Author Archives: brandodan

Astrobiology & The Search For Life

Posted on April 30, 2023 by brandodan

Astrobiology is the study of life that occurs somewhere other than Earth, as we’ve learned in class, and this blog post emphasizes its developments and possible future directions. There have been substantial scientific, technological, and programmatic advances achieved in the hunt for extraterrestrial life since the 2015 publication of NASA’s Astrobiology Strategy. Understanding the beginnings […] Continue reading →

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How Extremophiles Work

Posted on April 30, 2023 by brandodan

As we talked about in class a few weeks ago, Extremophiles are living things that flourish under challenging conditions.They are amazing because they can endure situations that would be fatal to the majority of other life forms. They originate from Archaea, Eubacteria, and Eukarya, the three branches of the three-domain categorization scheme. Extremophiles have caused […] Continue reading →

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Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

Posted on April 9, 2023 by brandodan

The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a deep, powerful vortex that is broader than Earth and has been churning for hundreds of years. Its driving mechanism differs from that of other vortices, suggesting that it derives its energy from denser and deeper layers of the atmosphere. The energy mechanisms causing the Great Red Spot […] Continue reading →

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Strange Dwarf Planets!

Posted on April 9, 2023 by brandodan

We all recognize Pluto as one of the most famous dwarf planets in our solar system. Since its reclassification in 2006, moreover, it has continued to intrigue both astronomers and the general public. From its icy surface to its various moons, Pluto is an incredibly unique world. However, there are many more interesting dwarf planets […] Continue reading →

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Life Beyond Earth

Posted on March 7, 2023 by brandodan

There have been many recent discoveries that suggest life exists beyond Earth. Some of these include new findings on Enceladus (a small moon of Saturn), exoplanets, and even Mars. Enceladus NASA’s Cassini spacecraft collected data that allowed us to simulate the geochemistry of phosphorus in the ocean. This study helped us reach some interesting conclusions […] Continue reading →

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Mysteries of the Oort Cloud

Posted on March 7, 2023 by brandodan

The Oort cloud is a mysterious spherical cloud of icy objects that exists beyond our solar system. This collection of icy debris is believed to be left over from the formation of the giant worlds – Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus and Saturn. The Oort cloud starts roughly 1000-2000 AU from the sun and is thought to […] Continue reading →

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Gravitational Lensing!

Posted on February 11, 2023 by brandodan

In class, we’ve been diving into the world of gravity and light. We have covered Newton’s laws of motion and the effects of gravity in our universe. As well, we’ve explored how light behaves and travels through space. Now I want to introduce another intriguing topic that combines the two –gravitational lensing! Gravitational lensing occurs […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context: Johannes Kepler

Posted on February 2, 2023 by brandodan

Background Johannes Kepler (December 27, 1571 to November 15, 1630) was important to astronomy for several reasons. He is most well-known for developing a model of planetary motion that fit Tycho’s data. Kepler’s first law states that the orbit of each planet is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus. His second law states […] Continue reading →

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Eclipses & Wildlife

Posted on January 22, 2023 by brandodan

During our discussion of solar eclipses in last Thursday’s lecture, we focused mostly on the astronomical concepts behind how and why they occur. As well, there was a brief discussion on what one would experience inside the path of totality for those short 7 or so minutes during a total solar eclipse. Following this lecture, […] Continue reading →

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About Me

Posted on January 17, 2023 by brandodan

This blog post focuses on me! Continue reading →

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