Category Archives: SolarSystem

Blog 5 – Comet Composition

Posted on April 4, 2017 by johnjohnb4

Comets are the relatively small, icy objects that orbit a star.  They are classified as “small solar system bodies”, as are asteroids.  Along with ice, they contain rocky dust and other complex chemicals, leading them to be described as “dirty snowballs.”  Spectra can be used to determine the composition of comets.  From them, we know […] Continue reading →

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Blog 4 – The Sunspot Cycle and Earth’s Climate

Posted on April 4, 2017 by johnjohnb4

For this blog I thought I’d write about how sunspots affect the Earth’s climate, as I am studying environmental sciences and I recently took Professor Gilligan’s Global Climate Change course (highly recommended and it counts for AXLE).  Sunspots are the most interesting feature on the sun’s surface.  They are the dark patches that periodically appear […] Continue reading →

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Cool Kuiper Belt Objects

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Natalie

Way out past Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt. The most famous and one of the largest Kuiper Belt objects is … More Continue reading →

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Building a Planet 101

Posted on April 4, 2017 by ksun1

Step 1: A Solar Nebula To build your very own solar system, you will need to start out with a solar nebula – a colossal cloud of “star stuff” recycled from dying stars. It should consist mostly of hydrogen, about 1% hydrogen compounds (“ice”), and less than 1% consisting of rock and metal. It should look something like […] Continue reading →

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Here’s Some Information About Pluto So It Feels Less Rejected

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Ashley Garcia

While Earthlings seem to have a general adoration (borderline obsession) with the personified Pluto, the planet itself does present several scientific marvels and interests. One such fascinating feature of Pluto is in it’s region known as Sputnik Planum. This weirdly smooth section of the planet is segmented into cellular units, and a proposed reason for… Continue reading Here’s Some Information About Pluto So It Feels Less Rejected Continue reading →

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Jupiter’s Storms

Posted on April 4, 2017 by elliottlifeastronomy

On a world where the entire surface and most of the atmosphere are composed of dense, fast-moving clouds, you can imagine that the storms are slightly worse than our regular terrestrial thunderstorm. Of course, the most famous of Jupiter’s maelstroms is the Great Red Spot, aptly named for its blue color (kidding) and impressive diameter, […] Continue reading →

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The Sun Is Going To Kill Us

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Paolo Dumancas

As nuclear fusion depletes a star’s hydrogen supply throughout the phases of stellar evolution, a spherical shell of hydrogen will … More Continue reading →

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The Shape of The Terrestrial Planets

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Ashley Garcia

Here upon Earth, it is known that the planet’s surface is constantly changing, due to weather, tectonic movements, erosion by water, wind, flora, fauna, etc., and various other natural phenomena. These forces cause geographic features such as mountains, valleys, and other characteristics of Earth’s surface. Although the terrestrial planets all share various characteristics, the other… Continue reading The Shape of The Terrestrial Planets Continue reading →

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Rosetta and Philae

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Natalie

In March of 2004, two friends went ont he adventure of a lifetime. These two friends were the Rosetta space … More Continue reading →

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Europa’s Oceans & Aliens

Posted on April 3, 2017 by astr2110tmcm

In September of last year, the Hubble Space telescope observed what is believed to be plumes of water erupting from the surface of Jupiter’s moon, Europa. The surface of Europa is covered in a layer of ice of unknown thickness, and it is widely believed that there could be vast oceans of liquid water underneath […] Continue reading →

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