Q&A: General Astronomy and Space Science
Q:
Where did the energy come from that caused the newly created
Earth to be in a molten state?
A:
The core of the Earth was heated by two sources of energy: the
release of gravitational energy as the material settled into the
central core, and radioactive decay of potassium, thorium and
uranium. These decays led to heating by energetic particles
released in the nuclear fission process. Most of the helium
found in the Earth is also a result of this process--helium
nuclei are one of the primary products of the fission or
spitting of heavy nuclei into two lighter ones.
An overview of the Chandra mission and goals, Chandra's namesake, top 10 facts.
Classroom activities, printable materials, interactive games & more.
Overview of X-ray Astronomy and X-ray sources: black holes to galaxy clusters.
All Chandra images released to the public listed by date & by category
Current Chandra press releases, status reports, interviews & biographies.
A collection of multimedia, illustrations & animations, a glossary, FAQ & more.
A collection of illustrations, animations and video.
Chandra discoveries in an audio/video format.
