Category Archives: SolarSystem

Jovian Planet Interiors

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Emily Chen

The Jovian planets are often called “gas giants,” making it sound as if they were entirely gaseous. However, this name can be misleading, as it is true Jupiter and Saturn became giant primarily because they captured so much hydrogen and helium gas, but their strong gravity compresses most of the “gas” into forms of matterContinue reading “Jovian Planet Interiors” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Jovians | Tagged , | Comments Off on Jovian Planet Interiors

Why Does Titan Have an Atmosphere?

Posted on March 28, 2020 by Reece Boggs

It’s pretty perplexing as to why Saturn’s moon, Titan, has such a thick atmosphere but a planet like Mars does not. Since the most widely accepted explanation of why Mars has such a thin atmosphere is it losing its magnetosphere as its core cooled and does not contain nearly as much metallic iron has theContinue reading “Why Does Titan Have an Atmosphere?” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Moons, Science, Terrestrials | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Why Does Titan Have an Atmosphere?

Jupiter’s Moons

Posted on March 28, 2020 by emily

Scientists believe that Jupiter has 79 moons, the most in the solar system. This is most likely because Jupiter is more massive, therefore is can hold on to more massive stuff the orbit around it. Additionally, the fact that Jupiter developed further away from the Sun in the formation process giving it access to moreContinue reading “Jupiter’s Moons” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Moons | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Jupiter’s Moons

Blog #6 (EC): The Fermi Paradox

Posted on March 24, 2020 by John Harrington

An interesting concept that occupies the minds of many philosophers and scientists alike is the idea of life outside of Earth (and outside of our solar system). Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi posited that there exists a paradox describing the possibility of life outside of our world: there is no physical evidence to prove (or evenContinue reading “Blog #6 (EC): The Fermi Paradox” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, SolarSystem | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Blog #6 (EC): The Fermi Paradox

Blog #5: Pluto’s Demotion

Posted on March 24, 2020 by John Harrington

Several years ago, as I’m sure we all remember, Pluto was demoted from Planet status to Dwarf Planet status. This change was an interesting (and controversial) one because Pluto essentially remains in limbo between the two classifications. Pluto was the smallest planet in the solar system–but it’s now the largest dwarf planet in the solarContinue reading “Blog #5: Pluto’s Demotion” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, SolarSystem | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Blog #5: Pluto’s Demotion

The Chelyabinsk Meteor and Other Near-Earth Objects

Posted on March 23, 2020 by gabezharovtothemoon

Both of my parents were born and raised in the Soviet Union, with my dad spending the first twenty years of his life in Chelyabinsk, a city east of the Ural Mountains which serve as a border between Europe and Asia. From my father’s stories, the city did not seem to have much excitement otherContinue reading “The Chelyabinsk Meteor and Other Near-Earth Objects” Continue reading →

Posted in Science, Small SS Objects | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Chelyabinsk Meteor and Other Near-Earth Objects

Gravitational Waves

Posted on March 17, 2020 by phildowd

Gravitational waves are a fascinating concept. The thought starts from the idea that gravity moves at the speed of light. Now, at the start this sounds like a silly idea. Doesn’t the force of gravity always act on people? Yet take this example. Say the sun were to simply disappear. Not explode or change, butContinue reading “Gravitational Waves” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Galaxies, Sun | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Gravitational Waves

A new possibility of life on Mars?

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Jack

A photograph taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) in 2011 has recently been released, showing what appears to be a sizable underground cavern on the slopes of Pavonis Mons, a Martian mountain standing 46,000 feet tall, higher than Mount Everest. The possibility of underground caves on Mars is exciting for (at least) two reasons:Continue reading “A new possibility of life on Mars?” Continue reading →

Posted in Terrestrials | Tagged , | Comments Off on A new possibility of life on Mars?

How did mountains form on Venus?

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Jack

Venus is often described as Earth’s sister planet. Both planets have similar size and densities, indicating somewhat similar core compositions. The primary difference between the two is orbital distance from the sun. Venus, like Earth, is covered with geological features including volcanoes and mountains. We know how mountains formed on Earth – tectonic plates. MountainsContinue reading “How did mountains form on Venus?” Continue reading →

Posted in Terrestrials | Tagged , | Comments Off on How did mountains form on Venus?

Earth’s (Temporary) Second Moon

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Lily

This title may be a little misleading. Yes, there is a small object that is currently trapped in the Earth’s orbit, however this is a small asteroid by the name of 2020 CD3. This asteroid is typically orbiting the Sun, however recently got trapped in the gravitational pull of the Earth, so, for now, itContinue reading “Earth’s (Temporary) Second Moon” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Moons, SolarSystem | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Earth’s (Temporary) Second Moon