Betelgeuse and Rigel are two of the brightest stars in the night sky and the most luminous celestial bodies in the constellation Orion. Still, there are key differences; Betelgeuse is a red supergiant, and Rigel is a blue-white supergiant. Betelgeuse is bigger, but Rigel is more massive. Continue reading to explore the similarities and differences … Read more
An open star cluster is a group of stars bound together by mutual gravitational attraction. They are usually found in the spiral arms of galaxies or within irregular galaxies and contain anywhere from a few dozen to several thousand stars. Open star clusters are important because they provide insight into the formation and evolution of … Read more
Black holes and quasi stars are two of the most intriguing entities in our Universe. Both possess unimaginable mass and gravity at their centers, which captures any material unfortunate enough to pass their event horizon. Still, they are two separate entities with some key differences. Discover how to tell the difference between a black hole … Read more
Solar flares and coronal mass ejections are both solar explosions that burst through the surface of the Sun (often near hotspots) and make their way toward Earth. Both of these phenomena are caused by the Sun’s twisting magnetic field, which can affect technology and communications here on Earth. Continue reading to discover the key similarities … Read more
Stars run on a limited amount of resources, and once they run out of fuel, they will start to die. The most massive of these stars will collapse into black holes or explode their outer layers in a supernova. This process can occur in as little as one-tenth of a second and results in one … Read more
Stars are the most abundant objects in the Universe. The stars that become red giants are those that have used up their nuclear fuel and are now burning helium; this process is called “helium flash.” Learn how red giants form and why scientists use this terminology. Discover why our Sun will one day become a … Read more
The main differences between a white dwarf and a hypernova is that a white dwarf is a dead remnant of a star the size of our Sun whilst a hypernova is an explosion that occurs when a star 30+ solar masses in size is at the end of its lifespan, leaving behind a black hole … Read more
The main differences between a neutron star and a kilonova is that a neutron is the outcome of a smaller supernova explosion whilst a kilonova occurs when 2 neutron star merge together, forming an explosion 1,000 times brighter than a normal nova and resulting in a potential black hole forming. There are other features that … Read more
The main difference between a nova and a neutron star is that a neutron star is the aftermath of a large star that has gone supernova, and is amongst the densest celestial objects in the Universe whilst a nova is an explosion that occurs on a white dwarf’s surface as a result of a nuclear … Read more
The main difference between a neutrom star and hypernova is that a neutron star is the extremely dense remnant of a dead star that is 10 -20 solar masses or a white dwarf that has gone supernova, whilst a hypernova occurs when a star that is 30+ solar masses explodes and creates the most powerful … Read more