Category Archives: SolarSystem

The Sun’s Absorption Spectrum

Posted on February 16, 2016 by annamcc9

Absorption spectra occur when a hot solid or liquid or very dense gas give off a continuous spectrum, with all colors, and then that continuous light moves through a thin gas that is cooler than the source of the continuous light. This thin gas absorbs some of the light being given off by the source […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Light, SolarSystem, Sun | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Sun’s Absorption Spectrum

Lunar and Solar Tides

Posted on February 16, 2016 by annamcc9

Tides are a fascinating effect of the Moon and Sun’s gravitational forces acting on the Earth. They are a visible sign of how distance effects the strength of a gravitational force. Because the Sun is so large, it has the greatest gravitational force acting on the Earth. However, because it is so far away, the […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Sun | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Lunar and Solar Tides

The Martian – Hollywood exaggeration or accurate?

Posted on February 16, 2016 by nedastro2110

Yes, I’m super behind on my movie watching but I finally watched “The Martian” over the weekend and wow did it absolutely spark my interest in space travel and the feasibility of living on Mars for months including growing your own food…what? By the way, if you haven’t seen it yet stop reading this immediately […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, General, Science, SolarSystem, Universe | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Martian – Hollywood exaggeration or accurate?

10 Seriously Cool Astronomy Facts

Posted on February 16, 2016 by lindseynestor

The prospect of picking my own blog topic this week out of any and all astronomical topics was just TOO daunting for an indecisive person like me. So, I decided to just talk about a bunch of really super incredible amazing things all in the same post. The following are some seriously AWESOME astronomical facts: […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, General, SolarSystem | Tagged , | Comments Off on 10 Seriously Cool Astronomy Facts

Tides can be Fun(dy)

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Gabi Grys

Anyone who has spent the day at the beach has experienced the changes of the tides. Few of us, however, have ever seen anything like the Bay of Fundy, a body of water between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada with the largest tidal range in the world. Within twelve hours between low and […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Observables, Terrestrials | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Tides can be Fun(dy)

Why do we have tides?

Posted on February 16, 2016 by nedastro2110

Today I want to talk about tides! Above is this video of Clovelly, England and the drastic tide that they experience day in and day out, especially when it is spring tide, meaning the moon and sun’s tidal forces line up to create even more drastic tidal forces. What is amazing about that video is […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Moons, Observables, Universe | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Why do we have tides?

The Martian — Could It Really Happen?

Posted on February 16, 2016 by clharrell

Matt Damon’s critically acclaimed film “The Martian” broke records and set a new standard for space exploration movies. The film was even praised for its scientific accuracy by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. While most of what occurs in the film is theoretically possible, a few things stand out to be implausible. The first question I had when […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Space Travel, Terrestrials | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Martian — Could It Really Happen?

Mayan Astronomy

Posted on February 16, 2016 by andyastronomer

  At the end of 2012, the whole world was abuzz with the news that on December 21st, the Mayan calendar would end. Some claimed this ominous event signaled the end of the world, while others simply suggested the Mayans would have likely extended their calendar if they were still around. Who Did It Better: […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Historical, Instruments, Terrestrials | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Mayan Astronomy

Voyager 2 & Planetary Assists

Posted on February 16, 2016 by mattsastronomyblog

When an object is trying to leave a planet, it must reach escape velocity.  The escape velocity is the speed at which the kinetic energy of the moving body is equal to its gravitational potential energy.  The escape velocity from earth is about 25,000 mph.  So when the Voyager 2 left earth, it had to reach […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, SolarSystem, Space Travel | Tagged , | Comments Off on Voyager 2 & Planetary Assists

Blog #4 Spacecraft and “Gold Foil”

Posted on February 15, 2016 by seanmcsolsys

If you’ve ever seen pictures of satellites being prepped in clean rooms, you’ve probably seen the immense amounts of gold foil covering the crafts. You might think the foil’s purpose is to keep the probe clean until launch, or that gold’s conductive and malleable properties aid the function of the vehicle. For space travel, it’s neither. […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Instruments, SolarSystem, Space Travel | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Blog #4 Spacecraft and “Gold Foil”