Definitions by onebadasp

Supernova

The cataclysmic explosion of a massive star. A Supernova may, for a short time, out shine an entire galaxy of a hundred billion ordinary stars. It is thought to leave behind a highly compressed neutron star.

Our Sun could never go supernova because it is simply too small. Only a massive star could die as a supernova.

Supernova by OneBadAsp October 21, 2006

Comet 

A small icy body--usually only a few kilometers across--that orbits a star. Most comets orbit the Sun beyond the outermost planets in an enormous cloud known as the Oort cloud.

Like asteroids, comets are builders' rubble left over from the formation of the planets.

Comet by OneBadAsp October 21, 2006

Arrow of Time 

The direction of time associated with entropy increasing, people growing old and dying, coffee mugs breaking, and the like.

The Arrow of Time as hit me again as I watch many things I loved disapear.

Arrow of Time by OneBadAsp October 21, 2006

Brane 

An abbreviation for membrane. Branes can be in any dimension up to eleven. They are the basis of the M-Theory, the leading Theory of Everything. If we take a cross-section of an eleven-dimensional membrane, we obtain a ten-dimensional string. A string is therefore a one-brane.

One theory is that our universe was created by two branes smashing into each other.

Brane by OneBadAsp October 21, 2006

Blue Shift 

The increase in the frequency of starlight because of the Doppler shift. If a yellow star is moving toward you, it's light will appear slightly bluish. In outer space, blue shifted galaxies are rare. Blue shift can also be created by shrinking the space between two points via gravity or space warps.

Red shift is more common than blue shift because most objects in our expaning universe are moving away from us.

Blue Shift by OneBadAsp October 21, 2006

Light Year

1. The distance light travels in one year, or approximately 5.88 trillion miles.

2. A figure of speech meaning very advanced.

1. The nearest star is about 4 light years away, and our galaxy is about 100,000 light years across.

2. If alien's exist, chances are they're light years ahead of us in technology.

Light Year by OneBadAsp October 21, 2006

M-Theory 

The most advanced version of the cosmic string theory. M-theory exists in eleven-dimentional hyperspace, where two-branes and five-branes can exist. There are five ways in which M-Theory can be reduced down to ten dimensions, thereby giving us the five known superstring theories, which are now revealed to be the same theory.

The full equations governing M-theory are totally unknown.

M-Theory by OneBadAsp October 21, 2006