Stellar Astronomy

A Stellar Explosion May Temporarily Add a ‘New Star’ to the Summer Night Sky

Credit: M. WEISS, CXC/NASAThis summer, stargazers have a chance to witness a rare celestial event. By scanning the night sky for the constellation Corona Borealis, you might catch a glimpse of what appears to be a new star. "This brightening point of light is not actually a new star but a nova eruption occurring...

Mastering Solar Eclipse Photography with Star Trackers

Capturing the mesmerizing beauty of a total solar eclipse requires careful planning and the right equipment. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the intricacies of using a star tracker to enhance your solar eclipse photography experience.Why Use a Star Tracker?A star tracker, also known as a solar tracker in this context, offers significant...

Incredible: Total Solar Eclipse Huge for Scientists. Here’s Why

Credit: DepositphotosWhen an uncommon total solar eclipse passes over North America next Monday, scientists will have the opportunity to collect invaluable information ranging from the Sun's atmosphere to peculiar animal behaviors, and even potential impacts on humans.During the Sun's near-peak activity in its 11-year solar cycle, an awe-inspiring sight awaits: the corona will illuminate...

Metallic Scar Found on Cannibalistic Star

This artist's impression shows the magnetic white dwarf WD 0816-310, where astronomers have found a scar imprinted on its surface as a result of having ingested planetary debris. Credit: ESO/L. CalçadaAs a star resembling our sun nears the conclusion of its lifecycle, it may devour neighboring planets and asteroids that originated alongside it. Recently,...

Observations for the Night Sky in January: Linking Celestial Patterns through Asterisms

Celestial bodies comprising the Winter Circle, visible on January 1, 2024, as observed through Sky Safari.In our notes about the night sky in December, we talked about how the Orion constellation looks like an hourglass and is easy to see. But guess what? It turns out that what we see as Orion is not...

NASA’s Webb Offers Stunning View of Exploded Star

Credit: Universe TodayNASA's Webb offers stunning view of exploded star. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope presents a fresh image of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), resembling a gleaming, spherical ornament poised for the perfect holiday tree placement. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, during the 2023 Holidays at the White House, unveiled the...

Ideal Stars for Finding Life

This picture shows three types of stars in our galaxy: G stars, which are like our Sun; K dwarfs, which are smaller and cooler; and M dwarfs, which are even fainter and cooler. It compares them in terms of important things. Hotter stars have wider habitable zones where life might exist. Red dwarf M...

Unveiling Solar Uncertainty: The Enigma of the Sun’s Size

Recent Studies Indicate the Sun is Marginally Smaller Than Official Estimates. Credit: NASA/SDO/AIAPhysicists' insistence on celestial bodies being non-perfect spheres raises questions about our understanding of their true dimensions. In the case of the Sun, renowned for its familiarity, discrepancies emerge when various methods are employed to measure its size.The International Astronomical Union, in...

Earth Receives Laser Message from 16 Million Kilometers Away

Psyche Probe's Deep Space Optical Communications Sets Record for Distant Laser Data Transmission. Credit: ProleR/ShutterstockIn a groundbreaking achievement, a deep space experiment conducted aboard NASA's Psyche spacecraft has successfully transmitted a laser message to Earth from a location surpassing the Moon's distance for the first time. The achievement by the Deep Space Optical Communications...

ALMA Reveals High-Resolution Structure of Old Star

Credit: UnsplashALMA, a big telescope, looked at an old star and saw it really well. The star has a ring of gas around it, and some of the gas is moving away into space. Using this powerful telescope in the future will help us understand not only how stars end but also how planets...