Author Archives: philipapelles

Culmination

Posted on April 29, 2014 by philipapelles

       Having never taken an astronomy class before, I learned a lot about our place in the universe and the how our solar system functions and interacts within the universe. The biggest thing I learned is the magnitude and scale of even just our galaxy. Comparisons like if the Sun was about the… Continue reading →

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Extremophiles

Posted on April 29, 2014 by philipapelles

As their name suggests, extremophiles are organisms that mostly dwell at the microscopic level and thrive in harsh conditions. Extremophiles can survive where other life cannot, and because they are so robust can endure even under the most stressful conditions. After learning about extremophiles in class, I wanted to research specific extremophiles found here on… Continue reading →

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A Breakthrough in Our Knowledge of the Big Bang

Posted on March 29, 2014 by philipapelles

BICEP 2, a telescope located at the South Pole, has detected proof for gravitational waves, which are practically ripples in space-time inferring there was some sort of disturbance or bang that caused the universe to form and expand. Gravitational waves up to this point were just theorized to explain how during the Big Bang the… Continue reading →

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Newly Discovered Dwarf Planet

Posted on March 29, 2014 by philipapelles

This month, scientists at the Carnegie Institution for Science discovered a distant dwarf planet. Labeled 2012 VP113, this dwarf planet was seen spinning way past the orbit of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt and is 80 AU away from the sun at its closest point. The Kuiper belt, a region of rocky entities, is between… Continue reading →

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Asteroid Mining

Posted on March 15, 2014 by philipapelles

There are millions of asteroids in our solar system, and they are more valuable than most people think. When I thought of asteroids in the past, I thought of grey rocks that were uninteresting and dull. However, after learning about asteroid mining and the potential benefits asteroids could provide Earth, I re-evaluated my standpoint. It… Continue reading →

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Biggest Solar Flare of 2014

Posted on March 12, 2014 by philipapelles

In late February, the Sun let of the largest solar flare of the new year. Classified as a X4.9 solar flare, it was one of the strongest not only of this year but also in recent years. The flare was released with a huge coronal mass ejection ejecting clouds of electrons and atoms. X-class solar… Continue reading →

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Supermassive Black Hole at the Center of Our Galaxy

Posted on February 14, 2014 by philipapelles

Sitting at the center of our galaxy, a supermassive black hole weighing four million times the weight of our sun waits. After the class discussion on black holes, I began investigating local black holes, and discovered that there is a gigantic black hole in our very own milky galaxy. Scientists first located this black hole… Continue reading →

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GPS

Posted on February 12, 2014 by philipapelles

GPS, or global positioning system, is the most commonly used celestial navigation source in today’s society, which I also use on a regular basis. From giving me directions when I am driving to telling me my exact location, GPS has become vital in most people’s daily lives. The global positioning system was originally designed for… Continue reading →

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Isaac Newton

Posted on February 9, 2014 by philipapelles

Isaac Newton (25 December 1642-20 March 1727) was an English physicist and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the world of science by detailing the laws of motion and created the first reflecting telescope. He also further proved the heliocentric theory by using Kepler’s laws with his mathematical principles of gravity and removed the little doubt that still… Continue reading →

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Solstices and Equinoxes

Posted on January 26, 2014 by philipapelles

Dividing our calendar into four segments, the equinoxes and solstices detail length of daylight hours and how the sun interacts with Earth. The solstices, or days by which the summer and winter are defined by, represent the longest and shortest days in our calendar. June 21, or the summer solstice (in the northern hemisphere), is… Continue reading →

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