What is a Wolf-Rayet Star?

SaraRayne Feb 9, 2020

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Out in the cosmos, there are stars of all colors and sizes. There are red, brown, and white dwarfs, the babies of the bunch. Then you have red giants and blue giants, and even supergiants. But did you know...

Do Astronauts Experience Time Differently in Space?

SaraRayne Feb 9, 2020

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Einstein’s theory of general relativity showed us that time isn’t as straightforward as we once thought. Time can be experienced differently depending on the observer due to the constancy of the speed of...

What is Hoag’s Object?

SaraRayne Feb 9, 2020

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We’re fairly familiar with typical galaxy shapes. We live in a spiral galaxy, the same type as our nearest neighbor Andromeda. There are also elliptical galaxies, barred spiral galaxies, and irregular...

What is a Solar Flare?

SaraRayne Feb 9, 2020

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The sun is a violent place. Intense heat is flying off the surface in every direction and spreading out through space, warming our solar system. Nuclear reactions taking place deep within the core create...

What is a Supernova?

SaraRayne Feb 9, 2020

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Stars are extraordinarily beautiful. Our star, the Sun, gives light and life. Other stars, the ones that are far away, inspire our imagination. Yes, they’re lovely indeed...until they turn on their...

Is Time Travel Possible?

SaraRayne Feb 9, 2020

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What good sci-fi movie doesn’t involve time travel of some sort? It’s an intriguing concept, and one that fascinates humans, enough so that we’ve even come up with “time travel rules”, just in case. But is...

What’s the Best Way to See the Stars at Night?

SaraRayne Feb 9, 2020

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• Replies: 1

Every single night, without fail, the stars come out in all their glory. Sadly, most of us never get to see the full wonder of this beautiful display. There’s so much more to see than most of us in towns and...

What is the Farthest an Astronaut Has Traveled Into Space?

SaraRayne Feb 7, 2020

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With every mission, we venture further into the unknown. Whether we’re sending a man to the moon or a probe to Mars, we are seeking answers and expanding our knowledge. The end goal? Not just knowledge, but...

What is the Universe Made of?

SaraRayne Feb 7, 2020

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• Replies: 2

The universe that we call home is pretty amazing. It’s filled with incredible celestial objects and mind-blowing physics phenomenon. We tiny humans on our tiny rock floating through this vast emptiness make...

What Happens in a Neutron Star Merger?

SaraRayne Feb 7, 2020

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There are some wild things out in the universe that push the limits of physics as we know it. One such phenomenon is the neutron star. Neutron stars are extremely small, especially considering the scale of...

How To Detect a Neutrino

SaraRayne Feb 7, 2020

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Scientists had a devil of a time detecting many particles we know of and take for granted today. We always prevailed, however. Now, there’s one particle in particular that has proven to be even more of a...

What is Dark Matter?

SaraRayne Feb 5, 2020

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One term that comes up quite often in discussions on astrophysics is dark matter. The name conjures images of mysterious substances and sci-fi mayhem, but the reality is far from that. In fact, we know so...

How Can a Planet Be Made Habitable?

SaraRayne Feb 2, 2020

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• Replies: 19

Nature has done a pretty good job of making the Earth a habitable place. If it hadn’t, you wouldn’t be reading this right now. Or perhaps you would be, but you wouldn’t be a human and you wouldn’t be on...

How Does the Aurora Borealis Work?

SaraRayne Feb 2, 2020

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The aurora borealis. The northern lights. Nature’s light show. All of these names and descriptions paint a beautiful picture that barely comes close to the reality of the sight. Thousands flock to the north...

How Do You Survive in Space?

SaraRayne Feb 2, 2020

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As far as we can tell, humans aren’t meant to live in space. We’re built for the cozy conditions of Earth where all our basic needs (food, shelter, water,
oxygen) are met. But humans don’t really care what...

How Scientific Theories are Formed

SaraRayne Feb 2, 2020

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• Replies: 1

Everything we know about the world rests on the back of a scientific theory. These theories are tested, retested, and debated rigorously before they’re accepted into the scientific “book of knowledge.” Since...

How to Become an Astronaut

SaraRayne Feb 2, 2020

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How many of us long to see space, and not just in photos or documentaries? Wouldn’t it be incredible to explore places no human has seen before and look back on Earth from a perspective known to so few? The...

How Does an Atmosphere Form?

SaraRayne Feb 2, 2020

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We can thank our atmosphere for quite a lot, particularly our ability to, well, survive. Earth’s atmosphere keeps us from freezing (or boiling), it provides the air we breathe, it stops (some) space debris...

How to Spot Signs of Water on Mars

SaraRayne Feb 2, 2020

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Water is our most precious resource. It shaped the way we evolved, and it shaped the way human civilization formed and functioned. For Earth’s life forms, everything rests on the shoulders of water. So...

How to See the Northern Lights

SaraRayne Feb 2, 2020

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Some phenomena on Earth is so breathtakingly beautiful and fascinating, it shakes up our whole being. Those who have witnessed the northern lights know this feeling. Also called the Aurora Borealis, the...