Tag Archives: comet

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9

Posted on April 2, 2017 by Nick Belsten

In 1994, one year after its discovery, the fragmented remains of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter’s upper atmosphere in a sequence of 23 large impacts, each releasing the energy equivalent of 25,000 megatons of TNT, more than one million times as much energy as released by the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Orbital analysis … Continue reading Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 → Continue reading →

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The Importance of Spectroscopy in Solar System Exploration

Posted on February 14, 2017 by njelinek425

While the very existence of visible light allows for the viewing of celestial bodies, not enough credit is oft given to the true capability of light’s full spectrum. Spectroscopy is an imaging and scientific method of measurement that involves the unique spectra that occur when light comes into contact with an object or substance of […] Continue reading →

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Friday Night Spectacle

Posted on February 10, 2017 by vmorehead0

Tonight, on this February 10th, there is supposed to be a full moon, a lunar eclipse, and a comet, all of which are supposed to be visible. This month’s full moon is called the “Snow Moon.”  This name came from Native American tradition, in which the full moons of each month bore different names.  However, this full moon … Continue reading Friday Night Spectacle Continue reading →

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Halley’s Comet

Posted on April 10, 2016 by martisnv

Halley’s Comet is visible from Earth every 75-76 years. It is the only known short-period comet (a comet that has an orbital period of less than 200 years) that is visible to the naked eye. Halley most recently visited the inner parts … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Where did all the dinosaurs go?

Posted on April 7, 2016 by sarabkeller

I think one of the more fascinating topics in Earth’s past is the mystery of the dinosaurs. They were here 65 million years ago (for a shockingly long time—if you remember, they were here for almost a week in the “calendar” of the universe!) and then suddenly disappeared. So, what happened to them? It is […] Continue reading →

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Comet Brightness – Not Related to Test Scores

Posted on April 5, 2015 by dillonkoval

A comet is an icy Solar System body with very elliptical orbit that takes it close to the Sun on one end and far from the Sun on the other. When it gets close to the Sun it begins to outgas, forming a visible atmosphere called a coma and often also a tail. One noticeable […] Continue reading →

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Halley’s Comet

Posted on April 4, 2015 by newbeelity

Halley’s comet is a short-period comet, which can be seen from Earth every 75-76 years so that a person could see it at most twice during his or her lifetime. It is undoubtedly the most famous comet. The last time it returned was in 1986, and it will be back in 2061 as predicted. Halley’s… Continue reading →

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Rosetta’s Trajectory

Posted on April 9, 2014 by karapetros

This photo found on NASA’s Solar Exploration page diagrams the trajectory for the European Space Agency’s mission Rosetta’s exploration of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Launched in 2004, Rosetta has since flown-by Earth three times, Mars, and two asteroids, and is scheduled to arrive at the comet later this year.  It’s so how cool scientist are ale … Continue reading Rosetta’s Trajectory → Continue reading →

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Halley’s Comet

Posted on April 8, 2014 by katiew

Halley’s Comet is the most well known comet because it is the only short-term comet that is visible from Earth with the naked eye. Halley’s Comet was seen multiple times throughout history. The first known observation of Halley’s Comet was in 239 B.C. by Chinese astronomers. When it returned in 164 B.C. and 87 B.C. […] Continue reading →

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Edmond Halley: Proving Newton

Posted on March 29, 2014 by jblubin

Newton was the first to provide a mathematical construct to describe the effects of planetary motion around the Sun. But then the question arose, how could we find evidence for the theory? Stepping up to the plate was the prominent astronomer Edmond Halley. Born in the English countryside on November 8, 1656, Halley was a … Continue reading Edmond Halley: Proving Newton → Continue reading →

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