Monthly Archives: February 2014

Our Bodies on Mars

Posted on February 17, 2014 by hughavanheesewijk

I discovered an interesting article from the magazine Wired about the importance of gravity when it comes to our bodies’ ability to function. It specifically discussed the challenges of colonizing Mars in regards to gravity. Of course before we can think about the challenges of living on Mars we would have to overcome the challenges […] Continue reading →

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Unenergized Bunny

Posted on February 17, 2014 by dhbrett

After only a few months on the lunar surface, the Chinese Jade Rabbit rover has malfunctioned. This represents a major setback for China’s young space agency and demonstrates how difficult extraterrestrial missions are. It really is amazing that the Cold War of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s was able to produce such amazing progress on … Continue reading Unenergized Bunny → Continue reading →

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Telescope Stuff

Posted on February 17, 2014 by thegarrettnondorf

We’ve all had the urge. The urge to buy a camper, drive and drive till civilization disappears, and finally, under the starlit sky, to use the six foot telescope located in the back of the camper. Check it out. Picture That is how Man was meant to gaze at the stars. With a telescope lens … Continue reading Telescope Stuff → Continue reading →

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The Moon and Surfing

Posted on February 17, 2014 by dhbrett

People generally don’t think about how the moon impacts surfing, but there’s actually a close relationship between the two. The conditions at beaches change a lot depending on the tidal stage, which is itself determined by the position of the moon relative to the Earth. As the Earth spins, two bulges form on the surface, … Continue reading The Moon and Surfing → Continue reading →

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Spectroscopy

Posted on February 17, 2014 by karapetros

I always wondered how we were able to determine what chemicals are present in other stars in outer space. This video excellently and concisely teaches the basics behind studying this in terms of spectroscopy. Naturally, light is important in our viewing of the stars, but I never considered that the way different elements bend light … Continue reading Spectroscopy → Continue reading →

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The IceCube

Posted on February 17, 2014 by hughavanheesewijk

There is a special telescope located in Antarctica accurately called the IceCube that has a very specific task.  The IceCube is supposed to find neutrinos. Neutrinos are high-energy subatomic particles that are supposedly made from tremendously energetic events far extremely far away from us. These neutrinos have “more than a 1,000 times the energy of […] Continue reading →

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30-Meter Telescope-What does that even mean?

Posted on February 17, 2014 by hindsolar

When I first heard the term 30-meter telescope I was quite confused. Did this mean that the telescope is 30 meters long? Does this mean that the telescope is powerful? Based on the size of the telescope in the image above it is clear that the telescope is powerful. The 30-meters refers to the length […] Continue reading →

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Planetary Resources Asteroid Mining Mission

Posted on February 17, 2014 by haydenwalling

There are over 1500 near earth asteroids that are being considered by Planetary Resources and other companies like it and virtually all of them contain things of value. Whether it is the raw materials for fuel and construction, or precious metals that outsize the current stores on earth, asteroids have the greatest promise for making […] Continue reading →

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Telescopes and Turbulence

Posted on February 17, 2014 by thomasridgway

    There are many problems that earth-based telescopes must cope with. Besides light pollution, the largest one is dealing …

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The Doppler Effect

Posted on February 17, 2014 by thomasridgway

Have you ever heard an ambulance fly by you and noticed that the pitch changes as it approaches you, and …

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