Astrology & Astronomy
From celestial bodies to the mysteries of the universe, astrological concepts to astronomical discoveries — content for those curious about the sky.
Meteor Showers
Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through the trail of dust a comet leaves behind, producing dozens of streaks of light that appear to radiate from a single point in the sky. How they form, what a radiant point is, and the best-known showers of the year.
Read Article →FeaturedHow Do Auroras Form? From Solar Wind to Colors in the Sky
When charged particles from the Sun strike Earth's magnetic field, the sky lights up in green, purple, and red. Here's the physics behind auroras, why they change color, and when to watch for them.
Read Article →FeaturedRedshift and Hubble's Law: How We Learned the Universe Is Expanding
Why do the lines in the spectra of distant galaxies shift toward red? We explain what redshift is, how cosmological redshift differs from the Doppler effect, and how the Hubble-Lemaître law revealed that the universe is expanding. We also touch on the "Hubble tension" in measurements of the Hubble constant.
Read Article →FeaturedHow Are Exoplanets Discovered? Tracking Worlds Beyond Our Solar System
From the shadow of a star's dimming to the chemical fingerprint of light: what methods have astronomers used to detect thousands of exoplanets so far?
Read Article →FeaturedSupernova: How the Death of a Star Enriches the Universe
An encyclopedic look at the two main types of supernovae, the physics behind the explosion, and how these blasts forge heavy elements like gold, silver, and uranium.
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Astrology & Astronomy
Meteor Showers
Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through the trail of dust a comet leaves behind, producing dozens of streaks of light that appear to radiate from a single point in the sky. How they form, what a radiant point is, and the best-known showers of the year.
Astrology & Astronomy
How Do Auroras Form? From Solar Wind to Colors in the Sky
When charged particles from the Sun strike Earth's magnetic field, the sky lights up in green, purple, and red. Here's the physics behind auroras, why they change color, and when to watch for them.
Astrology & Astronomy
Redshift and Hubble's Law: How We Learned the Universe Is Expanding
Why do the lines in the spectra of distant galaxies shift toward red? We explain what redshift is, how cosmological redshift differs from the Doppler effect, and how the Hubble-Lemaître law revealed that the universe is expanding. We also touch on the "Hubble tension" in measurements of the Hubble constant.
Astrology & Astronomy
How Are Exoplanets Discovered? Tracking Worlds Beyond Our Solar System
From the shadow of a star's dimming to the chemical fingerprint of light: what methods have astronomers used to detect thousands of exoplanets so far?
Astrology & Astronomy
Supernova: How the Death of a Star Enriches the Universe
An encyclopedic look at the two main types of supernovae, the physics behind the explosion, and how these blasts forge heavy elements like gold, silver, and uranium.