Face on Mars Myth, Mystery, and Science in Cydonia For centuries, humanity has looked up at the Red Planet and wondered if we are alone in the universe. In the late 19th century, Percival Lowell imagined vast canals engineered by…

Are There Green Stars? The universe is filled with angry Red Giants and piercing Blue Dwarfs. Yet, if you scan the night sky, you will notice a missing color. Physics says green stars exist, but biology makes them invisible. Explore…

Shape of the Universe The true shape of the universe is one of cosmology’s biggest questions. Is it flat like a sheet (parallel lines never meet), curved like a sphere (lines eventually converge), or flared like a saddle (lines diverge…

Biggest Star in our Galaxy While our Sun seems massive to us, it is merely a speck of dust compared to the true titans of the cosmos. The current record holder for the biggest star in our Galaxy is, Stephenson…

How to Find the North Star Unlike other stars that rise and set, the North Star (Polaris) remains fixed in the sky, acting as the celestial anchor for the Northern Hemisphere. To find it, you don’t look for the brightest…

Moonbow: What is a Lunar Rainbow? A Moonbow (or lunar rainbow) is a rare and ghostly atmospheric phenomenon created when moonlight is refracted through water droplets in the air. While it follows the same physical laws as a daytime rainbow,…

How Many Miles in a Light Year? A light year is often mistaken for a measurement of time, but it is actually the ultimate yardstick of distance. By definition, one light year is the physical length that a single photon…

Fire in Space: The Physics of Microgravity Combustion On Earth, fire is a flickering, yellow teardrop driven by Buoyancy. Because hot air is less dense, it rises, stretching the flame upward. In the microgravity environment of space, this process is…