Author Archives: willems49

Dragonfly: Quadcopter on Titan

Posted on April 30, 2023 by willems49

After the recent rocket launch in preparation for the Artemis mission, I decided to look into the other space exploration projects currently underway. One that stuck out to me is the Dragonfly mission. After the landing of Huygens, a space probe sent from Cassini, in 2005, astronomers have desired a more advanced exploration of Titan. […] Continue reading →

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Could We Even Communicate With Aliens If We Found Them?

Posted on April 30, 2023 by willems49

After learning about the Golden Record, Arecibo message, and other ways astronomers have attempted to communicate with extraterrestrial life (if it is out there), I can’t help but think this outreach is very limited to civilizations that communicate in exactly the same way as we do. This seems unlikely to me, given the extreme diversity […] Continue reading →

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Ceres, the Celebrity of the Asteroid Belt

Posted on April 8, 2023 by willems49

Despite comprising almost a third of the asteroid belt’s total mass, Ceres is often left out of dwarf planet discussions. However, Ceres is actually pretty unique and could potentially support life in the future. Because of its relative closeness compared to the likes of Pluto, it was the first dwarf planet to be visited by […] Continue reading →

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Water Beads on the Moon

Posted on April 8, 2023 by willems49

After analyzing Moon samples taken over two years ago, scientists have discovered glass beads of water on the surface of the Moon. The Chinese probe, Chang’e 5, took soil samples from the lunar surface as part of China’s first sample-return mission. These glass beads are thought to be across the entire surface of the Moon […] Continue reading →

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James Webb Space Telescope Discovers “Impossible” Galaxies

Posted on March 1, 2023 by willems49

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the James Webb Space Telescope: the successor to the Hubble Telescope and most powerful space telescope built to date. It was launched into space a little more than one year ago with the goal of observing the first galaxies and investigating our cosmic origin. In this short […] Continue reading →

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Lack of Cratering: Io and Europa

Posted on February 28, 2023 by willems49

During class, we have discussed magnetospheres, tectonics, geological activity, and their relation to the cores of the “Big Five”: Earth, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, and Mars. Specifically the moon has very obvious cratering across its entire surface, and its craters remain intact for billions of years. This is due to it not having an atmosphere […] Continue reading →

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How Do Moons Form?

Posted on February 8, 2023 by willems49

Have you ever considered how Earth got its moon in the first place? Astronomers have come up with several theories for why each planet in our solar system has a certain number of moons, and how these moons formed. For Earth’s moon, it is thought a collision with another planet shortly after formation of the […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 1, 2023 by willems49

Of the given astronomers, I chose Tycho Brahe (December 14, 1546 – October 24, 1601): Tycho Brahe created precise instruments for observing and measuring the sky before the creation of the telescope. He kept a meticulous record of stars and planets- in particular Mars along with a new model of the solar system which would […] Continue reading →

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Moon Phases in the Southern Hemisphere

Posted on January 18, 2023 by willems49

While reading Chapter 2 in the textbook, I realized how much of a difference living in the southern hemisphere would affect the way you view space. I think we generally tend to think of things as being similar if not the same in the southern hemisphere, especially something as universal as the stars in the […] Continue reading →

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Introduction

Posted on January 16, 2023 by willems49

Hi! I am Emily, a sophomore mechanical engineering student currently in ASTR2110. One of my hobbies is riding dirt bikes and motorcycles. Additionally, I help my step dad modify off-road vehicles as a hobby. Check out our work here. Continue reading →

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