Monthly Archives: March 2020

The Geology of Mars

My previous blog discussed the geology of Venus, so this week I thought it would be fun to research the geology and makeup of Mars! Mars and Earth have more similarities than you would think. Having a similar axis tilt, a day just slightly longer than 24 hours, similar land areas because of Earth’s oceans,Continue reading “The Geology of Mars” Continue reading

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The Geology of Venus: Earth’s “Sister Planet” (Post 3)

Even though Venus is not the planet closest to the Sun, it is still the hottest planet in our solar system. This is because the planet’s dense atmosphere, which is composed of thick clouds of carbon dioxide and other gases, prevents heat from the Sun from being released into outer space. We are lucky toContinue reading “The Geology of Venus: Earth’s “Sister Planet” (Post 3)” Continue reading

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Blog #6 (EC): The Fermi Paradox

An interesting concept that occupies the minds of many philosophers and scientists alike is the idea of life outside of Earth (and outside of our solar system). Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi posited that there exists a paradox describing the possibility of life outside of our world: there is no physical evidence to prove (or evenContinue reading “Blog #6 (EC): The Fermi Paradox” Continue reading

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Blog #5: Pluto’s Demotion

Several years ago, as I’m sure we all remember, Pluto was demoted from Planet status to Dwarf Planet status. This change was an interesting (and controversial) one because Pluto essentially remains in limbo between the two classifications. Pluto was the smallest planet in the solar system–but it’s now the largest dwarf planet in the solarContinue reading “Blog #5: Pluto’s Demotion” Continue reading

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The Chelyabinsk Meteor and Other Near-Earth Objects

Both of my parents were born and raised in the Soviet Union, with my dad spending the first twenty years of his life in Chelyabinsk, a city east of the Ural Mountains which serve as a border between Europe and Asia. From my father’s stories, the city did not seem to have much excitement otherContinue reading “The Chelyabinsk Meteor and Other Near-Earth Objects” Continue reading

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Gravitational Waves

Gravitational waves are a fascinating concept. The thought starts from the idea that gravity moves at the speed of light. Now, at the start this sounds like a silly idea. Doesn’t the force of gravity always act on people? Yet take this example. Say the sun were to simply disappear. Not explode or change, butContinue reading “Gravitational Waves” Continue reading

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The Atmosphere of Mars

Mars is a fascinating planet to compare to Earth, and much of that is due to the atmospheric differences. Most people know that due to the atmosphere on Mars, humans can’t live there, but what people don’t know is that billions of years ago, Mars had an atmosphere similar to that of Earth. Currently, Earth’sContinue reading “The Atmosphere of Mars” Continue reading

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A new possibility of life on Mars?

A photograph taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) in 2011 has recently been released, showing what appears to be a sizable underground cavern on the slopes of Pavonis Mons, a Martian mountain standing 46,000 feet tall, higher than Mount Everest. The possibility of underground caves on Mars is exciting for (at least) two reasons:Continue reading “A new possibility of life on Mars?” Continue reading

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How did mountains form on Venus?

Venus is often described as Earth’s sister planet. Both planets have similar size and densities, indicating somewhat similar core compositions. The primary difference between the two is orbital distance from the sun. Venus, like Earth, is covered with geological features including volcanoes and mountains. We know how mountains formed on Earth – tectonic plates. MountainsContinue reading “How did mountains form on Venus?” Continue reading

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Earth’s (Temporary) Second Moon

This title may be a little misleading. Yes, there is a small object that is currently trapped in the Earth’s orbit, however this is a small asteroid by the name of 2020 CD3. This asteroid is typically orbiting the Sun, however recently got trapped in the gravitational pull of the Earth, so, for now, itContinue reading “Earth’s (Temporary) Second Moon” Continue reading

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