Author Archives: cuia2

The Universe and Me

Posted on April 23, 2023 by cuia2

     Looking back on the whole course, I felt like I learned so much about our solar system and beyond. I think it’s important to understand where you come from so you can better understand yourself and your place in the universe. Now, I definitely know more about the theory behind the formation of our solar […] Continue reading →

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The Drake Equation and its Implications

Posted on April 23, 2023 by cuia2

     I’ve always wondered if there was life like humans in space, and thanks to the Drake equation, I’m now 99.9% sure there are multiple alien civilizations as advanced, if not more advanced, than us in our own galaxy. The Drake Equation hypothesizes that the number of alien civilizations that can communicate can be calculated with […] Continue reading →

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Why is Jupiter the way it is?

Posted on April 9, 2023 by cuia2

Have you ever wondered why Jupiter looks so colorful? Well look no further than Jupiter’s atmosphere, where you’ll find similar and yet different features from Earth’s own atmosphere. Jupiter’s atmosphere consists of the thermosphere, stratosphere, and the troposphere, much like Earth’s atmosphere, yet where they differ is what each layer consists of. Jupiter’s thermosphere is […] Continue reading →

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What is up with Io?

Posted on April 9, 2023 by cuia2

Today I wanted to talk about one of the most fascinating moons in the Solar System, Io is one of the four Galilean moons that orbits Jupiter, which are each large enough to be counted as planets or dwarf planets if they orbited the Sun. Io is covered in snow, and yet is by far […] Continue reading →

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The Atmosphere as we know it

Posted on March 7, 2023 by cuia2

The atmosphere is split into four different layers: the troposphere, the stratosphere, the thermosphere, and the exosphere. The troposphere is the lowest layer and is where greenhouse gasses absorb the infrared light and where storms occur. The stratosphere absorbs solar ultraviolet light by ozone, Earth is the only planet to have this layer. The thermosphere […] Continue reading →

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Earth and Us

Posted on March 5, 2023 by cuia2

I’ve always wondered how rare it is for Earth to exist and support life on it, and now I know that out of the billions of solar systems, Earth is the only planet we know of to support life on it currently. Earth had to be at just the right distance from the Sun for […] Continue reading →

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Nuances of Thermal Energy

Posted on February 12, 2023 by cuia2

Today I learned about the nuances of thermal energy that answered a forgotten question from my childhood. When I was little I was always afraid to stick my hand inside a hot oven because I knew how badly my tongue gets burned whenever I drink something hot. However, when I finally did stick my hand […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 1, 2023 by cuia2

Johannes Kepler (Birth date – December 27th, 1571, Death date – November 15th, 1630) Kepler was important to astronomy because he rejected the tens of thousands year old belief that the Earth was the center of the universe and planets orbited in perfect circles. He instead created Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion, which suggest […] Continue reading →

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The Scale of the Universe and Us

Posted on January 22, 2023 by cuia2

     Reading the graphic in the textbook called “Our Cosmic Address”, I got a sense for the first time of how small of a planet we live on. Earth is a typical planet rotating by a typical star we call the Sun which is only one of billions of stars in the Milky Way which is […] Continue reading →

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Introducing Myself

Posted on January 17, 2023 by cuia2

Hi, my name is Adam Cui, fun fact about me is that I’ve played the violin for 11 years! Here’s a hyperlink to an article from my high school newspaper featuring me in the All-State orchestra. Continue reading →

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