Author Archives: Catherine Sack

Blog 8: Solar Systems

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Catherine Sack

From this course, the endless amount of planets, comets, stars, etc. shocked me the most. Our solar system is so much more than just the 8 planets. I learned about numerous objects and history that is still in our solar system to this day. Also, learning about geological activity introduced me to the fact that […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Blog 8: Solar Systems

Astrobiology

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Catherine Sack

Astrobiology is defined as the study of life in the universe. This includes the universe’s origin, future, and evolution. It includes techniques ranged from astronomy, geology, chemistry, and biology. Studies include not just within Earth, but outside on other planets as well. One of its main focuses is life outside of Earth. This field of […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Astrobiology

Comets: What are they?

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Catherine Sack

Comets are icy, small bodies containing rock, frozen gases, and dust. Referred to as “cosmic snowballs”, comets are found in the outer parts of the solar system like the Kuiper Belt or the Oort Cloud. A comet is made up of 3 parts: nucleus, coma, and tail. The nucleus is its icy center. The coma […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Comets: What are they?

The Kuiper Belt: What’s in it?

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Catherine Sack

Found outside of Neptune’s orbit, the Kuiper Belt is home to many important objects within our solar system. The Kuiper Belt is contains icy bodies (aka KBOs) in the shape of a doughnut. Many of these KBOs are extremely old, but with little sign of change since its formation. After the formation of our solar […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Kuiper Belt: What’s in it?

Blog #4 – Pluto: Is it a planet?

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Catherine Sack

Pluto is most known for its famous debate: Is it a planet or not? As of 2006, Pluto is known as Dwarf Planet. A Dwarf Planet is a celestial body that orbits the Sun just like a regular planet; however a dwarf planet lacks a clear orbital path, sharing it with other objects. Pluto’s size […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Blog #4 – Pluto: Is it a planet?

Blog #3 – Formation of the Solar System

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Catherine Sack

Around 4.6 billion years ago, the sun formed along with the planets surrounding it due to the collapse of the solar nebula. When this supernova explosion took place, the collapsed cloud began to spin around in a circle, ultimately getting pulled by gravity to create the center (the Sun). The excess material smashed together making […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, SolarSystem | Tagged , | Comments Off on Blog #3 – Formation of the Solar System

Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on September 16, 2024 by Catherine Sack

Isaac Newton was important for astronomy because he introduced the concept of gravity and how planets orbits around the sun. He developed three laws for motion and a law for gravitation. His findings changed the operations and understanding of the universe. The ending of the Thirty Years’ War and the second Anglo-Dutch war starting in […] Continue reading →

Posted in Historical | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Historical Astronomers in Context

Blog #1

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Catherine Sack

Depending on the moon’s location around the Earth, it causes the sun to light up different parts of it. As seen in the picture above, there are 8 different moon phases: new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent. Waxing phases light on the right side of the […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , | Comments Off on Blog #1