Author Archives: dillonplageman3

First Image of a Black Hole

Posted on April 27, 2019 by dillonplageman3

Roughly 50 million light-years away, in the center of the Messier 87 galaxy, resides a supermassive black hole that has about the cumulative mass of 6.5 billion suns. While this black hole is undoubtedly a monster, the true astonishment should come from the fact that image is the first time that scientists were able to … Continue reading First Image of a Black Hole → Continue reading →

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Fermi Paradox

Posted on April 19, 2019 by dillonplageman3

What is the Fermi Paradox? In the most basic sense, the Fermi Paradox addresses the contradiction for the high likely hood of extraterrestrial intelligent life and the absence of any communication with our planet. Physicist Enrico Fermi asks the extremely thought-provoking question, “Where is everybody?”. While there are a number of interesting theories and possibilities … Continue reading Fermi Paradox → Continue reading →

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The Great Red Spot

Posted on April 7, 2019 by dillonplageman3

What’s so great about a red spot? Well, the size of this spot, a massive storm in Jupiter’s atmosphere, is even larger than twice Earth’s diameter and is the largest of our solar system. Not only is it the largest, it has been consistently present for the duration of our usage of telescopes in observing … Continue reading The Great Red Spot → Continue reading →

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Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Posted on March 12, 2019 by dillonplageman3

One of the more peculiar parts of our universe is the presence of a great deal of mass that we cannot see. When looking at the gravitational effects on the mass in the universe, it is apparent that a significant amount of matter must be present but is not visible to us, leading to its … Continue reading Dark Matter and Dark Energy → Continue reading →

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Altitude and Temperature

Posted on March 12, 2019 by dillonplageman3

It is commonly believed that in locations of high altitudes, such as on the top of a mountain, the lower temperatures experienced are a caused by the lower atmospheric pressure that is present. However, this is not entirely the case. While the change in elevation is partially responsible for the decrease in temperature, the presence … Continue reading Altitude and Temperature → Continue reading →

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Pseudoscience and Balancing Eggs on Equinoxes

Posted on February 6, 2019 by dillonplageman3

Can eggs really balance on end during equinoxes? The answer to that question is not that simple. Yes, but the fact of the matter is that you could balance an egg on its end any day of the year and not just during one of the two equinoxes. Each year, on approximately March 20th and … Continue reading Pseudoscience and Balancing Eggs on Equinoxes → Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on January 29, 2019 by dillonplageman3

Tycho Brahe (December 14, 1546 – October 24, 1601) – As one of the last of the naked-eye observers, Brahe juggled the ideas of the Copernican system and the Ptolemaic system, using his own research to develop his own model known as the Tychonic system.  Although he was unable to discover the fact that the … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context → Continue reading →

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Time Travel

Posted on January 20, 2019 by dillonplageman3

While transporting a human from 2019 to the age of the dinosaurs might be a little ways off in terms of technological development, there is another form of time travel that occurs every day and all it takes to appreciate is a glance at the sky. One of the more thought-provoking aspects of the universe … Continue reading Time Travel → Continue reading →

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Intro Post

Posted on January 13, 2019 by dillonplageman3

Here is a photo I took at Joshua Tree National Park, this is one of my favorite astrophotography pictures I have taken over the years. Continue reading →

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