NASA Astronauts Finally Return, Seals Hold Their Breath, and Penguin Poop Stresses Out Krill
Mar 24, 2025
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NASA astronauts are finally back on Earth after an unexpected nine-month adventure in space. Discover how gray seals manage to hold their breath for over an hour thanks to an impressive built-in oxygen gauge. Meanwhile, learn about the surprising stress that penguin poop causes for krill in the Antarctic ecosystem. These quirky tales shine a light on the wonders of science and the interconnectedness of nature, making for a fascinating journey into the natural world.
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Quick takeaways
The unexpected nine-month delay of NASA astronauts' return highlights the complexities and unpredictability of managing space missions.
Recent discoveries about gray seals' oxygen gauges and penguin poop's impact on krill demonstrate fascinating adaptations in animal physiology and environmental interactions.
Deep dives
NASA Astronauts Return from Space
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams successfully returned to Earth after an extended stay on the International Space Station, which lasted much longer than the originally planned week. Their return was delayed due to scheduling issues involving the spacecraft used for their journey home, highlighting the complexities of managing multiple missions in space. Despite the technical difficulties, the astronauts' safe splashdown marked a significant event for NASA's ongoing space exploration efforts. This situation underscores the often unpredictable nature of space travel, where timelines can be significantly altered by logistical challenges.
Discoveries by the James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope recently captured groundbreaking images of a planetary system located 130 light-years away, marking a significant achievement in astrobiological research. For the first time, it was able to directly observe carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, confirming its capability to analyze the chemistry of distant celestial bodies. These findings suggest that the formation of the four planets in the HR 8799 system followed a similar process to that of our own gas giants, offering insights into the early conditions of planetary systems. The ongoing mission of JWST promises to reveal even more about these distant worlds, as it is expected to operate for over 20 years, potentially transforming our understanding of the cosmos.
Two NASA astronauts are finally back on Earth after an unexpected nine-month stay in space. What kept them up there so long? Meanwhile scientists have discovered that gray seals have a built-in oxygen gauge that helps them hold their breath for more than an hour. And in the Antarctic, researchers found that penguin poop seriously stresses out krill. Catch up on these stories and more in our Monday news roundup.
E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover!
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Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith.