Space & Astronomy
Exploring "Why" questions about Space & Astronomy
480 articles
Why computer hard drives never contain the full amount of space advertised?
Almost all of the difference will be due to manufacturers using the SI prefixes (mega, giga etc.) to their proper definitions of increments of 1000, whereas your operating system will be reporting tho
Why do photos of other planets look fake?
Some of the photos are false color, and not what they really look like. An actual photo of Saturn doesn't really look fake though.
Why did the Bosnian war start?
The collapse of Yugoslavia and rising ethnic tensions flamed by politicians who aimed to gain power and prestige for mostly themselves and a little bit for their nation. A really good documentary on t
why nasal congestion seems to switch from nostril to nostril periodically while sick
Nasal inhalation (breathing in through your nose) is done favouring alternate sides every few hours or so. While you do take in air through both nostrils every time you inhale, you take a majority in
Why haven’t we been back to the moon if we’ve already been? Why haven’t we been back since then?
It's really expensive, and not incredibly valuable scientifically to send humans to the moon. You are far better off spending those dollars on probes sent to other planets and moons in the solar syste
why will the sun burn something through a magnifying glass but if the sun hits eye glasses it wont burn your eyes?
Because glasses don't so much magnify as distort the light going through them to focus it where the eye needs it. You can create a heat spot with some lenses but you have to aim them directly at the s
Why is that when you look at the second hand on a watch or a clock, it seems to take extra time to start moving?
This is called the stopped-clock illusion and an example of what is known as [Chronostasis](_URL_0_). Basically your eyes are lying to you all the time and you only notice it when you do things like l
Why are planets/stars round and not random shapes?
Because gravity tries to pull everything as close together as possible. The most efficient shape for this is a sphere. Every single chunk of a perfect sphere is as close as it can possibly be to the c
Why is Tiangong-1 falling from space?
Low-altitude space stations like this are not *quite* outside the atmosphere. So the tiny bit of atmosphere at their huge altitude drags on them, slowing them down, which eventually make them fall.
Why is it that in the dark when staring at something in your peripheral vision it is easier to make out then directly staring at it?
There are two types of receptors in your eye. Rods are good at detecting contrast and movement. Cones are good for color and detailed information.