Category Archives: Observables

things we can see from Earth using our eyeballs or telescopes

Doppler vs. Astrometric: Find the Planet

Posted on April 10, 2016 by samihahplanet

Currently, it’s quite difficult to discover new planets simply by direct observation. This is because the high interference of light caused by the planets’ respective stars makes it almost impossible to detect the light reflected off of planets. However, there are two indirect planet detection methods: Doppler and astrometric. The astrometric method relies on measuring […] Continue reading →

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Creation of the Kuiper Belt

Posted on April 9, 2016 by OscarBen

Recently in class we’ve been talking about the outer portion of our Solar System. Beyond Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt, the disc-shaped region that begins at about 30 AUs and ends around 55 AUs. The Kuiper Belt is home to hundreds of thousands of icy bodies, an estimated trillion or more comets, and Pluto, according to… More Creation of the Kuiper Belt Continue reading →

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The Possibility of Life on Enceladus

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Michaela Thomas

One question that still excites both amateur and professional astronomers is the possibility of life on other worlds. Certain important elements, however, must be present in order for organic life to exist. Enceladus, one of Saturn’s icy moons, has an underground ocean that may be a source of life, either sometime in the ancient past […] Continue reading →

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The Possibility of Life on Enceladus

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Michaela Thomas

One question that still excites both amateur and professional astronomers is the possibility of life on other worlds. Certain important elements, however, must be present in order for organic life to exist. Enceladus, one of Saturn’s icy moons, has an underground ocean that may be a source of life, either sometime in the ancient past …

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Dust Devils on Mars

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Gabi Grys

  The ~spooky~ imagine below is not, as one may initially believe a charcoal sketch drawing of branches against the night sky (Just me? Okay). Instead, the image below shows tracks on the Martian surface from dust devils. Dust devils, strong whirlwinds comparable to tornadoes, leave beautiful dark lines and swirls on the Martian surface. […] Continue reading →

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When the Sun Shows Off

Posted on March 15, 2016 by evinske

  There’s a spectacular light show every year at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The grand venue boasts thousands and thousands of lights each year around Christmas. Yet, you don’t have to find a $30 parking spot at a debatably overrated hotel to see a grand, sparkling event. In fact, there’s a place giving […] Continue reading →

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Here Comes the Sun, doo doo doo doo…

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Gabi Grys

  The Sun serves at the central focus of our Solar System, our source of heat and light. However, sometimes things tend to ~flare up~ on this Sun that can disrupt things here on Earth. Eruptions of hot gas on the Sun (or solar flares) can cause shock waves that produce radio waves that worm […] Continue reading →

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What’s eating at Pluto?

Posted on March 15, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

What’s going on under the surface of pluto? The New Horizons probe passed Pluto just last year, after a nine year journey to the Kuiper Belt. Over the last few months, images from the probe have been being received back here on Earth. These images are the most high quality photos of Pluto we have ever […] Continue reading →

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As climate change heats up, Arctic residents struggle to keep their homes

Posted on March 15, 2016 by segalastronomyblog

The Guardian published an intriguing article today regarding climate change and the huge impact it is having on our planet. More specifically, the impact it is having near the North Pole. It describes the rising temperatures and rising sea levels and the impact that this has on people residing in this area. The scariest part? […] Continue reading →

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Dating the Solar System?

Posted on March 15, 2016 by samihahplanet

No,  I’m not referring to taking our Solar System out to a romantic dinner and movie. What astronomers and physicists are interested in is the age of our Solar System. And given the vastness and inaccessibility of most of the Solar System, revealing the true age of it has proven to be quite the challenge. Astronomers have, however, been able to […] Continue reading →

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