Category Archives: Physics

How Big is the Universe?

Posted on February 5, 2018 by evanjmiranda

Studies of the cosmic microwave background by the European Space Agency (Planck space mission) have revealed what we know as the observable universe, a sphere 28 billion light-years in diameter. Although scientists have placed the Earth in an observable sphere with a radius of 13.8 billion light-years, it is believed that this radius has expanded … Continue reading How Big is the Universe? → Continue reading →

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Wormholes

Posted on February 5, 2018 by evanjmiranda

A wormhole is a theoretical tunnel connecting two points in space-time based on the theory of general relativity. Albert Einstein, Nathan Rosen and Ludwig Flamm are three physicists credited with hypothesizing this theory, but whether we will actually find one (let alone enter it) is largely up to debate. Warmholes are theorized to “pop-up” as tiny … Continue reading Wormholes → Continue reading →

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Tidal Locking

Posted on February 3, 2018 by Xave

The only kind of lock in space with no key. Tidal locking is when one hemisphere of a revolving body constantly faces the object it rotates around, or as wikipedia says more jargon-y,  “when the long-term interaction between a pair of co-orbiting astronomical bodiesdrives the rotation rates into a harmonic ratio with the orbital period. In the figure … Continue reading Tidal Locking → Continue reading →

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Kepler in Context

Posted on February 3, 2018 by therestisstardust

Kepler, during his lifetime from December 27th, 1571- November 15th, 1630,  made incredible contributions to the field of astronomy. His most famous and impactful contributions are certainly his observations regarding the motion of planets, which have been immortalized as Kepler’s Laws. His discoveries about planetary motion stated that planets move in elliptical orbits, they sweep out […] Continue reading →

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Putting the speed of light into perspective

Posted on January 23, 2018 by terranojm

The theory of special relativity tells us that there is an absolute speed limit in the universe, that being the speed of light. At a speed of about 300,000 km/s, light takes only one second to travel to the Moon from Earth and eight minutes to travel to the Sun from Earth. This speed is … Continue reading “Putting the speed of light into perspective” Continue reading →

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Progression of the Seasons? Thank Precession

Posted on January 23, 2018 by jonahastroblog

Everyone knows that the Earth experiences seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere children rejoice as they enjoy the summer sun in the month of June, while in the Southern Hemisphere they embrace the cold, daydreaming of warm summer days that await them in six months. However, what if I were to tell you that in about… Continue Reading → Continue reading →

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Seasons, Solstices and Equinoxes

Posted on January 22, 2018 by samssolarsystem

    What causes the seasons?  Not only is this asked on page 32 of Chapter 2, but it is often asked by many individuals residing on Earth.  However, a surprisingly few number of people actually know.  Seasons occur because the title of Earth’s axis causes sunlight to fall differently on Earth at different times … Continue reading Seasons, Solstices and Equinoxes → Continue reading →

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Seasons, Solstices and Equinoxes

Posted on January 22, 2018 by samssolarsystem

    What causes the seasons?  Not only is this asked on page 32 of Chapter 2, but it is often asked by many individuals residing on Earth.  However, a surprisingly few number of people actually know.  Seasons occur because the title of Earth’s axis causes sunlight to fall differently on Earth at different times … Continue reading Seasons, Solstices and Equinoxes → Continue reading →

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Proxima b

Posted on January 22, 2018 by evanjmiranda

We’ve alluded to exoplanets and habitable zones in class, but you may be wondering just how similar these planets are to Earth – and if we can even get there. Proxima b is a rocky mass larger than Earth that orbits our Sun’s closest neighbor, Proxima Centauri. Astronomers have determined that Proxima b lies in … Continue reading Proxima b → Continue reading →

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Axial Precession and its Affects on Astrology

Posted on January 22, 2018 by aquarianastronomy

As the modern individual is likely well aware, the earth rotates in two very fundamental ways which affect our daily lives: it rotates every day and orbits the sun every year, forming these important means by which we keep track of time. However, one of the most interesting and confusing ways that the earth rotates […] Continue reading →

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