Monthly Archives: February 2023

” Exploring the Wacky World of Ocean Tides”

Tides are definitely one of the most mesmerizing phenomena in the world. The tides are the rise and fall of the sea level caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun. The Moon has a strong gravitational pull that causes tidal ocean currents while the sun’s pull is way weaker because it […] Continue reading

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Gravitational Lensing!

In class, we’ve been diving into the world of gravity and light. We have covered Newton’s laws of motion and the effects of gravity in our universe. As well, we’ve explored how light behaves and travels through space. Now I want to introduce another intriguing topic that combines the two –gravitational lensing! Gravitational lensing occurs […] Continue reading

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Ancient Mayan Astronomy

The ancient Mayan civilization, which existed from approximately 2000 BCE to 1500 CE in present day Mexico and Central America, had a highly advanced understanding of astronomy. They used their astronomical knowledge for many things, including religious rituals, calendar systems, and timekeeping. Their primary focus was on tracking the movements of the sun, moon, and […] Continue reading

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An Explanation of Tides

The short tide video we saw in class made me curious about tides. I looked into the relationship between the tides and the Moon, similar to what we had to do at the end of Homework 4. I wanted to share some of my findings. Both the Moon and Sun contribute to tides on Earth. […] Continue reading

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Giordano Bruno: The father of ‘Cosmic Pluralism’

In the late 16th century, a young man by the name of Giordano Bruno set out on a journey of discovery, one that would take him to the very frontiers of scientific knowledge and beyond. Bruno was a man of incredible intelligence and curiosity, driven by a deep passion for the mysteries of the universe. […] Continue reading

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Our Lady of Guadalupe

To me, one of the most interesting historical phenomena related to the cosmos occurred in modern day Mexico in the year 1531. This is just after the Spaniards had conquered much of the region through bloodshed and war. However, one moment of peace emerged from the area. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a well-known image […] Continue reading

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Blog Post 2 – What was Stonehenge really for?

Most people have seen pictures or heard of Stonehenge, an ancient monument on the Salisbury Plain in England. Personally, while I had seen references to Stonehenge in the media, I never actually knew what it was for, or what people thought it was for. It has been difficult for historians to find a definitive answer, […] Continue reading

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The Trial of Galileo

Galileo Galilei is one of the most renowned figures in astronomy history, as he was one of the biggest and most meticulous supporters of the heliocentric model of the universe. However, Galileo not only had to fight against the fact that for all of history the idea of the geocentric solar system had been accepted […] Continue reading

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High and Low Tides with a Bit of British Humor

High and low tides can pose great challenges and dangers to nature lovers, especially those who enjoy being close to the water. I was originally searching how spring/neap and high/low tides might affect erosion rates; while scouring the Internet, I found this article from the UK (Lancaster Guardian) that details how these tide patterns actually […] Continue reading

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How Do Moons Form?

Have you ever considered how Earth got its moon in the first place? Astronomers have come up with several theories for why each planet in our solar system has a certain number of moons, and how these moons formed. For Earth’s moon, it is thought a collision with another planet shortly after formation of the […] Continue reading

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