The life histories of stars from birth in nebula, through the main part of their lives (the main sequence) and on to the end, possibly as a white dwarf or in a supernova explosion.
Heres a collection of astronomy jokes for kids, adults and geeks of all ages. Laughter helps to keep us young and healthy, so see if anything tickles your fancy. (And how *does* the Man in the Moon cut his hair?)
Bang! - The Universe Verse - book review
What would it take to explain the Big Bang Theory? James Lu Dunbarīs "Bang!" might do it - and amuse you and your children at the same time. Itīs a splendid little book which tells the story of the universe in verse and appealing graphics.
Chemical Cosmos - book review
"The Chemical Cosmos: A Guided Tour" is an astronomy book about chemistry - or perhaps a chemistry book about astronomy. Itīs an engrossing guided tour that will take you from the baby Universe through the first stars, the formation of solar systems and to our search for the origins of life.
Cosmic 4th of July
What links the USAīs Independence Day holiday, the Crab Nebula and NASAīs Deep Impact spacecraft? What links the American War of Independence with the planet Uranus? And what is the Fireworks Galaxy? Read on to find out.
We no longer see the heavens as perfect and the stars as eternal and unchanging. Even the Universe had a beginning, and everything that we observe changes and evolves. Many of these changes involve cosmic collisions.
Cosmic Ghosts, Ghouls and Vampires
Astronomers use colorful language for cosmic objects. But unlike ghosts, ghouls and vampires in horror stories, the cosmic ones arenīt scary late at night. Here are tales of the birth, evolution and death of stars, a blinking demon and a star that, at Halloween, seems like the Sunīs ghost.
Creepy Crawlies in Space
What was the first Earth creature to go into space? Not a dog, but a fruit fly. Insects and arachnids have been mini-astronauts for over sixty years. They have also inspired the naming of heavenly objects.
Empire of the Stars - Book Review
A fateful meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society in London adversely affected the lives of two scientists and hindered progress in the study of black holes for a half a century. So says the author of Empire of the Stars. BellaOnlineīs astronomy editor liked the book, but wasnīt convinced.
Galactic Winter Games
Welcome to the Galactic Winter Games, a starry tribute to Earthīs Winter Olympic Games. Itīs a tour of some really cool cosmic sights as well as some hot ones, such as one of the biggest explosions in the Universe.
Georgeīs Secret Key to the Universe - book review
In Lucy & Stephen Hawkingīs book, the hero George used to have a quiet life, but now heīs trying to rescue his next door neighbor from a black hole. Hereīs a lively illustrated story, beautiful color images of the universe, and from the man who knows, a great explanation of what a black hole is.
Halloween falls midway between an equinox and a solstice. In the ancient Celtic world it was new yearīs eve and the start of winter - time to prepare for survival in the darkening days. But also a time when the boundary between our world and the otherworld weakened. Who knew what might cross it?
Icarus at the Edge of Time book review
Icarus flew too close to the Sun with wings of wood and wax. The wax melted and he fell to his death. Brian Greeneīs Icarus of the future flies too close to a black hole and finds that he should have paid more attention to Einstein.
Itīs Alive - book review
The Universe Verse is back. Book 1 was the Big Bang Theory in verse and drawings. Now stars and planets have formed, but something new is happening: Life. Book 2 is about evolution by natural selection. In its cheerful verse and lovely color drawings, itīs also a love poem to our beautiful Earth.
Motherīs Day - An Astronomy Bouquet
Flowers from the florist are popular for Motherīs Day. But for really stellar mothers, here is a cosmic floral tribute with links to some dazzling astronomical images.
Nebulae are vast clouds of gas and dust between the stars. Some are stellar nurseries, others are remnants of dead stars.
Perseus the Hero
Perseus was a first-class hero: a demi-god, monster-slayer, maiden-rescuer, founder of Mycenae. When he died the gods put him in the sky. His constellation contains beautiful nebulae, a demon and a singing black hole.
People once thought that stars were eternal and unchanging. Today we know that they have life cycles of birth and death. Here is the story of how a star like our Sun is born.
The Magic Furnace - book review
What is everything made of? What makes the Sun shine? "The Magic Furnace" relates the tale of how science answered these questions. The book tells a good detective story with great characters, and clues include the Big Bang and the biggest explosions in the universe.
What Herschel Found in a Dark Nebula
Whatīs hiding within an impenetrable dark cloud in the constellation of the Eagle? A stunning stellar nursery. Find out how the Herschel Space Observatory was able to photograph it.
Who Let the Dogs out?
Someone must have left the door open, because the skies are full of dogs. You can see the dogs of Orion and the hunting dogs of the shepherd Bootes in pursuit of the Great Bear. There is also the Running Dog Nebula and the memory of poor Laika, the first cosmonaut, who perished in space.
Young Astronomers at Work Astronomy Homepage | Editor's Picks Articles | Top Ten Articles | Astronomy Site Map
Telescopes are essential for astronomy, but you donīt need one of your own. A computer can be the right instrument. Big telescopes collect data faster than professionals can process it, so amateurs can help. There is also room for individual ingenuity. See what some young astronomers have done.
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