Author Archives: 88bw

The Loneliness of Rovers

Posted on April 9, 2023 by 88bw

Throughout this semester in ASTR2110, I have been reminded about how small we are compared to the universe. While this can be both a deflating and motivating perspective on our approach to astronomical study, I think it is undeniable that the rovers on Mars are unimaginably lonely during their stints on the red planet. I […] Continue reading →

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Naming Extrasolar Planets

Posted on April 9, 2023 by 88bw

Ever since we learned about the naming themes with the Jovian planets’ moons in class two weeks ago, I have been interested about how astronomers have managed to not run out of naming themes for the vast universe as they discover more worlds. I thought that the Jovian planets took up most of the cooler […] Continue reading →

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The Planets Inspiring Art

Posted on March 8, 2023 by 88bw

Planets have always been a large source of inspiration for classical music composers, and there is probably no larger example than Gustav Holst’s Planets Suite. This work’s popularity has also reached the masses, and his music is known to have significantly influenced John Williams in his compositions for his film scores. What I find interesting […] Continue reading →

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Kessler Syndrome and The Future of Satellite Use

Posted on March 8, 2023 by 88bw

The topic of spacecraft in our solar system made me curious about the use of satellites in our exploration of space. Although we hear more about the telescopes and imaging systems that we send far beyond Earth’s vicinity, the only low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite that I hear often about is the ISS. I wanted […] Continue reading →

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High and Low Tides with a Bit of British Humor

Posted on February 9, 2023 by 88bw

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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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 4, 2023 by 88bw

Tycho Brahe (14 December 1546 – 24 October 1601) Tycho’s contributions to astronomy began when he made improvements to the inaccurate prediction models of Ptolemy and Copernicus. Despite not having the benefit of a telescope, he was able to raise the bar of accurate celestial observations and even mapped the location of over 700 stars. […] Continue reading →

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Legitimate and Illegitimate Cases of Exceeding Light Speed

Posted on January 21, 2023 by 88bw

This image of CERN provided by TIME was taken at the peak of the 2012 craze over the facility’s discovery of neutrino particles breaking light speed. Since the barrier of light speed has been such an insurmountable rock and cornerstone of physics, the neutrino’s clocked speed increase of 0.0025% was groundbreaking. Although I was only […] Continue reading →

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My Favorite Restaurant

Posted on January 15, 2023 by 88bw

Gus’s Fried Chicken is my favorite place to eat. It is one of the most popular restaurants in my hometown of Memphis, and this picture was taken by the Crain’s Detroit News company during a recent franchise expansion into the city of D… Continue reading →

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