Interesting facts about the icy sky. Interesting things about the stars (8 photos)
Humanity is intensively studying everything that is around us, especially in outer space. The stars in the sky attract with their beauty and mystery, because they are so far away. Scientists and researchers have already collected a lot of information about stars, so in this article I would like to highlight the most interesting facts about stars.
1. Which star is closest to earth? This is the sun. It is located only 150 million km from Earth, and by cosmic standards is an average star. It is classified as a G2 main sequence yellow dwarf. It has been converting hydrogen into helium for 4.5 billion years, and will likely continue to do so for another 7 billion years. When the sun runs out of fuel, it will become a red giant star, the size of the star will increase many times. When it expands, it will engulf Mercury, Venus, and perhaps even Earth.
2. All stars have the same composition. The birth of a star begins in a cloud of cold molecular hydrogen, which begins to compress gravitationally. When a cloud of molecular hydrogen collapses into fragments, many of these pieces will form into individual stars. The material gathers into a ball, which continues to shrink under its own gravity until the center reaches a temperature capable of igniting nuclear fusion. The source gas was formed during Big Bang and consists of 74% hydrogen and 25% helium. Over time, it will convert some of the hydrogen into helium. This is why our Sun has a composition of 70% hydrogen and 29% helium. But initially they consist of 3/4 hydrogen and 1/4 helium, with admixtures of other trace elements.
3.The stars are in perfect balance. Any star seems to be in constant conflict with herself. On the one hand, the entire mass of the star constantly compresses it with its gravity. But the hot gas exerts enormous pressure from within, disrupting its gravitational collapse. Nuclear fusion in the core generates enormous amounts of energy. Photons, before breaking out, travel from the center to the surface in about 100,000 years. As a star gets brighter, it expands and turns into a red giant. When nuclear fusion in the center stops, then nothing can hold back the increasing pressure of the overlying layers and it collapses, turning into a white dwarf, neutron star or black hole. It is possible that the stars in the sky that we see no longer exist because they are very far away and their light takes billions of years to reach the earth.
4. Most stars are red dwarfs. Comparing all known stars, it can be argued that the majority are red dwarfs. They have less than 50% of the mass of the Sun, and red dwarfs can weigh as much as 7.5%. Below this mass, gravitational pressure will not be able to compress the gas in the center to initiate nuclear fusion. They are called brown dwarfs. Red dwarfs emit less than 1/10,000 the energy of the Sun, and can burn for tens of billions of years.
5. Mass is equal to its temperature and color. The color of stars can vary from red to white or blue. Red color corresponds to the coldest ones with temperatures less than 3500 degrees Kelvin. Our star is yellowish-white, with an average temperature of about 6000 Kelvin. The hottest ones are blue, with surface temperatures above 12,000 degrees Kelvin. Thus, temperature and color are related. Mass determines temperature. The greater the mass, the larger the nucleus and the more active nuclear fusion will occur. This means more energy reaches its surface and raises its temperature. But there is an exception, these are red giants. A typical red giant could have the mass of our Sun and be a white star for its entire life. But as it approaches the end of its life, it increases in luminosity by a factor of 1000 and appears unnaturally bright. Blue giants are simply large, massive, hot stars.
6. Most of the stars are double. Many stars are born in pairs. These are double stars, where two stars orbit around a common center of gravity. There are other systems with 3, 4 and even more participants. Just think what beautiful sunrises you can see on a planet in a four-star system.
7. The size of the largest suns is equal to the orbit of Saturn. Let's talk about red giants, or more precisely, about red supergiants, against which our star looks very small. The red supergiant is Betelgeuse, in the constellation Orion. It is 20 times the mass of the Sun and at the same time 1000 times larger. The largest known star is VY Canis Major. It is 1800 times larger than our Sun and would fit into the orbit of Saturn!
8. The most massive stars have very short lives. As stated above, the low mass of a red dwarf could last for tens of billions of years of burning before running out of fuel. The opposite is also true for the most massive ones we know. Giant luminaries can be 150 times the mass of the Sun and release enormous amounts of energy. For example, one of the most massive stars we know, Eta Carinae, is located about 8,000 light-years from Earth. It emits 4 million times more energy than the Sun. While our Sun can safely burn fuel for billions of years, Eta Carinae can only shine for a few million years. And astronomers expect that Eta Carinae could explode at any time. When it goes out, it will become the brightest object in the sky.
9. The number of stars is huge. How many stars are there in the Milky Way? You might be surprised to know that there are about 200-400 billion of them in our galaxy. Each may have planets, and on some, life is possible. There are about 500 billion galaxies in the Universe, each of which may have as many or more than Milky Way. Multiply these two numbers together and you will see how many there are approximately.
