The Astronomy of Joanna Newsom

In "Emily," Ys 1 (2006), Joanna Newsom writes: "[T]he meteorite is the source of the light, and the meteor’s just what we see; and the meteoroid is a stone that’s devoid of the fire that propelled it to thee. And the meteorite’s just what causes the light, and the meteor’s how it’s perceived; and the meteoroid’s a bone thrown from the void, that lies quiet in offering to thee."

Poetic, yes. But is it true? The American Astronomical Society has yet to issue a statement. Naturally, I abhor a vacuum; allow me to fill this void.

According to the venerable Dictionary.com, "meteorite" has two definitions, the first of which is understandably paramount, the second of which may be a common-law-esque ratification of enduring misuse: (1) "a mass of stone or metal that has reached the earth from outer space; a fallen meteoroid;" (2) "a meteoroid." A "meteoroid" is "any of the small bodies, often remnants of comets, traveling through space: when such a body enters the earth's atmosphere it is heated to luminosity and becomes a meteor." Accordingly, a "meteor" is: (1) "a meteoroid that has entered the earth's atmosphere;" (2) "a transient fiery streak in the sky produced by a meteoroid passing through the earth's atmosphere; a shooting star or bolide."

This does not bode well for Ms. Newsom, even within her conceptual universe. Of these three terms, the best candidate for "the source of," or "just what causes," "the light" is "meteoroid." A meteoroid is the only non-contingent entity - a good property for something that's a source and a cause. This usage is rendered decisive by an analysis of the other two terms. A fallen meteorite (pardon the redundancy) is the only thing that could accurately be described as a "stone" or a "bone" that, having completed its atmospheric journey, has lost its heat and luminescence. And Newsom is quite correct, albeit vague, in referring to a meteor as "just what we see," or "perceive[]."

What to make of this? On the one hand, we could view Newsom's cosmic confusion as evidence of what she herself has proclaimed: "[T]here is nothing would help me come to grips with a sky that is gaping and yawning." But this is unsatisfactory, in light of her inquisitiveness, her meticulousness, and the presence of her astrophysicist sister, Emily, who provided backing vocals on the eponymous track. The better, or at least more appealing, interpretation is that she was being endearingly ironic. After all, before launching into her first quasi-chorus about the meteoric distinctions, she reminisces to Emily: "You taught me the names of the stars overhead, that I wrote down in my ledger. Though all I knew of the rote universe were those Pleiades, loosed in December, I promised you I’d set them to verse, so I’d always remember..."

...that the meteorite is no longer in flight, but the meteor is flying free; and the meteoroid is in orbit devoid of occasion for reaching thee. And the meteorite is a stone without light, but the meteor's how it was seen - when the meteoroid was thrown from the void and fell burning in offering to thee.

I prefer Newsom's cosmos.