ArXiv.org Reaches a Milestone and a Reckoning

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January 13, 2022

Dear Reader, This week, we're reflecting on a milestone. Thanks to its explosive growth since being founded in 1989, the arXiv.org preprint server—arguably the world's top spot for physicists, astronomers, computer scientists and mathematicians to share their work—just reached 2 million papers in its expansive coffers. But as the arXiv becomes increasingly integral for researchers around the globe, its flaws become more problematic, too. Our lead story has the details. Elsewhere this week, read about a newfound candidate exomoon, the latest updates on the James Webb Space Telescope and the Perseverance Mars rover and a social justice-fueled schism between mathematics research groups.

Lee Billings, Senior Editor, Space & Physics @LeeBillings

Astrophysics ArXiv.org Reaches a Milestone and a Reckoning Runaway success and underfunding have led to growing pains for the preprint server By Daniel Garisto

Astronomy Astronomers Have Found Another Possible 'Exomoon' beyond Our Solar System Kepler-1708 b-i appears to be a giant moon orbiting a Jupiter-sized planet thousands of light-years from Earth By Jonathan O'Callaghan

Mathematics New Math Research Group Reflects a Schism in the Field Critics accuse the organization of opposing efforts to stamp out inequity By Rachel Crowell

Astronomy Landmark Webb Observatory Is Now Officially a Telescope The observatory has flawlessly unfurled its mirrors and sunshield—although more steps are needed before the science can begin By Alexandra Witze,Nature magazine

Planetary Science NASA's Perseverance Rover Chokes on Mars Pebbles While Collecting a Rock Sample The rover's latest sample collection—an effort to gather material for eventual return to Earth—is off to a rocky start By Mike Wall,SPACE.com

FROM THE STORE Special Editions Volume 30, Issue 5s

QUOTE OF THE DAY "It's a moon candidate we can't kill. For four years we've tried to prove this thing was bogus. It passed every test we can imagine." David Kipping, astronomer at Columbia University

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FROM THE ARCHIVE The Race to Find Alien Moons Astronomers are hunting for the first moon around a planet beyond our solar system By Rebecca Boyle | March 2021

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