Fast-paced, comprehensive, and learned, The Clock in the Sun shows readers our closest star from many new angles.Pierre Sokolsky is an experimental particle astrophysicist. He is distinguished professor of physics and astronomy emeritus at the University of Utah, where he was also dean of the ...
Our sun Courtesy SOHO consortium The sun is our nearest star. Like the moon, the sun is big, bright, and can be observed easily with a telescope, provided that you take the proper safety precautions. In fact, observing the sun is one of the few astronomical projects that you can do ...
Despite its magnificence and power, our sun is just a plain old average star by universal standards. It’s really proximity that makes the sun so special to Earth (along with the fact that we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t so close). So, how close is the sun? And how much space...
ALPHA CENTAURI Ais close to our sun in age and luminosity. Alpha Centauri A and B orbit closely to each other. ALPHA CENTAURI Bis smaller and dimmer than our sun. But it’s still not too different from our sun. ALPHA CENTAURI C (PROXIMA CENTAURI)is a smaller red dwarf star with a muc...
a beast weighing more than 4.5 million suns. Usually, these giant black holes are quiet and dormant, just sipping on whatever bits of gas or stars that wander too close. But occasionally, they feast on a much larger meal. When they do, that gas swirls around them and compresses, reaching...
“We have a special view of Sgr A* because it is the nearest supermassive black hole to us,” said co-author Anan Lu from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. “Although it’s quiet right now, our work shows that in the future it will give an incredibly powerful kick to surrounding ...
Despite how close it appears, we could put 30 Earths in the space between us and the Moon. Driving at highway speeds, it would take half a year to get there. Size comparison between the Earth and the Moon. Our local star, however, is also unimaginably huge. At highway speed, it ...
It is very bright; combined exposures may be needed A long focal length is required to capture close-ups of the moon A tripod or telescope mount may be required for your goals The “auto” function on your camera will not likely work on the moon ...
Keep going to Proxima Centauri, our nearest neighboring star, and plan on arriving in 4.25 years at light speed. If you could travel at light speed. Which, unless you’re a photon (a particle of light), you can’t, and, by current physics, might never be possible. But I digress. ...
it becomes apparent this won't be necessary. When a 3-point bomb by Ariza drops through, Paul instinctively retrieves the ball and fires it to Harden on the left side of the floor. Next time down, when Ariza scores again, it's Harden who is nearest to the basket, so he pl...