Category Archives: Instruments

includes telescopes and space probes

Opportunity and Spirit

Posted on March 6, 2023 by araceal

Opportunity and Spirit are two rovers that have been to the incredible Red Planet – Mars.  Opportunity launched out of Florida in 2003 and landed on Mars in 2004, which was soon after its twin Spirit landed. Opportunity is one of the more well known rovers, in that it broke a record of operating for […] Continue reading →

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The Coolest Telescope

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Liam Prescott

The James Webb telescope, unveiled on December 25 2021, is by far the coolest telescope. Webb has the power to view infrared light rays from exoplanets that are potentially habitable. Also the innovative technological achievement can better observe our own solar system and the first galaxies that were formed 13.5 billion years ago. It has […] Continue reading →

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Blog Post 2: Celestial Navigation

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Myles7235

In order to navigate the vast seas when traveling in today’s time, we can easily use modern technology to pinpoint exactly where we are in the ocean. A prime example of this type of technology would be GPS systems. However, GPS systems haven’t been around forever. Celestial navigation is the art of determining both the […] Continue reading →

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Blog Post 2 – What was Stonehenge really for?

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Melanie Marszal

Most people have seen pictures or heard of Stonehenge, an ancient monument on the Salisbury Plain in England. Personally, while I had seen references to Stonehenge in the media, I never actually knew what it was for, or what people thought it was for. It has been difficult for historians to find a definitive answer, […] Continue reading →

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Using Variable Stars to Find Exoplanets

Posted on April 17, 2022 by alexlitt

One of the preeminent methods for finding exoplanets is tracking periodic variations in stellar brightness. In class, we practiced this technique by examining the light curves of certain variable stars and identifying the presence of orbiting exoplanets. In the real world, scientists must first identify variable stars and then determine which of these variable stars’ […] Continue reading →

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Legacy Survey of Space and Time: The future of astronomical observation is here…. almost!

Posted on March 22, 2022 by alexlitt

Just two years from now, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will commence operations, beginning its mission to image nearly 40 billion celestial objects over 10 years! These observations will be made with the world’s largest digital camera and an enormous 8.4 meter (in diameter) telescope, ensuring that its images will be of the highest quality. […] Continue reading →

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Rock Samples from Mars

Posted on March 19, 2022 by jesszhang782

Mars has been of interest because of evidence that it may have once supported life. NASA’s latest rover, Perseverance, has been sent to Mars to look for signs of ancient life. A big part of this endeavor is sending samples from Mars back to Earth for m… 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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The First Space Telescope

Posted on February 19, 2022 by jesszhang782

Telescopes have come a long way since they were invented in 1608. Not only have ground based telescopes made significant advances, but in recent decades telescopes have even been launched into space to mitigate the effects of Earth’s atmosphere on obse… Continue reading →

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The James Webb Space Telescope (Post 2)

Posted on February 19, 2022 by ccatanese1

The Hubble Space Telescope has been a staple in the NASA space program since its launch in 1990. It has led to monumental discoveries and pictures such as the famous Hubble Deep Field; however, 30 years later, technology has evolved tremendously and so, NASA has launched a new telescope aimed at succeeding it. Planning of […] Continue reading →

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