Author Archives: Catherine Sack

Blog #4 – Pluto: Is it a planet?

Pluto is most known for its famous debate: Is it a planet or not? As of 2006, Pluto is known as Dwarf Planet. A Dwarf Planet is a celestial body that orbits the Sun just like a regular planet; however a dwarf planet lacks a clear orbital path, sharing it with other objects. Pluto’s size […] Continue reading

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Blog #3 – Formation of the Solar System

Around 4.6 billion years ago, the sun formed along with the planets surrounding it due to the collapse of the solar nebula. When this supernova explosion took place, the collapsed cloud began to spin around in a circle, ultimately getting pulled by gravity to create the center (the Sun). The excess material smashed together making […] Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Isaac Newton was important for astronomy because he introduced the concept of gravity and how planets orbits around the sun. He developed three laws for motion and a law for gravitation. His findings changed the operations and understanding of the universe. The ending of the Thirty Years’ War and the second Anglo-Dutch war starting in […] Continue reading

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Blog #1

Depending on the moon’s location around the Earth, it causes the sun to light up different parts of it. As seen in the picture above, there are 8 different moon phases: new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent. Waxing phases light on the right side of the […] Continue reading

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