Star sisters: Around 500 stars born together in Theia 456 are now moving together
All the stars streams in the Milky Way have been conveniently named Theia for the Greek Titan goddess of sight and heavenly light.
Jan 19, 2021 10:46:30 IST
Scientists have found that around 500 stars belonging to a stellar stream called Theia 456 that were born at the same time and are now moving together in the same direction. Stars are usually found in clusters that are circular in nature however a stellar stream has stars lined up in a linear way. This relatively linear line, scientists believe are formed when stars that were once tight clusters have been gradually ripped apart and stretched by tidal forces. This new study also found that the Milky Way houses some 8,292 such streams.
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At first glance, you d be forgiven for mistaking this footage for a scene from the latest science fiction blockbuster.
But it is very much real, and shows in dramatic detail just how much the moon wobbles in the sky during each 27-day orbit.
Lunar photographer Andrew McCarthy spent hundreds of hours over 22 consecutive nights, taking thousands of photos of the moon as it waxed and then waned through nearly a full orbit.
While the wobbling , known as libration, is a well-known phenomenon, the incredible footage showcases just how much the moon changes angle as it rotates.
WHY DOES THE MOON WOBBLE ?
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The final full moon of 2020 lit up the night sky on Tuesday evening across the world
It is known as the Cold Moon because it appears when winter begins in the northern hemisphere
Clear skies across much of the country saw some spectacular photographs being taken of the celestial body
This particular full moon is also known as called the Long Night Moon or the Moon Before Yule
The last full moon of 2020 slips in between two year-end holidays of Christmas and New Year
Stargazers were treated to a final astronomical sight of the year on Tuesday night as the last full moon of the 2020 rose into the night sky and shone down on the planet leading to some spectacular photographs being taken from coast to coast across the United States.