Tag Archives: blog1

Vastness of the Universe

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Mykayla

The universe is astronomically big (cheesy pun). We live on Earth, which is in our solar system, which means that we orbit the Sun. Our Sun is just one star out of the millions upon millions of stars in our Milky Way galaxy. Our Milky Way is just one galaxy out of 30 or soContinue reading “Vastness of the Universe” Continue reading →

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Extrasolar Planets: Are We Alone?

Posted on February 6, 2021 by ben141414

The age-old question: are we alone in the Universe? Humans from the beginning of time have looked out into the night sky and wondered this. I know I have. Astronomers have been searching endlessly for extraterrestrial life. The potential habitable worlds (as seen in the picture) are known as extrasolar planets. An extrasolar planet, alsoContinue reading “Extrasolar Planets: Are We Alone?” Continue reading →

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Astrolonomy?

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Peter Taylor

A little over two weeks ago, we entered arguably one the thirteen coolest months of the zodiac: Aquarius. (Yes, we still love you Ophiuchus). But what does that really even mean? What is Aquarius? Well, as I am sure you can tell from the constellation, Aquarius is clearly a water-bearer. But it is also muchContinue reading “Astrolonomy?” Continue reading →

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Leap 🐸 Year

Posted on February 5, 2021 by brynicdew

I can’t be the only one that questioned why we would get an extra day and the Olympics every four years when I was younger. While this isn’t the time to discuss the Olympic schedule, this did provide me with a chance to discover the real reason February 29th pops up every four years. AsContinue reading “Leap 🐸 Year” Continue reading →

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“He’s Such an Ophiuchus”: The Forgotten 13th Zodiac Sign

Posted on February 5, 2021 by wendyyb

In 2016, NASA shared this image of the zodiac constellations. Within this picture, we see the twelve signs commonly talked about in astrology, but we also see the presence of a less-discussed zodiac member: Ophiuchus. According to CNN, Ophiuchus is one of the 13 members of the Babylonian zodiac. However, 13 zodiac signs did notContinue reading ““He’s Such an Ophiuchus”: The Forgotten 13th Zodiac Sign” Continue reading →

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Ephemerides: An Astronomer’s Excel

Posted on February 5, 2021 by mwdobson3

From the first time I observed lunar eclipses to now understanding how they occur, I have always wondered how astronomers are able to predict every piece of information about them years in advance. Also, in the bigger picture, I did not know how astronomers knew where the planets and stars were in our Solar SystemContinue reading “Ephemerides: An Astronomer’s Excel” Continue reading →

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Ancient Interpretation of Solar Eclipses

Posted on February 5, 2021 by captivatingcomet

In ancient Iraq, it was believed that a solar eclipse meant something awful was going to happen to the king or ruler. Ancient Mesopotamian astronomers could accurately determine when an eclipse would occur. When a solar eclipse was projected to happen, the court and priests would prepare for this event by planting a substitute kingContinue reading “Ancient Interpretation of Solar Eclipses” Continue reading →

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How big the Universe is, and What it is Full of

Posted on February 4, 2021 by dayanel123

Almost daily I complain about how far the walk is from Sutherland House to Poke Bros. I think to myself “agh this campus is so big.” Big, of course, is relative to how long my strides are, and in reality the 1.6 miles I am away from Poke Bros is nothing. Right now the observableContinue reading “How big the Universe is, and What it is Full of” Continue reading →

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The Earth, the Moon, and the Space In Between

Posted on February 4, 2021 by brianknapp

Since space seems so far away to most of us humans, we can forget how truly massive the emptiness of space is. Space really is appropriately named, because so much of it is just that – empty space, nothing there. For example, let’s look at the distance between the Earth and the Moon. While theContinue reading “The Earth, the Moon, and the Space In Between” Continue reading →

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An App to See the Stars

Posted on February 4, 2021 by gracelearnsspace

Have you ever looked up at the sky and wondered what constellation you were looking at? There are many tools out there to help you figure it out! One of them is SkyView Lite, an app offered on the Apple Store that identifies constellations for you and is free to download. Simply open the app […] Continue reading →

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