Author Archives: jclyncmp

Astronomy in “The Big Bang Theory” and “Interstellar”

I originally came into Astronomy 201 just wanted to fulfill my last hours as a second-semester senior at Vanderbilt University with a subject I was interested in. Now that the course is coming its conclusion, the class has evolved into…

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‘Definite Evidence’ Of Alien Life Within 20-30 Years

In a panel discussion earlier this month, NASA Chief Scientist, Ellen Stofan, said that there is definite evidence that we will find alien life within the next 20-30 years. She defines life not as ‘little green men’ but microbes, which…

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The Goldilocks Zone: Not as elusive as previously thought?

New research from the Australian National University and the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen has calculated that billions of the milky Way star’s have one to three planets in the habitable zone (or nicknamed: “The Goldilocks Zone” because…

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Do we have Jupiter to thank for Earth?

A new study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that Jupiter may just be more than the largest gas giant planet in our solar system. We little earthlings may be here thanks to Jupiter and its…

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Surface of Venus Revealed from Earth Telescope

As many of us know, Venus is covered in a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide that makes it very difficult for scientist to view the surface of Venus. In the past, NASA’s Magellan spacecraft has used radar to penetrate the…

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Sun Triggers Radio Blackout with First X-Class Flare

The Sun triggered a radio blackout with the first X-class solar flare of 2015 on Wednesday, March 11th at 12:22pm ET. A solar flare is a sudden flash of brightness on the Sun’s surface. Solar flares are classified as A,…

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Sun Triggers Radio Blackout with First X-Class Flare

The Sun triggered a radio blackout with the first X-class solar flare of 2015 on Wednesday, March 11th at 12:22pm ET. A solar flare is a sudden flash of brightness on the Sun’s surface. Solar flares are classified as A,…

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Earth or Mars?

This picture looks like something that could be taken on Earth, however it is not! This picture was taken by the Curiosity rover near the base of Mount Sharp. Mount Sharp, also know as Aeolis Mons, reaches a height of…

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The World’s Largest Vaccuum

The world’s largest vacuum is located at NASA’s Space Power Facility in Ohio. In this video, a bowling ball and a feather are dropped together under the conditions of outer space to demonstrate the concept that objects will fall at…

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Historical Astronomers in Context

2. Galileo Galilei was an extremely important figure in astronomy. He was the first person to use a telescope to observe the sky and publish his results. He discovered the four satellites around Jupiter. The discovery of the moons showed…

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