Author Archives: miichellewang

Comet Swift-Tuttle

Posted on April 21, 2021 by miichellewang

Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle (which is unfortunately not named after Taylor Swift) is just one of the several thousand comets that are known to astronomers. The “P” in its name stands for “periodic comet”, which means that it has an orbital period of less than 200 years. It was separately discovered in 1862 by Lewis Swift andContinue reading “Comet Swift-Tuttle” Continue reading →

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Types of Kuiper Belt Objects

Posted on April 18, 2021 by miichellewang

You have likely heard of the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter, but did you know we also have the Kuiper belt? It’s approximately 20 AU (astronomical units) wide and is located beyond Neptune. Several dwarf planets such as Pluto, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris are all located here. Unlike asteroids which are mostly composedContinue reading “Types of Kuiper Belt Objects” Continue reading →

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What Exactly is a Supernova?

Posted on March 30, 2021 by miichellewang

To put it simply, supernovas are explosions of stars. They are the largest explosions that occur in our universe. There are actually two ways that supernovas can occur. The first way happens at the end of a star’s lifetime. Stars are able to get their energy through nuclear fusion, which is when two atoms combineContinue reading “What Exactly is a Supernova?” Continue reading →

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Voyager Mission

Posted on March 27, 2021 by miichellewang

You may have heard of the twin Voyager spacecraft as the two longest-flying spacecraft ever and the only mission to travel to all four outer planets. However, the original purpose of the Voyager mission was to only study Jupiter and Saturn. The two spacecraft were launched over forty years ago in late 1977. Their launchContinue reading “Voyager Mission” Continue reading →

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Evolution of Spectroscopy

Posted on February 28, 2021 by miichellewang

Spectroscopy describes the study of the interaction between matter and the wavelength of the light it produces, although this definition has been updated to include anything measured as a function of frequency or wavelength. Isaac Newton was one of the first people to demonstrate that light from the Sun could be scattered into a spectrumContinue reading “Evolution of Spectroscopy” Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 17, 2021 by miichellewang

Nicholas Copernicus lived from February 19, 1473 to May 24, 1543. He was one of the first people to propose the Heliocentric Theory, which states that the Sun is the center of the solar system and everything else revolves around it. He also proposed that the Earth rotates on its axis and correctly predicted theContinue reading “Historical Astronomers in Context” Continue reading →

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The History of Winter Solstice Celebrations

Posted on February 7, 2021 by miichellewang

The winter solstice occurs every year around the 21st of December. In the northern hemisphere, this day marks the longest night of the year. It also signifies the official start of winter. Throughout history, many cultures have developed their own ways of celebrating and honoring the winter solstice. Saturnalia Saturnalia is an Ancient Roman holidayContinue reading “The History of Winter Solstice Celebrations” Continue reading →

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Introduction Post

Posted on February 1, 2021 by miichellewang

Hi everyone! My name is Michelle and I am a freshman majoring in Computer Science and Economics. I can’t wait to learn more about astronomy! This is a picture I took of Marina Bay Sands and the Gardens by the Bay Supertrees during my trip to Singapore last year. Here is a link to oneContinue reading “Introduction Post” Continue reading →

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