astronomy field of study Can Stars Collide?

Imagine a really bad day. Perhaps you're imagining a day where the Sun crashes into another star, destroying most of the Solar System.

No? Well then, even in your imagination things aren't so bad... It's all just matter of perspective. Fortunately for us, we live in out the boring suburbs of the Milky Way. Out here, distances between stars are so vast that collisions are incredibly rare.

There are places in the Milky Way where stars are crowded more densely, like globular clusters, and we get to see the aftermath of these collisions. These clusters are ancient spherical structures that can contain hundreds of thousands of stars, all of which formed together, shortly after the Big Bang.

Within one of these clusters, stars average about a light year apart, and at their core, they can get as close to one another as the radius of our Solar System.

With all these stars buzzing around for billions of years, you can imagine they've gotten up to some serious mischief. Within globular clusters there are these mysterious blue straggler stars. They're large hot stars, and if they had formed with the rest of the cluster, they would have detonated as supernovae billions of years ago.

So scientists figure that they must have formed recently. How?

"Hi, I'm Professor Mark Morris of the University of California at Los Angeles in the Department of Physics and Astronomy."

Astronomers think they're the result of a stellar collision. Perhaps a binary pair of stars merged, or maybe two stars smashed into one another.

"When you see two stars colliding with each other, it depends on how fast they're moving. If they're moving at speeds like we see at the center of our galaxy, then the collision is extremely violent. If it's a head-on collision, the stars get completely splashed to the far corners of the galaxy. If they're merging at slower velocities than we see at our neck of the woods in our galaxy, then stars are more happy to merge with us and coalesce into one single, more massive object."

There's another place in the Milky Way where you've got a dense collection of stars, racing around at breakneck speeds... near the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy. This monster black hole contains the mass of 4 million times the Sun, and dominates the region around the center of the Milky Way.
Stars whip around it, like comets dart around our Sun, and interactions are commonplace.
There's another scenario that can crash stars together. The Milky Way mostly has multiple star systems. Several stars can be orbiting a common center of gravity. Many are great distances, but some can have orbits tighter than the planets around our Sun.

When one star reaches the end of its life, expanding into a red giant, It can consume its binary partner. The consumed star then strips away 90% of the mass of the red giant, leaving behind a rapidly pulsating remnant.

What about when galaxies collide? That sounds like a recipe for mayhem.
Surprisingly, not so much.

Read more at http://www.universetoday.com/107244/c...
Thanks to Professor Mark Morris at UCLA - visit the Physics and Astronomy program homepage at http://www.pa.ucla.edu/.

astronomy field of study Can Stars Collide?
483 Likes	483 Dislikes
35,529 views views	253K followers
Science & Technology	Upload TimePublished on 16 Dec 2013

