Category Archives: Space Travel

Warping the 4th Dimension

The concept of time dilation is one of the direct results of the theory of general relativity proposed by Albert Einstein, and it explains the effect of gravity on time. The theory of general relativity describes space as a three-dimensional space with time being the fourth dimension through which space is moving, creating the spacetime […] Continue reading

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Blog 1: The Mystery of the Light-Year

People often confuse a light-year for a measure of time instead of a measure of distance. This is understandable since it has “year” in the name. A light-year is NOT a measure of time. The true definition of a light-year can be easily understood with a few simple facts and calculations. First, light travels at […] Continue reading

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The End of an Era

Sadly, this will be the last post of the solarblogdotcom. Through out theses posts we have explored many of the amazingly interesting topics of the solar system. Although the picture above shows the Galaxy, It is still a great photo to end on, because you never truly know whats out there until you look forContinue reading “The End of an Era” Continue reading

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Drake Equation

The Drake equation is an equation that helps find out the possibility of alien civilizations. As shown above the N represents the number of civilizations with advanced technology through out the milky way. The equation is particularly interesting because depending on the person, you can find out if the person is a pessimist or anContinue reading “Drake Equation” Continue reading

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Our Neighbor the Space Octopus

While the potential of finding microorganisms on Mars has intrigued us here on Earth for a while now, more advanced life may live on Jupiter’s fourth largest moon: Europa. In fact, Professor Monica Grady has proposed that, not only is life on Europa likely, but said life may include organisms with intelligence similar to thatContinue reading “Our Neighbor the Space Octopus” Continue reading

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Lucy Spacecraft

I chose to research Lucy, a future NASA mission, for my final blog. Throughout the semester, my favorite topics we have covered in class have been ones revolving around space exploration. I am fascinated by the complex missions that humans send out into space. Lucy is an upcoming mission set to launch from Cape CanaveralContinue reading “Lucy Spacecraft” Continue reading

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I Want To Believe!

Forget Fermi’s paradox. Forget the Drake equation. Yet another hot-button topic relating to astronomy and (potential?) extraterrestrial life is- you guessed it- unidentified flying objects (UFOs for short). Do I think it’s kind of a stretch that I’m relating this to chapter 24? Absolutely! But with the (relatively) recent declassification by the Pentagon of three… Continue reading

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Kuiper Belt Objects

The Kuiper Belt is a region in the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune as shown in the photo above. Although they have only scratched the surface, there has been about 2,000 objects discovered so far in the Kuiper belt. It is said to be filled with bits of rock and ice, along withContinue reading “Kuiper Belt Objects” Continue reading

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Plutonium: Not Just a Power Source in “Back to the Future”

Did you ever wonder how spaceships and shuttles have the power to take off and travel through that big black expanse we call space? Or ever thought about how these rockets survived with the limited technology we had in the 1950s, 60s and 70s during the Space Race? Well the answer has to do withContinue reading “Plutonium: Not Just a Power Source in “Back to the Future”” Continue reading

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Who Owns Space?

One of my foremost interests in life is politics, and whenever we’re engaged in astronomy, I can’t help but to view it through that lens. As such, one question has been nagging me – how is ownership and control of certain places defined in space? One of the foundational pieces of legislation on the matterContinue reading “Who Owns Space?” Continue reading

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