Category Archives: Historical

A Year in Space

Posted on March 11, 2016 by alecsolarsystem

Just last month Scott Kelly finished what many of us would deem unbearable: spending a year in space. For almost an entire year, Scott Kelly lived with fellow Russian Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko on the International Space Station in order to see the effects that long durations in zero-gravity conditions have on the human body. Prior to […] Continue reading →

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Tennessee Tectonics

Posted on March 3, 2016 by hallesolar

Although Tennessee is in the middle of North America, we are still affected by tectonic activity. There are earthquakes in this region from time to time, thanks to the New Madrid Fault. This Tectonophysics article helps us understand why there are earthquakes in Tennessee. North America began to rift, or break apart, in the Late […] Continue reading →

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Out of this World Symbols

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Gabi Grys

Astronomers, like all scientists, love their symbols. Why spend ages written out full text when shorthand will do? Not only  are the symbols for the planets convenient, they also have interesting stories behind them that tie into the planet’s history. Sun: The symbol for the sun is a circular shield with a dot in the […] Continue reading →

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We’re all attractive (by gravity!)

Posted on February 16, 2016 by samihahplanet

We like to think science has everything figured out—and it has in fact come very far to that end. But there are still many things in the world and the universe that has researchers scratching their heads. One of these phenomena is gravity, the force that attracts all objects. Sure, we know how to calculate […] Continue reading →

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We’re all attractive (by gravity!)

Posted on February 16, 2016 by samihahplanet

Images: Gravitational Field,  Conic Sections We like to think science has everything figured out—and it has in fact come very far to that end. But there are still many things in the world and the universe that has researchers scratching their heads. One of these phenomena is gravity, the force that attracts all objects. Sure, […] Continue reading →

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Spectra Across Spectral Types

Posted on February 16, 2016 by briannagalgano

One of the beautiful aspects of the universe is that not every celestial object is exactly the same. The majority of stars spend their lives on the “main sequence” in which they have stable volume and continuously undergo hydrogen fusion. Astronomers use a classification system based solely upon the temperature of a star, assigning each […] Continue reading →

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Gravity is Working Against Me

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Sofia

  Gravity is arguably the most important aspect of our study of the universe and our solar system. Isaac Newton, famous for his three laws of motion, determined that the force of gravity could be expressed mathematically. This led him to create his universal law of gravitation. His law contains three key statements about the … Continue reading “Gravity is Working Against Me” Continue reading →

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Mayan Astronomy

Posted on February 16, 2016 by andyastronomer

  At the end of 2012, the whole world was abuzz with the news that on December 21st, the Mayan calendar would end. Some claimed this ominous event signaled the end of the world, while others simply suggested the Mayans would have likely extended their calendar if they were still around. Who Did It Better: […] Continue reading →

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Stonehenge

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Chloe

Stonehenge. Photographer: Howard Ignatius.  Stonehenge of southern England is one of the most famous Neolithic structures and burial grounds in the world. Construction on Stonehenge started in 5,000 BCE and continued for 1,500 years.  Its eerily arranged stones, transported from up to two hundred miles away from the site, are an iconic draw for the […] Continue reading →

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Shout-out to all the Astronomy Ladies

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Alex Pratte

In a lot of professions today it seems like the ladies are under appreciated, so for my fourth blog I thought it would be nice to give some credit to a couple of smart lady astronomers that paved the way for women in the sciences. As I learned in a really cool BBC article that […] Continue reading →

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