Author Archives: evanjmiranda

From Blink-182 to Alien Hunting

Posted on May 1, 2018 by evanjmiranda

Ex-Blink-182 member Tom DeLonge quit the band back in 2015 to get serious about his search for extraterrestrial life. While this may sound ridiculous, this dude is actually supported by more than just his mom. He started a new institution called the “To the Stars Academy of Arts and Science” and works alongside former Deputy Assistant Secretary … Continue reading From Blink-182 to Alien Hunting → Continue reading →

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Unusual Extremophiles

Posted on May 1, 2018 by evanjmiranda

We’ve discussed the various types of extremophiles and brainstormed some potential habitats for these microbes, but there are some examples that I think are worth hearing. Snottites are these cave-dwelling microbes that ingest volcanic sulfur and excrete acidic compounds. Their name comes from the fact that colonies of snottites actually appear slimy and almost snot-like. The … Continue reading Unusual Extremophiles → Continue reading →

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Milky Way Center Home to Thousands of Black Holes

Posted on April 8, 2018 by evanjmiranda

Astrophysicists at Columbia University have discovered a dozen black holes surrounding Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole that lies at the center of the Milky Way. The prevailing theory rests that there are supposed to be tens of thousands of black holes filling areas just light-years wide, detectable only from X-ray bursts that originate as … Continue reading Milky Way Center Home to Thousands of Black Holes → Continue reading →

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Interesting Pluto Facts

Posted on April 8, 2018 by evanjmiranda

The “dwarf planet” we know and love got a whole lot more interesting after the New Horizons mission unveiled some interstellar gold on Pluto. Orbiting 3,117,640,853 miles from the sun, Pluto is a complex world with massive glaciers, mountain ranges as high as the Rockies, blue skies and red snow. Regardless of its size, Pluto has 5 … Continue reading Interesting Pluto Facts → Continue reading →

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How Big is the Universe?

Posted on February 5, 2018 by evanjmiranda

Studies of the cosmic microwave background by the European Space Agency (Planck space mission) have revealed what we know as the observable universe, a sphere 28 billion light-years in diameter. Although scientists have placed the Earth in an observable sphere with a radius of 13.8 billion light-years, it is believed that this radius has expanded … Continue reading How Big is the Universe? → Continue reading →

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Wormholes

Posted on February 5, 2018 by evanjmiranda

A wormhole is a theoretical tunnel connecting two points in space-time based on the theory of general relativity. Albert Einstein, Nathan Rosen and Ludwig Flamm are three physicists credited with hypothesizing this theory, but whether we will actually find one (let alone enter it) is largely up to debate. Warmholes are theorized to “pop-up” as tiny … Continue reading Wormholes → Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 4, 2018 by evanjmiranda

Nicolaus Copernicus (February 19, 1473 to May 24, 1543): Copernicus developed the concept of a heliocentric solar system, publishing his work in Commentariolus and De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (part of which was written by Osiander). He built his own observatory and was often criticized by the Roman Catholic Church for his “unconventional” theories. Historical Events: … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context → Continue reading →

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Proxima b

Posted on January 22, 2018 by evanjmiranda

We’ve alluded to exoplanets and habitable zones in class, but you may be wondering just how similar these planets are to Earth – and if we can even get there. Proxima b is a rocky mass larger than Earth that orbits our Sun’s closest neighbor, Proxima Centauri. Astronomers have determined that Proxima b lies in … Continue reading Proxima b → Continue reading →

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We’re Live

Posted on January 15, 2018 by evanjmiranda

For Blog #0, I want you to think about how big these mountains are… then how big the universe is… multiverse? Continue reading →

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