Neptune-Sized Moon Discovered Outside Our Solar System

Some 8,000 light-years away, a moon has been discovered—possibly the first one outside our own solar system. Dubbed an “exomoon,” the “Neptune-sized” gassy object, which orbits a “Jupiter-sized” planet, was spotted by Columbia University astronomers via the Kepler and Hubble space telescopes. It’s “unlike anything scientists have seen before, and even if this turns out to be a false find, the experience has offered valuable insight on …

60 Years of NASA

In 1958, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was formed after the Soviet Union launched their Sputnik satellite into the cosmos, and ever since the agency has explored distant worlds. In a sprawling graphic (made by a team consisting of Emily Barone, Jeffrey Kluger and Lon Tweeten) every NASA spacecraft ever launched is noted, tracked and dated. Excluding tests and failed missions, the list spans the ’50s through …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

Meditative cattle grazing sounds, a space elevator, the resurgence of silent film and more

Slow Yourself Down to the Sounds of Irish Cattle Grazing From the sounds of cows being herded up a mountain to leaves crunching underfoot on a countryside walk, BBC’s Radio 3 will soon include programming aimed for meditative relaxation. At present, their (generally older) audience tunes in for jazz, opera and classical music. With the upcoming “slow radio,” the BBC is tapping into, more or …