The color of smoke depends on what’s burning, and how it’s being burned. Smoke can be black, white, or grey – and chemicals can even make it colorful. This week’s viewer question comes from Harfiz Abu B. from Ghana.

Simulated eruptions - Explosions in the laboratory

Dec 16th, 2023 37s

When does a volcano explode? And when does it erupt more gently, without an explosion? It's a question volcanologists are seeking to answer. No one can look inside a volcanic vent. But laboratory experiments can show how magma erupts and explod

Tambora 1815 - Super explosion with global impact

Dec 16th, 2023 8m 5s

1816 became known in Europe as the "Year Without a Summer". The year before, Indonesia’s Mount Tambora had erupted in a huge explosion. Ash from the volcano darkened skies around the globe, resulting in failed harvests, famine and epidemics.

Can you see the stars from the surface of the moon?

Dec 11th, 2023 2m 20s

Contrary to what photos taken by Apollo astronauts suggest, stars are indeed visible from the moon. But they appear differently to what they do here on Earth.

What is the difference between fog and clouds?

Nov 27th, 2023 2m 17s

Clouds and fog both form when water vapor condenses. So what's the difference between them?

How do solar panels work?

Nov 18th, 2023 2m 1s

Solar panels convert sunlight into electrical energy, and have turned into a key contributor for making energy supplies more sustainable. But how do they actually work?

What is fog, and how does it form?

Nov 7th, 2023 2m 21s

Fog coalesces when water vapor condenses. The resulting droplets reflect light and obscure vision. This week's viewer question comes from Dobrila B. from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

What are the Pillars of Creation?

Nov 2nd, 2023 2m 30s

Some 7,000 light-years from Earth are gigantic cosmic columns of dust and gas. Because new stars are coalescing there, the formation is known as the Pillars of Creation.

What are contrails and how do they form?

Oct 24th, 2023 2m 31s

Condensation trails are linear artificial clouds that form from the exhaust of airplanes. Do they have an effect on the climate? This week's viewer question comes from Al Ben M. in Panama.

What is your blood made of? Where is it formed?

Sep 16th, 2023 2m 16s

In adults, blood is formed in short, flat bones like the ribs and sternum. This week's viewer question comes from Monica Bustos in Colombia.

Why are auroras only at the Earth's poles?

Sep 11th, 2023 2m 31s

Auroras can have very different shapes and colors. They occur when solar particles interact with the Earth's magnetic field. This week's viewer question comes from Rafael Nuñez in Finland.

Do all animals dream?

Sep 7th, 2023 2m 25s

And how can we tell what they're dreaming? Researchers want to reveal the secrets of animal dreams by measuring the brainwaves of rats.

Why don't birds get electrocuted by powerlines?

Aug 11th, 2023 2m 34s

This week's DW viewer question comes from Jorge Macea of Colombia.

Just ask! What's the difference between male and female brains?

Jul 29th, 2023 2m 38s

Men are ambitious, women good at multitasking, right? But how are these various skills reflected in the brain? This week's question for Tomorrow Today comes from Timothy Rintaugu from Kenya.

What is love?

Jul 15th, 2023 2m 9s

Love originates in the brain, just like other emotions do. It sometimes makes our hormones go crazy and we sometimes can feel like we're on a roller coaster ride. But what exactly is going on inside us when we’re in love?

Winglets: Curved tips with a big effect

Jul 6th, 2023 1m 59s

Most modern airplanes have curved wingtip devices. How do these "winglets" work, and what benefits do they boast?

Can solar flares harm Earth's technology?

Jul 4th, 2023 2m 23s

Solar flares are one of the most spectacular events on the sun's surface. These eruptions can significantly impact the functioning of technology on Earth — and our health.This week's Tomorrow Today viewer's question comes from Rodrigo in Ecuado

Can tropical cyclones cross the equator?

Jun 29th, 2023 2m 35s

So far no tropical cyclone has made it across the equator. It doesn't mean that it is not possible. In recent decades cyclones were rather moving away from the equator.

Do the moon and sun always rise in the east?

Jun 8th, 2023 2m 22s

The moon appears in the sky in different places at different times. Every day, it comes up around 50 minutes later than it did the day before. But it always rises in the east and sets in the west.

How does noise affect plants?

May 25th, 2023 2m 55s

This week's Tomorrow Today viewer question comes from Mohammad Billoh Jalloh in Sierra Leone.

Why is the exosphere hotter than outer space?

May 4th, 2023 3m 5s

This week’s question comes from Amir Halep in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Searching for life on Jupiter's icy moons

May 2nd, 2023 7m 23s

The European's Space Agency's longest trip ever is underway. The six billion kilometer, eight-year-long flight is meant to find out if Jupiter's moons, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa are capable of sustaining human life.

Are fish visually sensitive to color and patterns?

Apr 4th, 2023 3m 5s

This week's Tomorrow Today viewer question comes from E.S. Cheris

Does water drain differently in the north and south?

Mar 17th, 2023 2m 18s

This week's viewer question comes from Rodrigo Moncayo in Ecuador. He wants to know whether it's true that water drains in opposite directions in the northern and southern hemispheres.