Solar eclipses are the most spectacular of all celestial events and have captivated the minds of both scientists and civilians for millennia.
As well as...
Nov. 30, 3340 B.C. – Spiral petroglyphs on the Loughcrew Cairn L Megalithic Monument in Ireland indicate this was the earliest observed solar eclipse for which a record exists. March 30, 1578 B.C. – The partial solar eclipse that was closer to total than any other occurred. At maximum, the Moon’s diameter was 0.99985 thatContinue reading "Take a look back at the most famous eclipses"
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A recent discovery has unveiled the death scene of a large star, three times the mass of the Sun, being torn apart by the menacing gravitational forces of a supermassive black hole. An event like this is called a tidal disruption event (TDE). But this particular case, called ASASSN–14li, is unique for a multitude ofContinue reading "A torn-up star is revealing the intensity of a supermassive black hole’s grip"
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Many people, even astronomy enthusiasts, routinely wonder about the frequent reports of UFOs, or UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena), frequently spotted in the sky and sending people into fits over alien visitation. But the people who are sincerely worried about that have never taken the first week of an academic course on what astronomers call theContinue reading "How vast is the universe? Unimaginably enormous"
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Is there a bottom of a black hole? Can a spaceship travel under one, or does it go on and on? Rick TelloBisbee, Arizona I suspect your question arises from seeing diagrams like the one at upper right, which attempts to show how general relativity results in the curvature of space-time around massive objects. AtContinue reading "Do black holes have bottoms?"
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Venus seems like the last place you’d ever think about looking for life. It features searing-hot temperatures; a thick, hazy atmosphere raining droplet of sulfuric acid; and potentially active volcanoes spewing hot lava and corrosive gases. It’s often been compared to visions of hell, a landscape of fire and brimstone. And yet, scientists have longContinue reading "Could the clouds of Venus support life?"
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