Tag Archives: blog3

Constantly Falling

Posted on February 16, 2014 by ilman

Contrary to popular belief, there is gravity in space, in fact gravity is everywhere. On the International Space Station, there is as much gravitational force as it is on Earth’s surface. But then… why are those astronauts (in the video) merrily floating around? Not to ruin the party or anything, but they are not floating […] Continue reading →

Posted in General, Physics | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Constantly Falling

The Earth and Rubber Bands

Posted on February 15, 2014 by juliamac17

So I found this neat video, curtesy of YouTube that helped me understand tides a little better. What confused me most – and I’m sure I’m not the only one for whom this is true – is that the Moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth causes tides on both sides of the Earth. One thing that helped […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Earth and Rubber Bands

The Highest Tides in the Bay of Fundy

Posted on February 15, 2014 by hollyreichert

Tides are created by the Moon’s gravitational pull on the Earth.  While the Sun also pulls on the Earth, it is so far away that the tides are not as affected by the Sun as they are by the Moon.  The tidal force is created by the difference in gravitational pull on each side of […] Continue reading →

Posted in Science | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Highest Tides in the Bay of Fundy

World’s Largest Telescope To Expand Our Horizons

Posted on February 13, 2014 by joshkphilips

Image and Information Source Currently, the largest telescope in the world is the Gran Telescopio Canarias, which has an aperture size of about 10.4 meters. However, plans to build an even larger telescope were recently approved. This new telescope will be built at the summit of Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano, and will cost an alarming […] Continue reading →

Posted in Instruments | Tagged , , | Comments Off on World’s Largest Telescope To Expand Our Horizons

My New Favorite Insult

Posted on February 13, 2014 by blankster22

Your mother has a greater tidal force than Jupiter! HA! Yes, I just said that your mother has more of an effect on Earth’s tides than does the largest planet in the solar system. On the surface, this might seem like a statement implying that you have a very massive mother. While this may or […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on My New Favorite Insult

GPS

Posted on February 12, 2014 by philipapelles

GPS, or global positioning system, is the most commonly used celestial navigation source in today’s society, which I also use on a regular basis. From giving me directions when I am driving to telling me my exact location, GPS has become vital in most people’s daily lives. The global positioning system was originally designed for… Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on GPS

Eratosthenes Measures the Earth

Posted on February 12, 2014 by jblubin

How do you measure the circumference of the Earth? It’s not like you can take out a meter stick and lay it end to end hundreds of thousands of times. Today with satellite technology and GPS we can easily complete this task and get an extremely precise answer: 40,075.017 kilometers. But how might a Greek … Continue reading Eratosthenes Measures the Earth → Continue reading →

Posted in Historical | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Eratosthenes Measures the Earth

The World Will End in Ice

Posted on February 28, 2013 by theskyisbeautifultonight

I’m fascinated by the end of the universe.  It’s a pretty interesting mental exercise, theorizing about how everything might end (and us with it), especially since I definitely won’t be around to see any of those theories come to fruition.  Of course, I have a favorite theory, that being the “Heat death of the universe”. […] Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Physics | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The World Will End in Ice

Happy Valentine’s Day! I bought you a Star!! <3

Posted on February 20, 2013 by zoodrey

Your very own Star! Websites exist that allow you to buy a loved one a star.. often for as low as $14.95, such as this one. You even get to choose from different gift packages to satisfy all your star naming cravings. That must really be a good way to win a girl over… buy … Continue reading » Continue reading →

Posted in Class, Stars | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Happy Valentine’s Day! I bought you a Star!! <3

Gravity around the Solar System

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Elizabeth Merriman

In class, we looked at why an astronaut experiences weightlessness in the space station, even though the force of gravity is not significantly less than on the surface of the Earth.  This is because the space station is falling at the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Class | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Gravity around the Solar System