Algol | The Demon Star

There's a really old story, told by the Greek historian Herodotus, about two armies in a multi-year war. Mid-battle, a total solar eclipse occurs. According to Herodotus, both sides stopped fighting, and the eclipse ended the war in a peace deal.And Herodotus has a nickname: the father of lies. So the big question is: did this battle even happen at all?

Did Captain James Cook witness a solar storm bigger than the famous Carrington Event of 1859?In this episode, we explore a new paper that says this may be the case. It explores a Chinese chronicle that documents a massive solar storm from 1770, and argues that it may be the biggest solar storm ever documented.This is a new format for me called "Star Stories Notebook". During my research into star myths, I come across a lot of interesting things that don't fit into a typical star story...but I still find them fascinating. And I figured if I found it cool, you would too!

Tonight, we're looking at the constellation Perseus. In that constellation, he's said to be holding the head of Medusa, and the eye of Medusa is a star that blinks - a star called Algol, also known as the Demon Star.It's changing brightness was first discovered in the 1700s. But a team of researchers believe the ancient Egyptians were aware of, and tracked, the variability of Algol's brightness.In this episode, we retell the story of how Perseus obtained the head of Medusa. And we'll explore why this star has such negativity associated with it...because who knows, maybe there's a reason why the ancient Egyptians were tracking it.

Tonight, we’re looking at a particularly strange constellation. It's about…hair.The constellation I’m talking about is Coma Berenices.A small, faint star pattern just above Virgo. It reaches its highest point at midnight at the beginning of Springtime.Tonight’s story comes to us from ancient Greece, and it’s a unique one…because it’s about someone who was a real person. It was written about 2270 years ago, during the time when this person was alive.There’s some interesting things to uncover there, but the big thing I want to dive into is this idea that the story might be a lot older than when we first see it written down.Because in different parts of the world, there’s some similarities between each tale that, the more you look into, the harder it becomes to ignore.But first, let’s make sure we understand the story about this hair. So let’s dive into the story…about the hair of Berenices.

Tonight, we’re looking at the Summer Triangle, and we'll be hearing a story that comes to us from ancient China.The earliest known reference to this tale is from 2,600 years ago. And the fascinating part about this story is that, as the ages progressed, we can see the story evolve over time to a full narrative.Parts were being changed and updated as time went on. But tonight’s version is going to be based on a version written about 1500 years ago.And afterwards, we’ll talk about how this story shifted from the original version, to one that turned into the Qixi festival that’s still celebrated today.We’ll also go into how this story might have ancient roots that connect it with a culture across the pacific ocean, which could mean this story is more than 20,000 years old.But first, let’s return to the woman, tirelessly weaving in heaven.

Tonight, we're looking at the constellation Aruiga, the Charioteer.And we'll be telling a tale from Greek mythology, about the famous fall of Phaethon.While many know this story as a lesson of the consequences of ego and hubris, the famous ancient philosopher Plato say this tale is actually transmitting ancient knowledge about the precession of the equinoxes.So let's dive into the story, and see why some people think Plato could be right.

Tonight we're going to the Philippines.More specifically, to the southern island of the Bukidnon people, a story which was written down in the early twentieth century.It's about a hunter named Magbangal.But what makes it fascinating isn't just what happens to Magbangal.It's what happens afterward.Because when the story is finished, almost everything inside it ends up in the sky.And together, those stars form something that was incredibly important to the people watching them.

Tonight we're looking at the Sun and the Moon.This story comes from the Hausa people of northern Nigeria.And it's a very simple story.But it answers a very strange question.Why does the Sun chase the Moon?And the incredible part about this story? There's fantastic observational astronomy encoded within such a short tale.So let's go back to a time when they weren't enemies.Because once you hear what happened...you might understand why the Sun has never stopped chasing him.

Tonight we're looking at the constellation Corona Borealis, also known as the Northern Crown.And for more than a century, books, astronomy websites and planetarium stories have connected that circle with a Native American tale called The Celestial Sisters.It's usually described as a Shawnee story about Corona Borealis.Except I went back and found the oldest published version I could verify.And Corona Borealis isn't mentioned at all.And that sent me down one of those rabbit holes where every answer creates another problem.So join me as we retell this tale, and dive into what I found about it.

Tonight we're looking at the Big Dipper.It's a story about the Cosmic Hunt, and it comes from the Haudenosaunee, who resided in what's now New York and southern Ontario.This story contains a tiny, very specific detail that, when you first hear it, you wouldn’t even notice. But this tiny detail shows up in stories told on the other side of the world, by people who could not possibly have met.A researcher spent decades cataloguing tens of thousands of these stories specifically to find things like it. And when he wrote up what he found, he said there could only be one explanation or it.So when you listen to this story, keep a look out for that small detail.