Tag Archives: history

A Brief, Incomplete History of “Earth”

When looking at our solar system, it is pretty easy to notice one thing that separates Earth from the other planets with which we share a star. Namely, Earth is the only planet not named after a Roman deity. You have Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and even Pluto! So where does “Earth” […] Continue reading

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On This Day in Astronomy History…

On this day, April 9th, 59 years ago in 1959, NASA introduced the world to their first ever astronauts, the Mercury 7.  A press conference was held in D.C. to announce the line up, and reveal America’s next move in the space race against the Soviet Union. This came a year after NASA had introduced […] Continue reading

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Cold Worlds, Burning Hatred

Scientific discoveries are not made in a vacuum, and sometimes even the most brilliant and correct ideas are considered to be false due to horrifying and malicious ideologies. Albert Einstein’s discovery of relativity revolutionized the world of physics and astronomy. It provided a unified way to understand the universe and was backed up by both … Continue reading Cold Worlds, Burning Hatred Continue reading

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Uranus Is Full of Gas

There are many things unique about Uranus. It rotates on its side, it was the first planet discovered with the use of a telescope, and it is the only planet named after a Greek deity instead of its Roman equivalent. In hindsight, the Roman name Caelus probably would have been a better choice. It may … Continue reading Uranus Is Full of Gas Continue reading

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Archeoastronomy

Last year, I decided to go out on a limb and enroll in ASTR 3000, which is better known as Principles of Astrophysics. I figured as an engineering major, the physics aspect wouldn’t be too unfamiliar- but little did I anticipate that the class would make me fall deeply in love with the subject of […] Continue reading

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On This Day in Astronomy History…

  Thirty-four years ago today, on February 7th 1984, NASA Astronaut Bruce McCandless II became the first person to fly untethered from their spacecraft. McCandless, who just recently passed December 21st at the age of 80, was able to travel 320 feet from the space shuttle Challenger without any connection to the shuttle. He accomplished […] Continue reading

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Historical Astronomers in Context

Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was a German mathematician and astronomer who established the laws of planetary motion. He worked as Tycho Brahe’s apprentice. Although the two had a strained relationship, Kepler’s ability to find mathematical relationships among data proved the perfect complement to Brahe’s unparalleled observation skills. Through his work with Brahe’s observations, Kepler founded the … Continue reading Historical Astronomers in Context Continue reading

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Naming the Moons

For my mother’s 50th birthday, we bought her a star. Though arbitrary, I remember the immense amount of pressure that I felt when I was trying to give the star a name, knowing that (at least in our household) I was participating in the excavation of the final frontier, putting a little mark in my … More Naming the Moons Continue reading

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Blog #2

When you head outside at night to watch the stars and contemplate your own insignificance in the universe, you are partaking in a ritual that has spanned the length of all human existence. By watching the stars and planets in the sky, our ancestors were able to derive a great many advancements that we currently … Continue reading Blog #2 Continue reading

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The Invention of the Telescope

Galileo was the first astronomer to use a telescope to observe the moon, the phases of Venus, and the largest four moons of Jupiter. In fact, Galileo was the first astronomer to use a telescope for anything because he was the dude who invented it. He first heard about a dutch inventor who put curved […] Continue reading

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