Category Archives: Historical

The Andromeda Galaxy

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Lindsey

The Andromeda Galaxy is one of the only galaxies visible without the aid of a telescope on Earth. It is a spiral galaxy, and it got its name because it is located in the constellation Andromeda. It is approximately 2,480,000 light years from Earth and has a diameter of approximately 200,000 light years. The first […] Continue reading →

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The Apollo Missions: Fun Facts

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Lindsey

Almost everyone has heard about the apollo missions to space and the valuable information obtained about our solar system. Here are some interesting facts about the apollo program: One crazy statistic is that the Saturn V launch vehicle was taller than the Statue of Liberty. This rocket was a huge engineering feat, reaching 316 feet […] Continue reading →

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blog post 02

Posted on February 21, 2022 by graceward02

NASA’s James Webb Telescope was launched on December 25, 2021. It is a collaborative effort between NASA (United States), The European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. This telescope has four main areas where its data will be used: considering the first light in the universe, early assembly of galaxies in the universe, birth […] Continue reading →

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Historical Vanderbilt Astronomer

Posted on February 20, 2022 by AndreaS

If you have spent much time in E. Bronson Ingram residential college on Vanderbilt’s campus, you may have noticed that part of the dorm is named after one Edward Emerson Barnard. As it turns out, Barnard was an astronomer who attended the university from 1883-1887. His research focused on observation and photography of stars and […] Continue reading →

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Hypatia of Alexandria

Posted on February 20, 2022 by jordanekstein

Hypatia of Alexandria (335 CE – 415 CE) was an important mathematician and astronomer often credited as the first female astronomer and the last head librarian of the Library of Alexandria. Her father, Theos, was also an astronomer and mathematician and was the last official member of the Library of Alexandria. He also played a […] Continue reading →

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Eratosthenes the Excellent??

Posted on February 20, 2022 by alexlitt

Newton, Kepler, Galileo, Copernicus… Eratosthenes?? The name Eratosthenes is not as universally renowned, or even as known, as the likes of Newton or Galileo.; however, his contributions are just as exceptional. More than 2200 years ago, around 240 B.C.E, Eratosthenes correctly measured the circumference of the Earth to within 5% of its correct value. Considering […] Continue reading →

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Hypatia of Alexandria

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Kaitlyn Lane

Hypatia is considered the first female astronomer and mathematician (of whom we have records) of the world. She lived in Alexandria in the 4th century AD, where she studied and taught philosophy and astronomy at the Neoplatonic school of Alexandria. Her father, Theon of Alexandria, was a prominent mathematician and some consider him the last […] Continue reading →

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Solar Architecture and History

Posted on February 20, 2022 by timmyshaheen

In the television show Avatar: The Last Airbender, the main character is able to commune with one of his past lives on the Winter Solstice. This happens when the sun shines through the wall and directly hits a statue of the past life that he is trying to talk to. The catch in the show […] Continue reading →

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Blog #2: Archeoastronomy

Posted on February 20, 2022 by nadiamcglynn

Reflecting on how science and astronomy have grown and blossomed into what we study today really illustrates how amazing ancient feats of astronomy and observation were. The impacts of ancient observations of the night sky still effect us today, including in the name of months, the days of the week, and the length of our days and years. Continue reading →

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Retrograde Motion

Posted on February 19, 2022 by Brian

It is often easy to look back at historical astronomical theories and think that they were silly or nonsensical. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and with what ancient astronomers knew at the time, it makes sense that they created bizarre models of the universe. Retrograde motion is a phenomenon that gave scientists a lot ofContinue reading “Retrograde Motion” Continue reading →

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