Daily Archives: March 12, 2019

Jovian Planets

Posted on March 12, 2019 by michaelfung1661

Jovian planets always interested me. The term “Jovian” is naturally everyone’s first guess – derived from the Latin root, Iovis, or Jovis. It’s a 3rd declension, genitive singular noun, so any classics nerds should know that it very specifically translates to OF Jupiter. I don’t know, I just find it interesting that an entire class … Continue reading Jovian Planets → Continue reading →

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A Brief, Incomplete History of “Earth”

Posted on March 12, 2019 by IanO12

When looking at our solar system, it is pretty easy to notice one thing that separates Earth from the other planets with which we share a star. Namely, Earth is the only planet not named after a Roman deity. You have Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and even Pluto! So where does “Earth” […] Continue reading →

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Saving the Appearances

Posted on March 12, 2019 by reallyroyalqueen

Strict Aristotelian cosmology follows that all bodies are made of the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. These four exist in the terrestrial realm and the stars exist in the celestial realm. A fifth element, aether, exists there and that is what heavenly bodies are composed of. Aristotle provided the basics of the physics … Continue reading Saving the Appearances → Continue reading →

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Climate Change

Posted on March 12, 2019 by bobbyc

Climate change is predominantly caused by the greenhouse effect, which is when gases in our atmosphere prevent heat from the sun from escaping the Earth. As greenhouse gasses continue to be added to our atmosphere (primarily by burning fossil fuels), the greenhouse effect becomes more severe, allowing less and less heat to escape from our … Continue reading Climate Change Continue reading →

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Solar Flare vs Solar Prominence

Posted on March 12, 2019 by luanaisaac1125

I obviously can’t speak for anyone else, but I whole-heartedly believed that the beautiful loops of material that we sometimes see images and videos of on the Sun were included in the term ‘solar flare.’ As I looked into it, I came to find that solar flares and solar prominences (the ‘loops’) are in fact … Continue reading Solar Flare vs Solar Prominence → Continue reading →

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Saturn’s Rings and Shepherd Moons

Posted on March 12, 2019 by michaelfung1661

One topic regarding Saturn’s rings that I found extremely interesting was the concept of its Shepherd Moons and how they contribute to the uniformity of the rings. If my understanding and memory are correct, this phenomenon is governed by conservation of energy. Essentially, the moons are on opposite sides of the ring, where the moon … Continue reading Saturn’s Rings and Shepherd Moons → Continue reading →

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Second Planet to the Sun

Posted on March 12, 2019 by reallyroyalqueen

The planet Venus is named for the Roman goddess of love and beauty. It is the second largest terrestrial planet. It is also the second brightest natural object in the sky. Venus’ apparent magnitude of -3.8 to -4.6 makes it visible on a clear day. Venus’ atmosphere can be divided into two layers: the cloud … Continue reading Second Planet to the Sun → Continue reading →

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Nuclear Fusion

Posted on March 12, 2019 by bobbyc

  Nuclear fusion is where two nuclei combine resulting in a displacement of energy. The fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium specifically is what powers the energy output of the sun. This can only occur under the most extreme conditions – typically, the positively charged nuclei of two atoms repel each other quite strongly, and … Continue reading Nuclear Fusion Continue reading →

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A Look Inside the Terrestrial Worlds

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Sam Bianco

Though we do not currently have the means to see directly inside the Earth (or any other planet), we can use clues to make inferences about what may be lying beneath their surfaces. On Earth and the Moon, our most helpful data stems from the analysis of seismic waves, or vibrations that travel along the … Continue reading A Look Inside the Terrestrial Worlds → Continue reading →

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A New Non-Aurora!

Posted on March 12, 2019 by jiayu

Photographers had known about it for decades, but scientists didn’t get wind of it until 2016. It’s a streak, purple or white, across the night sky. It… Read more “A New Non-Aurora!” Continue reading →

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