Guide to Space
The Universe
Measuring about 91 billion light years in diameter and being 13.8 billion years old, the Universe encompasses all matter, energy,…
Do Stars Move? Tracking Their Movements Across the Sky
The stars look static in the sky, but are they moving? How fast, and how do we know? What events…
Messier 41 – the NGC 2287 Open Star Cluster
Welcome back to Messier Monday! In our ongoing tribute to the great Tammy Plotner, we take a look at the…
Does Jupiter Have a Solid Core?
For the past few decades, scientists have been of the opinion that beneath its swirling clouds of gas, Jupiter may…
The Cetus Constellation
Located along the ecliptic plane is the Cetus constellation, the fourth largest constellation in the sky and one of the…
Why Do Rockets Need Stages? The Quest to Build a Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO)
Science fiction has promised us a rocket that blasts off into space without stages. How close is reality to the…
What Are Fast Radio Bursts?
Here's a big mystery in astronomy: fast radio bursts. Brief shrieks of radio waves coming from space. What are they?…
Messier 40 – the Winnecke 4 Double Star
Located in the direction of the Ursa Major constellation is Messier 40 (Winnecke 4), an optical double star that looks…
What is the Average Surface Temperature of Mercury?
Because of its extremely eccentric orbit, slow rotation, and lack of an atmosphere, Mercury experiences extreme variations in surface temperature.
The Orbit of Neptune. How Long is a Year on Neptune?
Given its extreme distance from the Sun and slow orbital speed, a year on Neptune last as long as 164.5…