Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
Until three decades ago, scientist were unsure if planets – Earth-like and otherwise – were rare in the Universe. But since the first confirmed exoplanets, or planets outside our Solar System, were detected in 1992, it’s become increasingly clear that our universe is teeming, with an estimated average of between one to two planets per star. And, perhaps even more startling, potentially life-bearing planets such as Earth are no great rarity, with a fifth of Sun-like stars estimated to have an Earth-sized planet in their ‘habitable zones’.
This short video from NASA celebrates the discovery of the 5,000th confirmed exoplanet, which occurred on 21 March 2022. Starting with a still shot of our celestial neighbourhood, the video expresses the increasing discovery of exoplanets from 1991 to today. The audiovisualisation progresses year by year, with each new circle in the sky indicating the relative orbit size of every newly discovered planet. Varying colours signify how each planet was discovered, and a musical tone represents the length of the planet’s orbital period around their star. The result is an awe-inspiring glimpse into our corner of the Universe that will surely grow ever more expansive, rich and intricate as NASA’s James Webb Telescope begins to peer further into the cosmos than ever before. You can view this video in 360° here.
Video by NASA, SYSTEM Sounds
video
Chemistry
Why do the building blocks of life possess a mysterious symmetry?
12 minutes
video
Cosmology
Tiny, entangled universes that form or fizzle out – a theory of the quantum multiverse
11 minutes
video
Astronomy
The history of astronomy is a history of conjuring intelligent life where it isn’t
34 minutes
video
Metaphysics
Simple entities in universal harmony – Leibniz’s evocative perspective on reality
4 minutes
video
Biography and memoir
Passed over as the first Black astronaut, Ed Dwight carved out an impressive second act
13 minutes
video
Engineering
A close-up look at electronic paper reveals its exquisite patterns – and limitations
9 minutes
video
Cognition and intelligence
What’s this buzz about bees having culture? Inside a groundbreaking experiment
8 minutes
video
Earth science and climate
The only man permitted in Bhutan’s sacred mountains chronicles humanity’s impact
22 minutes
video
Cosmology
The Indian astronomer whose innovative work on black holes was mocked at Cambridge
13 minutes