#stars
Questions about “stars”.
14 articles
What is the biggest star in the universe?
Put this star where the Sun is, and it might reach as far as Saturn’s orbit. But the title of biggest star has changed hands surprisingly often.
What is the coldest place in the universe?
Empty space is already bitterly cold. Yet astronomers found a place that dips below even that cosmic floor.
Will the Sun burn out someday?
Even the Sun that rises faithfully every morning has a lifespan. Follow the life story of a star, and the Sun’s surprising “final days” come into view.
What exactly is a shooting star?
A flash across the night sky, the kind people make wishes on. What causes it turns out to be nothing like the stars shining overhead—and astonishingly small.
How long does sunlight take to reach Earth?
The Sun you see overhead isn’t the Sun as it is right now. Even for the fastest thing in the universe, the journey is a long one.
Why is the night sky dark?
When the Sun goes down, it gets dark. That obvious fact turns out to be a puzzle that troubled astronomers for centuries.
Why do stars twinkle?
Just as the nursery rhyme says, the stars in the night sky twinkle. Yet in that same sky, some lights barely twinkle at all.
Why do comet tails point away from the Sun?
A long tail sweeping across the night sky like a broom. It is tempting to think a comet trails its tail behind it as it flies, but that isn’t always the case.
Why is the Milky Way called a “river” in Japan?
Looking up at the same band of light, some peoples pictured a river and others spilled milk. The names we give the night sky reflect the stories of those who gaze at it.
What is the nearest star to the Sun?
Of all the countless stars in the night sky, which one is our closest neighbor? Surprisingly, it is a star you cannot see with the naked eye.
What happens if you fall into a black hole?
Imagine leaping feet first into an object not even light can escape. What you experience and what a friend watching from afar sees would be completely different.
Will Polaris always be the North Star?
As every other star wheels across the sky, one stays put in the north. This guide for travelers has a term of office, too.
Did Mozart write “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”?
Children everywhere sing this melody, and a rumor says Mozart composed it. Trace its real origins and some surprising lyrics appear.
Why does an ambulance siren change pitch as it passes?
A siren sounds high as it approaches and drops the moment it passes. To test this effect, a 19th-century Dutch scientist put musicians on a train.