First Alien Space Rock Seen in Our Solar System

For the first time ever, astronomers have spotted an alien space rock floating around in our solar system. The asteroid is the first unexpected visitor from outside our system, and it’s moving fast (5.8 miles per second) so scientists are frantically trying to learn as much as possible about it before it disappears. Discovered by Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS 1 telescope, the rock is less than a …

A Moon Cave for an Astronaut Base

A few things inhibit a full-time, human-populated base on the moon: micrometeorites, intense surface radiation and crazy temperature swings (from 100°C/212°F days into -173°C/-280°F nights). Japanese scientists from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency believe they have discovered something that can solve this: a massive cave (potentially once a lava tube) just below surface level. At 31 miles long and 330 feet wide, the space now …

Link About It: This Week’s Picks

NYC's changing drag culture, portraits of insects, the universe's missing matter and more

1. Ai Weiwei’s New NYC Project “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors” Ai Weiwei’s latest NYC art installation is made up of some 300 pieces all over the city and makes a strong point about immigration and refugees. With a fence circling the Unisphere in Queens, a cage in Washington Square Park, and more “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors” encourages New Yorkers to take a moment …