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Astronomers ask the public to help find missing black holes

A citizen science project is inviting volunteers to comb through NASA telescope data for signs of hidden black holes; brown fat and a blood pressure drug also surfaced.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on Weekend Edition
Published 8:29 AM ET, Sunday, October 18, 2026

Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESO/R. Hurt · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

▶ As it aired · Tech

Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from Weekend Edition at 8:29 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Space.com's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Milky Way — Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESO/R. Hurt · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN

At a glance

First reported by Space.com: “Astronomers want your help finding 'missing' black holes in the Milky Way”.
Covered on BBN on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at 8:29 AM ET on Weekend Edition, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

Space.comAstronomers want your help finding 'missing' black holes in the Milky Way

What BBN said about it

Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentAstronomers are asking the public to help find the Milky Way's missing black holes, by combing through NASA telescope data for telltale signs. These are objects nothing is supposed to escape, and they've lost some.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo it's a leaderboard. Somebody posts a find, and somebody replies, 'actually, I saw that last Tuesday,' with no proof, forever.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentYes, the volunteers get a badge, and the badge is for staring at darkness.

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