Tag Archives: astro201

Astronomers Fitting into the Real Timeline

Posted on February 9, 2014 by juliamac17

Tycho Brahe (12/14/1546 – 10/24/1601) was a Swedish noble whose interest in astronomy was aroused during his years of higher education. With his money he was able to build a state-of-the-art observatory as well as many different instruments that enabled him to revolutionize instrumentation and observational habits, as well as record some of the most accurate observations […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context – Tycho Brahe

Posted on February 9, 2014 by hughavanheesewijk

Tycho Brahe (December 14th, 1546 – October 24th, 1601) was the last of the most famous naked eye astronomers. He used his accurate observations made using telescopes to conclude that supernovae were tailless comets that were closer to Earth than the moon. He also concluded that comets passed through the celestial sphere. He threw away the […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context – Kepler

Posted on February 9, 2014 by ilman

Johannes Kepler’s(1571-1630) love for astronomy started at a young age. He had amazing mathematical prowess although challenged by poor vision which limited his ability in astronomical observation. During his prime years, he worked as an assistant to astronomer Tycho Brahe who collected numerous and accurate data of celestial positions in hope of building his own […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Chad F

Nicholas Copernicus (Feb. 19th, 1473- May 24th, 1543) realized that there were many errors in the Earth centered model for the universe.  Copernicus discovered a formula to determine orbital speed based off of distance from the sun.  He published a book describing his Sun centered theory, but it was no more accurate than the Ptolemaic model because […] Continue reading →

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Posted on February 8, 2014 by hollyreichert

For my astronomer, I chose Galileo Galilei.  He was born on February 15, 1564 and died on January 8, 1642. In 1607, Jamestown Settlement was founded in present day Virginia.  This was the beginning of British settlement of North America.  It was the foundation of the colonies that later became the United States of America. In […] Continue reading →

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Solar Eclipse Myths

Posted on January 28, 2014 by forestcsharp

via National Geographic As astounding and rare as they are, it’s no surprise that many cultures possess their own mythology regarding solar eclipses. Imagine an ancient civilization watching in awe as the warmth and light of the sun are blocked … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The magic of Stellarium

Posted on January 27, 2014 by asadpabani

Have you ever accidentally stumbled upon something amazing? Like that burger joint you stumbled into when you were out late on Friday night and found out they served the most amazing cheeseburger? Finding out about Stellarium last semester had something of a similar effect on me. While previously I was left swooning over magnificent pictures […] Continue reading →

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The size of the Universe

Posted on January 27, 2014 by asadpabani

To say the Universe is big is a bit of an understatement. The monster truck parked outside is considered big, the girl sitting next to you in class is called big by some people in bated breath, the Big Mac is supposed to be big (says so in the very name). When we’re talking about […] Continue reading →

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Neil deGrasse Tyson: In Defense of the Big Bang Theory

Posted on January 27, 2014 by forestcsharp

Video Source: Youtube  One of the most confusing yet also the most interesting events on the “Cosmic Calendar” is that of the origin of our Universe. One of the most popular theories for the origin of our Universe is that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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The Precession of Earth’s Axis

Posted on January 27, 2014 by gradytlynch

I’m a very visual learner, so when trying to understand the phenomenon of axial precession, I sought out a visual representation of what exactly is going on. This video perfectly explains (for this level class) the causes and implications of axial precession. It leaves us with an advanced understanding of how axial precession affects our […] Continue reading →

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