The doomed star Eta Carinae, it is blowing itself apart before it finally goes supernova Click on image for full size (37K JPG) Hubble Space Telescope image courtesy of STScI

When stars die they die in many different ways. When normal stars, like our sun, die they leave behind a White Dwarf. When really big stars die they often blow up in a huge explosion called a Supernova. Depending on how big a star was that went supernova, a Neutron Star or a Black Hole may be left behind.

There are stranger things in space. Not very long ago astronomers were confused by the mystery of Quasars. These objects look like stars but are much farther away than stars in our galaxy. And they are much brighter.

There is an effect that has caused excitement among astronomers called Gravitational Lensing. This is where really big things, like galaxies and galaxy clusters, actually bend light like a lens using gravity!

One of the strangest things in space is the mystery of Gamma Ray Bursts. These are what seem to be bursts of gamma rays, you know the radiation that made the Incredible Hulk. They come from every direction in the sky.

The doomed star Eta Carinae, it is blowing itself apart before it finally goes supernova Click on image for full size (37K JPG) Hubble Space Telescope image courtesy of STScI

When stars die they go out in many different ways. When normal stars, like our sun, die they go by throwing off their outer layers and leaving behind a White Dwarf. When really massive stars die they often blow up in a huge explosion called a Supernova. Depending on how massive a star was that went supernova, a Neutron Star or a Black Hole may be left behind as a monument to the star's life.

But there are still stranger things in space. Not very long ago astronomers were baffled by the mystery of Quasars. These objects look like stars but are much farther away than stars in our galaxy and they are much brighter.

There is also a phenomenon that has caused much excitement and wonder among astronomers called Gravitational Lensing. This is where really massive things, like galaxies and galaxy clusters, actually bend light like a lens using gravity!

But one of the strangest things in space is the mystery of Gamma Ray Bursts. These are what seem to be random bursts of gamma rays, you know the radiation that made the Incredible Hulk. They come from every direction in the sky, they never repeat, and they are very energetic.

The doomed star Eta Carinae, it is blowing itself apart before it finally goes supernova Click on image for full size (37K JPG) Hubble Space Telescope image courtesy of STScI

When stars die they go out in many different ways. When average mass stars, like our sun, die they go by throwing off their outer layers and leaving behind a White Dwarf. When very massive stars die they often blow themsleves apart in a huge explosion called a Supernova. Depending on how massive a star was that went supernova, a Neutron Star or a perhaps a Black Hole may be left behind as a monument to its former glory.

There are still stranger things in space. Not very long ago astronomers were baffled by the mystery of Quasars. These objects look like stars but are much farther away than stars in our galaxy and they are much more luminous than entire galaxies.

There is also a phenomenon (no, not John Travolta) that has caused much excitement and wonder among astronomers called Gravitational Lensing. This is where massive objects, like galaxies and galaxy clusters, actually bend light like a lens, using gravity! Is that wacky or what!?

One of the strangest things in space is the mystery of Gamma Ray Bursts. These are what seem to be random bursts of gamma rays, you know the radiation that transformed Bruce Banner into the Incredible Hulk. They come from every direction in the sky, they never repeat, and they may indicate the most energetic processes ever seen.