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1500 questions
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How can the orbit of a Kuiper Belt Object be differentiated from the transit of a rogue planet?
Related to the question "Are any Pluto-sized objects remaining to be discovered in the Kuiper Belt?" and the fact that most of the Kuiper Belt objects have very elliptical orbits, the question begs, what observational techniques are used to confirm…
user8
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1 answer
Does the average proton/electron density in a neutron star change with mass?
My understanding is that although electron degeneracy prevents beta decay, there are still a few protons and electrons hanging around. I also understand that, at least in white dwarfs, as the mass increases, more electrons are forced into higher…
zucculent
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If Theia really crashed into Earth, did it impact Earth's axial tilt?
The great-impact theory is widely accepted for the formation of moon. If Theia (often described as a Mars-sized rock) really crashed into Earth, did that make an impact on Earth's axial tilt?
Kavin Ishwaran
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Does the Moon Have Enough Water for Robert Zubrin's Mars settlement Plan To Work?
In Robert Zubrin's "The Case for Mars" he outlines a plan to settle Mars by(among other things) finding water and using electrolysis to break up water into Hydrogen and Oxygen. This provides fuel for vehicles and air for the crew to breathe. Can a…
Sarah Szabo
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Spectral class and luminosity of hydrogen bomb explosions?
Since hydrogen bombs detonating are like tiny little stars, I wonder what luminosity and spectral classification they would get if one were to categorize them like this. E.g. Starfish Prime and the Tsar Bomba?
John
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Do radio telescopes see other stars better at night?
As you know, we don’t see stars with the naked eye during the day because of the visible glare of our Sun.
As I understand our Sun emits radio frequency waves, too. Is there a radio ‘glare’ from the Sun such that radio telescopes can better focus on…
David
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11
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What is the difference between the two terms named "Eccentricity" and "Ellipticity"?
I don't get the difference between the two terms named "Eccentricity" and "Ellipticity", especially, in astronomy. I understand eccentricity as a measure of the curvature of a orbit but what is ellipticity?
Tafhimul Hasan
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Can automatic algorithms completely eliminate the impact of Starlink and other satellites?
According to a comment by user @J:
With that said, other than aesthetics, machine vision algorithms are wildly more advanced today than in the past - strategies to remove passing satellites don't really seem to be anything other than trivial. It's…
JonathanReez
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Was GRAVITY built to look at one star?
GRAVITY (shown below) is a interferometric combiner of near infrared light from four very large telescopes called The Very Large Telescope in order to make careful astrometric measurements near the dusty galactic center where very exciting things…
uhoh
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Can the energy transport by radiation occur in the convection region of a star?
I am new to stellar astrophysics and trying to understand the energy transports in the interior of stars.
Can the energy transport by radiation occur in the convection region of a star?
Here are my thoughts:
Since the gas pressure in the convection…
Linda
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1 answer
Opportunities to see a near earth object via unaided eyes or binoculars?
I would like to see a near earth object proper with my eyes or binoculars someday.
Has this been possible recently? Are there any upcoming potential opportunities to do so in say the next 20 or 50 years? I have a shot at the first one, the second…
uhoh
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If Planet Nine indeed exists, how large a impact event there should be to be seen from Earth?
Recently I've found this news article, A meteorite crashed into the Moon during total lunar eclipse in January, about a collision into the moon that happened while a lunar eclipse was under way. According to a paper{1}, it produced a flash that…
ksousa
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What is the birth of a star like?
Here's what I'm curious about. So this hydrogen gas collects and at some point, it eventually becomes a star. What does that process look like? If you were there as a witness to the formation of a star (greatly speeded up, of course), what would you…
Pete
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11
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Why does the angular size of the Moon change?
I know that the orbit of the moon is elliptical.
But I cannot understand this graph:
The number of 'bumps' in the graph is around 13~14 in a year, so I concluded that the each 'bump' indicates one lunar month.
But why aren't these bumps…
DH K
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Why is today the shortest day but the solstice is actually tomorrow?
Here in Ashland, Oregon, today (Dec 20, 2020) is the shortest day length of the year at 9:05:45. But the winter solstice isn't until 2:02 AM PST tomorrow (Dec 21, 2020). Tomorrow's day length is a whopping three seconds longer at 9:05:48. Why is…
DevonTaig
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