Category Archives: Class

Solar Flare vs Solar Prominence

Posted on March 12, 2019 by luanaisaac1125

I obviously can’t speak for anyone else, but I whole-heartedly believed that the beautiful loops of material that we sometimes see images and videos of on the Sun were included in the term ‘solar flare.’ As I looked into it, I came to find that solar flares and solar prominences (the ‘loops’) are in fact … Continue reading Solar Flare vs Solar Prominence → Continue reading →

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Second Planet to the Sun

Posted on March 12, 2019 by reallyroyalqueen

The planet Venus is named for the Roman goddess of love and beauty. It is the second largest terrestrial planet. It is also the second brightest natural object in the sky. Venus’ apparent magnitude of -3.8 to -4.6 makes it visible on a clear day. Venus’ atmosphere can be divided into two layers: the cloud … Continue reading Second Planet to the Sun → Continue reading →

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Nuclear Fusion

Posted on March 12, 2019 by bobbyc

  Nuclear fusion is where two nuclei combine resulting in a displacement of energy. The fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium specifically is what powers the energy output of the sun. This can only occur under the most extreme conditions – typically, the positively charged nuclei of two atoms repel each other quite strongly, and … Continue reading Nuclear Fusion Continue reading →

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A Look Inside the Terrestrial Worlds

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Sam Bianco

Though we do not currently have the means to see directly inside the Earth (or any other planet), we can use clues to make inferences about what may be lying beneath their surfaces. On Earth and the Moon, our most helpful data stems from the analysis of seismic waves, or vibrations that travel along the … Continue reading A Look Inside the Terrestrial Worlds → Continue reading →

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Space Weather

Posted on March 12, 2019 by alexdickey18

In this post, we will be discussing space weather! Space weather is dissimilar from the weather that we experience on earth, however it is still fascinating to understand. Space weather, in our solar system, is sparked by activity on the suns surface. Spewing gases and solar flares on the surface of the sun form into … Continue reading Space Weather → Continue reading →

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Terraforming Mars: Chances are as Thin as the Air

Posted on March 12, 2019 by IanO12

Many of the futurists and sci-fi enthusiasts of today will at some point think about trying to live on Mars. However, terraforming the planet seems increasingly difficult as we learn more about the process. The first step, and a limiting one, is Mars’ atmosphere. This NBC article summarizes the findings of a 2018 study concerning […] Continue reading →

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Atmospheres of Terrestrial Worlds

Posted on March 12, 2019 by alexdickey18

In this blog we will be discussing the atmospheres of terrestrial worlds; more specifically what an atmosphere really is and the difference in atmospheres between different worlds. An atmosphere is simply a “layer of gas that surrounds a world.” In general, this relatively thin layer of gas is responsible for blocking the suns rays and … Continue reading Atmospheres of Terrestrial Worlds → Continue reading →

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The Militarization of Space: What We Know Might Scare You. What We Don’t Know is Probably Even Worse.

Posted on March 12, 2019 by jpeilbert

What do you think was the first man-made object in space? Who do you think launched that object? It may surprise you to find out that the first man-made object to reach space was a V-2 rocket launched by Nazi Germany in 1944. Fortunately, the Third Reich was defeated before their successes in rocketry could … Continue reading The Militarization of Space: What We Know Might Scare You. What We Don’t Know is Probably Even Worse. → Continue reading →

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The Sun

Posted on March 12, 2019 by calebglotta

Everyone knows the sun is what gives us light, much of our heat, and is vital to life on Earth, however there are many intriguing aspects that people do not know. The sun was formed four and a half billion years ago from the gas of a collapsing space cloud. This cloud continued to contract … Continue reading The Sun → Continue reading →

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The Atmosphere of Venus

Posted on March 12, 2019 by luanaisaac1125

Venus’s atmosphere is very, very dense. It is composed of about 96% carbon dioxide, 3.5% nitrogen, and trace amounts of other gases, including sulfur dioxide. Although Earth’s atmosphere is composed of over 75% nitrogen, Venus’s atmosphere is so dense that the 3.5% of its atmosphere that is composed of nitrogen has around 4 times the … Continue reading The Atmosphere of Venus → Continue reading →

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