Monthly Archives: February 2013

The World Will End in Ice

Posted on February 28, 2013 by theskyisbeautifultonight

I’m fascinated by the end of the universe.  It’s a pretty interesting mental exercise, theorizing about how everything might end (and us with it), especially since I definitely won’t be around to see any of those theories come to fruition.  Of course, I have a favorite theory, that being the “Heat death of the universe”. […] Continue reading →

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500 Days of…Solitude

Posted on February 21, 2013 by theskyisbeautifultonight

European Space Agency So this piece of news is a bit old, but I think its worth talking about: we’re one step closer to intersolar travel!  I’m not talking about a probe or rover, however.  In this case I’m talking about things of a human nature.  From 2007 – 2011, in a cooperative effort between […] Continue reading →

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Planning for the Future

Posted on February 21, 2013 by ibrahim2016

I was stumbling around the internet when I came across this series of pictures. If any one of you is interested in long term investments, high return savings, that sort of thing, this is a really good view of what the coming years will bring. Click here if animation doesn’t play. But seriously, this image […] Continue reading →

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The Power of the Telescope

Posted on February 20, 2013 by jhughes216

History The first known telescopes came into invention sometime in 1608 by Dutch glass makers who had become quite skilled in making lens. In 1609 an Italian physicist and astronomer named Galileo decided to use this invention to look into the heavens. While it was rudimentary compared to the telescopes of today, this new tool […] Continue reading →

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Why are polarized sunglasses helpful?

Posted on February 20, 2013 by zoodrey

What do polarized sunglasses do differently than regular sunglasses? Polarized sunglasses affect the direction of light reflection. We know that light travels in waves in a random assortment of direction. Polarization is all of the horizontal reflection of light off of reflective surfaces. When light hits an object, it will reflect parallel to the surface. … Continue reading » Continue reading →

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Happy Valentine’s Day! I bought you a Star!! <3

Posted on February 20, 2013 by zoodrey

Your very own Star! Websites exist that allow you to buy a loved one a star.. often for as low as $14.95, such as this one. You even get to choose from different gift packages to satisfy all your star naming cravings. That must really be a good way to win a girl over… buy … Continue reading » Continue reading →

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Pink Light

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Elizabeth Merriman

There are many interesting things about light, particularly those wavelengths we cannot see.  Looking at the light coming off of the Earth, we see what looks like a black body curve, but with chunks missing where greenhouse gasses absorb light.   … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Gravity around the Solar System

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Elizabeth Merriman

In class, we looked at why an astronaut experiences weightlessness in the space station, even though the force of gravity is not significantly less than on the surface of the Earth.  This is because the space station is falling at the … Continue reading → 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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Copernicus vs. Tycho Brahe

Posted on February 20, 2013 by JT McJunkins

While both Copernicus and Tycho contributed to the evolution of astronomy and the Scientific Revolution in general, the nature of their accomplishments and challenges to the status quo were fundamentally different and defined their respective reception… Continue reading →

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