physics articles

Why do meteors burn blue?

Why do meteors burn blue?

The brilliant streaks we witness blazing across the night sky, commonly called shooting stars, are technically meteors—s...

Why can't rockets be electric?

Why can't rockets be electric?

The fundamental challenge behind powering a rocket entirely with electricity for liftoff isn't a matter of impossibility...

What makes satellites orbit the Earth?

What makes satellites orbit the Earth?

The simple visual of a machine circling our world often conjures the question of how it manages to hang suspended in the...

What happens if the universe expands too fast?

What happens if the universe expands too fast?

The universe isn't just getting bigger; it’s stretching at an ever-increasing rate, a phenomenon that has left cosmologi...

Are there stars that live forever?

Are there stars that live forever?

The concept of a star living forever seems to clash with our observations of exploding supernovae and dimming remnants, ...

What factor determines how a star dies?

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...

Why don't stars fall out of the sky?

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 ...

What information does the light from a star tell us?

What information does the light from a star tell us?

The light that travels across unimaginable cosmic distances to reach our eyes is far more than just a faint twinkle; it ...

What is the order of classification of stars from hottest to coldest?

What is the order of classification of stars from hottest to coldest?

The way astronomers sort the billions of stars visible in the night sky relies fundamentally on one key physical propert...

Why do stars emit radiation?

Why do stars emit radiation?

The glow we see when we look up at the night sky is the result of immense, continuous energy generation happening trilli...