Category Archives: Instruments

includes telescopes and space probes

Blog 3-Spectroscopy

Posted on February 8, 2017 by sullivrs

Spectroscopy is a scientific technique that “measures light that is emitted, absorbed, or scattered by materials and can be used to study, identify and quantify those materials” (Source).  Therefore, spectroscopy can be used to provide invaluable information about different objects based on the light they emit and absorb (which is referred to as the emission… Continue reading →

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Celestial Navigation 101: The Sextant

Posted on February 6, 2017 by connormorency

The purpose of the sextant is to measure the angle between an astronomical object and the horizon, and ultimately get … More Continue reading →

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Celestial Navigation: A Method of the Past?

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Haley Topper

This is the excerpt for your very first post. Continue reading →

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Forgotten, but not always gone: the various fates of planetary probes

Posted on March 14, 2016 by d51blog

  Bad news: your favorite space probe has been deactivated or worse – its power ran out. What’s the next step? For us as humans, tears for what we’ve lost but ultimately, hope – as long as the government (or Elon Musk) cares, more things will be shot into space. For the space probe, well, that can […] Continue reading →

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MUSE Telescope

Posted on February 17, 2016 by OscarBen

The Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) telescope is one of the newest telescopes that allows us to get 3D views of the universe. MUSE is installed on the European Southern Obserbatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. It took over a decade to design and develop it but finally went online in March of 2014 and captured… More MUSE Telescope Continue reading →

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I’ve got this giant telescope and I don’t know where to put it: a guide for all your telescope placement needs.

Posted on February 16, 2016 by d51blog

Hey, where should I put my giant telescope? Ideally, you would put your telescope into space! Space is most advantageous for observing the stars because most types of non-visible light are blocked by our atmosphere; this wider spectrum of detectable light allows for more detailed study of some of the universe’s greatest extremes. Some of […] Continue reading →

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Mayan Astronomy

Posted on February 16, 2016 by andyastronomer

  At the end of 2012, the whole world was abuzz with the news that on December 21st, the Mayan calendar would end. Some claimed this ominous event signaled the end of the world, while others simply suggested the Mayans would have likely extended their calendar if they were still around. Who Did It Better: […] Continue reading →

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Blog #4 Spacecraft and “Gold Foil”

Posted on February 15, 2016 by seanmcsolsys

If you’ve ever seen pictures of satellites being prepped in clean rooms, you’ve probably seen the immense amounts of gold foil covering the crafts. You might think the foil’s purpose is to keep the probe clean until launch, or that gold’s conductive and malleable properties aid the function of the vehicle. For space travel, it’s neither. […] Continue reading →

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Blog #3 James Webb Space Telescope

Posted on February 14, 2016 by seanmcsolsys

The flagship of the next generation telescopes launches in October 2018. The James Webb Space Telescope is an infrared telescope with its focus on the very first light from the Big Bang. With its 6.5 meter primary mirror and various cameras and spectrometers, the JWST will study the boundaries of the observable universe as well […] Continue reading →

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The Hubble Space Telescope

Posted on February 14, 2016 by martisnv

Until this past September when LIGO heard gravitational waves, our knowledge of the universe has come from visual observations. When Galileo began using his telescope in the early 1600s, our notion of the natural world completely evolved. Today, we have telescopes whose … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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