Starship Asterisk*

I understand that there are any number of combinations of star types in real binaries. How is it possible that a red older star like our Sun can be in the same binary with a younger, short-lived, more massive blue star? Or how can a massive, blue star be next to a white dwarf that already exploded?...

Thank you for correcting my understanding of evaporation.

Doug Ettinger

Art or Neufer, I like your equation. I will remember you when I need to find or derive an appropriate equation. In fact, I could use an equation. Assume one smaller spherical body, m1, strikes another spherical body, m2, toward its center of gravity but at a certain angle, A, between the two velocit...

Just to clarify, the hidden mass you speak of is what is called Dark Matter? There is also the non-luminous mass of dust, gas, planets, black holes, brown dwarfs, etc. that is not part of Dark Matter. Yes, I'm talking about dark matter. There is very little non-luminous matter other than DM. "...

To use your term - everything in the known universe "evaporates" over tens of billions of years. Of course, that assumes there only is and only will be one Big Bang. And that is a big, big assumption.

Doug Ettinger
Pittsburgh, PA

Chris, thank you for posting your very current and honest feelings that I am sure reflect academia. As for myself, I believe humans have a very egotistical manner that gets in the way of true scientific inquiry many times. I cannot say that gravity (whatever it really represents) acts any differentl...

If I went beyond the boundaries of human knowledge and understanding in asking these questions, please tell me.

Doug Ettinger
Pittsburgh, PA

Yes, Bmaone23, I have difficulty understanding Chris' explanation, although I am not disputing it. I hope more Dark Matter specialists are in the audience that will speak up to defend Newton and Einstein concerning the characteristics of individual galaxies.

Doug Ettinger
Pittsburgh, PA

Everything having lateral motion is not intuitively obvious. Everything under my feet seems to be rather stationary. Hence, I throw out this question for anybody to answer. Why do scientists make a very narrow assumption that the universe is expanding from the Earth's surface outward toward the edge...

I understand that there are any number of combinations of star types in real binaries. How is it possible that a red older star like our Sun can be in the same binary with a younger, short-lived, more massive blue star? Or how can a massive, blue star be next to a white dwarf that already exploded? ...

I wish to address issues with the Asteroid Belt once again. If Jupiter's gravity field perturbs and prevents the asteroids from combining, then why did Saturn in the next adjacent orbit form without being disturbed by Jupiter's gravity field? It isn't just Jupiter's gravity that's the factor. What ...

The overwhelming trends of today's solar system such as co-planar orbits, similar spin axis directions and nearly round similar orbital directions leads me to believe the initial solar system formation was quite organized and not very chaotic. To introduce any chaotic orbits and spins and extra mas...

Just to clarify, the hidden mass you speak of is what is called Dark Matter? There is also the non-luminous mass of dust, gas, planets, black holes, brown dwarfs, etc. that is not part of Dark Matter. If this Dark Matter is supposely distributed spherically, I am very puzzled. I thought Dark Matter ...

thanks for asking ,dougettinger. that was my question too. but i didn't understand your response Chris. how does Gravity maintain things to orbit when the force is just between them? In the same way that planets orbit stars without falling into them. The only time gravity will pull things directly ...

Why do newly formed stars and surrounding dust orbit similar directions around the core of a new spiral galaxy? Why would not the material fall inward due to gravity from different (even opposing directions) and from non-planar directions? What gives the gravity force field directional properties o...

Wow! That is for me like putting large pieces of the puzzle together.

Are these supernova shock waves that you refer to only one wave from single blast? or several intersecting shock waves? or shock waves from repeated blasts by the same supernova? I cannot visualize how one supernova shock wave or one supernova creates this scene.

Why do newly formed stars and surrounding dust orbit similar directions around the core of a new spiral galaxy? Why would not the material fall inward due to gravity from different (even opposing directions) and from non-planar directions? What gives the gravity force field directional properties ot...

For a typical spiral galaxy such as our Milky Way how much more mass other than observed stars and dust is needed to explain its orbital mechanics? Where is this mysterious mass located by theorists to explain the galaxy's observed orbital characteristics? At the center? Evenly distributed across th...

Then, I presume the stars in galaxial globular star clusters are consistently very old stars with very little higher metals. I believe astronomers call them Population I stars. I would also presume that these stars are all mid-size or smaller stars that would have long lives that compare with the a...

Presently, my interest is about the tips of these very distinct pillars of opaque gas and dust within M16. So it is affirmative; the tip of each pillar represents a new star that is forming. If by "pillar" you are referring to the three major structures visible in the APOD image, then no,...

Thanks for sharing that information that stars can form in various ways. I have not heard that explanation before but suspected that was the case. Then, I presume the stars in galaxial globular star clusters are consistently very old stars with very little higher metals. I believe astronomers call ...

How do scientists know that these pillars are not the result of gas and dust blowing pass existing stars by a supernova shock wave? The existing stars attract the dust and gas within about 100 AU's and grow in size. The remaining dust and gases blow by creating the pillar. Why would stars attract d...

"The clouds are so dense that they contract gravitationally to form stars." Whoever writes these descriptions writes as though it is fact. No so, only a theory. This is about as close to a fact as something can get. Calling it such in a forum like this is perfectly reasonable. Most astron...

Does any recent publication exist that proposes a means and timeline for galaxy evolution including globular clusters?