Tag Archives: astro201

Astronomy’s Importance on Earth

Posted on April 10, 2015 by serenakumar

Hello everyone! Before taking this course, I only knew very basic knowledge of topics relating to astronomy. I didn’t think it was very important to know why we needed to know about the celestial beings outside of the Earth in which we live. However, now after learning about the myriad objects outside of Earth, I realize… Continue reading →

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NASA’s Exploration of Pluto!

Posted on April 10, 2015 by serenakumar

Hello everyone! Some exciting new has been happening in the astronomy world. NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is launching a space mission to the dwarf planet Pluto, a feat that has never been accomplished before! This is super exciting because this mission will potentially give us a much clearer idea of what is happening… Continue reading →

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Hello future me, I am the past you from the present (4th dimension)!

Posted on April 7, 2015 by jshabazz93

Is time travel possible? Would humans be able to discern how to accomplish it even if it was possible? Upon reading the 1884 novel, Flatland, an interesting notion is introduced to the audience. You can only completely see objects one spatial dimension below you, and can only infer the dimension you spatially occupy through the […] Continue reading →

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The Exoplanet Gold Rush

Posted on April 7, 2015 by pMurs

The discovery and study of exoplanets, or planets in other solar systems, is one of the newest sub-fields of astronomy. The reason for this is that, prior to the mid 1990’s, we didn’t really have the technology to find these planets. Through various means, the discovery of exoplanets has taken off at an exponential rate […] Continue reading →

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If Earth had Rings

Posted on April 6, 2015 by pMurs

One of the most distinctive astronomical features of our solar system is the brilliant ring system of Saturn. Due to their position, scale and material composition, Saturn’s rings have a visibility and tone not present in the ring systems of other planets. I wondered what it would look like if earth had rings and what […] Continue reading →

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Armageddon: The End or a New Beginning?

Posted on April 6, 2015 by jshabazz93

Armageddon is a word that generally refers to an end-of-the-world scenario. One of the more common ideas, in regards to Armageddon, is that our end shall come at the hands of an impact from a near-Earth object (comets, asteroids, meteorites) that will create such a disturbance from not only the energy released from the initial impact, but also the […] Continue reading →

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What is the true mission of NASA?

Posted on April 6, 2015 by lindenmuthadam

Ted Cruz has drawn both criticism and support in recent weeks for his declaration that NASA should be focused on the tangible goals of space exploration rather than their recent endeavors into earth science and climate change. Some see his arguments as longing for the inspirational spirit of NASA’s classic Apollo missions, but others see […] Continue reading →

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Io being squeezed

Posted on April 6, 2015 by lindenmuthadam

We all know that Jupiter exerts tremendous tidal squeezing on Io, but we need images to truly grasp the magnitude of this force. This image shows Io spewing a 200 mile high volcanic plume! For reference, that is greater than the distance from Nashville to Knoxville! It is baffling to think that tidal squeezing alone […] Continue reading →

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Green Galaxies?

Posted on April 6, 2015 by christophermfitzgerald

Back in 2007, using the popular website Galaxy Zoo, Hanny van Arkel discovered galaxies with emitting a green color. Though stars emit the color green, it is thought that it isn’t possible for their color to appear green. Now equipped with new … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Why I did not like the movie “Interstellar”

Posted on April 6, 2015 by farhannshabab

When Cristopher Nolan’s Interstellar hit the theaters in November 2014, I decided to wait for reviews from my friends. My friends, most of whom were pursuing Electrical Engineering and Physics majors, had this to say about the movie after they watched it: “Meh, too many logic holes”. So I skipped the movie; but over the […] Continue reading →

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