Are we “in range” of any potential supernovae? Has the Earth ever been hit in the past? What about gamma-ray bursts from across the galaxy?
Dec 3rd: Could Any Supernova Harm the Earth?
Ask A Spaceman Archive
Nov 19th: How Exactly Do Black Holes Merge?
How do black holes get close enough to merge? What causes them to emit gravitational waves, and where do the waves come from?
Nov 5th: Is it Time to Redefine the Planet?
How did Pluto get demoted? What makes a planet a planet anyway? Why do we now have so many different kinds of planets, and should we make things simpler?
Oct 15th: How Could We Turn the Sun into a Telescope?
How do gravitational lenses work? Where would a spacecraft need to be to use the Sun’s gravity as a telescope? What could we learn about exoplanets with this on weird trick?
Oct 1st: Why Do We Care About Methane on Mars?
Sep 17th: Is Space Tourism a Good Idea?
Why are private space companies pushing tourism? Is there a future for tourism in space? Is this an overall good thing for space exploration, or just a distraction?
Sep 3rd: What Made the Local Bubble?
Where do we live within the galaxy? What shapes the local bubble? How long will we be inside it?
Aug 20th: Is the Universe Making Any New Galaxies?
Aug 6th: Is the James Webb Breaking Cosmology?
Jul 16th: Can a Galaxy Be Destroyed?
Can galaxies ever get destroyed? What happens to their stars? Do galaxies ever die? More on today’s Ask a Spaceman!