Author Archives: solarcecily

Microlensing

Posted on May 5, 2021 by solarcecily

Here’s a way to detect exoplanets you may have not heard of before! Microlensing is a technique that looks at how light is bent in the gravitational field surrounding a planetary system passing its star. The refraction creates “distorted, multiple, and/or brightened images.” All of these images are combined into one image. This image’s brightnessContinue reading “Microlensing” Continue reading →

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The Fermi Paradox

Posted on May 5, 2021 by solarcecily

The Fermi Paradox is a baffling observation about the galaxy and extraterrestrial life. The paradox asks, given all of the plausible explanations and arguments for the abundance of life in the universe, why haven’t we encountered signs of such life yet? With a self-replicating automatons and “modest amount of rocket power and an immodest desireContinue reading “The Fermi Paradox” Continue reading →

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How Moons Get Their Names

Posted on April 20, 2021 by solarcecily

With advancements being made in telescopy allowing astronomers to use the astrometric, Doppler, and transit methods to unparalleled accuracy, we can’t let ourselves get behind in naming these fascinating new worlds. Before we were discovering extrasolar planets, however, we were classifying small worlds and satellites within our own Solar System. Some of the more notableContinue reading “How Moons Get Their Names” Continue reading →

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The Heart of Pluto

Posted on April 18, 2021 by solarcecily

Pluto’s beloved carotid glacier, Tombaugh Regio, has been the apple of astronomers’ eyes ever since New Horizons made its fly-by in 2015. This fly-by gave us the highest resolution images of Pluto we’ve ever been able to capture, and in these new photos, a particular feature on the dwarf planet’s surface rose to a meteoricContinue reading “The Heart of Pluto” Continue reading →

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Mercury’s Shrinkage

Posted on March 25, 2021 by solarcecily

It’s been long thought that of the Fab (Terrestrial) Five, only Earth remains geologically active. However, recent evidence shows that little Mercury, long thought to be tectonically dead, is actually shrinking! The evidence comes in the form of small troughs (upper arrows in the picture below) and scarps (lower arrows) astronomers were able to photographContinue reading “Mercury’s Shrinkage” Continue reading →

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What’s in Charge of Earth’s Long-Term Climate Change?

Posted on March 25, 2021 by solarcecily

Climate change has been worsening, so much so that when news outlets report on it the term sounds like just another buzzword. Current projections of the United States’ future coastlines don’t look at all forgiving. Where did this catastrophe start? Well, to answer that question we have to examine four key factors: solar brightening, changesContinue reading “What’s in Charge of Earth’s Long-Term Climate Change?” Continue reading →

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Pi’ilanihale Heiau

Posted on February 27, 2021 by solarcecily

Pi’ilanihale Heiau is located on the island of Maui, Hawai’i. It’s the largest shrine on the island, and throughout all of Hawai’i. Temples like this one are custom throughout ancient Polynesia, and many individual households would build their own smaller, personal household shrines. In face, “Pi’ilanihale” directly translates to “house of Pi’ilani.” The structure extendsContinue reading “Pi’ilanihale Heiau” Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 17, 2021 by solarcecily

I chose Nicholas Copernicus (1473 – 1543) for my Homework 3 assignment. He lived during the inception of the Protestant Revolution (circa 1521), a religious conflict between Protestant reformers and the Catholic Church. In this same year, Ferdinand Magellan died during his attempted circumnavigation in the Pacific. Martin Luther, a prominent leader of the ProtestantContinue reading “Historical Astronomers in Context” Continue reading →

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The Far Side of the Moon

Posted on February 6, 2021 by solarcecily

I’m no professional astronomer. No matter where I am in the world, when I look up at the night sky I see the same thing. I’ve rarely ever been able to see recognizable patterns in the stars, let alone identify specific ones, like Polaris. However, in every night sky, there is always a celestial bodyContinue reading “The Far Side of the Moon” Continue reading →

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Introducing Myself

Posted on February 1, 2021 by solarcecily

Hi~ My name is Cecily Shi, and I’m a sophomore studying Communications of Science and Tech with minors in Economics and Business. I’m from Nashville, which I actually have learned to love because I can visit my dog practically whenever. And here is a picture of said dog! His name is Hector 🙂 Continue reading →

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