Galaxy Chronicle

Supermoon: What It Really Is, Why It Happens, and When to Catch the Next One

A supermoon is a full moon that lines up with the Moon's closest approach to Earth, making it look a little bigger and noticeably brighter than an ordinary full moon. At its best, a supermoon can appear up to 14% larger and about 30%...

What Is a Constellation? A Beginner’s Guide to the Sky’s 88 Star Patterns

A constellation is a group of stars that forms a recognizable pattern in the night sky, one we've given a name, usually after a mythological figure, animal, or object. There are 88 of them officially recognized, and together they map out the entire sky....
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How Many Planets Are There? The Real Answer Is Bigger Than Eight

There are eight planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,...

What Is a Galaxy? A Simple Guide to the Great Islands of Stars

A galaxy is an enormous collection of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter, all...

How Far Is the Sun From Earth? The 93-Million-Mile Answer and Why It Keeps Changing

The Sun sits an average of about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from...

How Old Is the Universe? The 13.8-Billion-Year Answer and How We Measured It

The universe is about 13.8 billion years old. More precisely, 13.787 billion years, give...

How Hot Is the Sun? A Layer-by-Layer Look at Our Star’s Blistering Temperatures

How hot is the sun? It depends entirely on which part you mean. The...

Why Do Stars Twinkle? The Simple Science Behind the Sky’s Sparkle

Here's the twist that surprises almost everyone: stars don't actually twinkle. Not really. The...

What Is the Temperature on Mars? The Highs, the Lows, and Why the Red Planet Is So Cold

The temperature on Mars averages about −60 °C (−80 °F), which makes it far...

What Is a Planet? The Three Simple Rules That Decide, and Why Pluto Failed Them

A planet is a world that orbits the Sun, is round, and has swept...

Regulus Star: The Little King at the Heart of Leo the Lion

Look toward the constellation Leo on a spring evening and you will find a...

Asteroid 2029 Apophis: Will It Hit Earth on Friday the 13th?

Short answer first, because it's the question everyone actually wants settled: no. Asteroid 2029...

Planets Ranked by Size: All Eight Worlds From Biggest to Smallest

Here are the planets ranked by size, largest to smallest: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune,...

Meteorite Definition: What a Meteorite Really Is, and How It Differs From a Meteor

Here's the meteorite definition in one line: a meteorite is a piece of rock...

Latest articles

Supermoon: What It Really Is, Why It Happens, and When to Catch the Next One

A supermoon is a full moon that lines up with the Moon's closest approach...

What Is a Constellation? A Beginner’s Guide to the Sky’s 88 Star Patterns

A constellation is a group of stars that forms a recognizable pattern in the...

How Many Planets Are There? The Real Answer Is Bigger Than Eight

There are eight planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,...

What Is a Galaxy? A Simple Guide to the Great Islands of Stars

A galaxy is an enormous collection of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter, all...