Author Archives: sullivrs

Blog 8- Final Thoughts

Posted on April 24, 2017 by sullivrs

On our last day of class, I asked about the probability of life on Earth being the most intelligent kind of life in the Universe.  I’ve always believed that the odds of our intellectual superiority must be incredibly low given the immense size of the Universe, but I’ve never really taken the time to learn more about… Continue reading →

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Blog 7- Methanogens and Life on Enceladus

Posted on April 24, 2017 by sullivrs

Recently, a NASA reported suggested that one of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus, could be a world that may be conducive to supporting life (source).  Enceladus, which is covered in ice and significantly farther from the Sun than the Earth is, may not seem like a world where one might suspect life to be able to develop.… Continue reading →

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Blog 6- Trump Budget and Science

Posted on March 22, 2017 by sullivrs

While not directly related to Astro 2110, I think that it is important to touch on the potential ramifications of the President’s recently released budget for the scientific community.  While it is unlikely that this exact budget will be passed, I think that it is nonetheless important to analyze.  It seems as though while the Trump… Continue reading →

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Blog 5-Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

Posted on March 22, 2017 by sullivrs

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot- a huge storm in Jupiter’s atmosphere- has been ongoing for seemingly as long as people have pointed their telescopes toward the planet; this means that the storm has continued for at least approximately 400 years, and most likely more.  The storm itself is twice Earth’s size.  It is known that storms on… Continue reading →

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Blog 4- Voyager Missions and Chuck Berry

Posted on March 22, 2017 by sullivrs

Music fans around the world mourned the loss of Chuck Berry after his death on March 18th.  Credited by many as the original rocker, his use of the double stop, his stage presence, and masterful songwriting skills came to define what a rocker should aspire to emulate. When the Voyager Program was officially kicked off… Continue reading →

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Blog 3-Spectroscopy

Posted on February 8, 2017 by sullivrs

Spectroscopy is a scientific technique that “measures light that is emitted, absorbed, or scattered by materials and can be used to study, identify and quantify those materials” (Source).  Therefore, spectroscopy can be used to provide invaluable information about different objects based on the light they emit and absorb (which is referred to as the emission… Continue reading →

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Blog 2-Archaeoastronomy

Posted on February 8, 2017 by sullivrs

Archaeoastronomy is defined as the branch of archaeology that deals with the “apparent use by prehistoric civilizations of astronomical techniques to establish the seasons or the cycle of the year, especially as evidenced in the construction of megaliths and other ritual structures” (Source).  As such, studying how ancient cultures studied and interacted with space and celestial objects can help us understand more… Continue reading →

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Blog 1- The Cosmic Calendar

Posted on February 8, 2017 by sullivrs

The Cosmic Calendar is an interesting way to conceptualize the history of the universe.  The Cosmic Calendar was invented by astronomer Carl Sagan (source), and condenses the chronology of the universe into a single year.  The Big Bang occurs on January 1st, and current history is at the very end of December 31st.  I think that… Continue reading →

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First Blog for Solar System

Posted on January 18, 2017 by sullivrs

This is the excerpt for your very first post. Continue reading →

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