Monthly Archives: May 2018

Not-So-Astronomical Budgets

Featured image Getting things to space is no small feat. It requires a lot of manpower, intelligence, time, and, unfortunately, money. Space exploration, travel, and research are certainly worthy pursuits – I don’t think many people are opposed to what NASA does. But their projects seem to cost a lot of money, and is sometimes … Continue reading Not-So-Astronomical Budgets Continue reading

Posted in Public Policy | Tagged | Comments Off on Not-So-Astronomical Budgets

The Fate of Our Solar System

With this being the final blog of the semester, I thought it would be fitting to write about the eventual fate of our Solar System – In approximately 5 billion years, as our Sun’s lifetime on the Main Sequence comes to end, the Sun (through the process of converting  gravitational potential energy to thermal energy) […] Continue reading

Posted in General, Stars, Sun | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Fate of Our Solar System

50 Ways to Make a (Golden) Record

Featured image I’ve always found the Golden Record very interesting. It represents a special moment in humanity’s history, when we decided what particular parts of our existence on Earth we wanted to show to any other possible life forms in the universe. What, then, did we decide to put on it? How did we reach … Continue reading 50 Ways to Make a (Golden) Record Continue reading

Posted in Aliens, Space Travel | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on 50 Ways to Make a (Golden) Record

A new Stellar Catalog

A new two-year long study done by the European Space Agency has created the most comprehensive survey of the universe ever recorded. The Gaia project has cataloged over 1.7 billion stars, 14,000 asteroids and numerous galaxies and galaxy clusters spread throughout the universe. What started out as a relatively small affair eventually exploded into a … Continue reading A new Stellar Catalog Continue reading

Posted in Galaxies, Universe | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A new Stellar Catalog

A new Stellar Catalog

A new two-year long study done by the European Space Agency has created the most comprehensive survey of the universe ever recorded. The Gaia project has cataloged over 1.7 billion stars, 14,000 asteroids and numerous galaxies and galaxy clusters spread throughout the universe. What started out as a relatively small affair eventually exploded into a … Continue reading A new Stellar Catalog Continue reading

Posted in Galaxies, Universe | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A new Stellar Catalog

Viruses Are An Option

Viruses, microscopic organisms that exist everywhere, consist of genetic material, RNA or DNA that is surrounded by a coat of protein, lipid or glycoprotein. They are classified… Read more “Viruses Are An Option” Continue reading

Posted in Aliens | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Viruses Are An Option

A New Way to Travel Through Space

Solar sails are a new and incredibly interesting propulsion system that is currently undergoing various testing around the globe. Instead of being powered by rockets, solar sails allow spacecrafts to be powered by the sun itself. Just as a sailboat is pushed along by the winds on the ocean, solar sails are pushed along by … Continue reading A New Way to Travel Through Space Continue reading

Posted in Instruments, Physics | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A New Way to Travel Through Space

A New Way to Travel Through Space

Solar sails are a new and incredibly interesting propulsion system that is currently undergoing various testing around the globe. Instead of being powered by rockets, solar sails allow spacecrafts to be powered by the sun itself. Just as a sailboat is pushed along by the winds on the ocean, solar sails are pushed along by … Continue reading A New Way to Travel Through Space Continue reading

Posted in Instruments, Physics | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A New Way to Travel Through Space

The Drake Equation

The Drake Equation is a formula that is commonly used to stimulate discussion of the possibility of extraterrestrial life-  not to necessarily quantify the number of communicating civilizations. The Drake Equation uses many variables to quantify estimates for the number of communicating civilizations, but a number of them are quite controversial as they are not […] Continue reading

Posted in Aliens, Historical | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Drake Equation

Astronomy’s Lasting Influence on Human Thought

If my short study of Astronomy has taught one thing, it is how influential Astronomy has been on our way of thinking as a species. This influence can be seen in ancient times, when civilizations such as in Mesopotamia, Mesoamerica, Egypt, China, India, and Greece placed Astronomy and Astrology at the centers of their ideology, […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Historical | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Astronomy’s Lasting Influence on Human Thought