Related keywords

mark morris bluetones,milky way hotel jericoacoara,elliptical galaxy stellaris,supermassive black hole size,galaxy a10,space news in tamil,space news nasa,red giant trapcode particular,mark morrison net worth,elliptical galaxy m87,spiral galaxy ngc 2985,fraser cain age,ucla scale,globular clusters definition,astronomy domine letra,astronomy news,milky way over canola field in nsw australia,red giant vfx suite,fraser cain credentials,astronomy tools,big bang theory netflix,red giant vfx,stars collide song lyrics,supernovae explosions,galaxies mtl squonk rdta,universe today podcast,mark morris institute,universe 25,red giant vfx suite serial number,universe today newsletter,uclan denys h.265 pro combo шаринг,universe today,mark morrison - return of the mack lyrics,mark morris infinite air,black holes colliding,space jam 2 cast,universe today venus,uclan denys h.265,mars attacks,fraser cain wiki,marsha p johnson,astronomy letra,big bang top,space news moon,universe quotes,elliptical galaxy size,fraser cain wikipedia,supernova definition,red giant trapcode download,big bang theory season 1,universe today pluto,galaxies spirales,nasa shirt,black holes aren't black,globular clusters quizlet,galaxy a30,elliptical galaxy examples,nasal decongestant,galaxy s7,galaxy para siempre,galaxy s8,galaxy s9,solar system model,solar system map,nasal cavity,solar system coloring pages,universe meaning,milky way traduccion,andromeda galaxy triangulum galaxy,stars collide jason savage,spiral galaxy definition,earth science regents,big bang theory lyrics,mark morrison return of the mack letra en español,universe of obligation,spiral galaxy vs elliptical galaxy,fraser cain bio,black holes and time warps,galaxy a20,fraser cains actor,stars collide movie 2020,stars collide quotes,fraser cain book,elliptical galaxy characteristics,galaxies invisibles,uclan ustym 4k pro combo,universe tickets,marshmello,universe today jupiter,mark morrissey,stars collide hp munro,earthlink webmail,milky way galaxy,galaxy a50,nasa florida,elliptical galaxy shape,stars collide atlanta,red giant universe vhs,elliptical galaxy classification,nasa lyrics,black holes for kids,galaxy note 10,universe today fraser cain,black holes apocalypse,mark morris dance group,space news mars,space mountain,two stars collide sound,solar system scope,stars collide movie atlanta,universe (quotation subject),two neutron stars colliding,stars collide song,universe today book,uclan b6 full hd,astronomy metallica,supernova movie,universe definition,mark morris dance center,red giant universe,globular clusters in sagittarius,astronomy picture of the day,galaxy a70,black holes articles,solar system bracelet,fraser cain wife,universe today news,nasal congestion,universe today mars,red giant universe 3,universe today neptune,nasa news,fraser cain podcast,space jam,galaxies visibles à l'oeil nu,supernova hair,globular clusters in milky way,uclan denys h.265 eu,universe age,supermassive black hole netflix,spiral galaxy meaning,universe today years of the planets,globular clusters vs open clusters,galaxies mtl rta,marshall plan,elliptical galaxy facts,red giant adalah,two stars colliding 2022,black holes in space,two stars collide garabandal,astronomy domine lyrics,astronomy domine tab,space news india,elliptical galaxy age,supermassive black hole merger,spiral galaxy wallpaper,red giant trapcode,universe today mercury,black holes nasa,supernova vegan,marshall store,solar system song,space news articles,mark morrison 2019,uclan ustym 4k,galaxies univers,solar system drawing,galaxy j6,black holes in the milky way,earthquake now,stars collide 2022,galaxy j4,nasa hoodie,red giant link,spiral galaxy pictures,space news in hindi,black holes definition,space jam 2,supernovae reddit,astronomy reddit,universe sandbox,big bang finale,spiral galaxy examples,andromeda galaxy milky way galaxy collision,supermassive black hole center of milky way,elliptical galaxy diagram,globular clusters are composed of,astronomy software,nasa jobs,universe tattoo,ucla bruins,galaxies elliptiques,mark morris dance,fraser cain patreon,fraser cain biography,universe of stories,black holes facts,earthquake near me,fraser cain youtube,solar system watch,globular clusters northern hemisphere,galaxy j4 core,space newsletter,supermassive black hole lyrics meaning,supermassive black hole tab,nasa space center,stars collide font,milky way chocolate,milky way 3d map,mark morrison - return of the mack,spacex stock,space news websites,black holes netflix,galaxy edge,astronomy for dummies pdf,milky way galaxy andromeda galaxy,supermassive black hole collision,marshall beach,nasacort,big bang kpop,supernova song,spiral galaxy milky way,galaxy s10 precio,universe today saturn,spiral galaxy 28948,big bang bernadette,mark morris pepperland,galaxies hubble,nasa astronaut anne mcclain,globular clusters in m31,universe today twitter,space needle,mark morris high school,space news podcast,big bang theory season 12,uclan denys h.265 pro combo eu,big bang pizza,uclan accommodation,andromeda galaxy andromeda galaxy,big bang theory ending,spiral galaxy png,spiral galaxy