Tag Archives: astro201

0.58% vs 24%

The new NASA 2016 budget proposal of $18.53 billion was a $519 million increase from the $18.01 billion of 2015. However, despite NASA’s countless achievements and positive reputation, many people believe NASA’s budget is too high. Disregarding the significant influence that politics exerts on NASA, the main reason for public dissatisfaction towards NASA is due to … Continue reading 0.58% vs 24% Continue reading

Posted in Public Policy | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on 0.58% vs 24%

Blog Post #8: Mike Brown and Eris

We did blog posts on historical astronomers, so why not take a look at recent history, too? Mike Brown was briefly mentioned …

Continue reading

Continue reading

Posted in Historical | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Blog Post #8: Mike Brown and Eris

Blog Post #7: Comets Can Be Artists Too

bbc.com A new study shows that Mercury may have been “painted” black by passing comets. In class, we have learned to compare …

Continue reading

Continue reading

Posted in Small SS Objects | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Blog Post #7: Comets Can Be Artists Too

Kepler Search for Exoplanets

The Kepler spacecraft entered its 4th observing campaign in February. There are nearly 16,000 target stars, which are being searched for exoplanets and other astrophysical phenomena. Included in the target are two open star clusters in the Taurus constellation. Onboard fuel is projected to last until December 2017. In its previous campaigns, the Kepler team […] Continue reading

Posted in Exoplanets, Instruments | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Kepler Search for Exoplanets

Ganymede’s Ocean Confirmed?

Recent observations of Ganymede by Hubble appear to suggest that it may truly have an ocean far beneath its crust. Aurorae on the planet, caused by Ganymede’s magnetic field (the only moon in the solar system to have one), and their behavior seem to be suggestive of this high possibility. Ganymede’s distance from Jupiter allows […] Continue reading

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ganymede’s Ocean Confirmed?

Could our Solar System have once had Super Earths?

New research appears to suggest that the early solar system might have been home to several “Super Earths,” terrestrial planets which are between 1 to 10 times the mass of Earth. One of the lingering questions about the formation of the solar system involves exactly how is it that the terrestrial planets of our solar system are so […] Continue reading

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Could our Solar System have once had Super Earths?

Colliding with Jupiter

The Shoemaker–Levy 9 collision with Jupiter was the first direct observation of an extraterrestrial collision of Solar System objects. Shoemaker–Levy 9 disintegrated in to 21 fragments during a close encounter with Jupiter in July 1992 and finally collided with Jupiter two years later in July 1994. The remarkable collision lasted a week and left large, … Continue reading Colliding with Jupiter Continue reading

Posted in Jovians | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Colliding with Jupiter

Colliding with Jupiter

The Shoemaker–Levy 9 collision with Jupiter was the first direct observation of an extraterrestrial collision of Solar System objects. Shoemaker–Levy 9 disintegrated in to 21 fragments during a close encounter with Jupiter in July 1992 and finally collided with Jupiter two years later in July 1994. The remarkable collision lasted a week and left large, … Continue reading Colliding with Jupiter Continue reading

Posted in Jovians | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Colliding with Jupiter

WASP-12b

WASP-12b is an HUGE planet that orbits extremely closely to its star. Due to the close distance (at 1/44 the distance compared to the distance between Earth and the Sun), WASP-12b has a very low densities from the flux of energy from the star and is being distorted into an egg shape. The most interesting […] Continue reading

Posted in Class, General | Tagged , , | Comments Off on WASP-12b

Saturn 2.0

So all the planets know that Saturn’s rings give it a really over-inflated ego.  But now there’s good news!  Maybe it’ll quit bragging now that it looks like there’s another planet with a bigger ring system.  Scientists think they’ve found an extrasolar planet with an elaborate ring system, the first discovery of a planet with… Continue reading

Posted in Exoplanets, Planet Rings | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Saturn 2.0