Author Archives: Jiayu Kang

Hello Powehi

Posted on April 20, 2019 by Jiayu Kang

In the center of the galaxy M87, stars seem to orbit an invisible object. By observing the path of the stars, scientists concluded that there is a supermassive black hole that is dense enough to cause these motions. Although the black hole itself is invisible, we can still observe the ring of light bended by … Continue reading Hello Powehi → Continue reading →

Posted in Universe | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Hello Powehi

What Is Life?

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Jiayu Kang

While talking about the search for extraterrestrial life, you may notice the difficulty in drawing a line between the living and nonliving. Bacteria are considered life forms, but viruses are not. Artificial Intelligence is able to do a lot of things that human beings can do, but it is not viewed as life by the … Continue reading What Is Life? → Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on What Is Life?

Why is Titan Special?

Posted on March 30, 2019 by Jiayu Kang

If you are a Sci-fi fan like me, you might be able to recall Vincent hiding his identity for the trip to Saturn’s moon Titan in Gattaca. In Star Trek 2009, Kirk and Spock beam abroad the Romulan ship attacking Earth, while Enterprise hid itself in Titan’s clouds. Or at least you should remember the … Continue reading Why is Titan Special? → Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Why is Titan Special?

How to Find Orion in the Night Sky

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Jiayu Kang

One of the most famous and recognizable constellations, Orion is most visible in the evening sky, winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It was named after a hunter in Greek Mythology, Orion. Rigel, a blue-white supergiant, and Betelgeuse, a red supergiant, are the brightest stars in Orion. Thousands of newly formed stars can be found in … Continue reading How to Find Orion in the Night Sky → Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Observables, Stars | Tagged , , | Comments Off on How to Find Orion in the Night Sky

What’s the weather like on the Sun?

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Jiayu Kang

Just like the Earth, the Sun has weather. The most important features of the Solar Activity includes Sunspots, Solar flares, Coronal mass ejections. and solar winds.  • Sunspots are spots darker than the surrounding area on the Sun’s photosphere caused by concentration of magnetic flux field. Their number varies in an approximately 11-year cycle. • Solar flares … Continue reading What’s the weather like on the Sun? → Continue reading →

Posted in Sun | Tagged , , | Comments Off on What’s the weather like on the Sun?

The Qiantang River Tidal Bore

Posted on February 7, 2019 by Jiayu Kang

The Qiantang River runs for 459 km through Zhejiang, China, and flowing into the East China Sea via Hangzhou Bay. From Aug 15th to 21st in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, travelers come to Hangzhou Bay to see the largest tidal bore in the world, which can reach up to 9 meters in height and travel … Continue reading The Qiantang River Tidal Bore → Continue reading →

Posted in Moons, Sun | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Qiantang River Tidal Bore

Copernicus in Context

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Jiayu Kang

Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was one of the most important figures in astronomy history. In order to find a better model to predict planet motions, Copernicus developed the heliocentric theory based on Aristarchus’s work. He calculated both the orbital period and distance to the Sun, providing geometric relationships and therefore strengthening … Continue reading Copernicus in Context → Continue reading →

Posted in Historical | Tagged , | Comments Off on Copernicus in Context

Stellarium: a Great Planetarium Program

Posted on January 19, 2019 by Jiayu Kang

Wanna know what the sky looks like today? Here’s an amazing computer program where you can know everything about the sky without walking out of the door! It is simple to download Stellarium at stellarium.org and follow the instructions. After you install the program and open it, you can input any time and location you want … Continue reading Stellarium: a Great Planetarium Program → Continue reading →

Posted in Observables, Stars | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Stellarium: a Great Planetarium Program

Blog 0: Hello World

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Jiayu Kang

My name is Jiayu Kang and I am from Nanjing, China. I am a freshman at Vanderbilt. Nice to meet you:) Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , | Comments Off on Blog 0: Hello World