Stellar Systems
Stars, constellations, and stellar phenomena.
What Does a Star’s Metallicity Tell Us—and What Can’t It?
A star's metallicity reveals chemical context. Read [Fe/H], distinguish number ratios from total metal mass, and check age and planet claims.
How Do Runaway Stars Escape Their Birthplaces?
Runaway stars can leave a cluster through close encounters or binary disruption after a supernova. Their motions and companions help test those histories.
Why Do Eclipsing Binaries Have Two Different Dips?
Two equal-size stars can produce very different eclipse depths. A simple flux calculation separates hidden light, surface brightness, size, and mass.
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What Is a Second-Generation Planet? Hubble’s White-Dwarf Candidate
A second-generation planet would form from material released late in a star’s life. The HS 0209+0832 candidate shows how spectra, chemistry, and timing can test that possibility.
Apparent vs. Absolute Magnitude: How Bright Is a Star?
Apparent and absolute magnitude answer different brightness questions. Worked ratios and a hypothetical star at three distances make the scale usable.
How Do Astronomers Measure the Mass of a Star?
The mass of a star can be measured through its orbital motion. A binary system reveals a combined mass, and its shared motion helps separate the two values.
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How White Dwarfs Trace the History of Old Star Systems
White dwarfs preserve clues about the ages, evolution, and past activity of the old star systems they inhabit.
How Variable Stars Reveal Changes Inside Stellar Systems
Variable stars change in brightness over time, offering astronomers a way to study stellar structure, evolution, and the dynamics of star systems.
Star Clusters: Types, Formation, and How We Study Them
Explore how star clusters form, how open and globular clusters differ, and what these groups of stars reveal about stellar evolution and the Milky Way.
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