Author Archives: almetetj

The Future of Space Exploration

Posted on April 29, 2014 by almetetj

One of the most interesting perspectives that Astronomy 201 has given me on space exploration is the role that funding plays. While in the past much of the money needed to fuel new discoveries came from government grants, budget cuts and restructurings have left astronomers with less and less funding from this outlet. The future […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Space Travel | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Future of Space Exploration

Solutions to the Fermi Paradox

Posted on April 29, 2014 by almetetj

Ever since Enrico Fermi first posed the infamous Fermi Paradox, people have been coming up with potential solutions to answer why humanity has yet to come into contact with other intelligent life. While nobody can definitively claim to have found the answer to Fermi’s question, the Steven Webb from the University of Florida has published […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Solutions to the Fermi Paradox

A Personal Satellite

Posted on April 9, 2014 by almetetj

Ardusat Breakdown Have you ever wished you could own your very own satellite? The space exploration hobbyist’s dream is coming true in a new arduino project called Ardusat. Developed by a company named Nanosatisfi, this product combines the open source user friendly interface of arduino technology with the space friendly CubeSat design platform. This project […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on A Personal Satellite

Extra Solar Planets, Probable Cause for Life Elsewhere

Posted on April 9, 2014 by almetetj

  “Kepler Orrery (large and small systems)” An extra solar planet is define as an object in space that meets the formal definition detailed by the IAU with the exception that it orbits a star other than the Sun. As of April 4, 2014 there have 1780 planets discovered in 1103 planetary systems (460 of […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Extra Solar Planets, Probable Cause for Life Elsewhere

Androids in Space

Posted on March 17, 2014 by almetetj

Continuing with the topic of privatized space exploration, some developers at Google have launched Android smartphones into space. Why, you might ask? Because they can. Seven payloads, with Nexus S’s as sensory modules, were sent into space on weather balloons. The data collected by the phones showed that the loads reached altitudes of over 30 […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Androids in Space

Nuclear Fusion, Power of The Future?

Posted on March 17, 2014 by almetetj

It is commonly accepted that energy produced by the Sun is the result of nuclear fusion, a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei collide at high speeds to produce a new type of atomic nucleus in addition to large amounts of energy. This process, theoretically, is an idea power source as it produces zero carbon […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Nuclear Fusion, Power of The Future?

Telescopes and Technology

Posted on February 17, 2014 by almetetj

Pictured above is an artists rendition of the James Webb telescope, a feat of modern technology that is to become the successor to the famous Hubble Telescope currently in orbit. While the Hubble was designed to observe relatively close astronomical phenomena, the JWST will be able to see much further. While at first this fact […] Continue reading →

Posted in Instruments | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Telescopes and Technology

Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 9, 2014 by almetetj

Astronomer: Galileo Galilei (February 15, 1564 – January 8, 1642) was an Italian philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer who made significant scientific strides during his life time. Perhaps the most notable of his accomplishments was his work to advocate a heliocentric solar system through the use of telescopes, a new technology for the time. Galilei improved […] Continue reading →

Posted in Historical | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Historical Astronomers in Context

SkyCube: A Personal Satellite

Posted on January 27, 2014 by almetetj

Project Explanation Video: SkyCube Project Overview While skimming through a list of start up projects on Kickstarter.com, I noticed a project that peaked my interest a while back, the SkyCube. This project gave “backers” the opportunity to control the soon to  be launched satellite, effectively becoming the  first crowd source funded satellite intended for crowd-sourced […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on SkyCube: A Personal Satellite

Is Light The Limit?

Posted on January 27, 2014 by almetetj

Albert Einstein once theorized that speed of light serves as somewhat of a global speed limit. It is assumed that nothing in the universe is capable of traveling faster than the speed of electromagnetic radiation. According to his observations, this makes sense. How could something composed of atoms of mass travel faster than a beam […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Is Light The Limit?