Category Archives: SolarSystem

Blog 3: Our Sun and Nuclear Fusion

The sun releases energy through a remarkable process known as nuclear fusion, which unfolds under the extreme temperatures and densities found deep within its core. Unlike the nuclear fission reactions used on Earth, which split atomic nuclei to release energy, the sun’s energy is generated by combining smaller nuclei into larger, heavier ones. This fusion […] Continue reading

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Geology of the Moon and Mercury – Blog 4

After writing my last blog post about atmospheres and the greenhouse effect, when learning that the atmospheres of the Moon and Mercury cause them to be considered practically airless and have no weather, I became heavily intrigued. What makes the Moon and Mercury so different from the other planets in our solar system? Thus, I […] Continue reading

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Atmospheres and the Greenhouse Effect – Cameron Klein

When I used to think of planets, the planets’ atmospheres were typically the last things that would cross my mind. However, a planet’s atmosphere is a defining feature of it’s qualities. To start off, what even is an atmosphere? An atmosphere is a layer of gas that surrounds a planet (or planetary body) that is […] Continue reading

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Life on Europa??

One of humanity’s greatest wonders is if life could exist outside of Earth. Surely humans are not the only living creatures to exist in the entire universe, but where could other organisms flourish? Scientists have identified three key criteria that make life possible: liquid water, chemistry, and energy. Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons and the […] Continue reading

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Solar Flares and their Effect on Earth

~”All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them”~ Galileo Galilei In 1610, Galileo Galilei discovered sunspots on the sun in our solar system, showing that space was imperfect. However, little was known about these sun spots until the late 19th century. Astronomical researchers discovered that the sunspots […] Continue reading

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The Cataclysmic Creation of Earth’s Moon

~”We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard” ~ John F. Kennedy Earth’s moon is a vital factor for life on our planet, and it plays a major role for tides and tilt. However, the origin of our […] Continue reading

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Spring Tides and Rising Sea Levels

The effects of human-induced climate change are becoming more and more apparent over time. Some of the most highly impacted areas are those on the water, who, when facing spring tides, can experience dangerous levels of flooding. Spring tides occur when the Sun and the Moon are exerting gravitational force on the same line, both […] Continue reading

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Blog 2 – Forecasting Tides

Image Source Have you ever wondered how we predict the rise and fall of tides? Tides are driven by the gravitational forces of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, and has been a relevant subject to astronomers for hundreds of years. In a general sense, we are able to predict the timing of high vs. low […] Continue reading

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A tidal bore worth traveling for

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

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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