The "blood worm moon," so named for the reddish hue of its glow and the time of year it's occurring, will be visible in every U.S. state.

(Image credit: Ringo H.W. Chiu)

This week calls for some throwback thinking. If you can recall how Roman numerals work, you'll get at least one question correct.

The BepiColombo spacecraft flew less than 200 miles from Mercury's surface and photographed volcanic plains and icy craters.

The northern lights could be visible Tuesday night and Wednesday night over the Northern Hemisphere due to a geomagnetic storm.

(Image credit: Robert F. Bukaty)

To get so close, the Parker Solar Probe had to withstand the sun's extreme heat and radiation like no spacecraft before it.

(Image credit: Steve Gribben/AP)

There are at least 19,000 pieces of space debris in Earth's orbit, not including active satellites, that the U.S is monitoring.

(Image credit: Roscosmos Space Agency Press Service)

The next supermoon — which appears larger and brighter than a regular full moon due to its proximity to Earth — will not be visible for nearly a year.

(Image credit: Yasser Al-Zayyat)

As global warming continues and space technology improves, there is more and more talk about the growing possibility of a sci-fi future in which humans become a multiplanetary species. Specifically, that we could live on Mars. Biologist Kelly Weinersmith and cartoonist Zach Weinersmith have spent the last four years researching what this would look like if we did this anytime soon. In their new book A City On Mars, they get into all sorts of questions: How would we have babies in space? How would we have enough food? They join host Regina G. Barber and explain why it might be best to stay on Earth.

Kelly and Zach Weinersmith's book A City On Mars is out now.

Have another space story you want us to cover on a future episode? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you!

(Image credit: janiecbros)

The North and South Taurids occur every year in September, October, and November. They may have originated from a comet that broke up about 10,000 years ago.

(Image credit: NASA)

China declared a “complete success” after it launched a new three-person crew to its space station early Wednesday as the country seeks to expand its exploration of outer space.

(Image credit: Ng Han Guan/AP)