Monthly Archives: March 2021

Radiometric Dating

Posted on March 22, 2021 by mwdobson3

Radiometric dating, or radioactive dating, is a method astronomers use to study a rock’s age. This method is critical in learning about the Solar System’s formation, as rocks from the Solar System can be studied to find how long ago the rock was formed and how old the Solar System is. When billions of atomsContinue reading “Radiometric Dating” Continue reading →

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Pivoting from Principle

Posted on March 22, 2021 by rightascensionanddeclinolan

Astronomy is awesome.  It lets us make cool observations (e.g., things that inform our understanding of the foundations of the universe, like the Cosmic Microwave Background), helps us ask big questions (e.g., why does the universe exist?), and reminds us that not all questions have answers (e.g., we can’t really expect an answer to theContinue reading “Pivoting from Principle” Continue reading →

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Martian Lakes

Posted on March 22, 2021 by brandonlipper

With the intimate connection between water and life, the discovery and understanding of water on Mars has been a crucial point of research that is continuing to be updated. Although there is no liquid water on the surface of Mars, there is water in the form of ice in polar caps and glaciers. If allContinue reading “Martian Lakes” Continue reading →

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The Northern Lights: Mythical Explanations

Posted on March 22, 2021 by rightascensionanddeclinolan

For thousands of years, humans have looked to the sky, and every time we uncover an astronomical surprise, we try to explain it.  Today, we use the scientific method to do so; in comparison, older societies frequently created myths.  In this blog post, I am going to explore some of the myths surrounding the NorthernContinue reading “The Northern Lights: Mythical Explanations” Continue reading →

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The Star Destroyer: Supernova

Posted on March 21, 2021 by brynicdew

Stars take the idea of a “last hurrah” to beautifully explosive level. When a star runs out of energy and collapses, it will condense into a bundle of energy and explode. Supernovas are by far the largest explosion in the universe and can only occur to a star that is truly massive. Supernovas normally occurContinue reading “The Star Destroyer: Supernova” Continue reading →

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Is the Moon actually made of cheese?

Posted on March 21, 2021 by brandonlipper

Unfortunately, the answer is no. However, the story of why the Moon’s surface looks the way it does it still an interesting one and one that helps us understand the solar system as a whole. The surface of the Moon most closely resembles that of Mercury (due to the lack of geological activity that comesContinue reading “Is the Moon actually made of cheese?” Continue reading →

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The Next Ice Age?

Posted on March 21, 2021 by joeangella13

As we all know, the sun is an incredibly vital part of our daily lives and is the, “constant force that is keeping our planets in orbit, providing Earth with just the right amount of light and warmth for life…” and even governs our daily schedules in which we have created the concept of timeContinue reading “The Next Ice Age?” Continue reading →

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Survival Sweet Spot

Posted on March 21, 2021 by brynicdew

Earth is a perfect amalgamation of all the conditions necessary for live to thrive. I always hear that the other terrestrials cannot sustain life, but never exactly sure how unsuitable they were. I mean if there was only one thing wrong with them, who’s to say we wouldn’t be able to invent a solution inContinue reading “Survival Sweet Spot” Continue reading →

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No sunspots on the Sun?

Posted on March 21, 2021 by connorrobbwilcox

Have you ever seen pictures of the Sun and noticed that it has dark spots on its surface? These sunspots are cooler than the other regions on the Sun, but they also represent the beginning of new solar cycles. In fact, some signs point to the next cycle, Cycle 25, having a much smaller numberContinue reading “No sunspots on the Sun?” Continue reading →

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The Carrington Event: What would happen today?

Posted on March 21, 2021 by connorrobbwilcox

The Carrington Event, named due to astronomer Robert Carrington observing that the phenomenon derived from the Sun, was an extremely powerful geomagnetic storm occurring on September 1-2, 1859. Earth’s magnetosphere was hit by a solar coronal mass ejection, or CME, from sunspots, causing auroras to light up Earth’s sky, telegraph and other communication to fail,Continue reading “The Carrington Event: What would happen today?” Continue reading →

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