Tag Archives: astro2110

Nuclear Fusion For Rocket Propulsion

Posted on March 19, 2022 by josephmaquino9

Nuclear fusion-where the nuclei of two atoms combine to establish a new atom-serves as the primary process that powers main sequence stars (like our Sun). For stars, nuclear fusion most commonly occurs with two hydrogen atoms fusing to form a helium atom. The result of such fusion processes is the output of great amounts of […] Continue reading →

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White Holes

Posted on March 19, 2022 by evang914

Most people by now are familiar with the term “black hole”- a body of high mass with a gravitational pull so strong that nothing which enters can escape from it. The idea of a black hole was born from Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Also born from Einstein’s mathematical equations, however, is the much lesser-knownContinue reading “White Holes” Continue reading →

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Theories of Moon Formation

Posted on March 19, 2022 by evang914

In class we discussed one potential theory of the moon’s formation that is the favorite within the scientific community: the giant impact hypothesis. The theory states that a Mars-sized body (Theia) crashed into the Earth ejecting pieces of a young Earth’s rocky crust into space. Gravity from the remainder of Theia’s core drew these particlesContinue reading “Theories of Moon Formation” Continue reading →

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The Himalayas of Venus

Posted on March 18, 2022 by isaiandrade01

The Himalayas might be considered the most impressive mountain range on Earth, but what about other geological formations on planets around the solar system? Most famously, Olympus Mons is the tallest mountain in the solar system, located on Mars at 21229 meters, and about 2.5 times the size of Mount Everest. Alternatively, while not as […] Continue reading →

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Born from the Stars

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Johann West

It may be hard to believe, but in all technicality, everything in the solar system, including humans, are born from star dust. Let’s start at the beginning, at the big bang. The matter released from the big bang made up the first generation of stars, only containing the elements hydrogen and helium. Eventually, when the …

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Unmanned Spacecraft and AI

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Johann West

There are 4 types of unmanned space craft that are used to collect data: flybys, orbiters, landers, and sample return mission spacecraft. Flybys simply pass by a celestially object, and are generally the cheapest as they usually require no fuel propulsion after leaving Earth’s orbit. Flybys mostly observe through the use of telescopes and other …

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Warping the 4th Dimension

Posted on March 17, 2022 by isaiandrade01

The concept of time dilation is one of the direct results of the theory of general relativity proposed by Albert Einstein, and it explains the effect of gravity on time. The theory of general relativity describes space as a three-dimensional space with time being the fourth dimension through which space is moving, creating the spacetime […] Continue reading →

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Northern Lights

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Natalie_paige

The Northern lights are one of the most sought after views that light up the night sky. There is a burst of colors of greens, blues and purples that dance across the sky. But what exactly causes this astonishing sight? Many ancient civilizations have been observing this celestial phenomenon long before us, and have come […] Continue reading →

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The Andromeda Galaxy

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Lindsey

The Andromeda Galaxy is one of the only galaxies visible without the aid of a telescope on Earth. It is a spiral galaxy, and it got its name because it is located in the constellation Andromeda. It is approximately 2,480,000 light years from Earth and has a diameter of approximately 200,000 light years. The first […] Continue reading →

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The Apollo Missions: Fun Facts

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Lindsey

Almost everyone has heard about the apollo missions to space and the valuable information obtained about our solar system. Here are some interesting facts about the apollo program: One crazy statistic is that the Saturn V launch vehicle was taller than the Statue of Liberty. This rocket was a huge engineering feat, reaching 316 feet […] Continue reading →

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