10. They are very, very far away. The closest one to Earth (excluding the Sun) is Proxima Centauri, located 4.2 light years from Earth. In other words, it takes the light itself for over 4 years to complete the journey from Earth. If we run the fastest spacecraft ever previously launched from Earth, it will fly to it for more than 70,000 years. Today, traveling between the stars is simply not possible.
Stars have always been attractive to humans. Once upon a time in ancient times they were an object of worship. A modern researchers Based on the study of these celestial bodies, they were able to predict how the Universe will exist in the future. Stars attract people with their beauty and mystery.
Nearest star
Currently, a large number of interesting facts about stars have already been collected. Perhaps every reader will be curious to know that the closest celestial body of this category in relation to the Earth is the Sun. The star is located 150 million km away from us. The Sun is classified by astronomers as a yellow dwarf, but by scientific standards it is a medium-sized star. Scientists estimate that solar fuel will last for another 7 billion years. But when it ends, our star will quickly turn into a red giant. The size of the Sun will be increased many times. It will devour the nearest planets - Venus, Mercury, and possibly the Earth.
Formation of luminaries
Another interesting fact about stars is that all luminaries have the same chemical composition. All stars contain the same substances that make up the entire Universe. They are largely made from the same material. For example, the Sun is 70% hydrogen and 29% helium. The question of the composition of luminaries is also closely related to how stars are born. Typically, the process of star formation begins in a gas cloud consisting of cold molecular hydrogen.
Gradually it begins to shrink more and more. When compression occurs in parts, in fragments, stars are formed from these pieces. The material becomes more and more compact, gathering into a ball. At the same time, it continues to shrink, because the forces of its own gravity act on it. This process occurs until the temperature in the center becomes capable of starting the process of nuclear fusion. The primordial gas that makes up all stars was originally formed during the Big Bang. It is 74% hydrogen and 29% helium.
The influence of opposing forces in the stars
We looked at how stars are born, but no less interesting are the laws that govern their lives. Each of the luminaries seems to be in conflict with itself. On the one hand, they have gigantic masses, as a result of which the star is constantly compressed under the force of gravity. On the other hand, inside the star there is a hot gas that exerts enormous pressure. Nuclear fusion processes produce enormous amounts of energy. Before reaching the surface of a star, photons must pass through all its layers - sometimes this process takes up to 100 thousand years.
Those who want to know everything about stars will probably be interested in what happens to the star during its life. As it becomes brighter, it gradually turns into a red giant. When the processes of nuclear fusion inside the star stop, then nothing can hold back the pressure of those layers of gas that are closer to the surface. The star collapses and turns into a white dwarf or black hole. It is quite possible that those luminaries that we have the opportunity to observe in the night sky have no longer existed for a long time. After all, they are located very far from us, and it takes billions of years for light to reach the Earth.
Biggest star
Many interesting facts about stars can be learned by studying the mysterious world of the Universe. Looking at the night sky, dotted with bright luminaries, it is easy to feel tiny. The largest star is located in It is called UY Scuti. Since its discovery, it has been considered the largest, surpassing such giants as Betelgeuse and VY Canis Majoris. Its radius is 1,700 times that of the Sun and is 1,321,450,000 miles.
If you put this luminary instead of the Sun, then the first thing it will do is destroy the five closest planets and go beyond the orbit of Jupiter. Anyone who would like to know everything about the stars can add this fact to their knowledge base. There are astronomers who believe that UY Scuti could even reach Saturn. One can only be glad that it is located at a distance of 9500 light years from solar system.
Binary star systems
The luminaries in the sky form various clusters among themselves. They can be dense or, conversely, scattered. One of the first advances in astronomy that occurred after the invention was the discovery of double stars. It turns out that luminaries, like people, prefer to form pairs with each other. The first of these duets was the pair Mizar in the constellation Ursa Major. The discovery belongs to the Italian astronomer Riccoli. In 1804, astronomer W. Herschel compiled a catalog describing 700 double stars. It is believed that most of these luminaries are located in the Milky Way galaxy.
Those who want to know everything about stars may be interested in the definition of a double star. Essentially, these are two luminaries that revolve in the same orbit. They have the same center of mass, and these stars are connected to each other by gravitational forces. It is interesting that in addition to binaries, there are systems of three, four, five and even six members in the Universe. The latter are very rare. An example is Castor, the main one. It consists of 6 objects. A double satellite orbits a pair of luminaries, which are also pairs.
Why do we need to group luminaries into constellations?
