Astronomers spot a mysterious black hole nestled in a cluster of stars
A report from Nature shows that astronomers may have found a medium-sized black hole, a kind they've long looked for.
Space
SpaceX rocket accident leaves the company's Starlink satellites in the wrong orbit
A SpaceX rocket has failed for the first time in nearly a decade, leaving the company’s internet satellites in an orbit so low that they're doomed to fall through the atmosphere and burn up.
2 galaxies, the Penguin and the Egg, get a family portrait thanks to Webb Telescope
The galaxies' fanciful names belie their actual ages: In this case of the Penguin and the Egg, it’s the Egg that came first.
Astronomers spot a mysterious black hole nestled in a cluster of stars
A report from Nature shows that astronomers may have found a medium-sized black hole, a kind they've long looked for.
The invisible substance that structures our universe
The universe is so much bigger than what people can see. Visible matter — the ground, the Sun, the screen you're reading this on — makes up only about 4 or 5 percent of our known universe. Dark matter makes up much more of the universe. It's all around us even though we can't see it. So what is it? What's it made out of? How do we even know it exists? Host Emily Kwong and Rebecca Ramirez try to find out with the help of astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan.
This episode is part of our series Space Camp, all about the weird and mysterious depths of our universe. Check out the full series: https://www.npr.org/spacecamp.
Our team would love to hear your episode ideas. Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
This episode is part of our series Space Camp, all about the weird and mysterious depths of our universe. Check out the full series: https://www.npr.org/spacecamp.
Our team would love to hear your episode ideas. Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
Volunteers who lived in a NASA-created Mars replica for over a year have emerged
The four crew members entered the 3D-printed Mars replica on June 25, 2023, as part of a NASA experiment to observe how humans would fare living on the Red Planet.
Amid the Starliner delay, a former astronaut discusses being stuck in space
NPR's Adrian Florido speaks with retired astronaut Terry Virts about what the Boeing Starliner astronauts might going through being in space longer than they thought they would be.
'We’re not stuck.' Why Boeing’s Starliner isn’t returning to Earth (yet)
The return of Starliner has been indefinitely delayed, but NASA and Boeing say the astronauts will use the spaceship to get home — eventually.
Could 3 Body Problem's aliens exist? The science behind Netflix's new hit
Before the '3 Body Problem' became a bestselling book and a smash TV show ... it was a physics concept, with big implications for how we understand planetary orbits. In this episode, we learn about the science behind the screen. Plus, why it's plausible a nearby, mysterious planet could hold life.
This story is part of Short Wave's Space Camp series about all the weird, wonderful things happening in the universe —check out the full series.
Curious about other science behind the things you love? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
This story is part of Short Wave's Space Camp series about all the weird, wonderful things happening in the universe —check out the full series.
Curious about other science behind the things you love? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.
NASA astronauts to extend space station stay as engineers troubleshoot Boeing capsule
Problems with the capsule's propulsion system, used to maneuver the spacecraft, prompted NASA and Boeing to delay the flight home several times while they analyzed the trouble.