I learned this today. Dark matter is a hypothetical matter in space that doesn’t absorb, emit or reflect light, yet has gravity and keeps the universe together. It is theorized that dark matter makes up 27% of the universe. The part that we can see, the ordinary matter, only makes up about 5%. If dark […]
#119 What is dark matter? Read More »
I learned this today. Nuclear pasta is a theoretical matter that might exist in the crust of a neutron star. It would be the strongest material in the universe and would be ten billion times stronger than steel. A neutron star forms when a supergiant star collapses. Stars are made up of hydrogen and helium.
#115 What is nuclear pasta? Read More »
I learned this today. The Milky Way Galaxy orbits the barycenter of the Local Group. The barycenter is the center of mass of two bodies that orbit each other. It is the point that they orbit around. The word comes from Ancient Greek and means “heavy center”. When two objects orbit each other, there is
#106 What does the Milky Way Galaxy orbit? Read More »
I learned this today. Light can’t escape from a black hole because of the curvature of space caused by gravity. In physics, gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces. The forces are gravity, the electromagnetic force, and the strong and weak forces that exist in atoms. Isaac Newton described gravity as a force
#101 Why can’t light escape from a black hole? Read More »
I learned this today. A Lagrange point is a point of equilibrium where the gravitational forces of two large objects balance out the centripetal force. A third object can remain motionless in a Lagrange point without having to use any power. Centripetal force is the force that acts on an object in a circular motion,
#99 What is a Lagrange point? Read More »
I learned this today. Stars die because they exhaust all of their fuel. There are seven different types of star. They are classified using the Morgan-Keenan system. They are given the letters, B, A, F, G, K, and M, to show temperature, and Roman numerals to show luminosity. M, the coolest stars, are between 2,400
#87 How do stars die? Read More »
I learned this today. The Drake equation is a way of trying to guess how many intelligent, communicating extraterrestrial civilizations there might be in the Milky Way Galaxy. Frank Drake is an astronomer who helped found SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. He co-designed the Pioneer plaque with Carl Sagan in 1972. The Pioneer plaques
#68 What is the Drake equation? Read More »
I learned this today. Gold is so rare because it takes a staggeringly large amount of energy to produce it naturally. Gold has been treasured for as long as humans have been able to find it because of its unique properties. It is resistant to corrosion, conducts electricity and heat very well, doesn’t tarnish, is
#56 Why is gold so rare? Read More »
I learned this today. Mars is red because it is basically rusty. The surface of Mars is covered in a deep layer of fine iron oxide dust. Iron oxide is caused when iron oxidizes. Iron oxide is the chemical name for rust. Iron molecules combine very easily with oxygen molecules. For iron to rust, you
#44 Why is Mars red? Read More »
I learned this today. Pluto has been classified as a dwarf planet instead of a planet because it only meets two out the of the three criteria required of a planet. The International Astronomical Union came up with the definition of a planet in August 2006. They said that an object is a planet if:
#18 Why isn’t Pluto a planet? Read More »
