Latest Articles - Page: 6
Why is finding life on other planets important?
The presence of life beyond Earth is a question that has captivated human thought for centuries, moving from the realm o...
What will happen if two galaxies collide?
When two galaxies meet, the event is less of a violent crash and more of a slow, stately cosmic dance that spans hundred...
What is the meaning of the word "ecliptic"?
The term **ecliptic** immediately conjures images of the heavens, though its meaning is rooted in a very specific geomet...
Is Jeff Bezos considered an astronaut?
The brief, suborbital flight that propelled Amazon founder Jeff Bezos past the widely accepted threshold of space ignite...
What are the three components to form a galaxy?
Galaxies are monumental stellar islands floating in the vast cosmic ocean, each containing billions of stars bound toget...
What degree can you find the ecliptic on?
The ecliptic plane describes a fundamental line in our sky, representing the path traced by the Sun as viewed from Earth...
What factor determines how a star dies?
The fate awaiting a star is not a matter of chance, but a predetermined outcome written in its very substance at the mom...
Are planetary nebulas rare?
The appearance of a glowing shell of gas drifting in space, often displaying vibrant colors and intricate shapes, immedi...
What evidence do we have that there was water on Mars?
The evidence affirming that water, in nearly every state—flowing liquid, frozen ice, and chemically bound mineral—has ex...
What is the main reason for the low star formation in elliptical galaxies?
The silent grandeur of **elliptical galaxies** often belies a long and dramatic history. Unlike their spiral cousins, wh...
Why do we want to meet aliens?
The persistent fascination with extraterrestrial life taps into something profoundly fundamental about the human experie...
Is every galaxy a spiral?
The universe is populated by countless island universes, each containing billions of stars, and while the iconic, pinwhe...
What determines what happens to a star at the end of its life?
The ultimate fate of a star is sealed the moment it forms, a destiny entirely dictated by one crucial property: its init...
What is the reason that planetary nebulae are visible?
Planetary nebulae owe their ephemeral visibility to a dramatic final act in the lives of certain stars—specifically, med...
Why was the Indian satellite launched by SpaceX?
The sight of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ascending from Cape Canaveral carrying a satellite destined for Indian interests m...
What are the three parts of the galaxy?
A galaxy represents a colossal, gravitationally bound system containing stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust,...
What slows the contraction of a star-forming cloud?
The process by which a vast, cold, tenuous cloud of gas and dust gives birth to a star is fundamentally a contest: the r...
Is the Milky Way a universe or galaxy?
The bright band we sometimes see arching across a truly dark night sky—the Milky Way—is one of the most recognizable cel...
Is the Sun actually a star yes or no?
The object dominating our daytime sky is, unequivocally, a star. To phrase the question as a simple binary choice misses...
Why don't stars fall out of the sky?
The notion that stars might suddenly detach from the heavens and drop toward Earth is a dramatic image, but it rests on ...
Why do nebulas look so cloudy?
The misty, diffuse appearance of celestial clouds, known technically as nebulae, is one of astronomy’s most enduring vis...
Has any human landed on the dark side of the moon?
The Moon’s geography often leads to a fundamental misunderstanding regarding human exploration: the concept of the so-ca...
Why do planets look like they are flickering?
The visual phenomenon of celestial objects appearing to flicker, or twinkle, is a common sight for anyone who spends tim...
What are meteor fragments that reach the ground called?
The final name for a space rock that survives its fiery trip through Earth's atmosphere and lands on the ground is a **m...