![]() ![]() Quasars also emit radiation (and in some cases, radio waves) into space, which is how we have been able to find them. This disk emits a huge amount of heat, making quasars some of the brightest objects in all of the known universe. Quasars are a result of gas and stars accumulating into a disk around a gigantic black hole. quasarĪ quasar is a celestial object located very far away from us in distant galaxies. Other modern theories propose that a white hole could theoretically exist as the final stage of a black hole, where all of the mass sucked into a black hole is released back out again. According to Albert Einstein’s theories, black holes and white holes serve as the entrance and exits of wormholes that would allow travel through time and space. We often imagine black holes as terrifying objects that suck in all the matter around them.Ī white hole is the theoretical opposite of a black hole, a celestial object that would endlessly expel matter out of it. white holeĪs you likely know, a black hole is a region of space where the gravity is so intense that not even light can escape. Despite their lack of starry friends, evidence suggests that it may be possible for life to exist on rogue planets. Because they aren’t next to a star and don’t emit light themselves, rogue planets are very hard for astronomers to find. Rogue planets, on the other hand, are not confined to drift around a star and roam wherever they want across space. Many planets, like Earth, are part of a solar system and orbit around a central star. Planetesimals may have also played a part in the formation of the Earth’s moon and some of the other moons in our solar system as well.ĭo you know the difference between a meteor, comet, and asteroid? rogue planetĪ rogue planet is a planet that doesn’t orbit a star. According to one theory, planetesimals may be the building blocks that combined together to form the early planets of the universe. The word nebula comes from Latin and means “mist,” “vapor,” or “cloud.” planetesimalĪ planetesimal is a small celestial object formed from dust, rocks, and other materials. While that may not sound terribly exciting, nebulae act as star nurseries as they have the perfect conditions that new stars need to form. As one last bit of trivia, the word facula is Latin for “little torch.” nebulaĪ nebula is a cloud of dust and gas in outer space. ![]() Both faculae and sunspots are caused by bubbles of hot gas and both are used to keep track of the solar cycle. A facula is smaller and harder to see than the more well known sunspots. faculaĪ facula (plural faculae) is an unusually bright spot on the surface of the sun. The Sun’s corona is very dense and, mysteriously, has a much higher temperature than the Sun itself. Because the Sun is so bright, you can only see the corona during a total solar eclipse. The outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere is called the corona. Just like the Earth, the Sun has an atmosphere surrounding it. The Big Dipper (part of Ursa Major) and Orion’s Belt (part of Orion) are two examples of commonly known asterisms. Asterisms are those other groups of stars that aren’t officially recognized but still have popular names. ![]() asterismĪsterism is a fancy word that means “a group of stars.” So, what makes an asterism different from a constellation? The 88 constellations in the sky have officially recognized names and shapes. The pulsar rotates as it shines light beams, which makes it appear to blink or pulse as it spins away from Earth and points its lights in other directions. In reality, a pulsar is a neutron star-a really dense object left over when a big star dies-that radiates beams of light in two directions. pulsarįrom Earth, a pulsar resembles a flickering star. But there is so much more out there for you to discover! Jump in our (word) rocket ship as we boldly discover some awesome intergalactic words. ![]() Studying the universe introduces us to some fascinating concepts in general: black holes, rogue planets, Oort clouds-and white holes, too? If you are a casual space explorer, you probably already know stellar objects like comets, asteroids, meteors, and galaxies. That’s a pretty cool concept and term, right? As the theory goes, dark energy (more on this later) is causing the universe to continually stretch itself. Our universe is unfathomably huge and getting bigger all of the time, according to the Big Bang model and the theory of universe expansion. ![]()
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