Misconceptions in Pop Culture Discussion

The media often misuses astronomical terminology in film, television, games, and music. For this discussion, we will become critical observers of how astronomical terms are used — or misused — in pop culture.

Identify a Misuse: Find an example of an astronomical term being used incorrectly in a piece of media — this could be a movie, song, video game, or book. Ensure your example hasn’t already been mentioned by a classmate in our discussion board.
Share and Explain: Post a link to the media. Quote the misuse directly from the source. Then, explain why this usage is incorrect.
Engage with Peers: After posting your example, browse the discussion board for entries from your classmates. Take on the persona of a “science advisor” who is tasked by the producers/editors with correcting these errors. Reply to at least one of your classmates suggesting a change to the terminology that would make it scientifically correct.

It’s interesting to me that some scientists actually have this “advisor” responsibility on films and television shows. I’ve always thought that would be a cool job.