Yes, the sun rotates on its axis. The sun is a giant ball of gas and plasma, and like most objects in space, it rotates. The sun takes about 25-35 days to complete one rotation on its axis, depending on the latitude. This rotation also plays a role in the creation of the sun’s magnetic field, which in turn drives phenomena such as solar flares and sunspots.
Stars, planets, and moons are round because of the force of gravity acting on them. Gravitational forces cause matter to clump together, and the more mass an object has, the stronger its gravitational forces will be. When a large amount of mass is concentrated in a single object, such as a star or planet, the force of gravity causes it to take on a spherical shape, since gravity always pulls toward the center of mass. This is why stars, planets, and moons are round objects.
No, the Sun will not become a black hole. Black holes are incredibly dense objects that are formed when very massive stars collapse in on themselves at the end of their lives. The Sun is not massive enough to become a black hole. Instead, it will eventually exhaust its supply of hydrogen fuel and expand into a red giant. After it shreds its outer layers, it will shrink down into a white dwarf.
The Super blue blood moon is a rare celestial phenomenon. It is made up of three coinciding events. A supermoon is a full moon when our satellite is at its closest (hence it appears bigger in the sky). A blue moon refers to an “extra” full moon, whereas a year that usually has 12 full moons has 13 instead. The “blue moon” reference is applied to the third full moon in a season with four full moons.
In addition to these two phenomena, during a lunar eclipse, when the moon passes through Earth’s extended shadow, it looks reddish, and that is a “blood moon”. When all those three phenomena occur at the same time, it’s called a Super blue blood moon.
Since 2006, Pluto, once the ninth planet in our Solar System is not classified as a planet. Here’s why.
‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object to visit our solar system was first detected on October 19, 2017, by the University of Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS1 telescope.
When a meteoroid, a rocky or metallic body from outer space enters Earth’s atmosphere, it’s called a meteor. If it’s large enough, it can hit the Earth’s surface with enormous speed. It is then termed a meteorite. But, how fast do meteorites hit the ground?
Using its near-infrared camera, the James Webb Space Telescope captured amazing images of Neptune and its rings. Thanks to the newly released images, we now see Neptune’s rings for the first time since 1989, when Voyager 2 performed the first flyby to the gas giant.
NASA Exoplanets has published an amazing infographic showing the origins of the elements. From the calcium in our bones to the iron in our blood, we really are made from star stuff.
Voyager 1 launch: On September 5, 1973, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched on top of a Titan IIIE/Centaur rocket from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex in Florida, 16 days after its twin, Voyager 2. Photo: Voyager 1 Launch on the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory website.
Voyager 1 launch: On September 5, 1977, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft was launched on top of a Titan IIIE/Centaur rocket from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex in Florida, 16 days after its twin, Voyager 2. The reversal of order was because the two spacecraft were sent on different trajectories, and Voyager 1 was put on a path to reach its planetary targets, Jupiter and Saturn, ahead of Voyager 2.