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Posts by
Christopher Crockett
What is the zodiac? Why is it important in astronomy?
Maybe you associate the word zodiac with astrology. But it has an honored place in astronomy, too. It's defined by the path of the sun across our sky.
January 1, 2026
What are gamma ray bursts?
Gamma ray bursts are caused by a narrow beam of intense radiation coming from the poles of an exploding star. Although very bright, they last a few seconds.
October 14, 2023
What are white dwarf stars? How do they form?
A white dwarf is the incredibly dense core of a dead star, left behind when the star exhausted its fuel. Our sun will become a white dwarf one day.
April 25, 2023
What are coronal mass ejections? Big burps of sun-stuff!
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are powerful eruptions on the sun that can disrupt electrical systems and produce brilliant auroral displays on Earth.
April 24, 2023
What do redshifts tell astronomers?
Redshifts reveal how an object is moving in space, showing otherwise-invisible planets and the movements of galaxies, and the beginnings of our universe.
January 24, 2021
What is a parsec?
Why do professional astronomers speak of distances in the universe not in terms of light-years, but in terms of parsecs, a distance of 3.26 light-years? Explanation here.
September 11, 2018
The ecliptic is the path of the sun
The ecliptic is an imaginary line that marks the path of the sun. You can also find the planets and moon near this line, tracing the plane of our solar system.
January 27, 2017
What are elliptical galaxies?
Elliptical galaxies are among the largest single star systems in the universe and are built by the collisions of many smaller galaxies.
December 5, 2012
What lives between the stars?
The interstellar medium is the stuff between the stars. Made up mostly of hydrogen and helium gas, it contains all the material needed to make stars and planets. It is shaped by stellar winds, dying stars, galactic magnetic fields, and supernova explosions.
November 28, 2012
