Category Archives: SolarSystem

Dwarf Perspective

Posted on March 31, 2020 by khalilgreene

There are many celestial bodies in the Kuiper Belt. One notable object is a dwarf planet named Makemake. This dwarf planet was one of the objects NASA used to demote Pluto from its previous planet status down to dwarf planet status. NASA wasn’t aware of other bodies that looked like Pluto, and when they foundContinue reading “Dwarf Perspective” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Dwarf Planets, Observables | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Dwarf Perspective

Would Landing on Europa Make Us Europeans?

Posted on March 30, 2020 by williamjturner

As I commented in a previous blog post, one of the most fascinating questions that a person studying the solar system can ask is whether life exists outside of our Earthly home. Within this question lay an abundance of philosophical arguments, all counteracting one another and seeking to define the ‘correct’ answer to this question.Continue reading “Would Landing on Europa Make Us Europeans?” Continue reading →

Posted in Aliens, Class, SolarSystem | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Would Landing on Europa Make Us Europeans?

So Close, Yet From So Far ☄️

Posted on March 30, 2020 by vsli

The above image is of Comet Atlas, which is a comet that has been getting closer and much, much brighter over the past few weeks. If it doesn’t fizzle out, Comet Atlas will be able to be seen by the naked eye in as little time as a couple of weeks, at places without much … Continue reading So Close, Yet From So Far ☄️ Continue reading →

Posted in Class, SolarSystem | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on So Close, Yet From So Far ☄️

How’s the Weather Up There? ⛅

Posted on March 29, 2020 by vsli

On an especially brutally stormy day, you may have thought to yourself, “Why does it have to be this way? Why do we have to be so inconvenienced?” Well, if we colonize Mars or the Moon someday, your wish may come true. That’s because weather stems from the presence of an atmosphere! Weather is mostly … Continue reading How’s the Weather Up There? ⛅ Continue reading →

Posted in Class, SolarSystem | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on How’s the Weather Up There? ⛅

The Lesser Known Planetary Rings

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Lily

When quizzed about planetary characteristics in elementary school, the typical questioned asked when referring to Saturn is, “Which planet in the solar system has rings?” While answering Saturn is not incorrect, it isn’t completely correct either. Other planets with rings in our solar system are Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. A more accurate way to askContinue reading “The Lesser Known Planetary Rings” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Planet Rings, SolarSystem | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Lesser Known Planetary Rings

Could There be Life on Europa?

Posted on March 29, 2020 by phildowd

Europa is one of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, meaning it’s one of the four largest moons that orbit Jupiter. What makes it particularly special is that it is considered one of the most likely places in our solar system (outside of Earth) that might contain life. Now, at a glance, it seems like that shouldn’t beContinue reading “Could There be Life on Europa?” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Moons, Sun | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Could There be Life on Europa?

Large Asteroid Flyby on April 29th

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Phillip Yoon

If you’ve been scrolling through random news articles over the past few weeks, you may have come across an article about a large asteroid that may end human civilization if it strikes the Earth. Just to be clear, this asteroid will not hit Earth and will barely have any effect on civilization. NASA is currentlyContinue reading “Large Asteroid Flyby on April 29th” Continue reading →

Posted in Observables, Small SS Objects | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Large Asteroid Flyby on April 29th

The Interiors of the Giants of the Solar System

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Jonah

The giants of our solar system, other than the Sun of course, are quite different from the terrestrial planets whether it comes to the atmospheres, the surfaces, size, or other planetary features. One key difference is the interior of these giant planets. Terrestrial planets, for context, have a very dense core followed by a rockyContinue reading “The Interiors of the Giants of the Solar System” Continue reading →

Posted in Jovians, Science, Universe | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Interiors of the Giants of the Solar System

Meet Makemake: The Dwarf Planet Partially Responsible for Pluto’s Demotion

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Jack

Pluto was discovered in 1930, and was classified as a planet. In 2006, as most of us probably know, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. A significant amount of the population, whether justified or not, are opposed to the removal of Pluto from the official list of planets, primarily out of nostalgia for oneContinue reading “Meet Makemake: The Dwarf Planet Partially Responsible for Pluto’s Demotion” Continue reading →

Posted in Dwarf Planets | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Meet Makemake: The Dwarf Planet Partially Responsible for Pluto’s Demotion

Big Planets’ Moons and Life Outside “Habitability”

Posted on March 29, 2020 by remieri

Astrobiology has long relied on the concept of a “habitable zone”, that is a zone around a star that is the right distance from said star to hold liquid water, and therefore life. This concept is absolutely valuable, especially insofar as it allows us to classify new exoplanets and identify potential exoplanets that may hostContinue reading “Big Planets’ Moons and Life Outside “Habitability”” Continue reading →

Posted in Aliens, Class, Jovians, Moons | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Big Planets’ Moons and Life Outside “Habitability”