Prof mistakes Mars for new discovery, apologises after 40min
Peter Dunsby, Professor of Cosmology at the University of Cape Town, reported the detection of a "very bright optical transient" as a new discovery, which was, in fact, the planet Mars. However, Dunsby apologised for the report within 40 minutes. Meanwhile, The Astronomer's Telegram, an internet community for astronomers, jokingly presented Dunsby with a certificate for the "Discovery of Mars".