Category Archives: Class

How’s the Weather Up There? ⛅

Posted on March 29, 2020 by vsli

On an especially brutally stormy day, you may have thought to yourself, “Why does it have to be this way? Why do we have to be so inconvenienced?” Well, if we colonize Mars or the Moon someday, your wish may come true. That’s because weather stems from the presence of an atmosphere! Weather is mostly … Continue reading How’s the Weather Up There? ⛅ Continue reading →

Posted in Class, SolarSystem | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on How’s the Weather Up There? ⛅

The Lesser Known Planetary Rings

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Lily

When quizzed about planetary characteristics in elementary school, the typical questioned asked when referring to Saturn is, “Which planet in the solar system has rings?” While answering Saturn is not incorrect, it isn’t completely correct either. Other planets with rings in our solar system are Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. A more accurate way to askContinue reading “The Lesser Known Planetary Rings” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Planet Rings, SolarSystem | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Lesser Known Planetary Rings

The beautiful tails of comets

Posted on March 29, 2020 by caseycao

What distinguishes comets from other celestial bodies i继续阅读“The beautiful tails of comets” Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The beautiful tails of comets

Exoplanet’s Exotic Weather

Posted on March 29, 2020 by abriannarhodes00

Scientist thought that Venus’s weather was bad. From the planet’s acid rain, to the horrendous temperatures and pressures to the clouds that smother the planet in sulfuric acid. It’s the closest image that scientist have to depicting hell. But what if there’s something that may be even worse? What if Earth’s raging twin actually hasContinue reading “Exoplanet’s Exotic Weather” Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , | Comments Off on Exoplanet’s Exotic Weather

Living on Titan?

Posted on March 29, 2020 by seths1

Could human beings inhabit Titan, one of Saturn’s moons? Titan is one of the least hostile places for humans in the outer solar system. Titan has liquid methane lakes and oceans on its surface, and even has weather. Titan’s atmosphere is very dense – 95% nitrogen and 5% methane. The gravity on Titan is slightlyContinue reading “Living on Titan?” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Universe | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Living on Titan?

Why is Pluto No Longer a Planet?

Posted on March 29, 2020 by dannydonofrio217

It’s no secret Pluto has been out of the privileged circle of celestial bodies to be considered planets for over a decade now. But many don’t realize what events led to this ousting, and the reasonings for doing so. Pluto had long since been considered a planet since its discovery in the 1930’s. Yet startingContinue reading “Why is Pluto No Longer a Planet?” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Universe | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Why is Pluto No Longer a Planet?

Could There be Life on Europa?

Posted on March 29, 2020 by phildowd

Europa is one of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, meaning it’s one of the four largest moons that orbit Jupiter. What makes it particularly special is that it is considered one of the most likely places in our solar system (outside of Earth) that might contain life. Now, at a glance, it seems like that shouldn’t beContinue reading “Could There be Life on Europa?” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Moons, Sun | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Could There be Life on Europa?

Saturn on Steroids

Posted on March 29, 2020 by alexsolarsystem

Way out in the constellation Centaurus is a peculiar solar system 434 light years away that fascinates astronomers. The central star, named 1SWASP, is similar to our Sun in size and doesn’t appear to have any unusual characteristics for a main-sequence star. However, it was discovered in 2007 that 1SWASP is orbited by one enormousContinue reading “Saturn on Steroids” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Observables, Stars | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Saturn on Steroids

Sirens of Titan

Posted on March 29, 2020 by clairesspacejam

The lectures from this unit, especially chapter 11 about the Jovian planets, reminded me of one of my favorite books; Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut. The novel is a comical science fiction story that chronicles the origin of Malachi Constant, a profit predestined to be sent into space and return to start a newContinue reading “Sirens of Titan” Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Sirens of Titan

The Real Villain in Pluto’s Demise

Posted on March 29, 2020 by avighitterman

The removal of Pluto as a planet was an emotional blow to anyone with a heart. It was a devastating betrayal leaving many asking questions that no one wanted to hear the answers to. While there were many reasons behind Pluto’s status change, the ultimate culprit is the dwarf planet Eris. Eris was discovered inContinue reading “The Real Villain in Pluto’s Demise” Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Historical, Public Policy | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Real Villain in Pluto’s Demise