We continue to consider the most interesting facts about stars. Everything is divided into special sections. They are called constellations. In ancient times, people called constellations by the names of animals - for example, Leo, Fish, Snake. The names of various mythological heroes (Orion) were also common. Currently, astronomers also use these names to designate one of the 88 areas of the vast sky.
Constellations and stars in the sky are needed to facilitate the search for various objects. Also on constellation maps, the ecliptic is usually indicated - a dotted line that indicates the trajectory of the Sun. The 12 constellations that are located along this line are called Zodiacal.
The closest star to the solar system
The closest star to us is Alpha Centauri. This star is very bright, it is similar to our Sun. It is slightly smaller in size, and its light has a slightly orange tint. This is due to the fact that the temperature on its surface is slightly lower - about 4800 o C, while the temperature of our star reaches 5800 o C.
Other neighboring luminaries
Another of our neighbors is a star called Barnard. It was named after astronomer Edward Barnard, who was rumored to be the keenest observer on earth. This modest star is located in the constellation Ophiuchus. According to the classification, this star is a red dwarf, one of the most common types of stars in space. There are also many red dwarfs located not far from Earth, for example, Lalande 21 185, as well as UV Ceti.
There is another star located near the solar system - Wolf 359. It is located in the constellation Leo, scientists classify it as a red giant. Not far from the Sun is also located bright Sirius, which is sometimes called the “Dog Star” (it is located in the constellation Canis Major). In 1862, astronomers discovered that Sirius is a double star. The stars Sirius A and Sirius B rotate relative to each other with a period of 50 years. The average distance between the luminaries is approximately 20 times greater than the distance from the Earth to the Sun.
Bright singles wandering the universe or a sparkling “sweet” couple “dancing” in a circle in a distant black space. Amazing space creatures.
Introducing interesting facts about stars
Stargazers claim that basically all the stars in the sky live on rootstocks. This is how “small + big” stars reach out to each other and live in pairs.
All stars have colossal nuclear power and possess highest temperature. However, there are also those that have already “outlived their usefulness” - white dwarfs. They are already “dead” and simply exist in the form of a very dense body, without having a hot stellar temperature.
There are also so-called black holes. They are a kind of “antonyms” to dwarfs. Thus, their appearance is due to the presence of huge stars, which, due to their enormous mass, have a monstrous gravitational force. It is thanks to such large star clusters that massive black holes appear.
Stars consisting of only neutrons are another “achievement” of space. They perform the function of “heavenly balance”, being a source of light.
So, observing how the sky is in an unusual color - very bright and sparkling at night, this is precisely the merit of such creatures.
Studying space in its entirety, scientists have reached a consensus - the maximum size of a star that can exist in the world is a weight of about 120 solar masses. This is the extreme size of a star that can be contained in space.
In space there is a blue hypergiant star - the hottest star - Pistol. Its temperature is simply prohibitive, it seems that it could burst into flames at any second. However, this has not happened yet, fortunately. How much longer Pistol can live in this “limit mode” without cooling down at all is unknown. It is a pity that this miracle can only be seen with the help of a special telescope, since the star is shrouded in a nebula that does not transmit visible light.
Scientists say that if you peer into the night sky, trying to find the most distant star there, you can plunge with your own eyes into the distant past 4 billion years ago.
You can find other interesting facts about stars in the film "".
Constellations are areas of the starry sky. To better navigate the starry sky, ancient people began to identify groups of stars that could be linked into individual figures, similar objects, mythological characters and animals. This system allowed people to organize the night sky, making each part of it easily recognizable. This simplified the study of celestial bodies, helped measure time, apply astronomical knowledge in agriculture and navigate by the stars. The stars that we see in our sky as if in one area can actually be extremely far from each other. In one constellation there may be stars that are in no way connected with each other, both very close and very far from the Earth.
There are 88 official constellations in total. In 1922, the International Astronomical Union officially recognized 88 constellations, 48 of which were described by the ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy in his star catalog Almagest around 150 BC. There were gaps in Ptolemy's maps, especially regarding the southern sky. Which is quite logical - the constellations described by Ptolemy covered that part of the night sky that is visible from the south of Europe. The remaining gaps began to be filled during the times of the great geographical discoveries. In the 14th century, the Dutch scientists Gerard Mercator, Pieter Keyser and Frederic de Houtman added new constellations to the existing list, and the Polish astronomer Jan Hevelius and the French Nicolas Louis de Lacaille completed what Ptolemy had started. On the territory of Russia, out of 88 constellations, about 54 can be observed. 
