Author Archives: Matt Machado

X-Ray Burst Baffles Scientists

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Matt Machado

In 2014, NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory spotted a large, sudden flash, producing the deepest x-ray image ever. Today, this flash still baffles scientists who are attempting to understand its origin. It was given the name CDF-S XT1 and was spotted in an area of the sky known as the Chandra Deep Field South. When the […] Continue reading →

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Exploration of Pluto and the Worlds Beyond by New Horizons

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Matt Machado

The New Horizons spacecraft launched from Earth in 2006 with the goal of reaching Pluto is set to break records of how far human-made machines can travel. It achieved its first goal of reaching Pluto in July of 2015 and is the only spacecraft in history to do so. Last month, NASA released this incredible image of […] Continue reading →

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Exploration of Pluto and the Worlds Beyond by New Horizons

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Matt Machado

The New Horizons spacecraft launched from Earth in 2006 with the goal of reaching Pluto is set to break records of how far human-made machines can travel. It achieved its first goal of reaching Pluto in July of 2015 and is the only spacecraft in history to do so. Last month, NASA released this incredible image of […] Continue reading →

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Why is the Moon so Crater-y?

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Matt Machado

Have you ever wondered why the Moon is full of so many craters?  The surface of the Moon is so textured that many of its topographic features are visible from Earth with the naked eye. Most people would say that all of the crater scars on the Moon’s surface are a result of meteor impacts. […] Continue reading →

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Gravity in Space?

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Matt Machado

Videos of astronauts floating around inside space shuttles have led many to believe that gravity does not exist in space. However, this is simply not true. While the force of gravity affects, for example, astronauts who are orbiting the Earth in the International Space Station differently than it affects us, it still exists in space, […] Continue reading →

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The Power of the Powers of Ten

Posted on February 5, 2017 by Matt Machado

The Powers of Ten is a 1977 short film that puts the immensity (and smallness) of the universe into perspective by zooming out from a couple’s picnic in Michigan at a distance of 1 meter to a vast view of galaxy clusters at a distance of 10^24 meters. By watching this journey from small to […] Continue reading →

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Introduction

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Matt Machado

Hello! I created this blog for my Solar System class at Vanderbilt University. Enjoy. Continue reading →

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