Author Archives: jamej00

The Cosmic Web

Posted on April 24, 2015 by jamej00

Source: abovetopsecret.com This photo, based on our current models of the observable universe, shows our cosmos on the grandest scale that we can imagine.   Each dot is a cluster of galaxies, rich with stars and (probably) planets.  Every law of the universe has teamed up to produce this image: the laws of gravity, astrochemistry,… Continue reading →

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Earth’s Cousin

Posted on April 23, 2015 by jamej00

Source: slate.com This picture is an artist’s depiction of what the rocky planet Kepler-186f might look like.  On April 17, 2014 astronomer’s announced that they had found this planet using the transit method, making it the first confirmed earth-size exoplanet in the habitable zone!  There is no data yet on whether or not Kepler-186f has… Continue reading →

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Saturn 2.0

Posted on April 5, 2015 by jamej00

So all the planets know that Saturn’s rings give it a really over-inflated ego.  But now there’s good news!  Maybe it’ll quit bragging now that it looks like there’s another planet with a bigger ring system.  Scientists think they’ve found an extrasolar planet with an elaborate ring system, the first discovery of a planet with… Continue reading →

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The Cosmic Snowball

Posted on April 5, 2015 by jamej00

Halley’s Comet This video tells us about the history of Halley’s Comet, which turns out to have actually been documented in medieval history in previous passes by the sun.  Because of the rarity with which comets actually appear in our night sky, they used to be tied to ancient superstitions; for example, to the ancient Chinese they signaled a… Continue reading →

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Venus: A Resemblance to Classical Images of Hell

Posted on March 16, 2015 by jamej00

Hot potato hot potato! It all boils down to the greenhouse effect!  Yes, the greenhouse effect goes beyond causing global warming here on Earth.  It is, in fact, necessary for life on Earth; without it, the planet would be far colder than it is today.  Certain gases present in both Venus’s and Earth’s atmosphere essentially act like… Continue reading →

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Where did we come from?

Posted on March 16, 2015 by jamej00

Formation of the Solar System In only the recent history of astronomy, we’ve began to understand that our solar system is in fact no different than other star systems in the universe.  We now understand that stars in fact all form from a collapsing cloud called a nebula, which is composed mostly of hydrogen and… Continue reading →

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Hubble’s Law

Posted on February 13, 2015 by jamej00

Photo Source: Hubble’s Law Considering the topic of what light can tell us, Hubble’s Law is one topic I’ve always found greatly interesting.  As the picture suggests, the redshift of a distant galaxy is in direct linear proportion to its distance from Earth.  This is the essence of Hubble’s Law – which relates a galaxy’s… Continue reading →

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Absorption Spectra

Posted on February 12, 2015 by jamej00

Photo Source: Absorption Spectrum The photo above is the full absorption spectrum of the sun.  The black lines come from the different chemical elements within its atmosphere, and this is true for all stars!  Different elements absorb and emit light at different wavelengths from one another.  Scientists have conducted (here on earth) experiments to determine… Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 3, 2015 by jamej00

Isaac Newton (December 25, 1642 – March 31, 1727) When Newton was around 23 years old, the last major epidemic of Bubonic Plague in England took place, known as the “Great Plague of London.” Also, when Newton was a teenager, the Wars of the Three Kingdoms were taking place, with the conflict in Scotland having a… Continue reading →

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Wait, where is that constellation? said me, about a million times while holding a telescope

Posted on January 24, 2015 by jamej00

Night Sky 2 The hyperlink above is to a webpage with the information and a review for a REALLY cool observing app!  I got Night Sky 2 before I even took an astronomy class at Vandy, and it’s easily my favorite.  You can get real-time views of all constellations, planets, stars, satellites, and even comets!  Not… Continue reading →

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