Category Archives: Universe

Where are they?

Posted on April 27, 2019 by bobbyc

The Fermi Paradox is a complicated contradiction that considers the probability that other life in the Universe exists, and asks why we have never encountered it. Essentially, some calculations were made to suggest with a high probability that there are many worlds in our universe and even solar system that are habitable, and that the … Continue reading Where are they? Continue reading →

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Where is everybody?

Posted on April 25, 2019 by victoriayaden

Despite evidence that suggests that there should be extraterrestrial civilizations, we have not yet detected any signs of these civilizations. This issue is called the “Fermi Paradox,” after Enrico Fermi—a Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Compared to the lifespan of the universe, our sun is relatively young at 4.6 billion years old, so there are older stars […] Continue reading →

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Hello Powehi

Posted on April 20, 2019 by Jiayu Kang

In the center of the galaxy M87, stars seem to orbit an invisible object. By observing the path of the stars, scientists concluded that there is a supermassive black hole that is dense enough to cause these motions. Although the black hole itself is invisible, we can still observe the ring of light bended by … Continue reading Hello Powehi → Continue reading →

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Extrasolar planets — Earth-like planets

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Yihao Yan

Extrasolar planets is one of the most interesting astronomical research topics. It can help us answer questions such as whether there are aliens, or is it possible for us to find another “Earth” to live on. An extrasolar planet is defined as a planet that is outside of solar system. The history of extrasolar planet … Continue reading Extrasolar planets — Earth-like planets → Continue reading →

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Halley’s Comet

Posted on April 7, 2019 by richardtli

In 2061, Halley’s Comet will return to pass by Earth in 75-year long round trip across the solar system. But what else do we know about this mysterious visitor? Studying the reports of comet sightings in 1531, 1607, and 1682, Edmond Halley deduced that these comets were in fact the same one and that it … Continue reading Halley’s Comet → Continue reading →

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Saving the Appearances

Posted on March 12, 2019 by reallyroyalqueen

Strict Aristotelian cosmology follows that all bodies are made of the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. These four exist in the terrestrial realm and the stars exist in the celestial realm. A fifth element, aether, exists there and that is what heavenly bodies are composed of. Aristotle provided the basics of the physics … Continue reading Saving the Appearances → Continue reading →

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The Mysterious Black Hole

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Yihao Yan

The black hole is one of the most amazing and mysterious object in our universe. In 1916, Karl Schwarzschild first provided the solution to general relativity that characterize a black hole. Black hole is the remnant of super massive star’s explosion, and it has such a strong gravitational pull that nothing can escape, not even … Continue reading The Mysterious Black Hole → Continue reading →

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Oort Cloud!

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Harrison Chen

I kept hearing about the Oort Cloud during this unit, so I wanted to do some more research on it. The Oort Cloud intrigues me because it is theoretical, meaning that we have not actually observed it empirically. In my last post, I talked about the Voyager missions. In another 300 years, the Voyager space … Continue reading Oort Cloud! → Continue reading →

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Composition of Solar System

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Yihao Yan

The solar system is a planetary system consisted of star Sun, planets, comets and other objects orbiting around the Sun, and Earth is one of them. The major mass of solar system is from the Sun. The sun is a G2 main-sequence star at the center of solar system which contains about 99.86% of total … Continue reading Composition of Solar System → Continue reading →

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Where is the Center of the Universe?

Posted on March 12, 2019 by peytonbrown4560

If you asked the ancient philosophers, they would have told you that Earth was the center of the universe. Perfectly stationary, the heavenly spheres revolved around Earth causing the celestial phenomenons we Earth dwellers witness each day and night. Modern science has debunked, rather profusely, the idea of geocentrism. Now, we can easily leave our … Continue reading Where is the Center of the Universe? Continue reading →

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