Author Archives: astronomer0110

Blog 9 (The Unlikelihood of Intelligent Life)

Posted on April 21, 2016 by astronomer0110

Based on current scientific evidence, asteroids could have spread organic molecules to Earth and many other planets throughout the universe. In all likelihood, there are many organic molecules on most of the planets in the habitable zones of their galaxies, and it definitely seems possible that with all these organic molecules, some kind of primitive […] Continue reading →

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Blog 8 (Saturn’s Rings)

Posted on April 10, 2016 by astronomer0110

Saturn’s rings are one of the most fascinating subjects in astronomy for many people because they are one of the most visible examples of beauty in our Solar System. Interestingly enough, the other Jovian planets also have rings, but they are not nearly as conspicuous as the rings on Saturn are. What fascinated me when […] Continue reading →

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Blog #7 (Pluto)

Posted on April 10, 2016 by astronomer0110

It’s a well-publicized fact by now that Pluto has been downgraded from planet to dwarf planet. Many people felt betrayed that one of the 9 planets they learned from childhood was no longer considered a planet. In reality, it was a logical decision because Pluto’s orbit is more elliptical, icier, and smaller than the rest […] Continue reading →

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Blog #6 (auroras)

Posted on March 15, 2016 by astronomer0110

One of the most interesting aspects of astronomy for me is the existence of auroras. As a bit of background, there exist charged particle belts in the magnetosphere that contain high-energy particles. When solar wind gives these particles energy, they leave the magnetosphere and cause radiation in the atmosphere that produces the visual effect of the […] Continue reading →

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Blog #5 (The dangers of climate change)

Posted on March 15, 2016 by astronomer0110

Simply put, when humans pollute the atmosphere, it leads to an increase in greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. Then, these greenhouse gases slow the release of infrared radiation reflected off of Earth’s surface, and this leads to an increase in temperature. Historically, this issue has caused a large controversy in American culture. Today, the main disagreement […] Continue reading →

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Blog #4

Posted on February 16, 2016 by astronomer0110

A topic I’ve always found interesting is the idea of the likelihood of extraterrestrial life in the universe. Many scientists in recent history have noted that there is an extremely high probability of life elsewhere in the universe due to the immense amount of stars and planets that must exist with favorable circumstances for the […] Continue reading →

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Blog #3

Posted on February 16, 2016 by astronomer0110

For this week’s blog, I’ve decided to talk a little bit about the intuition behind the idea of  gravity. I find this theory really interesting because it makes so much sense when you think about it. As history moved along, Einstein and other physicists managed to explain the reasons why gravity acts upon objects. Gravity is due to the […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 9, 2016 by astronomer0110

Nicholas Copernicus (February 19, 1473-May 24, 1543). Copernicus was important to astronomy because his work lead to the geocentric theory being replaced with the heliocentric theory. Up until Copernicus, Ptolemy’s theory that the earth is the center of the universe was the most accepted, but Copernicus updated Aristarchus’s heliocentric model. Copernicus also identified that the […] Continue reading →

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Blog #2

Posted on January 25, 2016 by astronomer0110

The topic of zodiac signs and how they the constellations and the ecliptic is fascinating to me. Humans have recognized the appearance of certain constellations behind the sun throughout a large part of history. Of course, the true cause of the changing zodiac signs is that the earth’s position changes relative to the sun and […] Continue reading →

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Blog #1

Posted on January 25, 2016 by astronomer0110

For my first blog, I will write about the size and scale of the universe and what that might mean from a human and space travel perspective. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is about 100,000 light years across. The nearest major galaxy, Andromeda, is 2.5 million light years away. The limit of direct space exploration for […] Continue reading →

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