Monthly Archives: February 2017

Blog #1:Solar Eclipses

Posted on February 14, 2017 by zhengastronomy

For many, August 21st  will be the highlight of their year, with many having planned out their day months if not years in advance, finding out prime locations, taking time off, and/or even going out of town. In fact one small town in Kentucky has had all of its hotels booked full for this day … Continue reading Blog #1:Solar Eclipses Continue reading →

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The Importance of Spectroscopy in Solar System Exploration

Posted on February 14, 2017 by njelinek425

While the very existence of visible light allows for the viewing of celestial bodies, not enough credit is oft given to the true capability of light’s full spectrum. Spectroscopy is an imaging and scientific method of measurement that involves the unique spectra that occur when light comes into contact with an object or substance of […] Continue reading →

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Cassiopeia

Posted on February 14, 2017 by liuy54

You can’t go through astronomy without talking about constellations, and for me, you can’t go through constellations without talking about my favorite: Cassiopeia. She is is not only a constellation in the northern sky, but also the queen of Æthiopia. Beautiful and proud, she was the wife of king Cepheus, and the mother of Andromeda; […] Continue reading →

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Gravity Waves

Posted on February 14, 2017 by pkunetz97

Have you ever wondered what the speed of gravity is? Were you under the assumption that the force of gravity was immediate? Like everything else in the universe, gravity has a finite speed. In fact, gravity travels at precisely c, the speed of light in a vacuum. This was first theorized as a result of Einstein’s […] Continue reading →

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IR and Telescopes

Posted on February 14, 2017 by joneastr

I previous wrote about how the “oldest” and farthest galaxies and stars from us are also moving the fastest away … More Continue reading →

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The Big Crunch

Posted on February 14, 2017 by brandonandthesolarsystem

While the Big Bang has become the quintessential theory for the beginning of the universe, the possible future of the universe is still an open question. While the universe we currently observe is expanding in all directions, who is to say that this expansion will continue indefinitely. And if the expansion of the universe ends, […] Continue reading →

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“Ring of Fire” to appear over South Africa

Posted on February 14, 2017 by njelinek425

The appearance of an impressive annular eclipse is slated to take place later this month, Sunday the 26th, in the southern half of the world. The eclipse is scheduled to appear west of Southern Chile, with the best viewings possible from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the […] Continue reading →

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New technologies in mapping space weather

Posted on February 14, 2017 by astromalhotra

One of the fundamental concepts in the study of astronomy is the dependency of Earth and every other planet in the solar system on the  characteristics of the Sun. From emissions of hot gas to violent space wind to bursts of extra energy (via solar flares), the behavior  of the Sun, dubbed as space weather, […] Continue reading →

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Why is the Moon so Crater-y?

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Matt Machado

Have you ever wondered why the Moon is full of so many craters?  The surface of the Moon is so textured that many of its topographic features are visible from Earth with the naked eye. Most people would say that all of the crater scars on the Moon’s surface are a result of meteor impacts. […] Continue reading →

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Tides Explained

Posted on February 14, 2017 by terranojm

High Tide vs. Low Tide Tides are the rise and fall of the sea levels. The above image captures this very normal phenomenon that we can all observe for ourselves if we go to an oceanside beach. Whenever I went to the beach as a young kid, I was always hoping the tides would be high. … Continue reading “Tides Explained” Continue reading →

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