Category Archives: SolarSystem

Planet Past Pluto?

Posted on March 30, 2017 by abbeyroth

In the image above, the red oval represents the suggested path of an elusive planet called Planet X. Astronomers have been observing the orbits of objects in our Solar System and have decided there’s a strong possibility a ninth planet, almost the size of Neptune, is orbiting our Sun. Although Planet X has yet to… Continue reading Planet Past Pluto? Continue reading →

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Pluto the Dwarf Planet

Posted on March 27, 2017 by josiezd

Many of us remember Pluto as the used-to-be 9th planet in our solar system that was demoted to a dwarf planet. So what makes Pluto a dwarf planet and not a planet? What is interesting about Pluto, and, if it was so small, how exactly was it discovered earlier than other dwarf planets? Continue reading →

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The Solar Wind: Seeing with Eyes Shut

Posted on March 27, 2017 by brynnabhall

When thinking about outer space at a much more basic level, I remember being taught to think of the word “vacuum.” And as the narrator says in the video I watched, the space between planets is far from empty. A unique aspect of the sun’s weather known as the solar wind fills up some of … More The Solar Wind: Seeing with Eyes Shut Continue reading →

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Blog 5-Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

Posted on March 22, 2017 by sullivrs

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot- a huge storm in Jupiter’s atmosphere- has been ongoing for seemingly as long as people have pointed their telescopes toward the planet; this means that the storm has continued for at least approximately 400 years, and most likely more.  The storm itself is twice Earth’s size.  It is known that storms on… Continue reading →

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Blog 4- Voyager Missions and Chuck Berry

Posted on March 22, 2017 by sullivrs

Music fans around the world mourned the loss of Chuck Berry after his death on March 18th.  Credited by many as the original rocker, his use of the double stop, his stage presence, and masterful songwriting skills came to define what a rocker should aspire to emulate. When the Voyager Program was officially kicked off… Continue reading →

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Formation of the Solar System

Posted on March 20, 2017 by josiezd

Approximately 13.8 billion years ago, an interstellar cloud of gas known as the solar nebula collapsed under its own gravity due to some cataclysmic event… Continue reading →

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Planetary Defense System

Posted on February 14, 2017 by elliottlifeastronomy

Earth sees its own fair share of incoming projectiles from space, but it’s extremely rare to find an event that poses any real threat to Earth or its life.  Most of this safety comes from that fact that space is inconceivably large; the possibility of being hit by an asteroid that could do any real […] Continue reading →

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Solar Eclipse in August

Posted on February 14, 2017 by elliottlifeastronomy

This August 21, Nashville, TN will have one of the best views in the United States to view the upcoming solar eclipse.  Middle Tennessee will have around 2 minutes 30 seconds of eclipse and will be right in the path of the total eclipse.  The eclipse will begin at around 1:30 pm, Central Time. This […] Continue reading →

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Solar Probe Plus

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Nick Belsten

In 1976, NASA’s Helios 2 spacecraft set the current distance record by orbiting the Sun with a closest approach of 43.4 million kilometers. Even though this is barely inside the orbit of Mercury, the intense heat close to the Sun has previously prevented any closer observation. The Goddard Space flight Center “Living with a Star … Continue reading Solar Probe Plus → Continue reading →

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Solar Probe Plus

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Nick Belsten

In 1976, NASA’s Helios 2 spacecraft set the current distance record by orbiting the Sun with a closest approach of 43.4 million kilometers. Even though this is barely inside the orbit of Mercury, the intense heat close to the Sun has previously prevented any closer observation. The Goddard Space flight Center “Living with a Star … Continue reading Solar Probe Plus → Continue reading →

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