Pulsating Stars
|
All through the galaxy, we find stars that pulsate. Gravity makes stars
very spherical. Because of this, we can describe the pulsations with math
functions called spherical harmonics. The patterns of these functions
depend on two numbers, usually called "l" and "m".
The value of "l" changes the total number of hot and cool zones. The value
of "m" can only be between "-l" and "+l". It changes how the hot and cool
zones move around the surface.
From far away, we can only see the brightness change when "l" is small.
Play with the values of "l" and "m" to see some of the different ways
stars can pulsate.
|
Sounds of the Stars
Astronomers Discover New Type of Pulsating White Dwarf Star
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
The
Fall 2009 issue of The Earth Scientist, which includes articles on student research into building design for earthquakes and a classroom lab on the composition of the Earth’s ancient atmosphere, is available in our
online store.
You might also be interested in:
How did life evolve on Earth? The answer to this question can help us understand our past and prepare for our future. Although evolution provides credible and reliable answers, polls show that many people turn away from science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable.
...more
Sir Arthur Eddington is the author of a book called The Internal Constitution of the Stars. He wrote: "At first sight it would seem that the deep interior of the sun and stars is less accessible... than
...more
The pinpoints of light that you see in the night sky are stars. Your ability to see the stars depends on how bright they are (their "absolute magnitude"), as well as how close they are to Earth. Stars
...more
The European Space Agency recently launched a satellite to study convection and rotation in pulsating stars. The mission will also look for planets that "transit" these distant stars. Scientists from France
...more
In March 2009, NASA launched the Kepler satellite. This mission is designed to discover Earth-like planets around Sun-like stars. The satellite has a 0.95-m telescope with many digital cameras to monitor
...more
What's in a Name: Star designated 40 in the constellation Eridanus. Claim to Fame: One of the first white dwarfs found. A white dwarf is the exposed extremely hot core of a star that has blown off its
...more
What's in a Name: Double Star designated 61 in Cygnus the Swan Claim to Fame: Some of the closest stars to the sun(13th closest). Moving very rapidly through space as seen from Earth at a rate of ~45,
...more
What's in a Name: Arabic for "Follower" because it rises after the Pleiades. The Pleiades is a group of 6 stars traveling together through space. The eye of the constellation Taurus, the bull. Claim to
...more
