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Tag Archives: blog5
Explore Giants
Earth may seem special to us, but it is just one of a near countless number of planets in our universe—a rather small one at that. Giant planets are those planets that dwarf Earth in size. They are gaseous bodies, meaning that they are primarily composed out of a swirling combination of gasses held togetherContinue reading “Explore Giants” Continue reading
Kuiper Belt Objects
The Kuiper Belt is a region in the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune as shown in the photo above. Although they have only scratched the surface, there has been about 2,000 objects discovered so far in the Kuiper belt. It is said to be filled with bits of rock and ice, along withContinue reading “Kuiper Belt Objects” Continue reading
Posted in Class, Space Travel, Universe
Tagged astro2110, blog5, Comets, history, kuiperbelt, pluto
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The Heart of Pluto
Pluto’s beloved carotid glacier, Tombaugh Regio, has been the apple of astronomers’ eyes ever since New Horizons made its fly-by in 2015. This fly-by gave us the highest resolution images of Pluto we’ve ever been able to capture, and in these new photos, a particular feature on the dwarf planet’s surface rose to a meteoricContinue reading “The Heart of Pluto” Continue reading
Types of Kuiper Belt Objects
You have likely heard of the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter, but did you know we also have the Kuiper belt? It’s approximately 20 AU (astronomical units) wide and is located beyond Neptune. Several dwarf planets such as Pluto, Makemake, Haumea, and Eris are all located here. Unlike asteroids which are mostly composedContinue reading “Types of Kuiper Belt Objects” Continue reading
Posted in Small SS Objects
Tagged astro2110, blog5, kuiperbelt, Solar System
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A Dwarf Planet is Still Cool!
On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union changed Pluto’s status from planet to dwarf planet. This caused an outrage amongst the public. Memes were created and shared expressing Pluto’s sadness at its “demotion” from planetary status. Textbooks had to be changed and the general public was oddly passionate over an object in space’s official title. Nevertheless, people wereContinue reading “A Dwarf Planet is Still Cool!” Continue reading
Posted in Dwarf Planets
Tagged astro2110, blog5, pluto
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Blog 5: Is there life on Europa?
The moon Europa orbits Jupiter alongside three other unique satellites described as “Jupiter’s Galilean moons”; these moons although similar in size to our moon (especially Io and Europa) display geological activity very different from what is observed on our own. Europa in particular, after telescope observation and satellite missions such as Voyager 1 and 2,Continue reading “Blog 5: Is there life on Europa?” Continue reading
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Tagged astro2110, blog5, Solar System
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Halley in History
Halley’s comet is one thought to have been noted in history millennia before it was ever realized that it was the same comet passing Earth every 75 years. The first official record of the comet’s passing was 239 BCE by Chinese astronomers, but it’s thought that it might have been recorded by the Ancient GreeksContinue reading “Halley in History” Continue reading
Living on Titan
Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. It is an icy world with an atmosphere thicker and denser than Earth’s (1.5 times the atmospheric pressure of Earth) that has clouds of smog that coat it in a large, cloudy golden haze. So how could scientists think it could be a habitable substitute for Earth forContinue reading “Living on Titan” Continue reading
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Tagged astro2110, blog5, Solar System: Moons, technology, titan
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The Depths of Europa
The smallest of Jupiter’s four Galilean Moons, Europa hides a world of fascination below its unassuming icy surface. Europa existed unbeknownst to mankind up until the early seventeenth century when the famous astronomer, Galileo Galilei, was first able to resolve Europa through his telescope at the University of Padua. It wasn’t for another three andContinue reading “The Depths of Europa” Continue reading
The Oort Cloud
The Oort Cloud is a collection of comets that orbit the Sun far outside our solar system. One estimation of the number of comets in the Oort Cloud is one TRILLION. Unlike the Kuiper Belt, which lies outside the orbit of Neptune, the Oort Cloud neither lies on the same plane as the bodies orbitingContinue reading “The Oort Cloud” Continue reading
Posted in Class, Universe
Tagged astro2110, blog5, Comets, gravity, oort cloud, Solar System: Sun
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