Astro Wilken on Earth’s new moon, why we see the Northern Lights and finding water “out there”

Fun, informative and kind of hilarious conversation, talking science with Spencer Wilken, who thinks Earth’s new moon is clickbait but Jupiter’s favorite moon is actually news, plus why we keep seeing the Northern Lights. We also gave Wilken some homework: watch Armageddon. 

Wilken is a Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois. She believes it’s big news that NASA is sending the Europa Clipper to the Jupiter moon in hopes of finding water and life. Meanwhile, in Earth’s orbit, an asteroid that really isn’t a moon — though we have spoken in the past about Earth’s actual dwarf moon.

Then we got into a conversation about the Northern Lights and stumped Wilken on the matter. 

Lastly, two funny things: 1. Scientists discovering a 46,000-year-old female microscopic worm in the Siberian permafrost and bringing it back to life.

Plus, in there somewhere — perhaps about the worm — Wilken brought “Will this kill us,” but said it so fast it sounded like “Willis kill us” and brought us full circle to the movie Armageddon again, starring Bruce Willis. 

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