A supernova is a star that ends its existence by exploding and leaving behind a neutron star or a black hole. All of the heavy matter and large amounts of many elements in the universe were produced by supernovas. All human bodies contain some of these elements.
Stars that end as supernovas are usually much larger than the Earth's sun. Smaller stars, yellow dwarfs like the sun, first expand to become red giants and then condense to become cooler white dwarfs and eventually black dwarfs. A white dwarf in a binary system can also magnetically pull mass from a nearby star in the same system until the pressure in its core increases to the point of explosion.Learn More
Spectroscopic parallax is a technique that is used in the field of astronomy to estimate how far a star is from a certain point like the surface of the earth. Cliffsnotes.com explains that the method involves comparing the star’s absolute size with its apparent size which is obtained by measuring.Full Answer >
Stargazers in ancient Greece observed the "pictures" formed by stars and named the Orion constellation after a mythological hunter. Many origin stories exist, but one popular version recounts Orion's quest to defeat a giant scorpion sent by Gaia, the goddess of Earth, according to the Windows to the Universe.Full Answer >
The sun and planets follow the ecliptic, an imaginary plane in the celestial sphere tilted approximately 23.5 degrees relative to the celestial equator. Earthbound observers see the sun and planets move along the ecliptic arc, rising up from the east and setting in the west.Full Answer >
The pursuit and study of astronomy as a science can be difficult at times, but the degree of difficulty is subjective to different individuals. Advancing through astronomical studies leads to questions and problems of greater difficulty.Full Answer >