Author Archives: Alekzander Waller

Astronomy Reflection

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Alekzander Waller

Picture Source What have you learned from this course that surprised you the most?Why did it surprise you? The part of this course that surprised me the most was everything relating to spectroscopy. I was very intrigued that astronomers could figure out all of this information about a planet just from what is emitted (or […] Continue reading →

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The Fermi Paradox Explained

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Alekzander Waller

Source The Fermi Paradox describes the contradiction between high and low probability of extraterrestrial civilizations that exist in the universe and the lack of evidence for, or contact with, such civilizations. The term is named after the physicist Enrico Fermi who asked “Where is everybody?” during a conversation about the likelihood of alien life in […] Continue reading →

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The ‘Grand Tack’ Hypothesis

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Alekzander Waller

The Grand Tack hypothesis theorizes that Jupiter formed much farther out from the sun than it currently is, migrated inwards quite a bit due to interactions with the early solar nebula, and then back out a little ways (imitating a tack, the maneuver where a sailboat changes direction). Of all of the fascinating facts and […] Continue reading →

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The Characteristics of Pluto

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Alekzander Waller

Discovered in 1930 by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Conservatory in Arizona, Pluto has challenged the confines and definitions of how scientists classified objects within our solar system. Up until 2006 it was considered a planet but was then demoted to dwarf planet after scientific consensus that it does not clear its orbit of […] Continue reading →

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The Moons of Saturn

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Alekzander Waller

In total, Saturn has a total of 146 moons! The most out of any planet in our solar system. These moons vary significantly in terms of terrain and position around Saturn. Some hold huge oceans and some are rocky worlds that seem to be out of Star Wars. There’s also a few moons that are […] Continue reading →

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The Moon and The Tides

Posted on September 24, 2024 by Alekzander Waller

Did you know that tides are caused by the Moon’s gravitational pull? (Photo from The Business Insider) Usually about every 12 hours coastal places around the world experience high and low tides in a constant cycle. This is due to the subtle pull of the Moon’s gravitational forces on the Earth’s water supply. Along the […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on September 17, 2024 by Alekzander Waller

Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) Isaac Newton was important to astronomy due to Isaac Newton was crucial to astronomy because he developed the concept of universal gravitation, which explained why planets orbit the sun. This concept provided a unified theory for the motion of celestial bodies, essentially laying the foundation for […] Continue reading →

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Solstices/Equinoxes

Posted on September 3, 2024 by Alekzander Waller

Stone Henge Throughout a year on Earth, the sun changes positions in the sky due to the 23.4 degree angle of our axis. The points at which the sun reaches maximum and minimum heights in the sky are called the Summer and Winter solstices while the points half way between are called the Fall and […] Continue reading →

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Introductory Post

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Alekzander Waller

Wikipedia:

Hello, my name is Alek! This picture of a piano represents my primary major here at Vanderbilt (as I am a piano major at Blair). Looking forward to a great semester!
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