Monthly Archives: March 2016

Sun: Where do you see yourself in 5 billion years?

Posted on March 15, 2016 by samihahplanet

Currently, our nearest and dearest star is at the ripe middle age of about 4.5 billion years old. This means that the Sun is a “main sequence star,” so it converts the hydrogen in its core to helium. However, about 4 billion years from now, the Sun will being to transition to a red giant, […] Continue reading →

Posted in Stars, Sun | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Sun: Where do you see yourself in 5 billion years?

Sun: Where do you see yourself in 5 billion years?

Posted on March 15, 2016 by samihahplanet

Currently, our nearest and dearest star is at the ripe middle age of about 4.5 billion years old. This means that the Sun is a “main sequence star,” so it converts the hydrogen in its core to helium. However, about 4 billion years from now, the Sun will being to transition to a red giant, […] Continue reading →

Posted in Stars, Sun | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Sun: Where do you see yourself in 5 billion years?

When the Sun Shows Off

Posted on March 15, 2016 by evinske

  There’s a spectacular light show every year at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The grand venue boasts thousands and thousands of lights each year around Christmas. Yet, you don’t have to find a $30 parking spot at a debatably overrated hotel to see a grand, sparkling event. In fact, there’s a place giving […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Light, Observables, Sun | Tagged , , | Comments Off on When the Sun Shows Off

A Vacation on Venus?

Posted on March 15, 2016 by harperastronomyblog

I was recently reading a book in which humanity had terraformed all of the Terrestrial planets (and also some gas giant moons) in the solar system, and it got me thinking: could humanity ever actually terraform a planet. And if so, which planet? After researching this question, Venus seems the most likely candidate for a […] Continue reading →

Posted in Science, Universe | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on A Vacation on Venus?

Juno, the Probe to Jupiter

Posted on March 15, 2016 by imanig625

The Juno spacecraft is on its way to Jupiter, getting closer and closer as the years go by. Having left in August of 2011, five years later, Juno is due to arrive in July of this year. It is going to be the first solar-powered spacecraft to reach as far as Jupiter. Its mission is to study the… Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Space Travel | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Juno, the Probe to Jupiter

Here Comes the Sun, doo doo doo doo…

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Gabi Grys

  The Sun serves at the central focus of our Solar System, our source of heat and light. However, sometimes things tend to ~flare up~ on this Sun that can disrupt things here on Earth. Eruptions of hot gas on the Sun (or solar flares) can cause shock waves that produce radio waves that worm […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Observables, Stars, Sun | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Here Comes the Sun, doo doo doo doo…

UY Scuti

Posted on March 15, 2016 by chasejaeger

The size of the Sun is difficult to comprehend. With a diameter of 865,000 miles, The Sun has the volume of 1.3 million Earths. If we were to place the Earth next to the Sun, we would simply see a tiny spec next to the Sun. However, the Sun is not even close to the […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Stars | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on UY Scuti

Powering the Mars Rover

Posted on March 15, 2016 by mattsastronomyblog

In order to power the Mars Rover, scientists decided to use a radioisotope thermoelectric generator.  Thermoelectric generators use differences in temperature to generate energy.  The Mars Rover uses plutonium-238, a radioisotope that decays overtime and generates heat.  This heat is used by the thermoelectric to generate energy for the rover.  There are several benefits to […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Space Travel | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Powering the Mars Rover

What’s eating at Pluto?

Posted on March 15, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

What’s going on under the surface of pluto? The New Horizons probe passed Pluto just last year, after a nine year journey to the Kuiper Belt. Over the last few months, images from the probe have been being received back here on Earth. These images are the most high quality photos of Pluto we have ever […] Continue reading →

Posted in Observables, Space Travel | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on What’s eating at Pluto?

The Largest Things in the Universe

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Alex Pratte

    While I was looking up random astronomy stuff, I came across an article that lists the top ten biggest things in the universe. Here are a few of the gigantic things that made the list: Biggest Star – VY Canis Majoris VY Canis Majoris is the largest star that we know of; it has […] Continue reading →

Posted in General, Science, Universe | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Largest Things in the Universe