Category Archives: Universe

What Exactly is a Supernova?

Posted on March 30, 2021 by miichellewang

To put it simply, supernovas are explosions of stars. They are the largest explosions that occur in our universe. There are actually two ways that supernovas can occur. The first way happens at the end of a star’s lifetime. Stars are able to get their energy through nuclear fusion, which is when two atoms combineContinue reading “What Exactly is a Supernova?” Continue reading →

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Blog 4—Plato’s cosmology

Posted on March 23, 2021 by zvrec

In this blog, I would like to introduce the cosmology of the ancient Athenian philosopher Plato. His cosmology was the first systemic and complete cosmology in the history. He and his most famous student Aristotle both hold the geocentric view of the universe, and their perspectives of the universe were influential in the following thousandsContinue reading “Blog 4—Plato’s cosmology” Continue reading →

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Pivoting from Principle

Posted on March 22, 2021 by rightascensionanddeclinolan

Astronomy is awesome.  It lets us make cool observations (e.g., things that inform our understanding of the foundations of the universe, like the Cosmic Microwave Background), helps us ask big questions (e.g., why does the universe exist?), and reminds us that not all questions have answers (e.g., we can’t really expect an answer to theContinue reading “Pivoting from Principle” Continue reading →

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Is the Moon actually made of cheese?

Posted on March 21, 2021 by brandonlipper

Unfortunately, the answer is no. However, the story of why the Moon’s surface looks the way it does it still an interesting one and one that helps us understand the solar system as a whole. The surface of the Moon most closely resembles that of Mercury (due to the lack of geological activity that comesContinue reading “Is the Moon actually made of cheese?” Continue reading →

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Comet

Posted on March 20, 2021 by justinboreskyvanderbiltedu

Is it a bird? a plane? a superhero? No it’s a Comet! Comet’s are “cosmic snowballs of frozen gases, rock and dust that orbit the Sun”. Comet’s generally range from the size of 750 meters to 20 kilometers. Currently there are 3,717 comets known to man. Comet’s form from dust particles combining to form icyContinue reading “Comet” Continue reading →

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Climate Change and Animals

Posted on March 20, 2021 by justinboreskyvanderbiltedu

Since the industrial revolution humans have become the most selfish species in the world. With growth in mind we started removing trees and releasing chemicals into the air and water with no regards for it’s potential impact. Now a few centuries later its impact is seen in climate change. Climate change has been caused byContinue reading “Climate Change and Animals” Continue reading →

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Weight and Altitude

Posted on February 27, 2021 by justinboreskyvanderbiltedu

Most people know that if you were to take your weight on the earth and then the moon, you would weigh a lot less on the moon. But what about your weight with different altitudes on the earth? Surprisingly your weight also changes with varying altitudes. If you were to take your weight at seaContinue reading “Weight and Altitude” Continue reading →

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Wanderers of Space

Posted on February 27, 2021 by 20harriganc

In this post we will talk about the concept of retrograde motion. If you watch the movement of planets, it is actually quite complex. The word planet comes from a greek term meaning “wandering star”. Planets typically move eastward throughout the constellations. When there is apparent retrograde motion the planets are moving westward throughout theContinue reading “Wanderers of Space” Continue reading →

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Blog Post 1: Universal Scale

Posted on February 7, 2021 by hunterspiveyastr

In the preface to our textbook, A Cosmic Perspective, Dr. Tyson opens up his foreword by emphasizing the importance of having a cosmic perspective. He defines this kind of perspective as one that understands our place in the cosmos and the meaning that has for us as a species. But how do we go aboutContinue reading “Blog Post 1: Universal Scale” Continue reading →

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How Small We Really Are

Posted on February 7, 2021 by justinboreskyvanderbiltedu

Despite how big we all thing we are, when looking at the true size of our earth compared to the size of the universe we come to realize our insignificance. When the distance of the earth to other planets is put into simple mathematic equations we can truly try to understand how big this universeContinue reading “How Small We Really Are” Continue reading →

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