Author Archives: martisnv

Drake Equation

Posted on April 25, 2016 by martisnv

One of the most interesting things that we have covered this semester is the Drake Equation. This equation uses probability to estimate the number of active, communicative extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy. What I like most about this … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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SpaceX

Posted on April 10, 2016 by martisnv

Elon Musk is well known for his innovative publicly-traded companies Tesla and SolarCity. However, it may be SpaceX, the private company that he founded, that has the most promise to change the world. SpaceX made history on Friday (April 8) when it landed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Halley’s Comet

Posted on April 10, 2016 by martisnv

Halley’s Comet is visible from Earth every 75-76 years. It is the only known short-period comet (a comet that has an orbital period of less than 200 years) that is visible to the naked eye. Halley most recently visited the inner parts … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Jovian Moons…Alien Life?

Posted on March 11, 2016 by martisnv

One question that all humans are curious to find the answer to is: Are we alone in this universe? Based on pure numbers, it is highly probable that life exists elsewhere in the universe. Despite this high likelihood for extraterrestrial … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Climate Change – A Political Battle

Posted on March 11, 2016 by martisnv

The Earth’s climate has undergone changes throughout its 4.5 billion year history. Most of these climate changes can be attributed to small variations in Earth’s orbit that affect the amount of solar energy that the planet receives. Recently, the Earth … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The Gravity Slingshot

Posted on February 15, 2016 by martisnv

Recently we discussed a maneuver called the gravity assist. NASA uses this technique frequently, most notably with the Voyager probe during flybys of Jupiter and Saturn. In simplest terms, a gravity assist changes a spacecraft’s velocity by going through a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The Hubble Space Telescope

Posted on February 14, 2016 by martisnv

Until this past September when LIGO heard gravitational waves, our knowledge of the universe has come from visual observations. When Galileo began using his telescope in the early 1600s, our notion of the natural world completely evolved. Today, we have telescopes whose … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 3, 2016 by martisnv

Isaac Newton (December 25, 1642 to March 20, 1727) discovered the laws of motion and universal gravity which are still taught in introductory physics classes today. These principles allowed him to demonstrate that the physical laws that operate on Earth also operate … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Blog #2 – Midnight Sun

Posted on January 25, 2016 by martisnv

Every morning the sun rises on the Eastern horizon, and every evening the sun sets in the West. I have seen approximately 7800 of these sunrises and sunsets over the course of my life. Every night I go to bed in the dark, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Blog #2 – Midnight Sun

Posted on January 25, 2016 by martisnv

Every morning the sun rises on the Eastern horizon, and every evening the sun sets in the West. I have seen approximately 7800 of these sunrises and sunsets over the course of my life. Every night I go to bed in the dark, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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