Knowledge about the constellations came to us from ancient cultures. Ptolemy compiled a map of the starry sky, but people used knowledge about the constellations long before that. At least in the 8th century BC, when Homer mentioned Bootes, Orion and the Big Dipper in his poems “Iliad” and “Odyssey”, people were already grouping the sky into separate figures. It is believed that the bulk of the knowledge of the ancient Greeks about the constellations came to them from the Egyptians, who, in turn, inherited it from the inhabitants of Ancient Babylon, Sumerians or Akkadians. About thirty constellations were already distinguished by the inhabitants of the Late Bronze Age, in 1650−1050. BC, judging by the records on clay tablets Ancient Mesopotamia. References to constellations can also be found in Hebrew biblical texts. The most remarkable constellation, perhaps, is the constellation Orion: in almost every ancient culture it had its own name and was revered as special. So, in Ancient Egypt he was considered the incarnation of Osiris, and in Ancient Babylon he was called “The Faithful Shepherd of Heaven.” But the most amazing discovery was made in 1972: a piece of ivory a mammoth, more than 32 thousand years old, on which the constellation Orion was carved. 
We see different constellations depending on the time of year. Throughout the year, we see different parts of the sky (and different celestial bodies, respectively) because the Earth makes its annual voyage around the Sun. The constellations we see at night are those located behind the Earth on our side of the Sun, because... During the day, behind the bright rays of the Sun, we are unable to see them.
To better understand how this works, imagine that you are riding on a merry-go-round (this is the Earth) with a very bright, blinding light emanating from the center (the Sun). You will not be able to see what is in front of you because of the light, but you will only be able to discern what is outside the carousel. In this case, the picture will constantly change as you ride in a circle. Which constellations you observe in the sky and at what time of year they appear also depends on the geographic latitude of the viewer. 
Constellations travel from east to west, like the Sun. As soon as it begins to get dark, at dusk, the first constellations appear in the eastern part of the sky to pass across the entire sky and disappear with dawn in the western part. Due to the rotation of the Earth around its axis, it seems that the constellations, like the Sun, rise and set. The constellations we just observed on the western horizon just after sunset will soon disappear from our view, to be replaced by constellations that were higher up at sunset just a few weeks ago.
Constellations arising in the east have a diurnal shift of about 1 degree per day: completing a 360-degree trip around the Sun in 365 days gives about the same speed. Exactly one year later, at the same time, the stars will occupy exactly the same position in the sky. 
The movement of stars is an illusion and a matter of perspective. The direction in which stars move across the night sky is determined by the rotation of the Earth on its axis and really depends on the perspective and which way the viewer is facing.
Looking north, the constellations appear to move counterclockwise around a fixed point in the night sky, the so-called north celestial pole, located near the North Star. This perception is due to the fact that the earth rotates from west to east, i.e. the earth under your feet moves to the right, and the stars like the Sun, Moon and planets above your head follow the east-west direction, i.e. to the right left. However, if you face south, the stars will appear to move clockwise, from left to right. 
Zodiac constellations- these are those through which the Sun moves. The most famous constellations out of the 88 existing ones are the zodiacal ones. These include those through which the center of the Sun passes during the year. It is generally accepted that there are 12 zodiacal constellations in total, although in fact there are 13 of them: from November 30 to December 17, the Sun is in the constellation Ophiuchus, but astrologers do not classify it as a zodiac constellation. All zodiacal constellations are located along the visible annual path of the Sun among the stars, the ecliptic, at an inclination of 23.5 degrees to the equator. 
Some constellations have families are groups of constellations located in the same area of the night sky. As a rule, they assign the names of the most significant constellation. The most “largely populated” constellation is Hercules, which has as many as 19 constellations. Other major families include Ursa Major (10 constellations), Perseus (9) and Orion (9). 
Celebrity constellations. The most big constellation- Hydra, it extends over more than 3% of the night sky, while the smallest in area, the Southern Cross, occupies only 0.165% of the sky. Centauri boasts the largest number visible stars: 101 stars are included in the famous constellation of the southern hemisphere of the sky. The constellation Canis Major includes the brightest star in our sky, Sirius, whose brilliance is −1.46m. But the constellation called Table Mountain is considered the dimmest and does not contain stars brighter than 5th magnitude. Let us recall that in the numerical characteristic of the brightness of celestial bodies than less value, the brighter the object (the brightness of the Sun, for example, is −26.7m). 
Asterism- this is not a constellation. An asterism is a group of stars with an established name, for example, the “Big Dipper,” which is part of the constellation Ursa Major, or “Orion’s Belt,” three stars encircling the figure of Orion in the constellation of the same name. In other words, these are fragments of constellations that have secured a separate name for themselves. The term itself is not strictly scientific, but rather simply represents a tribute to tradition. 
