Archives
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- July 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
Currently Used Categories
Tag Cloud
- astro201
- astro2110
- astronomy
- blog1
- blog2
- blog3
- blog4
- blog5
- blog6
- blog7
- blog8
- blog9
- blog10
- brahe
- Comets
- Copernicus
- earth
- Europa
- extremophiles
- galilei
- galileo
- gravity
- history
- HW2
- HW6
- jupiter
- Kepler
- life
- Mars
- me
- Moon
- NASA
- Newton
- planets
- pluto
- saturn
- Solar System
- space
- spacecraft
- technology
- telescopes
- tides
- Time
- Uncategorized
- venus
Author Archives: Charles Knoll
Blog 8: Astronomy in the Future
After taking this course, I am extremely excited to stay updated and learn more about astronomy and any news that comes out in the future. Now that I understand a lot more about how our solar system works, I am excited to read more and more about new findings in the world of astronomy. I […] Continue reading
Blog 7: Interstellar Travel
In movies, spaceships often travel at the speed of light, but in reality, we are far from achieving this. Our fastest spacecraft only reach 1/10,000 of the speed of light taking them about 100,000 years to get to the nearest star system. Moreover, the spacecraft we’ve sent so far aren’t even headed towards Alpha Centauri due to […] Continue reading
Blog 6: Asteroid Size
Asteroids, with their varied shapes and sizes, are fascinating objects of the solar system. Their shapes are largely dictated by gravitational forces, with larger asteroids having enough gravity to form into roundish objects. These space rocks are riddled with craters due to many collisions over time. Among them, Ceres stands out as the largest, with a diameter just under […] Continue reading
Blog 5: Pluto and its Largest Moon
Pluto, situated 40 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, orbits the Sun every 248 years. Its path stands out due to its highly elliptical shape and inclination relative to the ecliptic plane, distinguishing it from the other planets. Pluto is orbited by five moons, with Charon being the largest and most notable. Charon orbits Pluto […] Continue reading
Blog 4: Space Telescopes
Telescopes play a pivotal role in deepening our understanding of the universe. While many telescopes are positioned on Earth, those placed in space afford us a more profound insight into the universe. Stationed beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, space telescopes capture clearer images of the cosmos. The Earth’s atmosphere, which blurs images and only permits radio […] Continue reading
Posted in Universe
Tagged astro2110, blog4, space exploration, telescopes
Comments Off on Blog 4: Space Telescopes
Blog 3: Our Sun and Nuclear Fusion
The sun releases energy through a remarkable process known as nuclear fusion, which unfolds under the extreme temperatures and densities found deep within its core. Unlike the nuclear fission reactions used on Earth, which split atomic nuclei to release energy, the sun’s energy is generated by combining smaller nuclei into larger, heavier ones. This fusion […] Continue reading
Posted in Sun, Universe
Tagged astro2110, blog3, nuclear fusion
Comments Off on Blog 3: Our Sun and Nuclear Fusion
Blog 2: Tides
Tides represent the ebb and flow of ocean waters, orchestrated by the gravitational influences of both the moon and, to a lesser degree, the sun. As the moon orbits the Earth, its gravitational force interacts with our planet. Despite the moon’s relatively small mass, its gravitational pull, although not immense, varies across the Earth’s surface […] Continue reading
Historical Astronomers in Context
Johannes Kepler (1571- 1630) Johannes Kepler was an important contributor to astronomy after he created the three laws of planetary motion. The first law states that planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun, and the second law states that planets move faster in their orbits when closer to the sun. Lastly, the third law […] Continue reading
Posted in Historical, Universe
Tagged astro2110, HW2, Kepler
Comments Off on Historical Astronomers in Context
Blog 1: Our Expanding Universe
Our expanding universe is a captivating cosmic phenomenon that continues to unfold in the vastness of space. Galaxies throughout the cosmos are in a state of expansion, distancing themselves from one another as space itself expands between them. From our vantage point on Earth, nearly every galaxy beyond our Local Cluster is gradually moving away […] Continue reading