Space & Astronomy
Exploring "Why" questions about Space & Astronomy
479 articles
Why do phallic objects startle cats so easily?
Sorry to repost this from last week...but this has been done before... I've noticed with a couple of ours that long thin cylindrical objects spook them more than other shapes. The more snake-like it i
Why are spaces not valid characters when entering a username, password, or similar fields on a computer?
They are totally valid. There's no reason why you can't use any character you like. What usually happens is that a programmer will try to protect the system from malicious attacks by limiting the "spe
Why can’t I ‘wrap my head’ around certain ideas, such as space-time or the shape of the universe, when others can?
It is not that people can 'wrap their heads around' these things. These things are all unintuitive, and no one really understands them. It is just that other people are fine with that - They recognize
Why does electricity “want” to be grounded. If there was a bigger planet then Earth here would electricity jump to it instead ?
The more general rule is that a system will tend to minimize its potential energy. For example, a ball on the top of a hill "wants" to roll down to minimize its gravitational potential energy. Similar
Why are models of our solar system always shown with the planets rotating the sun in a 2D plane?
For the most part they do rotate in an almost 2D plane. I think Uranus's orbit is slightly skewed from the rest of the planets, but for the most part it's the most stable orientation. It's kind of lik
Why does NASA and other space agencies launch their rockets pointed straight up, at a dead stop? (MIC)
One of the most fuel-intensive things about getting into orbit is trying to overcome atmospheric drag. It really kills your fuel efficiency. So launches start by going straight up in order to get thro
Why is Jupiter so ridiculously radioactive?
Jupiter itself isn't radioactive, it just has a huge and powerful magnetosphere. This forms radiation belts much like Earth's own Van Allen belts, but they're way stronger because Jupiter is massive.
Why were the Star Wars prequels considered so bad?
Personally, my question would be more along the lines of "why were the original Star Wars movies considered to be so good?" They had awful scenes and dumb humor throughout. The greatest thing about S
Why does a sunburn not hurt for several hours after actually being in the sun too long?
As your body's response, capillaries open up, allowing more blood to the affected area. This aids in the healing process but also makes the area feel warmer and more tender. However, the response isn'
Why are Star Wars I-III so unsatisfying?
I believe the general sentiment is that while 4-6 were mainly story driven surrounded by great special effects, 1-3 were based on a very poor story and mainly focused on special effects.