Tag Archives: astro201

Habitable Planets

Posted on March 20, 2013 by williamrmccormick

To be classified as a habitable planet, the planet in question must be found in what is known as the habitable zone. The largest requirement for this is that it must be the correct distance from the planet’s star to be able to have liquid water. The distance for the habitable zone varies based on […] Continue reading →

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Radioactive

Posted on March 20, 2013 by williamrmccormick

Many people hear the word radioactive and immediately think of either radiation from nuclear power plants or bombs, or they think of turning into a superhero. So they generally associate the idea of radiation and humans as an always negative thing. However, what they may not realize is that the human body itself emits radiation. […] Continue reading →

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Nearby Star System Discovered

Posted on March 20, 2013 by werdercj

Above: an artist’s conception of the binary system On the same note of new discoveries, Kevin Luhman, a researcher in Penn State’s Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, just discovered a pair of stars that constitute the closest star system found in a century, and the third-closest star system we have ever discovered.  The binary […] Continue reading →

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Life on Mars?

Posted on March 20, 2013 by werdercj

Recently, we’ve been emphasizing comparative planetology in our work.  This has prompted studies of each planet in our solar system, which made it clear that many of our questions remain unanswered.  We know that Mars had a warmer, wetter period billions of years ago, and have much evidence indicative of abundant liquid water flows in […] Continue reading →

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Space Travellers

Posted on March 20, 2013 by burnspress

The greatest barrier to human exploration of space is undoubtedly the vast distances and time lengths required to travel from one stellar body to the next. This post will outline some potential modes of interstellar propulsion: Magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) Thrusters As described by NASA, MPD thrusters are the most powerful form of electromagnetic propulsion. They use […] Continue reading →

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Save Mr. Snow Miser!

Posted on March 20, 2013 by burnspress

The US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) based in Boulder, Colorado, has been taking images of our planet for 34 years, documenting climate changes and ice levels across the planet. Data from the past five years show ice levels to be lower than any previously document years. Changes in climate and ice levels […] Continue reading →

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GRAIL Maps the Gravity of the Moon

Posted on March 20, 2013 by JT McJunkins

  Twin NASA probes orbiting the moon for the Gravity Recovery and Interior Labority (GRAIL) mission have created the most highly detailed gravity field map of any celestial body. Pictured above, this map reveals an abundance of features includ… Continue reading →

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The Carrington Event

Posted on March 20, 2013 by rtjobe

Imagine that it’s 1am and you’re lying in your bed, when suddenly it begins to get lighter out–as if the sun is already rising. Birds are chirping, men are waking up confused, and aurorae can be seen in skies across the entire world. This phenomenon is what people around the world experienced on the morning […] Continue reading →

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“The Incandescent Sun”

Posted on March 20, 2013 by wherrysg

Source Check out this video from NASA of the Sun over a 24-hour period of time! The video frames are measuring output in extreme ultraviolet. According to this article, viewing the Sun in this wavelength allows us to view the plasma in its atmosphere (called Corona). But what is interesting is that the same magnetic […] Continue reading →

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Nuclear Fusion and the Stars

Posted on March 19, 2013 by rtjobe

Nuclear fusion, the process by which two atoms collide to form a single larger atom, has been fueling stars since the beginning of star formation. At most distances apart, two protons will naturally repel each other due to the fact that both are positive charges, and the Electromagnetic force between them pushes them apart; however, […] Continue reading →

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