Tag Archives: space

Is the Moon actually made of cheese?

Posted on March 21, 2021 by brandonlipper

Unfortunately, the answer is no. However, the story of why the Moon’s surface looks the way it does it still an interesting one and one that helps us understand the solar system as a whole. The surface of the Moon most closely resembles that of Mercury (due to the lack of geological activity that comesContinue reading “Is the Moon actually made of cheese?” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Moons, SolarSystem, Universe | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Is the Moon actually made of cheese?

Tidal Friction: a 5 hour long day to a month long day

Posted on February 27, 2021 by brandonlipper

Due to the Universal law of gravitation, we know that objects of equal mass have a larger gravitation force between them when they are closer together. Because the near side of the Earth is closer to the Moon than the far side of the Earth, the force between the Moon and the near side ofContinue reading “Tidal Friction: a 5 hour long day to a month long day” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Moons, Physics, SolarSystem | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Tidal Friction: a 5 hour long day to a month long day

Hello!

Posted on February 1, 2021 by rightascensionanddeclinolan

My name is Nolan Siegel, and I am looking forward to blogging this semester! I’m a student at Vanderbilt University studying political science and economics (with minors in astronomy and scientific computing), and I like asking big questions about the universe and my place within it. ASTR 2110 is my fourth astronomy course, and IContinue reading “Hello!” Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Hello!

Extremophiles, and What They Mean For Life in Space

Posted on April 14, 2020 by phildowd

Extremophiles are organisms on Earth that thrive in extreme environment that most other organisms wouldn’t be able to survive in. They are found in places that at a glance, seem unlivable, places like inside volcanoes, or deep in the ocean under extreme pressures. So why do these extremophiles matter when thinking about space? The ideaContinue reading “Extremophiles, and What They Mean For Life in Space” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Galaxies, Moons, Stars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Extremophiles, and What They Mean For Life in Space

Life on Europa?

Posted on April 1, 2020 by dannydonofrio217

When considering the likeliest hosts for extraterrestrial life in our very own system, Europa surely is near the top of possible candidates. One of Jupiter’s 79 (!) moons, it possesses the smoothest surface of any celestial body in the solar system. Because of this and imaging from probes, scientists have hypothesized that Europa has aContinue reading “Life on Europa?” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Universe | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Life on Europa?

Why is Pluto No Longer a Planet?

Posted on March 29, 2020 by dannydonofrio217

It’s no secret Pluto has been out of the privileged circle of celestial bodies to be considered planets for over a decade now. But many don’t realize what events led to this ousting, and the reasonings for doing so. Pluto had long since been considered a planet since its discovery in the 1930’s. Yet startingContinue reading “Why is Pluto No Longer a Planet?” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Universe | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Why is Pluto No Longer a Planet?

Could There be Life on Europa?

Posted on March 29, 2020 by phildowd

Europa is one of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, meaning it’s one of the four largest moons that orbit Jupiter. What makes it particularly special is that it is considered one of the most likely places in our solar system (outside of Earth) that might contain life. Now, at a glance, it seems like that shouldn’t beContinue reading “Could There be Life on Europa?” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Moons, Sun | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Could There be Life on Europa?

Gravitational Waves

Posted on March 17, 2020 by phildowd

Gravitational waves are a fascinating concept. The thought starts from the idea that gravity moves at the speed of light. Now, at the start this sounds like a silly idea. Doesn’t the force of gravity always act on people? Yet take this example. Say the sun were to simply disappear. Not explode or change, butContinue reading “Gravitational Waves” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Galaxies, Sun | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Gravitational Waves

The Revolutionary James Webb Telescope

Posted on March 15, 2020 by sheagordon

In a previous post, I wrote about the Hubble telescopes revolutionary Hubble Legacy Field image. This ended the era of Hubble, which was the source of most of the discoveries of our solar system over the past decades. The new James Webb telescope is now set to be put into orbit in 2021, and itContinue reading “The Revolutionary James Webb Telescope” Continue reading →

Posted in Galaxies, Universe | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Revolutionary James Webb Telescope

How Does the Sun Create Enough Energy to Reach the Entire Solar System?

Posted on March 15, 2020 by sheagordon

The heat and light energy, that which allows for life on Earth and provides energy for the entire solar systems, comes from a powerful yet simply process from deep within the core of the sun. This process is called nuclear fusion. Essentially, single protons, which can also be defined as singular hydrogen molecules, fuse togetherContinue reading “How Does the Sun Create Enough Energy to Reach the Entire Solar System?” Continue reading →

Posted in Light, Sun | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on How Does the Sun Create Enough Energy to Reach the Entire Solar System?