video,astronomy domine chords,fraser cain newsletter,galaxy s10,fraser cain twitter,universe today uranus,supermassive black holes documentary,astronomy lyrics,elliptical galaxy name,mark morrison return of the mack mp3,universe background,globular clusters are composed of what kind of stars,earthquake california,astronomy and astrophysics,nasal vestibulitis,black holes for dummies,marshmallow,supermassive black hole muse,black holes and revelations,universe today logo,space center houston,supernova,supernovae visible from earth,eartha kitt,solar system for kids,supermassive black hole picture,universe today app,fraser cain net worth,milky way collides with andromeda,2 stars colliding,big bang theory theme song,space news daily,stars collide filled font,marshall ca,red giant trapcode suite kuyhaa,astronomy names,supernova girl,earth signs,mark morrison,stars collide font free,red giant universe 3.0.2,big bang theory wiki,uclan denys h.265 iptv,milky way definition,universe today patreon,stars collide jason savage lyrics,galaxy a7,galaxy buds,milky way black hole,spiral galaxy simulation,nasal polyps,nasa fcu,universe sandbox free,supermassive black hole chords,uclan denys h.265 pro combo,supernovae pronunciation,universe today big bang theory,red giant pluraleyes,ucla ranking,spiral galaxy vector,space news app,stars collide vitamin a,elliptical galaxy pictures,earth lyrics,galaxies connues,milky way meaning,spiral galaxy games,earth lil dicky,milky ways boss fight,marshalls san jose,red giant bagas31,black holes threat,uclan denys,galaxy s10e,fraser cain education,supermassive black hole image,milky way lyrics,video of two stars colliding,nasa two stars colliding,fraser cain email,spiral galaxy fulfillment,earth wind and fire,red giant sun,black holes news,red giant lut buddy premiere cs6,space crime,red giant particular,marshawn lynch,spacex,big bang theory episodes,universe synonym,earth shoes,space news now,supermassive black hole lyrics,earth fare,elliptical galaxy properties,marsai martin,earthquake bay area,earthquake today,solar system definition,uclan library,nasa houston,black holes in the universe,space news 2019,uclan,supernovae type 1a,big bang theory characters,stars collide lyrics,milky way map,space coast credit union,solar system diagram,ucla anderson school of management,two stars collide 2018,red giant magic bullet,two stars collide 2017,earthgang,globular clusters orbit the milky way,mark morris dance classes,astronomy metallica lyrics,space cowboys,space news asteroid,uclan email,supernova casino,earthlink,nasal spray,galaxies mtl,galaxies mtl rda,marsupial,milky way wallpaper,uclan scopus,astronomy books,space news reddit,supermassive black hole album,ucla film & television archive,galaxy m10,supernovae meaning,spiral galaxy tattoo,spiral galaxy m51,astronomy domine,milky way chocolate argentina,galaxies lointaines,marshall islands,two stars collide gif,big bang theory finale,solar system tattoo,elliptical galaxy stars,elliptical galaxy types,fraser cain death threats,space race,marshall faulk,two binary stars colliding,space news uk,http://spacenews.com,spaceballs,supermassive black hole live,galaxy a80,galaxy note 8,elliptical galaxy description,mars bar,globular clusters are found mainly,big bang theory,elliptical galaxy definition,red giant shooter suite,supermassive black hole size comparison,globular clusters in andromeda,fraser cains grange hill,nasa astronauts,stars collide movie,supernovae types,supernovae standard candles,globular clusters older than universe,solar system mobile,image of two stars colliding,solar system to scale,big bang theory bernadette,earthquake los angeles,black holes on earth,mark morrisroe,supermassive black hole sagittarius a,milky way wallpaper 4k,universe wallpaper,space force,milky way argentina,mark morrison - moan and groan,elliptical galaxy vs spiral,solar system facts,two stars colliding name,nasa amazon fire,supernova lyrics,space movies,marshalls,universe towing,solar system planets,nasa logo,solar system names,space invaders,spiral galaxy generator,solar system stony brook,spiral galaxy formation,universe appliance,milky way cases,2 stars colliding 2022,stars collide tv show,marsala wine,universe today earth,supernova nyc,space news australia,mark morrison return of the mack mp3 download,supermassive black hole milky way reddit,universe pictures,earthquake,elliptical galaxy drawing,marsha edwards,solar system order,space station,spacex launch,big bang theory last episode,galaxies mtl rdta - vapefly,milky way ediciones,big bang members,stars collide casting,stars collide meaning,black holes theory,space news magazine,supernova marissa meyer,marshmello face,galaxies visibles,solar system project,space shuttle,galaxies revue,space camp,big bang theory cast,astronomy linux,fraser cain astronomy,astronomy wallpaper,supermassive black hole twilight,black holes solid ground,supernovae vs supernova,earthbound,supermassive black hole bass tab,milky way midnight,spiral galaxy nasa,stars collide lined font,universe dota,elliptical galaxy meaning,2 stars colliding 2017,marseille,universe toyota,earthworm sally,