Ker Than
Ker Than is a science writer and children's book author who joined Space.com as a Staff Writer from 2005 to 2007. Ker covered astronomy and human spaceflight while at Space.com, including space shuttle launches, and has authored three science books for kids about earthquakes, stars and black holes. Ker's work has also appeared in National Geographic, Nature News, New Scientist and Sky & Telescope, among others. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology from UC Irvine and a master's degree in science journalism from New York University. Ker is currently the Director of Science Communications at Stanford University.
Latest articles by Ker Than
SpaceX Save Was Second Recent Comeback for Elon Musk
By Mike Wall, Ker Than published
Elon Musk has tussled with the New York Times and some balky spacecraft thrusters in the past few weeks.
What Do SpaceX and Tesla Have in Common?
By Ker Than published
SpaceX and Tesla occasionally share test facilities, but the cooperation goes deeper than that.
Top 10 Revelations of the Space Age
By Ker Than published
Take a tour of the effect Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite, has had on science 50 years after its launch.
Strange Mars Photo Includes Tantalizing 'Tree' Illusion
By Ker Than published
Like the famed Face on Mars, "trees" spotted near the planet's north pole are just optical illusions.
Lost Couple Can't Blame GPS, Air Force Says
By Ker Than published
Neither aging GPS satellites nor a weak GPS signal was responsible for an elderly couple getting stranded in the woods, the Air Force says.
Dinosaur-Killing Firestorm Theory Questioned
By Ker Than published
New research challenges the idea that the asteroid impact responsible for the dinosaurs' demise sparked wildfires worldwide.
Large 'Planet X' May Lurk Beyond Pluto
By Ker Than published
Its existence would satisfy the long-held hopes and hypothesis for a "Planet X" envisioned by scientists and sci-fi buffs alike.
Rocky Planets Might Inhabit Popular Nearby Star Cluster
By Ker Than published
Earth-like rocky planets might be orbiting a star in the Pleiades.
New Measurements: The Universe Weighs Less
By Ker Than published
The universe might contain less normal and dark matter than previously thought, and be up to 20 percent lighter.
Cosmic 'Bullets' Traced to Galactic Black Holes
By Ker Than published
Scientists have linked ultrahigh energy cosmic rays to active galactic nuclei.
Newfound Planets are Scorching Hot
By Ker Than published
All that heat swells the planets up to 50 times Jupiter's size.
Planet System Similar to Ours Revealed
By Ker Than published
A star called 55 Cancri supports a family of five known planets – the most planets discovered so far around a star besides our own.
New Spin on How Stars are Born
By Ker Than published
Invisible magnetic field lines twisted like long ropes of DNA help stars spiral into life.
Floating Telescope Observes the Sun
By Ker Than published
Balloon observatories are a nice compromise between space- and ground-based telescopes.
Scientists Say Dark Matter Doesn't Exist
By Ker Than published
Two scientists claim their modified theory of gravity makes dark matter unnecessary.
Defect Suspected in Fabric of Space-Time
By Ker Than published
An unusual cold spot in our galaxy could be explained by a cosmic defect in the fabric of space-time.
More Strange Holes Found in Saturn's Rings
By Ker Than published
The findings are evidence of more "moonlets," scientists say.
Monster Black Hole Busts Theory
By Ker Than published
A stellar black hole more than one and a half times more massive than theory predicts has astronomers puzzled.
Makeup of Potentially Threatening Asteroid Determined
By Ker Than published
Apophis is likely made up of a stony mineral that is rare on Earth.
Venus and Jupiter Helped Shape Moon's Orbit
By Ker Than published
If not for ancient gravitational interactions with these planets, our moon's orbit might be closer to circular.
Stellar Explosion Outshines Sun 100 Billion Times
By Ker Than published
And it's twice as luminous as the previous record holder.
Geysers Gush from Cracks in Saturn's Moon
By Ker Than published
Plume jets on Enceladus erupt from cracks on the surface.
Cosmic Factories Produce Rubies and Sapphires
By Ker Than published
A nearby supermassive black hole is churning out glass, sapphire, and rubies.
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