Daily Archives: February 3, 2018

Historical Astronomers in Context

Johannes Kepler: December 27, 1571 – November 15, 1630 Johannes Kepler made important contributions to astronomy, primarily from his studies of celestial mechanics. From his calculations and Tycho’s observations, Kepler developed his three Laws of Planetary Motion. First, “Planets move in ellipses with the Sun at one focus.” Second, “The radius vector describes equal areas … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context Continue reading

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Tidal Locking

The only kind of lock in space with no key. Tidal locking is when one hemisphere of a revolving body constantly faces the object it rotates around, or as wikipedia says more jargon-y,  “when the long-term interaction between a pair of co-orbiting astronomical bodiesdrives the rotation rates into a harmonic ratio with the orbital period. In the figure … Continue reading Tidal Locking Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Astronomer: Nicolaus Copernicus Born: February 19, 1473 Died: May 24, 1543 Some interesting events that occurred in his lifetime: In 1480, when Copernicus was only around 7 years old, Leonardo da Vinci invented the parachute. In 1485, King Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, ending the War of Roses. Another Important Figure Alive in his … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Astronomer: Nicolaus Copernicus Born: February 19, 1473 Died: May 24, 1543 Some interesting events that occurred in his lifetime: In 1480, when Copernicus was only around 7 years old, Leonardo da Vinci invented the parachute. In 1485, King Henry VII married Elizabeth of York, ending the War of Roses. Another Important Figure Alive in his … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context Continue reading

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What if the Earth had 2 moons

I know what you’re thinking so let’s get that out of the way. High tide would be a lot higher. Whenever the two moons are aligned on the same side of Earth, their combined gravitational pull would increase the tide significantly. This would probably push civilization further inland, as living near a coast or river … Continue reading What if the Earth had 2 moons Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

1. I picked Tycho Brahe who was born in 1546 and died in 1601. Brahe info 2. Publication of the Book of Common Prayer. During Brahe’s time, there was the first publication of the Book of Common Prayer in the Church of England. Book of Common Prayer info 3. Also, during Brahe’s life time, Marin … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

1. I picked Tycho Brahe who was born in 1546 and died in 1601. Brahe info 2. Publication of the Book of Common Prayer. During Brahe’s time, there was the first publication of the Book of Common Prayer in the Church of England. Book of Common Prayer info 3. Also, during Brahe’s life time, Marin … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context Continue reading

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Kepler in Context

Kepler, during his lifetime from December 27th, 1571- November 15th, 1630,  made incredible contributions to the field of astronomy. His most famous and impactful contributions are certainly his observations regarding the motion of planets, which have been immortalized as Kepler’s Laws. His discoveries about planetary motion stated that planets move in elliptical orbits, they sweep out […] Continue reading

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