Saturn is one of the most beautiful sights in our solar system. Most people know it for its stunning, icy rings. But the planet itself is a wild and stormy place. It is a gas giant, meaning it is a massive ball of gas and liquid with no solid ground to stand on. And just … Read more
We often think of black holes as the unmovable centers of galaxies. Most large galaxies, including our own Milky Way, have a giant “supermassive” black hole sitting right at their core. This object acts like a gravitational anchor, holding the galaxy’s center together. These black holes are millions or even billions of times heavier than … Read more
Spaghettification is caused by something called a gravitational gradient, and it is the key to understanding this whole topic. A gradient is simply a difference in a measurement from one point to another. In this case, it is the difference in the strength of gravity pulling on two separate parts of the same object, like … Read more
We are living in a truly exciting time for space exploration. For decades, humanity’s presence in space has been limited to orbits close to Earth, like the International Space Station. But that is all about to change. NASA and its partners are working on a new program called Artemis, which plans to take people back … Read more
Our universe is a vast and busy place, full of giant galaxies, burning stars, and deep mysteries. Scientists are like detectives, using powerful telescopes to look for clues about how it all works. Recently, they spotted an event that is incredibly violent and fascinating. Far away in a distant galaxy, a black hole was caught … Read more
Our universe is a place of unbelievable size and filled with amazing, powerful objects. Among the strangest of all are black holes. These are not really “holes” at all, but huge amounts of matter crushed into a tiny space. Their gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape once it gets too … Read more
Our Solar System is a place we think we know well. We have eight planets, countless asteroids, and a clear boundary past Neptune called the Kuiper Belt. For decades, school books have shown us a neat, orderly picture of our cosmic neighborhood. However, in the deepest, darkest edges of this neighborhood, something is causing trouble. … Read more
Galaxies are vast cosmic cities, home to billions or even trillions of stars. Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is a busy place, constantly building new stars from huge clouds of gas and dust. These star-forming regions are like giant nurseries, creating the next generation of suns. For a long time, this process of birth … Read more
Black holes are some of the most famous and mysterious things in all of space. We hear about them in movies and books. They are often shown as scary space drains that suck everything up. But what are they really? They are not empty holes. They are places with so much gravity, or pull, that … Read more