Sunspots
The Sun is a huge sphere of gas. The visible layer of the Sun, which we view as the surface, […]
Our Star, the Sun
The Sun was born about 4.6 billion years ago from the gravitational collapse of a vast cloud of gas and
Who built the first observatory?
Observatories, like so much of astronomy, are truly ancient features of human culture; retracing the steps of the first person
How was the size of Earth first measured?
Earth’s circumference was first accurately measured more than 2,000 years ago by the Greek astronomer Eratosthenes, who at the time
What causes the Northern and Southern Lights?
The famous Northern and Southern Lights — Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis for those Latin lovers among us — are
Can solar flares and sunspots affect Earth?
While no direct link between sunspots and Earthly events, such as volatile stock markets, has ever been found, extremes in
What is the nearest star?
Of course, the nearest star to Earth is the one we see every day — our dear old Sun. At
What causes tides?
For the most part, the rise and fall of the tides is caused by the gravitational influence of the Moon.
How big is the solar system?
The farthest known object orbiting our Sun is a ball of ice and rock unofficially called FarFarOut, which lies about