Tag Archives: blog2

Astronomy Study Tool

Learning astronomy can sometimes be a difficult task. If it’s your first time taking any form of astronomy you may struggle to understand the vastness of the universe or Newton’s laws etc. One resource that I’ve been using to complete the lecture tutorials and study for class is P.E. Robinson’s youtube channel. Robinson is an … Continue reading Astronomy Study Tool Continue reading

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“Current” Events on Tides

SaltstraumenVideo Blocks The strait at Saltstraumen is one of the most interesting straits on the planet, and it has to do with more than just its notable beauty. Saltstraumen is the location of one of the strongest tidal currents in the world. When the tides come in and out from the large bodies of water … Continue reading “Current” Events on Tides Continue reading

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Ancient African Astronomy

We’ve all heard that Stonehenge was a type of calendar or observatory that has been around longer than civilization. I did some digging to find other examples of ancient astronomy practices and I came across the following video: Nabta Playa video source. More information. This is an example of ancient people demonstrating an understanding of astronomy … Continue reading Ancient African Astronomy Continue reading

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The Qiantang River Tidal Bore

The Qiantang River runs for 459 km through Zhejiang, China, and flowing into the East China Sea via Hangzhou Bay. From Aug 15th to 21st in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, travelers come to Hangzhou Bay to see the largest tidal bore in the world, which can reach up to 9 meters in height and travel … Continue reading The Qiantang River Tidal Bore Continue reading

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Pseudoscience and Balancing Eggs on Equinoxes

Can eggs really balance on end during equinoxes? The answer to that question is not that simple. Yes, but the fact of the matter is that you could balance an egg on its end any day of the year and not just during one of the two equinoxes. Each year, on approximately March 20th and … Continue reading Pseudoscience and Balancing Eggs on Equinoxes Continue reading

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Tides and the Limits of Human Understanding

This story begins where so many great ones do (including the unnecessarily long URL of my blog) – by making fun of Bill O’Reilly: Like many people. Bill can’t grasp how the tides operate. And, in his defense, the explanation isn’t exactly obvious to the layperson. As the moon orbits Earth, its gravitational influence produces … Continue reading Tides and the Limits of Human Understanding Continue reading

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What are cosmic rays?

WHAT ARE COSMIC RAYS? One of the more mysterious subjects from our last reading was that of cosmic rays.  To be quite honest, before encountering this in our textbook I had never considered cosmic rays outside of the context of the Marvel Universe.  But it turns out that cosmic rays are more than just a…

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Astronomy with a Twist of History

As an anthropology major, it is cool to see my interest in archeology and what I’m currently learning in astronomy intersect through archeoastronomy. Archaeoastronomy is defined by dictionary.com as: “the branch of archaeology that deals with the apparent use by prehistoric civilizations of astronomical techniques to establish the seasons or the cycle of the year, … Continue reading Astronomy with a Twist of History Continue reading

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Light – Beyond the Shadow

  Plato believed that our senses could not be trusted to reveal the truth of the Universe. He argued that the world around us was an imperfect representation of the ideal world, our perception put before us by our faculties – simply shadows cast from imperceptible forms. Cognizance of truth was achievable only by means … Continue reading Light – Beyond the Shadow Continue reading

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Just Because You’re Bulkier, Doesn’t Mean You Pull More

We’ve all seen and learned about the cosmos and the stars up above. We learned that the Earth revolves around the Sun because the Sun’s force on the Earth is greater than any of the other major celestial bodies near this. However, something that many people forget is that this process is facilitated by Newton’s Universal… Continue Reading → Continue reading

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