Author Archives: sydneyastr2110

Cumulative Post Featuring the JUICE Launch

Posted on April 20, 2023 by sydneyastr2110

As I reflect on my blog posts this semester as well as overall topics within the class, I appreciate the time aspect. By that I mean that we have examined the past, present, and future of astronomy. My blogs included everything from the Carrington Event, a result of a large solar flare in 1859, to […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Space Travel | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Cumulative Post Featuring the JUICE Launch

The Drake Equation

Posted on April 17, 2023 by sydneyastr2110

The idea of life on other planets has always been a hot topic. An entire genre has been developed to showcase aliens stemming from human imagination. This is usually pseudoscience, but it does beg the question: are aliens real? While we have never contacted or found evidence of other civilizations, there is a way to […] Continue reading →

Posted in Aliens, Exoplanets, Historical, Universe | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Drake Equation

The Principal Investigator of the New Horizons Mission

Posted on April 9, 2023 by sydneyastr2110

I like to write my blog posts about a specific topic we discussed in class or used in a homework assignment. The most recent homework assignment concerning the speech given by Alan Stern was especially fascinating to me. Stern did a great job in discussing the New Horizons mission, he covered everything from the team […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Space Travel | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Principal Investigator of the New Horizons Mission

Halley’s Comet

Posted on April 7, 2023 by sydneyastr2110

I used measurements from Halley’s Comet for the impact homework, so I wanted to learn more about it. It certainly has name recognition, but I wanted to learn more about it. I found some great information from NASA that I figured I would share. Halley’s Comet is named after an astronomer by the name of […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Historical, Observables | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Halley’s Comet

The Moon Illusion

Posted on March 5, 2023 by sydneyastr2110

We saw a really cool picture of the Moon during class that was taken when it was near the horizon with an ancient Greek temple in front of it. The Moon looked unusually large, and I wanted to know more. The reason for the Moon appearing much larger when it is rising and setting is […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Light, Observables | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Moon Illusion

Solar Flares and the Carrington Event

Posted on February 26, 2023 by sydneyastr2110

We heard a little bit about the Carrington Event in class, and I wanted to know more about it. A solar flare is essentially a burst of energy on the Sun which sends electrified gas and subatomic particles toward Earth. In 1859, there was an abnormally large solar flare caused two geomagnetic storms known as […] Continue reading →

Posted in Historical, Observables, Sun | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Solar Flares and the Carrington Event

An Explanation of Tides

Posted on February 11, 2023 by sydneyastr2110

The short tide video we saw in class made me curious about tides. I looked into the relationship between the tides and the Moon, similar to what we had to do at the end of Homework 4. I wanted to share some of my findings. Both the Moon and Sun contribute to tides on Earth. […] Continue reading →

Posted in Observables | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on An Explanation of Tides

Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 1, 2023 by sydneyastr2110

Johannes Kepler Johannes Kepler, who lived from 1571 to 1630, revealed three laws of planetary motion which explain the motion of the planets in the solar system. The first law concerning orbits states that all planets move around the Sun in an elliptic orbit. The second law, the “area law,” implies that a planets angular […] Continue reading →

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

The Upcoming Total Solar Eclipse

Posted on January 20, 2023 by sydneyastr2110

One year, two months, and eighteen days: this is the time from the writing of this blog until a total solar eclipse will occur in North America. I’ll save you from doing the math, the date of this solar eclipse is April 8, 2024. The sky along the path of totality will become dark for […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Observables | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Upcoming Total Solar Eclipse

Sydney’s Introduction

Posted on January 16, 2023 by sydneyastr2110

Hello ASTR 2110! My name is Sydney and I am a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering. The picture I included was actually taken by me at the St. Louis Air Show in 2019 where I rode along with the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team. If you check out their website, you can find some other really cool […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , | Comments Off on Sydney’s Introduction