Look up! Venus and Jupiter are going in for a nighttime kiss The two brightest planets in Earth's night sky are millions of miles apart. But due to an astronomical quirk, they appear to be engaging in a cosmic dance tonight. Now that's a moment of awe. Michaeleen Doucleff
Correction: Rosalind Franklin's crucial contribution to the discovery of DNA's structure A piece that aired on NPR this week about the discovery of DNA's structure neglected to mention the significant contribution of Rosalind Franklin to that scientific milestone.
70 years ago, two scientists changed the world by discovering DNA's structure On Feb. 28, 1953, two scientists named James Watson and Francis Crick had a flash of insight that changed the world. They discovered the double helix structure of DNA. Joe Palca
This selfie above China's balloon was taken over Missouri. Here's how we know that The photo from aboard the Air Force's legendary U-2 spy plane shows the Chinese balloon. But where, exactly, was it taken? It's actually possible to answer that question using clues from the image. Geoff Brumfiel
The Webb telescope finds surprisingly massive galaxies from the universe's youth At about 600 million years after the Big Bang, they're not the oldest galaxies the telescope has spotted. But they appear as developed as our Milky Way — far further along than researchers expected. The Associated Press
A citizen-science project asks the public to identify the birds in your backyard The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual citizen-science project that gathers data about wild birds. Participants go outside for at least 15 minutes and identify as many birds as they can. Justine Kenin
Spinal stimulation can improve arm and hand movement years after a stroke Two stroke patients regained control of a disabled arm and hand after researchers delivered electrical stimulation to their spines, paving the way toward a medical device that could aid movement. Jon Hamilton
Did an F-22 shoot down an Illinois hobby group's small radio balloon? A military spokesperson tells NPR that it's their understanding that the FBI has spoken to the hobbyist group in question. Bill Chappell
Japan recounted its islands. Now geographers say there may be 7,000 more of them Japan conducted a recount of its islands amid criticism that the data was old and inaccurate. Geographers took another look and the number of islands is expected to more than double. Roshan Fernandez
Militaries have sought to use spy balloons for centuries. The real enemy is the wind The U.S. government suspects that China's surveillance balloon may have blown off course. It wouldn't be the first time. Geoff Brumfiel
