
to learn.


00:16:48.959 --> 00:16:50.310
>> Thanks so much for tuning in to


00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:52.470
Astronomy Daily. Be sure to visit our


00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:54.790
website at astronomydaily.io


00:16:54.800 --> 00:16:56.949
for detailed show notes, transcripts,


00:16:56.959 --> 00:16:58.470
and links to all the stories we


00:16:58.480 --> 00:16:59.670
discussed today.


00:16:59.680 --> 00:17:01.509
>> And don't forget to follow us on social


00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:04.870
media. We're @ astroailyaily pod on X,


00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:07.669
Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube,


00:17:07.679 --> 00:17:10.470
and Tumblr. Until next time, keep


00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:12.309
looking up and keep exploring the


00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:14.230
wonders of our universe.


00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:16.949
>> Clear skies everyone.


00:17:16.959 --> 00:17:19.110
>> Day


00:17:19.120 --> 00:17:22.919
stories told.