Category Archives: SolarSystem

All About Neptune!

Neptune has always been my favorite planet. I don’t know if it’s its pretty blue color, its name, or the fact that I did a project on it in elementary school that drew me towards it, but I’ve always loved Neptune. Neptune is the 8th planet from the Sun in our Solar System and namedContinue reading “All About Neptune!” Continue reading

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The Carrington Event

When Dr. G first mentioned the Carrington Event in class, I was equally interested and terrified. The idea that a solar coronal mass ejection could happen today and wreak havoc on electrical grids leading to blackouts and an inability to communicate has now been added to my list of fears (much in the same veinContinue reading “The Carrington Event” Continue reading

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What threat do Coronal Mass Ejections Pose to Us?

As discussed in class, one of the side effects of the Sun’s shifting magnetic field is that, occasionally, it arranges in an inconvenient fashion that causes the Sun’s plasma to explode aggressively outward. Thankfully, whenever that comes towards Earth, we are protected from any health effects thanks to our atmosphere. But as Professor Grundstrom mentioned,Continue reading “What threat do Coronal Mass Ejections Pose to Us?” Continue reading

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The Great Red Spot

The Great Red Spot refers to a gigantic storm on the planet Jupiter. Imagine the largest hurricane you can think of, multiply that by 1000, then make the entire vortex the color of a penny. In fact, this hurricane is so big that, at one point, it was three times the diameter of Earth. FirstContinue reading “The Great Red Spot” Continue reading

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Solar Flares

The sun is massive. And despite it being so far away, I can’t help but wonder if activity on the sun could possibly effect life on Earth. Enter: solar flares. According to NASA, solar flares are “great bursts of electromagnetic energy and particles that can sometimes stream from the Sun”. Occasionally, solar maximums occur whichContinue reading “Solar Flares” Continue reading

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The Formation and Evolution of our Atmosphere

Us residents of the Earth take our atmosphere for granted. We constantly bombard it with harmful chemicals and pollute it with manmade substances that can permanently damage our “forcefield” around Earth. After all, it is responsible from keeping us safe against the harmful rays of the sun and provides us with the oxygen we needContinue reading “The Formation and Evolution of our Atmosphere” Continue reading

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A History of Observing the Sun

Kevin Durant, a two-time NBA champion, once tweeted: “I’m wondering how do these people kno what’s goin on on the the sun.. ain’t nobody ever been.” Like his tweet from 2010, I too wondered how humans have been able to study the Sun’s surface and what discoveries have been made to determine the surface’s characteristics.Continue reading “A History of Observing the Sun” Continue reading

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Martian Lakes

With the intimate connection between water and life, the discovery and understanding of water on Mars has been a crucial point of research that is continuing to be updated. Although there is no liquid water on the surface of Mars, there is water in the form of ice in polar caps and glaciers. If allContinue reading “Martian Lakes” Continue reading

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Is the Moon actually made of cheese?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. However, the story of why the Moon’s surface looks the way it does it still an interesting one and one that helps us understand the solar system as a whole. The surface of the Moon most closely resembles that of Mercury (due to the lack of geological activity that comesContinue reading “Is the Moon actually made of cheese?” Continue reading

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The Next Ice Age?

As we all know, the sun is an incredibly vital part of our daily lives and is the, “constant force that is keeping our planets in orbit, providing Earth with just the right amount of light and warmth for life…” and even governs our daily schedules in which we have created the concept of timeContinue reading “The Next Ice Age?” Continue reading

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