Monthly Archives: February 2013

Types of Light

Posted on February 18, 2013 by ndtidol

The electromagnetic spectrum consists of radio waves, microwaves, infrared waves, visible light waves, ultraviolet waves, X-rays, and gamma rays. Of these seven types, humans can only sense visible light waves, […] Continue reading →

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Setting Sail

Posted on February 18, 2013 by a2megal

Humans seem to have always been fascinated with what lies beyond our immediate world–our Earth. We have created stories about the stars above, how they came to be, what they are made of, and who they are. Throughout time, conversations of traveling to these stars entered the realm of conversation. I guess I have gotten […] Continue reading →

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Clear Path to the Stars

Posted on February 18, 2013 by a2megal

In class we talked about the different types of telescopes and the different shortcomings of reflecting versus refracting telescopes. In all though, a challenge that all types of ground-based telescopes face is the interference caused by Earth’s atmosphere. This interference causes distortion of EM waves coming through the atmosphere from outer space. The bending of […] Continue reading →

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Frickin’ Laser Beams

Posted on February 18, 2013 by burnspress

On July 5, 2012, the world’s largest laser fired a record shattering shot that generated more power than the entire United States does at any given moment. The laser, located in Livermore, California, is housed in a building the size of three football fields dubbed the National Ignition Facility (photo above). The NIF laser is an […] Continue reading →

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HINS-Light > Purell?

Posted on February 18, 2013 by burnspress

Spectroscopy refers to the interactions between matter and light, or radiated energy, and the dispersion of an object’s light into its various wavelengths (i.e. colors). Dissecting an object’s light through spectroscopy helps modern astronomers determine the physical properties of stars. However, the study of light aids more than just astronomers in scientific battles today. New […] Continue reading →

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Doppler Shifts

Posted on February 18, 2013 by gerretyc

When I first learned about the Doppler effect, I found that the easiest way to think about it was to imagine an ambulance driving past me at a very high […] Continue reading →

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About Tides

Posted on February 18, 2013 by gerretyc

Upon beginning this course, I knew that the tides had something to do with the Moon and gravity, but I really didn’t understand exactly what was occurring.  I was under […] Continue reading →

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Space Shuttle Resting Spots

Posted on February 18, 2013 by kevinm387

Above is a photo of the shuttle Endeavor flying over my hometown, Houston, before it retired. The final resting spots for these shuttles included Los Angeles, New York City, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. As you can see, Houston was not included as one of the final destinations […] Continue reading →

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James Webb Space Telescope

Posted on February 18, 2013 by juliettealper

universetoday.com The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is Hubble’s successor. As impressive and useful as Hubble was, it will eventually stop working and spin out of it’s orbit. That is why the JWST is being made. It will be better and more advanced than Hubble, allowing scientists to view infrared light. JWST will study four […] Continue reading →

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Virgin Galactic

Posted on February 18, 2013 by indianwm

Sir Richard Branson of Virgin records, Virgin mobile, and many other large companies has brought the dream of space travel to civilians. Finally, non-astronauts are able to roam through space and experience what very few have. This trip, however, is quite expensive and will not be able to be experienced by everyone. The starting price […] Continue reading →

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