Tag Archives: blog1

A Speck on a Speck in a Speck in a Speck…

Posted on January 22, 2018 by interplanetira

Humans are very arrogant creatures, and we often forget just how small we are in relation to the rest of the Universe. So much so that our units of measurement are very impractical to use on a larger scale, so we will mostly be using light seconds, minutes, hours, day, months and years to talk about […] Continue reading →

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First Galaxies Formed Today

Posted on January 22, 2018 by mattbarnhartastro2110

…according to the cosmic calendar. The cosmic calendar is a visualization method to help comprehend the age of the universe. This calendar puts the beginning of the universe at the start of the first of January, and the end of December 31st at our current point in time. In this demonstration model, January 22nd (today!) … Continue reading First Galaxies Formed Today → Continue reading →

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Seasons, Solstices and Equinoxes

Posted on January 22, 2018 by samssolarsystem

    What causes the seasons?  Not only is this asked on page 32 of Chapter 2, but it is often asked by many individuals residing on Earth.  However, a surprisingly few number of people actually know.  Seasons occur because the title of Earth’s axis causes sunlight to fall differently on Earth at different times … Continue reading Seasons, Solstices and Equinoxes → Continue reading →

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Seasons, Solstices and Equinoxes

Posted on January 22, 2018 by samssolarsystem

    What causes the seasons?  Not only is this asked on page 32 of Chapter 2, but it is often asked by many individuals residing on Earth.  However, a surprisingly few number of people actually know.  Seasons occur because the title of Earth’s axis causes sunlight to fall differently on Earth at different times … Continue reading Seasons, Solstices and Equinoxes → Continue reading →

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Earth Measured Relative to the Cosmic Scale

Posted on January 22, 2018 by jacobfinesastroblog

The Universe is an unbelievably vast entity. Earth’s radius is about 6.4*106 meters. In overwhelming contrast to this, the radius of the observable universe is approximately 4.4*1026  meters. That is a difference of 20 orders of magnitude. If the earth’s radius, and the universe as a whole, was scaled down such that the earth was the size of … Continue reading Earth Measured Relative to the Cosmic Scale → Continue reading →

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Earth Measured Relative to the Cosmic Scale

Posted on January 22, 2018 by jacobfinesastroblog

The Universe is an unbelievably vast entity. Earth’s radius is about 6.4*106 meters. In overwhelming contrast to this, the radius of the observable universe is approximately 4.4*1026  meters. That is a difference of 20 orders of magnitude. If the earth’s radius, and the universe as a whole, was scaled down such that the earth was the size of … Continue reading Earth Measured Relative to the Cosmic Scale → Continue reading →

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Proxima b

Posted on January 22, 2018 by evanjmiranda

We’ve alluded to exoplanets and habitable zones in class, but you may be wondering just how similar these planets are to Earth – and if we can even get there. Proxima b is a rocky mass larger than Earth that orbits our Sun’s closest neighbor, Proxima Centauri. Astronomers have determined that Proxima b lies in … Continue reading Proxima b → Continue reading →

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2017 Solar Eclipse

Posted on January 22, 2018 by maxflorsheim

My junior year at Vanderbilt University began in the most spectacular way – witnessing a total solar eclipse through a skylight within Nashville airport, immediately upon arrival. Surrounded by a gathering of fellow traveller’s experiencing this magical moment, the moment in which the Sun was reduced to a radiant ring wrapped around the black outline […] Continue reading →

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Space is Faster than Light (Blog 1)

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Taylor Matalon

One facet of the universe that always left a bad taste in my mouth was the ostensible “speed limit” set by the speed of light (around 300,000 km/s). If the Universe is so vast, why is there a limit set by something that, for all we know, is not what makes up the Universe? I … Continue reading Space is Faster than Light (Blog 1) Continue reading →

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Axial Precession and its Affects on Astrology

Posted on January 22, 2018 by aquarianastronomy

As the modern individual is likely well aware, the earth rotates in two very fundamental ways which affect our daily lives: it rotates every day and orbits the sun every year, forming these important means by which we keep track of time. However, one of the most interesting and confusing ways that the earth rotates […] Continue reading →

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