Category Archives: SolarSystem

Spacecraft in the Solar System

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Emily Chen

As we have learned so much about the solar system, much of our knowledge comes from telescopic observations, ground-based and those in Earth’s orbit, as well as spacecraft explorations. Robotic spacecraft operate primarily with preprogrammed instructions and carry radios that allow them to communicate with controllers on Earth. Having sent robotic spacecraft missions to numerousContinue reading “Spacecraft in the Solar System” Continue reading →

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How do we name our Solar System?

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Avery Bradley

We all remember learning the mnemonic device in elementary school: My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Noodles (or whatever variation you prefer). Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, the eight planets of our solar system. But what do these names actually mean? How do planets and moons and other stuff inContinue reading “How do we name our Solar System?” Continue reading →

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SOHO, the Sun-Watching Satellite

Posted on March 9, 2020 by jackfumagalli

For my post this week, I decided to explore and learn about a spacecraft that I was not familiar with. After some research, I came across SOHO. SOHO is the longest-lived Sun-watching satellite to date. SOHO over its lifetime has been able to observe two full 11-year solar cycles and discover thousands of comets closeContinue reading “SOHO, the Sun-Watching Satellite” Continue reading →

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How Spherical is the Sun?

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Phillip Yoon

From what we know about planets like the Earth and its properties, we may expect the Sun to also experience a bulge, causing its shape to deviate from a perfect sphere. It turns out that the Sun isn’t a perfect sphere, but it’s pretty close to one. If fact, with the help of instruments onContinue reading “How Spherical is the Sun?” Continue reading →

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Spring and Neap Tides

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Rehan John

Many are familiar with the concept that the Moon creates high and low tides on Earth, but few know that the Sun also plays a role in the process. Tides are formed from the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon pulling on the Earth differently in different places due to variations in distance. TheContinue reading “Spring and Neap Tides” Continue reading →

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The Historical Advancement of Astronomy

Posted on February 10, 2020 by williamjturner

After completing the homework assignment on historical astronomers, I found myself diving into the internet to find out more on the astronomers we researched. This trip down the wormhole of the internet led me to an article about Isaac Newton, titled: “What if there was no Apple tree?” This article ponders what would have happenedContinue reading “The Historical Advancement of Astronomy” Continue reading →

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Nashville’s “Snow Moon”

Posted on February 9, 2020 by jackfumagalli

On the evening of Saturday February 9th, the Nashville area saw an abnormally large moon known as a super-moon. This was also a special moon because it was also known as the “snow moon.” The “snow moon” is a full or new moon of astronomical and cultural significance around the globe. The super-moon phenomenon occursContinue reading “Nashville’s “Snow Moon”” Continue reading →

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Eclipses!

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Rehan John

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon comes in between the path of sunlight and the Earth, casting a shadow on the Earth. Solar eclipses in general are quite rare (only a couple a year), but the moon’s shadow only covers a small portion of the Earth so seeing one is an amazing opportunity. AContinue reading “Eclipses!” Continue reading →

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The Universe is Incomprehensibly Large

Posted on January 21, 2020 by phildowd

Many people have talked about the feeling of walking outside, looking up at the night sky, and feeling small. You look out into the cosmos, see seemingly countless stars, and think that everything you do on earth is just immeasurably small. Despite many people feeling that way, few truly understand the real scope of theContinue reading “The Universe is Incomprehensibly Large” Continue reading →

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Observing the Sky at Night

Posted on January 21, 2020 by williamjturner

One of my favorite pastimes is observing the sky at night and seeing which constellations I can point out. While I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination, I like to think that I have a basic knowledge of several “main” constellations — Orion’s Belt, the North Star, the Big / Little Dipper,Continue reading “Observing the Sky at Night” Continue reading →

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