Lab Notes: When astronomers make mistakes
Show notes
In March 2018, a South African astronomer looking into the distant universe "discovered" a bright red spot in the sky that hadn't been there previously; it felt like an exciting potential discovery. A message was sent to other astronomers, asking them to look at this new dot and study it further.
After forty minutes and a few more calculations, he realised this "star" was much closer to home and nothing new at all: it was the planet Mars.
According to Dr Kat Ross, making this kind of mistake is something of a rite of passage for astronomers.
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Featuring:
- Dr Kat Ross, Curtin University
This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.