Category Archives: Terrestrials

includes Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

Terraforming Mars: Exploring The World Of Cosmic Cosmetics

Posted on March 10, 2016 by andyastronomer

If there is anything we have learned from observing the universe, it’s that Earth is incredibly unique. Of course, we could find out soon enough how utterly ordinary we are should we discover Earth-like planets bearing life beyond our Solar System, but until, we seem to be pretty special. Nasa’s Kepler Mission has discovered tens of […] Continue reading →

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Plate Tectonics on Mars?

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Chloe

Active tectonic activity, as opposed to past and currently extinct activity, was thought to be limited to Earth among the terrestrial worlds. Tectonic plates on Earth cause activity such as earthquakes and volcanoes as well as mountain-building as they move atop the asthenosphere and recycle geological materials. However, UCLA scientist An Yin discovered evidence of plate […] Continue reading →

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Olympus Mons

Posted on March 9, 2016 by alecsolarsystem

Mars is the home of the largest volcano in the Solar System: Olympus Mons. It stands 22km above the surface of Mars, and is it so wide it takes up an incredible 300,000 square kilometers of land. In comparison, Mt. Everest is only 8.8km tall, and Olympus Mons is approximately the size of Italy. As seen in […] Continue reading →

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Tides can be Fun(dy)

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Gabi Grys

Anyone who has spent the day at the beach has experienced the changes of the tides. Few of us, however, have ever seen anything like the Bay of Fundy, a body of water between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada with the largest tidal range in the world. Within twelve hours between low and […] Continue reading →

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The Martian — Could It Really Happen?

Posted on February 16, 2016 by clharrell

Matt Damon’s critically acclaimed film “The Martian” broke records and set a new standard for space exploration movies. The film was even praised for its scientific accuracy by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. While most of what occurs in the film is theoretically possible, a few things stand out to be implausible. The first question I had when […] Continue reading →

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Mayan Astronomy

Posted on February 16, 2016 by andyastronomer

  At the end of 2012, the whole world was abuzz with the news that on December 21st, the Mayan calendar would end. Some claimed this ominous event signaled the end of the world, while others simply suggested the Mayans would have likely extended their calendar if they were still around. Who Did It Better: […] Continue reading →

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Tidal Forces

Posted on February 15, 2016 by lindseynestor

As a person that has always been happiest by the ocean, I really enjoyed learning about tides and decided to do some further research into other effects and instances of tidal forces in our solar system. Just as the Moon causes tides on the Earth, Earth creates tidal forces acting on the Moon. This is […] Continue reading →

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The Tidal Forces

Posted on February 14, 2016 by alecsolarsystem

Tides are a well known and commonly occurring natural phenomenon that most people have witnessed. While many people just accept tides and don’t really think much about them, they are prime examples of how much of an impact other objects in our Solar System have on seemingly normal occurrences. The tides on a beach like […] Continue reading →

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Your Zodiac Sign is Wrong: 3 Misconceptions You Have About the Night-Sky

Posted on January 26, 2016 by harperastronomyblog

We all get it. You’re a Capricorn or a Taurus or a Sagittarius or a(n) [any other zodiac constellation]. You’ve read all of your horoscopes, and they fit your personality soooo well. “This is so me,” you might yell to your friends, completely disregarding the fact that they don’t care which vague internet prediction you identify with. […] Continue reading →

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Precession of Earth

Posted on January 25, 2016 by sarabkeller

I think one of the most interesting topics in Chapter 2 of the Astronomy textbook is about the concept of precession, or the gradual change in the rotational axis of Earth. The direction of Earth’s axis rotates on a 26,000 year cycle. That may mean next to nothing to us in our lifespan, but precession will gradually […] Continue reading →

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