Category Archives: Science

Going Up?

Posted on April 14, 2021 by olivesobservatory

Space. Elevators. I know what you’re thinking- huh? What even are those? Those were my exact thoughts before I learned all about the concept of space elevators 10 minutes ago, and I’m going to share everything I learned with you. Rockets have been our only mode of transportation to space for quite a while, but… Continue reading →

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Solar Flares

Posted on March 22, 2021 by wendyyb

The sun is massive. And despite it being so far away, I can’t help but wonder if activity on the sun could possibly effect life on Earth. Enter: solar flares. According to NASA, solar flares are “great bursts of electromagnetic energy and particles that can sometimes stream from the Sun”. Occasionally, solar maximums occur whichContinue reading “Solar Flares” Continue reading →

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Aurora Borea-listen !

Posted on March 22, 2021 by wendyyb

Looking at the picture above, it’s not hard to see why people often travel to observe the grandeur of the Aurora Borealis (aka ‘Northern Lights’). However, some who have seen it claim that alongside the visual spectacle, there’s an added auditory surprise: the Northern Lights make noise! According to CNN, evidence of sounds from theContinue reading “Aurora Borea-listen !” Continue reading →

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Mount Vesuvius and the Pompeiian Disaster: How it happened

Posted on March 20, 2021 by jagobillot

I was watching a documentary about the sheer power and destruction that Mount Vesuvius lay upon those heedless Roman citizens in Pompeii, and it got me thinking about the movement of the tectonic plates. What needs to happen underneath the land to create enough power to bury a city in 15 feet of rubble andContinue reading “Mount Vesuvius and the Pompeiian Disaster: How it happened” Continue reading →

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Disputing Climate Change Deniers

Posted on March 17, 2021 by alliefrymire

Even though the vast majority of the scientific community is in agreement about the reality and seriousness of climate change, there are still many people, especially in the United States, who believe climate change is a hoax. In this post, I want to address some of the most common arguments climate change deniers use, so … Continue reading Disputing Climate Change Deniers → Continue reading →

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Moon Rock Mischief!

Posted on March 16, 2021 by olivesobservatory

Apparently theft isn’t exclusive to Earth! In 2002, college NASA interns Thad Roberts, Tiffany Fowler, and Shae Saur stole more than $20 million worth of moon rocks from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. How did they pull it off, exactly? An elaborate heist that eventually ended in an FBI sting operation. In May… Continue reading →

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Wanderers of Space

Posted on February 27, 2021 by 20harriganc

In this post we will talk about the concept of retrograde motion. If you watch the movement of planets, it is actually quite complex. The word planet comes from a greek term meaning “wandering star”. Planets typically move eastward throughout the constellations. When there is apparent retrograde motion the planets are moving westward throughout theContinue reading “Wanderers of Space” Continue reading →

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Tides and the Planets

Posted on February 26, 2021 by brynicdew

Primarily, the tides on Earth are controlled by the Moon. The gravitational pull of the Moon causes the tides to fluctuate between high and low. Though small, even the Sun has a tiny impact on the tides. Whenever both the Moon and the Sun align, the tidal range, However, what about the other celestial bodiesContinue reading “Tides and the Planets” Continue reading →

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Reconciling Science and Religion

Posted on February 20, 2021 by rightascensionanddeclinolan

In 1615, Galileo wrote a letter to the Grand Duchess Christina (read: the Church) “to accommodate Copernicanism with the doctrines of the Catholic Church … [by] arguing that the Copernican theory was not just a mathematical calculating tool, but a physical reality” (source).  In his letter, Galileo claimed – among other things – the following:Continue reading “Reconciling Science and Religion” Continue reading →

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Astronomy & the Catholic Church

Posted on February 12, 2021 by olivesobservatory

Although some might make the claim that the Catholic Church has and always will be anti-science (a myth perpetuated partly by Catholic fundamentalism), the church has actually had a longstanding relationship with the sciences dating as far back as the early Middle Ages. [1] The beginning of the church’s interest in astronomy began when issues… Continue reading →

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