How the Universe Works

New discoveries are challenging what we know about black holes, with some astronomers even questioning if they exist. The latest science tries to explain how they work and what they look like, even though no one has ever seen one.

We're traveling to a number of dwarf planets to uncover their secrets -- from oceans of liquid water on ex-planet Pluto to vanishing volcanoes on icy Ceres.

We're checking out binary star systems in our galaxy to find out if the conditions they create are better than the single-star system we know.

We're digging into new research that suggests ice giants Uranus and Neptune may have helped kickstart life on Earth.

We're researching the bright, powerful and mysterious world of quasars -- the brightest objects in the universe.

Scientists investigate a variety of interstellar entities to find out who -- or what -- is slowly killing the Milky Way galaxy.

Scientists reveal new technology designed to prevent an asteroid from hitting Earth and causing an apocalyptic scene.

We're learning how Mercury -- the closest planet to the sun -- could threaten our existence on Earth.

We're uncovering the dark history of how Earth came to be a planet made from the wreckage of ancient worlds before us.

We're learning how spacetime has been expanding since the beginning and will ultimate end our universe.