red giant star

Soon a ‘new’ star will light up the sky and you can see it for yourself

by

A binary star system in the constellation Corona Borealis consists of a white dwarf pulling material from a neighboring red giant, leading to exceptionally bright explosions every 79 to 80 years. (NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center – image credit) Starlight, star bright, will there be a new star tonight? That’s the question astronomers are waiting … Read more

‘Singing’ red giant stars could be another way to measure the expansion of the universe

by

In about 5 billion years, the fuel needed for nuclear fusion in the sun’s core will run out. This will cause the inner core to collapse under the force of the sun’s gravity. At this point, the star’s outer layers (where nuclear fusion is still taking place) will expand and it will enter a phase … Read more