Tag Archives: technology

Voyager 2 and Its Solar System Exploration

Posted on March 19, 2013 by indianwm

Voyager 2 is the second spacecraft to explore the outer solar system, following the Voyager 1. However, Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft that has accomplished the task of studying Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune at close distances. Voyager 2 was launched on August 20th, 1977 to study the outer solar system, as well as […] Continue reading →

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Nuclear Fusion Here on Earth

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Will K

  Scientists are researching nuclear fusion like never before. This research is motivated by the promise of large amounts of clean power. In fact, the fuel used in fusion reactors is deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen that can be obtained from seawater. NBC emphasizes this clean power, reporting that “half a bathtub of seawater could […] Continue reading →

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God Particle

Posted on March 17, 2013 by juliettealper

There has been new findings regarding the origin of the universe and what caused the big bang. This research, $10 billion dollars later, confirms that the way physicists and other scientists viewed particle physics was actually correct. Had this not been proven, scientists would have completely had to reconsider their theories on the origination of […] Continue reading →

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By Chance…

Posted on March 17, 2013 by a2megal

I set out without a real direction for this blog post. (I suppose that makes sense since some of the more interesting discoveries you can come across on the web pop up when you jump from page-to-page.) During my search for a new and interesting article on some aspect of astronomy, I came across a […] Continue reading →

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Magellan to the New World

Posted on March 16, 2013 by a2megal

In class we recently discussed the four primary types of robotic missions that we can send into space: flyby orbiter lander or probe sample return mission In general the concept of sending physical objects into space so that we can collect data about plates, stars, or anything really that we can’t directly observe here on […] Continue reading →

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Mars Suitable for Life

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Megan C

NASA scientists have just finished analyzing a sample of rock Curiosity drilled last month, and the results are certainly promising for the theory that Mars once was home to life. In the sample, they found elements like carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur, all of which are essential for life as we know it.  This sample […] Continue reading →

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The Webb Space Telescope: the Future of Viewing the Past

Posted on February 20, 2013 by zvgio

Every time you look at the stars , you are looking back in time. The universe is a big place and light takes time to move through it, so if you’re currently admiring Polaris, the photons hitting your eyes have been traveling for about 434 years to reach you. That may seem like a long […] Continue reading →

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Near-Earth Objects: Experiences and Implications

Posted on February 20, 2013 by werdercj

Meteor trail over Eastern Russia. On February 15, 2013, two very significant astronomical events occurred unusually close to us; the highly publicized meteor explosion over a Russian city overshadowed the close approach of a much larger asteroid orbiting Earth.  The contrast between these two events is what struck me as most interesting and informative about […] Continue reading →

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Hubble Images: Not as Easy as Just Taking Pictures

Posted on February 20, 2013 by zvgio

Most people have heard of the Hubble Space Telescope, a visible light telescope that has been orbiting Earth since 1990, and if they haven’t, they’ve probably at least seen some of it’s images of distant galaxies and majestic nebulae. These pictures are vibrantly colorful and awe-inspiring, but they don’t start off that way. All of […] Continue reading →

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Neutrino Detectors

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Will K

Over the past several decades telescope technology has improved dramatically. Not only are we able to view the galaxy from massive observatories on Earth, but we can capture light through telescopes orbiting in space. Although these advances have allowed us to detect light from many different ranges across the electromagnetic spectrum, telescopes cannot detect all […] Continue reading →

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