Author Archives: zkorman

The Future of Astronomy

Posted on April 29, 2014 by zkorman

We can only discover more things out there; we can only learn more and find new questions to ask. I am very excited to see what the future holds for us, the only known intelligent life, the universe’s only known way to look at itself. We will soon find Earth-like planets in our celestial neighborhood. We … Continue reading The Future of Astronomy → Continue reading →

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The Infamous Alcubierre Drive

Posted on April 29, 2014 by zkorman

What is the true future of propulsion? Better yet what is the definition of propulsion? For most, it is the art of ejecting mass at velocity in one direction in order to, using Newton’s 3rd law, “propel” something in the other direction. Well for the rest of this post let’s forget that definition of propulsion, and widen … Continue reading The Infamous Alcubierre Drive → Continue reading →

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Schwarzschild Radii and You

Posted on April 9, 2014 by zkorman

So what is a Schwarzschild radius? And is it a concept that is dangerous for us? First of all, the second question is silly: nearly every concept in astronomy and/or physics has implications or applications that are dangerous to us. So we’ll ignore that one. Second of all, the Schwarzschild radius is a property of a given … Continue reading Schwarzschild Radii and You → Continue reading →

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The Curious Case of the Two-Tailed Comet

Posted on April 9, 2014 by zkorman

We’ve all pictured it in our heads: a comet, whizzing through the solar system, leaving behind a long, bright, stunning tail showing where it’s been and implying its prograde (forward) velocity direction. I used to think this was the case too. and then I learned later in life that a comet’s tail is only visible … Continue reading The Curious Case of the Two-Tailed Comet → Continue reading →

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Why don’t we get spun right off the equator of the Earth??

Posted on March 18, 2014 by zkorman

Well guys, it’s time to take care of another misconception taken on by students learning astronomy for the first time. We know an orbit happens when we go fast enough around a body. We also know that when something is spinning, it flings things off of it (like the spinning playground thingy that everyone flies … Continue reading Why don’t we get spun right off the equator of the Earth?? → Continue reading →

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Nuclear Fusion and You!

Posted on March 18, 2014 by zkorman

Humanity is another step closer to achieving our dream of harnessing the power of fusion for good!!!! How you ask? A few dozen lasers and a BOATLOAD of power consumption. Check this video out for the explanation. As it turns out, with laser beams at just the right angle and power and hitting a target … Continue reading Nuclear Fusion and You! → Continue reading →

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Orbital Mechanics and Common Misconceptions

Posted on February 16, 2014 by zkorman

So guys let’s face it: when it comes to space, a lot of us just don’t know a lot about how to get up there. Quick quiz for you: is the following statement true or false? In order to get to orbit, we shoot a rocket straight up and then once it gets into space, … Continue reading Orbital Mechanics and Common Misconceptions → Continue reading →

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Mass, Space-Time, and Light

Posted on February 16, 2014 by zkorman

Mass, as we know, bends space-time. Examples of such bending (in 2 dimensions for ease of comprehension) can be seen here for our sun, a white dwarf, a neutron star, and a black hole. A good question was asked recently, and I would like to clear up some misconceptions. The question, which was very insightful, … Continue reading Mass, Space-Time, and Light → Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2014 by zkorman

Nicolas Copernicus (February 19, 1473 – May 24, 1543) Nicholas Copernicus was very important to modern astronomy. He was the first to publish his work and his theories of heliocentrism, and sparked a gradual shift of popular opinion from the Ptolemaic geocentric model. Historical events occurring during the life of Nicholas Copernicus: i. Christopher Columbus … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context → Continue reading →

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The Night Sky:Sentinel Paranal:VLT Timelapse

Posted on January 27, 2014 by zkorman

If only we could choose to speed up time, lay on our backs and watch the universe revolve around us…. okay, we’re rotating within a nearly static (relative to us) universe, but the effect remains the same. We can only really appreciate our night sky when we point our cameras and telescopes up to the … Continue reading The Night Sky:Sentinel Paranal:VLT Timelapse → Continue reading →

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