Thermonuclear Fusion in Stars: How Stars Generate Energy and Light
Most people know that stars are thermonuclear furnaces, but there are a lot of details that escape notice, such as how the fusion process (and …
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What is the Main Sequence of Stars? Explanation of the Longest Phase of a Stars' Life
Fusion is a star’s gateway to bigger and better (or at least hotter!) things and the starting point for the formation of star systems, and …
Continue ReadingDetecting Alien Signals Based on Lasers: A Variant on Optical-SETI
Is it possible to find extraterrestrial Intelligence and be able to communicate with them using laser technology? Radio and optical methods are …
Continue ReadingFacts about Titan - the Largest Moon of Saturn
What do you know about Saturn’s aptly named moon Titan? For a planetary satellite, Titan has many unique features, including its large size …
Continue ReadingPower of the Large Binocular Telescope, the LBT: Design, Development, and Images
The LBT is unique astronomical instrument in that it uses two 8.4 m (27.6 ft) primary mirrors with the resolving power equivalent to a larger …
Continue ReadingPulsars - Neutron Stars Beaming Energy Our Way
Pulsars are neutron stars that emit very strong periodic radiation along our line of sight. These objects are very compact and have high rotation …
Continue ReadingWhat is Dark Matter Made of and Who First Discovered Dark Matter?
Dark Matter is undetectable matter or particles which affects all stars and galaxies with its unexpected gravitational effects. So we can’t …
Continue ReadingBarack Obama, John McCain Discuss Their Views on Future of U.S. Space Exploration, Programs
Whoever becomes the next president of the U.S. could decide the future of the U.S. space program for many years to come, and both the Democratic and …
Continue ReadingBiggest Black Hole in the Universe to Date and How Big Supermassive Black Holes May Get
Much remains to be learned about black holes, though experts are trying their best to understand them. One area of interest is the search for the …
Continue ReadingWhite Dwarfs, Red Giants, Neutron Stars, Black Holes and Chandrashekhar's Limit
Nothing is forever; even stars are born and eventually die. What happens to stars like our Sun, though, after they die? Ultimately, they become white …
Continue ReadingInteresting Facts about Earth, our home planet, including physical and orbital parameters.
Think you know everything about our home planet, Earth? Even some of the basic facts might surprise you:
Continue ReadingESA's Venus Express Mission to Explore Temperatures, Atmosphere, and Surface Features, and Weather on Venus
We’ve learned a lot about the planet Venus since 1962, when Mariner 2 discovered not the balmy, Earth-like planet scientists expected but our …
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