Space

A report from Nature shows that astronomers may have found a medium-sized black hole, a kind they've long looked for.

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.

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.

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.

The spacecraft experienced numerous leaks and technical glitches. NASA says it's using the extra time to evaluate whether it can return safely.