Author Archives: paxtonastronomy

You Used to Call Me on Your Space Probe: Drake Equation

Posted on April 26, 2016 by paxtonastronomy

Personally, I love the Drake Equation. I think it’s extremely interesting to ponder, and it fascinates me that there are ways to roughly predict life within the Milky Way. However, I feel like the equation should be approached more so as a means to think about life rather than an actual mathematical equation. Rather than using […] Continue reading →

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Global Astronomy Month!

Posted on April 4, 2016 by paxtonastronomy

Wow! April is quite the month. The sun is shining, finals are approaching, and it is Global Astronomy Month (GAM)! Prior to this class, I didn’t know April was GAM. However, today I was trying to decide what to write my blog about, and I stumbled upon an article about GAM. From my research, I’ve […] Continue reading →

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Extrasolar = ExtraSPECIAL?

Posted on April 4, 2016 by paxtonastronomy

By far, the coolest thing there is about extrasolar planets is the possibility of discovering another Earth. Of course, this is merely an opinion of my own, but I’d like to think that a lot of people agree. Statistically speaking, it is not only possible but also extremely probably that there is another Earth in […] Continue reading →

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Mars One? More like Mars WHAT

Posted on March 10, 2016 by paxtonastronomy

Mars One is a relatively small organization with a big idea. Based in the Netherlands, Mars One’s mission is to send a group of people from Earth on a one way trip to Mars by 2027. This mission is a nonprofit and led by Bas Lansdorp, who announced this idea in 2012. However, Lansdorp more […] Continue reading →

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Nuclear Fusion: Our Potential Savior?

Posted on March 10, 2016 by paxtonastronomy

Nuclear fusion is what powers main sequence stars to shine so brightly and for so long. In the most basic sense, nuclear fusion is the process in which 2+ atomic nuclei crash together. When this occurs with nuclei of lower masses, energy is released. However, the process isn’t as simple as it sounds. An extreme […] Continue reading →

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Stephen Hawking and the Universe

Posted on February 17, 2016 by paxtonastronomy

Stephen Hawking has fascinated me since I was a young child. Besides just his scientific discoveries and knowledge, the fact that he has been able to succeed so amazingly with such a potentially hindering disability is extremely remarkable. One of Hawking’s talks that I found extremely interesting was his “Questioning the Universe” TED Talk. In […] Continue reading →

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The Simplicity of Science

Posted on February 17, 2016 by paxtonastronomy

When studying science, something that often overwhelms or pushes people away is the apparently complexity of it. In chemistry, a lot of people give up when they reach organic; in physics, some people just can’t get past certain theories. However, when reading about the nature of science in chapter three, something occurred to me: science […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 9, 2016 by paxtonastronomy

Nicolaus Copernicus Birth: February 19, 1473 Death: May 24, 1543 1492 – Columbus sails the ocean blue and lands in the Americas, only to take over and wipe out almost the entire Native population. While it was an exciting “discovery” for Spain, it meant devastating consequences for others.  1513 – Machiavelli writes The Prince, a […] Continue reading →

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Blog 2: AstroLOGY

Posted on January 26, 2016 by paxtonastronomy

I’ve always been intrigued by Zodiac symbols and the origin of astrology. To be honest, when I was in third grade and we were told that we were going to be doing an astronomy unit, I genuinely believed we were going to be learning about our Zodiac signs. To say the least, I was extremely […] Continue reading →

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Blog 1: Time travel

Posted on January 26, 2016 by paxtonastronomy

Last winter break, I saw Interstellar. While various aspects of the movie interested me, the thing that especially stood out was the focus on time and the complexities it holds. Although Interstellar clearly wasn’t completely accurate in its science, it still brought up different aspects of space travel that are legitimate. In my opinion, the […] Continue reading →

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