Daily Archives: January 20, 2019

The Size of Our Solar System

Posted on January 20, 2019 by haivilo

The actual size of the universe is basically immeasurable as it is constantly expanding. But even if we could measure it, our human brains wouldn’t actually be able to understand how big it really is. Our solar system is roughly 122 AU, an AU being the distance between the Earth and the sun. This is … Continue reading The Size of Our Solar System → Continue reading →

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Grasping the Scale of the Solar System (with help from Josh Worth)

Posted on January 20, 2019 by jpeilbert

Have you ever wondered just how big the Solar System is? One helpful website to answer that question is Josh Worth’s “If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel” site. This beautiful website allows you to scroll through the Solar System, to-scale, as if the Moon were only 1 pixel (that is, teeny-tiny and barely visible … Continue reading Grasping the Scale of the Solar System (with help from Josh Worth) → Continue reading →

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The OORT CLOUD and You

Posted on January 20, 2019 by chiefkeith7

You might find yourself looking at a (to-scale) diagram of the planets of the solar system (and Pluto), such as the following: and think to yourself “Wow, Pluto is so much farther out from the sun than the Earth is. The solar system is so massive!”. And while you would be correct in your statement, … Continue reading The OORT CLOUD and You → Continue reading →

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Earth’s Precession: Why Your Zodiac Sign is Wrong

Posted on January 20, 2019 by victoriayaden

When it comes to taking meaningless BuzzFeed quizzes or looking at Tumblr text posts about my zodiac sign, I am guilty as charged. There’s something satisfying about taking a quiz that tells you which limited edition Oreo flavor you are by your zodiac sign! (I’m apparently Gingerbread. Who knew?) I even know some people who … Continue reading Earth’s Precession: Why Your Zodiac Sign is Wrong → Continue reading →

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How Tiny Are We?

Posted on January 20, 2019 by epiphany9

One of the most beautiful aspects of astronomy is learning about our place in the vast universe. Although we humans often feel as if we are the center of the universe, we are so tiny and so young compared to the whole cosmos. At around 20 years of age, most of us probably feel as […] Continue reading →

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Powers of Ten

Posted on January 20, 2019 by anna_h

Our universe is so vast it is simply mind blowing. The true nature of the size of our universe can be understood by examining powers of ten. We begin with a picnic scene one meter wide viewed from one meter away. Every 10 seconds we will look 10 times further away and our view of … Continue reading Powers of Ten Continue reading →

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How Much Does Light Weigh?

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Josh

Photons are massless particles. They move at the speed of light and do not have an intrinsic mass. And since light is made of photons, we can say that light has no mass. Story over, right? Did you know that light can exerts a force on objects? This force can cause them to weigh more. … Continue reading How Much Does Light Weigh? → Continue reading →

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The Size of the Universe, Relative to the Size of a Picnicker

Posted on January 20, 2019 by luanaisaac1125

The video begins with a man and a woman out on a picnic, then begins zooming out farther and farther. They start with a focus image 1 x 1 meter wide, then zoom out to a field of vision 10 times larger every ten seconds. So, the first zoom out brings the image to 10m … Continue reading The Size of the Universe, Relative to the Size of a Picnicker → Continue reading →

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The Power of the Moon

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Campbell Flower

The moon has always been a central part of human cultures, whether through film, art, music, or folklore. You have probably heard myths about the full moon and its effects on human (or animal) behavior. Here is some information on many historical beliefs about the power of the moon: Fertility: It was commonly held that a … Continue reading The Power of the Moon → Continue reading →

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Where the Zodiac Signs Come From

Posted on January 20, 2019 by richardtli

What’s your sign? This is a common question you may have encountered in your life. While most people aren’t too deep into astrology, chances are that most of us have looked into our daily horoscope at least once for fun. However, a lot of people don’t really know where these signs come from, or why … Continue reading Where the Zodiac Signs Come From → Continue reading →

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