Author Archives: Will K

Benfits of Astronomy on Earth

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Will K

            Astronomical research does not just benefit the limited field of astronomy; rather it serves to improve many other fields of study. From the first missions into orbit to current research of interstellar travel, astronomy has benefited our standard of living here on Earth. Many people have heard that memory foam was invented by […] Continue reading →

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Interstellar Propulsion

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Will K

               There is no better way to learn about space then to actually go there. We can only discover so much from far off images and spectrometry techniques. This is why organizations like NASA and DARPA are trying to develop new methods of space travel to send us to other stars. There are a […] Continue reading →

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Chemical Activity on Titan

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Will K

  Scientists at NASA now believe that Saturn’s moon Titan is much more chemically active than we previously thought. According to Astronomy Magazine, the found that the “complex organic chemistry that could eventually lead to the building blocks of life extends lower in the atmosphere than previously thought.” This is activity in the lower atmosphere […] Continue reading →

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Exoplanets in the Habitable Zone

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Will K

  According to recent astronomical discoveries, there are much more Earth sized exoplanets in the habitable zone than scientists previously thought. In a study of cool stars, called M-dwarfs, researchers found that rocky, medium sized exoplanets could be relatively common. The possibility of a moderate climate and liquid water is greater for these planets when […] Continue reading →

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Alien Life: More Probable Than We Think

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Will K

  The possibility of alien life throughout the universe has consistently captured the human imagination. From science fiction novels to movies to television documentaries the idea alien life forms appears again and again. While some people may be skeptical, there is some truth to the stories and speculations. First of all, the possibility of alien […] Continue reading →

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Alien Life: More Probable Than We Think

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Will K

  The possibility of alien life throughout the universe has consistently captured the human imagination. From science fiction novels to movies to television documentaries the idea alien life forms appears again and again. While some people may be skeptical, there is some truth to the stories and speculations. First of all, the possibility of alien […] Continue reading →

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Nuclear Fusion Here on Earth

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Will K

  Scientists are researching nuclear fusion like never before. This research is motivated by the promise of large amounts of clean power. In fact, the fuel used in fusion reactors is deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen that can be obtained from seawater. NBC emphasizes this clean power, reporting that “half a bathtub of seawater could […] Continue reading →

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Neutrino Detectors

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Will K

Over the past several decades telescope technology has improved dramatically. Not only are we able to view the galaxy from massive observatories on Earth, but we can capture light through telescopes orbiting in space. Although these advances have allowed us to detect light from many different ranges across the electromagnetic spectrum, telescopes cannot detect all […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Will K

About Tycho: Tycho Brahe is known as one of the most reliable naked eye observers of his time. Using an elaborate naked eye observatory sponsored by King Frederick II, Tycho was able to accurately measure the movements of the stars. He was convinced that the Sun was the center of the solar system but he […] Continue reading →

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Google’s Sky Map

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Will K

When looking around for astronomy applications for Android I came across Google’s Sky Map. This is a popular stargazing application that is free on the Google Play store. One of the best features of this app is the location and sky tracking. This feature will track exactly where your phone is pointing in the sky. […] Continue reading →

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