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Author Archives: Melanie Marszal
Blog 8 – The History of Venus
When asked to picture Venus, many of us picture a hot, volcanic, inhabitable place — and we would be correct. However, science suggests that it may not have always been this way. A study of five different climate simulations of Venus found that in each of these scenarios, the planet could have supported liquid water […] Continue reading
Blog 7 – Where did life on Earth come from?
Many people, myself included, may have assumed that life developed here on Earth and evolved from there. However, other promising theories suggest that life may have originated elsewhere and then traveled to Earth on meteorites. These theories are called panspermia theories. Although space is a very harsh vacuum environment, experiments have determined that a number […] Continue reading
Blog 6 – Planet Nine
Unfortunately, “Planet Nine” does not refer to Pluto. However, its potential existence could explain the interesting movement of some objects in the Kuiper Belt. Researchers at Caltech have found mathematical evidence of a large planet far out in our Solar System, which has been named Planet Nine. This hypothetical planet would be about the same […] Continue reading
Posted in Class, Observables
Tagged blog6, darkmatter, kuiperbelt, PlanetNine, technology
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Blog 5 – Pluto
Many of us may remember back when we were younger and Pluto was still considered to be one of the nine planets in our Solar System. What happened? Below I will explain the reasons Pluto is no longer considered to be a 9th planet as well as some arguments for why it should be. Anti-planet: […] Continue reading
Posted in Class, Dwarf Planets
Tagged astro2110, blog5, dwarfplanets, IAU, pluto
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What will happen to our solar system when we collide with Andromeda?
You may be familiar with Andromeda, our closest neighboring galaxy. You may have also heard that Andromeda and our Milky Way are moving towards each other. But what will happen to Earth and the rest of our solar system when these two galaxies collide? Will Earth even still be around by then? The answer to […] Continue reading
Comparing the Atmospheres of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
We may not think much about the presence of Earth’s atmosphere in our day-to-day lives, but it has an immense impact on us. Earth’s atmosphere contains the oxygen we need to breathe, protects us from many of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, helps stabilize the Earth’s temperature, and is responsible for weather patterns. If […] Continue reading
Posted in Class, Terrestrials
Tagged astro2110, Atmosphere, blog3, chemistry
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Blog Post 2 – What was Stonehenge really for?
Most people have seen pictures or heard of Stonehenge, an ancient monument on the Salisbury Plain in England. Personally, while I had seen references to Stonehenge in the media, I never actually knew what it was for, or what people thought it was for. It has been difficult for historians to find a definitive answer, […] Continue reading
Posted in Class, Historical, Instruments, Moons, Sun
Tagged Archeoastronomy, astro2110, blog2, Solar System, stonehenge
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Historical Astronomers in Context
Nicholas Copernicus was born February 19, 1473 and died May 24, 1543. The Protestant Reformation began in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517. It was a movement started by Martin Luther, who published a document called the 95 Theses where he challenged the Catholic Church. The Protestant Reformation sparked creation of and migration to Christian […] Continue reading
Posted in Historical
Tagged astro2110, Copernicus, HW2
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Blog 1 – Changes in Zodiac Signs
Astrology is a practice that has been around since the 3rd millennium BCE. Most people are familiar with their sun sign, which corresponds to one of the 12 constellations along the ecliptic, or path of the sun throughout the year from our point of view. Your sun sign is the constellation that the sun appeared […] Continue reading
Introduction
Hi! My name is Melanie Marszal, and I am a senior chemical engineer. By the end of this semester, I will have finished my astronomy minor! A fun fact about me is that I have always wanted to go to one of those beaches with bioluminescent phytoplankton that make the water glow at night. The […] Continue reading