Space , stars, planets

Stars, Planets, and Galaxies

Discover stars, planets, & galaxies, as you explore the solar system and the universe. Find solar system & deep space information, news, & pictures on celestial objects. Explore the nine planets, stars, black holes, quasars, nebulae, galaxies & other deep sky celestial objects. From the nine planets of our own solar system to planets around other stars to galaxies & other deep space objects.

Quasar - Quasi-Stellar Radio Source - Basic Information About Quasars
A Quasar is an enormously bright object at the edge of our universe with the appearance of a star when viewed through a telescope. It emits massive amounts of energy, more energy than 100 normal galaxies combined. The name comes from a shortening of quasi-stellar radio source (QSR). Current theories hold that quasars are one type of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Many astronomers believe supermassive black holes may lie at the center of these galaxies and power their explosive energy output.

New Neighbor - Newly-Discovered Star May Be Third-Closest
The local celestial neighborhood just got more crowded with a discovery of a star that may be the third closest to the Sun. The star, "SO25300.5 165258," is a faint red dwarf star estimated to be about 7.8 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Aries.

Black Holes - The Inescapable Truth About Black Holes.
Scientists believe black holes are the end product in the lifecycle of giant stars. If a star is 3 or 4 times as massive as our own sun, even after it has exhausted all its fuel, it can collapse under its own gravity. Just like a crab burying itself at the beach and pulling the sand down over itself, the collapsing star pulls in everything around it as well. Discover information and pictures.

Black Holes Shed Light on Galaxy Formation
Astronomers are concluding that monstrous black holes weren't simply born big but instead grew on a measured diet of gas and stars controlled by their host galaxies in the early formative years of the universe. Find more black holes information and pictures of black holes.

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Venus - Solar System Facts
Venus whose Greek equivalent was Aphrodite was the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Venus probably got its name from being the brightest object in the sky except for the Sun and the Moon. Venus has always been considered a feminine planet, with many legends and stories concerning its inhabitants. Even one modern doctor says that women are from Venus.

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Mercury - Solar System Facts
Named after the Roman god of commerce, travel and thievery, Mercury is the second smallest planet in the solar system, larger only than Pluto, the most distant planet in our solar system. If Earth were the size of a baseball, Mercury would be the size of a golf ball. Viewed from Mercury, the Sun would look almost three times as large as it does from Earth.

Visual Tour of the Solar System - The Sun
Take a Visual Solar System Tour with us. Blast off to discover information on the sun and planets in our solar system. Learn more about our galactic neighborhood, our solar system. The Sun

Top Ten Things You Should Know About the Sun
Our Sun has inspired mythology in almost all cultures, including ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, Native Americans, and Chinese. Our Sun is actually the closest star to Earth. The Sun is a massive shining sphere of hot gas. The connection and interaction between the Sun and the Earth drive the seasons, currents in the ocean, weather, and climate.

Comets Information and Pictures
Throughout history, people have been awed and alarmed by comets, stars with "long hair" that appeared in the sky unannounced and unpredictably. We now know more about comets. We can predict the orbits of many of them, but not all. Discover comets facts and pictures.