Category Archives: Moons

A tidal bore worth traveling for

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Angela Harris

Mont Saint-Michel at high tide Chapter 4 of the textbook explained how the Moon and the Sun affect ocean tides. We learned that the timing and height of tides at a given location depends on its latitude, the orientation of the coastline, and the depth and shape of any channel the tide has to flow […] Continue reading →

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The farmers’almanac

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Angela Harris

In elementary school, my library teacher always had the Farmers’ Almanac for the year on her desk. The Farmers’ Almanac has a forecaster who works under the pseudonym Caleb Weatherbee. Weatherbee’s predictions are based on a formula that takes many things into account including the Moon phases. Every fall, my classmates and I looked forward […] Continue reading →

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Blog 1: Eclipse Chasers

Posted on January 23, 2024 by liamoneill95

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will happen in North America. For those in Nashville, a mere 2-3 hour drive will allow viewers to witness it. For some, it is worth the journey to witness this rare occurrence, and for others perhaps not. For a select few, however, it is always worth the […] Continue reading →

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Blog 1: Asymmetry of the Moon

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Mackenna Guadagnoli

By looking at the image above, it’s clear to see that the dark splotches we’ve come to associate with our closest cosmic neighbor, the Moon, are only seen on one side! The farside of the moon is much more uniform with a lot more craters than the side we see. This stark difference has puzzled […] Continue reading →

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Dragonfly: Quadcopter on Titan

Posted on April 30, 2023 by willems49

After the recent rocket launch in preparation for the Artemis mission, I decided to look into the other space exploration projects currently underway. One that stuck out to me is the Dragonfly mission. After the landing of Huygens, a space probe sent from Cassini, in 2005, astronomers have desired a more advanced exploration of Titan. […] Continue reading →

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Scientists Dream of Complex Life on Europa

Posted on April 25, 2023 by georgeboardman20

Images from BBC Article on Europan Life and CNET Article on Proposed NASA Rover The search for extraterrestrial life is often focused upon deep space with distances the human mind can barely comprehend. However, evidence has been building that complex life could be present in our cosmological backyard on the icy moon of Europa. The […] Continue reading →

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Ganymede, Aurorae, and the Potential for Life Outside of Earth

Posted on April 9, 2023 by groblesnieles727

Artist’s conception of Ganymede and Jupiter. Image by NASA Although by visible light and upon first glance Ganymede might seem like an unassuming satellite, further inspection and deeper exploration demonstrates that this view is both tired and untrue. Simply by size alone, Ganymede is a headliner. As the largest moon in our solar system, it […] Continue reading →

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What is up with Io?

Posted on April 9, 2023 by cuia2

Today I wanted to talk about one of the most fascinating moons in the Solar System, Io is one of the four Galilean moons that orbits Jupiter, which are each large enough to be counted as planets or dwarf planets if they orbited the Sun. Io is covered in snow, and yet is by far […] Continue reading →

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Callisto, The Ugly Duckling

Posted on April 9, 2023 by andrewccascio

When it comes to Jupiter’s Galilean moons, Callisto is the odd one out. Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System, Io is the most volcanically active world in the Solar System, Europa has incredible, potentially life-bearing subsurface liquid oceans, and Callisto… looks as dead as Mercury. It does not take part in the […] Continue reading →

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Water Beads on the Moon

Posted on April 8, 2023 by willems49

After analyzing Moon samples taken over two years ago, scientists have discovered glass beads of water on the surface of the Moon. The Chinese probe, Chang’e 5, took soil samples from the lunar surface as part of China’s first sample-return mission. These glass beads are thought to be across the entire surface of the Moon […] Continue reading →

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