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Monthly Archives: March 2019
Climate Change
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
Solar Flare vs Solar Prominence
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
Posted in Class
Tagged astro2110, blog4, solar flare, Solar System: Sun
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Saturn’s Rings and Shepherd Moons
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
Posted in Physics, Planet Rings, Science
Tagged astro2110, blog3
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Second Planet to the Sun
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
Posted in Class, General, Sun
Tagged astro2110, Atmosphere, blog3, planet, Solar System, venus
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Nuclear Fusion
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
A Look Inside the Terrestrial Worlds
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
Posted in Class, Terrestrials
Tagged astro2110, Solar System
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A New Non-Aurora!
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
Space Weather
In this post, we will be discussing space weather! Space weather is dissimilar from the weather that we experience on earth, however it is still fascinating to understand. Space weather, in our solar system, is sparked by activity on the suns surface. Spewing gases and solar flares on the surface of the sun form into … Continue reading Space Weather → Continue reading
Posted in Class, Sun
Tagged astro2110, Atmosphere, blog4, space, Spaceweather, Weather
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Terraforming Mars: Chances are as Thin as the Air
Many of the futurists and sci-fi enthusiasts of today will at some point think about trying to live on Mars. However, terraforming the planet seems increasingly difficult as we learn more about the process. The first step, and a limiting one, is Mars’ atmosphere. This NBC article summarizes the findings of a 2018 study concerning […] Continue reading
Posted in Class
Tagged astro2110, Atmosphere, blog3, Mars, Solar System
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Atmospheres of Terrestrial Worlds
In this blog we will be discussing the atmospheres of terrestrial worlds; more specifically what an atmosphere really is and the difference in atmospheres between different worlds. An atmosphere is simply a “layer of gas that surrounds a world.” In general, this relatively thin layer of gas is responsible for blocking the suns rays and … Continue reading Atmospheres of Terrestrial Worlds → Continue reading
Posted in Class
Tagged astro2110, Atmosphere, blog3
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