A sea of information for creative professionals & hobbyists.

Making Heavens & Earths

This section is dedicated to the design of the heavens and celestial bodies. There are very specific requirements that must be met in order for stars, gas giants, planets, solar systems, and galaxies to form. If you are going to design a space story, there are certain things to keep in mind, otherwise serious "space geeks" will pick your design apart.. Here you can learn exactly why the heavens and planets behave as they do, and use these laws of celestial mechanics to design your own galaxy.

Did you know a gas giant planet is nothing more than a star that failed to reach critical mass? Had Jupiter been more massive, it could very well have become a star in its own right.

Did you know that pulsar stars flash in such precise increments of time that when they were discovered, scientists mistook them for signs of intelligent life? Pulsars were once the great tricksters for us humans. Astronomers were disappointed to find out that they were not the signs of alien life, but were thrilled to discover a new sort of star.

Did you know complex lifeforms can only arise on a planet if their planet exists within the Habitable Zone of a star? Depending on the size and age of the star, the Habitable Zone of the star has a specific location within that star's solar system. It is neither too hot, nor too cold ,and so because it is just right for life to exist, some scientists call it the "Goldilocks Zone."