On Episode 137 of This Week In Space, Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik talk with Dr. Jason Steffen, a professor of physics at UNLV and a member of the science team for the Kepler Space Telescope mission. This mission finally ended in 2018, but the discoveries keep coming. Kepler returned so much data that it was like "drinking from a firehose," Jason tells us.

The process of boarding an airplane,often perceived as a simple routine, has been the subject of study and discussion for years. Airlines, always looking to optimize their operations and improve the passenger experience, have explored different strategies to streamline this process. In this context, American Airlines, one of the world's leading airlines, took a step forward by implementing an innovative boarding system, designed to transform the way travelers begin their journey.

In 2006, NASA and its partners launched the Kepler telescope with a goal to try and identify planets in other solar systems. Since then, the telescope found over 2,700 planets orbiting different suns and existing in different solar systems before its retirement in 2018.

The darkest time of the year is the winter solstice, the day with the least sunlight and the longest night. However, the coldest time of the year is typically about one month after the winter solstice. So why isn't the darkest time of the year also the coldest?

Although you may not believe it, boarding passengers on a plane is one of the most difficult operational processes of airlines. It may seem simple and predictable to passengers, but " boarding " is a complex stage with rigorous logistics behind it, designed to reduce the time spent on the ground and ensure maximum efficiency. Romania, through its major airports, Otopeni, Cluj-Napoca and Iași, could implement on a large scale internationally tested methods to improve this stage and reduce unnecessary waiting and flight delays, thus gaining customer respect and higher competitiveness in the regional market.

Major change in airports. Efficient passenger boarding is an ongoing challenge for airlines and is essential to reduce delays and optimize the flight experience. In Romania, where air transport has become more and more accessible, the implementation of new rules could significantly improve this process. Following successful international strategies and adapting them to local airports could have a positive impact on passengers and airlines alike.

Jason Steffen is associate professor of physics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. A longtime science team member of NASA's Kepler mission, he has contributed to the discovery and characterization of thousands of exoplanets that orbit distant stars. In the first half, he shared insights into the journey of the Kepler mission and its groundbreaking discoveries. Launched in 2009, Kepler operated for about four years and then was repurposed in what was known as the K2 mission, providing an additional five years of data. He explained the distinctions between Kepler and the Hubble Space Telescope-- Kepler was designed to be very precise at making measurements of stars, which allowed it to identify over 2,700 new planets, while Hubble was more adept at taking stunning photos.

Jason discusses in new book "Hidden In The Heavens."

Dr. Jason Steffen, Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, joins Lisa to talk about the new boarding method that United Airlines rolled out last month. While United claims their new boarding method will ease frustrations, Dr. Steffen says he has an even more efficient way. Dr. Steffan also previews his new book: “Hidden in the Heavens”

Travelers have spent years proving that the honor system doesn't allow for an orderly boarding process on airplanes, so now American Airlines is testing a way to make sure people actually board with their assigned group.

Travelers have spent many years proving the honor system doesn't make for an orderly airplane boarding process, so now American Airlines is testing a way to make sure people actually board with their assigned group.

Although it’s hard to spot without a decent telescope, the mini moon is here through Nov. 25. The only similarity between the mini moon and Earth’s moon is they are both made of rocks, said Jason Steffen, an astrophysicist at UNLV.