6:56
Mercury: The Ashtray of the Solar System?
Scientists say that dust from passing comets could have darkened the surface of Mercury.
2:32
Sweeping the Skies, More Than 200 Years Ago
Astronomer Caroline Herschel was born 265 years ago this week, on March 16, 1750. She was the first woman to receive a salary for astronomical research.
12:18
Scientists Dip Into the Water on Jupiter’s Largest Moon
Scientists estimate that a subsurface ocean on Jupiter’s largest moon—Ganymede—could be 60 miles thick.
17:24
What Will It Take to Land a Person on Mars?
What technological hurdles must be cleared for a successful manned mission to Mars?
Ready for Take-Off: Teens Pilot Airplanes in New York City
Students at Frederick Douglass Academy in New York City use flight simulators as part of an aeronautics class, with some kids eventually logging flight time in real planes.
0:35
How An 11-Year-Old Named A (Dwarf) Planet
Venetia Burney, age 11, came up with the name “Pluto” for a newly-discovered planet 85 years ago this week.
9:03
Dawn Arrives at Ceres
Mission director and chief engineer Marc Rayman gives an update on the Dawn mission, scheduled to arrive in orbit around dwarf planet Ceres this week.
17:27
The Interstellar Tourist’s Guide to Exoplanets
Exoplanet hunter Sara Seager explains how biosignature gases could help identify life on exoplanets, and The Takeaway’s John Hockenberry takes Ira on a futuristic tour of exoplanet vacation destinations.
0:39
Mysteries of the Mars Plume
Wayne Jaeschke, a patent attorney and amateur astronomer, captured a photo of a wispy cloud rising 120 miles into the Martian atmosphere.
12:17
NASA and Integration During the Civil Rights Movement
As part of Black History Month, Science Friday looks at the role of African-American scientists at NASA during the Civil Rights era.