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Category Archives: Physics
A New Way to Travel Through Space
Solar sails are a new and incredibly interesting propulsion system that is currently undergoing various testing around the globe. Instead of being powered by rockets, solar sails allow spacecrafts to be powered by the sun itself. Just as a sailboat is pushed along by the winds on the ocean, solar sails are pushed along by … Continue reading A New Way to Travel Through Space → Continue reading
Posted in Instruments, Physics
Tagged astro2110, blog7, technology
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NASA Soon to Learn Much More about Nearby Planetary Systems
On April 16th, NASA is scheduled to launch a new satellite that will give us much more information about the planets that orbit the stars near ours. Since 2009, the Kepler mission has provided us with information about thousands of planets in our galaxy. While that data has been incredibly useful, this new satellite nicknamed … Continue reading NASA Soon to Learn Much More about Nearby Planetary Systems → Continue reading
Mystery in the Kuiper Belt
Though it unfortunately doesn’t come with a fun apocalyptic theory like Planet X of the 1980s, several groups of scientists are beginning to believe that there might be a ninth planet in the solar system. The pair of astronomers who proposed the existence of this mysterious planet were met with a great deal of skepticism … Continue reading Mystery in the Kuiper Belt → Continue reading
Orbital Decay and China’s Space Station
All satellites in low Earth orbit will eventual fall victim to orbital decay. Over time, a satellite will lose orbital energy through drag caused by friction with the atmosphere. Many large satellites, such as the ISS, employ small thrust to counter out the effects of orbital decay. However, as shown by China’s space station, … Continue reading Orbital Decay and China’s Space Station → Continue reading
Orbital Decay and China’s Space Station
All satellites in low Earth orbit will eventual fall victim to orbital decay. Over time, a satellite will lose orbital energy through drag caused by friction with the atmosphere. Many large satellites, such as the ISS, employ small thrust to counter out the effects of orbital decay. However, as shown by China’s space station, … Continue reading Orbital Decay and China’s Space Station → Continue reading
Planet X: The Real 9th Planet?
With Pluto’s demotion to a “dwarf planet,” the solar system was left with 8 planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. It now seems that the number 8 may not survive for long, as researchers are now searching for a 9th planet that they think exists in the far-away outer solar system. […] Continue reading
Pluto: the Eccentric “Planet”
Most of us have heard of Pluto’s downgrade from the category of planet to “dwarf planet,” but it is less well-known why it was demoted. One of the main reasons had nothing to do with size and everything to do with Pluto’s strange orbit. Instead of orbiting with the sun roughly at the center of […] Continue reading
Blog 6: Jupiter Fluid Dynamics
Jupiter has a very thick atmosphere with lots of temperature difference causing strong convective currents. These convective currents and Jupiter’s fast rotation give the planet it’s colorful bands and demonstrate different fluid behaviors. The image above, captured by the Juno Spacecraft, shows a storm in Jupiter’s atmosphere. The eddies are similar to that caused by vortex … Continue reading Blog 6: Jupiter Fluid Dynamics Continue reading
Posted in Class, Jovians, Physics
Tagged Solar System
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What is St. Elmo’s Fire?
What is St. Elmo’s Fire? Well its not a 1980s “brat pack” movie, and it certainly has nothing to do with Sesame Street. In fact, St. Elmo’s Fire is a fascinating weather phenomenon that results from electrical charges in Earth’s atmosphere. During (or shortly before/after) a thunderstorm, the difference in electrical charges between the air…
Nuclear Fusion Here on Earth
Though nuclear fusion is most often talked about as something that takes place in the cores of stars, many people don’t realize that nuclear fusion has been produced by people here on Earth since the 1940s. Unfortunately for the first several decades that fusion occurred on Earth, it only served the purpose of destruction. Although … Continue reading Nuclear Fusion Here on Earth → Continue reading
Posted in Physics
Tagged astro2110, blog4, nuclear fusion
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