Monthly Archives: March 2015

An Ocean on a Moon?

Posted on March 16, 2015 by emilyksharp

One of the largest satellites in the solar system is Jupiter’s moon Ganymede. Though Ganymede is classified as a moon …

Continue reading →

Continue reading →

Posted in Jovians, Moons | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on An Ocean on a Moon?

Beta Pictoris

Posted on March 16, 2015 by revanth111

Source: stgist.com The formation of our solar system is still an event that deserves further study, and other areas and stars in the Milky Way offer a glimpse into the processes that hold the answers. Beta Pictoris, a young star that is 63 million light years away from us, may be such a star. Beta Pictoris […] Continue reading →

Posted in Stars | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Beta Pictoris

Where did we come from?

Posted on March 16, 2015 by jamej00

Formation of the Solar System In only the recent history of astronomy, we’ve began to understand that our solar system is in fact no different than other star systems in the universe.  We now understand that stars in fact all form from a collapsing cloud called a nebula, which is composed mostly of hydrogen and… Continue reading →

Posted in Physics, SolarSystem, Stars | Tagged , | Comments Off on Where did we come from?

“Y” in the Atmosphere of Venus

Posted on March 16, 2015 by revanth111

Source: dailymail.co.uk For decades, scientists have been discussing the origins of a Y shaped feature in Venus’ atmosphere. The strange feature is shown above in a picture from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter in 1979. A recent theory is that the Y shape is formed by differences in the wind speed in the atmosphere. The theory states […] Continue reading →

Posted in Terrestrials | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on “Y” in the Atmosphere of Venus

Salt Water Oceans Thought to be on Ganymede

Posted on March 16, 2015 by conorastr201

Astronomers have recently determined that Jupiter’s largest moon Ganymede likely has an ocean of salt water underneath its icy, inhospitable crust. Ganymede is the only moon in our solar system that has a functioning magnetic field; because of this it is also the only one to have auroras. Scientists in Cologne studied these auroras over a […] Continue reading →

Posted in Moons | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Salt Water Oceans Thought to be on Ganymede

Jupiter’s Watery Moon

Posted on March 16, 2015 by abbeyrstephens

Recent evidence has shown that Jupiter’s largest moon (and the largest moon in our solar system), Ganymede, has a massive ocean lying underneath a thick layer of ice. In fact, it’s believed to have more water than all of Earth! Ganymede, which is just slightly larger than the planet Mercury, has long been suspected of […] Continue reading →

Posted in Moons | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Jupiter’s Watery Moon

NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft Orbits Ceres

Posted on March 16, 2015 by conorastr201

That’s no moon! Just this past week, the Dawn spacecraft entered orbit around Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt. The dward planet is one of the oldest planetary object left in our solar system, and as such could provide valuable information about the early formation of the planets; it is an in-between step, a […] Continue reading →

Posted in Dwarf Planets | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on NASA’s Dawn Spacecraft Orbits Ceres

Moonquakes

Posted on March 15, 2015 by alyssasolarblog

Although the moon’s tectonic plates are no longer active, the moon does experience “moonquakes” not due to tectonic plates. There are four types of “moonquakes”, which can generally be explained by non-tectonic factors: tidal forces, meteoric impacts, and “the expansion of the frigid crust when first illuminated by the morning sun after two weeks of … Continue reading Moonquakes → Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Moonquakes

Moonquakes

Posted on March 15, 2015 by alyssasolarblog

Although the moon’s tectonic plates are no longer active, the moon does experience “moonquakes” not due to tectonic plates. There are four types of “moonquakes”, which can generally be explained by non-tectonic factors: tidal forces, meteoric impacts, and “the expansion of the frigid crust when first illuminated by the morning sun after two weeks of … Continue reading Moonquakes → Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Moonquakes

Our Place in the Universe

Posted on March 15, 2015 by lindenmuthadam

When Carl Sagan requested that NASA redirect its Voyager 1 camera towards Earth from the edge of the Solar System, he knew that it would be of little scientific value. The image taken, “Pale Blue Dot” proved to be one of the most iconic and powerful space photographs ever taken. The sheer magnitude of space […] Continue reading →

Posted in SolarSystem | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Our Place in the Universe