Monthly Archives: January 2014

The 2017 Nashville Eclipse!

Posted on January 28, 2014 by drgrundstrom

In class yesterday we talked about eclipses and so here’s the post about it! The totally awesome (and very dedicated) Mr. Eclipse (i.e., The Ultimate Resource for Eclipse Photography) is a favorite of NASA so they use his diagrams on their eclipse website. The foremost resource for the 2017 eclipse is eclipse2017.org.  The Interactive Google […] Continue reading →

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Solar Eclipse Myths

Posted on January 28, 2014 by forestcsharp

via National Geographic As astounding and rare as they are, it’s no surprise that many cultures possess their own mythology regarding solar eclipses. Imagine an ancient civilization watching in awe as the warmth and light of the sun are blocked … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The magic of Stellarium

Posted on January 27, 2014 by asadpabani

Have you ever accidentally stumbled upon something amazing? Like that burger joint you stumbled into when you were out late on Friday night and found out they served the most amazing cheeseburger? Finding out about Stellarium last semester had something of a similar effect on me. While previously I was left swooning over magnificent pictures […] Continue reading →

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The size of the Universe

Posted on January 27, 2014 by asadpabani

To say the Universe is big is a bit of an understatement. The monster truck parked outside is considered big, the girl sitting next to you in class is called big by some people in bated breath, the Big Mac is supposed to be big (says so in the very name). When we’re talking about […] Continue reading →

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Neil deGrasse Tyson: In Defense of the Big Bang Theory

Posted on January 27, 2014 by forestcsharp

Video Source: Youtube  One of the most confusing yet also the most interesting events on the “Cosmic Calendar” is that of the origin of our Universe. One of the most popular theories for the origin of our Universe is that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The Precession of Earth’s Axis

Posted on January 27, 2014 by gradytlynch

I’m a very visual learner, so when trying to understand the phenomenon of axial precession, I sought out a visual representation of what exactly is going on. This video perfectly explains (for this level class) the causes and implications of axial precession. It leaves us with an advanced understanding of how axial precession affects our […] Continue reading →

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A Slower Speed of Light

Posted on January 27, 2014 by gradytlynch

The open source MIT game “A Slower Speed of Light” is a first person game in which the player collects orbs that slow down time. As the game progresses, the user will find that the game becomes harder as the speed of light decreases, approaching the player’s own speed of movement. This brings many strange […] Continue reading →

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SkyCube: A Personal Satellite

Posted on January 27, 2014 by almetetj

Project Explanation Video: SkyCube Project Overview While skimming through a list of start up projects on Kickstarter.com, I noticed a project that peaked my interest a while back, the SkyCube. This project gave “backers” the opportunity to control the soon to  be launched satellite, effectively becoming the  first crowd source funded satellite intended for crowd-sourced […] Continue reading →

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The Hidden Universe

Posted on January 27, 2014 by dhbrett

It’s amazing to think about how much there is that we cannot yet see. Even the famous Hubble Deep Field image can only show us so much. The objects pictured are incredibly far away, but what lies beyond them is important too, since it may give us clues as to the formation of the universe. … Continue reading The Hidden Universe → Continue reading →

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Stellarium

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Leigh

I found the program Stellarium to be incredibly interesting and also very informative. The benefit of Stellarium is that it creates a visual and interactive representative of what can only be demonstrated through words and images in the textbook. Because … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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