
How can I buy a star? - NASA
You can do this, but it is not official. Your name will not be listed in any file except the one the company who takes your money keeps. In fact, one of these companies was even issued a …
88 Officially Recognized Constellations - NASA
Latin Name English Name or Description; Andromeda: Princess of Ethiopia: Antlia: Air pump: Apus: Bird of Paradise: Aquarius ...
Why is Polaris the North Star? - NASA
But in the year 3000 B.C., the North Star was a star called Thuban (also known as Alpha Draconis), and in about 13,000 years from now the precession of the rotation axis will mean …
Why did Herschel name his planet Uranus? - NASA
The name "Uranus" was first proposed by German astronomer Johann Elert Bode in order for it to be in conformity with the other planetary names - which are from classical mythology. Uranus …
What is the biggest star we know? - NASA
It is believed to be 100 times as massive as our Sun, and 10,000,000 times as bright! In 1990, a star named the Pistol Star was known to lie at the center of the Pistol Nebula in the Milky Way …
StarChild: Quasars
The word quasar is short for "quasi-stellar radio source". This name, which means star-like emitters of radio waves, was given in the 1960s when quasars were first detected. The name …
StarChild: Stars - NASA
The star has now reached the red giant phase. It is red because it is cooler than the protostar phase and it is a giant because the outer shell has expanded outward. All stars evolve the …
What are constellations? - NASA
In ancient times, people saw asterisms and made up all kinds of stories about mythological creatures and characters which they associated with the star patterns. As astronomers …
StarChild: The Planets and Dwarf Planets - NASA
A planet is a large space object which revolves around a star. It also reflects that star's light. Eight planets have been discovered in our solar system. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the …
What causes a "falling star"? - NASA
Associating the shower name with the region of the sky they seem to come from just helps astronomers know where to look! The dust and rocks that cause meteor showers come …