Category Archives: Universe

Blog 1 – The Cosmic Calendar

Cosmic Calendar Image The Cosmic Calendar summarizes the history of the universe into a way that is easy for humans to comprehend-one 12-month calendar year. The universe is about 14 billions years old, so each month of the year represents a little more than a billion years of the universe’s history. Using this model, all […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Universe | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Blog 1 – The Cosmic Calendar

Blog 1: Eclipse Chasers

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will happen in North America. For those in Nashville, a mere 2-3 hour drive will allow viewers to witness it. For some, it is worth the journey to witness this rare occurrence, and for others perhaps not. For a select few, however, it is always worth the […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Moons, Observables, Universe | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Blog 1: Eclipse Chasers

The expanding universe

Most people understand that the earth moves around the sun and rotates on its axis. However the earth moves more than just around the sun. In fact, our entire actually orbits around the center of the Milky Way at over 500,000 miles per hour. So why don’t we crash into anything? The answer is that […] Continue reading

Posted in Universe | Tagged , | Comments Off on The expanding universe

Blog 1: Scale of the Universe

It is difficult to truly grasp the size and scale of our universe. And while using units like light years might be helpful in some cases, it can also be helpful to put things in a scale that is more common in everyday life. This image helps me understand the scale of the universe in […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Universe | Tagged , | Comments Off on Blog 1: Scale of the Universe

The Speed of Light

In 1905, Albert Einstein took the first crack at the Newtonian foundational physics. In his paper on special relativity, Albert Einstein postulated that the speed of light, c, is constant in all inertial reference frames. Assume that a person on a bicycle is holding a flashlight and moving at a constant speed relative to someone […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Physics, Science, Universe | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Speed of Light

Blog 1

Imagine if the entire history of the universe could be squeezed into a single calendar year, providing a perspective of how much time has truly passed in this universe. Enter the cosmic calendar, a concept introduced by the astronomer Carl Sagan. Within the cosmic calendar, each month corresponds to over 1 billion years, allowing us […] Continue reading

Posted in Universe | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Blog 1

The Vast Size and Scale of the Universe

BBC Science Focus The Universe is also used as a reference point to display somethings enormity. “I love you more than anything in the world” is massively trumped by “I love you more than anything in the Universe.” But what does this really mean? How much can the universe really hold? How big is it […] Continue reading

Posted in Observables, Universe | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Vast Size and Scale of the Universe

The Universe is HUGE

Size: Planet vs. Solar System. vs. Galaxy For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the vastness of the Universe and how everything around us has been untouched by humans. Everyone lives on Earth (unless you are an alien…). Yet, Earth is only one of eight planets in our solar system. […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Universe | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Universe is HUGE

Blog 1: Our Expanding Universe

Our expanding universe is a captivating cosmic phenomenon that continues to unfold in the vastness of space. Galaxies throughout the cosmos are in a state of expansion, distancing themselves from one another as space itself expands between them. From our vantage point on Earth, nearly every galaxy beyond our Local Cluster is gradually moving away […] Continue reading

Posted in Science, Universe | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Blog 1: Our Expanding Universe

THE COSMIC CALENDAR

The Evolution of the Universe from the Big Bang to Modern Day Humans     When I first started this course, I knew that our universe was very old, however, I didn’t understand the depth to how long it really was. Our universe has evolved significantly from the original Big Bang that occurred approximately 14 billion […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, Historical, Universe | Tagged , , | Comments Off on THE COSMIC CALENDAR