Starquakes Viewed by Spacecraft Hold Secrets of Stellar Evolution

When looking at stars, COROT is able to detect starquakes, acoustical waves generated deep inside a star that send ripples across a star's surface, altering its brightness. The exact nature of the ripples can allow astronomers to calculate the star's mass, age and even chemical composition. (Image credit: CNES)

A NASA spacecraft

Researchers measured

The method, called

"We are just

Kepler: A

NASA launched the

So far, it has

"Our knowledge

As an example of

By studying its

Researchers

Such information,

Kepler detects alien

So knowing the size

No planets are known

Red giants and

Astronomers have

Gallery:

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com (opens in new tab) and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.