Read 10 interesting facts about stars in space: the closest star, what they are made of, red dwarfs, stellar pairs, the relationship between mass and lifespan.
Are you sure you know everything about these formations? The information below may refresh your memory or surprise you. The rating of interesting facts about stars in space will reveal unusual details of their characteristics and behavior with photos. Let us remind you that to independently search for celestial bodies through a telescope, use an online star map. Our website also has real-time telescopes and 3D models that allow you to take a virtual tour of any stars and constellations in the Milky Way galaxy. Now let's go back to interesting facts about stars in space.
Interesting facts about the stars of the Universe
- Nearest star – Sun
Our fireball, the Sun, is not only the source of life in the system, but also a typical star of the Universe, 150 million km away. It is a yellow dwarf (G2) in the main sequence stage. It will take another 4.5 billion years to burn off the hydrogen reserves, and will last another 7 billion years. When the fuel is completely exhausted, it transforms into a red giant. The process will cause it to increase in size, consuming nearby planets. Yes, it can also get caught.
All stars have the same composition
There are stars various types and classifications, but they are all born from cold molecular hydrogen, which is destroyed due to gravitational influence. In this process, the gas is broken into several parts, which in the future will become full-fledged stars. The material accumulates into a spherical shape, and is still destroyed until it activates nuclear fusion within the core.
We are talking about the original gas that appeared since the Big Bang (74% hydrogen and 25% helium). Standard ratio: ¾ hydrogen and ¼ helium. But as stars develop, they transform hydrogen into helium. That is why the current ratio of y is 70% hydrogen and 29% helium (a small percentage goes to other microelements).
The stars are in balance
Of course, you don’t notice it, but the stars are experiencing conflict every second. Exists overall strength gravity that makes them retract. With such a mechanism, the star should be sucked into itself until it turns into a small point, as happens with the neutron type. But there is a counterbalance in the form of light. Nuclear fusion generates enormous energy reserves. Photons are constantly rushing out. As the star increases in brightness, it also expands in size, transforming into a red giant. Once the pressure ends, they collapse into a white dwarf.
Most are red dwarfs
If you divided all the stellar types into groups, then the largest class is red dwarfs. Their mass reaches less than half the solar mass (some - 7.5%). If the indicators are lower, then it will not have enough gravitational pressure to increase the temperature and start nuclear fusion (brown dwarfs). They consume less than 1/10000th of solar energy reserves. They can shine for 10 trillion years before all the hydrogen runs out.
Mass = temperature = light
You may have noticed that the stars are different colors. Red ones are considered the coldest (3500 Kelvin). Yellow-white (like the Sun) reach 6000 Kelvin. And the blue ones achieve maximum intensity - 12,000 Kelvin and above. So, temperature and star color are closely related. But the temperature indicators will depend on the mass. The larger, the larger the nucleus and the more extensive nuclear fusion will take place. However, we should not forget about the red giants, which do not fit into this rule. Such a star may look like the size of the Sun, but exist as a white star. But one day it begins to expand and gain brightness. But the blue one will always be massive and hot.
Many live in couples
It seems that they are all single, but among them there are a lot of pair structures. We are talking about double stars in which there is a common center of gravity. But this is not the limit. You can find 3-4 stars. Think how bright the sunrise would be if you were woken up by one, but, for example, 4 suns.
The largest stars will devour Saturn
Within our system, the Sun seems like a real monster. But in the Universe you can find real supergiants that can easily destroy our humble star. Let's remember Betelgeuse (the constellation Orion), which exceeds the mass of our star by 20 times and is 1000 times larger. But this is not the limit. The first largest is VY Canis Majoris, which is 1800 times larger than the Sun. It could easily fit into the orbit of Saturn!
The more massive they are, the faster they die.
Unfortunately, the age of giants is not so great. They can generate colossal amounts of energy and are terrifying in size. For example, Eta Carinae lives 8000 light years away, whose mass is equal to 150 solar, and its energy is 4 million times more. But while the modest Sun will quietly live out its billions of years, Eta Carinae has only millions left. Literally at any moment it can explode in the form of a supernova. The light will be so strong that it will equal day and night on Earth for a while.
There are a huge number of them
Our galaxy alone numbers 200-400 billion. And each may have a planetary system, and somewhere even a planet with life similar to us. But the point is that there are 500 billion galaxies in the Universe. Just multiply these numbers and realize that 2 x 10 23 stars can coexist in space.
- They are very distant
Although there are many of them, only a certain part is available to us. The closest is located 4.2 light years away - Proxima Centauri. How long does it take to fly to her? Well, if you have the fastest modern ship, then 70,000 years. Unfortunately, interstellar travel is not yet available to us.