Author Archives: Andrew Talley

Exoplanet Properties by Discovery Method

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Andrew Talley

In class, we’ve discussed how the method we use to discover planets may bias the types of planets we find. For example, larger, more massive planets are easier to find with almost any method of discovering planets. Likely because of this, we have found far more Jupiter-sized exoplanets than Earth-sized planets. I wanted to investigate … Continue reading Exoplanet Properties by Discovery Method → Continue reading →

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Interplanetary Rocket Travel and the Rocket Equation

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Andrew Talley

In rocket travel, one of the most essential elements is ∆v – the change in a ship’s velocity. The spaceship needs to accelerate to get out of the atmosphere, and then speed up to achieve orbit. If it’s going to another planet, it needs to achieve escape velocity from Earth, then speed up/slow down its … Continue reading Interplanetary Rocket Travel and the Rocket Equation → Continue reading →

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Economics of Intra-Stellar Spacecraft

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Andrew Talley

After seeing the discussion of spacecraft within our solar system in the textbook, and the impact the mission type has on the cost, I was curious to see how these discussions were reflected in actual data on these missions. So, I copied each mission from the book into Excel, and then researched each. Thanks mostly … Continue reading Economics of Intra-Stellar Spacecraft → Continue reading →

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Gravity-Assists in Reverse

Posted on February 10, 2019 by Andrew Talley

Gravity assist maneuvers are incredibly useful for sending spacecraft far into space. The maneuver is like a skiing parent using a pole to give their kid a boost. The parent loses a bit of momentum, but leverage their larger size to quickly speed their kid up. The same is true for a gravity assist. There, … Continue reading Gravity-Assists in Reverse → Continue reading →

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Nicholas Copernicus

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Andrew Talley

Nicholas Copernicus – February 19, 1473 to May 24, 1543 Historical Events During Life of Copernicus In 1492, Christopher Columbus, trying to create a more direct trade route between India and Spain, becomes the first European explorer to discover the Americas. In 1517, Martin Luther posts his theses, a list of grievances with the Catholic … Continue reading Nicholas Copernicus → Continue reading →

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The Universe as the United States

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Andrew Talley

If there’s one straightforward lesson from astronomy, it’s that we’re tiny. We’re small compared to the Earth’s vast size, which is small compared to the sun, which is tiny compared to the space that contains our solar system, which is a tiny dot in one arm of the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of … Continue reading The Universe as the United States → Continue reading →

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A Bit About Me

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Andrew Talley

Hi Reader! My name is Andrew Talley, and I’m a sophomore Computer Science/Philosophy major studying at Vanderbilt University. After I graduate, I plan to go to law school. As a result, my activities on campus are both law-related. I’m a member of Vanderbilt’s Moot Court club, where we compete against other undergraduate schools in fake … Continue reading A Bit About Me → Continue reading →

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