Monthly Archives: April 2013

A Grim Future, Brightened by the Stars

Posted on April 29, 2013 by burnspress

For my culminating post, I want to reflect on how my perspective on space and the future of astronomy has changed over the course of Astronomy 201. Firstly, everything I learned in this course, from gravity and planetary formation to stars and habitable zones, has given me a fundamental and scientifically realistic understanding of space […] Continue reading →

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Guys, We are a Type 0 Civilization

Posted on April 29, 2013 by theskyisbeautifultonight

The Kardashev Scale As we persevere in our search for other intelligent life out there in the far reaches of space, we should also remember that, if they exist, we have no idea what they would look like, or how powerful they might be in comparison to us, or how they would respond to us […] Continue reading →

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Tardigrade – Water Bear!

Posted on April 29, 2013 by YanruChen

This is one of the most amazing animals on Earth! It has a very geeky name “tardigrade”, but is also known as water bear as it lives in water. It can live in most extreme conditions from just above absolute zero to above the temperature of boiling water. It can also withstand dehydration, extreme pressures […] Continue reading →

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My Universe

Posted on April 29, 2013 by williamrmccormick

My Universe has changed throughout this course. I used to think that we were fully alone on Earth, and that there was simply no way that another civilization could exist besides our own. Now I realize that life outside of our own world is much more likely than I would have believed. It is interesting […] Continue reading →

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Silentium Universi

Posted on April 29, 2013 by burnspress

Fermi’s paradox, Fermi’s question, the Great Silence, and Silentium Universi are all names ascribed to one of the most fundamental questions of astronomy: “Where is everybody?” It is a question based in rationality, because in the search for extraterrestrial life the numbers just don’t seem to add up. With enough probes and some decent rocket technology, it is […] Continue reading →

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A Message From Earth

Posted on April 29, 2013 by williamrmccormick

A Message From Earth. A foolhardy attempt from humans to try and reach alien life forms, it was sent on October 9, 2008. This message was sent towards the planet Gliese 581 c, a large terrestrial planet orbiting around the star Gliese 581 that is believed to have the possibility of life. The message was […] Continue reading →

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The Final Frontier

Posted on April 29, 2013 by rtjobe

We live quite cozily on our happy little planet we call Earth. Our own solar system has 8 planets including Earth, and 613,152 confirmed minor planets. Our best estimates say that the Milky Way galaxy has anywhere from 100 to 400 billion other stars in it, most of which have planets around them. To put […] Continue reading →

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A Semester in Review

Posted on April 29, 2013 by mirandaskunz

My interest in astronomy stems from the pleasure I get just looking out at the stars, trying to find constellations and contemplating the vastness of the universe. Throughout this semester, however, I have learned that astronomy is so much more than just looking at stars. There are so many factors to consider in astronomy, from […] Continue reading →

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A Humbling Experience

Posted on April 29, 2013 by marknshirleyvu

The picture that I have attached above aptly describes what my time in the class has made me feel.  Prior to Astro 201, I had very little knowledge about the workings of our Universe.  And while I’m not saying that a single 200-level course has made me anything even resembling an expert, I feel that […] Continue reading →

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The Golden Record

Posted on April 29, 2013 by mirandaskunz

In the early 1970s, plaques containing information about humans and Earth were sent out on plaques on the Pioneer spacecraft. By the late 1970s, these plaques were upgraded to golden records on the Voyager probes. These phonographic records, designed to inform aliens who might discover the probes about humans, included 115 images, greetings in 55 […] Continue reading →

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