astronomy articles - Page: 2
How did we figure out where the center of the Milky Way is?
The challenge of pinpointing the precise location of the Milky Way's center seems almost paradoxical. We are inside the ...
Is astronomy a hard or soft science?
The designation of a scientific field as either "hard" or "soft" often sparks more debate among academics and the public...
Are all galaxies moving apart?
The simple answer to whether all galaxies are moving apart is a definitive no, although the vast majority are receding f...
What is the bright star by Orion?
The constellation Orion stands out in the night sky, instantly recognizable even to novice stargazers, largely because o...
What is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun?
The most brilliant beacon in our night sky, shining steadfastly once the Sun has dipped below the horizon or before it m...
What is the light from Orion's belt?
The light emanating from the region surrounding Orion's Belt is not a single phenomenon but a collection of brilliant st...
Why is the south side of the Moon important?
The region around the Moon’s South Pole has rapidly shifted from a scientific footnote to the primary target for sustain...
What are the best conditions for viewing Mars?
Observing Mars, the ruddy wanderer of our solar system, is a deeply rewarding pursuit for amateur astronomers, but it of...
Why do you think that the Galilean moons were the first objects to be discovered?
The realization that Jupiter possessed its own orbiting retinue of satellites fundamentally changed humanity's view of t...
What was the first picture taken with the Hubble telescope?
The moment the Hubble Space Telescope settled into its prescribed orbit high above the Earth in the spring of 1990, the ...
Where do all stars start to form?
The beginning of a star is a dramatic event, yet it occurs in the coldest, darkest corners of the galaxy, far from the b...
Are there any dead galaxies?
The universe is filled with magnificent, churning cosmic factories—galaxies actively forming billions of new stars—but a...
Is the Sun the average star?
The Sun, shining reliably above us for 4.6 billion years, is often casually described as an **average star** [^8][^10]. ...
What will UY Scuti turn into when it dies?
UY Scuti is an astronomical titan, a star so vast that if it replaced our own Sun, its outer layers would likely extend ...
What unit of measurement do astronomers use?
The reason astronomers rarely speak about cosmic measurements in familiar terms like miles or kilometers quickly becomes...
Is the Sun an average sized yellow star?
The designation of our star, the Sun, as an "average sized yellow star" is a statement so frequently repeated that it of...
How many habitable planets are there in our solar system?
When we gaze up at the night sky from Earth, the question of how many other worlds in our local neighborhood might suppo...
Are red galaxies further away?
The light arriving at our telescopes from far-off galaxies carries a crucial message about its origin, primarily concern...
Do red galaxies exist?
The simple confirmation is that yes, red galaxies absolutely exist, and they have captivated astronomers for decades, le...
What is the problem with exoplanets?
The universe is thick with worlds beyond our solar system, a fact confirmed by thousands of confirmed exoplanets. Yet, t...
What are SI units in astronomy?
The immensity of the cosmos presents a fundamental challenge for science: how do we effectively measure distances spanni...
Why is the Sun not a star?
The premise that the Sun is *not* a star fundamentally misunderstands celestial classification, as the Sun is, by every ...
What's it called when rocks fall from the sky?
When an object made of rock or metal from space successfully navigates our atmosphere and strikes the ground, the genera...
Why are stars called dwarfs?
The classification of stars into categories like "dwarf" can often sound counterintuitive when we look up at the night s...