Tag Archives: astro201

My New Favorite Insult

Posted on February 13, 2014 by blankster22

Your mother has a greater tidal force than Jupiter! HA! Yes, I just said that your mother has more of an effect on Earth’s tides than does the largest planet in the solar system. On the surface, this might seem like a statement implying that you have a very massive mother. While this may or […] Continue reading →

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GPS

Posted on February 12, 2014 by philipapelles

GPS, or global positioning system, is the most commonly used celestial navigation source in today’s society, which I also use on a regular basis. From giving me directions when I am driving to telling me my exact location, GPS has become vital in most people’s daily lives. The global positioning system was originally designed for… Continue reading →

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A New Generation of US Spaceflight

Posted on February 12, 2014 by jblubin

A new era of spaceflight is underway in America. The Space Shuttle program was retired in 2011 and ever since, if NASA wants to send an astronaut so space, they must buy a ticket on the Russian Soyuz rocket. But this status quo of depending on another nation to carpool to space is about to … Continue reading A New Generation of US Spaceflight → Continue reading →

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Eratosthenes Measures the Earth

Posted on February 12, 2014 by jblubin

How do you measure the circumference of the Earth? It’s not like you can take out a meter stick and lay it end to end hundreds of thousands of times. Today with satellite technology and GPS we can easily complete this task and get an extremely precise answer: 40,075.017 kilometers. But how might a Greek … Continue reading Eratosthenes Measures the Earth → Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2014 by thegarrettnondorf

Sir Isaac Newton 1642-1727 Quite a smart man was Newton. He invented calculus. (pause in amazement) He also came up with the aptly named Newton’s Laws of Physics (or the 3 Laws of Motion). These three rules were a significant upgrade to the system astronomers were using at the time. We have the Law of … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context → Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2014 by hindsolar

2. Galileo revolutionized how we observe the heavens. Although he did not invent the telescope, he used it as a scientific instrument and published his results (Van Helden, 1977). We have built upon his work and have made countless discoveries about space thanks to his work. 3. a. In 1609 Kepler published his laws of planetary […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context: Johannes Kepler

Posted on February 10, 2014 by kaswat

Johannes Kepler (27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) is well-known in astronomy for his three laws of planetary motion. He worked for Tycho Brahe where he analyzed Brahe’s observations. Brahe was convinced that the planet’s orbits were circular. However, Kepler could not accept this because Mars did not follow this pattern. He used his and… Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2014 by mariah0407

Tycho Brahe(1546-1601) There was a civil war in Scotland between 1562 and 1594.  This was due to the Catholic and Protestant divide in the country. France was also divided by religion and had the French Wars of Religion between 1562 and 1598. Michelangelo , born: 3/6/1475,  died: 2/18/1564 Michelangelo was an important artist who made the famous David […] Continue reading →

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Nicholas Copernicus: Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2014 by joshkip

Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543) was the earliest of the historical figures we are studying. As the first astronomer to publish a work detailing the Sun’s centrality in our universe (rather than Earth), Copernicus’ treatise against the Christian religion was vital in understanding human … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 10, 2014 by dhbrett

Sir Isaac Newton improved on Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion by showing how the processes that determine orbital motion also determine motion of objects on Earth. He provided a strong mathematical understanding of these laws and why they worked. In 1666, the Great Fire of London was ignited, destroying as much as 80% of … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context → Continue reading →

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