Category Archives: SolarSystem

Blog 8 – The History of Venus

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Melanie Marszal

When asked to picture Venus, many of us picture a hot, volcanic, inhabitable place — and we would be correct. However, science suggests that it may not have always been this way. A study of five different climate simulations of Venus found that in each of these scenarios, the planet could have supported liquid water […] 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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Blog8

Posted on April 15, 2023 by lucasliu6

The Seager Equation, an innovative idea conceived by esteemed astrophysicist Dr. Sara Seager, presents a fresh perspective in the search for habitable exoplanets and alien life. Diverging from the well-established Drake Equation, which predicts the number of communicative civilizations, the Seager Equation hones in on the abundance of exoplanets with detectable biosignature gases—a hint of […] Continue reading →

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Blog7

Posted on April 15, 2023 by lucasliu6

Astrobiology delves into some of the most profound questions concerning our existence, transcending traditional scientific disciplines to explore life beyond our planet. This enthralling field investigates the astonishing implications of extremophiles, organisms that withstand Earth’s harshest environments. These extraordinary life forms reveal an unimaginable variety of adaptive strategies, raising the possibility that life could thrive […] Continue reading →

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The Great Red Spot

Posted on April 11, 2023 by jackdoyle25

If you look for an image of Jupiter in any article or textbook, you’ll likely see the famous Great Red Spot in that picture. This immense storm on Jupiter’s surface is more than double the size of Earth, and has raged on for centuries. The incredible size and duration of the Great Red Spot begs […] Continue reading →

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Blog #6: Detecting Extrasolar Planets

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Astro 2110

The photo above features the transit method of detecting extrasolar planets. Detecting extrasolar planets is a very delicate and challenging task for scientists. The distances between stars and relative sizes of stars compared to planets make it extremely hard to pick them out. Stars are also typically a billion times brighter than planets. There are […] Continue reading →

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Solar Eclipse

Posted on April 9, 2023 by niqretnuh

The Sun provides us the most necessary elements for life, and is the reason why we can see whatever surrounds us. The objects reflect sunlight and as those light reaches our eyes, we pick up the signals and “see” the objects. What would the world look like if the sun were to magically disappear? Solar […] Continue reading →

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Pluto: New Horizon

Posted on April 9, 2023 by niqretnuh

Pluto, a dwarf planet farther out than Neptune in the Kuiper Belt, was once thought to be the ninth planet of our solar system. However, the discovery of Pluto’s moon, Charon, led to the revision of calculations on Pluto’s mass, and the redefinition of planets finally “kicked” Pluto out of the solar system planets since […] 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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The Loneliness of Rovers

Posted on April 9, 2023 by 88bw

Throughout this semester in ASTR2110, I have been reminded about how small we are compared to the universe. While this can be both a deflating and motivating perspective on our approach to astronomical study, I think it is undeniable that the rovers on Mars are unimaginably lonely during their stints on the red planet. I […] Continue reading →

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