Topic: Stars & Nebulae
Ep. 3.03 Mars is the future, the day the Dinos Died, a Star’s Death in 3 Acts, and more

Ep. 3.03 Mars is the future, the day the Dinos Died, a Star’s Death in 3 Acts, and more

by | Sep 4, 2024 | , , , ,

I have to admit, realizing it is somehow late August was a bit startling. I’m not entirely sure where my summer went, but I am grateful that my garden is finally producing veg, and the temps are starting to slowly trend downward. The Dog Days of summer are named for the appearance of the Dog Star Sirius rising with the Sun. Running from July 3 to August 11, these are typically the hottest days of the year and once upon a time, in the Roman Empire, that heat was blamed on Sirius’ - the brightest star in the sky’s - being in  close proximity to the Sun. Today we know this isn’t so, but it...

read more

Get ad-free podcasts &
exclusive content by
joining our Patreon.

A Star’s Death in Three Acts

A Star’s Death in Three Acts

by | Sep 4, 2024 |

While monitoring the sky with optical systems, we’ve found some really weird stuff. Back in 2018, the All Sky Automated Survey for Super Novae discovered a brightening galaxy. Follow -up observations in the X-Ray found the kinds of high energy light that signals a...

Stellar Winds Spotted on Three Sun-like Stars

Stellar Winds Spotted on Three Sun-like Stars

by | May 8, 2024 |

Infrared image of the shockwave (red arc) created by the massive giant star Zeta Ophiuchi in an interstellar dust cloud. The tenuous winds of sun-like main-sequence stars are much more difficult to observe. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech; NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team...

Stars are Messy Cannibals

Stars are Messy Cannibals

by | May 8, 2024 |

This image, taken with the VLT Survey Telescope hosted at ESO’s Paranal Observatory, shows the beautiful nebula NGC 6164/6165, also known as the Dragon’s Egg. The nebula is a cloud of gas and dust surrounding a pair of stars called HD 148937. Credit: ESO/VPHAS+ team....

Closer Look: We are Space Stuff

Closer Look: We are Space Stuff

by | Feb 28, 2024 |

Courtesy TeePublic It is possible to buy stickers, sweatshirts, mugs, and all manner of other stuff and things emblazoned with the simple phrase, “We are star stuff”. Carl Sagan popularized this phrase, and it serves as a gentle reminder that all the complex atoms -...