Category Archives: SolarSystem

A Universe Produced Home Birth Video

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Ashley Garcia

About 4.5 billion years ago, our solar system was “born”, out of a spinning disk of gas and dust, that somehow became a bunch of planets, moons, and the other miscellaneous space objects that we know and love today. While our solar system is definitely unique in a variety of ways, it is not the… Continue reading A Universe Produced Home Birth Video Continue reading →

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Blog 7- Methanogens and Life on Enceladus

Posted on April 24, 2017 by sullivrs

Recently, a NASA reported suggested that one of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus, could be a world that may be conducive to supporting life (source).  Enceladus, which is covered in ice and significantly farther from the Sun than the Earth is, may not seem like a world where one might suspect life to be able to develop.… Continue reading →

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Specific Europa Mission Currently Under Works, Now Named

Posted on April 4, 2017 by njelinek425

In the quest to find habitable bodies, Jupiter’s moon Europa has been a high priority on the exploration list due to its liquid saltwater ocean underneath its ice crust. Three key ingredients for life must be present in order for biological activity to take place: liquid water, chemical ingredients, and energy sources able to enable […] Continue reading →

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Blog 5 – Comet Composition

Posted on April 4, 2017 by johnjohnb4

Comets are the relatively small, icy objects that orbit a star.  They are classified as “small solar system bodies”, as are asteroids.  Along with ice, they contain rocky dust and other complex chemicals, leading them to be described as “dirty snowballs.”  Spectra can be used to determine the composition of comets.  From them, we know […] Continue reading →

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Blog 4 – The Sunspot Cycle and Earth’s Climate

Posted on April 4, 2017 by johnjohnb4

For this blog I thought I’d write about how sunspots affect the Earth’s climate, as I am studying environmental sciences and I recently took Professor Gilligan’s Global Climate Change course (highly recommended and it counts for AXLE).  Sunspots are the most interesting feature on the sun’s surface.  They are the dark patches that periodically appear […] Continue reading →

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Cool Kuiper Belt Objects

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Natalie

Way out past Neptune lies the Kuiper Belt. The most famous and one of the largest Kuiper Belt objects is … More Continue reading →

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Building a Planet 101

Posted on April 4, 2017 by ksun1

Step 1: A Solar Nebula To build your very own solar system, you will need to start out with a solar nebula – a colossal cloud of “star stuff” recycled from dying stars. It should consist mostly of hydrogen, about 1% hydrogen compounds (“ice”), and less than 1% consisting of rock and metal. It should look something like […] Continue reading →

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Here’s Some Information About Pluto So It Feels Less Rejected

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Ashley Garcia

While Earthlings seem to have a general adoration (borderline obsession) with the personified Pluto, the planet itself does present several scientific marvels and interests. One such fascinating feature of Pluto is in it’s region known as Sputnik Planum. This weirdly smooth section of the planet is segmented into cellular units, and a proposed reason for… Continue reading Here’s Some Information About Pluto So It Feels Less Rejected Continue reading →

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Jupiter’s Storms

Posted on April 4, 2017 by elliottlifeastronomy

On a world where the entire surface and most of the atmosphere are composed of dense, fast-moving clouds, you can imagine that the storms are slightly worse than our regular terrestrial thunderstorm. Of course, the most famous of Jupiter’s maelstroms is the Great Red Spot, aptly named for its blue color (kidding) and impressive diameter, […] Continue reading →

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The Sun Is Going To Kill Us

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Paolo Dumancas

As nuclear fusion depletes a star’s hydrogen supply throughout the phases of stellar evolution, a spherical shell of hydrogen will … More Continue reading →

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