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Category Archives: Physics
Gravity in Solar System
Acceleration due to gravity (g) is different for different planets due to their diverse masses and radii. Physicists usually figure out the by the formula g = GM/r**2, where G is the Universal Constant of Gravitation (6.67 * 10**(-11)), M is the mass of the planet, and r is the radius of the planet. By […] Continue reading
Tides on Titan
As we learned in class, different celestial bodies can have varying tidal forces depending on their masses in relation to the object of interest. This phenomenon was mainly explored by the tidal forces on the Earth by the Moon and the Sun. In order to calculate the gravitational forces between two objects, we utilized the […] Continue reading
“Powers of Ten” and the Scale of the Universe
I didn’t remember until I started the video, but I had seen “Powers of Ten” before in some science class many years ago. This staying power, evidenced by my recollection and the countless Youtube comments saying similar things, is proof of how mind-blowing the concept of scale is. Scale determines what we can comprehend andContinue reading ““Powers of Ten” and the Scale of the Universe” Continue reading
Blog #1: Why is our neighborhood special?
But what about our place in the solar system makes life so conducive to earth? Why don’t we have cousins on Mars that we spend Thanksgiving with? Why doesn’t my uncle live on Venus? Continue reading
Precession Visualized
After reading the initial chapters of our textbook, I was captivated by the fact that the way Earth’s tilt changes can be dumbed down to the movement of a spinning top. It’s always fascinating seeing physics work on any scale, so I was eager to look into the subject. After a bit of searching, I […] Continue reading
Posted in Class, Physics
Tagged angularmomentum, astro2110, blog1, precession
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solar system superlatives: Planet 9
Welcome back! Today, we are going to learn about the current leader in our Solar System’s ongoing game of hide-and-seek: Planet Nine. First, a disclaimer. No one actually knows if Planet Nine is real or not. It’s existence is only hypothesized, and we have literally never seen it. But, for now, let’s assume its realContinue reading “solar system superlatives: Planet 9” Continue reading
Black Holes and White Holes and Wormholes, Oh My!
They’re some of the most formidable entities in the universe: their strength is unmatched, they make their own rules, and if you get into a serious tussle with one, you’re almost guaranteed to lose. No, I’m not talking about moms. I’m talking about black holes, of course! Duh… If you’ve ever learned about astronomy, chancesContinue reading “Black Holes and White Holes and Wormholes, Oh My!” Continue reading
Posted in Class, Physics, Universe
Tagged astro2110, Black Holes, blog6, relativity, white holes, wormholes
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Pivoting from Principle
Astronomy is awesome. It lets us make cool observations (e.g., things that inform our understanding of the foundations of the universe, like the Cosmic Microwave Background), helps us ask big questions (e.g., why does the universe exist?), and reminds us that not all questions have answers (e.g., we can’t really expect an answer to theContinue reading “Pivoting from Principle” Continue reading
Binary Stars
A binary star is a star system of two stars that orbit around the central point, called the barycenter. In conversation, binary stars are sometimes casually referred to as double stars. Binary star systems or multiple star systems (3+ stars in orbit in the same system) are actually way more common than you might think.Continue reading “Binary Stars” Continue reading
Evolution of Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy describes the study of the interaction between matter and the wavelength of the light it produces, although this definition has been updated to include anything measured as a function of frequency or wavelength. Isaac Newton was one of the first people to demonstrate that light from the Sun could be scattered into a spectrumContinue reading “Evolution of Spectroscopy” Continue reading
Posted in Class, Historical, Physics
Tagged astro2110, blog2, spectroscopy
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