Monthly Archives: February 2015

What Would Happen Without Gravity?

Is this what the world would be like without gravity? I have always wondered what earth would be like without gravity. There is gravity on the Moon and we are weightless because we are in a constant state of free fall, not because there is no gravity. But if there was no gravity on earth,… Continue reading

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My favorite tides

DIFFERENTIALS!! :) During class today, I talked about tides and how there is a great deal of misinformation out there. My favorite websites for the astronomical explanation of tides are: A rigorously correct but a tiny bit snarky treatment – it’s my favorite: Tidal Misconceptions by Dr. Donald E. Simanek One of the links from […] Continue reading

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My favorite tides

DIFFERENTIALS!! :) During class today, I talked about tides and how there is a great deal of misinformation out there. My favorite websites for the astronomical explanation of tides are: A rigorously correct but a tiny bit snarky treatment – it’s my favorite: Tidal Misconceptions by Dr. Donald E. Simanek One of the links from […] Continue reading

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Earth or Mars?

This picture looks like something that could be taken on Earth, however it is not! This picture was taken by the Curiosity rover near the base of Mount Sharp. Mount Sharp, also know as Aeolis Mons, reaches a height of…

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The World’s Largest Vaccuum

The world’s largest vacuum is located at NASA’s Space Power Facility in Ohio. In this video, a bowling ball and a feather are dropped together under the conditions of outer space to demonstrate the concept that objects will fall at…

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Project Blue Book

Conspiracists, rejoice. After two decades of filing Freedom of Information Act requests for any information the US government has on UFOs and other weird sightings, the efforts of proclaimed UFO enthusiast John Greenwald have been fruitful. Last month the files were released and Greenwald posted the 130,000 pages of declassified material on his website, The Black […] Continue reading

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“Eppur si muove” … Maybe not

“And yet it moves.” Legend has it that these were the words whispered by Galileo after he recanted his claim that the Earth orbits the Sun before the Catholic Church at his trial in 1633. The Church had threatened his life if he did not, so this story shows a 70 year old man not willing to […] Continue reading

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The Astronomical Origins of Stonehenge

Above is a photo of Stonehenge I took when I visited England the summer after freshman year of high school. I was so amazed by this structure. I wondered why it was built and what was its purpose. I did not know at the time, but many believe Stonehenge has connections to ancient astronomy. Archaeoastronomers are […] Continue reading

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Galileo Galilei in a Historical Context

Galileo Galilei (February 15, 1564 – January 8, 1642) Galileo was important for quite a few discoveries. His career in science began when he began to study as a mathematician. One of his largest contributions to astronomy was the discovery of the telescope. The telescope became a huge sensation. His refinement of the telescope allowed […] Continue reading

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A Historical Time Frame of Galileo Galilei

Galileo was instrumental to the development of astronomy because he was the first to use a telescope and publish his findings. His findings proved the heliocentric over the geocentric model which was a pivotal change in astronomy. He was considered … Continue reading Continue reading

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