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Lab Notes: When astronomers make mistakes
Tuesday, 13 October, 2026

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.You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science editor and presenter Jonathan Webb on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.Get in touch with us: labnotes@abc.net.auFeaturing:Dr Kat Ross, Curtin UniversityThis episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Gadigal, Ngunnawal and Ngambri people.