Category Archives: General

Strange Dwarf Planets!

Posted on April 9, 2023 by brandodan

We all recognize Pluto as one of the most famous dwarf planets in our solar system. Since its reclassification in 2006, moreover, it has continued to intrigue both astronomers and the general public. From its icy surface to its various moons, Pluto is an incredibly unique world. However, there are many more interesting dwarf planets […] Continue reading →

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Mine

Posted on April 9, 2023 by oilrigatoni

Gotteem. This ain’t about Valentine’s Day. Nor is it about Minecraft. Nor the seagulls from Finding Nemo. This is about asteroid mining. You’ve been jabaited. But stick around for the ride of your life, or well, a mildly exciting exploration of the next generation of mining. The Earth is limited in its resources, as we […] Continue reading →

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“Mars Will Come to Fear My Botany Powers”

Posted on April 7, 2023 by oilrigatoni

While this line was a comical hit in the box-office hit “The Martian,” it also emphasizes a particular problem that we are experiencing as we explore new worlds. It is very heavy, cumbersome, and expensive to send all the food we need on space missions, and for a prolonged colonization mission, it just isn’t feasible. […] Continue reading →

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Life Beyond Earth

Posted on March 7, 2023 by brandodan

There have been many recent discoveries that suggest life exists beyond Earth. Some of these include new findings on Enceladus (a small moon of Saturn), exoplanets, and even Mars. Enceladus NASA’s Cassini spacecraft collected data that allowed us to simulate the geochemistry of phosphorus in the ocean. This study helped us reach some interesting conclusions […] Continue reading →

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Think of the Coral Reefs

Posted on March 7, 2023 by oilrigatoni

Climate Change is for real. That is true, without a doubt. Like no cap. Furthermore, all evidence points to the species Homo sapiens as the culprit. Due to our overuse of fossil fuels, releasing previously sequestered carbon into the atmosphere, our industrial and agricultural practices releasing other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the total […] Continue reading →

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Blog #4: Nuclear Fusion

Posted on March 7, 2023 by reidwalker87

Nuclear fusion is the process that drives star light formation and prevents the force of gravity of the star from collapsing into itself. In a nuclear fusion reaction, two smaller nuclei, typically hydrogen isotopes, bond together to form a helium atom while immense amounts of energy are released. The fusion between smaller atoms continues to […] Continue reading →

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Blog #3 Formation of the Solar System

Posted on March 6, 2023 by reidwalker87

The formation of the Solar System is truly a testament to our good fortune of life being possible on a planet located in the “Goldilocks Zone” near the Sun. The initial conditions allowed for not only Earth to be composed of rocky elements such as carbon but for the Earth to be protected from flying […] Continue reading →

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Nuances of Thermal Energy

Posted on February 12, 2023 by cuia2

Today I learned about the nuances of thermal energy that answered a forgotten question from my childhood. When I was little I was always afraid to stick my hand inside a hot oven because I knew how badly my tongue gets burned whenever I drink something hot. However, when I finally did stick my hand […] Continue reading →

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Blog #1: The Power of Ten

Posted on January 23, 2023 by reidwalker87

The Power of Ten video puts into perspective the miniscule size of not only individuals on Earth but of the Solar System entirely. At only 3 minutes into the video, we were already far beyond the Solar System with so much time remaining. Not only was I struck by the immense scale of the universe, […] Continue reading →

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Eclipses & Wildlife

Posted on January 22, 2023 by brandodan

During our discussion of solar eclipses in last Thursday’s lecture, we focused mostly on the astronomical concepts behind how and why they occur. As well, there was a brief discussion on what one would experience inside the path of totality for those short 7 or so minutes during a total solar eclipse. Following this lecture, […] Continue reading →

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