Author Archives: richardtli

The Northern Lights

Posted on April 21, 2019 by richardtli

One of the world’s most fascinating and natural wonders are the Northern Lights. These magical lights come in a variety of dancing colors. This seemingly random light show occurs as a result of interactions of Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere with solar winds. Solar winds released by the Sun’s sunspot regions travel through space until … Continue reading The Northern Lights → Continue reading →

Posted in Light, Physics, Sun | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Northern Lights

How Hard is Interstellar Travel?

Posted on April 21, 2019 by richardtli

Traveling to other solar systems seem pretty easy in the movies, but in real life, it could get quite complicated. First of all, the closest star system to us is Alpha Centauri, which is 4.37 light-years away, which is very far from us even if we can travel at the speed of light. But even … Continue reading How Hard is Interstellar Travel? → Continue reading →

Posted in Physics | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on How Hard is Interstellar Travel?

Halley’s Comet

Posted on April 7, 2019 by richardtli

In 2061, Halley’s Comet will return to pass by Earth in 75-year long round trip across the solar system. But what else do we know about this mysterious visitor? Studying the reports of comet sightings in 1531, 1607, and 1682, Edmond Halley deduced that these comets were in fact the same one and that it … Continue reading Halley’s Comet → Continue reading →

Posted in Universe | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Halley’s Comet

History of Constellations

Posted on March 12, 2019 by richardtli

Long before history has been recorded, humans have studied the stars in the night sky. Although we have looked at stars for thousands of years, it wasn’t until 1930 that the 88 constellations were officially named by the International Astronomical Union. 48 of these constellations were named by Ptolemy in his book The Almagest in … Continue reading History of Constellations → Continue reading →

Posted in Historical, Observables, Stars | Tagged , , | Comments Off on History of Constellations

Nuclear Fusion in the Sun

Posted on March 11, 2019 by richardtli

Nuclear fusion is the process in which the Sun and all other stars generate energy through the combination of light atoms into heavier ones. The nuclear fusion in most stars is carried out in proton-proton fusion. In the first step, two protons fused together to create a proton-neutron core and emitting a neutrino and positron. … Continue reading Nuclear Fusion in the Sun → Continue reading →

Posted in Physics, Stars, Sun | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Nuclear Fusion in the Sun

Telescopes

Posted on February 10, 2019 by richardtli

Telescopes have been an essential instrument in the history of astronomy. So much has been learned and will be learned through the use of them. Although, they all have the same general function, telescopes can come in many shapes, sizes, and types. The two main types of telescopes are the refractor and reflecting telescopes. In a … Continue reading Telescopes → Continue reading →

Posted in Instruments, Light | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Telescopes

Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on January 27, 2019 by richardtli

Galileo Galilei (February 15, 1564 – January 8, 1642) made great strides with astronomy with his telescope. He showed that many of the heavenly bodies were not perfect as many had thought them to be. He saw that the moon had craters and valleys in it and that the sun had little imperfections in it as … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context → Continue reading →

Posted in Historical | Tagged , | Comments Off on Historical Astronomers in Context

Where the Zodiac Signs Come From

Posted on January 20, 2019 by richardtli

What’s your sign? This is a common question you may have encountered in your life. While most people aren’t too deep into astrology, chances are that most of us have looked into our daily horoscope at least once for fun. However, a lot of people don’t really know where these signs come from, or why … Continue reading Where the Zodiac Signs Come From → Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Stars, Sun | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Where the Zodiac Signs Come From