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Posts by
Editors of EarthSky
Why is Jupiter called a failed star?
Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system, but it isn't massive enough to be a star. Stars require a certain amount of mass to spark thermonuclear fusion - in other words, to shine.
October 9, 2009
Gravity, does it have a specific speed?
Today's scientists theorize that gravity might travel in space at light speed, as a massless particle called a "graviton."
October 9, 2009
What makes the night sky dark?
On any clear evening, you can see the curved line of Earth's shadow ascending in the eastern sky. Earth's own shadow makes the night sky dark.
October 9, 2009
How do Monarch butterflies migrate?
Monarch butterflies of eastern and central North America migrate each fall, over great distances, to the same winter homes of their great-great grandparents.
October 1, 2009
Are viruses transmitted more easily when it’s cold?
There's a lot that's unknown about flu viruses, but flu season does happen in the winter so does a virus spread more easily when it's cold?
October 1, 2009
If Earth is rotating, why don’t airplanes move backwards?
As you sit on the runway, your plane is already moving at the same speed Earth spins because the Earth is rotating.
September 30, 2009
Do identical twins have the same fingerprints?
The prints of identical twins are more alike than the prints of two completely unrelated people - but they're not identical.
September 30, 2009
Do some animals grow throughout their lives?
Many animals can get as big as their environment and diet allow.
September 23, 2009
What gives flames their tongue-like shapes?
Flames get their "tongue-like" shapes from the way burning gases move and interact under earthly gravity.
September 23, 2009
What makes hair curly?
Certain kinds of chemical bonds may change the shape of individual hair molecules, folding them back for an overall curly effect.
September 23, 2009
