Dr Alastair Gunn

Alastair is a radio astronomer at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester.

Recent articles by Dr Alastair Gunn

How many stars are in the Milky Way? © Getty Images

How many stars are in the Milky Way?

Could you walk on a neutron star? © Getty Images

Why is a neutron star so heavy?

How big would Jupiter be if it were stripped of all its gases? © Getty Images

How big would Jupiter be if it were stripped of all its gases?

What does lunar dust smell like? © NASA

What does lunar dust smell like?

What’s the tallest mountain in the Solar System? © Getty Images

What’s the tallest mountain in the Solar System?

sunspots_0

Everyday science

Why are sunspots black?

What colour is space? © Getty Images

What colour is space?

What would a shooting star look like if it was coming straight towards you? © Getty Images

What would a shooting star look like if it was coming straight towards you?

What is the largest object in the Universe?

What is the largest known celestial body?

How can I see Jupiter and Saturn this week? © Getty Images

If we were to look at the Universe as a whole, what state of matter would we say it’s in?

If you had a strong enough magnet, could you pull something magnetic out of a black hole? © Getty Images

If you had a strong enough magnet, could you pull something magnetic out of a black hole?

What would happen if the Earth became tidally locked to the Sun? © Getty Images

What would happen if the Earth became tidally locked to the Sun?

Does the Moon look ‘upside down’ in the southern hemisphere? © Dan Bright

Everyday science

Does the Moon look ‘upside down’ in the southern hemisphere?

On average, how many planets are in orbit around each star? © Getty Images

On average, how many planets are in orbit around each star?

Why is the Moon sometimes visible during the day? © Getty Images

Everyday science

Why is the Moon sometimes visible during the day?