Space

A composite image of Earth taken at 1:07 p.m. ET on Jan. 15 by the GOES-16 satellite.

'Like High-Definition From The Heavens'; NOAA Releases New Images Of Earth

8:03pm January 23, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the first public images from its new weather satellite. The agency says the satellite's data will lead to more accurate weather forecasts.

China's Chang'e-5 craft, seen here at an exhibition in 2014, will carry out a lunar soft landing, according to the country's space agency.

China Will Launch Moon-Sampling Mission In November

12:29pm January 23, 2017

by Bill Chappell

Ahead of a separate plan to visit the moon's far side, China hopes to return lunar samples to Earth in late 2017.

Astronomer Wanda Diaz Merced talks about "sonification" on the TED stage.

Arts

How Can We Hear The Stars?

6:25pm January 19, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

When astronomer Wanda Diaz Merced lost her eyesight, she thought she'd never succeed in astronomy. Eventually, she discovered a way to hear the stars.

Queue Listen Now

A solar-powered dome sits on the side of Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano is part of an experiment in Mars-like living.

5th 'Mars Mission' Simulation Ready For Launch In Hawaii

1:33pm January 19, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Starting Thursday, six people will spend eight months in a dome on Mauna Loa volcano to study what living on Mars might be like. The mission is co-sponsored by the University of Hawaii and NASA.

Gene Cernan in the Apollo 17 lunar module after one of three moonwalks.

Gene Cernan, Last Man To Walk On The Moon, Dies At 82

5:17pm January 16, 2017

by Russell Lewis

Cernan flew in space three times, took the second American spacewalk, and was just as thrilled to walk on the moon as if he had been the first to do it.

In this handout provided by the NASA, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket sits on the launching pad with the JCSAT-14 communications satellite in May 2016.

Science

WATCH: SpaceX Successfully Launches Falcon 9 Rocket, Months After Blast

2:18pm January 14, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

The private space company's Falcon 9 rocket is bearing 10 satellites into orbit. SpaceX's launch came months after a blast wrecked its most recent test.

This episode of "Good Question" takes a trip to the moon accompanied by the music of David Bowie.

Travel To The Moon With David Bowie (360° Video)

10:01am January 10, 2017

See panoramic views of a trip to the moon in Skunk Bear's latest video. It's a journey that spans David Bowie's long career — and his greatest hits serve as the soundtrack.

Scientists predict a star collision in the constellation Cygnus.

Science

Scientists Predict Star Collision Visible To The Naked Eye In 2022

5:56pm January 09, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

If it happens, it would be the first time such an event was predicted by scientists. They say two stars in the constellation Cygnus will eventually merge and explode.

NASA Faces The Unknown In Preparing For Trump Administration

8:08am January 07, 2017

President-elect Donald Trump has not provided many specifics about what he plans to do with NASA. But private companies are expected to take a bigger role in space travel in the coming years.

Scientists used the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array near Socorro, N.M., to detect fast radio bursts.

Mystery Radio Waves Are Coming From A (Dwarf) Galaxy Far, Far Away, Scientists Say

3:40pm January 05, 2017

by Merrit Kennedy

The discovery provides our first "glimmer of understanding" about the unexplained, strong waves. Scientists don't think they're from aliens, but they're puzzled by what could be causing them.