Stars

Deneb Algedi (Delta Capricorni) is a binary system in the zodiac constellation Capricornus which has a combined apparent magnitude of +2.81, making it the brightest star in the constellation. Located about 39 light years away …

Stars are divided into spectral classes, which in turn help to identify their color, size, and luminosity. The seven main types of stars are assigned one of the letters O, B, A, F, G, K, …

Megrez (Delta Ursae Majoris) is the least luminous of all the seven Dipper stars, with an apparent visual magnitude of +3.3. This blue-white main sequence dwarf star is located around 58.4 light years from Earth, …

Mizar and Alcor form the famous naked-eye pair in the bend of the Big Dipper’s handle. Located approximately 83 light-years from Earth, they appear to be two closely spaced stars but are actually a remarkable …

What measurements are used in astronomy? Read on to discover the standard of measures that are applied to time, distance, brightness, location, and more. Speed of Light The Speed of Light is around 186,000 miles/sec …

Phecda (Gamma Ursae Majoris), the 6th brightest star in Ursa Major and 85th brightest star in the night sky, marks out the lower left corner of the Big Dipper’s bowl. Along with most of the …

Merak (Beta Ursae Majoris) is the 5th brightest star in the Big Dipper asterism associated with the constellation Ursa Major, and the 80th most luminous star in the entire night sky. The star also serves …

Alkaid (Eta Ursae Majoris) is a prominent star in the handle of the Big Dipper, an asterism which forms just a small part of the overall constellation of Ursa Major. With an apparent magnitude of …

A variable star is a star whose brightness changes over time as seen from Earth. Sometimes the star itself is changing, while in other cases its apparent brightness varies because of an external effect, such …

Neutron stars are extraordinarily compact stellar remnants left behind when certain massive stars explode as supernovae. Despite containing around a Sun’s worth of mass or more, a typical neutron star is only about 20 kilometers …