Tag Archives: astro2110

The Limitations of Light Speed

As we all (hopefully) know, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. Light-speed is the universal speed limit, and no matter or energy can move faster than it, including radio signals or other forms of communication. This limitation makes me rather pessimistic about deep-space exploration. The Milky Way Galaxy is massive, at tens […] Continue reading

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The Fermi Paradox

The well-known Fermi Paradox is a simple question with no clear answer: “where are all the aliens?” Given the immense size of our galaxy (not to mention the size of the entire universe), it seems likely that life would have bloomed on other planets, and that on at least some planets, this life would be […] Continue reading

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Blog #8 Drake Equation

Photo summarizing the Drake Equation and possible variables. The Drake Equation is our best estimate for the number of communicating extraterrestrial civilizations that exist in outer space with whom we might be able to communicate. The equation was originally devised in 1961 by the astrophysicist Frank Drake and focuses on a series of assumptions about […] Continue reading

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Psychrophiles!

Extremophiles are organisms that can live in extreme environments. There are many different environments in which extremophiles live in, but I am going to talk about one of them: pyschrophiles! Psychrophiles are organisms that have adapted to perpetually freezing environments. These environments include deep seas and polar regions. These bacteria survive in these temperatures by […] Continue reading

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Black Hole

When I was a kid, I struggled to understand the meaning of a “black hole”. I was baffled how an object can suck in everything around it and never be full. In elementary school, my science teacher told us that “your chair were to contract indefinitely, it will become a black hole that will be […] Continue reading

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Stars of Revelation

Throughout the Bible, celestial bodies are mentioned. Jesus is “The Morning Star.” Abraham would have as many offspring as stars in the sky. Another example many people are familiar is the Book of Revelation in the Bible. It was also mentioned in my discussion of the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In Chapter 12, […] Continue reading

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Blog #7 Extremophiles

Photo of an extremophile water bear captured using an electron microscope. Extremophiles are creatures which are capable of living in extreme environments beyond what one might imagine are the limits of life. Extremophiles have attracted attention from the scientific community because of their potential to exist in the most extreme environments in outer space. One […] Continue reading

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Thermophiles on Venus

Thermophiles are a type of extremophiles that can survive above 45 degrees Celsius. These organisms are usually bacteria, and here on Earth they are found in hot springs. I wanted to talk about the possibility of life existing on Venus, not on the surface (it is far too hot there – 475 degrees Celsius). But, […] Continue reading

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Drake Equation

How many civilizations are there in our galaxy? As a kid, I was awestruck by the knowledge of just how small we are as compared to the universe. The concept of “me” is nothing more than a tiny stardust living in 1 of the 100 billion star systems in our galaxy. However, if there are […] Continue reading

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Seager Equation

So the Seager Equation was made to mimic Drake’s Equation. It doesn’t find communicable aliens, but rather just that life which is detectable from Earth. It also doesn’t specify intelligent life, so it searches for any discernible life at all, from microbes to megafauna. The equation goes like this: N* : Number of observable stars […] Continue reading

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