Category Archives: SolarSystem

The Future of the Sun and What It Means for Earth

Right now, the Sun is about halfway through its main sequence stage. It has always intrigued me how the Sun will evolve once it is past this phase. How will the Sun change? What will happen to Earth and the other planets? In approximately 5.4 billion years, the Sun will have exhausted all of its […] Continue reading

Posted in Stars, Sun | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Future of the Sun and What It Means for Earth

Could the sun live for over a trillion years?

Sun and hydrogen burning: Thinking outside the bubble Yes it can! But not except under unusual circumstances which do not naturally occur in G-type stars as our sun. This is due to the fact that the core is the only part of the sun in which temperatures and pressure are high enough to fuse helium […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Stars, Sun | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Could the sun live for over a trillion years?

Blog Post #6: Gas Giant Rings

Universe Today Very few people know that Saturn is not the only planet in our solar system that has rings. …

Continue reading

Continue reading

Posted in Jovians, Planet Rings | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Blog Post #6: Gas Giant Rings

The Biggest Volcano in the Solar System

The biggest volcano in the solar system was discovered in 1971 by the space probe Mariner 9, though it is …

Continue reading

Continue reading

Posted in Terrestrials | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Biggest Volcano in the Solar System

Debating about the Dwarf Planets

When I received an e-mail from my astronomy professor from last semester, David Weintraub, about an article that he had recently written for The Conversation, I was quite excited to read it. Professor Weintraub is very passionate about Pluto and quite vocal about his disapproval of its demoted status. This article, entitled “NASA missions may […] Continue reading

Posted in Dwarf Planets | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Debating about the Dwarf Planets

A Moment of Appreciation for the Sun

One object in the Solar System that I tend to take for granted proves to be the Sun. Because it is a constant in my life and I always know that I can depend on it rising and setting everyday, I often overlook how powerful it is. The Sun has been shining for 4.6 billion […] Continue reading

Posted in Historical, Sun | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on A Moment of Appreciation for the Sun

Surface of Venus Revealed from Earth Telescope

As many of us know, Venus is covered in a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide that makes it very difficult for scientist to view the surface of Venus. In the past, NASA’s Magellan spacecraft has used radar to penetrate the…

Continue reading

Continue reading

Posted in Terrestrials | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Surface of Venus Revealed from Earth Telescope

Sun Triggers Radio Blackout with First X-Class Flare

The Sun triggered a radio blackout with the first X-class solar flare of 2015 on Wednesday, March 11th at 12:22pm ET. A solar flare is a sudden flash of brightness on the Sun’s surface. Solar flares are classified as A,…

Continue reading

Continue reading

Posted in Sun | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Sun Triggers Radio Blackout with First X-Class Flare

Sun Triggers Radio Blackout with First X-Class Flare

The Sun triggered a radio blackout with the first X-class solar flare of 2015 on Wednesday, March 11th at 12:22pm ET. A solar flare is a sudden flash of brightness on the Sun’s surface. Solar flares are classified as A,…

Continue reading

Continue reading

Posted in Sun | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Sun Triggers Radio Blackout with First X-Class Flare

Serious About Ceres

NASA’s Dawn started orbiting the dwarf planet Ceres last Friday, making it the first spacecraft to ever orbit a dwarf planet. After a seven and a half year, 3.1 billion mile journey, Dawn reached the small, icy protoplanet that orbits the Sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres has been a bit […] Continue reading

Posted in Dwarf Planets, Observables | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Serious About Ceres