Goldfish Learn To Drive

Second possible exomoon identified
Some of the same researchers who 
found the first purported exomoon now 
say that they’ve found another. Dubbed 
Kepler 1708 b i, the satellite has a radius 
about 2.6 times that of Earth and circles 
a Jupiter-sized exoplanet that orbits its 
parent star about once every two Earth 
years, the team reports January 13 in 
Nature Astronomy
. That sunlike star lies 
about 5,700 light-years from Earth.
To find this nugget, the team sorted 
through a database of over 4,000 exo-
planets detected by NASA’s Kepler space 
telescope. The team focused on a subset 
of 70 exoplanets that were likely to have 
moons large enough to be detected. 
After further screening, the team identi-
fied a strong candidate for an exomoon. 
Like its host planet, it caused detectable 
dimming of the parent star’s light when 
moving across the face of the star.
Both proposed exomoons need to be 
confirmed by observations with other 
instruments. But fresh observations will 
need to wait: The new exomoon candidate 
won’t pass in front of its star again until 
2023, the team calculates. 
— Sid Perkins
NEWS IN BRIEF
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Pyroclastic flows — volcanic avalanches of 
gas, ash and rock — possess rhythmic, high-
pressure pulses as a result of turbulence.
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Arizona is a geologist’s play-
ground, with a scientifi cally 
intriguing story behind every 
rocky outcrop, dry playa, and 
sparkling spring. 
Arizona 
Rocks!
tells the stories of 44 of 
the best geologic sites in the 
state. Not only will you learn 
about well-known places, such 
as Barringer Meteorite Crater 
and Petrifi ed Forest National 
Park, but you’ll also discover 
lesser-known sites, including 
Hopi Buttes, which formed 
from steam-driven explosions; 
Peridot Mesa, where gemstones 
from the Earth’s interior are 
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Arizona 
Rocks!
is the second book in the 
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Geology Rocks! 
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