Author Archives: segalastronomyblog

Is The Drake Equation Useless?

Posted on April 27, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

The Drake Equation is an equation that was developed to help us determine what life exists in our universe beyond planet Earth. In class, we have been doing much work with the Drake Equation, including filling it out ourselves using our own estimates. But…is the Drake Equation useful or even worth our time? If you are […] Continue reading →

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Behemoth black hole found in an unlikely place

Posted on April 10, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

Watch out, Earth! Scientists have discovered a massive black hole in our universe, one that weighs the equivalent of 17 billions suns! While the size of this black hole is very significant, something that makes it even more unique is it’s location in our universe. According to astronomers, black holes this size are almost always […] Continue reading →

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A Giant spider on Pluto?

Posted on April 10, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

Launched in 2006, the New Horizons Space Probe set out with the mission to get the best view of Pluto that we humans have ever seen. And it just so happens that we succeeded! We are now seeing the absolute best images that we have ever seen of the famed dwarf planet. Recently, Pluto has […] Continue reading →

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What’s eating at Pluto?

Posted on March 15, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

What’s going on under the surface of pluto? The New Horizons probe passed Pluto just last year, after a nine year journey to the Kuiper Belt. Over the last few months, images from the probe have been being received back here on Earth. These images are the most high quality photos of Pluto we have ever […] Continue reading →

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As climate change heats up, Arctic residents struggle to keep their homes

Posted on March 15, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

The Guardian published an intriguing article today regarding climate change and the huge impact it is having on our planet. More specifically, the impact it is having near the North Pole. It describes the rising temperatures and rising sea levels and the impact that this has on people residing in this area. The scariest part? […] Continue reading →

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Space Vacation?

Posted on February 16, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

Forget about Florida. Have you ever considered vacationing in space? Thanks to Virgin Galactic, we are getting closer and closer to this possibility. Last year, Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo crashed in the southwest desert, killing a pilot and completely destroying the aircraft. However, Virgin is getting ready to launch a second SpaceShipTwo this month in Mojave, […] Continue reading →

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Tides+Moon…Relationship?

Posted on February 16, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

If you spend an entire day at the beach, it is pretty obvious to notice that the tide changes throughout the day. Sometimes it comes up all the way to your feet while you lay in your beach chair, while other times the tide can be so low it seems like the water is a […] Continue reading →

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Astronomical History + Copernicus

Posted on February 9, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

Nicholas Copernicus- February 19, 1473 to May 24, 1543 Nicholas Copernicus’ greatest contribution to science was the idea that the Sun was the center of our solar system rather than the Earth. In other words, a heliocentric model rather than a geocentric model. This was a major step forward in determining that the Earth is […] Continue reading →

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The Great American (solar) Eclipse

Posted on January 26, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

There are two different types of eclipses; lunar eclipses and solar eclipses. I want to talk today about a particular solar eclipse coming our way. The Great American Eclipse. But I regress. Solar eclipses and lunar eclipses differ in a very important way; a lunar eclipse is when Earth lies directly between the sun and […] Continue reading →

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The Cosmic Calendar

Posted on January 26, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

If you ever feel old, take a quick look at the cosmic calendar. We are young. Very young. Even our grandparents and young. You may disagree with me- but allow me to explain. The cosmic calendar puts everything that has happened in the history of our universe onto a gregorian calendar (what we use today). […] Continue reading →

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