Tag Archives: history

The History of Astronomy

Posted on February 7, 2020 by echen00

Astronomy, the scientific study of the universe and of the objects that exist naturally in space, is one of the oldest natural sciences to reach a high level of sophistication. The history of this science has impressive continuity and duration, as observed changes would take thousands, millions, and even billions of years. In 3000 BC,Continue reading “The History of Astronomy” Continue reading →

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The Astronomy behind Astrology

Posted on January 25, 2020 by Avery Bradley

While astrology is widely disproven as a form of science in our modern age, it has its origins in the beginnings of computational astronomy. As explained by David Lindberg in his book The Beginnings of Western Science, “By the end of the fifth century B.C., Babylonian celestial divination had expanded to embrace horoscopic astrology, whichContinue reading “The Astronomy behind Astrology” Continue reading →

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The Cosmic Calendar

Posted on January 19, 2020 by emily

What is the Cosmic Calendar? Carl Sagan, a famous astronomer, promoted this idea of the cosmic calendar, that essentially is a tool used to help people visualize and understand how far apart events in the Universe are. Sagan has chronologically arranged the hallmark events of the Universe’s 13.8 billion year life span into just aContinue reading “The Cosmic Calendar” Continue reading →

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Comets as Omens of the Future

Posted on April 7, 2019 by bobbyc

Comets have been noticed by ancient civilizations for millenia, and, like many other celestial bodies, were viewed as omens of the future. Comets in particular were considered bad omens. The most famous example is Halley’s Comet, seen in 1066 by the English and theorized to have been an omen for Harold II of England’s death. … Continue reading Comets as Omens of the Future Continue reading →

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A Brief, Incomplete History of “Earth”

Posted on March 12, 2019 by IanO12

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…

Posted on April 9, 2018 by maxflorsheim

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

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Chris K.

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

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Chris K.

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

Posted on February 8, 2018 by therestisstardust

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…

Posted on February 7, 2018 by maxflorsheim

  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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