August 8, 2011 - Washington Post
Ever wonder what makes meteor showers splash across the sky? Or what makes them so consistent? Or why they were dubbed "shooting stars"?
Join professional astronomer Scott Fisher as he discusses the latest phenomenon, the Persieds Meteor Shower - an annual summer phenomenon that is expected to producer 20 to 25 meteors (shooting stars) per hour. He will be online Monday, Aug. 8, at 1 p.m. ET, to chat about the meteor shower, when the best time to view the shooting stars are and more.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Cosmic Pyrotechnics from a Celestial Belch
July 29, 2011 - Time
The universe is capable of some pretty spectacular displays, but few things approach the cosmic grandeur of a planetary nebula. The "planetary" part has to do with the formation's shape, which is roughly spherical, like a planet. But these objects are a lot bigger than any planet or even any star. They're enormous clouds of gas — like smoke rings, but bubble-shaped — puffed out by sun-like stars undergoing their death throes. In 5 billion years or so, our own sun may well emit a gorgeous belch of its own, perhaps to be noted by alien astronomers somewhere out in the Milky Way.
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The universe is capable of some pretty spectacular displays, but few things approach the cosmic grandeur of a planetary nebula. The "planetary" part has to do with the formation's shape, which is roughly spherical, like a planet. But these objects are a lot bigger than any planet or even any star. They're enormous clouds of gas — like smoke rings, but bubble-shaped — puffed out by sun-like stars undergoing their death throes. In 5 billion years or so, our own sun may well emit a gorgeous belch of its own, perhaps to be noted by alien astronomers somewhere out in the Milky Way.
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