Author Archives: reidwalker87

Blog #4: Nuclear Fusion

Posted on March 7, 2023 by reidwalker87

Nuclear fusion is the process that drives star light formation and prevents the force of gravity of the star from collapsing into itself. In a nuclear fusion reaction, two smaller nuclei, typically hydrogen isotopes, bond together to form a helium atom while immense amounts of energy are released. The fusion between smaller atoms continues to […] Continue reading →

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Blog #3 Formation of the Solar System

Posted on March 6, 2023 by reidwalker87

The formation of the Solar System is truly a testament to our good fortune of life being possible on a planet located in the “Goldilocks Zone” near the Sun. The initial conditions allowed for not only Earth to be composed of rocky elements such as carbon but for the Earth to be protected from flying […] Continue reading →

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Celestial Navigation Techniques Blog #2

Posted on February 12, 2023 by reidwalker87

Before any GPS or easy to use maps, explorers were completely reliant on the stars and their hunches to determine their location during their travels. In the Northern Hemisphere, it was much easier to determine latitude because of the conveniently located star Polaris just above the northern celestial pole. Using the Sun is also a […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 2, 2023 by reidwalker87

Nicholas Copernicus was important to science for creating a model of the universe that placed the sun at the center. The sun-centered model was different from the Earth-centric model that had long been more popular and supported by the church.

He… Continue reading →

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Blog #1: The Power of Ten

Posted on January 23, 2023 by reidwalker87

The Power of Ten video puts into perspective the miniscule size of not only individuals on Earth but of the Solar System entirely. At only 3 minutes into the video, we were already far beyond the Solar System with so much time remaining. Not only was I struck by the immense scale of the universe, […] Continue reading →

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