As far as hypothetical space megastructures go, the stellar engine is one of our favourites – a gigantic contraption built with the purpose of transporting our Solar System somewhere else, if we ever need to move to a different cosmic neighbourhood.
Now, new research has put forward another idea for what such a radical stellar engine might look like.
Via this beautiful video from Kurzgesagt , you can learn all about the so-called Caplan Thruster, which would use the Sun's own energy to propel it across the galaxy and beyond. It's named after the scientist who came up with the design, astrophysicist Matthew Caplan from Illinois State University.
While you're here, how about this:
Understanding Distant Dust In Other Solar Systems Is Key To Imaging Exo-Earths, Says NASA
This image beautifully captures the zodiacal light, a triangular glow seen best in night skies free ... [+] of overpowering moonlight and light pollution. The photograph was taken at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile in September 2009, facing west some minutes after the Sun had set. A sea of clouds has settled in the valley below La Silla, which sits at an altitude of 2400 metres, with lesser peaks and ridges poking through the mist
A film of fine dust in our own solar system and in solar systems like ours has long been thought to be a potential bugaboo in imaging extrasolar earthlike planets, say astronomers. But planetary scientists are still not sure about the size, shape and scope of our own zodiacal cloud (made up of dust particles shed from comets and asteroids in orbit around the Sun). And they are hardly certain how to characterize such clouds of dust around far-flung planetary systems.
Merrillville Community Planetarium presents The Inner Solar System as winter public show -
People looking to learn more about astronomy may think they need to travel to Chicago but Merrillville Community School Corporation offers a resource closer to home.
"We have a planetarium that is smaller than the Adler Planetarium but it's right here in our own Northwest Indiana community," said Gregg Williams, director of Merrillville Community Planetarium, which is part of Merrillville Community School Corporation since 1982.
"You don't have to drive into Chicago to see a planetarium show. We do programs for Merrillville classes. Our kids come to the planetarium from kindergarten through eighth grade. We also do shows for groups outside of the Merrillville school system and public shows.
In 2019, a 42-year-old NASA mission gave new insight into our solar system | Inverse
I n 2018, the spacecraft Voyager 2 finally crossed over into interstellar space after a 42-year journey. And in November 2019, scientists revealed some unprecedented data from the mission's observations of our host star and the outer limits of our Solar System.
These initial findings give scientists a deeper look into solar wind and the Sun's heliosphere — essentially the region of space encompassing the Solar System.
Quite a lot has been going on:
Asteroids, Comets, Black Holes — Oh My! The Year 2019 in Astronomy | Space
From asteroids and (interstellar) comets to black holes and the sun, 2019 has been full of amazing space science.
This past year has been a fantastic one for astronomy and planetary science. On New Year's Day, two spacecraft reached their targets, and things took off from there. Join us as we review some of the hottest science news from the last 12 months.
Related: The Greatest Spaceflight Moments of 2019
More: Kaboom! The Biggest Space Bloopers of 2019
The Decade in Astronomy: These Space Discoveries Shaped the 2010s | Space
As the 2010s come to a close, it's time to revisit how some of the biggest space science stories shaped the decade.
From the rise of TESS to flybys of Pluto and Cassini's dramatic demise, the past ten years have produced some incredible science. Here are some of our favorite discoveries from the decade.
The Deep Impact spacecraft proved to be an overachiever in 2010, chasing down a second comet after it had already observed one. After Deep Impact visited Comet Tempel 1 in 2005, NASA realized the spacecraft still had enough fuel to visit another comet as well. 2.9 billion extra miles (4.6 billion kilometers) later, it met up with Comet Hartley 2 .
A Comet From Another Star Hints That Our Solar System Isn't One-Of-A-Kind | WAMU
2010s Decade in Space Exploration - Most Powerful Space Moments
It's been an incredible decade for our solar system and beyond. Humanity has stretched its tendrils farther out into space than ever before. We explored asteroids, comets, new moons of Saturn, and the surface of Mars. Scientists detected gravitational waves and—in an incredible feat of technology and innovation—we recycled a rocket for the first time, ushering in a new era of exploration.
The decade started out with the retirement of a spaceflight workhorse (adios, space shuttles!) and ended with the announcement of an exciting new mission back to the moon (hello, Artemis!). Here, Popular Mechanics looks back at the most powerful moments in space and astronomy of the 2010s. It'll be a thrill to see what happens in the next decade.
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