Tagged “Stars”

5 articles

Proxima Centauri: The First Stop Beyond the Solar System

Alpha Centauri is the closest star system to the Solar System, located approximately 4.37 light-years away. It is a triple star system comprising Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B, and Alpha Centauri C (Proxima Centauri). Proxima Centauri, a small red dwarf in the outermost orbit, is the closest individual star to Earth, situated about 4.25 light-years away.

2 min read2

Observing the Sky

The cosmic distance ladder: how we measure stars and galaxies

No single method stands alone: parallax calibrates Cepheids, Cepheids calibrate Type Ia supernovae, and those calibrate the Hubble constant — which is why a disagreement at the top forces a re-check of every rung below.

3 min read9

Stars and Galaxies

Galaxies: what they are and how they are classified

The band of light across the night sky is our own galaxy's disk, seen from inside it. Beyond it lie hundreds of billions more, and their shapes record their collision histories.

2 min read1

Stars and Galaxies

Stars: structure and life cycle

A ball of gas becomes a star only when heavy enough to ignite fusion — about 80 Jupiter masses. Initial mass then decides nearly everything else, including how it dies.

3 min read2

Stars and Galaxies

The 20 brightest stars in the night sky

Ranked by apparent magnitude — brightness as seen from Earth, not true luminosity. Sirius leads because it is close; Deneb makes the list from hundreds of times farther away.

3 min read2