Author Archives: kierannaughton5896

The Future of Space Travel

Posted on March 13, 2019 by kierannaughton5896

Space exploration is something that intrigues us all because, as Star Trek coined many years ago; “Space: the final frontier… To boldly go where no man has gone before”. We’ve traveled to space many time before, with the Apollo 11 moon landing being one of the most famous expeditions. This trip was so famous because … Continue reading The Future of Space Travel → Continue reading →

Posted in Space Travel | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Future of Space Travel

The Energy within the Sun

Posted on March 13, 2019 by kierannaughton5896

The sun is a main sequence star, which means it is powered through the process of nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion is the process of multiple (two or more) nuclei combining to form a completely different nuclei. This process occurs under extreme conditions and releases immense amounts of energy. The sun, at its core (literally), is … Continue reading The Energy within the Sun → Continue reading →

Posted in Sun | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Energy within the Sun

Celestial Navigation: How Our Ancestors Used to Travel

Posted on February 11, 2019 by kierannaughton5896

Before the time of GPS, and all the modern forms of navigation we use today, people used to travel with the stars. Through the use of angular measurements, the sun, moon, planets, and stars could be used to find a position on earth. By looking at the angles between these celestial bodies the horizon, and … Continue reading Celestial Navigation: How Our Ancestors Used to Travel → Continue reading →

Posted in Observables | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Celestial Navigation: How Our Ancestors Used to Travel

Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on January 29, 2019 by kierannaughton5896

Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564 and died on January 8, 1642. During his lifetime he made monumental contributions to the world of astronomy. He did not invent the telescope, but he made improvements to it and this allowed him to observe the universe, like no one had ever done. Some of the … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context → Continue reading →

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

The Cosmic Calendar

Posted on January 21, 2019 by kierannaughton5896

The Cosmic Calendar is the life of the universe condensed into a calendar year. It begins on January 1st at midnight and ends on December 31st just before midnight. The noteworthy time on this calendar is 8pm on December 1st: the start of human life. The universe is approximately 14 billion years old, so humans … Continue reading The Cosmic Calendar → Continue reading →

Posted in Science | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Cosmic Calendar

Introduction Post

Posted on January 15, 2019 by kierannaughton5896

Hi! I’m Kieran and I’m from New York. This is my blog about an astronomy course I am taking at Vanderbilt University. Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , | Comments Off on Introduction Post