Category Archives: Instruments

includes telescopes and space probes

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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Eclipses of the Past

Posted on January 29, 2022 by isaiandrade01

Due to advancements in technology, we can easily explain the scientific reasoning behind astronomical events such as lunar and solar eclipses. We understand solar eclipses occur in the new moon phase when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, appearing to cover the Sun and cast its shadow on the Earth. The opposite is […] Continue reading →

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Junk in space: how do we deal with it?

Posted on May 4, 2021 by allyworthington

Junk floating through space, affectionately known as space junk, is dangerous to spacecraft and satellites, for obvious reasons. A team in Australia wants to use laser technology to track and destroy it. Adaptive optics is the technology that helps telescopes see stars without a twinkle, attributed to the Earth’s atmosphere. Adaptive optics sharpens images of … Continue reading Junk in space: how do we deal with it? → Continue reading →

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NASA’s Picture of the Day

Posted on May 4, 2021 by mwdobson3

For the class Astronomical Experiences assignment, I was going to write about NASA’s May 3rd, 2021 Astronomy Picture of the Day. As I went to search for the daily image, I also found a PBS Nova video on the Mars mission involving Perseverance and I was hooked. Now that I can blog about anything forContinue reading “NASA’s Picture of the Day” Continue reading →

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TESS: The Modern Exoplanet Finder

Posted on April 15, 2021 by mwdobson3

The Kepler mission marked a significant jump in exoplanet discovery when the space telescope was launched over 10 years ago. Since then, astronomers worked hard to research, develop, and design a more modern approach to discovering these distant and unknown planets. The solution was the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). TESS’s mission was to lookContinue reading “TESS: The Modern Exoplanet Finder” Continue reading →

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Florida Asteroid Burning Up

Posted on April 15, 2021 by mwdobson3

On Monday April 13th, a small asteroid was spotted in the night sky off the east coast of Florida. One of my family members was all the way across the state on the western side of Florida and saw the asteroid’s fireball-like appearance as it passed by Earth over 26,000 km away. According to theContinue reading “Florida Asteroid Burning Up” Continue reading →

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Calling All Nerds! (Just Kidding, LOTR is Cool)

Posted on April 14, 2021 by olivesobservatory

This image may look familiar to all you high fantasy fans out there as the Eye of Sauron from Lord of the Rings, but what if I told you that you didn’t have to travel to Middle-earth to see it? I know you’re all on the edge of your seats now! This is an image… Continue reading →

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Death in Space

Posted on March 22, 2021 by allyworthington

It is no secret that space travel is a risky and dangerous endeavor for all involved. As of 2021, 19 astronauts (including cosmonauts) have died in in-flight accidents. Only one accident, however, occurred in space—over 100 kilometers above the Earth.  Three Soviets (called cosmonauts) were aboard the Soyuz 11 in June of 1971, which was … Continue reading Death in Space → Continue reading →

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