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Category Archives: SolarSystem
comets
The terms ‘asteroid’ and ‘comet’ are often used interchangeably, but in reality there are important differences between the two! The primary difference is in their composition; asteroids are rocky because they formed in the inner Solar System, and comets are more icy because they formed beyond the frost line! Comets are visible every few years […] Continue reading
Posted in Class, Observables, SolarSystem
Tagged astro2110, blog5, Class, Comets, Observables, solarsystem
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Blog 5 – Pluto
Many of us may remember back when we were younger and Pluto was still considered to be one of the nine planets in our Solar System. What happened? Below I will explain the reasons Pluto is no longer considered to be a 9th planet as well as some arguments for why it should be. Anti-planet: […] Continue reading
Posted in Class, Dwarf Planets
Tagged astro2110, blog5, dwarfplanets, IAU, pluto
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Kessler Syndrome and The Future of Satellite Use
The topic of spacecraft in our solar system made me curious about the use of satellites in our exploration of space. Although we hear more about the telescopes and imaging systems that we send far beyond Earth’s vicinity, the only low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite that I hear often about is the ISS. I wanted […] Continue reading
Posted in Class, Science, SolarSystem
Tagged astro2110, blog3
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What would happen if an asteroid struck present-day Earth?
We normally only see asteroids striking Earth in science fiction (what a relief!). NASA actually has an observatory whose sole purpose is to track both asteroids and comets and that appear like they might come close to Earth. During December of 2022, there were 5 asteroids that were placed on watch. Two of these asteroids […] Continue reading
Nuclear Fusion
At noon on a hot summer’s day, have you ever wondered how the Sun acquires so much energy that the light coming from it, 150 million kilometers away, can bring so much heat that it even burns your eyes and skin? The answer lies in hydrogen fusion happening in the Sun’s core. In its initial […] Continue reading
The Titius-Bode law
Titius Bode’s law is a fascinating concept in astronomy that has been intriguing scientists for centuries. This law is a mathematical relationship between the distances of the planets in our solar system from the Sun. It was first formulated in the 18th century by Johann Daniel Titius and later popularized by Johann Elert Bode. According […] Continue reading
The (Possible) Oceans of Europa
Among all of Earth’s unique aspects and characteristics, the presence of water may be the most significant. Water is necessary to life as we know it; from humans ourselves down to microscopic organisms, all living things need water to survive. It is no wonder, then, that life in the Solar System is exclusive to Earth; […] Continue reading
The Imaginary Planet
While the five planets visible to the naked eye have been known for almost all of astronomy’s history, it was not until the discovery of Uranus in 1781 by Sir William Herschel that astronomers began searching for other planets in our Solar System. After Neptune was discovered in 1846, astronomers began turning their telescopes towards […] Continue reading
Posted in Class, SolarSystem
Tagged astro2110, astronomy, blog3, planets, Solar System
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Blog #3 – Theories For the Sun’s Energy Source
Many scientific theories attempted to explain the source of the Sun’s energy, and the very first hypothesis involved some explanation pertaining to chemical reactions and gravitational collapse. Chemical burning, however, was ruled since no chemically burning substance like wood or gasoline can account for the Sun’s enormous luminosity. As for gravitational collapse, the conversion of […] Continue reading
The Atmosphere as we know it
The atmosphere is split into four different layers: the troposphere, the stratosphere, the thermosphere, and the exosphere. The troposphere is the lowest layer and is where greenhouse gasses absorb the infrared light and where storms occur. The stratosphere absorbs solar ultraviolet light by ozone, Earth is the only planet to have this layer. The thermosphere […] Continue reading
Posted in Class, Light, Terrestrials
Tagged astro2110, Atmosphere, blog4, earth, Solar System
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