Author Archives: michellelei

Looking to the Future

Posted on April 28, 2015 by michellelei

Coming into college, I was excited to finally be able to take astronomy courses to satisfy my science requirements, since I had always had a mild interest in space. Taking ASTR 102 in my fall semester opened my eyes to just how extensive the universe was, and what an incredible way in which it developed.… Continue reading Looking to the Future Continue reading →

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Is Anybody Out There?

Posted on April 27, 2015 by michellelei

While eating lunch with some colleagues in 1950, Enrico Fermi made an innocent yet profound comment about life in the universe. As a well-known physicist, Fermi knew that the universe was old enough to possibly have other life present, especially within the Milky Way. If this was the case, there was an obvious question –… Continue reading Is Anybody Out There? Continue reading →

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Voyager 2

Posted on April 5, 2015 by michellelei

Almost all of the information and pictures scientists have today from the outer planets is due to flyby missions such as NASA’s Voyager 2. As we learned in the last unit, flyby space probes are especially helpful because they can pass by and gather information on multiple planets within one single mission, and that is… Continue reading Voyager 2 Continue reading →

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Put a Ring on It

Posted on April 4, 2015 by michellelei

An interesting characteristic that all the jovian planets possess is their rings. The most remarkable and noticeable of these are Saturn’s, which extend hundreds of thousands of kilometers wide. However, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune all have rings as well, on a much smaller scale. Although the rings are rather wide, they are only 1-1000 m… Continue reading Put a Ring on It Continue reading →

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Global Warming – Who’s to Blame?

Posted on March 10, 2015 by michellelei

Nowadays, the issue of global warming has been growing in controversy and concern. The effects of it are already very noticeable – rising sea levels, the melting of polar ice, endangered species, and so much more. Many people believe that the greenhouse gases are mostly to blame, but that is not exactly the case. Greenhouse… Continue reading Global Warming – Who’s to Blame? Continue reading →

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The Rosetta Mission

Posted on March 9, 2015 by michellelei

Over spring break, I came downstairs for dinner and my dad just so happened to be watching a PBS documentary on the ESA (European Space Agency)’s recent Rosetta mission. The documentary explains the behind the scenes work that went into developing the mission, giving insight into the building of the orbiter, the unique technological features,… Continue reading The Rosetta Mission Continue reading →

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The 12…wait, there’s 13?…Zodiac Signs

Posted on February 11, 2015 by michellelei

If you’re like me, you identify pretty deeply with your zodiac sign. Although I don’t believe that every word of my horoscope is necessarily true, I still like to think that I embody all the qualities of a Leo. In addition, it’s entertaining to read my horoscopes from time to time, even though they aren’t… Continue reading The 12…wait, there’s 13?…Zodiac Signs Continue reading →

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The Mystery of Stonehenge

Posted on February 10, 2015 by michellelei

The mysterious, striking structure of Stonehenge has fascinated archeologists, historians, and many people alike ever since its discovery. There are a multitude of theories as to what its purpose might have been, such as an astronomical observatory, a religious/spiritual site, and some even believe that it was placed on Earth by extraterrestrials. Many archeoastronomers believe… Continue reading The Mystery of Stonehenge Continue reading →

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Johannes Kepler in Context

Posted on February 1, 2015 by michellelei

Johannes Kepler (December 27, 1571-November 15, 1630) Johannes Kepler contributed significantly to the world of astronomy by finally proving that planetary orbits were not perfect circles, but ellipses. Up until his time, all astronomers insisted that the planets orbits be perfect circles because everything in the universe was created by God, and God was perfect.… Continue reading Johannes Kepler in Context Continue reading →

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StarMap 3D+

Posted on January 21, 2015 by michellelei

In the spirit of being in an astronomy class, I felt inclined to download a stargazing app onto my phone. StarMap3D+ was recommended by a multitude of people to me, so I downloaded it. The app costs $2.99 in the Apple App Store, but it is worth it if you want a quality stargazing app… Continue reading StarMap 3D+ Continue reading →

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