I understand that elements heavier than hydrogen and helium require the life span of a solar system to be created through fusion. With a rough estimate of the universe's age of 13.8 B years and our system's rough age of 4.5 B years, how many generations of star formation and collapse do we...
That's great stuff to think about. So if we look at a system's suspected planet's 'occulation' effect how do we estimate, merely by it's relative brightness, the properties of the planetary body? It could be just barely grazing our line of sight or it could be being observed nearly edge on...
Hello every one. It's obvious that all of the major planetary objects in our solar system orbit the sun in roughly the same plane. My question is, is our solar system in a similar plane as it orbits the center of the Milky Way? If so, do most star systems share the same plane? This came to mind...
Hello all, I'm new here. I have only an Associates degree but have excelled in all sciences and math for as long as I remember. I love planetary science, astrophysics and robotics primarily but like chemistry and biology a lot too. I look forward to reading a lot an writing a little. :)