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Daily Archives: March 22, 2022
Origins of the Solar System
It’s interesting to think about the formation of the solar system and how the gasses that originally created it are still a part of our solar system. The origins of the solar system can be explained by the nebular theory. The nebular theory suggests that our solar system was formed from the gravitational collapse of…Continue reading » Continue reading
The Martian: Scientifically Accurate?
The Martian is one of my favorite books, and the movie adaptation was fantastic as well (mild spoilers ahead). As someone who enjoys science and science fiction, I loved the realism and accurate technical problems that Mark Watney faces. The fundamentals of life on Mars—the time needed to travel there, delays and difficulties communicating withContinue reading “The Martian: Scientifically Accurate?” Continue reading
Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion is a reaction between molecules where nuclei are combined to form different atomic nuclei and particles, releasing energy. This process powers main sequence stars through stellar nucleosynthesis. Stellar nucleosynthesis can only occur at extremely high temperatures in the cores of stars. Depending on the mass of the stars, i.e. the pressure and temperature […] Continue reading
Time Dilation
As with most impressionable children growing up, the fascination of space and the many wonders it holds stems from watching certain movies or television shows that help portray these wonders. I was no exception to this as I was completely awestruck when I watched Christopher Nolan’s brilliant film, Interstellar. Despite containing a masterfully crafted story […] Continue reading
The Likelihood of Getting Hit with a Gamma-Ray Burst
A gamma ray burst is expected to hit Earth every 10,000 years to 1,000,000 years. How would this affect human society as we know it, why are gamma rays so dangerous, and can we do anything to stop it? Gamma ray bursts are extremely energetic spouts of energy, and similar to visible light, are part […] Continue reading
Cool Parts of the Atmosphere of Venus
Composition of Venus’ Atmosphere 96.5% Carbon Dioxide 3.5% Nitrogen Venus lacks a magnetic field. Its ionosphere separates it from outer space and the sun’s wind. 4 Billion Years Ago it is assumed that the atmosphere of Venus was a lot like earth’s atmosphere. There could have been liquid water. The area 50-65 km above the […] Continue reading
Nuclear Fusion
Nuclear fusion is an incredibly interesting topic by which one of the most important parts of our solar system and cosmos utilizes constantly. In the core of our very own sun, hydrogen is converted into helium in a process known as nuclear fusion. In the sun and other stars, Nuclear Fusion reactions power this process […] Continue reading
Blog #3: Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating
Radioactive decay is one of the processes by which Earth produces heat. Radioactive isotopes start off unstable (these are called the parent isotopes), and so they decay into other, more stable daughter/progeny isotopes. The decay produces alpha, beta, or gamma radiation which is then converted into thermal energy. The decay of isotopes like uranium, thorium, […] Continue reading
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Tagged astro2110, blog3, geology, technology
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What was Theia?
Theia was about the size of Mars. It orbited with Earth. It crashed into the Earth and the debris helped create the moon. The core of Theia combined with the core of Earth. Scientists disagree on this and some believe that it formed into multiple moons. It is hypothesized to have orbited in the L4 […] Continue reading
Posted in Class, General, Historical
Tagged astro2110, blog4, Moon, Solar System, Uncategorized
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Solar System Formation and Coincidences
Our solar system has many characteristics that can seem like odd coincidences. Why are all of the planets in the same orbital plane? Why are their orbits all nearly circular instead of being more eccentric? Why do they all orbit in the same direction around the Sun? The nebular theory of solar system formation, asContinue reading “Solar System Formation and Coincidences” Continue reading
Posted in Class, Physics
Tagged astro2110, blog3, Solar System
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