Author Archives: ben141414

Lucy Spacecraft

Posted on May 4, 2021 by ben141414

I chose to research Lucy, a future NASA mission, for my final blog. Throughout the semester, my favorite topics we have covered in class have been ones revolving around space exploration. I am fascinated by the complex missions that humans send out into space. Lucy is an upcoming mission set to launch from Cape CanaveralContinue reading “Lucy Spacecraft” Continue reading →

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Thermus Aquaticus

Posted on April 27, 2021 by ben141414

Thermus Aquaticus is an extremophile that can survive extremely hot temperatures. It is a species of bacteria, whose scientific classification is Bacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, Deinococci, Thermales, Thermaceae, Thermus, Thermus Aquaticus (Domain, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species). Thermus Aquaticus is a chemotroph, which means it obtains food through chemosynthesis. The species was first discovered in 1969Continue reading “Thermus Aquaticus” Continue reading →

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Cassini-Huygens Mission

Posted on April 12, 2021 by ben141414

Cassini-Huygens was a solar system mission that explored Saturn and its surroundings, such as its rings, satellites, and moons. The spacecraft was launched from Earth on October 15, 1997. On the way to Saturn, the spacecraft flew by Venus, Earth, the asteroid belt, and Jupiter. Cassini was active for 20 years and spent 13 yearsContinue reading “Cassini-Huygens Mission” Continue reading →

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Meteorites

Posted on April 8, 2021 by ben141414

Meteorites are fascinating. As we learned in class, a meteor is a flash of light caused by a particle of dust or rock entering Earth’s atmosphere at a high speed. But, a meteorite is a meteor that survives its drop through the atmosphere and reaches Earth’s surface. In terms of discovering meteorites, there is aContinue reading “Meteorites” Continue reading →

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Binary Stars

Posted on March 20, 2021 by ben141414

A binary star is a star system of two stars that orbit around the central point, called the barycenter. In conversation, binary stars are sometimes casually referred to as double stars. Binary star systems or multiple star systems (3+ stars in orbit in the same system) are actually way more common than you might think.Continue reading “Binary Stars” Continue reading →

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The Sun

Posted on March 17, 2021 by ben141414

It is fascinating to think about the Sun. As we all know, it is our solar system’s star. The Sun’s energy, in the form of heat and light, is absolutely essential to all life on Earth. Plants need the Sun in order to go through photosynthesis and live, animals need the Sun for its foodContinue reading “The Sun” Continue reading →

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Archaeoastronomy

Posted on February 17, 2021 by ben141414

Archaeoastronomy is the study of ancient astronomical practices, specifically how they “have understood the phenomena in the sky, how they used these phenomena and what role the sky played in their cultures.” Back in ancient times, there was obviously no technology, but people wanted to understand the natural world. They saw amazing sights (planets, stars,Continue reading “Archaeoastronomy” Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 12, 2021 by ben141414

Galileo Galilei Born: 2/15/1564 | Died: 1/8/1642 | Galileo Influence on Astronomy 1588: The Spanish Armada was defeated by Britain, which lessened Spain’s influence in the New World and increased English influence in the Americas. Britain also seized control of the Atlantic Ocean. 1620: The Mayflower Compact was signed. It was the first document toContinue reading “Historical Astronomers in Context” Continue reading →

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Extrasolar Planets: Are We Alone?

Posted on February 6, 2021 by ben141414

The age-old question: are we alone in the Universe? Humans from the beginning of time have looked out into the night sky and wondered this. I know I have. Astronomers have been searching endlessly for extraterrestrial life. The potential habitable worlds (as seen in the picture) are known as extrasolar planets. An extrasolar planet, alsoContinue reading “Extrasolar Planets: Are We Alone?” Continue reading →

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My hometown

Posted on February 1, 2021 by ben141414

My name is Ben, and I am from the Chicago area. I figured this picture is representative of me because Chicago is very close to my hometown, and this flag is also my favorite flag. Continue reading →

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