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When do sunrise and sunset occur?
There are several ways to think of sunrise and sunset. They can be the points at which the Sun is
Do all planets orbit the Sun in the same direction?
While not all of the planets rotate on their individual axes in the same direction — Uranus and Venus both
Do all planets orbit the Sun in the same direction? Read More »
Why is the Moon covered with craters?
Perhaps a better question might be why isn’t Earth covered with craters? Both Earth and Moon — and the other
What is the chance of Earth being hit by a comet or asteroid?
Not much in our lifetimes — perhaps 1 in 10,000 — but over thousands or millions of years, major impacts
What is the chance of Earth being hit by a comet or asteroid? Read More »
Did an asteroid really kill the dinosaurs?
The truth behind the demise of the dinosaurs may never be fully resolved, but a growing body of evidence has
What is the biggest moon in the solar system?
That is a tricky question, which astronomers didn’t answer correctly until fairly recently. For a while, they thought the biggest
Why can’t we see stars in the pictures of spacewalking or moonwalking astronauts?
The stars aren’t visible because they are too faint. The astronauts in their white spacesuits appear quite bright, so they
Why can’t we see stars in the pictures of spacewalking or moonwalking astronauts? Read More »
What causes the bright halo that sometimes surrounds the Moon?
This bright ring of light is quite common. It’s related to the same process that creates rainbows: refraction. In this
What causes the bright halo that sometimes surrounds the Moon? Read More »