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- What causes a falling star? - NASA
Meteors are commonly called falling stars or shooting stars If any part of the meteoroid survives burning up and actually hits the Earth, that remaining bit is then called a meteorite At certain times of year, you are likely to see a great number of meteors in the night sky
- StarChild: Meteoroids - NASA
Most meteors glow for only a few seconds prior to burning up before hitting the Earth's surface On most dark nights, meteors can be seen The chance of seeing a meteor with the unaided eye increases after midnight People often refer to meteors as "falling" or "shooting" stars The brightest of the meteors are called fireballs
- What causes fireballs in the sky? - NASA
This photograph shows one of the meteorites which survived the "Chicago Fireball"
- Star Art - An Introduction to Myths of Different Cultures - NASA
Star watching has occupied humans from the earliest times Our ancestors studied the night sky and saw shapes and patterns among the stars They often made up stories to explain what they saw The same star constellation was seen very differently by people from different countries, or even different parts of the same country
- StarChild: Quasars
The word quasar is short for "quasi-stellar radio source" This name, which means star-like emitters of radio waves, was given in the 1960s when quasars were first detected The name is retained today, even though astronomers now know most quasars are faint radio emitters
- Why do stars twinkle? - NASA
To our eyes, this makes the star seem to twinkle You will notice that stars closer to the horizon will appear to twinkle more than other stars This is because there is a lot more atmosphere between you and a star near the horizon than between you and a star higher in the sky Go out some night soon and have a look!
- Are all stars in a galaxy? - NASA
The observations show that the motion of the individual star is governed by the gravitational field of the cluster as a whole, rather than the pull of any one galaxy In other words, they are truly "intergalactic", or between galaxies
- What Youd See Watching a Total Eclipse - NASA
Also visible during a total solar eclipse are colorful lights from the Sun's chromosphere and solar prominences shooting out through the Sun's atmosphere When the total eclipse of the Sun is completed, the shadow of the Moon passes and sunlight appears once again at the western edge of the Sun
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