Tag Archives: blog2

Alphonso X

Posted on February 10, 2020 by clairesspacejam

Every time I pick up The Cosmic Perspective to do the assigned reading, I end up learning something new and exciting. This unit, while I was reading Chapter 3 “The Science of Astronomy” one particular part struck me. The textbook mentions a Spanish monarch named Alphonso X who lived from 1221 to 1284. Alphonso XContinue reading “Alphonso X” Continue reading →

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scattering: light and sunsets/sunrises

Posted on February 10, 2020 by mcknia1

This morning I woke up to a beautiful sunrise (pictured) and got to pondering how the colors came to be. Apparently, they result from a process called scattering, a process by which small particles in the the atmosphere change the direction of light rays, causing them to scatter. Although scattering affects the color of lightContinue reading “scattering: light and sunsets/sunrises” Continue reading →

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Our Place in the Universe

Posted on February 10, 2020 by fermifurby

How did you first picture the universe? Before being taught in school or at home what the universe was like, we often start to wonder about the world around us. This phase in a child’s life often leads to parents being questioned about almost everything. Questions range from why the sky is blue, why isContinue reading “Our Place in the Universe” Continue reading →

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The Historical Advancement of Astronomy

Posted on February 10, 2020 by williamjturner

After completing the homework assignment on historical astronomers, I found myself diving into the internet to find out more on the astronomers we researched. This trip down the wormhole of the internet led me to an article about Isaac Newton, titled: “What if there was no Apple tree?” This article ponders what would have happenedContinue reading “The Historical Advancement of Astronomy” Continue reading →

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A Tidal Boat Dance 🌊

Posted on February 10, 2020 by vsli

The above GIF shows the changing tides in a unique manner, by splicing together pictures taken throughout an entire day, at 20 minute intervals! The resulting effect is that it looks as if time is spiraling around the image. You can also see both pairs of high and low tides, one set during the day … Continue reading A Tidal Boat Dance 🌊 Continue reading →

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Spectroscopy and Space

Posted on February 9, 2020 by gabezharovtothemoon

Although Isaac Newton’s most famous contributions to astronomy are his laws of motion and gravitation, which he published in Principia, Newton also founded modern spectroscopy by publishing his second work, Opticks. Spectroscopy is an essential tool for astronomers because it allows them to not only analyze the presence of certain chemical elements, but also physicalContinue reading “Spectroscopy and Space” Continue reading →

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Is it possible for a star to be invisible?

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Jack

One of the things I’ve always been most curious about on the topic of space is: is it possible for something that emits light (like a star) to emit light such as radio or gamma waves but not visible light? If such an object existed, it would be invisible to us, although it could stillContinue reading “Is it possible for a star to be invisible?” Continue reading →

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The Resurgence of Flat Earth Theory

Posted on February 9, 2020 by avighitterman

While believers in a Flat Earth have always existed (even after it became widely understood that the Earth is a sphere), the number of “Flat Earthers” has grown (and continues to grow) at alarming rates. So how is a fact that has been proven thousands of different ways over a few thousand years rejected byContinue reading “The Resurgence of Flat Earth Theory” Continue reading →

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Ultraviolet Catastrophe

Posted on February 9, 2020 by remieri

While we discussed in class the importance of blackbody spectra continuous spectra, there is an important historical footnote in understanding where the famous blackbody curve arises from. Physics in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s predicted the wavelength-intensity relationship to be I α 1/λ^4, using a derivation based on classical statistical mechanics. This relationship closelyContinue reading “Ultraviolet Catastrophe” Continue reading →

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Spring Tides and Neap Tides: How the Angle of the Sun and Moon Directly Impact How Earth is Stretched

Posted on February 9, 2020 by sheagordon

The size and fluctuation of tides are directly related to geography and the physics of various places around Earth. The average size of tides, however, rises and falls each month in direct correlation to the angle of the Sun and Moon in relation to Earth. These extremes are called spring tides and neap tides, andContinue reading “Spring Tides and Neap Tides: How the Angle of the Sun and Moon Directly Impact How Earth is Stretched” Continue reading →

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